Chapter 172: Refining and Devouring
Yao Yan had no interest in the aftermath of Canaan Academy. He had obtained what he wanted, and that was enough. During all this, he had not exposed his whereabouts, nor did he need to worry about others suspecting him. Meanwhile, Canaan Academy had gained a better version of the Fallen Heart Flame than before, and the only one seemingly injured was Han Feng, that little brother of his.
He couldn't help but wonder how Medicine Elder, who had once regarded him as his successor, would deal with him.
At the moment, Yao Yan was more concerned with the Sea Heart Flame and the Fallen Heart Flame in front of him. As for the Bone Spirit Cold Fire inside Medicine Elder's soul body, he wasn't in a hurry to extract it. The two heavenly flames in front of him were more than enough for him to digest for a long time. He was now very close to the Dou Huang level, but to truly breakthrough, he still needed some time to polish his strength.
After all, his progress over the past few months had been incredibly fast. While he could control his power now, it would become difficult as he approached the Dou Huang stage, where Dou Qi would further surge. He wasn't sure if he would be able to maintain full control, especially since his body was different from others, and his foundation in Dou Qi was much stronger than the average person's.
However, these hidden dangers would be resolved during the process of refining the heavenly flames, solidifying the shaky foundation and preparing for his eventual breakthrough into the Dou Zong level.
…
In a hidden chamber in Black Seal City, Yao Yan sat cross-legged on a mat. In front of him, two ice crystal trays held the Sea Heart Flame and the Fallen Heart Flame, their colors distinct, radiating faint halos. Under the suppression of the Ice Spirit Cold Spring's ice crystals, their aura was subdued to the extreme, as if they were in a deep sleep.
The gently swaying flames had a certain indescribable beauty, with no heat escaping from them.
But if someone were to reach out to touch them, they would immediately understand why heavenly flames were called the kings of fire. The fury and destruction they possessed could not be compared to regular flames. Once they fully erupted, they would burn everything within miles.
"According to the rankings, the further down the heavenly flames are, the weaker their power. The Sea Heart Flame ranks after the Fallen Heart Flame, and among similar levels, its power is undoubtedly weaker than the Fallen Heart Flame. Moreover, this Sea Heart Flame seems to have just been born, far from matching the Fallen Heart Flame… However, with me assisting you, your chances of successfully refining the Fallen Heart Flame have actually increased. After all, it accompanied me for hundreds of years~"
The figure of the Heavenly Fire Sovereign appeared behind Yao Yan, as he gently stroked his white beard, his eyes filled with a hint of nostalgia as he sighed lightly.
After a moment, his gaze turned to Yao Yan, and his tone became more serious, "But all of this depends on whether the method you mentioned is feasible. If the Devouring Decision cannot simultaneously contain two heavenly flames, then your body might be burned beyond recognition in an instant. Even I, with my former five-star Dou Zun strength, couldn't withstand two heavenly flames erupting inside me. You can imagine their power. If you fail, I can at most guarantee your life, but as for the rest, it'll depend on your luck."
The Heavenly Fire Sovereign wasn't exaggerating; he was simply warning Yao Yan. A technique that allowed one to evolve through the devouring of heavenly flames was unheard of, even in his time. Even if someone wanted to harm others, they wouldn't create such a ridiculous lie.
Who would be foolish enough to try such a technique? It was as if they were asking for death.
Yet Yao Yan had practiced it and successfully devoured the Qinglian Earth Heart Flame.
In the Heavenly Fire Sovereign's eyes, this success was entirely a fluke. Devouring one heavenly flame was one thing, but devouring two was an entirely different matter. The difficulty increased exponentially. A single misstep, and Yao Yan wouldn't die, but he would end up crippled. With Yao Yan's talent, practicing such a method was nothing but a waste.
It was like taking a perfect gem and attempting to carve it. The risks were evident.
Cai Lin stood to one side, pursing her red lips. A slight trace of worry appeared in her cold, beautiful eyes, but she didn't speak. She knew the man before her was incredibly self-confident. Once he made up his mind, he wouldn't listen to anyone, especially on matters concerning himself.
"If I don't practice this technique, won't the day of your resurrection be far off?" Yao Yan chuckled lightly, teasing.
"All it takes is some more time. With your talent, if you grow normally, your future achievements will definitely surpass that of the Medicine Sovereign. When that time comes, I'm sure you'll have a way to perfectly resurrect me. So, I'm not in a hurry. I've waited all these years; a few more decades doesn't matter... Actually, I wanted to advise you to give up, but you probably wouldn't listen."
The Heavenly Fire Sovereign smiled and shook his head, somewhat helpless.
Generally, geniuses with high talent were full of self-confidence, even arrogance. What others couldn't do, they believed they could. But that's precisely why they achieved far more than ordinary people. Those who died halfway through never got the chance to be called geniuses.
In the end, the path of genius was one of continuous elimination. It was all about who could make it to the end.
"I've already reached the nine-star Dou Wang. If I change techniques now, wouldn't all the hardships I've endured be in vain? Besides, I've already gathered several heavenly flames. If it were you, would you give up?" Yao Yan replied calmly.
"Hehe, I definitely wouldn't~"
The Heavenly Fire Sovereign chuckled and responded. He was also someone who liked taking risks. If not, he wouldn't have done something so foolish as to try to contain two Fallen Heart Flames. But back then, he didn't have the conditions Yao Yan had, relying only on his own strength and the nearly perfect Fire Control Technique.
He had thought that two Fallen Heart Flames' origins could merge… but that was just a thought.
"I'll need you to keep an eye on me. If something goes wrong, help me suppress it." Yao Yan smiled and said. He then turned his attention to the Fallen Heart Flame. Compared to the Sea Heart Flame, he was clearly more interested in the Fallen Heart Flame. Whether in ranking or energy level, the Fallen Heart Flame far surpassed the Sea Heart Flame.
But with the Heavenly Fire Sovereign assisting, the refining process should be much easier. The only thing to worry about was how to devour it completely with the Devouring Decision.
"Don't worry, I'm watching." The Heavenly Fire Sovereign's tone grew slightly serious as he responded.
Yao Yan nodded, took a deep breath, and turned his gaze to the Fallen Heart Flame. At this moment, it had returned to its original form, resembling a smaller snake, coiled up and amber-colored, almost like a beautiful jade. But its aura was incredibly scorching. Just a slight touch of soul power would cause a sharp, clear sting.
It was like touching a branding iron with flesh—such pain was almost unbearable.
Let's begin... Yao Yan whispered to himself and directly reached out, grabbing the Fallen Heart Flame's original body. Under the watchful eyes of the Heavenly Fire Sovereign and Cai Lin, he tossed it into his mouth and swallowed it. Immediately, a scalding, magma-like substance surged into his stomach, and the violent energy instantly spread throughout his body.
"Ugh!"
Yao Yan grunted as thick Dou Qi surged through his body, pressing down on the Fallen Heart Flame's core. At this moment, the Fallen Heart Flame completely broke free from its "seal" and awakened from its slumber. It immediately revealed its sharp fangs and began rampaging through his body. The origin heartfire recklessly spilled out, beginning to scorch his flesh.
Yao Yan, however, remained unfazed. He had long since become accustomed to the pain of refining heavenly flames. But he couldn't let the Fallen Heart Flame do as it pleased within him. Calmly, he took out an Ice Heart Pill from his storage ring and swallowed it. Instantly, a cold current spread through his body, suppressing the rampaging Fallen Heart Flame.
At the same time, the violent origin heartfire seemed to meet its natural enemy, and under the circulating medicinal power of the Ice Heart Pill, it was extinguished.
But the Fallen Heart Flame wasn't content to be refined like this. It began to flee within his body, but the path it took was exactly the one Yao Yan had arranged—just like the route of the Devouring Decision. After one full cycle, a portion of the origin power of the Fallen Heart Flame was devoured, and Yao Yan's Dou Qi began to carry the faint aura of the Fallen Heart Flame. Even his Qinglian Earth Heart Flame seemed to have changed, its color growing deeper.
"Indeed, it works…" Yao Yan's mind was extremely calm at this moment. He had intentionally left the Fallen Heart Flame's intelligence intact to confirm whether the Devouring Decision could simultaneously contain two heavenly flames. The obvious change in his Dou Qi was enough to prove the uniqueness of the Devouring Decision—it could perfectly integrate with any fire.
Even with heavenly flames, it was the same.
It wasn't just compatibility—it was devouring, turning everything from the heavenly flame into his own origin power.
"Screech!"
The Fallen Heart Flame, feeling the deadly threat, began to resist more furiously than before. If it had been refined earlier, it would have just resisted a little, but now, the sensation of being devoured made it feel as though death was closing in on it. This instinct made it go mad, fighting back.
"Realizing it now? Isn't it a little too late~"
Yao Yan smiled lightly and, with the Ice Heart Pill's power surrounding the Fallen Heart Flame, his Qinglian Earth Heart Flame surged with his thoughts, forcing the Fallen Heart Flame to continue following the predetermined path. Meanwhile, every other path was blocked by his Dou Qi and Qinglian Earth Heart Flame, leaving it no choice.
Even his soul power turned into chains, directly entering the Fallen Heart Flame's body and starting to erase its intelligence.
"Screech~" The Fallen Heart Flame let out a pleading cry, as if trying to surrender.
Unfortunately, Yao Yan had no interest in it. The only heavenly flame spirit he cared about was one, and he had no interest in dealing with the other spirits. As his soul power flooded in, the Fallen Heart Flame began to struggle fiercely, but the Heavenly Fire Sovereign had already taught Yao Yan the method to tame the Fallen Heart Flame.
As the first master of the Fallen Heart Flame, the Heavenly Fire Sovereign knew exactly how to refine it and even shared a few secret techniques with Yao Yan.
The Heavenly Fire Sovereign highly valued Yao Yan and didn't want anything to happen to him.
As the Fallen Heart Flame's intelligence was erased, its small snake-like body transformed into a ball of milky-white flame, flowing docilely through the spacious meridians, no longer as wild as before. It was as obedient as a little lamb, as though Yao Yan could make it into whatever he wanted.
However, this obedience only lasted for a moment. As it came into contact with the Qinglian Earth Heart Flame, the two heavenly flames became agitated again, seemingly instinctively trying to devour each other, drawn by the nature of heavenly flames to consume the other for greater power.
"Refining the Fallen Heart Flame is easy, but truly devouring it is the troublesome part…" Yao Yan thought to himself. After hesitating for a moment, he began to control the two flames to fuse. Unlike the previous method of refining, this approach was more direct and brutal because only in this way could he fully merge the origins of the Fallen Heart Flame and the Qinglian Earth Heart Flame.
With the Devouring Decision's Dou Qi enveloping them, the fusion of the two heavenly flames still made loud crashing noises, as if they were about to explode at any moment. But the Devouring Decision's Dou Qi had a unique power to slow the rejection between the two flames. As the cycles continued, the rejection lessened, and gradually they began to merge, becoming one—You in me, and I in you.
However, the speed of this fusion was extremely slow. It was clear this wasn't something that could be completed in a short time.
How long had it been? Until the first thread of green-blue flame appeared from the fusion, Yao Yan's spirit suddenly shook. He knew he had succeeded. The two heavenly flames had truly merged together, and this power would continue to change the nature of his Dou Qi and further enhance his body's talent.
As Medicine Elder had said, the benefits of refining the body with heavenly flame energy were never immediate. It would subtly change the body and enhance one's talent in all aspects.
But the appearance of this green-blue flame was just the beginning. Yao Yan would need to transform all the flames in his body into this flame, and that would still take time.
…
Watching Yao Yan, who had fully entered a calm state, the Heavenly Fire Sovereign couldn't help but be surprised. He could clearly sense the conflict between the two heavenly flames in Yao Yan's body. At the most dangerous moment, a destructive aura began to emanate, and he had prepared to assist. But this violent aura quickly subsided in a very short time.
"Is it because of that technique?" The Heavenly Fire Sovereign's eyes flashed, thinking to himself. This was the first time he had seen a technique that could fuse heavenly flames.
"Did it succeed?"
At this moment, a tired voice sounded in Yao Yan's ears. He looked up to see Medicine Elder, who had somehow appeared in the hidden room, his gaze lowered as he watched Yao Yan cultivating.
"It should have succeeded."
The Heavenly Fire Sovereign didn't ask about Han Feng's outcome, nodding slightly in agreement.
Medicine Elder frowned and spoke in a somewhat heavy tone, "The hardest part hasn't come yet…"
(END CHAPTER)
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