Green Lotus Core Flame!

As Xiao Yan's arm reached deeper and deeper toward the Green Lotus Core Flame, he found the heat and pressure growing ever more intense. In the end, he could not advance another inch.

"Come out, damn it! I haven't even begun devouring it yet. How could I possibly fail at the step of extracting the flame seed?!" Xiao Yan grabbed with all his might and finally pulled out the flame seed hidden at the center.

Looking at the fist-sized flame seed in his hand, constantly leaping and rising, Xiao Yan finally revealed a satisfied smile. He then took the Ice Spirit Cold Spring Yao Lao handed him and swiftly drank it. At once, an icy chill seeped from his mouth into every limb of his body.

Xiao Yan gave the bright flame seed in his hand a fierce look and swallowed it in one gulp.

"Whoosh!" The instant the flame seed entered his throat, Xiao Yan felt it transform into streams of flame that began burning through his entire body. Fortunately, the Blood Lotus Pill and Ice Spirit Cold Spring he had taken beforehand formed two thick layers of energy that protected his delicate organs, keeping him conscious. Even so, the bone-piercing pain nearly made Xiao Yan faint.

"Hmph!" Even Xiao Yan, whose willpower had always been exceptionally firm, could not help letting out muffled groans under the assault of the Heavenly Flame.

This made Yao Lao, standing nearby, frown in worry. "Yan, you are my, Yao Chen's, disciple. You must endure it! Endure this trial, and beyond it lies boundless skies and seas!"

Tormented by the enormous pain of the Heavenly Flame's burning, Xiao Yan forced himself to focus and began using his soul power to guide the Green Lotus Core Flame scattered throughout his body along the circulation route recorded in the Flame Mantra.

However, the Heavenly Flame within his body was incredibly lively and unruly. Xiao Yan's attempts to guide it only provoked its resistance and evasion, and every movement worsened the injuries throughout his body.

"Pfft!" Blood poured uncontrollably from the surface of Xiao Yan's skin, and in moments, he had become a man of blood. At his side, Yao Lao scattered and applied Rejuvenation Powder, Blood Coagulation Powder, Injury Recovery Pills, and other healing medicines and powders onto Xiao Yan as if they cost nothing.

Yao Lao's actions immediately brought a cool, soothing sensation to every part of Xiao Yan's body. But Xiao Yan had no time to pay attention to that; all his focus was fixed on those mischievous yet dangerous streams of flame within him.

Once, twice, three times.

Through Xiao Yan's unrelenting efforts, one tiny stream of flame was finally guided into the circulation route of the Flame Mantra. Xiao Yan quickly steadied his mind and concentrated on guiding that sliver of flame through one complete cycle. As the number of cycles increased, the cyan streams of flame hidden throughout Xiao Yan's body were also drawn into the circulation.

The cyan flame streams converged, forming a vast river of cyan molten fire that surged through his meridians.

Having finally absorbed every remaining fragment of the flame seed in his body, Xiao Yan revealed his first faint smile. Feeling that he had successfully completed the first step, he immediately guided the vast river of cyan flames within his meridians toward the Qi Cyclone where pale violet Dou Qi liquid swirled.

The instant it entered, the originally pale violet Dou Qi Qi Cyclone was dyed cyan. Xiao Yan continued guiding it patiently, completely transforming the river of cyan flames and merging it into his Dou Qi Qi Cyclone.

As Xiao Yan guided it, his aura continuously changed, rising from a one-star Dou Master to two-star, then three-star. In the end, it stopped at the realm of a Seven-Star Dou Shi.

At that moment, Yao Lao seized the opportunity and flicked the Spirit Container into Xiao Yan's body.

The Spirit Container eventually transformed within Xiao Yan's Qi Cyclone into a mysterious gray-white space. Seeing that the time was right, Xiao Yan gave the flame seed hovering near the Qi Cyclone a fierce push, sending it into the gray-white space formed by the Spirit Container.

With the task finally complete, Xiao Yan let out a long breath of relief. Only then did he notice that his realm had advanced. Smiling faintly, Xiao Yan intended to take advantage of his current momentum to evolve the Flame Mantra once more. The Yellow-Tier Advanced Flame Mantra was far from sufficient for him now.

Yao Lao noticed Xiao Yan's movements. With a sweep of his soul power, he instantly understood Xiao Yan's purpose.

"What a greedy little brat."

This wait lasted until the next morning.

"Huff..." Xiao Yan finally woke after completing the Flame Mantra's transformation.

"Did the transformation succeed?" The newly awakened Xiao Yan was met by a pair of smiling eyes.

"Teacher, it succeeded. Xuan-Tier Advanced." Xiao Yan smiled softly.

"Mm, not bad. Xuan-Tier Advanced. At least until you break through to the Dou Wang realm, you won't have to worry about your cultivation method falling behind your cultivation." Yao Lao said with satisfaction.

"Let me see your Green Lotus Core Flame," Yao Lao said.

Xiao Yan extended his hand. "Whoosh!" A cyan lotus of flame, burning quietly, floated above his palm.

"Mm, you have finally obtained your first source Heavenly Flame. Work hard, Yan. Your teacher believes that you will ultimately become a powerhouse who shakes the Dou Qi Continent. Go on, reassure the two little girls outside. Your teacher is going to rest." After encouraging Xiao Yan, Yao Lao slipped into the Storage Ring. The past day and night had truly exhausted his old bones.

"Teacher, I will." Xiao Yan said softly.

Xiao Yan watched Yao Lao return to the Storage Ring, then stood and looked around. The area where he and Yao Lao had been was now a scorched wasteland. He smiled soundlessly. "What a mess."

"Huff..." Xiao Yan opened the courtyard gate and walked out. "Xiao Yi Xian, Qing Lin."

"So, Master, you have already subdued the Green Lotus Core Flame?" Hai Bo Dong asked with an odd expression as he approached Xiao Yan, who was being clung to by two little girls.

"Of course." Xiao Yan replied blandly.

What a monster! He subdued such a dangerous Heavenly Flame just like that. His cultivation seems to have broken through too—he's already a Seven-Star Dou Shi. I didn't advance this quickly back then, did I? Haven't I been playing along lately just to find a chance to escape? At this brat's cultivation speed, am I really going to have to serve him for the rest of my life?! Hai Bo Dong miserably let his thoughts run wild.

Xiao Yan had not expected Hai Bo Dong to think so much. Nor did he care what Hai Bo Dong was thinking as he continued teasing the easily embarrassed Qing Lin.

"Then, Master, are we leaving Mo City next?" Hai Bo Dong asked.

Ever since Queen Medusa and the Snake-People Tribe's experts had besieged him in the Tagor Desert a year ago and sealed him away, he had not returned to the Miteer Clan in the Imperial Capital. He greatly missed some of his old friends there as well.

"Go back? No. I plan to head deeper into the Tagor Desert. I'll use the active fire-attributed energy here to properly cultivate my fire-attributed cultivation method and temper my Dou Techniques as well," Xiao Yan said.

P.S.: This chapter makes up for yesterday's.