The magma pool in the underground sealing chamber shimmered scarlet. Inside the crystal coffin, the Fallen Heart Flame pulsed like a beating heart, releasing scorching energy with every throb. Xiao Yan sat cross-legged on the obsidian platform beside the pool, the Mysterious Yellow Flame and Green Lotus Core Flame swirling in his palm. Gold and blue-green fire intertwined into a spiral, yet neither dared approach the crystal coffin-after being invaded by Han Feng's poisonous Dou Qi, this Heavenly Flame had become exceptionally volatile.
"We have to subdue it as soon as possible." Xiao Yan watched the red flames churning inside the coffin, sensing the increasingly dense fire energy around him. Although Han Feng had retreated, the remnants of his poisonous Dou Qi were still corroding the seal. Fine cracks had already appeared on the crystal coffin's surface. Unless brought under control in time, the Fallen Heart Flame could run rampant at any moment.
Xiao Yi Xian cast the last Poison-Cleansing Pill into the magma pool, and dark green poisonous Dou Qi dissolved into wisps of smoke within the golden flames. "The seal can hold for another three days. If we still haven't subdued it by then, this entire underground area will collapse." Holding the Wind Spirit Sword, Nalan Yanran watched the entrance warily. "The magical beasts from Ten Thousand Beasts Valley are guarding the perimeter. We don't need to worry about interference for now. Focus on the fusion."
Xiao Yan drew a deep breath and slowly pushed the Mysterious Yellow Flame toward the crystal coffin. The instant the golden fire touched its wall, the Fallen Heart Flame surged upward, transforming into a red fire dragon that charged into the Mysterious Yellow Flame. Boom! The two flames collided with a deafening blast. The shock wave hurled Xiao Yan away, slamming him hard against the rock wall, and a metallic sweetness rose in his throat.
"What powerful repulsion!" Xiao Yan wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, inwardly shaken. Ranked fourteenth on the Heavenly Flame Ranking, the Fallen Heart Flame lacked the purity of the Mysterious Yellow Flame, but surpassed it in savage, blazing intensity. Especially now that it had been enraged, its energy fluctuations were faintly approaching the Dou Zong level. He turned to Xiao Yi Xian. "Can your poisonous Dou Qi suppress it temporarily?"
Xiao Yi Xian shook her head. "The Fallen Heart Flame is a Purification Flame by nature. My poisonous Dou Qi would only make it more violent." She took out a crystal-clear jade bottle. "This is Spirit-Concentrating Dew, obtained through a trade with Ten Thousand Beasts Valley. It can stabilize soul power. Perhaps it will help you control the Heavenly Flames."
Xiao Yan swallowed the Spirit-Concentrating Dew. The cool liquid slipped down his throat, instantly calming his restless soul considerably. He tried again, this time sending the Green Lotus Core Flame ahead. Like a docile swimming fish, the blue-green fire circled cautiously around the crystal coffin. Sure enough, the Fallen Heart Flame's resistance weakened. The red fire dragon merely circled warily instead of attacking at once.
"It's working!" Nalan Yanran exclaimed in delight. Seizing the opportunity, Xiao Yan fed the Mysterious Yellow Flame into the Green Lotus Core Flame. Like a catalyst, the golden fire made the blue-green flames even more nimble. The two Heavenly Flames intertwined into a vast net, slowly descending over the Fallen Heart Flame inside the crystal coffin in an attempt to subdue it gently.
Just as the three flames were about to touch, a sudden change erupted! The Fallen Heart Flame burst with blinding red light. The red fire dragon swelled several times larger, tore free of the blue-green and gold net, and lunged at Xiao Yan. At the same time, the Mysterious Yellow Flame and Green Lotus Core Flame clashed violently. The golden fire wanted to purify the red Heavenly Flame, while the blue-green fire sought to fuse with it. The two forces tore at each other in Xiao Yan's palm, causing such pain that he almost lost his grip on the flames.
"This is bad! Their attributes conflict!" Xiao Yi Xian cried. Xiao Yan felt as though ten thousand steel needles were piercing his meridians. The energies of the three Heavenly Flames crashed wildly through his body: golden fire scorched his meridians, blue-green fire froze his blood and vital energy, and red fire tried to burn his soul to ashes. "Pfft-" He spat out a mouthful of blood. It turned into a bloody mist in the air and was devoured by all three flames at once.
"Stop now!" Nalan Yanran tried to approach, only to be thrown back by the raging energy barrier. Gritting his teeth, Xiao Yan forced the Purifying Spirit Burning Heaven Record into operation, trying to harmonize the three flames with his soul power. But the Fallen Heart Flame's violence far exceeded his expectations. Red fire flowed backward up his meridians, suppressing the Mysterious Yellow Flame's purification power wherever it passed and leaving the Green Lotus Core Flame utterly listless.
Am I going to fail? Xiao Yan's consciousness began to blur. His father's smile, his clansmen's hopes, and the burning figure of the Soul Hall emissary flashed before his eyes. "No! I can't give up!" With a furious roar, he drew upon the last reserves of the Heavenly Fire Three Mysterious Transformations. His Eight-Star Dou Wang Dou Qi instantly surged to the Dou Emperor level, forcibly driving the three Heavenly Flames back into his palm.
At this moment, with everything hanging by a thread, a low chuckle came from the sealing chamber's shadows. "You've got some resilience, youngster. Unfortunately, your method is wrong." A black-robed figure slowly emerged, radiating an unfathomable aura. His Peak Dou Emperor pressure was several times stronger than that of the Gold and Silver Elders. His face remained hidden beneath his hood, with only a pair of scarlet eyes exposed. He toyed with a Black Soul Pearl in his hand.
"Someone from Soul Hall?!" Nalan Yanran immediately drew her sword, her wind Dou Qi poised to strike. The black-robed man chuckled softly. "Relax. I'm not here to steal the Heavenly Flame." With a flick of his fingertip, a strand of black soul Qi flew into Xiao Yan's body, instantly steadying his surging blood and vital energy. "I am the Soul Hall Ninth Elder. I happened to be passing by and found your attempt to fuse Heavenly Flames interesting, so I came to lend a hand."
Xiao Yan watched him warily. "Why would Soul Hall help me?" The Ninth Elder shook the soul pearl in his hand. "You carry the aura of Purifying Spirit Hall, as well as the soul imprint of a Soul Hall emissary. That makes you half one of our own, in a manner of speaking. Besides..." He looked toward the Fallen Heart Flame inside the crystal coffin, greed flashing in his eyes. "If this Heavenly Flame runs rampant, it won't benefit anyone."
"His soul Qi is very pure. There's no Otherworldly Demon contamination," Xiao Yi Xian said quietly. Xiao Yan deliberated for a moment. The conflict among the three flames inside him was growing fiercer, leaving him no choice. "How do you intend to help?" The Ninth Elder took a white jade bottle from his Storage Ring. It contained a thick, milky-white liquid that gave off a refreshing fragrance. "Ten-Thousand-Year Earth-Core Essence. It can neutralize conflicts between Heavenly Flames, making it an exceptional aid for fusing them."
Xiao Yan accepted the jade bottle and felt a gentle energy emanate through it. Miraculously, the three restless flames inside him quieted a little. "This is... the legendary Earth-Core Essence that can bring the dead back to life and regrow flesh on bare bones?" He had read about it in ancient texts. Such a supreme treasure was one in hundreds of millions. He had never expected to find it in the hands of a Soul Hall elder.
"At least you know a treasure when you see one," the Ninth Elder said. "Mix it into the three flames. It will form a buffer, allowing your body to gradually adjust to the strain of fusing Heavenly Flames. But whether you succeed will still depend on your willpower." Xiao Yan hesitated no longer. He pulled out the stopper and poured the Earth-Core Essence evenly into the three masses of Heavenly Flame.
The instant the milky-white liquid touched the flames, it rose as vapor, forming a thin layer of mist between them. Astonishingly, the golden fire's scorching heat, the blue-green fire's freezing chill, and the red fire's savage fury all weakened at once. Enveloped in the mist, the three energies began slowly rotating and merging.
"Now! Circulate the Purifying Spirit Burning Heaven Record and guide the three flames into your dantian!" the Ninth Elder commanded gravely. Xiao Yan followed his instructions, concentrating his soul power to the utmost as he guided the tricolored flames slowly through his meridians into his dantian. Every inch of progress felt like walking through magma. His meridians sizzled beneath the scorching heat, but the mist formed by the Earth-Core Essence continued to protect their cores, allowing him to barely endure.
The three flames spiraled into a tricolored vortex within his dantian, gold on the outside, blue-green in the middle, and red at the center. As time passed, the vortex spun faster and faster, and the edges of the three flames began permeating one another. Blue-green patterns appeared in the golden fire, specks of red light merged into the blue-green flames, and the red fire absorbed the golden purification power, losing its savage volatility.
"Aaargh!" Xiao Yan let out an agonized roar. A tearing pain erupted in his dantian, as though the tricolored vortex were about to burst it apart. The Ninth Elder sent out a strand of soul Qi at just the right moment. Like chains, the black soul Qi locked the vortex firmly in place. "Hold on! The final stage of fusion is the most dangerous. If you fail, the Heavenly Flames will turn on you and leave not even ashes behind!"
Xiao Yi Xian and Nalan Yanran watched him anxiously. Both had long since exhausted their Dou Qi and could only encourage him with their soul power. The sealing chamber's magma pool churned violently, and more and more cracks spread across the crystal coffin. As the Fallen Heart Flame's source was drawn out, the entire underground world shuddered uneasily.
After an unknown length of time, the tricolored vortex in his dantian suddenly erupted with dazzling light. The golden, blue-green, and red flames fused completely, forming an entirely new flame-its core was a deep gold, its middle layer encircled by streams of blue-green light, and its outer layer burned red. The three colors coexisted harmoniously, radiating an aura both violent and pure.
"It worked!" Xiao Yan's eyes flew open. The new flame danced in his palm, hotter than any of his previous Heavenly Flames, its purification power increased severalfold. He could clearly sense that the energy contained within it was enough to burn through a Dou Huang expert's Dou Qi barrier with ease. Its might rivaled that of a Five-Star Dou Zong!
The Ninth Elder gazed at the new flame, wonder flashing in his eyes. "Well done, lad. You actually managed to fuse three Heavenly Flames perfectly. Even I didn't expect that. Does this flame have a name yet?" Feeling the pulse of the flame in his palm, Xiao Yan said solemnly, "Mysterious yellow represents the primal source, while earth-core symbolizes the foundation. I'll call it the Mysterious Yellow Earth-Core Flame!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the Mysterious Yellow Earth-Core Flame suddenly surged. Golden fire shot skyward, instantly repairing the cracks in the crystal coffin, while the magma pool's turbulence subsided. The new flame completely absorbed the remaining Fallen Heart Flame energy. The entire underground sealing chamber became clear and tranquil, its air suffused with gentle fire energy.
"Thank you for your help, Elder," Xiao Yan said sincerely, putting away the Mysterious Yellow Earth-Core Flame. The Ninth Elder waved a hand. "A trifling effort. If you encounter trouble in the Black-Corner Region, crush this soul pearl. I may lend you a hand." He left behind a Black Soul Pearl, then vanished into the shadows as though merging with the darkness, leaving only a single remark. "The Otherworldly Demon upheaval has only just begun. Make good use of that flame."
Holding the soul pearl, Xiao Yan was filled with doubts. The Soul Hall Ninth Elder's help had come far too strangely. Although his aura was pure, he always gave the impression that he was hiding something. Xiao Yi Xian stepped forward. "Whatever his motives, he really did help us this time. The Mysterious Yellow Earth-Core Flame is far more powerful than we expected. With it, we'll have a much better chance against both the Otherworldly Demons and Han Feng."
Nalan Yanran inspected the sealing chamber. "The underground seal has stabilized. Now that the Fallen Heart Flame has been subdued, the academy's crisis is over for the time being. Shouldn't we return to Xiao Gate? Our clansmen must be worried." Xiao Yan nodded, the Mysterious Yellow Earth-Core Flame flickering softly in his palm. "Before we return, I want to visit the Heavenly Flames Tower again. We might still find clues about my father there."
Dawn was just breaking when the three left the underground sealing chamber. The morning sun shone through the clouds over Jia Nan Academy, illuminating the Heavenly Flames Tower as it was being rebuilt. The sounds of students training rose one after another, brimming with vitality. Standing beneath the tower, Xiao Yan felt the Mysterious Yellow Earth-Core Flame coursing through him, his heart filled with unprecedented resolve.
Although fusing the three Heavenly Flames had brought him within a hair's breadth of death, it had also transformed his strength. His Eight-Star Dou Wang cultivation, coupled with a Heavenly Flame that rivaled a Five-Star Dou Zong, was enough to secure his footing in the Black-Corner Region. But he knew it was still not enough. Han Feng's threat, his father's whereabouts, the Otherworldly Demons' schemes, Soul Hall's motives... There were still far too many mysteries waiting for him to unravel.
Xiao Chen arrived with the Xiao Clan members. Seeing Xiao Yan safe and sound, every one of them was overjoyed. "Brother Xiao Yan, the master of Ten Thousand Beasts Valley sent word that unusual Otherworldly Demon activity has been reported in the eastern Black-Corner Region. They seem to be searching for something." Xiao Chen handed him an intelligence report, his eyes full of worry.
Xiao Yan accepted the report, the Mysterious Yellow Earth-Core Flame dancing faintly at his fingertips. "It looks like these peaceful days won't last long. Pass down the order: Xiao Gate disciples are to intensify their training. In three days, we set out to meet those Otherworldly Demons!" Golden fire flashed briefly in his eyes. A new journey was about to begin, and this time, he held the power to change the course of battle-the Mysterious Yellow Earth-Core Flame.
In the sunlight, the outline of the Heavenly Flames Tower looked especially majestic amid the morning mist. Xiao Yan gazed toward its summit, as though he could see his father's figure, the burning soul of the Soul Hall emissary, and everyone who fought to protect this continent. He clenched his fists. The energy of the Mysterious Yellow Earth-Core Flame flowed slowly through him, gathering strength to face new challenges. The legend belonging to him and the Mysterious Yellow Earth-Core Flame had only just begun.
Before you continue