Chapter 104: Breakthrough to Dou Ling
Heavenly flames were incredibly powerful. Even those ranked at the bottom were capable of severely injuring a Dou Huang expert with ease. This was evident in the original story, where Queen Medusa, despite having an abundant amount of Ice Spirit Cold Spring, was still gravely wounded by the Green Lotus Core Flame. She didn't even have time to retrieve the green lotus platform or the Earth Flame Lotus Seeds, and her own scales were left behind at the site.
However, this also had to do with Queen Medusa's lack of knowledge. In terms of understanding heavenly flames, how could the Snake-People Tribe compare to an alchemist?
Especially now that Yao Yan had obtained Yao Lao's Black Demon Cauldron—he no longer feared the eruption of the Green Lotus Core Flame.
After all, this flame had only recently formed and lacked true sentience. It was fundamentally different from those heavenly flames that possessed flame spirits, like the Fallen Heart Flame. As long as it was cut off from external fire-attribute energy, its power would eventually run out.
Just as Yao Yan had predicted, after exhausting several cauldrons worth of Ice Spirit Cold Spring, the Green Lotus Core Flame finally calmed down within the Black Demon Cauldron. It transformed into a tranquil green flame, quietly floating in the center of the cauldron, surrounded by a crystalline ice barrier formed by the cold spring—creating a relatively balanced state.
It looked like a jade-green ice crystal lantern.
"It's done."
Yao Yan looked at the now-docile Green Lotus Core Flame and smiled faintly.
Cai Lin gazed at the flame inside the cauldron, her cold and elegant purple eyes filled with apprehension. Her red lips parted. "So this is a heavenly flame… such terrifying destructive power. If that cauldron hadn't completely sealed it, we would've been seriously injured—if not killed."
She still remembered the instant Yao Yan grasped the flame with the cold spring. The eruption that followed had been truly terrifying—she felt the breath of death in that moment.
Now relaxed, Yao Yan laughed lightly. "I wouldn't have dared provoke a heavenly flame like this without being fully prepared."
Truly worthy of being from a major clan in Central Plains...
Even possessing a cauldron capable of suppressing heavenly flames.
Cai Lin sighed inwardly, her complex emotions flashing briefly in her eyes. She then looked at Yao Yan. "Are you planning to go into seclusion here?"
This place was nearly ten thousand meters beneath the magma, with immense heat and pressure. Even Dou Huang experts couldn't stay here for long. Take Hai Bodong for example—as an ice-type Dou Huang, lingering too long would lead to exhaustion and eventual death.
"For fire-type cultivators, this place is a sacred land—so long as the body can endure the pressure and the heat from the lotus platform. But for me, that's not a problem."
Yao Yan said with confidence. He handed Ling'er to Cai Lin, then flapped his Purple Cloud Wings and floated above the lotus platform.
Almost immediately—
A light blue flame surged from the lotus.
Though not as destructive as the Green Lotus Core Flame, it still possessed an intense and domineering power. In an instant, Yao Yan's clothes were burned away, and even his bronze-toned skin dulled slightly under the heat—it was reaching its limit.
No wonder it birthed the Green Lotus Core Flame... this lotus was seriously intense. Yao Yan gritted his teeth through the piercing pain, knowing that if he couldn't withstand this flame, he would never be able to refine something even stronger.
Without hesitation, he sat cross-legged atop the lotus.
Instantly—
Large amounts of blue fire engulfed him. The lotus fire, refined for over a thousand years, wrapped around him completely. As the flames surged, the surrounding temperature skyrocketed. Without the Green Lotus Core Flame to absorb it, all the fire-attributed energy flowing in from the lotus roots now surged into Yao Yan's body.
Cai Lin didn't blush at Yao Yan's nudity—she was more stunned by his recklessness. His method of cultivation was brutal and extreme. If his body couldn't withstand it, he would be incinerated in an instant.
But after a moment, she understood his intent.
If he could endure this, refining the Green Lotus Core Flame later would be much smoother. It was a gradual process, from easy to difficult—although even this "easy" step would scare off most people.
"He really is like a moth to the flame…"
Cai Lin muttered, her purple eyes fixed on Yao Yan, now engulfed in blue fire.
At this point, his bronze skin had turned pitch black, with only faint specks of silver shimmering through. Yet his vitality didn't weaken—on the contrary, it surged. His powerful life force constantly healed his damaged body, helping him adapt to the agony of being burned.
Soon after, Yao Yan activated Flame Mantra and the Vajra Indestructible Body. The fire energy that had once nourished the Green Lotus Core Flame now became fuel for his cultivation.
"His body… is not normal."
Cai Lin had been watching closely and now clearly sensed the astonishing vitality within Yao Yan. His recovery was absurd. Burned skin regenerated with every breath, and his resistance to the fire was growing rapidly.
It wouldn't be long before he fully adapted.
His talent was terrifying.
Ling'er, curled up in Cai Lin's arms, looked at Yao Yan being scorched, then glanced at the Black Demon Cauldron. Her green eyes were filled with desire. She clearly wanted to eat that flame. But remembering how violent the Green Lotus Core Flame had been earlier, she swallowed hard and held herself back.
She was still just a timid little glutton.
…
Time passed slowly.
No one knew how long it had been.
Yao Yan's burned skin eventually peeled away, revealing stronger new skin underneath. His bronze tone became more intense, while silver lights shimmered more brightly and widely, giving his aura an indestructible presence.
The blue flames around him, once fierce, now felt like a gentle breeze. Even the pain was gone.
"Have I reached my limit?"
Yao Yan opened his eyes. His pitch-black pupils reflected the flames. He could sense it clearly—these fires could no longer harm him. His body, empowered by both the Stone and Spirit clans' Dou Di bloodlines, was unmatched among his peers.
Add to that the Devour Spirit King's blood and the Dou Sheng blood from the Medicine Clan, and even Yao Yan didn't know how terrifying his body had become. On top of that, he'd cultivated the Vajra Indestructible Body—making him monstrously durable.
That's why he could afford to push his limits like this. With his old body, it would've been suicide.
Sensing his Dou Qi, a golden flame flickered in his eyes. "Nine-Star Da Dou Shi. Just one step away from Dou Ling."
"You're awake?"
Cai Lin, seated beside the Black Demon Cauldron, opened her eyes and looked at him. Her cold, seductive purple gaze carried a trace of emotion. She had never seen anyone cultivate like this.
But high risk did bring high reward.
In less than a month, Yao Yan had advanced from a six-star to the peak of nine-star Da Dou Shi.
That was what shocked Queen Medusa most—his Dou Qi reserve was denser than most Dou Ling, yet he was still technically a Da Dou Shi.
She knew exactly what that meant.
Yao Yan didn't immediately get up. He wasn't shameless—he wasn't about to show off in front of his sister-in-law. He glanced at her curious eyes and asked, "How long was I out?"
When in seclusion, time easily slipped away unnoticed.
"Less than a month. Hai Bodong tried coming down earlier, but his ice Dou Qi couldn't handle the heat. He went back up and is probably waiting for us. So—now that you're awake, are you staying to continue training or heading up?"
Cai Lin asked calmly, though her gaze toward this freakish young man was still filled with complexity.
"I'll wait until I break through to Dou Ling, then we'll go."
Yao Yan thought for a moment and replied.
Cai Lin frowned slightly and reminded him, "The lotus fire here has no effect on you anymore. Staying longer won't help. If it's the fire energy you want, just take the lotus. That's the source of it all."
After staying here this long, she had learned a thing or two. A lotus capable of producing a heavenly flame was undoubtedly a treasure.
"No need to wait long—just one seed is enough. Though it's a bit wasteful…"
Yao Yan looked at the lotus seeds on the platform, reached out, and picked one. The green lotus seed shimmered with a mystical glow. This was an Earth Flame Lotus Seed—the essence of fire, born alongside the Green Lotus Core Flame. It took a hundred years to form one and was an incredibly rare alchemical ingredient, used to refine tier-7 and tier-8 pills.
Directly swallowing it was wasteful.
But with just one step left to Dou Ling, Yao Yan didn't want to waste time. Rather than cultivate for months, he could use the seed's fire energy to make the leap immediately and prepare to refine the Green Lotus Core Flame.
And would one seed be enough? A treasure that took a century to form and could drive Dou Huang and even Dou Zong mad—was more than enough for a Da Dou Shi.
Without hesitation, Yao Yan flicked the seed into his mouth.
As the Phantom Gold Flame engulfed it, a lava-like energy exploded within, rushing through his body. It was potent, overbearing, and even carried traces of heavenly flame energy—hard to refine. But Yao Yan had already acclimated to the lotus fire and quickly adapted.
Soon, he guided the energy along Flame Mantra's channels, converting it into pure Dou Qi and sending it into his dantian.
Streams of energy poured into his Dou Crystal, making it shine even more brightly.
Whoosh—
As the light blue flame around Yao Yan surged, the fire-attributed energy flowing into his body suddenly halted. It was as if all his body's openings had closed. At the same time, his Dou Crystal emitted a brilliant golden glow, like a blazing sun, flooding the space with warmth and light.
The surface of the crystal smoothed, and nine sharp spikes emerged—shaping it like a sea urchin.
The crystal shuddered, and a powerful ripple of energy burst forth. It swept effortlessly through his cyclone, meridians, bones, and finally skin—then exploded outward.
Boom!
A wave of immense Dou Qi spread. Yao Yan's entire body was enveloped in golden flames. As the fire roared, he appeared divine, his aura suppressing even the lotus flame beneath him.
"One-Star Dou Ling."
The Purple Cloud Wings flared behind him. With a soft flap, Yao Yan's body floated down from the lotus. His handsome face wore a faint smile, clearly pleased with the results of this seclusion.
Just as he had suspected, a place capable of producing the Green Lotus Core Flame was perfect for a fire-attribute cultivator like him.
But after breaking through, the benefits diminished significantly.
Cai Lin, watching him float naked in the air, remained silent for a moment before finally speaking up. "Stop showing off. Put on some clothes."
She turned her eyes away, visibly flustered.
(END CHAPTER)
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