It was the faint, old voice in his heart that jolted Xiao Yan out of his cultivation. The moment he heard the voice, his tightly shut eyes slowly opened, and his gaze fell on the increasingly translucent and pale white flames that covered his body, causing his heart to sink.
“Little one, I am nearing my limit…” As if sensing Xiao Yan’s awakening, the Elder’s weary sigh echoed softly.
Xiao Yan nodded slightly, whispering, “Teacher, you must be very exhausted…”
“Hehe.” The Pharmacist Elder laughed, his laughter carrying an unmistakable weakness: “In a few more minutes, you will have to endure the refinement of the Heavenly Fire Venerable all by yourself. I hope you can survive…”
Silent, after a brief moment, Xiao Yan forced a bitter smile, “I will do my best and leave the rest to fate…”
Trapped in this hopeless situation where even the Pharmacist Elder saw little chance of survival, Xiao Yan, despite his confidence, harbored no great hopes of escape. All he could do now was to endure the refining process for as long as possible with every ounce of his strength.
The Pharmacist Elder also fell into silence. He knew that this sleep might well be their final farewell. While his soul could hide within the specially crafted ring, the Heavenly Fire Venerable would specifically counter him, and even in the burning flames, only the obliteration of his soul awaited.
While the Elder remained silent, Xiao Yan lifted his head slightly, scanning the massive, formless flame, finding it hard to fathom that this fire possessed its own sentience…
As Xiao Yan observed, two faint green glows suddenly appeared within the flame, looking like eyes that peered greedily at Xiao Yan. With a subtle flicker, a large mass of invisible flame materialized, latching onto the barely visible pale white flame around Xiao Yan, attempting to burn and devour it.
“Little one, get ready,” the Pharmacist Elder’s weary voice broke the silence. Xiao Yan understood; the Elder had reached his limit. Now, it was up to himself…
A bitter smile tugged at the corner of his lips. Taking a deep breath, Xiao Yan formed a hand seal, channeling the green fire within him along his meridians. Eventually, the fire seeped out, enveloping his entire body.
With the emergence of the Green Lotus Inner Flame, the outer layer of the pale white flame gradually dimmed, eventually vanishing altogether. However, as this happened, the outermost layer of the formless flame surged inward, intent on incinerating the figure within, but was stopped by the barrier of green flames.
“Little one, from hereon, you’re on your own. I hope you pull through. Our fates are in your hands now…” the Pharmacist Elder’s feeble voice faded, disappearing entirely.
With the Elder’s voice gone, Xiao Yan sensed the Elder’s consciousness swiftly retreating from his body. The moment it completely left, a robust energy quietly gushed out, greatly boosting Xiao Yan’s aura.
“Teacher, your student will not let you down,” Xiao Yan mumbled, his lips pressed tight, tears brimming his eyes. He knew the Elder had given him his last remaining energy before retreating into the ring, slipping back into a deep slumber due to the exhaustion of his soul power.
Taking over from where the Elder left off, Xiao Yan finally grasped the enormity of the toll taken to fight the Falling Heart Flame. Despite his and the Elder’s differences in power, although both the Green Lotus Inner Flame and the Bone Spirit Cold Fire were unusual flames, the protection they provided him varied significantly. When the Elder used the Bone Spirit Cold Fire, the pain was manageable, yet when Xiao Yan relied solely on his own, the burning intensified, and even his robes, under the extreme heat, became brittle, shattering into dust upon a slight movement, leaving him bare upon the lotus.
“Shhh…” His face twitching, frigid air escaped through clenched teeth, as the scorching turned his skin flushed, some parts forming blisters, creating a ghastly scene.
Enduring the piercing agony, Xiao Yan struggled to extract a vial of recovery pills from his ring, stuffing them all into his mouth. Surrounded by the Falling Heart Flame, even though elemental energy still drifted about, it proved exceedingly difficult to absorb. To prolong his resistance, he could only rely on these pills.
“It’s unbelievable how terrifying this Falling Heart Flame is… No wonder even the Teacher feared it so. At this rate, I doubt I’ll last a week…”
Mouth crammed full of pills, Xiao Yan stared desolately at the seemingly boundless formless fire surrounding him, feeling trapped between the rock and the hard place. “Perhaps I can only pray for a miracle…”
His chapped lips quivered, enduring the near-torturous heat, and after a long while, he closed his eyes, having done all he could. Now, his life or death rested entirely with fate…
In the endless molten abyss, time held no meaning. Suffering unimaginable tortures, Xiao Yan paid no mind to its passage, knowing he might crumble to ash at any moment.
In the depths of this ordeal, overwhelming loneliness crept into his being. In this isolated world, apart from the distant flow of lava, all was silent, making him feel utterly forsaken. Prolonged isolation and intense suffering threatened to erase memories of humanity and even his identity, engraving a deep-seated sense of solitude.
Amid the relentless torment, Xiao Yan mechanically wielded the inner green fire, resisting the flames, and absorbing whatever meager energy available, merely to sustain himself. This routine oddly increased his proficiency, reducing unnecessary consumption, but failed to secure his freedom.
If things continued thus, Xiao Yan would soon succumb to complete refinement, with the Falling Heart Flame absorbing the Green Lotus Inner Flame.
Struggling endlessly in the timeless realm, his senses numbed, until one day, the sudden sensation of a cool and soothing touch from his arm snapped him back to reality. The touch felt like rain after decades of drought, causing his soul to tremble, and his eyes snapped open, catching sight of the forgotten seven-colored python wrapped around his arm.
“Devouring Sky Python?”
Glimmering hope, his roughened voice betraying his elation, surprised him, even. In this desolate place, the sudden presence of a conversational companion brought immense solace.
However, amidst the joy, Xiao Yan’s gaze fell on the snake’s vibrant eyes, which kept flickering—cold, then lively. Evidently, the two souls within the serpent battled for control of the body. Helpless, he could only watch.
After nearly ten minutes, a brilliant seven-colored light burst forth from the Devouring Sky Python, which wriggled rapidly, shedding its small form, and leaped out of the green flame shield. Just as the Falling Heart Flame approached, the Python, now transformed into a stunning, flawless nude figure, appeared before Xiao Yan, stirring complicated emotions within him.
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