As the flame was drawn out from the Qinglian Earth Heart Fire, the vast jade-colored flame before him gradually shrank, and after a moment, condensed into a slender thread of jade-colored flame, which then penetrated into the jade-colored magma strip held in Xiao Yan's palm. "This is the essence of the Qinglian Earth Heart Fire. Do not underestimate its size—when it first took form, it should have been as large as half a mountain peak. However, after millennia of refinement by the earth, its volume has steadily diminished. Only when compressed to the size of a palm can it form a spark of fire spirit. At that point, it truly becomes an extraordinary fire!" "You can imagine compressing the terrifying energy accumulated over a millennium into a magma strand only the size of a thumb... If this energy were to erupt fully, what kind of devastation would it unleash? Without hesitation, I'd say that even a Douzong-level master, confronted with such a sudden surge, would have only one fate..." The old pharmacist gazed intently at the serpentine, jade-green magma in Xuanyin's palm, speaking softly. "That fate would be... extinction." "Ah..." Xuanyin exhaled deeply, nodded silently, and held the jade-green magma strand with careful precision. The thick, blood-red keratin layer on his palm was dissolving at a pace that sent shivers down his spine, due to the intense heat radiating from within the strand. "What comes next?" Xuanyin blinked, murmuring. "Swallow it down..." The dense, silvery flames upon the Elder's body trembled uncontrollably, and though his voice, though aged and composed, still carried a subtle tremor, the step currently being taken by Xiao Yan was the most perilous phase of consuming the hetero-flames. No matter how resilient the human body might be, its internal structure remained the most fragile. Even a simple intrusion—such as a foreign object piercing through—could leave a powerful warrior helpless, unable to survive or even die. Hearing the Elder's words, Xiao Yan's hands, tightly clutching the flame seed of the Qinglian Earth Heart Fire, also trembled imperceptibly. He lowered his gaze slightly, his dark eyes fixed intently on the slowly pulsing flame seed, their clear, contrasting gaze flickering with struggle. Though Xiao Yan's nature remained calm, he could not help feeling a certain fear and nervousness when faced with this situation that was almost a matter of life and death. After all, what lay about to be swallowed was an extremely restless bomb—one that had a very strong likelihood of exploding and reducing his body to ashes the very moment it was consumed. As Xiao Yan remained silent, the atmosphere within the cave gradually grew still, the warm air lingering in the cave before seeping out through the cracks. Gazing at Xiao Yan's slightly trembling hands, Yao Lou gently exhaled, his face showing no disappointment at his hesitation. Having experienced the process of absorbing heterogenous flames himself, he was well aware of the inner turmoil that such a moment could bring. Back then, when absorbing the bone and spirit cold flame, he had even held the flame seed, sitting dumbfounded for nearly an hour, only finally managing to swallow it whole after trembling with fear and resolve to meet death—after biting his teeth down hard. Now, watching the young man gripping the flame seed, visibly struggling, Yao Lou remained silent, offering no words of comfort. After all, absorbing heterogenous flames carried significant risks. Though, as per his instructions, he had prepared items such as the Blood Lotus Pill to enhance the chances of success, these preparations could only slightly improve the odds. According to a rough calculation, without auxiliary items such as the Blood Lotus Pill, the success rate of absorbing the Strange Fires would barely exceed one percent. With such items, this rate might rise to around ten percent. Yet even then—the risks remain substantial. In fact, one could say that absorbing the Strange Fires is fundamentally a gamble of luck. With good fortune, the cultivator would soar through the nine heavens, surveying the world from above; with poor fortune, he would turn to ash and be buried alongside the earth. "Since we won't let go... then let us grasp it firmly. Life and death, the strong and the weak—this is the choice we begin from this very moment." The elderly physician slightly lowered his gaze, murmuring softly to himself. Time passed silently, in steady ticks. At a certain moment, the young boy seated in stillness suddenly gave a gentle tremor, drew in a deep, warm breath, and slowly lifted his head, revealing a face gradually shedding its youthfulness. He turned slightly toward the silent elder, offering a gentle smile, raised his palm where the flame glowed, and softly said, "Master, it's beginning!" A streak of azure magma entered his mouth, and Xiao Yan immediately clenched his lips. At the same time, his entire body convulsed as if struck by lightning, his previously flushed face suddenly turning pale. Despite the intense heat radiating from within, Xiao Yan slowly closed his eyes, allowing his mind to gradually sink inward. As his mind settled, a hazy sensory interface appeared within his consciousness. The various meridians within his body now revealed that the initial azure magma had transformed into slender streams of glowing green flames. These powerful flames surged through the meridians at random, instantly incinerating anything in their path into nothingness. As these jade-colored flames danced through, although the blood membranes formed by the Blood Lotus Pill protected Xiao Yan's meridians, the terrifying heat still gradually seeped in. Though the residual warmth wasn't particularly scorching, it proved to be a devastating blow to the human body's most delicate meridians. Under the relentless heat, the originally broad and resilient channels had twisted into a dry, twisted state—resembling dried hemp strands—appearing both strange and terrifying. Of course, the intense pain caused by this distortion forced Xiao Yan's body to experience intermittent spasms, his muscles constantly tensed, with numerous veins resembling crawling insects continuously pulsing. His pale face, devoid of any color, looked utterly drained. Within the meridians, the azure flames surged wildly, and within mere minutes, Xiao Yan's body was nearly completely shattered. Most critically, the medicinal power of the Blood Lotus Pill was gradually being evaporated through continuous consumption against the strange fire. The blood membranes, once vital for repair, now lost their sustaining strength and could no longer maintain their integrity. Even under the protective cover of these membranes, Xiao Yan's body had been reduced to a state nearly as incapacitated as a broken frame by the terrifying power of the strange fire. Should the blood membranes vanish, all of his internal structures—the meridians, bones, heart, and vital organs—would be swiftly incinerated by the Azure Lotus Earth Heart Fire, leaving him nothing but death. The blood membrane, rapidly thinning under the scorching heat of Qinglian's inner flame, was about to vanish when, at the very moment it seemed on the verge of dissipating, something cool and temperate was pressed into Xiao Yan's palm. At the same time, Yao Lao's deep voice resonated: "Drink the Ice Spirit Cold Spring, then guide it to circulate through your meridians, enhancing your coordination. Once the circulation is complete, envelop the strange flame with your combat energy and guide it along the path of the Burned Technique. Then, consume it!" The cold surge entered his body and then flowed through the meridians, spreading outward in all directions. Any meridians it passed through quickly formed a layer of milky ice on both the meridians and the bones. As the cold penetrated his body, counteracting the intense heat generated by the strange fire within, a sudden sense of relief washed over Xiao Yan, who finally exhaled in deep satisfaction. His originally pale complexion gradually brightened. Inside, as the icy layer covered every part of his body, Xiao Yan's mind began to make initial attempts to connect with the strand of Qinglian Earth-heart Fire flowing through his meridians. However, upon first contact, he immediately felt a severe headache. This strange fire possessed an inherently turbulent and wild nature—like trying to gently guide a stubborn ox back to follow orders, a task far from easy. Despite the initial failure, Xiao Yan did not give up. He steadily and persistently used his mind to attempt to control the wild strand of fire. One failure, two failures, three failures... After not knowing how many failures he had endured, Xiao Yan, whose attempts had grown nearly numb, suddenly felt his heart leap. He quickly steadied himself and was overjoyed to discover that the chaotic stream of Qinglian Earth-Heart Fire flowing through his meridians was now beginning to follow the path guided by his mind. Upon sensing this, Xiao Yan was instantly energized. He carefully controlled the slender strand of Qinglian Earth-Heart Fire and gently guided it along the meridians. Within the meridians, which were riddled with wounds, the pale green flame flowed steadily. As it passed through, it melted the ice layers adhering to the meridian walls, producing delicate white mist that curled around the channels. Soon, the mist transformed into tiny ice crystals, which settled along the sides, protecting the meridians from the disruptive influence of the strange fire.