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Chapter 207 - Heavenly Flame Honored One: Family, Who Understands?

The Fallen Heart Flame, which had been rampaging at the top of the tower and frantically colliding with the barrier moments ago, instantly retreated like a startled trapped beast, fleeing back into the depths of the magma at the bottom of the Sky Burning Qi Refining Tower.

This dramatic turn of events left the observing students dumbfounded. Even the usually composed elders showed expressions of shock.

Everyone looked up at the three figures in the sky, their hearts filled with dread.

With just a slight display of skill, they had made the untamable Fallen Heart Flame so fearful.

Such cultivation was simply unfathomable!

Su Qian's face couldn't hide his astonishment, his eyes filled with disbelief.

Who would have thought that in just two short years, the naive boy he once needed to protect and care for had transformed to this extent? Even he, the Grand Elder with vast experience, found it difficult to gauge the depth of the young man's power.

After a moment of reflection, Su Qian's gaze shifted to Chen Xiao's side.

He recognized the Little Fairy Doctor, but Qing Lin was somewhat unfamiliar.

At this moment, Su Qian would never have connected the Qing Lin before him with the little girl who had followed Xun Er to Jia Nan Academy years ago.

Not seeing Zi Yan caused Su Qian some confusion.

However, judging from Chen Xiao's calm expression, he could guess that the girl was definitely fine.

Even if something had happened, it would be for the best.

Otherwise, given Chen Xiao's relationship with Zi Yan, he wouldn't be able to smile.

With this thought, Su Qian no longer felt the urge to ask.

"Grand Elder, I'll resolve the hidden danger of the Fallen Heart Flame first. We can catch up later. Several auras are heading towards the Inner Academy; they should be the vice-dean and the others from the Outer Academy," Chen Xiao said, cupping his hands in a distant salute.

In Purple Cloud City, Hai Bo Dong was also full of curiosity. They could gather and reminisce after this matter was settled.

This way, it would be more convenient.

For now, the important matters came first.

Su Qian nodded slightly, "Is there anything I need to do?"

Out of trust in Chen Xiao, Su Qian didn't harbor any doubts.

Most importantly, he was one hundred percent certain that Chen Xiao had no interest in the Fallen Heart Flame.

Even during the time Chen Xiao spent cultivating in the Inner Academy, he rarely entered the Sky Burning Qi Refining Tower.

"Before we come out, please seal off the Sky Burning Qi Refining Tower for a day or two."

"Alright!"

With Su Qian's approval, Chen Xiao didn't say any more. He exchanged glances with the Little Fairy Doctor and Qing Lin beside him, took a step forward, and his figure vanished from the spot.

...

Deep beneath the Sky Burning Qi Refining Tower.

The scorching wind howled past their ears as three figures appeared like phantoms.

Dou Qi surged around Chen Xiao, instantly forming a domain that isolated all the heatwaves.

Landing on the surface of the magma sea, sizzling sounds immediately erupted. The ten-zhang radius centered on Chen Xiao caused the slowly flowing crimson magma to instantly solidify, turning into a patch of dark reef.

"It's truly unexpected that Jia Nan Academy is built upon a magma sea."

Surveying the surroundings, the Little Fairy Doctor exclaimed in wonder.

Both she and Qing Lin were visiting this place for the first time, and the underground scenery naturally filled them with surprise.

"Strange places give birth to strange things. Back then, beneath the Tagor Desert, there was also a Green Lotus Core Flame. I also activated my Azure Snake Three-Flower Pupils there and subdued a Two-Headed Fire Spirit Snake. I didn't expect the environment where the Fallen Heart Flame resides to be like this too."

Qing Lin recalled the past, and a nostalgic smile appeared on her pretty face.

Although many years had passed, the scenes of the past were still vivid in her mind.

It was also from that time, after activating her Azure Snake Three-Flower Pupils, that she began to understand her own uniqueness. Her confidence gradually grew, knowing she could always stay by Chen Xiao's side without becoming a burden.

Precisely because of this, when she first met the Little Fairy Doctor, she was able to say that she was very fortunate.

That was not a joke; Qing Lin truly felt that way.

If she hadn't possessed the Azure Snake Three-Flower Pupils, she likely wouldn't have been able to keep up with Chen Xiao's pace by now.

Chen Xiao smiled and nodded, asking with some curiosity, "Is that Two-Headed Fire Spirit Snake still around?"

Upon hearing this, Qing Lin's smile became even brighter. The three green flowers in her eyes suddenly bloomed, activating the Three-Flower Pupils' space.

Following that, Chen Xiao and the Little Fairy Doctor saw a small crimson snake with two heads dart out.

Under their gaze, the small crimson snake transformed into a young girl dressed in a red robe.

Her appearance bore a slight resemblance to Qing Lin.

"Master!" the girl bowed respectfully.

Qing Lin nodded slightly, smiling as she explained to Chen Xiao and the Little Fairy Doctor, "Ling'er was subdued by Young Master for me. She has been with me the longest. Unfortunately, her bloodline is ordinary, and she can normally only reach the sixth rank. I gave her a lot of Magical Beast Essence Blood from high-ranked snakes, but it only helped her advance to the seventh rank. I once offered her freedom, but she refused to leave, so she has been following me."

Without a doubt, Qing Lin was a sentimental and deeply emotional person.

Otherwise, she wouldn't have remained so devoted to Chen Xiao.

This Fire Spirit Snake was no different, benefiting from Qing Lin's care, it was akin to one person achieving enlightenment and their entire household ascending.

As for the Fire Spirit Snake's choice, whether from an emotional or practical standpoint, it was easily understandable.

Sometimes, choices truly outweigh effort.

"Very good, let's put it away for now," Chen Xiao nodded with a smile.

Although this Fire Spirit Snake had reached the seventh tier, it could no longer offer any combat assistance to Qing Lin. It could only serve as a companion.

Furthermore, controlling it was effortless for Qing Lin, so there was no issue of it occupying space within her Three-Flower Pupils.

Therefore, it was harmless.

Qing Lin nodded slightly and put away the Fire Spirit Snake.

Her gaze returned to the sea of lava before them. This was the Fallen Heart Flame's territory, and fighting here meant the Fallen Heart Flame could bombard them relentlessly without regard for consumption.

Unfortunately, the Fallen Heart Flame was currently holed up in the lava, showing no intention of revealing itself.

This was not difficult to understand. On the surface alone, Chen Xiao and the other two were three Dou Zuns.

If one were to add those controlled by Qing Lin within her Three-Flower Pupils, as well as the puppets controlled by Chen Xiao, their Dou Zun-level combat power would approach ten!

Such strength would be enough to sweep through some of the well-known major powers in the Central State, let alone deal with the Fallen Heart Flame.

"We don't know how large this sea of lava is. With the Fallen Heart Flame hidden within, finding it won't be easy."

Although Little Fairy Doctor said it wouldn't be easy, she wore a smile on her face.

Clearly, this small matter was not enough to stump them.

Chen Xiao nodded slightly and casually placed a Rune Seal at their current location.

"Let's not worry about it for now. We have another matter to attend to. There are many good things within this lava."

Without much explanation, Chen Xiao headed straight towards the lava.

Little Fairy Doctor and Qing Lin followed closely behind.

They retracted their Dou Qi, and the Bone Spirit Cold Flame formed a barrier around the three of them, isolating them from the lava's intrusion, allowing them to be within the lava without being affected in the slightest.

Deep within the lava, the color was distinctly different from the surface. As they ventured deeper, they were greeted by a monotonous, deep red.

The three of them moved at an extremely fast pace, but even at this speed, after a full half-hour, the scenery remained unchanged. This sea of lava seemed to have no end.

Chen Xiao released his soul perception, carefully sensing and slightly adjusting their direction.

After another quarter of an hour of deeper travel, the color of the surrounding lava finally changed, gaining a touch of unsettling black.

Just then, a miraculous scene unfolded!

The lava to their lower right began to writhe strangely and slowly. Then, a transparent halo emitting a faint glow emerged from the swirling lava.

The halo was transparent, allowing the three of them to see clearly into it.

As their gazes swept into it, Little Fairy Doctor and Qing Lin's pretty faces both showed expressions of surprise.

Immediately, the two women looked at Chen Xiao.

Seeing his calm expression, as if he had expected this, they finally confirmed that this was likely the good thing Chen Xiao had mentioned.

Little Fairy Doctor and Qing Lin looked again. Within the halo, there was nothing else. All that was present was a skeleton, bleached white, emitting a faint fluorescence.

Most bizarrely, a cluster of flames floated above the skeleton!

The flames were entirely transparent, as if they were formless.

Ordinary people might be unfamiliar with this, but they had witnessed it with their own eyes outside. These formless flames were precisely the Fallen Heart Flame!!

"Why is it so weak? No! This is..."

It was immediately apparent that this Fallen Heart Flame was very different from the one that had been showing off in the Sky Burning Qi Refining Tower.

The difference was like comparing a ferocious, menacing strongman to a helpless infant still in swaddling clothes.

Sensing this difference, Little Fairy Doctor's delicate brows furrowed. Following that, a guess surfaced in her mind, and she turned to Chen Xiao with a look of utter astonishment.

The Heavenly Flames on the Heavenly Flame Ranking, excluding the top three, did not possess uniqueness.

Little Fairy Doctor already knew this.

Chen Xiao controlled a Bone Spirit Cold Flame, and Medicine Venerable controlled one; this was a prime example.

Therefore, looking at the Fallen Heart Flame within the halo, Little Fairy Doctor had already guessed the truth.

"That's right, this is a newly born Fallen Heart Flame!"

To call it "newborn" wasn't entirely accurate.

After all, even if you combined ten Chen Xiaos, it wouldn't be enough to account for the birth years of this small Fallen Heart Flame.

However, compared to the one supplying the cultivation in the Sky Burning Qi Refining Tower, this one before them could be described as newborn.

Just as Little Fairy Doctor was about to inquire, a scorching gust of wind stealthily swept towards the three of them.

"You court death!"

Qing Lin suddenly turned her head, and with a light reprimand, her Dou Qi condensed into an invisible large hand and fiercely grabbed out, as if intending to capture and interrogate the culprit.

With Qing Lin, a peak Dou Zun, personally taking action, the outcome was naturally without any surprise.

Under the gaze of the three, a strange creature was brought back by Qing Lin.

Its overall form was humanoid, its body entirely crimson, the same color as the surrounding lava. Hidden within it was its best camouflage, making it difficult to spot with the naked eye.

Dense red scales covered its crimson body, and behind it, a red scaled tail about half a zhang long.

It stood upright on its feet, its feet unusually large. Its head was also round, and a pair of somewhat small eye pupils exuded undisguised ferocity. Held by the hand formed from Qing Lin's Dou Qi, its rather large mouth was slightly contorted in pain, revealing the dense sharp teeth within.

The entire appearance of this thing resembled a lizardman that could walk upright!

"Jiji!"

Brought before them, the Flame Lizardman let out a piercing shriek. It was unclear if it was a threat or a plea, its claws flailing as it lunged towards the three, but it was unable to break free from its bonds.

"About Dou Huang level strength."

"What kind of creature is this?"

As they observed the Flame Lizardman, Little Fairy Doctor and Qing Lin were greatly astonished, truly experiencing the vastness of the world and the endless variety of its inhabitants.

"A special race that can only live in lava. They have something similar to a pill within their bodies, which we can temporarily call a Fire Pill. We can collect some later; those with fire attributes can use it to increase their strength," Chen Xiao explained.

Before he possessed the Bone Spirit Cold Flame, Chen Xiao had known of this creature's existence but had been uninterested.

But things were different now. Possessing the Bone Spirit Cold Flame and having received the inheritance of formations, the Fire Pill within this Flame Lizardman could be quite useful.

Of course, Chen Xiao was referring to the higher-grade ones. This Dou Huang level one before them could be ignored.

Little Fairy Doctor nodded gently.

Qing Lin pointed a finger, quickly locating the Fire Pill Chen Xiao had mentioned within the Flame Lizardman.

"Very violent fire attribute energy, similar to the Magic Core within a Magical Beast. Ordinary people would likely find it difficult to absorb directly," Qing Lin said, handing the crimson bead she held to Little Fairy Doctor for examination after sensing it.

"Indeed. But for those with Heavenly Flames, it's not a problem. After we finish here, we'll collect more. We can give it as a gift next time we see Xun Er."

Without rushing to obtain the Fire Pill, Chen Xiao's gaze shifted to the light circle below.

Extending a palm, Chen Xiao nudged it slightly. The transparent light circle immediately split open, revealing a passage.

Chen Xiao flickered and flashed into it.

After Little Fairy Doctor and Qing Lin followed closely, the passage sealed itself once more.

This light circle was a barrier set up by some unlucky soul before their death. Under the erosion of time, its strength had become very ordinary.

The reason it had managed to hold on until now was simply because those Flame Lizardmen did not understand spatial power.

Within the light circle, the external lava was completely blocked out. Chen Xiao could clearly sense a strange fluctuation scanning his body, which then immediately retracted as if startled.

Sensing this, Chen Xiao couldn't help but chuckle.

This Heavenly Flame Honored One was quite perceptive.

If he had dared to scan them so brazenly after sensing the strength of the three of them, he would truly have been asking for death.

Chen Xiao's gaze shifted, finally settling on the 'mysterious' hovering skeleton in the center.

Looking at the Little Fallen Heart Flame floating above the skeleton, Chen Xiao beckoned.

The Little Fallen Heart Flame was drawn and immediately floated towards Chen Xiao.

However, before the Little Fallen Heart Flame had flown even a meter, it was as if it was being pulled back by some mysterious force, thus becoming locked in a stalemate in mid-air.

"Hm?"

Chen Xiao frowned slightly, about to increase his strength, when he felt the mysterious force that was playing tug-of-war with him seem to resign itself, quietly dissipating and completely giving up resistance, allowing the Little Fallen Heart Flame to be drawn into his palm.

The moment the Little Fallen Heart Flame landed in Chen Xiao's palm, a brilliant white light suddenly erupted from within the skeleton. Immediately after, as if worried about causing a misunderstanding, it began to rapidly converge and writhe, finally transforming into a translucent, ancient figure.

The figure was clad in white robes, with snow-white hair and beard.

His face was aged, and his calm eyes flickered with a faint sharpness. His emptiness was natural and changed with everything, his entire being filled with immense kindness.

However, at this moment, the old man's face was filled with a helpless wry smile.

"Yao Tian Huo greets the three Dao friends."

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