Green Lotus Core Flame!

As Xiao Yan pushed his arm deeper into the Green Lotus Core Flame, he found the temperature and pressure he had to endure growing increasingly intense, until he was finally unable to advance even an inch.

"Come out, you bastard! I haven't even begun the absorption yet; how could I possibly fail at the step of extracting the Coreflame!" With a forceful grab, Xiao Yan finally pulled the Coreflame hidden at the center out.

Looking at the fist-sized, constantly leaping and surging Coreflame in his palm, Xiao Yan finally revealed a satisfied smile. He then took the Ice Spirit Cold Spring handed to him by Yao Lao and swallowed it, immediately feeling a bone-chilling coldness spread from his mouth to his limbs.

Xiao Yan glared fiercely at the bright Coreflame in his hand and swallowed it in one gulp.

Swish. The moment the Coreflame entered his throat, Xiao Yan felt it transform into threads of fiery streams, beginning to burn his entire body. Fortunately, the two thick protective layers of energy formed by the previously consumed Blood Lotus Pill and Ice Spirit Cold Spring shielded his delicate organs, allowing Xiao Yan to remain conscious. Even so, the bone-piercing pain nearly caused him to black out.

"Hmph." Xiao Yan, who had always possessed an incredibly firm willpower, could not help but let out muffled groans in the face of this Heavenly Flame's assault.

This caused Yao Lao, who was standing to the side, to furrow his brows in worry. "Little Yan, you are the disciple of this Yao Chen; you must hold on. Hold on through this, and the world will open up before you."

Under the excruciating pain of the Heavenly Flame's burning, Xiao Yan forced himself to focus, using his soul power to guide the Green Lotus Core Flame that had burrowed into every part of his body, directing it along the circulation path recorded in the Flame Mantra.

However, the Heavenly Flame within his body was extremely agile and restless. Xiao Yan's attempts to guide it only triggered its resistance and evasion, and this movement caused the injuries all over Xiao Yan's body to worsen.

"Puchi." Blood flowed uncontrollably from the surface of Xiao Yan's skin, and in the blink of an eye, he was dyed into a blood-soaked man. Yao Lao, standing by, began scattering and applying Rejuvenation Powder, Blood Coagulation Powder, and Injury Recovery Pill—various healing medicines and powders—onto Xiao Yan as if they were worthless.

Yao Lao's actions immediately made Xiao Yan feel a cool, soothing sensation spreading across his body, but Xiao Yan had no time to pay attention to this; his entire focus was placed on those mischievous and dangerous fiery streams within him.

Once, twice, three times.

Through Xiao Yan's unremitting efforts, a thread of the fiery stream was finally guided into the circulation path of the Flame Mantra. Xiao Yan quickly steadied his mind, using his consciousness to guide this tiny thread of flame to complete a full cycle of circulation. As the number of cycles increased, the cyan fiery streams hidden throughout Xiao Yan's body were also drawn into the circulation.

These cyan fiery streams converged, forming a vast, surging river of cyan liquid flowing through his meridians.

Having finally absorbed the remaining Coreflame within his body, Xiao Yan revealed a faint smile for the first time. Feeling that he had successfully completed the first step, Xiao Yan immediately gathered his strength and guided the now-mighty river of cyan flame within his meridians toward the cyclone where his pale purple Dou Qi liquid was swirling.

The moment it entered, it instantly dyed the originally pale purple Dou Qi cyclone cyan. Xiao Yan continued to guide it patiently, completely transforming and merging the river of cyan flame into his own Dou Qi cyclone.

As Xiao Yan guided the process, his aura also underwent constant changes, rising from a One-Star Dou Shi to a Two-Star, then Three-Star, finally settling at the realm of a Seven-Star Dou Shi.

At this moment, Yao Lao seized the opportunity and flicked his finger, sending the Spirit Container into Xiao Yan's body.

The Spirit Container finally transformed into a mysterious grayish-white space within Xiao Yan's cyclone. Seeing that the time was ripe, Xiao Yan gave the Coreflame, which was swirling near the cyclone, a fierce push, sending it into the grayish-white space created by the Spirit Container.

Having finally accomplished his task, Xiao Yan let out a long sigh of relief, only then noticing his breakthrough in realm. With a slight smile, Xiao Yan intended to take advantage of his current state of heightened power to evolve the Flame Mantra technique. For the current Xiao Yan, the Yellow-Tier Advanced Flame Mantra was far from sufficient.

Yao Lao noticed Xiao Yan's actions, and with a probe of his soul power, he immediately discovered Xiao Yan's intent.

"What a greedy little brat."

This wait lasted until the early morning of the next day.

"Hoo." Xiao Yan, having completed the transformation of the Flame Mantra, finally woke up.

"Did the transformation succeed?" As soon as he awoke, Xiao Yan was met with a pair of smiling eyes.

"Teacher, it succeeded. Xuan-Tier Advanced," Xiao Yan said with a soft smile.

"Mm, not bad. Xuan-Tier Advanced. At least until you break through to the Dou King realm, you won't have to worry about your technique failing to keep up with your cultivation," Yao Lao said with satisfaction.

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

Xiao Yan immediately extended his hand. Whoosh. A cyan flame lotus, burning quietly, floated in Xiao Yan's palm.

"Mm, your first source Heavenly Flame is finally in your hands. Keep working hard! Little Yan, this teacher believes that you will eventually become a powerhouse who shocks the Dou Qi Continent. Go on, report your safety to the two little girls outside; this teacher is going to rest." Yao Lao offered a word of encouragement to Xiao Yan before diving into the Storage Ring; this 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 up and looked at the patch of land where he and Yao Lao had been, which had now turned into scorched earth. He smiled silently and said, "What a mess."

"Hoo." Xiao Yan opened the courtyard door and walked out. "Xiao Yi Xian, Qing Lin."

"So, Master, you have already subdued the Green Lotus Core Flame?" Hai Bo Dong, who had come over upon hearing the sound, looked at Xiao Yan—who was currently being pestered by the two little girls—with a strange expression.

"Of course," Xiao Yan said indifferently.

A monster! He subdued such a dangerous Heavenly Flame just like that, and his cultivation seems to have broken through as well; he's already a Seven-Star Dou Shi. I don't think I broke through that quickly back in my day! Isn't my recent fawning and playing along just to find a chance to escape? At this kid's cultivation speed, am I really going to have to serve him for the rest of my life?! Hai Bo Dong thought miserably, connecting all the dots.

Xiao Yan did not expect Hai Bo Dong to be thinking so much, nor did he care what Hai Bo Dong was thinking; he continued to tease the shy Qing Lin.

"Then Master, is our next step to leave Mo City?" Hai Bo Dong asked.

Come to think of it, ever since he was besieged and sealed by Queen Medusa and the experts of the Snake-People Tribe in the Tagor Desert a year ago, he hadn't returned to the Miteer Clan in the Imperial Capital. He truly missed some of his old friends in the Imperial Capital.

"Return? No, I intend to go deeper into the Tagor Desert. I will use the active fire-attribute energy here to properly cultivate my fire-attribute technique and temper my Dou Skills," Xiao Yan said.