" Sea Heart Flame!"
Upon seeing the blue flames rising gently in Hai Mochen's hand, Xiao Yan's expression immediately froze, and he couldn't help but exclaim in surprise.
He came to the North Sea with the ultimate goal of obtaining the Sea Heart Flame. Now, unexpectedly, before he could even speak, Hai Mochen had already offered the Sea Heart Flame to him.
"Hehe, since I'll have to hand it over to you sooner or later anyway, I won't trouble you any further. I've lived in the North Sea for a thousand years, and I really have no intention of leaving. This ocean is my everything. Just like you said, I really can't let go of the North Sea Academy. So, I plan to hand over the Sea Heart Flame to you before you leave."
Hearing Hai Mochen's words, the people beside him were suddenly taken aback. The two clan leaders looked at each other and finally turned their gazes to Hai Zhantian. They knew very well the relationship between the two men; they were inseparable. Hai Mochen was already finding it hard to accept that he was leaving, but as Hai Mochen had explained to him, it was simply his duty.
Life is inherently filled with separations, though the meanings of these separations may differ.
Upon hearing Hai Mochen's words, Xiao Yan fell silent for a moment. He was naturally happy to have obtained the Sea Heart Flame, but at the same time, he couldn't help but feel a deep sense of regret and self-reproach for the friendship between the two old people. If it weren't for his appearance, the two old people would definitely have been able to stay together as always.
"Hehe, alright, alright, it's nothing serious. My mind is made up. Little one, use this time to make some preparations before refining the Heavenly Flames. I know that if I let you refine it right now, you won't be able to start hastily. So let's find a place to refine it in the seabed first."
Seeing the expressions on everyone's faces, Hai Mochen smiled slightly, glanced at Hai Zhantian who was silent beside him, gently patted the latter's shoulder, and said:
"Old man, from now on, my North Sea Academy will depend on you. I've already sent the message back; from now on, you'll be the vice-principal of the North Sea Academy. Whenever there's anything important happening at the academy, we'll have to rely on you."
"Huh? You just left, leaving me with this huge mess. How come you're making me a vice dean? What about the dean's position?"
Hai Zhantian frowned, his fleshy face contorted into a furrowed brow, while Hai Mochen grinned and laughed loudly:
"Then it'll naturally be me, hahaha..."
Upon hearing this, Hai Zhantian fell silent.
Then, Hai Mochen turned his gaze to Xiao Yan again and said:
"Little one, remember this: when refining Heavenly Flames, you should first choose some deep sea areas or abysses. That way, the Heavenly Flames will have a suppressive effect to some extent, and the temperature of the deep sea will also be lower, which will help you refine the Heavenly Flames to some extent. As for the medicinal herbs and pills needed in the process, I think you are an alchemist, so I don't need to take care of that for you."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan nodded. He had already thought of this as well. Refining Heavenly Flames at the bottom of the sea was an ideal environment for refining, and given Xiao Yan's temperament, he would definitely need to find an excellent place to refine the Heavenly Flames.
However, when the people behind him heard Hai Mochen say that Xiao Yan was actually an alchemist, their originally calm faces once again showed expressions of shock.
Who would have thought that Xiao Yan, who possesses such terrifying and heaven-defying combat power, would also be... an alchemist!
This identity was like a bombshell, exploding instantly in the minds of these people. However, as soon as Hai Xiao and Heaven-Devouring Flood Dragon regained their senses, Heaven-Devouring Flood Dragon stepped forward without hesitation, facing Xiao Yan and smiling:
"If you need a deep abyss, then go to my Sea Flood Dragon Clan. The Hidden Dragon Abyss in my Sea Flood Dragon Clan's sacred altar is the deepest abyss in the entire North Sea. In addition, it is also the place where my clan holds sacrifices year-round. It contains a large amount of cold yin energy from the bloodline of my clan members, which should be the best place for refining."
Upon hearing this, Hai Mochen and Hai Zhantian nodded in agreement, showing considerable agreement. Hai Xiao, however, hesitated slightly before looking at the Heaven-Devouring Flood Dragon and saying:
"But the Hidden Dragon Abyss is, after all, the sacred altar of the Sea Flood Dragon Clan. For countless years, no outsider has ever been able to enter. Wouldn't those old fogies of the Sea Flood Dragon Clan...?"
"Haha, Elder Hai, you certainly don't need to worry about that. Xiao Yan is now a great hero of our Sea Tribe, and everyone is grateful and respectful to him. Moreover, have you forgotten that Xiao Yan is now a joint elder of our two clans? How can he be considered an outsider? Besides, I think that even without this title, those old guys wouldn't object."
The Heaven-Devouring Flood Dragon laughed heartily, and the others present were relieved. Then, Hai Mochen looked at Xiao Yan and said:
"Although the location has been chosen, why don't you go and see it for yourself? After all, the final decision is still in your hands, and whether it's suitable or not is your choice."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan nodded. Hai Mochen's words were indeed correct. Although the elders present all agreed that the so-called Hidden Dragon Abyss was true, it was ultimately just their subjective conjecture. Whether or not it was truly decided ultimately depended on Xiao Yan himself.
"Then why don't you come with me and take a look first Xiao Yan?"
The Heaven-Devouring Flood Dragon nodded in agreement. After all, they were outsiders when it came to refining Heavenly Flames, and many things couldn't be done simply because they said so.
Afterwards, Xiao Yan followed the Devouring Heaven-Devouring Flood Dragon and left the Sea Shark Clan's territory first. They traveled through the seawater and quickly headed towards the Sea Flood Dragon Clan's location, while Hai Mochen and the others stayed behind for the time being.
Soon, led by the Devouring Heaven-Devouring Flood Dragon, the two arrived at the location of the Sea Flood Dragon Clan.
At first glance, although the types of buildings here are slightly different from those of the Sea Shark Clan, their overall scale still evoked a sense of awe in Xiao Yan.
With the Heaven-Devouring Flood Dragon leading the way, the two soon arrived at a huge stone platform belonging to the Sea Flood Dragon Clan.
As soon as the two appeared, the Sea Flood Dragon Clan guards standing at the edge of the stone platform immediately bowed respectfully. When their eyes fell on Xiao Yan, they immediately guessed his identity. Despite their shock, they did not dare to be negligent and bowed to him.
With a smile and a nod, Xiao Yan then turned his gaze to the enormous stone platform before him.
The entire stone platform is made up of layers of steps stacked high, just like a pyramid without a apex. At its very center is a huge circular opening that leads directly to the depths of the sea.
Due to its depth, the cave entrance appears incredibly dark and gloomy at first glance, sending chills down one's spine with just a glimpse.
Before even approaching the cave entrance, Xiao Yan could feel a deep chill emanating from the bottom of the cave. Even with his protective Heavenly Flames, he still felt a chill run down his back. This chill was not only bone-chilling but also made one's soul tremble!
This cave is the Hidden Dragon Hidden Dragon Abyss, the place Xiao Yan borrowed to refine the Heavenly Flames, as mentioned by the Heaven-Devouring Flood Dragon.