“The time required for this seclusion might be quite lengthy…” Gazing around under the blazing sky, Xiao Yan realized that although the illusionary realm was no different from when he first entered seclusion, there were still some subtle differences he could sense. “Hmm.” Beside him, Xuner nodded slightly. The Purifying Lotus Demon Fire was not an ordinary flame. If they did not allocate enough time, even if she and Xiao Yan worked together, it would be impossible to refine it completely. “Brother Xiao Yan’s strength now must be quite formidable, right?” Xuner’s eyes shimmered as she smiled sweetly. “Meeting the Soul Ancestor again and defeating him would not be difficult.” Xiao Yan smiled faintly, his voice filled with extreme confidence. Refining the Purifying Lotus Demon Fire had brought incomparable benefits to him. According to his own estimation, his current strength should have reached the initial stage of a Five-Star Dou Sheng, which was a leap of three entire tiers from his previous Two-Star middle stage! Such a drastic improvement in power was almost unbelievable even to Xiao Yan himself. As a Dou Sheng, he knew very well how immensely challenging it was to advance in tier. A normal cultivation for three tiers would take at least several decades, but this time, with the aid of the Purifying Lotus Demon Fire, Xiao Yan had successfully achieved this enormous surge in power. Looking across the world, there were probably only the top three ranked bizarre flames that could offer such a heavenly power capable of boosting a Dou Sheng by three levels at once.
“An old saying goes, ‘One person attains enlightenment, and even the chickens and dogs ascend to heaven.’ This time, I also benefited greatly from Brother Xiao Yan’s light,” Xuner said softly, smiling. During the refinement of the Purifying Lotus Demon Fire, the vast energy also passed through her body, thus bringing her considerable benefits. Though her strength had not yet broken through to the Five-Star Dou Sheng, it had sharply increased to the latter stage of Four-Star Dou Sheng. Without a doubt, their gains from this seclusion were envy-inducing.
For Xuner’s significant increase in power, Xiao Yan was naturally delighted. Although his own power might have improved even more if he alone absorbed the energy, without Xuner’s assistance, he would have been devoured by the demon fire and perished. So, things turned out far better than he expected.
“Wondering what has happened to the strange fires in my body now…”
Xiao Yan’s mind quickly reverted to the most crucial matter. Instantly, he was startled to find that the strange fires that used to fill his body had disappeared. This sudden change made him slightly pale. Strange fires were essential for his survival; if they vanished, it would be a huge blow to him.
“Brother Xiao Yan, what is wrong?” Xuner, noticing Xiao Yan’s change in expression, hurriedly asked.
Distracted, Xiao Yan had no time to respond. Calming his mind, he meticulously examined his body. After a long while, he suddenly felt a presence deep within his body.
“Come out!” Sensing something, Xiao Yan clenched his hand and issued a low command. Suddenly, a pale pink flame burst from his palm, its edges glowing with a faint golden shine, resembling specks of gold.
As soon as this pale pink flame appeared, the surrounding space began to warp rapidly. Then, the flame began to move of its own accord, and in the stunned gazes of Xiao Yan and Xuner, it transformed into a tiny infant about half a foot in size.
“Yi wa yi wa!” The little fire infant, with its large, pink-flamed eyes, looked at Xiao Yan and extended its chubby little hands, grabbing Xiao Yan’s hand and rubbing against it fondly.
“Wh-what…?” Xiao Yan and Xuner stared dumbfounded at the fire infant. It was not large, just slightly bigger than Xiao Yan’s palm, appearing like a small, plump ball. A braid stood atop its head, a tiny pink bellyband draped over its round body, and a bare, smooth behind was exposed. On its forehead, a pink lotus fire mark made it look extremely adorable. By then, Xuner’s beautiful eyes were glistening, brimming with motherly affection.
“Yi wa yi wa!” As Xiao Yan and Xuner remained stupefied, the fire infant shook Xiao Yan’s hand, emitting an endearing, peculiar sound.
“What is this?” Xiao Yan, having finally come to his senses, gazed at the fire infant that clung to his hand, utterly bewildered.
Xuner shook her head, hesitating for a moment before suggesting, “Could this be the new fusion of the various strange fires in your body?”
Including the Purifying Lotus Demon Fire, Xiao Yan now had six different strange fires inside him. No one could predict what changes would occur if all six fused together. After all, no one in the world had ever tried fusing six kinds of strange fires.
Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan nodded thoughtfully, staring at the chubby fire infant in his palm. He gently squeezed it, feeling the soft, sleek texture. He realized it felt like a real baby, with skin that resembled human skin. Moreover, he sensed a strange connection with this little being, a familiar feeling akin to when he controlled the strange fires within him.
“This thing really is the strange fire in my body…”
At this point, Xiao Yan nodded gravely. He was now certain that the fire infant was the new, fused strange fire born from the combination of the Purifying Lotus Demon Fire. But why this transformation occurred, even he was at a loss.
“I sensed a familiar aura, it seems to be my Golden Emperor Heaven Burning Flame,” Xuner whispered.
“When refining the Purifying Lotus Demon Fire, your Golden Emperor Heaven Burning Flame also participated, allowing some of its primal essence to fuse into my body,” Xiao Yan explained. His gaze remained fixed on the fire infant with the braid sticking up. The five strange fires in his body had essentially merged thoroughly with the Purifying Lotus Demon Fire. To be precise, it was more like his original five strange fires had been absorbed into the Purifying Lotus Demon Fire. Despite the quantity of the original five, they lacked the power of the Purifying Lotus Demon Fire. Therefore, when the strange fires began to merge, they were easily absorbed. If Xiao Yan had not subdued the demon fire before, he would have truly lost more than he gained.
“Hehe, Brother Xiao Yan, Father once told me that only a select few strange fires can transform into a spirit after refinement. If my guess is correct, this little one should be the spirit of the new strange fire in your body,” Xuner smiled, finding the situation not at all bad.
Xiao Yan nodded slightly, then paused, his lips twitching. “Then, how will I use the Burning Buddha Flame Lotus in future battles?”
He had checked earlier and found that the strange fires, which had always been at his beck and call, had vanished. How was he to conjure a flame lotus to fight with?
“Yi wa yi wa!” Upon hearing Xiao Yan, the little infant lit up its big eyes and raised its small hand. A flame condensed in its palm, forming a flower swiftly.
“Burning Buddha Flame Lotus!” Seeing this, Xiao Yan’s eyes nearly popped out. No one except him had ever been able to use the Burning Buddha Flame Lotus he created. Yet, this little one had summoned it effortlessly, its speed even surpassing the creator, Xiao Yan.
“This little one has even stolen your battle technique…” Xuner chuckled, covering her mouth.
“Yi wa yi wa!” Perhaps sensing Xiao Yan’s shock, the little creature’s chubby face lit up with pride. Raising and lowering its hands, it produced a continuous series of two-colored Burning Buddha Flame Lotuses, floating around it, spinning continuously.
“Ten Burning Buddha Flame Lotuses!” Observing this, Xiao Yan drew a deep breath. Even he had never managed to summon ten Burning Buddha Flame Lotuses in one go. Although these lotuses were formed from two types of strange fires, their power and number still made them extremely potent.
“Yi wa yi wa!” But Xiao Yan’s surprise didn’t end there. After creating the ten flaming lotuses, the little one raised its hands, causing the ten lotuses to collide and merge, quickly forming a single, magnificent lotus in the swirling flames. Both Xiao Yan and Xuner were awestruck.
Gazing at the roughly half-foot tall, completely pink, and even somewhat enticingly beautiful lotus, Xiao Yan’s heart felt as if it had been grabbed tightly, making it hard for him to breathe.
“Destruction Flame Lotus.” Drawing a deep breath, Xiao Yan murmured, recognizing this lotus formed by the fire infant as his ultimate trump card, the Destruction Flame Lotus, which was many times more fearsome than any other variant of his flame lotus!
“Truly, we’ve discovered a treasure…”
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