Within the bright cave, the jade-flame roared violently, surging in clusters. As the flames rose, distinct distortions became visible around the flame's perimeter—unanticipatedly, the temperature of the lotus-heart flame was astonishingly intense. As the jade-flame grew increasingly turbulent, the elderly pharmacist sensed the change early and immediately projected his robust spiritual energy, fully enveloping the entire cave and isolating the suddenly scorching heat within. In the sky, the jade-flame surged against the wind, expanding nearly a hundredfold within moments. With this expansion, the once gentle flame grew turbulent, roaring and hissing as it surged, its intense jade glow turning the surrounding air into a state of pure vapor. Focusing on the massive jade flame hovering in the air, Xiao Yan turned his gaze to the Ye-Lao. Only after receiving a nod from him did he draw in a deep breath of the scorching air, then, with his hands covered in blood-red keratin, extended them toward the jade flame and unleashed a powerful suction force... Usually capable of effortlessly sweeping across a large boulder, this suction force proved insufficient when attempting to draw the strange flame—instead, it could only cause the flame to drift slowly through the air. Moreover, every time the invisible suction made contact with the Qinglian Earth-Heart Flame, it would only last for a few seconds before being scorched and dissipated by the flame's intensely blazing temperature. Thus, despite the mere several meters separating Xiao Yan and the Qinglian Earth-Heart Flame, the amount of Qi consumed was remarkably substantial. Focusing intently on the slowly advancing jade-colored flame, Xiao Yan's breathing grew slightly rapid, beads of sweat covering his forehead, flowing down his cheeks and reflecting off the crimson keratin layer, appearing like drops of fresh blood. As the jade lotus heart flame drew nearer, the intense heat it emitted even astonished the elderly pharmacist standing beside him—clearly, the energy of this fire, ranked nineteenth on the list of rare flames, exceeded his expectations. When the massive jade flame came to a stop about one meter in front of Xiao Yan, even though the mountain cave's interior had been isolated by the pharmacist's spiritual power, the extreme heat it radiated caused some of the hard green granite walls to crack and splinter. Within moments, the massive stones crumbled into small fragments, which were then reduced to piles of fine, powdery green ash. Staring solemnly at the vast, deep-green flame hovering before Xiao Yan, the slightly ethereal form of Yao Lao suddenly rippled like ripples on water. Observing his own transformation, Yao Lao's face slightly tightened as he swiftly formed hand seals with both hands. With a low command, a dense, pale-white flame surged from within him, rising rapidly to fully envelop his body before gradually subsiding. Only after summoning the Bone Spirit Cold Flame did Yao Lao's form settle once more. He stepped back slightly, his weathered face now serious, intently observing the swirling green flame, and quickly said, "Extend your hand into the green flame. At the very center of that unusual fire, there's a strand of flame seed—grasp it! Hurry!" A startling thought flashed through his mind, leaving him momentarily stunned. After a brief pause, Xiao Yan steadied himself. Since the Elder of the Herbs had said this, he would follow through—having no personal experience in absorbing heterofires, he could only trust every word the Elder gave him. Though even the slightest mistake during the absorption process could cause the heterofire to reverse and reduce him to ashes, Xiao Yan trusted the Elder completely. Gently nodding, he lifted his head, fixing his gaze on the steadily approaching jade-colored flame, his slightly trembling hands subtly opening and closing, ready to plunge into the heterofire at any moment. When the Qinglian Earthfire reached a range of two or three feet from Xiao Yan, the solid mountain stone ground had been scorched into a massive hollow—still thanks to the efforts of Yao Lao maintaining a protective shield. Should Yao Lao now withdraw his soul-force defense, the entire mountain peak would be reduced to ash within a short time. Seated upon the lotus seat, Qinglian emitted a faint translucent blue glow, forming a protective aura that shielded Xiao Yan from most of the fire's intensity. Despite this, some residual heat still seeped through, leaving droplets of crimson liquid on the blood-colored keratin layer. With his dark eyes reflecting the eerie blue flames, Xiao Yan gazed at the vast fire before him. His throat subtly moved, and at one moment, he clenched his teeth fiercely, then slowly inserted his arm—covered in blood-tinged keratin—into the heart of the Qinglian Earthfire. As the arm gradually extended into the heartfire of Qinglian, the blood-colored keratin layer covering it began to melt rapidly, droplets of liquid resembling fresh blood continuously dripping down. Each time these droplets detached from the arm, they were swiftly consumed by the emerald flames and vanished into nothingness. Though the blood-colored keratin melted swiftly within the strange fire, the blood-lotus pills within Xiao Yan's body simultaneously released a continuous flow of cold, vital energy. This energy flowed through his meridians and quickly repaired the melting keratin layer on his arm. In this continuous cycle of melting and repair, Xiao Yan's arm eventually fully immersed itself within the strange fire. In this close proximity to Qinglian's inner heart flame, the crimson keratin layer covering every part of Xiao Yan began to melt unevenly, then dripped like a steady flow of blood. At first glance, it appeared as though blood was seeping continuously from his capillaries. His otherwise delicate face was now completely covered in flowing blood, resembling a Shura warrior emerging from the depths of hell—extremely terrifying. Fixing his gaze steadily on the swirling jade-colored flames without blinking, Xiao Yan rapidly moved his hands within the uncontrolled fire. This was the first time he had experienced such intimate contact with uncontrollable hetero-flame. While he felt a sense of unusual wonder, his mind was predominantly filled with unease and apprehension. Should even a single patch of his crimson keratin layer fail to repair in time, Xiao Yan feared he would be reduced to ashes within mere seconds. Beneath the crimson keratin layer, sweat dripped from Xiao Yan's forehead and fell into his eyes, causing a stinging and pressing pain. Yet he dared not blink once, his lips tightly pressed together, his hands moving inch by inch through the emerald flame. As he searched for the spark of the Qinglian Earth-Core Fire, Xiao Yan was struck by awe at the fire's intense heat—far beyond his expectations. Even with thorough preparation, the searing heat of the Qinglian Earth-Core Fire gradually penetrated both the crimson keratin layer and the protective Qinglian energy shield, causing Xiao Yan's skin to glow as red as a hot iron plate. Moreover, at this moment, the Qinglian Earth-Heart Flame seemed to sense Xiao Yan's actions. Immediately, the azure flame surged violently, and the celestial energies contained within the surrounding space erupted into lively agitation, flowing in vibrant, multicolored patches—like a splendid, rainbow-hued river—extremely dazzling. These multicolored patches of energy spiraled around the Qinglian Earth-Heart Flame, occasionally having clusters of flame surge upward. As such, the circular bands of energy would then resemble a pie with a bite taken out of it—missing corners and edges. With the sudden surge of Qinglian's inner fire, the already terrifying temperature within the cave instantly skyrocketed. The surrounding cave walls, under the intense heat, began to crack rapidly. Massive fissures spread steadily, and within just a short while, they covered the entire cave. The severely damaged interior suggested that without the support of the old doctor, the cave would have collapsed long ago. "Such powerful destructive force—had this flame been unleashed in a city, it would likely reduce a large urban area to rubble within just one hour," murmured Xiao Yan, his face filled with awe, as he gazed at the cave's transformed state. He then turned his attention to the old doctor. At that moment, the old doctor was intently observing the movements of the jade-colored flame, his face tense. Upon sensing Xiao Yan's gaze, the lines on his weathered face softened slightly, and he offered a reassuring smile. With a forced smile, Xiao Yan nodded to the medicine elder. Suddenly, a spark of exhilaration flashed across his brow, and he quickly turned his gaze, fixing it firmly on the jade-colored flames. The arm, covered in blood-like keratin, writhed wildly within the jade flames, as if possessed—then, abruptly, the swiftly moving arm stiffened, and a smile gradually spread across Xiao Yan’s lips. Observing Xiao Yan’s expression, the medicine elder breathed a great sigh of relief. Though the blood-armor formed from the Blood Lotus Pill was strong, it could not withstand prolonged exposure to the unusual fire. Should the armor evaporate due to energy depletion, Xiao Yan’s attempt to absorb the strange flames would surely be declared a complete failure. Grasping tightly a tangible, solid object, Xiao Yan bit down on his teeth, enduring the searing pain radiating through his palms, and slowly withdrew his arm from the jade-colored flames. As the arm withdrew from the emerald flame, a liquid substance resembling emerald lava gently pulsated within Xuanyin's palm. "Is this the seed of the Qinglian Earth-Heart Flame?" staring at the streak of emerald lava radiating an astonishing heat, Xuanyin blinked, whispering softly.