After gradually restoring his state to its peak, Xiao Yan finally calmed down. He lifted his head and stared at the crescent moon in the sky for a long time, giving a light laugh. Holding the Qinglian Seat in his palm, he stood up abruptly. “Let’s find a safer place first,” said the Pharmacist Elder in a low voice. “Haha, alright.” Nodding with a smile, Xiao Yan surveyed the surrounding terrain. This was the only mountain range on the edge of the desert, capable of blocking the sands at its foot. The size and area of this mountain range were undoubtedly vast. Occasionally, the howls of wolves and tigers echoed through the mountain range, as if declaring that this territory already had an owner. Holding the Qinglian Seat tightly, Xiao Yan pressed his toes firmly into the ground. With a burst of energy, his body suddenly rose, landing nimbly on the top of a giant tree. His body swayed slightly with the branches, and he scanned the lush forest around him. Then, with a light tap on the trunk, he dashed through the dense forest like a great eagle in the night, swiftly heading towards the mountain range.
After surveying the mountain range several times, Xiao Yan finally found a place that satisfied him. It was a natural cave located in the middle of a cliff. The cliff was so steep that there were no footholds, making it impossible for ordinary people to climb down into the cave. However, for Xiao Yan, who possessed the Purple Cloud Wings, entering the cave was an almost effortless task.
Standing at the top of the cliff, Xiao Yan looked down. The bottom of the cliff was shrouded in a faint mist, making it seem bottomless. Such a place, isolated from both sky and earth, was the ideal location for Xiao Yan to practice his cultivation.
Satisfied, Xiao Yan jumped off the cliff without hesitation. As the wind whistled in his ears, he felt a slight tremor in his back. The Purple Cloud Wings flapped out, and with a gentle vibration, his rapidly descending body slowed down. After a few moments, Xiao Yan’s body hovered steadily outside the cave entrance.
Carefully examining the interior of the cave, he confirmed that no magical beasts were present before cautiously flying in with the Qinglian Seat. The cave was not large, but it was sufficient for Xiao Yan’s use. He placed the Qinglian Seat on a boulder and took out several Moonlight Stones from his storage ring, embedding them in the stone walls. Instantly, the dim light in the cave became bright.
With the aid of the bright light, Xiao Yan began to carefully examine every inch of the cave, scanning each small area multiple times. This level of caution was justified, as the dangers of devouring the Heavenly Flame far exceeded the last time he devoured the Purple Flame. Any external disturbance could not only cause him to fail but also potentially turn him into ashes in an instant.
It took Xiao Yan nearly an hour to thoroughly inspect the cave. During the inspection, he found some small droppings of flying magical beasts, which he removed. He then moved boulders to block the cave entrance, leaving only a few gaps for air to pass through. After completing these tedious tasks, Xiao Yan let out a long breath of relief.
Moving to the center of the cave, he sat cross-legged in front of the boulder. His black eyes flickered with a burning flame as he stared intently at the Qinglian Seat. “Teacher, what do I do next?” asked Xiao Yan, his palms slightly sweating as he swallowed and asked in his heart.
“First, take out all the necessary items,” said the Pharmacist Elder, emerging from the storage ring. His aged face was filled with unprecedented seriousness.
Nodding, Xiao Yan lightly tapped his storage ring and took out a transparent small jade bottle. Inside the bottle lay a blood-red pill the size of a dragon eye, which, when viewed through the bottle, revealed faint shadows and seemed to contain liquid. This smooth, blood-red pill was one of the essential items for devouring the Heavenly Flame: the Blood Lotus Pill!
After taking out the Blood Lotus Pill, Xiao Yan retrieved a small jade box from his storage ring. Placing it gently on the smooth stone surface, a thin layer of ice formed on the stone. Opening the box, he carefully placed a snow-white jade bottle inside. A faint white mist surrounded the bottle, giving it an ethereal and mysterious appearance. The snow-white bottle contained the Ice Spirit Cold Spring, which Xiao Yan had painstakingly obtained from Gute.
Glancing at these two precious items, the Pharmacist Elder nodded and lightly flicked his finger. A faint gray light appeared, swirling in the air before landing gently on the stone. The light dissipated, revealing a thumb-sized, flawlessly smooth gray stone. At the center of the stone, a faint blue glow slowly wriggled, resembling a living worm.
“Is this the so-called Nalingshen?” Xiao Yan asked, somewhat surprised, as he gazed at the unremarkable-looking stone.
“Yes, this is Nalingshen, an extremely rare material. It can only be found in high-grade Nalan stones, and even then, with a very low probability. Don’t underestimate its value; it far exceeds that of the Blood Lotus Pill and the Ice Spirit Cold Spring. If I hadn’t been lucky enough to obtain it, you would have to stare at it in despair even if you got the Heavenly Flame,” the Pharmacist Elder chuckled.
Nodding, Xiao Yan glanced at the low-grade Nalan ring on his finger. Even a low-grade Nalan ring cost tens of thousands of gold coins. A mid-grade Nalan ring would be several times more expensive, and a high-grade Nalan ring… Such a ring was practically priceless. Some noble families even used high-grade Nalan rings as family heirlooms. In the Dou Qi Continent, only the most powerful individuals or leaders of major forces could afford high-grade Nalan rings. This showed how rare such items were. Compared to high-grade Nalan rings, Nalingshen was even rarer, almost as rare as a unicorn or a phoenix feather.
After carefully examining the three items, Xiao Yan focused his gaze on the Qinglian Seat. He fixed his eyes on the faint blue flame at the heart of the lotus, licking his lips with anticipation.
“Release it,” the Pharmacist Elder said gravely.
“Alright.” Nodding, Xiao Yan held the base of the Qinglian Seat with his palm. His soul power quickly infiltrated it, separating the entire seat from the Blue Lotus Heart Flame. Carefully, he pulled the Qinglian Seat off.
Without the constraint of the Qinglian Seat, the tiny blue flame suddenly grew several times larger, transforming into a hovering flame in the blink of an eye. As the flame expanded, the temperature in the cave rose rapidly. The blue rock at the top of the cave silently melted, forming a head-sized hole.
Wiping the sweat from his forehead, Xiao Yan stepped back, his face serious as he watched the ascending blue flame. Despite his efforts to stay calm, his hand still trembled slightly.
“What do I do next?” Xiao Yan asked, trying to keep his voice steady.
“The commotion caused by devouring the Heavenly Flame is immense. I will use my soul power to envelop the entire cave. Otherwise, even before you finish, this mountain will be burned to the ground,” the Pharmacist Elder said, patting Xiao Yan’s shoulder reassuringly.
“Understood,” Xiao Yan nodded.
“Although it’s not a pleasant thought, for safety, you should sit on the Qinglian Seat. If anything goes wrong, the Qinglian Seat can protect you. Otherwise, even I may not be able to save you in time. After all, you need to absorb the Heavenly Flame into your body, which is extremely dangerous,” the Pharmacist Elder added reluctantly.
Nodding with a bitter smile, Xiao Yan tapped the ground with his toe, his body floating lightly onto the Qinglian Seat. He then turned to look at the Pharmacist Elder.
“Take the Blood Lotus Pill first. Without its protection, you cannot get close to the Heavenly Flame,” the Pharmacist Elder said gravely.
Nodding, Xiao Yan curled his hand, drawing the small jade bottle into his palm. Tipping the bottle, the round, lustrous Blood Lotus Pill rolled into his hand. Holding it, Xiao Yan sniffed it, feeling a strange, icy sensation that made his soul tremble.
Gazing at the fifth-grade pill, Xiao Yan clenched his fist and closed his eyes, swallowing the pill. The Blood Lotus Pill immediately turned into a slightly cold energy, quickly spreading through his meridians, eventually forming a layer of blood membrane that seeped into his meridians and bones.
As the blood membrane permeated, Xiao Yan’s body suddenly trembled violently. Threads of blood oozed from his pores, soon covering his body in a red, terrifying layer. This blood soon coagulated, forming a blood-colored cuticle that enveloped his hands, feet, and even his eyes, completely sealing them.
The blood-colored cuticle formed a tight, impenetrable armor, protecting Xiao Yan. Extending his hand, Xiao Yan aimed it at the Heavenly Flame in the air, and a strong suction force erupted. As the suction appeared, the blue flame grew rapidly, and a terrifying, destructive power awakened, expanding from within the blue flame.
Staring at the growing blue flame, Xiao Yan knew that the process of devouring the Heavenly Flame had begun!
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