Nine Li Ice Flame
"Bah!"
A clear phoenix cry rang out. The instant Xiao Yan poured the core of his Beast Flame into the Nine Li Heavenly Flame, the ice-blue phoenix opened its mouth and inhaled, devouring Xiao Yan's Beast Flame completely.
At this moment, the feeling it gave Huo Yuhao and the others changed. It seemed no longer to be a flame, but to have gained true life, with every feather on its body clearly visible. In those pupils, which were purely composed of flames, a clear trace of intelligence flashed.
Boom!
Just then, thunderclouds roared, and a blinding bolt of lightning struck down from the sky, landing squarely on the fiery phoenix.
Sparks flew everywhere as the fiery phoenix roared to the sky, controlling the surrounding Nine Li Heavenly Flame to surge upwards in an attempt to counter the heavenly lightning.
"This is... a heavenly tribulation!" Huo Yuhao exclaimed, then his eyebrows furrowed, and he raised his hand to manipulate the energy of heaven and earth to support the Flame Phoenix.
Yao Chen's Soul Power also surged forth, preparing to shield the Flame Phoenix from the heavenly lightning, just as he had done countless times before when resisting the Pill Tribulation.
"Bah!"
A sharp phoenix cry rang out as the Flame Phoenix manipulated a portion of the Nine Li Heavenly Flame to prevent Huo Yuhao and Yao Chen from providing assistance. From its consciousness, a firm and clear belief was conveyed: it must overcome this challenge itself to truly become Heavenly Flames.
"Teacher?" Huo Yuhao bit his lower lip.
"This may be its destiny!" Yao Chen withdrew his hand from his sleeve. "Only by relying on its own strength to overcome this baptism can it become the twenty-fourth Heavenly Flames on the Battle Qi Continent!"
The Flame Phoenix's counterattack seemed to have angered the Heavenly Tribulation, and the subsequent heavenly lightning bolts became increasingly powerful. With each strike, large swaths of the Flame Phoenix's fiery feathers were shattered.
Huo Yuhao and the other two clenched their fists, but could only stand aside, hoping that it could overcome the heavenly tribulation.
"Keep going! You have to get through this!" Xiao Yan's voice suddenly rang out, filled with expectation for his companions.
Huo Yuhao turned to look at Xiao Yan, remained silent for a moment, seemingly influenced by Xiao Yan's gaze. He turned back, his eyes fixed on the fiery phoenix dancing in mid-air.
"Keep it up!" The voice wasn't loud, but it was enough for it to hear.
"Screech!" Responding to the blessings of Huo Yuhao and Xiao Yan, the Flame Phoenix flew even more gracefully, with pillars of fire constantly striking against the heavenly lightning under its control.
As the last bolt of lightning struck, all the icy blue fire feathers of the Flame Phoenix scattered and fell onto the scorched earth, ravaged by the aftershocks of the thunder and fire.
The Flame Phoenix no longer had its icy blue fire feathers; its entire body had turned bright red, and its aura had greatly weakened, yet it gave Huo Yuhao and the other two a more real feeling.
The dark clouds in the sky dispersed, and the Nine Li Heavenly Flame on the ground were all extinguished, leaving only a few scattered sparks of mortal fire. In mid-air, a beautiful fire phoenix circled and cried out, its voice filled with the joy of new life.
Huo Yuhao and Yao Chen stopped providing it with the Heaven and Earth Origin Qi, yet it did not disappear. Instead, it existed completely and independently in the world as a Heavenly Flames Core Flame.
The three of them stared intently at it, unable to look away for even a moment.
However, in a short while, the joy in its voice vanished, turning into mournful cries that seemed to resonate directly in the depths of the three people's hearts.
"What happened? What went wrong?" Xiao Yan asked anxiously.
"This... I don't know either."
The fiery phoenix landed on the ground, wailing incessantly, its newly formed body becoming unstable again.
At this moment, Huo Yuhao, who was in Heaven-Human Unity, keenly sensed that there seemed to be a spiritual essence remaining in the ashes on the ground.
Hearing the mournful cries of the Flame Phoenix, Huo Yuhao had a sudden inspiration. He immediately mobilized ice-attribute energy and poured it into the ashes. At the same time, he quietly condensed his spiritual power and merged his spiritual seed into it as well.
Sparks of icy blue appeared, converged, and in an instant, reignited. A Ice Flame Phoenix, radiating a chilling aura, was reborn from the ashes.
Two phoenixes sang and danced in harmony, their joy clearly visible in their voices. Streams of red and blue light emanated from their tail feathers, stretching endlessly.
The surrounding sparks reignited instantly, and the rings of flames no longer bowed down to them, but seemed to be drawn to them, yearning to merge into them.
"Once this Heavenly Flames is unleashed, Wan Huo submit!" Yao Chen exhaled a breath of turbid air. "Could this be two different Heavenly Flames? Or perhaps they coexist like the Yin-Yang Twin Flames?"
Huo Yuhao and Xiao Yan extended their hands together.
The bright red flame phoenix landed lightly in Xiao Yan's palm; the icy blue Ice Flame Phoenix, having lost its biting chill, rested on Huo Yuhao's hand. Both of them clearly felt a strange connection originating from the depths of their souls quietly emerge.
"They are two Heavenly Flames, and they are also interdependent." Huo Yuhao and Xiao Yan exchanged a smile.
"What did you say?" Instructor Ruolin was shocked. Her gentle demeanor vanished, replaced by an expression as if the sky had fallen.
"Is Xiao Xun'er also asking for leave?" She leaned on the table, her vision blurring.
"I'm sorry, mentor." Huo Yuhao lowered his eyes, his fingers unconsciously twisting the hem of his clothes, his voice slightly embarrassed. "Xun'er's family has encountered some issues, and she has already left the Xiao Clan. She won't be able to go to the Jia Nan Academy for another year."
"How am I supposed to explain this to the academy!" Instructor Ruolin looked dejected. She had finally discovered four geniuses, and now half of them were gone. She could already imagine the expressions on the faces of the academy elders, and how her promotion and raise would be postponed again.
"I'm sorry, mentor." Huo Yuhao bowed slightly and apologized again, "I will explain to the academy on your behalf."
"Fine! Fine! Are you sure they'll come in a year? Are you and Xiao Yi Xian Doctor sure you won't ask for leave?" Instructor Ruolin waved her hand and went to find a corner to be herself.
"Mentor, I promise there won't be any more problems."
"Okay, let me have some peace and quiet."
Seven days passed quickly. Amidst Instructor Ruolin's anxious anticipation, Huo Yuhao and Xiao Yi Xian successfully boarded the flying magical beast of the Jia Nan Academy without any further mishaps.
"Brother Huo Yuhao, what's wrong with Xiao Yan lately? He's been grinning like an idiot one minute and looking depressed the next. Could he have a split personality?" Inside the carriage, Xiao Yi Xian leaned close to Huo Yuhao and whispered in his ear.
"A few days ago, he successfully fused with the Heavenly Flames, and his cultivation technique advanced to the advanced stage of the Black Grade." Huo Yuhao used Simulation to prevent his classmates in the carriage and Ling Ying, who was hiding in the shadows, from noticing their commotion.
"Wow! There's Heavenly Flames nearby in Wutan City?" Xiao Yi Xian covered her mouth, somewhat surprised.
"We created it together with our teacher," Huo Yuhao explained in a low voice.
"You didn't include me in such a fun activity," Xiao Yi Xian pouted.
"There was a little accident at the time, so we didn't have time to call you." Huo Yuhao patted Xiao Yi Xian's head and gently comforted her, "I promise I'll definitely take you next time."
Xiao Yi Xian blushed slightly, but didn't dodge Huo Yuhao's hand. "Then it's a promise, let's pinky swear."
Just then, Xiao Yan's unusually excited voice rang out. "Can you hear me? Potato, Potato, it's me, Sweet Potato!"
"Hey? Xiao Yan, didn't you not come?"