As the fire seed was extracted from the Earth Heart Flame, the massive cyan flame before them gradually shrank. After a moment, it transformed into a thin wisp of cyan flame, which then burrowed into the greenish magma in Xiao Yan’s palm. “This is the original fire seed of the Earth Heart Flame. Don’t underestimate its size. When it first formed, it should have been as large as half a mountain. However, after thousands of years of refinement by the earth, its size has gradually diminished. When it compresses to the size of a palm, it can finally form a Fire Spirit. Only then can it truly be called an Anomaly Flame!”
“Imagine the terrifying energy accumulated over a thousand years compressed into a mere thumb-sized piece of magma… If it were to explode fully, the force would be utterly destructive. I’m not exaggerating when I say that even a Battle Sect powerhouse would face only one fate when confronted with such a sudden burst of power… That fate is… annihilation!”
Xiao Yan exhaled a long breath and nodded silently. He carefully held the greenish magma in his hand, where the thick, blood-colored keratin layer was melting at an alarming rate due to the intense heat.
“What’s next?” Xiao Yan blinked and muttered.
“Swallow it…” The Elder’s voice, despite his best efforts to maintain composure, still trembled slightly. This step, swallowing the Anomaly Flame, was the most perilous part. No matter how robust the body, the internal organs were always the most vulnerable. Even a small foreign object could bring a strong practitioner to their knees, let alone something with the destructive power of an Anomaly Flame.
Hearing this, Xiao Yan’s hand holding the Earth Heart Flame seed couldn’t help but tremble slightly. He lowered his head, his dark eyes fixated on the slowly wriggling flame seed. His eyes, black and white distinctly, reflected the struggle within him.
Despite his usual calm demeanor, facing such a life-or-death decision, Xiao Yan couldn’t help but feel a twinge of fear and trepidation. It wasn’t unwarranted; after all, he was about to swallow a highly unstable bomb. There was a significant chance that the moment he swallowed it, his body would be reduced to ashes.
As Xiao Yan remained silent, the cave grew quiet. The hot, stuffy air swirled around, seeping out through cracks. Seeing Xiao Yan’s trembling hand, the Elder sighed softly. His face showed no disappointment at Xiao Yan’s hesitation. He understood the turmoil in his heart at this moment. In the past, when he had swallowed the Bone Spirit Cold Flame, he had sat there for almost an hour, holding the flame seed foolishly. Finally, in a state of terrified trembling, he resolutely swallowed the flame, driven by the resolve to face death.
Watching the young man struggle, the Elder remained silent, offering no words of comfort. The risk was inherent in the process. Though he had prepared the Blood Lotus Pill and other items, they could only slightly increase the success rate. Without these, the success rate was less than one percent. With them, it might rise to around ten percent. Still, the risk was significant. Swallowing an Anomaly Flame was a gamble—success meant soaring to great heights, failure meant being reduced to ashes.
Seeing Xiao Yan’s hesitation and struggle, the Elder stood quietly, waiting for his decision. He believed the young man wouldn’t disappoint him. Three years of arduous training had revealed the steely determination hidden in his bones. For the sake of the Anomaly Flame, the young man had made many sacrifices. Now was the time to reap the rewards. His nature would never allow him to give up!
“If you won’t give up, then seize the opportunity. Life and death, strength and weakness, are decided from this moment.”
Time passed in silence. Suddenly, the young man’s body trembled, and he took a deep, warm breath. Lifting his head, he revealed a face shedding its youthful roundness. He turned to the Elder, smiled, and raised the flame seed in his hand, saying softly, “Teacher, let’s begin!”
The Elder’s aged face showed a relieved and gentle smile. Nodding, he said, “I wish you success. Believe in yourself. You won’t fail.”
“Heh, I’ve always had confidence in myself,” the young man replied, a bright smile on his handsome face. Raising the flame seed, he paused for a moment before tossing it into his mouth.
The moment the greenish magma entered his mouth, Xiao Yan sealed his lips. His entire body convulsed violently, as if struck by lightning, and his face, which had some color, turned pale instantly.
Forcing himself to endure the searing pain, Xiao Yan closed his eyes, and his mind sank into his body. Instantly, a misty sensory interface appeared in his mind. The green magma had split into numerous wisps of tiny cyan flames, each containing terrifying energy. These flames darted through his meridians, burning everything in their path to nothing.
Though the meridians were protected by the blood membrane from the Blood Lotus Pill, the scorching heat still seeped in, dealing a devastating blow to the fragile meridians. The originally spacious and resilient meridians now twisted like pretzels, looking eerie and terrifying.
The pain caused by the distorted meridians made Xiao Yan’s body twitch and spasm, his muscles tensing. The veins bulged, resembling worms, and his face turned deathly pale. The meridians were ravaged by the rampaging cyan flames, and the blood membrane, depleted of its efficacy, could no longer repair itself.
With the protection of the blood membrane, Xiao Yan’s body was already in a nearly crippled state. If the membrane disappeared, the Earth Heart Flame would burn everything—meridians, bones, heart—to nothing, leading to his inevitable death.
The blood membrane thinned rapidly under the Earth Heart Flame’s onslaught. Just as it was about to evaporate, the Elder’s voice resonated, “Take the Ice Spirit Cold Spring and guide it through your meridians to improve proficiency. Once it completes the cycle, wrap the Anomaly Flame with your Dou Qi and follow the incineration route to consume it!”
Nodding inwardly, Xiao Yan quickly grabbed the jade bottle and tipped it against his lips. A chilling cold surged into his body, making his throat feel like it had frozen. His body trembled, and his hair was soon covered in ice crystals.
The cold rushed through his body, covering the meridians and bones with a layer of milky-white ice. The icy cold neutralized the heat from the Anomaly Flame, bringing a surge of relief. His face, previously pale, regained some color.
As the ice covered his body, Xiao Yan cautiously began to control the Earth Heart Flame. However, it was a challenge. The Anomaly Flame was inherently violent, and controlling it was no easy task. After countless failed attempts, Xiao Yan’s spirit suddenly found a way. The unruly cyan flame began to move along the path guided by his mind.
Encouraged, Xiao Yan carefully controlled the flame, guiding it along the meridian path. The flame flowed through the damaged meridians, melting the ice layer on the walls and generating a light mist. Soon, the mist turned into ice crystals, protecting the meridians from the Anomaly Flame’s erosion.
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