Within the spacious cave, the herbal elder floated mid-air, gazing at the jade-hued flame shield below. With gentle finger movements, he waited in silence. After a while, his brows furrowed slightly, and he murmured, "How has the time taken so long? Has something gone wrong?" He waited a few more moments, observing that the jade-hued flame shield still showed no sign of dispersing. His brows furrowed even deeper. After a moment of thoughtful contemplation, he resolved to act and forcefully break through the shield. Although refining the strange fires can enhance combat strength, it does not possess the ability to raise one's rank...”Shaking his head in bewilderment, the herbal elder sighed softly and murmured, “Though it seems odd, fortunately, refining the strange fires should have succeeded.” With a gentle smile, he once again directed his gaze toward the jade-green flame shield, which now rippled with waves of energy. His hands resting in his sleeves, he remained quietly patient, waiting. As the energy ripples intensified, eventually forming cracks that gradually spread across the otherwise smooth, round shield, the entire surface became densely crisscrossed with fissures—appearing much like a jade-green egg with numerous cracks. “Crack—crack…” a clear sound quietly echoed within the cave, as a small piece of energy detached from the shield and gently fell onto a stone, instantly melting it into a small depression due to the intense heat carried by the fragment. "Click... click..." After the first energy fragment fell, the azure energy shield shuddered violently, trembling for a moment before, at a certain point, it suddenly burst with a tremendous roar. With the force of this massive explosion, countless fine energy fragments were shot out in all directions, leaving countless small melt-holes on the surrounding mountain walls. Floating in midair, the elderly herbalist narrowed his eyes. Any energy fragments that splashed toward him were instantly vaporized into a thin trail of azure mist upon reaching half a foot from his body, causing him no harm. The energy fragments shooting out from within the cave continued to radiate for a considerable length of time before gradually fading away. As these fragments vanished, a soft glow of azure light slowly rose from the point of their burst, forming a perfect azure lotus pedestal that gradually ascended until it reached the level of the floating herbalist. On the jade lotus pedestal, the young man, completely bare-chested, sat cross-legged with his eyes slightly closed, gently trembling. After a moment, they slowly opened. Within his dark, ink-black pupils, a faint green flame danced, then suddenly surged upward, completely enveloping the eyes—temporarily transforming his irises into a vibrant green, giving him an eerie, otherworldly appearance. The green flame gradually faded, and once it fully receded, the pupils returned to their original dark hue. Yet now, they seemed noticeably brighter than before, as though the inner fire of the Qinglian Earth Heart had subtly refined and enhanced his vision in ways not yet fully understood. Opening his eyes, Xiao Yan gently turned his neck, and as the bones clicked against one another, a smooth, crisp series of crackling sounds echoed. Listening to that pleasant sound, Xiao Yan took a deep breath, his face radiating comfort and contentment. Lowering his head, he gazed at his fair, smooth skin, only to find himself slightly helpless—finally achieved healthy skin, now seemingly reverting back to its former state. "Circle around Xiang Yan twice, and observing his body—unscathed, flawless—old Yao couldn't help but be surprised, saying, 'Your injuries have completely healed?' 'Yes...' After dressing himself, Xiang Yan stood on the Qinglian Seat, clenched his fists tightly, and delivered a vigorous series of punches with strong, flowing momentum, smiling, 'It's an incredible sensation—I've never experienced anything like this before.' 'Now fully unleash your energy and let me gauge your current level—how many stars are you at?' old Yao said thoughtfully. Xiang Yan nodded slightly, his body tensed, and then suddenly, a surge of energy—significantly stronger than before—burst forth from within him. 'Ah?' With eyes slightly narrowed, old Yao carefully sensed the energy radiating from Xiang Yan, raising an eyebrow in mild astonishment, 'Strange... Your energy seems to indicate that your inherent strength should already be at the level of a Four-Star Battle Master. What have you done?' 'A Four-Star Battle Master?' "Heard the elder's words, Xiao Yan was slightly taken aback, then a wave of joy spread across his face. He hadn't expected that refining the unique fire could bring such benefits. With his current pace of cultivation, it would take him at least three or four months to progress from a two-star battle disciple to a four-star one. Yet now, the Qinglian Earth-Heart Fire had unexpectedly delivered a remarkable surprise. Excited, Xiao Yan rubbed his hands together and then recounted in detail his own state of unconsciousness and the Qinglian Earth-Heart Fire's various actions. 'Indeed, quite fortunate,' the elder murmured, eyes wide with astonishment, after listening intently. 'It's truly rare to encounter such good fortune. Beyond the numerous advantages the Qinglian Earth-Heart Fire has brought to his recovery, simply the fact that this rather foolish young man has been wandering around near the Ling Spirit's presence is enough to make the elder marvel at his luck." This stage—traditionally considered the most crucial and challenging in the process of refining the tail—had actually posed no danger to Xiao Yan at all. It had merely caused a sharp headache from the sheer force of his mental impact, after which he had incurred no further costs. The profound imbalance between the effort expended and the rewards received was precisely what Yao Lao found most bewildered and amusing. Back then, to drive the Bone Spirit Cold Flame into the Nalings, he had sacrificed countless efforts; had it not been for a final stroke of luck, he would have been completely obliterated by the Flame at this very final step. "Isn't this simply the natural progression of the Flame's refinement level rising on its own?" Seeing Yao Lao's astonishment, which seemed almost incredulous, Xiao Yan gently tilted his head, expressing his own bewilderment. "Dreaming, I suppose..." The elderly pharmacist glanced at Xiao Yan, who looked so innocent, and silently sighed, mentally muttering, "People always compare themselves to one another and end up driving each other crazy. Well, the benefits of refining the hetero-flames are long-term and subtle. As you grow more skilled in mastering them over time, the advantages accumulate and grow stronger. That means, during the initial period of refinement, there won't be any sudden, dramatic leaps in your power simply due to consuming the hetero-flames. So, in the short term, the hetero-flames won't directly boost your strength. For someone in your situation, that's actually quite fortunate. Still, unfortunately, if your current level is already at Dou Ling or Dou Wang, and you manage to climb a few more stars, that would truly be a significant gain." "Ah, quite enough. Reaching this level makes me thoroughly satisfied. If I were to go any higher, my body wouldn't be able to handle the intensity. After all, I didn't build this strength step by step—those steps feel rather unstable. Who knows, one day I might suddenly stumble and fall. The sense of falling short would be truly hard to bear." "Xiao Yan smiled, his satisfied expression genuine rather than feigned. "Heh, this young lad actually knows when to stop—quite impressive," said the herbal elder, raising an eyebrow with slight surprise. Clearly, he found Xiao Yan's remark rather unexpected, as a significant enhancement in strength is something many people dream of. "Just the truth," Xiao Yan shrugged, with a warm smile. "Haha, well then, let's try your primal flame seed now—this is your first heteroflame," the elder said, nodding with genuine curiosity. "Hmm," Xiao Yan replied, a visible spark of excitement and novelty lighting up his face. He rubbed his hands together, then slowly extended his right hand, gradually closing his eyes as his mind swiftly swept through his inner being, sending out a command. As the command was issued, a simultaneous response emerged within the body. At the center of the qi vortex, a small gray light flickered slightly, settling momentarily before a streak of jade-colored flame surged forth powerfully. The flame weaved through the vortex and swiftly flowed along the body's meridians, reaching the arms' meridians within a blink. Inside the cave, Xiao Yan, who had been quietly closed-eyed, suddenly snapped his eyes open. A shimmer of jade-colored flame passed across his gaze, his fists spreading wide, palms upward, a look of excitement spreading across his face. He lightly exclaimed, "Jinglian Earth-Heart Flame, activated!" With his voice falling, his right palm trembled slightly, then the surge of jade-colored flame instantly erupted, swiftly enveloping his palm. In the cave, the young man stood upon a floating Jinglian, his hands slightly open, radiating an otherworldly jade-colored flame. The scene exuded a subtly awe-inspiring visual impact. Fixing his gaze firmly on the emerald flame in his palm, Xiao Yan's lips curled into a gentle arc. A moment passed, and the arc gradually widened until a soft laugh escaped from his throat. After a while, the light laughter fully transformed into a hearty, booming laugh. "Ha ha! At last, I, Xiao Yan, have my unique flame! Ha ha!"