"Buzz..."
Just then, the enormous green lotus suddenly began to rise, surging straight toward Xiao Yan with astonishing speed. Each petal on that lotus was lined with countless sharp fangs, and as it closed and opened, it looked alarmingly like a monstrous beast gnashing its teeth, ready to devour its prey. The sight instinctively reminded Xiao Yan of a carnivorous plant from legends—a man-eating flower.
He didn't dare face it head-on. With a swift movement, Xiao Yan activated the Flame Ascension Step, his figure flickering through the air like a shadow, narrowly dodging the green lotus's pursuit. However, the moment he landed, he found himself already entangled. The lotus hovered mid-air, tendrils sprouting from beneath it like wild vines, twisting and coiling, each one laced with vicious energy as they lunged toward him like spears.
With no time to hesitate, Xiao Yan summoned the Heavy Xuan Ruler into his hand. Swinging it in a wide arc, its blazing ruler light howled forth, slicing the incoming vines cleanly in two. However, despite cutting through them, Xiao Yan's expression remained grim.
His Dou Qi was infused with the Nine Nether Illusion Flame, capable of incinerating ordinary plants and even most beast-hide armors. Yet these lotus vines did not ignite. Instead, he felt traces of fiery energy within them, heat and power flowing just beneath their surface. They weren't just plants—they were alive with fire.
'Could this be another Green Lotus Core Flame?' he speculated, but quickly shook off the thought. That Heavenly Flame, which he had once fought so hard to obtain, was birthed in magma deep beneath the earth. This place—icy, barren, and empty—did not match the environment required for that flame's birth. Furthermore, this lotus's appearance differed vastly from the one he remembered.
The illusion from earlier... was this connected to it?
Suddenly, Xiao Yan thought of something. Drawing in a sharp breath, his eyes flashed a deep purple-black, and from within them surged two piercing beams of fire—his Annihilation Flame Eyes. However, instead of attacking, this time they were used for something else: to pierce illusions.
As the beams struck the lotus, ripples spread across its surface. The dazzling green glow faded away, melting into a dark azure, as if someone had pulled back a veil.
Before his eyes now floated not a flower, but a fire—a deep blue, almost liquid flame that shimmered like flowing water, yet exuded searing heat. Xiao Yan's eyes lit up instantly, excitement flashing in their depths.
'A Heavenly Flame! I knew it!'
This fire, which seemed like water yet radiated heat, was unmistakable.
It was the Sea Heart Flame, ranked fifteenth on the Heavenly Flame Ranking.
The Sea Heart Flame was born in the deepest trenches of the sea, bluish in hue and ever-shifting in form. It often took on deceptive shapes, confusing observers into mistaking it for something else. According to ancient records, it could even merge into the ocean itself, drawing power from the vast waters. Its volatile nature made it both elusive and deadly.
Much like the Nether Poison Flame before it, this Sea Heart Flame had gained spiritual intelligence, which was why it had created the earlier illusion to trap him. Unfortunately for it, Xiao Yan's Annihilation Flame Eyes had not only shattered the illusion, but also struck its spiritual core directly, causing the flame to lose its disguise and will to resist.
With a flick of his finger, Xiao Yan wrapped the blue flame in a strand of Dou Qi. At his current level, he was more than capable of suppressing the flame in this manner and transporting it away.
He did consider whether to use the Green Lotus Platform he carried—an artifact that could house a Heavenly Flame. But that had been effective specifically with the Green Lotus Core Flame because of their shared origin. He had no way of knowing if it would work on the Sea Heart Flame. If he tried and failed, he risked damaging the platform itself, something he was absolutely unwilling to do.
With the flame securely wrapped, Xiao Yan extended his Dou Qi wings and soared upward, retracing the path through the cavern. This was not the place to begin refining a Heavenly Flame. Not only could someone stumble upon him at any moment, but refining a flame took time—perhaps hours, perhaps days. The Fallen Grounds could vanish at any moment, shifting back into the hidden realm. And if that happened mid-refinement…
He'd be trapped inside for another fifty years.
'No, I'll refine it later. Once we're safe.'
Before leaving, he turned back to glance at the eerie cavern.
The Sea Heart Flame, for all its strange abilities, did not have the power to create illusions—at least not on this scale. That meant something else, or someone else, had interfered. Perhaps this space held secrets far greater than a single Heavenly Flame. But now wasn't the time to search for answers. He could only carry his questions with him and wait for a future opportunity to explore them.
As Xiao Yan burst from the cavern entrance, Qing Lin and Zi Yan rushed forward. The moment they saw the faint, azure flame hovering within his grasp, their eyes widened in awe.
"This is…?" Qing Lin asked cautiously.
"A Heavenly Flame," Xiao Yan replied without hiding it. He passed the Dou Qi-wrapped fire into Zi Yan's hands. "Hold this for me for a bit."
Zi Yan nodded and took it, her hands glowing faintly as she infused her own Dou Qi to stabilize the energy field.
Xiao Yan hadn't asked Qing Lin to help for a reason. Her cultivation level was still too low. While her Three-Flower Pupils were powerful, she couldn't provide stable Dou Qi flow for long enough to restrain a Heavenly Flame. Zi Yan, on the other hand, had strength comparable to a high-level Dou King.
With the flame secured, Xiao Yan exhaled deeply. He retrieved the Heavy Xuan Ruler from his storage ring once more, his eyes shifting toward the entrance of the valley.
He narrowed his gaze. "You've been here long enough. Come out. Hiding and watching in the shadows—what sort of hero does that make you?"
As his voice echoed out, over a dozen figures emerged from the canyon walls, flying forward. Each of them bore Dou Qi wings, and each emanated a pressure no less than the Dou King level.
Zi Yan's expression shifted subtly. Her senses told her these people weren't average. In fact, many of them were stronger than her—likely high-tier Dou Kings. Some even approached the strength of a Dou Emperor.
Their formation was tight, completely blocking off any path out of the canyon.
And standing at their forefront was a familiar figure—a man in a high-tier alchemist's robe, his face cold and sharp.
It was none other than Han Feng, the so-called Medicine Emperor of the Black-Corner Region—the same man who had once tried to probe Xiao Yan's soul back in Dark Sea City.
(End of Chapter)
---
This Fanfiction Has Been Completed on Patreon.
Support me if you like this Fanfiction.
Patreon,com/Fallen_Archangel_
(Remove comma for dot.)
Leave a 5 star Review and a Power Stone.