Chapter 60: Heavenly Flame
Xiao Yuan walked over, crouched down, and looked in the direction Xiao Yixian pointed.
Beneath the seat of the stone chair was a recess. When they had moved the skeleton earlier, they hadn't noticed it. The chair's four legs were fixed to the ground and couldn't be moved.
"Looks like some kind of mechanical trigger mechanism—not a Dou Qi formation,"
Xiao Yuan murmured thoughtfully after a brief pause.
"Mechanical?"
Xiao Yixian had only read some basic introductory books on mechanisms. She was clearly not as knowledgeable and looked at Xiao Yuan in confusion.
"Yeah. But judging from how long it's been here, it may not function properly. Let me try."
With that, Xiao Yuan released his soul perception, carefully scanning inside the chair and the floor beneath it.
After a short while, he looked up at Xiao Yixian.
"Well?"
Xiao Yixian asked curiously.
"Should still work."
Xiao Yuan said as he pulled out a small tool he'd once picked up from a shady stall in the market and began fiddling with the locking mechanism.
Click!
Soon, a crisp sound reached their ears.
Xiao Yuan stood up and tried rotating the chair.
It wouldn't budge counterclockwise, but it turned smoothly clockwise.
As the chair turned, the rumble of large gears echoed throughout the stone chamber.
The green stone slab in front of the chair, where the three opened boxes had rested, slowly sank into the floor, revealing a staircase leading down.
At the same time, a wave of scorching heat swept toward them.
Xiao Yuan's brows furrowed.
In the instant that heat reached him, he felt a strange resonance between his Five Element Qi Vessels and the multicolored scroll in his mind.
Could whatever was down below be related to the cultivation method of the Five Element Qi Vessels?
He pondered this briefly, then extended a hand to Xiao Yixian and asked gently:
"Wanna check it out?"
"Alright."
Xiao Yixian placed her hand in his and followed behind as they descended.
Xiao Yuan shielded her and led the way down the long, spiraling staircase.
It went on for quite a while—nearly fifteen minutes passed before their view suddenly opened up, and a wave of heat surged forth.
"What is this?"
Xiao Yixian took off her cloak, puzzled as she looked at the scene before her.
"Heavenly Flame?"
Xiao Yuan's eyes were full of astonishment and uncertainty. He never would have guessed that the thing resonating with his Five Element Qi Vessels would be a Heavenly Flame!
Before them was a vast, seemingly endless underground chamber. And in the center of that space floated a single flame of intertwined black and white, exuding a faint aura. It seemed this flame hadn't been born for long and hadn't accumulated much power.
"That's a Heavenly Flame? What's that?"
Xiao Yixian asked, puzzled. She had never heard the term before.
"In this vast world, there exist special Heavenly Flames. Some are sparks carried from meteor impacts, others are born in volcanoes after millennia of burning magma. They're powerful—far stronger than ordinary Dou Qi flames or beast flames.
You've heard of alchemists, right? To them, Heavenly Flames are irresistible. They're amazing for refining medicine or even for battle and self-defense."
Xiao Yuan explained with a smile.
"But wouldn't it be incredibly difficult to subdue one?"
Xiao Yixian frowned, her expression serious.
"It's not so bad in this case. We're lucky—this one hasn't been around long. It's inside a sealed chamber and has only absorbed limited energy from the environment. It's not as strong as you'd expect. Worth a try."
Xiao Yuan released his soul perception and scanned it thoroughly, his tone thoughtful.
"Huh?"
Xiao Yixian was surprised. Based on Xiao Yuan's description, shouldn't small fries like them run the moment they encountered something like a Heavenly Flame?
After all, magical beasts that could create beast flames were already terrifying. No matter how strong Xiao Yuan was, he was still only at Dou Zhe level.
Could he really handle a Heavenly Flame?
"If I'm not wrong, this flame is called Yin-Yang Dual Flame. Born from the void of the universe, it is a wisp of the origin of the Yin-Yang law itself. It takes a hundred years to gain spirit, a thousand to take shape. Judging from the weak aura, it hasn't even developed intelligence yet. That makes refining it much easier."
Xiao Yuan's eyes gleamed with excitement. He hadn't expected to stumble upon such a heaven-sent opportunity!
Though the Yin-Yang Dual Flame only ranked 21st on the Heavenly Flame list, it contained the essence of yin and yang—Yang Flame could heal and nurture, Yin Flame could kill and annihilate.
This kind of power was the stuff of legends on the neighboring Tianxuan Continent, where only top-tier experts of the Life-Death Profound Realm could wield such forces.
What's more, this flame seemed to resonate with his Five Element Qi Vessels technique. He absolutely had to obtain it.
"There's writing on the wall!"
Xiao Yixian suddenly exclaimed.
Following her gaze, Xiao Yuan saw faint carvings on the wall.
"This space was created by me. If you've found your way here, you've likely helped lay my body to rest. This Heavenly Flame is a juvenile flame I encountered while roaming the continent. I leave it here as my thanks.
This location is within a mountain and contains mechanisms to seal the flame's aura and restrict its growth. Below this message is a hidden compartment containing a storage ring with all materials needed to subdue the flame. Once your strength reaches Dou Shi, you may refine the flame and make it your own."
Xiao Yuan blinked at the inscription, then reached out and pressed against the wall.
Click click!
Sure enough, a stone popped out, revealing an ancient storage ring in black and white tones.
"There really is something!"
Xiao Yixian leaned in, muttering in amazement.
Xiao Yuan chuckled and retrieved the ring.
It appeared to be a high-grade storage ring—even in the Jia Ma Empire, few people possessed such fine quality.
He infused it with soul power, flipped his hand, and pulled out three jade bottles.
Inside were:
A fourth-tier medicinal pill: Yin-Yang Yuan-Guiding PillA vial of Cold Sky EnergyA portion of Spirit-Gathering Sand
Watching his movements, Xiao Yixian hesitated and asked,
"You're not thinking of refining the flame now, are you? You're only a Dou Zhe. That senior said you needed to be a Dou Shi."
"Don't worry. I'm not your average Dou Zhe. Even most Dou Shi don't have a foundation like mine."
Xiao Yuan waved casually, then raised a brow and teased:
"If you're really that worried, why don't you go ahead and undo the poison you planted in me first?"
(END CHAPTER)
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