Tagore Desert Outskirts
Months had passed in the blink of an eye.
As the scorching sun, hanging in the sky all day, dipped below the horizon, its fiery glow draped the desert in a veil of orange-red.
Beneath a rocky outcrop, a dust-covered youth in black wiped the sweat-mixed sand from his brow. His cracked lips pursed, and he let out a long, weary breath.
"Ugh, even though the Burning Technique evolved with the Purple Crystal Winged Lion King's purple flame, it's still only mid-tier Huang Class. It can't keep up with my consumption. This desert is brutal!" The black-robed youth stretched his aching muscles, a bitter smile on his face.
"Heh, don't worry," an aged voice chimed in. "Once you devour a Heavenly Flame, the Burning Technique will reach Xuan Class. Then you won't struggle like this."
The youth, Xiao Yan, slowly lifted his head, gazing at the crescent moon rising on the horizon.
Reflecting on the hardships of his journey and the imminent chance to claim the long-awaited Heavenly Flame, excitement surged within him. His lips parted in a determined grin.
"I'll definitely succeed!" His thin lips carried a stubborn resolve.
A translucent figure appeared beside him—none other than Yao Lao.
"Three years of effort are finally bearing fruit. I'll do everything to help you achieve this," Yao Lao said, his cloudy eyes softening with pride as he looked at the resolute youth. My disciple, he thought.
As the silver moon climbed to its zenith, stars twinkled brightly.
In a cave nestled in the outcrop, Xiao Yan meticulously checked and cleared the space before sitting cross-legged on a large stone.
"Teacher, what's next?" His voice, though steady, quivered slightly with nerves.
Yao Lao said nothing, waving a hand. Three items floated from the ring on Xiao Yan's finger: a blood-red pill, a jade bottle swirling with white mist, and a thumb-sized gray stone.
"Blood Lotus Pill, Ice Spirit Cold Spring, Spirit Container—use them as I instructed. Now…" Yao Lao took a deep breath, his expression grave. With another gesture, a cyan lotus-shaped flame flickered from the black ring.
"Is that the Green Lotus Core Flame?" Xiao Yan's eyes blazed with fervor, feeling the cave's temperature spike. He wiped sweat from his brow, forcing himself to stay calm.
"Yes. It's currently encased in my Bone Chilling Flame, or you couldn't get this close," Yao Lao nodded, patting Xiao Yan's shoulder solemnly. "Begin. Take the Blood Lotus Pill."
"Mm." Xiao Yan nodded, drawing the blood-red pill into his palm.
Staring at the fifth-grade pill, he steeled himself, closed his eyes, and swallowed it whole.
As the pill's effects kicked in, blood seeped from his pores, congealing into a seamless blood-red armor coating his body.
Yao Lao waved, retracting the Bone Chilling Flame from the cyan flame.
Instantly, the unrestrained Green Lotus Core Flame surged, its terrifying destructive power awakening, flooding the cave.
The cave seemed on the verge of becoming a sea of cyan fire. The stone walls melted instantly, dripping molten rock down the sides.
Yao Lao moved to shield the cave with his soul force.
Suddenly, his expression froze, a momentary daze overtaking him. The surroundings twisted as if time and space warped.
A vague figure appeared in his mind's eye—towering, wreathed in stars, standing in the void.
Its gaze fixed on him. Though its face was blurred, its eyes shone like a starry sea, deep and unfathomable.
The figure raised an arm, distorting the stars around it, and extended a finger toward the cave. It moved slowly, as if resisted by some force.
Yao Lao's mind was gripped by that finger, its intricate patterns vivid. He tried to look away but was frozen, as if under a binding spell, unable to move even his eyes. Cold dread surged as he watched it descend.
The finger defied description—small yet colossal, like a pillar holding up the heavens.
Slow yet instantaneous, as if crossing time and space in a breath.
In Yao Lao's horrified gaze, the finger brushed the Green Lotus Core Flame, and the vision shattered.
Snapping back, Yao Lao scanned the cave warily. Everything was as before, unchanged, as if the vision had been a hallucination.
"An illusion?" He wiped his brow. As a soul body, he still felt cold sweat. That ant-like helplessness—he hadn't felt it in ages.
Even the Dou Sheng powerhouses he'd encountered seemed insignificant before that finger.
"A Dou Di? Are there still God in this world? Why target the Green Lotus Core Flame?" Questions tangled in his mind like a knotted mess.
His gaze drifted to the cyan flame. If it wasn't an illusion, that figure had done something to it.
Using his soul perception, he examined the flame thoroughly but found no difference.
Yet his instincts whispered that the Green Lotus Core Flame was subtly altered, as if something was missing.
Glancing at the oblivious Xiao Yan, Yao Lao's face flickered with uncertainty. Should he let his disciple swallow this flame?
If it wasn't an illusion, someone of that caliber wouldn't need such elaborate means to harm Xiao Yan, Yao Lao thought, shaking his head with a wry smile. Burying the incident, he released his hold on the flame.
The cyan flame exploded, swelling a hundredfold in an instant, raging wildly, scorching everything with a sizzling roar.
"Reach into the flame. At its core is a source spark. Grab it—quickly!" Yao Lao instructed, erecting a soul barrier to protect the cave.
___
Desert, Elsewhere
By a campfire, several figures sat on the ground.
"Old He, don't look so glum. We didn't find it this time, so we keep looking," a burly man said, clapping the shoulder of a refined middle-aged man beside him, his gruff voice low with comfort.
"Sigh, Old Lion, you know how much effort I've poured into finding this heavely flame. This time… such a pity," the middle-aged man, Gu He, said, a bitter smile on his lips.
"Who'd have thought a heavenly flame was right outside Stone Desert City? We've passed through here countless times, never paying it any mind," a lean man said, shaking his head.
"True. But, Old He, no need to feel down," the burly man said. "I asked around in Stone Desert City. They say four Dou Huangs fought outside the city, likely over the flame, including the infamous Queen Medusa."
"If we'd been there, with our cultivation, we'd have stood no chance."
"Exactly. The Jia Ma Empire has only a few Dou Huangs. Where did those four come from?" the lean man nodded.
Suddenly, Gu He shot to his feet, his eyes gleaming toward a direction.
"Old He—"
"What's wrong, Old He?"
"I sense a heavenly flame's aura!" Gu He's energy wings unfurled, and he streaked toward the source.
The others, stunned, exchanged a glance. Wings sprouted, and they followed as streaks of light.
___
Snake-People Tribe, Divine Temple
In a grand, opulent hall, a captivating figure lounged on a purple crystal throne.
Her long black hair cascaded over her shoulders, and her gold-red robe hugged a near-perfect figure, exuding alluring charm.
Her slender fingers rubbed her brow, her enchanting face showing faint fatigue.
Suddenly, her hand paused. Her narrow, beautiful eyes pierced the void, locking onto a direction.
"The Green Lotus Core Flame's aura!" Her sultry, commanding voice murmured in the empty hall.
Before the echo faded, the figure vanished, leaving only faint spatial ripples.
___
Mountain Cave
Under Yao Lao's unblinking gaze, Xiao Yan plunged his hand into the flame, grasping swiftly.
Enduring the searing heat, heart pounding with anxiety, he clenched his jaw and seized a molten cyan liquid, slowly drawing it from the flame.
"Swallow it!" Yao Lao's voice, tinged with a faint tremor, urged, struggling to stay calm. This was the most perilous step in devouring a Heavenly Flame.
A heaven-born marvel of destruction, even a spark could torment a powerhouse. Swallowing it whole was madness.
The cave fell silent. Xiao Yan's face wavered with hesitation. Yao Lao waited quietly, letting his disciple decide.
Then, Yao Lao frowned, sensing three approaching auras.
"Gu He of the Jia Ma Empire requests a meeting!" A refined yet proud voice called from outside.
"Gu He… Pill King Gu He of the Cloud Mist Sect?" Xiao Yan's eyes flashed with sharpness, recalling a humiliating scene from the Xiao family hall years ago. His hesitation vanished.
"No time!" Yao Lao's cold voice rang out. At this critical moment, he cared little for anyone, especially a Yun Lan Sect member.
"Keep going. The Blood Lotus Pill's effect is fading. Miss this chance, and we'll need to gather ingredients again. With Xiao Bai gone, who knows when we'd manage it," Yao Lao said, seeing Xiao Yan's resolve. A faint smile crossed his aged face. "Don't worry about outside. Three Dou Wangs—if they leave quietly, fine. If they get ideas, I'll handle them."
His eyes glinted with menace. As a sixth-grade alchemist, Gu He's purpose was obvious: the Green Lotus Core Flame.
"I, Gu He, come with important matters to discuss. Please spare a moment!" Gu He's voice, now sterner, called again.
Yao Lao watched Xiao Yan swallow the cyan liquid, his heart tight with tension. Hearing the persistent chatter outside, fury surged.
"I said, no time! Scram!" The word "scram" carried a wave of soul force, rippling through the air, bursting from the cave.
Hmph! Three muffled groans sounded outside.
"Dou Huang!"
"No ordinary Dou Huang!"
Yan Shi and Feng Li, behind Gu He, stared at the cave in shock and wariness.
"This is a warning. Persist, and I won't hold back. Leave!" Yao Lao's harsh voice thundered.
"Old He, we're outmatched. Let's go," Feng Li whispered gravely.
"Old He, you alright?" Yan Shi asked, noticing Gu He's silence.
Gu He's face was alight with excitement, his lips trembling. "It's… a heavenly flame!"
"Didn't you already sense it?" Yan Shi frowned, puzzled.
"No, no… it's another one!" Gu He's eyes gleamed, his words stumbling. "It's white, chilling to the bone—the Bone Chilling Flame, eleventh on the Heavenly Flame list! The earlier one was the Green Lotus Core Flame from the magma depths. I've searched years without a trace, and now—two flames here!"
"Let's go," Yan Shi said, shooting Gu He a look.
"Alright." Gu He glanced reluctantly at the cave, then vanished with the others as streaks of light.
Sensing their retreat, Yao Lao exhaled. Now wasn't the time for conflict. Any disruption to Xiao Yan's flame devouring could be catastrophic.
"Little Yan, hurry," Yao Lao urged, worry in his eyes. His soul force had caught their subtle movements—they hadn't given up, only retreated temporarily.
With Gu He's influence, he'd likely summon reinforcements soon. Trouble was brewing.