Chapter 57: Devouring the Heavenly Flame

The Magical Beast Mountain Range, nearly half a month had passed since Qing Ling left with Lu Man and Bai Ya. Before leaving, Qing Ling left the Twin-Headed Flame Spirit Serpent, Chi Lian, with Yan Qingshan, providing some assurance for their safety.

Outside the Amethyst Winged Lion King's cave, numerous magical beasts stood guard, with the powerful Amethyst Winged Lion King, observing a small cliff cave from afar. The faint glow of fire emanating from within stirred the surrounding magical beast.

"This kid is indeed extraordinary. Could the power of this flame be the legendary Heavenly Flame?"

The Amethyst Winged Lion King watched the flickering cyan flames at the cave entrance, the dancing fire distorting the air, their contained energy posing a threat even to her.

Xue Lan and Xiao Yi Xian watched the cave entrance anxiously. Beside them, the Xiao Yi Xian's Blue Eagle trembled, overwhelmed by the presence of so many high-level magical beast bosses, and the terrifying aura of the flames made it yearn to spread its wings and flee.

Inside the cliff cave, the Twin-Headed Flame Spirit Serpent coiled amidst the flames, the erupting cyan flame causing it little harm, as the flame's power was closely related to its origin, and it had previously absorbed energy from this flame, greatly increasing its resistance.

Deep within the cave, Yan Qingshan was attempting something extremely dangerous, success meant soaring to the sky, failure meant... well, he had left words for Xiao Yi Xian and Xue Lan, asking them to leave with letters, which contained his arrangements for them.

Before Yan Qingshan, atop a profound Green Colored Lotus Platform, a small cyan flame flickered with terrifying power, the Green Lotus Core Flame gradually awakening after being stimulated by Yan Qingshan.

Yan Qingshan had made ample preparations, determined to make this Heavenly Flame his own. He couldn't be disturbed during the absorption, so he made multiple arrangements, enlisting the Amethyst Winged Lion King to command the magical beasts to seal the mountain, while the Twin-Headed Flame Spirit Serpent, Chi Lian, guarded the cave entrance.

Yan Qingshan retrieved a small, transparent jade bottle from his Storage Ring. Through the bottle's reflection, a dragon-eye-sized blood-colored pill could be seen, with faint shadows and a liquid-like substance swirling within.

The fifth-grade medicinal pill, Blood Lotus Pill, a superior healing pill effective even for Dou Kings, and one of the items that could assist in absorbing the Green Lotus Core Flame.

As a small jade box appeared, a faint chill condensed into a layer of thin ice around it. Within the jade box, a snow-white jade bottle was surrounded by a faint white mist, exuding an ethereal and mysterious aura.

Ice Spirit Cold Fountain, an extremely rare ice-attribute material, and another essential item for absorbing the Green Lotus Core Flame.

These two materials could form internal and external layers of protection, allowing Yan Qingshan to approach and absorb the Green Lotus Core Flame into his body.

In the original story, Xiao Yan went to great lengths to obtain these two items, but Yan Qingshan didn't have to do anything, he simply collected the materials for the Blood Lotus Pill and asked Lu Man to run errands.

With a high-ranking Dou Emperor from the Heavenly Snake Mansion personally delivering the items, even Pill King Gu He, backed by the Misty Cloud Sect, dared not underestimate him.

Everything went so smoothly that it felt unbelievable, Lu Man returned with the items Yan Qingshan needed in less than a month.

A faint gray-silver light appeared in his palm, a thumb-sized gray stone, smooth as jade without any flaws, with a faint blue glow swimming within, as if alive.

Spirit Gathering, an extremely precious and high-grade material. It was precisely because of this treasure that Yan Qingshan was determined to absorb the Green Lotus Core Flame.

Yan Qingshan slowly placed his hands on the cyan lotus platform, his soul force quickly invading it, separating the lotus platform from the Green Lotus Core Flame.

The moment he withdrew the lotus platform, the unrestrained Green Lotus Core Flame erupted with power, the tiny cyan flame suddenly growing several times larger, transforming into a ball of cyan fire suspended in mid-air.

The eruption of the Heavenly Flame sent a wave of cyan flames sweeping through the cave, Yan Qingshan barely stabilizing himself with his Dou Qi.

The temperature in the cave rapidly increased, and the rock wall at the top of the cave silently melted into a head-sized hole under the flame's power.

Yan Qingshan put the lotus platform behind him, sitting cross-legged on it and circulating his Dou Qi. As the Wood-Within-Fire True Qi flowed, a halo rose from the lotus platform, intertwining with his aura.

Yan Qingshan's aura changed, gradually approaching the Green Lotus Core Flame. This was a secret technique he had comprehended and deduced from the Purifying Lotus Demon Flame Remnant Map, allowing his aura to approach the Heavenly Flame, reducing the difficulty of absorption.

The Blood Lotus Pill was consumed by Yan Qingshan, its medicinal power causing layers of blood membrane to rapidly form within his body.

Strands of blood continuously oozed from his pores, in the blink of an eye, Yan Qingshan's body was coated with a layer of crimson blood, the blood rapidly congealing, eventually forming a blood-colored cuticle.

The internal blood membrane and external cuticle could heal injuries and protect his body from excessive damage from the Heavenly Flame.

Yan Qingshan gazed at the Green Lotus Core Flame above him, his Dou Qi forming a suction force towards it.

As the suction appeared, the cyan flame suddenly surged, the terrifying destructive power awakening, the flame's power spreading and erupting again.

The Green Lotus Core Flame seemed to sense the lotus platform's location, rapidly moving towards Yan Qingshan. As the Heavenly Flame approached, the cuticle on Yan Qingshan's body was continuously vaporized and reformed.

Without its protection, Yan Qingshan would have been reduced to a pile of charcoal the moment the Heavenly Flame approached.

The Green Lotus Core Flame stopped before Yan Qingshan, he didn't hesitate and directly extended his arm, blood light and Dou Qi being continuously destroyed and regenerated within the cyan flame. Despite the isolation and protection, the high temperature still caused him to sweat.

A small cluster of deep cyan flame was drawn out, its energy suppressed by the lotus platform before it could erupt.

Yan Qingshan picked up the Ice Spirit Cold Fountain's jade bottle, consuming the source flame and the Ice Spirit Cold Fountain simultaneously.

The clash of cold and heat was naturally uncomfortable, but without the protection of the Ice Spirit Cold Fountain and the Blood Lotus Pill, he would have died the moment he consumed the source flame.

The source flame was enveloped and brought into his body, Yan Qingshan rapidly circulating his Dou Qi, attempting the secret technique he had collected.

There were various secret techniques for refining Heavenly Flames and beast flames, Yan Qingshan's was derived from the Alchemist notes of the Miteer family and the Mo family, and then further deduced by him into a more suitable Qi circulation route.

The Heavenly Flame, enveloped by the Ice Spirit Cold Spring, was brought to his dantian by Yan Qingshan's Dou Qi. The Spirit Gathering had been introduced into his body by Yan Qingshan earlier, and the most dangerous step began.

This was a phoenix rebirth, success meant he absorbed the Green Lotus Core Flame, easily achieving Dou Dou Emperor in the future, and possibly even Dou Ancestor and higher realms, failure meant severe injury or even death, as no one could protect him for a second attempt.