Absorbing the Golden Emperor Burning Heaven Flame

"Your methods are truly extraordinary, Senior. I am deeply impressed."

On the third floor of the Treasure Pavilion in the Ancient Heavenly Phoenix Secret Realm.

"This is nothing. Our clan has always had a special fondness for heavenly flames. At our height, we possessed five or six of them.

"Sadly, perhaps our clan committed too much slaughter, for producing offspring became increasingly difficult. Moreover, we placed great importance on the purity of our bloodline. After our battle with the Ancient Void Dragon Clan a thousand years ago, nearly all our clansmen perished. Now, only this old man remains."

As Huang Jiuji spoke, his heart filled with endless weariness and regret.

"One must not exhaust all one's blessings, nor commit every possible sin.

"Even a virtuous man's blessings end after five generations.

"Although the Ancient Heavenly Phoenix Clan has now vanished without a trace from the Dou Qi Continent, no one can deny how brilliant and dazzling its history was. Please take solace in that, Senior," Xiao Tian Ce consoled him solemnly.

"One must not exhaust all one's blessings, nor commit every possible sin. Even a virtuous man's blessings end after five generations.

"Well said. Boy of the Xiao Clan, would you be willing to take this entire Treasure Pavilion with you?" Huang Jiuji murmured, his eyes brimming with expectation.

Seeing this, Xiao Tian Ce realized that Huang Jiuji seemed to need something from him. After a moment's thought, he cupped his hands respectfully. "Anyone would want such treasures, but you must have conditions, Senior?"

"Excellent. To remain so clearheaded before so many treasures-you truly haven't disappointed me, boy of the Xiao Clan.

"Do you know why the Heavenly Huang Clan's bloodline has grown increasingly scarce? When nurturing our offspring, we must provide a ninth grade golden pill before they hatch. Not only is such a pill extremely difficult to refine, but its ingredients are exceptionally hard to find." Huang Jiuji first praised him, then explained the pill required to nurture the Heavenly Huang Clan's offspring.

Understanding his intentions, Xiao Tian Ce asked, "You mean that if I wish to take the entire Treasure Pavilion, I must exchange it for the ninth grade golden pills needed to nurture the Heavenly Huang Clan's offspring. Is that right?"

Huang Jiuji shook his head and looked intently at Xiao Tian Ce. "You should be an alchemist yourself, and no low-ranking one at that. However, with your soul power at spirit realm grand perfection, you should not yet have reached the level of a ninth grade Grandmaster Alchemist.

"So I will not make things difficult for you. As long as you are willing to swear in the Xiao Clan's name that you will devote your entire clan's strength to helping our final two offspring hatch in the future, I will give you everything in this secret realm, including my cultivation and this body."

"Senior?"

Xiao Tian Ce was somewhat bewildered. Whatever else might be true, Huang Jiuji was a peak eight-star Dou Saint. Surely he was fully capable of going outside and finding an alchemist himself.

Seeing his confusion, Huang Jiuji smiled and explained, "I am a man who should already be dead. I remain alive only because the formation in the Heavenly Phoenix Secret Realm sustains my vitality.

"As long as the formation remains intact, I can live as long as the heavens.

"Over the past thousand years, problems have arisen in the secret realm's formation. Though I have repaired it many times, each repair keeps it functioning for less and less time.

"And the reason you were able to discover this secret realm was precisely because I deliberately exposed it.

"I simply never expected descendants of the Xiao Clan to enter. Fortunately, you were strong enough to pass my trials. Otherwise, all that awaited you was death."

At this point, a look of relief appeared on Huang Jiuji's face, and he continued, "I must say, you were fortunate, and so was I.

"I have one month left. If no one discovered the Heavenly Phoenix Secret Realm's entrance within that month, or if those who entered were merely useless fools unable to pass the trials of the bronze doors and the arena, then the heavens would have decreed the end of my Heavenly Phoenix Clan. The entrance would vanish forever, and I would banish the entire secret realm into the spatial turbulence.

"Fortunately, you possess sufficient strength, and you are also a high-ranking alchemist. Though you cannot immediately help these two descendants of my clan come into the world, there is still hope.

"So, boy of the Xiao Clan, are you willing?"

After hearing Huang Jiuji's explanation, Xiao Tian Ce understood. The reason the Ancient Heavenly Phoenix Clan had never appeared in the original story was that, during the month the secret realm remained open, either no one had entered or none of those who did had met Huang Jiuji's requirements.

And only because he, a little butterfly who had transmigrated into this world, had fluttered his wings had this scene come to pass.

"Senior Huang, I am willing. From this day onward, I will diligently study alchemy and devote all the strength of my lifetime to helping the Heavenly Huang Clan's descendants come into the world. Should I break this oath, may heaven and mankind strike me down, and may I have no place of burial even after death."

Xiao Tian Ce bowed to Huang Jiuji, then pointed toward the heavens and swore his oath, his expression solemn.

"Very good. I believe you."

Huang Jiuji nodded in satisfaction, then tossed the spatial Storage Ring on his hand to Xiao Tian Ce and explained, "This is my spatial Storage Ring. It bears a restrictive barrier belonging to the Heavenly Huang Clan, which I have already unlocked. When you go downstairs later, you need only activate the Storage Ring with your dou qi, and it will collect everything.

"For now, remain here and refine this Golden Emperor Burning Heaven Flame. It contains a restrictive barrier unique to our clan. With this Storage Ring on you, it will not resist."

"Thank you for your generous gift, Senior. I, Xiao Tian Ce, will remember your kindness in the depths of my heart!"

Xiao Tian Ce cupped his hands in thanks.

Huang Jiuji smiled at this, then waved his hand and went downstairs with the two Heavenly Phoenix eggs, Xiao Qing, and Xiao Du Ming.

After they left, Xiao Tian Ce sat cross-legged and adjusted his condition. Only after roughly half an hour did he turn his gaze toward the motionless Golden Emperor Burning Heaven Flame.

Merely sensing the Golden Emperor Burning Heaven Flame's scorching heat was enough to make his heart tremble with fear. In truth, even the injured Nihility Devouring Flame back then had never given him this feeling.

"Whew!"

After releasing a long breath of stale air, Xiao Tian Ce finally reached toward the Golden Emperor Burning Heaven Flame with the hand bearing the Heavenly Phoenix Storage Ring.

At that moment, the previously quiet Golden Emperor Burning Heaven Flame suddenly erupted, radiating increasingly terrifying power.

Yet just as Xiao Tian Ce was about to circulate his dou qi to resist, the Storage Ring on his hand flashed with light. Immediately afterward, he saw the Golden Emperor Burning Heaven Flame become gentle and docile. It even settled onto his hand of its own accord without harming him in the slightest.

"What incredible methods! A single restrictive barrier can make such a powerful heavenly flame this gentle and obedient. Amazing, truly amazing. Just how powerful was the Heavenly Huang Clan at its height?"

After voicing his amazement, Xiao Tian Ce wasted no more time. He immediately circulated his dou qi cultivation method and began absorbing the Golden Emperor Burning Heaven Flame.

"Aah!"

As he absorbed the heavenly flame, his body felt as though it were burning, as though the flame had wrapped itself around every inch of his skin and every inch of his bones.

Still, Xiao Tian Ce could endure this pain. Gritting through the fierce burning, he continued to intensify the circulation of his cultivation method.

Cycle after cycle, time slowly slipped away.

Finally, after an unknown length of time, Xiao Tian Ce felt the excruciating pain throughout his body gradually recede.

He opened his eyes and looked at the skin covering his body, which had long since burned into bloody scabs. He could not help thinking, How terribly overbearing. Even with the Heavenly Huang Clan's restrictive barrier preventing the Golden Emperor Burning Heaven Flame from attacking me, the process was still truly long and agonizing!

"Whew. It's time to break through!"

The second update is here. Please support this new book, brothers and sisters-it needs all of you to nurture its growth together. Wumeng thanks everyone in advance.