Only after gradually restoring his condition to its peak did Xiao Yan finally find peace, lifting his head and gazing at the crescent moon high above the sky for a long time, then smiling softly. With his palm supporting the jade lotus seat, he suddenly stood up. "Let's find a safer location," the Elder of Medicine murmured. "Hm, good idea," Xiao Yan nodded, smiling. He glanced around at the surrounding terrain. This was the only mountain range at the edge of the desert, capable of shielding the desert from below its base. It was certain that the mountain's size and expanse were substantial. From time to time, deep wolf howls and tiger roars echoed through the mountain range, as though proclaiming to all that this land now belonged to its rightful owners. Gripping the Qinglian seat tightly, Xiao Yan planted his foot firmly on the ground, and as a burst of energy erupted, his body suddenly surged upward, landing gracefully atop a towering tree beside him. The branches swayed slightly with his presence, and he scanned the lush forest around him before lightly tapping the trunk. His form then flowed like a great raptor in the night, swiftly gliding through the dense woods, heading swiftly toward the mountain peaks. Yet for ordinary people, this mountain cave seemed extremely difficult to climb. For Xiao Yan, who possessed the Purple Cloud Wings, it was nothing short of effortless—almost requiring no exertion at all. Standing at the cliff's summit, Xiao Yan gazed downward. The sheer cliff stretched deep into the distance, veiled in faint mist. In this place where neither sky nor ground could be clearly seen, this was precisely the ideal setting for cultivation that he had always envisioned. Nodding contentedly, Xiao Yan made no hesitation and simply leapt downward. With the roaring wind rushing past his ears and his back slightly trembling, the Purple Cloud Wings flapped gently, vibrating as his swiftly descending body gradually slowed. A moment later, Xiao Yan's form stabilized, hovering smoothly just outside the cave entrance. Carefully scanning the interior of the cave, he found no signs of any wild beasts. Only then, cradling the Qinglian seat, did he glide silently into the cave. Entering the cave, though the space was not particularly large, it was ample for Xiao Yan's needs. He placed the Qinglian seat upon a massive stone and retrieved several moonstone gems from his storage scroll, embedding them into the cave walls. Instantly, the previously dim light became bright and clear. With the bright light, Xiao Yan began to carefully scan the cave, going over every small detail repeatedly—any minor spot was examined multiple times. It was no surprise that Xiao Yan was so cautious, for the danger involved in this time in consuming the hetero-flames far surpassed that of his previous encounter with the purple flame. Even the slightest external disturbance could not only cause him to fail completely but might also instantly reduce him to ash, as the hetero-flames would reverse and consume him. Despite the narrow space of the cave, it took Xiao Yan nearly an hour to fully survey it. During this time, he discovered several small animal droppings among the massive stones, likely left behind by occasional flying beasts that had stopped here to rest. After clearing the droppings from the cave, Xiao Yan brought large stones from within the cave and piled them up to seal the entrance tightly, leaving only a few narrow gaps to allow air to seep in. Only after completing all these tedious tasks did Xiao Yan finally exhale deeply, making his way to the center of the cave and sitting cross-legged before the massive stone. The dark gaze in his eyes burned with intense flame, fixed steadily upon the jade lotus seat before him. After removing the Blood Lotus Pill, Xiao Yan then took out a small jade box from his storage amulet. Placing the box gently upon the smooth stone surface, a subtle cold aura immediately condensed into a thin layer of ice on the stone. Upon opening the box, a snow-white jade bottle was carefully positioned inside, with a delicate veil of pale, cold mist swirling around it, giving off an ethereal and mysterious ambiance. This snow-white jade bottle contained the Ice Spirit Cold Spring—precisely the one Xiao Yan had painstakingly exchanged for with Gu Tu! It is a gray stone, about the size of a thumb, smooth and lustrous like jade, with no imperfections at all. At its core, a faint blue glow pulses gently, as if a small, living creature were slowly moving within it. "Is this what they call Nalings?" Xiāo Yīn asked, somewhat astonished, gazing at the unremarkable stone. "Yes, this is Nalings—a rare celestial material. It appears only with a very small probability within high-grade Nastones. Don't underestimate this modest piece; its value absolutely surpasses that of Blood Lotus Pills and Ice Spirit Cold Spring. Had I not been fortunate enough to obtain it back then, even if you now possess the Heterogeneous Flame, you'd merely be standing there, gazing at it in wonder..." Yàolǎ smiled gently. Nodding, Xiao Yan glanced at the seal ring on his finger. It was merely a low-tier seal ring, costing several tens of thousand gold coins. For a mid-tier one, the price would need to be at least ten times higher, and for a high-tier seal ring—such rings were typically considered priceless, with no market demand. Some noble families even used high-tier seal rings as their family emblems. On the Dragon and Qi Continent, only the most elite warriors or leaders of powerful factions could obtain them, underscoring just how rare and precious such items were. Compared to high-tier seal rings, this particular type of seal essence was even more scarce—so rare that describing it as "rare as phoenix feathers and dragon scales" might not be an exaggeration. After carefully inspecting the three items, Xiao Yan finally turned his attention to the Qinglian, his gaze tightly fixed on the streak of emerald flame at the heart of the lotus. His lips gently parted as he licked them, his face filled with eager longing. "Release it," the medicine elder said in a deep, steady voice. "Hmm." Nodding slightly, Xiao Yan placed his palm on the base of the Qinglian seat, and his soul energy swiftly penetrated into it, separating the entire seat from the heartfire of the Qinglian at its core. With care, he then gently pulled the seat free. Without the restraint of the Qinglian seat, the previously slender streak of pale green flame suddenly surged nearly several times in size. In an instant, it expanded into a full-bodied flame, hovering in midair. As the flame grew in volume, the temperature within the cave rose rapidly. At the top of the cave, the pale stone walls had silently melted, forming a hollow of the size of a human head. Wiping a strand of sweat from his forehead, Xiao Yan stepped back slightly, then looked up at the rising green flame with a serious expression. Though he had made every effort to remain calm, his hands still trembled slightly, imperceptibly. "What shall we do next?" Xiao Yan forced composure, his voice trembling as he asked. "The impact of consuming the Heterogeneous Flames is immense. Therefore, shortly, I will envelop the entire cave with my spiritual energy. Otherwise, before you finish consuming the flames, the mountain itself will be scorched halfway. " Elder Yao gently patted Xiao Yan on the shoulder, speaking in a steady tone. "Understood," Xiao Yan nodded promptly. "Though these words may sound somewhat ominous, for safety's sake, you should sit upon the Qinglian. Should anything go wrong, the Qinglian will protect your life. Otherwise, even I may find it difficult to rescue you in that very instant, since consuming the Heterogeneous Flames requires you to ingest them—this is an extremely perilous process." Elder Yao hesitated, then said with a sense of resignation. Xiao Yan nodded with a wry smile, lightly tapping the ground with his foot, and then floating gently onto the Qinglian seat, before turning his gaze toward Elder Yao. "First take the Blood Orchid Pill," the elderly pharmacist said seriously. "Without its Blood Bond protection, your current strength would simply not allow you to approach the异fire closely." As the blood membrane seeped into his body, Xiao Yan suddenly trembled violently, with fresh blood continuously gushing from his capillaries. In just a blink of an eye, his entire body was covered in a thick, vivid red layer, appearing remarkably terrifying. These blood droplets quickly solidified and formed a blood-colored keratin layer, which not only encased his hands and feet but also completely sealed his eyes as well. This blood keratin layer resembled an impenetrable, crimson armor, rigorously shielding Xiao Yan within. Gradually extending his hands, now fully enveloped in the blood keratin, he directed them toward the strange fire floating above. A powerful suction force then surged forth. As this suction intensified, the jade-like blue flame above instantly expanded, and within moments, a formidable destructive force gradually awakened and spread outward from the flame. His gaze was firmly locked onto the growing, increasingly massive shade of emerald flame. Xiao Yan knew—the absorption of the异fire had begun!