On the mountaintop under a clear blue sky, Xiao Yan sat cross-legged, like an old monk in deep meditation, completely unaware of anything around him. All his thoughts were focused on his body, concentrating intently on refining the Red Lotus Karmic Fire within him.
"Boom!"
Within the vortex, even with the obstruction and suppression of the Extreme Cold Ice Soul and his own Heavenly Flames, the Red Lotus Karmic Fire was still incredibly frenzied. Waves of scorching flames continuously swept through Xiao Yan 'Xiao Yan body, wreaking havoc on his body. The terrifying heat made even Xiao Yan, with his strong willpower, grimace and his muscles involuntarily tense up, cold sweat pouring down his face, and his skin turning completely red.
In addition, the Extreme Cold Ice Soul also emitted an extremely cold aura while frantically suppressing the Red Lotus Karmic Fire. At the same time, it froze Xiao Yan's body. Ice spikes continued to form in Xiao Yan's body. His meridians, flesh, and even bones became icy cold under this extreme cold. If it weren't for the protection of Xiao Yan's Heavenly Flames and the continuous flow of Origin Qi, his body would probably have been completely destroyed under this double extreme.
Besides resisting the pain caused by the two energies in his body, Xiao Yan also had to frantically refine and absorb them using the Flame Mantra. Heavenly Flames continuously rose from the center of the vortex, forcibly fusing the Red Lotus Karmic Fire and the Extreme Cold Ice Soul together, gradually bringing the two into balance. Once Xiao Yan could withstand the violent power between the two, he began to refine the Red Lotus Karmic Fire under the control of the Heavenly Flames and with the help of the Flame Mantra.
Taking advantage of the brief balance between the two, Xiao Yan frantically refined the power within the Red Lotus Karmic Fire, gradually guiding it into the cultivation path of the Flame Mantra. After a long period of refinement, it returned to the Qi vortex. This was only the first step in successfully refining it.
Until a certain moment...
"Boom!"
Before Xiao Yan could fully refine and devour the Red Lotus Karmic Fire, the last bit of power contained within the Extreme Cold Ice Soul was completely exhausted. The terrifying power once again went out of control, and the long-suppressed power erupted instantly. The fierce flames shattered all the defenses set up within Xiao Yan's body in an instant. Without any warning or time for preparation, the Red Lotus Karmic Fire burst out of Xiao Yan's body. In the blink of an eye, Xiao Yan was once again transformed into a skeleton, his blood burned away, his flesh destroyed, leaving only a skeleton and his Soul Power frantically fighting against the raging Red Lotus Karmic Fire Flame.
"Drink!"
A silent roar of fury emanated from the depths of Xiao Yan's soul. Pale blue flames erupted from his empty eyes, spreading rapidly throughout his body like a volcanic eruption. In the blink of an eye, every bone in this terrifying crimson fire-man body was filled with pale blue flames. The Flame Mantra Technique was pushed to its limit at this moment. One could even see a swirling vortex of alternating blue and red flames spinning rapidly in the abdomen of Xiao Yan's skeletal body. Every wisp of flame burning on his body was drawn into this vortex, gradually becoming part of it.
Meanwhile, at the foot of the mountain, the frozen pool was being drawn in by some force, causing the icy energy within to melt and dissipate...
" Flame Mantra! Refine it for me!"
At the summit, as the crimson flames gradually faded, Xiao Yan's physical body reappeared. After undergoing the brutal tempering of the Heavenly Flames, his body was now even stronger than before. Beneath his slender frame, every inch of muscle, and even every cell, contained power several times, or even a hundred times, greater than it had been in the past.
Within its body, the refining of the Red Lotus Karmic Fire has been gradually completed. Next, all that is needed is to integrate it into the already refined Bone Spirit Cold Flame, Sea Heart Flame, and those Child Flame, and then everything will be finished.
Outside, shortly after Xiao Yan entered the Fire Maple Forest, the Heavenly Puppet Sect and the Ten Thousand Scorpion Sect officially announced their alliance, making the situation in the Far Southern Land even more dire. This event caused an uproar, with everyone baffled as to why the Heavenly Puppet Sect, a human race, would join forces with the Ten Thousand Scorpion Sect, betraying their human identity and colluding with the demon beast race. Such behavior was utterly despicable!
It is precisely for this reason that many self-proclaimed powerful forces in the Far Southern Land have chosen to join the Burning Flame Valley. On the one hand, this is to clarify their stance as humans, and on the other hand, it is to find a good backer for themselves. After all, if the Heavenly Puppet Sect and the Ten Thousand Scorpion Sect were to join forces and start massacring all the forces in the Far Southern Land, they do not believe they have the ability to resist. As for surrendering, the Burning Flame Valley has the Ancestor Fen Tian, a powerful expert at the Yuan Zong level, in charge. Compared to the two sects, the existence of this expert is much more tangible than any other threat.
Regarding the participation and support from various forces, Burning Flame Valley was not foolish enough to accept everyone. After a general screening, some forces with clean backgrounds joined, while others either had other purposes or came simply to protect themselves. Naturally, Burning Flame Valley would not allow them to join.
The alliance between the two sects in the Far Southern Land did help Burning Flame Valley to consolidate its power in a certain way. However, this action was clearly within their expectations. Therefore, six months after the alliance, they organized the first purge of forces within Burning Flame Valley. This battle also completely set the stage for the situation in the Far Southern Land.
In response to the invasions of the two sects, Burning Flame Valley did not back down and launched a massive military campaign to quell the two sects. During this period, battles of all sizes were fought continuously, and the fighting was particularly fierce. The land was scorched and the smoke of war filled the air. Countless cities were destroyed in the endless flames of war. Even now, the border areas of both sides are invaded almost every day.
This battle lasted for a full three years!
Over the course of three years, Burning Flame Valley and the two sects fought no fewer than a thousand battles, large and small, but ultimately the outcome remained uncertain. The two sects, however, seemed completely unconcerned, showing no signs of anxiety or tension. Instead, they continued to expand their power. The area east of the Far Southern Land, which was originally outside the three sects, has now been extended to the south by the two sects. Rumors have long circulated that the Heavenly Puppet Sect has intervened in the southwestern border region, which is now in ruins and left unattended.
Now, almost all of the Southern Region territory has fallen into the hands of the two factions, and the war between them is intensifying. The real battle is about to begin!
However, at this very moment, deep within the Fire Maple Forest Far Southern Land, Xiao Yan, who had been sitting cross-legged for three years, finally slowly opened his eyes.