Child Flame

"Release!"

Inside the room, Xiao Yan carefully took out the jade box containing the sealed Golden Emperor Burning Heaven Flame's Child Flame and formed a hand seal with one hand.

"Whoosh!"

A tiny golden flame trembled as it flew out of the jade box.

"We need to use a secret technique to plant the Earth Fire Lotus Seed into the Golden Emperor Burning Heaven Flame's Child Flame, completely stabilizing its fragile state. Then you will swallow it into your body and refine it into an Origin Heavenly Flame. After nurturing it within your body for a time, you can finally devour it with the Flame Mantra," Yao Lao said gravely.

"Begin, Yan. Take out the Green Lotus Core Flame's Lotus Pedestal. It will make your perception of the fire element more active."

"Yes, Teacher."

Xiao Yan immediately took out an Earth Fire Lotus Seed, sat cross-legged atop the Lotus Pedestal, and followed the secret technique Yao Lao had imparted to his mind. His hands formed seals, repeatedly tracing profound trajectories through the air. After forming thirty-six seals, he pointed at the Earth Fire Lotus Seed.

"Go!"

A ray of Xuan Guang shot into the Earth Fire Lotus Seed. With a bang, the walnut-sized seed suddenly glowed a dark red, radiating an unusual light. Then, with a whoosh, it shot toward the Golden Emperor Burning Heaven Flame's Child Flame floating in midair.

The Earth Fire Lotus Seed, which had burrowed into the center of the golden flame, began releasing its energy without reservation. From afar, it looked like a golden ball of light wrapped around a red seed.

As time passed, the golden orb gradually expanded, continuously emitting profound ripples, as though a new life was being nurtured within it.

"Buzz!"

At last, the golden orb stopped expanding and suddenly condensed. Its appearance changed abruptly. It evolved from a pale golden flame that seemed ready to go out at any moment into a deep golden flame floating steadily in midair.

"It worked," Yao Lao said as he looked at the stabilized Child Flame.

"Next, you need to swallow it and refine it into an Origin Heavenly Flame." Yao Lao took an Ice Heart Pill and a Heart Protection Pill from his Storage Ring.

"Since you're only refining it into an Origin Heavenly Flame for now, there is no need for the Blood Lotus Pill yet."

After swallowing an Ice Heart Pill and a Pulse Protection Pill, Xiao Yan looked at the Golden Emperor Burning Heaven Flame's Child Flame quietly spinning before him. He reached out and drew it over, then swallowed it in one gulp without hesitation.

Xiao Yan felt that as soon as the Golden Emperor Burning Heaven Flame's Child Flame entered his body through his throat, the Dou Qi within him seemed to start burning. Suppressing the agitation of his Dou Qi, he took advantage of the energy membrane formed by the Pulse Protection Pill blocking the Child Flame's destructive power and summoned the Green Lotus Core Flame from the gray space within his Qi Cyclone.

The green flame surged from his dantian toward the Golden Emperor Burning Heaven Flame's Child Flame with great force, as if it intended to teach a lesson to this rude brat who had entered its home, started wrecking the place, and had not even bothered to greet the owner.

"Crash!"

Just as the Golden Emperor Burning Heaven Flame's Child Flame was about to transform into streams of golden molten fire and continue battering the energy membrane before it, a river of green flame surged in from behind and swallowed it whole.

Ignoring the golden flame crashing wildly about within it, the river of green flame began swimming back. After crossing the quietly rotating Qi Cyclone and passing through the gray membrane to return home, the green flame finally spat out the golden flame.

Xiao Yan watched all this in ecstatic surprise. Then, he carefully guided a stream of Dou Qi into the gray space. Suppressing the Green Lotus Core Flame's urge to rush forward and devour it, the golden flame suddenly swam over and swallowed the thin strand of Dou Qi in one bite. Its body trembled sharply, seemingly delighted that its tiny self had managed to seize some food.

"Buzz!"

After swallowing that strand of Dou Qi, the golden flame finally underwent a welcome change. Its color slowly deepened at a rate barely perceptible to the naked eye, while it fed back an almost undetectable trace of energy.

"How is it?" Feeling Xiao Yan's aura rapidly stabilize, Yao Lao smiled at Xiao Yan as he opened his eyes.

"I successfully sent the Child Flame into the safe space at the center of the Qi Cyclone," Xiao Yan said joyfully.

"Mm. Remember to nurture it with Dou Qi every day. In roughly a month, you should be able to devour it with the Flame Mantra. That will also be the time for you to break through to Da Dou Shi."

"A month?" Xiao Yan muttered, clenching his hand.

"Since the Child Flame has been successfully refined into an Origin Heavenly Flame, it's time to see how Xiao Yi Xian and Qing Lin are progressing in their cultivation." Xiao Yan rose to his feet.

The moment Xiao Yan pushed open the courtyard gate, he saw Qing Lin, who was usually shy and timid, her little face taut as she formed hand seals with both hands and pointed at a small tree in the courtyard. "Snake Technique: Chapter of Nether."

"Whoosh!"

A dark energy snake less than ten feet long appeared behind Qing Lin, flicking its tongue. It looked somewhat malnourished. After hesitating for a moment, it pounced fiercely at the tree trunk. The trunk seemed to have been corroded by something, immediately turning black and brittle before collapsing to the ground.

"I did it."

Qing Lin smiled in satisfaction at the result she had created, then collapsed from exhaustion.

"Hiss, hiss, hiss."

The Fire Spirit Snake—or rather, the Flame Snake—which had somehow grown a pair of wings along its ribs, flapped its wings and lunged over.

"Whoosh!" Xiao Yan flashed forward and appeared behind Qing Lin, catching her.

"Qing Lin, you're not being good. You're only at the third stage of Dou Power. How could you secretly practice the Dou Skill from the Heavenly Snake Strategy?" A warm voice suddenly sounded beside Qing Lin's ear.

"X-Xiao Yan..." Qing Lin's ears instantly turned bright red upon hearing that familiar voice.

"Hehe." Xiao Yan smiled and rubbed Qing Lin's little head, then turned to look at the Flame Snake, which flicked its tongue affectionately at him as if trying to please him.

"You silly snake, when did you break through to the fourth rank? You even grew two more wings."

"Hiss, hiss, hiss."

"Hmph, Xiao Yan. Her name is Xiao Qing, not Silly Snake," Qing Lin said as she walked over.

"Xiao Qing broke through the day before yesterday while absorbing the Earth Fire Lotus Seed. Her body suddenly grew much bigger then, and she gave Xiao Yi Xian and me quite a scare."

"It's good that she broke through. A fourth-rank magical beast can barely protect you now." Xiao Yan smiled.

"Right, where is Xiao Yi Xian?" Xiao Yan suddenly remembered that Xiao Yi Xian had yet to appear.

"She's... she's in the room," Qing Lin said hesitantly.

"Xiao Yan!" Xiao Yi Xian suddenly pushed open the room door and rushed over.

"Hehe." Xiao Yan smiled and opened his arms to catch Xiao Yi Xian.

"Xiao Yi Xian, remember to wipe your mouth clean after eating poison next time." Xiao Yan gently reached out and wiped the gray medicinal stain from her lips.

"Uuu..." Xiao Yi Xian shyly buried her head in Xiao Yan's chest and rubbed against him.

"I-I understand, Xiao Yan."

P.S. I went out for New Year's Day, so I ran a little short on time. The second update will be posted tomorrow morning, so don't wait up. There will be three updates tomorrow.