Chapter 109: Drastic Power Surge
Time ticked away slowly. From within the Ice Spirit Cold Spring, Yao Yan suddenly guided the lotus beneath him to lift his body out of the spring. He took the initiative to sever its protective layer and allowed the Green Lotus Core Flame to fully erupt within him. The terrifying fire instantly surged through his entire being, turning him into a figure cloaked in flames.
His silver-shining skin grew even brighter under the scorching heat, and the faint traces of bronze scattered within it gradually shifted toward a pure silvery tone.
If someone could have extended their soul force into Yao Yan's body at this moment, they would've clearly seen it undergoing rapid strengthening at an outrageous rate—not only the flesh but even his fragile meridians were being refined, becoming tougher, broader, and faintly tinged with a jade-green hue.
"Is he going to be okay, Sister?!"
Cai Die stared at Yao Yan, now fully engulfed in the Green Lotus Core Flame, her eyes full of worry and concern. She turned to Cai Lin and asked. She could sense the terrifying destructive power within that heavenly flame—if it were her, she would've been reduced to ashes by now.
Swallowing a heavenly flame… just what kind of pain was Yao Yan enduring at that moment?!
Cai Die bit her lip tightly, feeling a deep ache in her heart.
Cai Lin gave her sister a complicated glance. She could clearly feel the emotion her sister harbored toward him and sighed inwardly, then said in a composed tone, "He severed the protection of the Ice Spirit Cold Spring on purpose. He's using the Green Lotus Core Flame to temper his body—even his organs and meridians. Anyone else doing this would be suicidal, but in his case... his aura is still growing. He's probably close to succeeding."
As she spoke, even her eyes betrayed a trace of admiration.
She had seen Yao Yan's insane progression firsthand. But only someone like him could attempt something so dangerous. This went far beyond luck. It required immense natural talent, overwhelming resources, and unshakable willpower. Anyone else would've perished attempting it.
Cai Die nodded slightly. She didn't care about strength. She just wanted Yao Yan to be safe.
And as Cai Lin had said—
Yao Yan, relying on his powerful soul force, was guiding the essence flame of the Green Lotus Core Flame throughout his body, letting it scorch his limbs and bones. Through destruction and rebirth, he was continuously strengthening, tapping into his Stone and Spirit Clan Dou Di bloodlines to unleash his potential without restraint.
As Flame Mantra cycled once more, the ferocity of the Green Lotus Core Flame noticeably softened. A radiant green light burst outward, enveloping Yao Yan's figure and shielding him from outside view.
At that moment, he felt a clear connection form between himself and the heavenly flame—like an extension of his own body.
"Easier than I expected…"
Yao Yan noted inwardly. But then again, after consuming so many Earth Flame Lotus Seeds, tempering his body with the Green Lotus Core Flame, and adapting to its energy, it made sense for the refinement to go smoothly.
With this realization, he directed the partially refined flame toward his naling (energy core) within his dantian.
The Green Lotus Core Flame, still harboring only a trace of instinct, hesitated briefly—then obediently flowed into the naling, allowing Yao Yan to imprint his soul mark upon it.
As the refinement completed—
The green light cloaking Yao Yan vanished, revealing his muscular figure seated atop the lotus. As his eyes opened, green flames danced within them, lending his already handsome features an eerie edge.
At the same time, his aura surged—rising one whole star to the peak of nine-star Dou Ling. Still, the gap to Dou Wang remained considerable.
Yao Yan wasn't surprised. After all, he had refined the flame, not devoured it through Flame Mantra. The two were fundamentally different. This one-star boost was simply a side effect of the flame's tempering process.
Whoosh—
He raised his hand, and a green flame emerged from his palm—swirling up his arm. It blazed, fed by his golden Dou Qi. In his other hand, he summoned the Phantom Gold Flame. Since that flame had already fused with his Dou Qi, it didn't disappear after he refined the heavenly flame. It was now part of him.
Still, he wasn't sure whether this dual-flame coexistence would continue once Flame Mantra devoured the Green Lotus Core Flame.
After all, heavenly flames far surpassed the rank of beast flames like the Phantom Gold Flame.
"Young Master, you succeeded?!"
Cai Die's joyful voice rang out as her enchanting figure darted over, pink eyes shimmering with joy and concern.
"Only halfway. The real test begins now."
Yao Yan shook his head. There wasn't a trace of celebration in his expression—only heightened seriousness. He looked at Cai Die, then turned to Cai Lin. "The next step is critical. No matter what happens, don't interfere."
He stowed the Black Demon Cauldron and sat cross-legged, calming his breath and focusing his mind. The next part—devouring the Green Lotus Core Flame with Flame Mantra—had to be done alone. There were no shortcuts.
Cai Lin, who hadn't transformed into the Heaven Swallowing Python, couldn't assist him in any way.
Sensing the gravity in his tone, Cai Die clutched Ling'er tighter, anxiety tightening her chest.
Yao Yan, turning his focus inward, watched the Green Lotus Core Flame burning slowly in his dantian. After a moment, he guided it out of the naling. It transformed into a small, serpentine stream of green magma and slithered through his meridians, docilely assisting him in absorbing heavenly energy.
It wasn't until Yao Yan directed it into the path of Flame Mantra that it began to resist—unwilling to be devoured and assimilated.
But that resistance was meaningless under Yao Yan's control. As Flame Mantra circulated, the heavenly flame's core essence was slowly consumed by his Dou Qi.
Unlike refinement, this was full assimilation—turning the flame into part of himself, not simply borrowing it.
In an instant, unimaginable pain spread through his body, as if every cell was being stuffed with foreign energy. This felt completely different from the flame tempering earlier.
But it was a familiar kind of pain—the same kind he experienced when devouring the Spirit Devouring Clan's bloodline. His body was transforming.
"Hngh—!"
Yao Yan couldn't suppress a low grunt. His brows furrowed in agony. Still, he gritted his teeth and bore it, forcing Flame Mantra to continue swallowing the flame's essence—determined to make it his.
Sizzle sizzle—
The Green Lotus Core Flame exploded in full. At this moment, Yao Yan's body resembled a fire-breathing demon, green flames erupting from every pore. The intense heat distorted even the surrounding space.
Only the lotus beneath him remained unscathed, slowly rotating and absorbing nearby fire energy.
It was a terrifying sight.
Even Cai Lin's expression turned grave. She couldn't understand why the heavenly flame had suddenly gone berserk. Was Yao Yan… detonating it?
Had he lied earlier about successfully refining it?
"What is he doing?!"
She couldn't make sense of it. Her brows furrowed as she watched the now-explosive Green Lotus Core Flame. At this point, Yao Yan had practically become one with it—there was no distinction between man and fire.
Cai Die held Ling'er tightly while the little fox nervously clawed the air, her bright green eyes fixed on Yao Yan.
The devouring process was excruciatingly slow. Compared to the Phantom Gold Flame, this was like licking an enormous lollipop—one painful, searing bit at a time.
Time became meaningless. All he could do was endure, inch by inch, and transform the flame into his own power.
Thankfully, the devouring speed increased gradually. It wasn't impossible—it was just agonizingly slow.
Any ordinary person would've blacked out instantly. Had Yao Yan not endured something similar under Hun Xu Zi, he wouldn't have lasted either.
But the human body was adaptable. The second time was always easier.
Bit by bit, Yao Yan became one with the Green Lotus Core Flame, his aura growing stronger. The chasm between Dou Ling and Dou Wang narrowed as his pain slowly eased.
It was as if his body had begun to adapt.
…
…
No one knew how long had passed.
Yao Yan was numb—his body running on instinct as Flame Mantra continued its cycle. His once-golden Dou Qi had become green, with only traces of gold lingering.
Clearly, the Green Lotus Core Flame had now taken over. The Phantom Gold Flame was reduced to a mere decorative element.
Then—
The pain vanished.
In its place was an overwhelming sense of fullness, like a parched soul drinking spring water. Comfort flooded his weary heart. His soul surged upward, refreshed and expanded.
Crack—
Deep within his consciousness, his soul crystal shattered—dispersing into countless glowing fragments that merged into his soul. A more powerful spiritual force swept outward, like invisible ripples from his forehead.
An invisible pressure blanketed Cai Lin and the others, leaving even her short of breath.
Her eyes widened. "That power…"
She had heard that alchemists' souls also followed ranks—and a strong soul could rival even Dou Zong.
Had Yao Yan's soul advanced?
That pressure alone made her feel helpless—something she hadn't experienced even when facing Xie Bi Yan.
As Yao Yan's tightly shut eyes opened, an overwhelming surge of Dou Qi erupted. Compared to his previous nine-star Dou Ling state, his aura had increased tenfold. The Dou Crystal in his dantian had vanished, replaced by free-flowing, unstoppable Dou Qi coursing through his limbs.
He could feel it—his body was now in perfect sync with the energy of the world. With every breath, elemental energy flowed into him naturally.
Whoosh—
Two jets of Dou Qi burst from his back. A pair of green Dou Qi wings tinged with gold unfurled.
This was the unmistakable aura of a Dou Wang.
BOOM—
His wings flared. In a flash, Yao Yan vanished—reappearing high above. The explosive force shook the air. Green flames burned in his eyes, making his handsome face seem both demonic and divine. He inhaled deeply, his Dou Qi flowing like a surging river.
"Xuan-level high grade… ha!"
A wild grin spread across his face. He couldn't hold back a euphoric laugh that echoed over the island.
Flame Mantra had evolved from high-rank Huang to high-rank Xuan!
His Dou Qi had advanced from nine-star Dou Ling to three-star Dou Wang!
His soul had reached the Spirit Realm!
His body had entered the second layer of the Vajra Indestructible Body!
At this moment, Yao Yan had finally entered the ranks of true powerhouses on the Dou Qi Continent—not just a bloodline anomaly relying on brute strength.
If he faced Xie Bi Yan now, he was confident he could beat him down without mercy. With the Green Lotus Core Flame, he had the ultimate advantage over poison cultivators. And with his new soul realm, he could kill Xie Bi Yan through sheer soul pressure.
His strength hadn't just grown a little—it had skyrocketed.
But his smile quickly froze.
He realized… he was once again stark naked.
Below, Cai Die covered Ling'er's eyes, though she was peeking through her fingers with wide eyes. Cai Lin and Hua She'er turned away—but whether they really weren't looking was anyone's guess.
Yao Yan quickly pulled out a black robe and threw it on. He descended and smiled at the three women. "I did it."
"Congratulations."
Cai Lin said with a complex expression. She could see that Yao Yan's transformation went far beyond simply refining a heavenly flame—his Dou Qi, body, and soul had all evolved. She no longer understood this monster.
Maybe having the Snake-People Tribe ally with him was the best decision she'd ever made.
"I'll rest for a day. Tomorrow, I'll refine the Breaking Sect Pill for you."
Yao Yan smiled at her. He didn't need her to say anything. He was itching to test how far his alchemy skills had grown. He even felt confident he could attempt tier-seven pills now—but first, a few tier-sixes for warm-up.
Once he stabilized his strength, he'd head to the Black-Corner Region—for a chat with Han Feng, and with Yao Lao.
He would claim the Sea Heart Flame and the Bone Spirit Cold Flame!
Then, it would be time for the Fallen Heart Flame… and the Void Devouring Flame that Hun Xu Zi had promised him!
Thinking about it—
He almost let out an evil "Jie jie jie…"
(END CHAPTER)
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