Demon Flame Fragment Map, the Heavenly Dao's Beloved Son

Demon Flame Fragment Map, the Heavenly Dao's Beloved Son

(Serious declaration: This book is fan fiction based on the original work. Everything serves the plot and characters. All original settings and adaptations are unrelated to the original work, so please do not scrutinize it too closely or insert yourselves too deeply. Do not get too hung up on the timeline, locations, names, original power scaling, and so on (っ╥╯﹏╰╥c)... Having fun is what matters most... orz)

The night wind wailed, sweeping up grit from the ground and lashing it against their faces with a piercing chill.

Hai Bodong's desolate and lonely figure finally vanished into the endless dark sea of sand, as though he had never appeared at all.

By the campfire, silence reigned.

Yaoxin and Qing Lin had both been deeply moved by that sorrowful story. Their eyes reddened, and neither could speak for a long while.

Xiao Xun'er merely frowned slightly as she watched the direction in which Hai Bodong had departed, contemplation flickering in her clear eyes.

Only Xiao Yan stood there in a daze, clutching the yellowed map in his hand, his mind filled with Hai Bodong's final words: to see out the rest of his life.

A Dou Emperor powerhouse, once the Ice Emperor, had ultimately met such an end.

Without absolute strength, so-called dignity, love, and even life itself were nothing more than candles flickering in the wind, liable to be extinguished at any moment.

"Ah..."

An aged sigh rang out in Xiao Yan's heart.

Yao Chen's soul form floated out of the ring. Looking toward where Hai Bodong had disappeared, he too shook his head, his expression complicated.

Xiao Yan came back to himself, took a deep breath to suppress his stray thoughts, and slowly unfurled the map in his hand.

The moment the map opened, a palm-sized piece of parchment rolled up inside slipped out and fell onto the sand.

"Hm?"

Xiao Yan picked up the piece of parchment that had fallen out by accident and found that it was not part of the map, but an independent fragment.

No one knew what kind of magical beast hide this fragment had been made from. It felt warm and resilient to the touch, and after endless years, it had only yellowed slightly.

The fragment itself was merely a broken corner, covered in countless chaotic yet profound lines and patterns. They were a complete mess, impossible to make sense of.

Yet in one corner of the fragment was branded a strange mark that made the entire parchment seem extraordinary.

A bewitching black lotus.

Its surface seemed coated in a layer of black flame capable of devouring light. Looking closely, the black lotus made one's heart tremble. One more glance, and it felt as if even one's soul would be sucked inside.

"Teacher, look. What is this?"

Xiao Yan handed the fragment to Medicine Elder and asked curiously.

Yao Chen looked at the fragment, and the instant he saw the black lotus clearly, his gaze abruptly sharpened.

Extreme astonishment flashed through his eyes.

"It is... this thing?"

He murmured almost instinctively before quickly regaining his composure. Yet the surprise in his eyes could not be concealed. He floated forward, took the fragment from Xiao Yan's hand, and lightly stroked its smooth hide-like surface, his expression becoming incomparably solemn.

The next instant, his illusory hand swept across his Storage Ring, and two fragments of the same material and equally ancient appearance appeared in his hand!

"Before your senior brother left... he stuffed these two things into my hands. One was spoils he had seized long ago in the Black-Corner Region, and the other was found in a cave ruin in the Magic Beast Mountains near Qingshan Town. He said you were a lucky brat, the chosen son of fate, and that perhaps one day the other fragments would deliver themselves right to your door..."

"At the time, I thought he was joking. I never expected... I never expected it to be true!"

Under Xiao Yan's stunned gaze, Medicine Elder slowly placed the three fragments together.

Something wondrous happened. The instant the three seemingly unrelated fragments drew near one another, they seemed to be pulled by some force, automatically sticking together.

Their broken edges joined perfectly, while the chaotic patterns on the parchment aligned on their own, forming a more complete and even more intricate mysterious image.

Medicine Elder stared at the map before him, now nearly three-quarters complete. Even with his thousand years of experience, he could not help but marvel.

He turned and looked at Xiao Yan as though he were some wonder born of heaven and earth.

"Brat, now I have no choice but to believe that you truly are the chosen son of fate! You casually save someone in the desert, and such a heaven-defying opportunity comes knocking at your door!"

"Teacher, what... what exactly is this?"

Seeing his usually composed teacher in such a state, Xiao Yan's curiosity reached its peak.

"The map to the Pure Lotus Demon Flame."

Yao Chen's gaze fell upon the black lotus, now clearer after being pieced together. His voice remained calm, but there was an undeniable gravity beneath it.

When Han Feng had handed him the fragments back then, he had been surprised, but there had only been two pieces, and hope had been slim. Yet now, the third fragment had turned that hope into a reality within reach. How could his heart not be shaken?

"The Pure Lotus Demon Flame?"

Xiao Yan blinked in confusion, then suddenly thought of something and asked tentatively, "Is it... a Heavenly Flame?"

"Yes." Medicine Elder nodded, his gaze still fixed on the map. "It is a Heavenly Flame, and moreover... the most mysterious one on the Heavenly Flame Ranking."

He took a deep breath, seeming to calm his surging emotions.

"The Pure Lotus Demon Flame ranks third on the Heavenly Flame Ranking!"

"This flame possesses the terrifying ability to purify all things. Whether it is Dou Qi, flesh, or even souls, the slightest contact with it will result in complete purification into nothingness. Its power is utterly terrifying, enough to destroy heaven and earth!"

"This kind of Heavenly Flame is exceedingly rare. From ancient times until now, it seems only two or three have ever appeared. Yet no one knows where they are. The senior who first recorded this thing only caught a fleeting glimpse of it and was unable to capture it. I could recognize it only because, during my early years searching for Heavenly Flames, I was fortunate enough to find a few rudimentary traces concerning it in an ancient ruin."

Medicine Elder looked at the ancient parchment and marveled repeatedly.

"Tsk, tsk. You really are lucky, brat! Now I understand why your senior brother always said you were the Heavenly Dao's beloved son."

Hearing that, Xiao Yan rubbed his nose and chuckled. Rarely, he made a joke. "Then if I'm the chosen son of fate, Teacher, wouldn't you be... the teacher of the chosen son of fate?"

"Haha, you little rascal, you do know how to talk!"

Medicine Elder burst into laughter at his words, and the excitement and shock in his heart finally settled.

He carefully rolled up the three fragments that had already been joined together and solemnly returned them to Xiao Yan.

"Keep it safe. This concerns an immense opportunity. You must not let anyone else know of it."

After giving his instructions, his body trembled slightly before turning into a streak of light and slipping back into the ring, leaving only his hearty laughter echoing through the night sky.

"Rest for today. Tomorrow, we still have to continue searching for the Green Lotus Core Flame!"

Hearing that, Xiao Yan lowered his head to look at the fragments in his hand, then raised his eyes toward the endless dark sea of sand. A brilliant smile spread across his face.

He clenched his fist tightly and murmured softly.

"I can't wait!"