Inside the cave, Xiang Yan, excited to the point of being utterly absorbed, was barely able to contain his enthusiasm. The Yao Elder smiled gently, neither speaking nor interrupting—after years of persistent search, his long-held aspirations had finally come true, and it was perfectly fine for him to let out his emotions. The high-pitched bursts of laughter echoed throughout the cave for a long while before gradually subsiding. With a lingering smile, Xiang Yan looked down at the hands that kept continuously clenching and unclenching. The jade-green flame rose steadily upon them. Now that he had fully integrated the Qinglian Earth-Heart Fire, it no longer brought him any scorching heat or discomfort. With sufficient practice, he was certain he would eventually reach the mastery level of the Yao Elder in controlling the Bone-Spirit Cold Fire. A vibrant blue flame, dancing like a mischievous sprite, leapt between Xiao Yan's fingers. Occasionally, the flame would surge upward, revealing its formidable power—right at the halfway point of his palm, the space seemed scorched and warped by intense heat, rising in a steady wave of steam that gradually blurred his vision. Holding his fist tightly, enveloped in the blue flame, Xiao Yan exhaled gently, then settled into stillness. With a sudden, firm step, his feet pressed down onto the lotus, propelling his body like a launched arrow, swiftly darting toward the mountain wall. The fist struck with a surge of scorching wind, crashing powerfully against the stone. "Boom!" "The fist struck against the hard mountain stone, and the intense heat of the azure flame instantly melted it, carving out a hollow. The fist then drove forcefully into the stone, producing a deep resonant thud. Immediately, cracks began spreading rapidly from the hollow, swiftly radiating across the entire mountain wall within just a moment. With a simple gesture, he sent a gust of wind that swept away the dust rushing toward him. Peering at the now-crumbled stone wall, he turned his neck with a slight nod of surprise, smiling warmly, "Good. Both my physical strength and speed have significantly improved. Back then, if I had used this technique previously without the Eight-Extreme Collapse, I wouldn't have achieved such powerful impact." "Indeed, the Qinglian Earth-Heart Flame is no ordinary force..." He murmured in admiration. With a casual hand movement, he allowed the green flames covering his palm to gradually recede and settle back into his body. After a brief internal check, he furrowed his brows, speaking with a touch of resignation, "Indeed, this strange flame is quite a devourer of qi. Even in this short span of use, it has consumed one-tenth of my qi. If not for the two-star enhancement in strength I gained earlier, the consumption would have been even greater." "Heh, right now your strength is still too weak to fully harness the power of the Heterogeneous Fire. Moreover, the Feng Jue cultivation technique is only at the Yellow Stage, mid-level. With such a technique, the capacity to store Qi is naturally limited, so it's impossible to allow the Heterogeneous Fire to burn freely at will," the Yeold smiled. "By the way... the cultivation technique!" Hearing this, Xiao Yan's eyes widened instantly—this crucial step had nearly slipped his mind due to his excitement over fully integrating the Heterogeneous Fire. "Don't worry. As it is, you've already completely integrated the Qinglian Earth-Heart Fire, and absorbing its evolution technique will come eventually. You've already done plenty today. Just rest for one day—absorbing the Heterogeneous Fire requires balance; if you rush too much, you might actually counteract the benefits," the Yeold shook his head gently, offering advice. "Uh... alright," Xiao Yan said, slightly surprised. Seeing the Yeold's serious expression, though he wasn't entirely enthusiastic, he finally nodded in agreement. "Starting at midnight tomorrow, when the temperature will be at its lowest—though this may offer only a slight advantage for you in consuming the hetero-flames, we cannot afford to overlook it, for perhaps this small chance will ultimately determine the success or failure of the evolutionary process," the Elder of the Medicine said seriously. "Agreed, let's begin at midnight then..." Xiao Yan nodded slightly and smiled. Seeing Xiao Yan agree, the Elder exhaled in relief, his body slightly swaying as he transformed into a streak of light and vanished into his ring, leaving behind a soft, lingering laugh echoing within the cave. "Then, go ahead and arrange your schedule as you see fit. I'll be back tomorrow." Nodding, Xiao Yan gently stroked the black ring on his finger, smiled softly, then waved his hand to store the Qinglian within his storage ring. With a light touch of his foot against the stone wall, his body floated like a willow fluff, gently drifting out of the cave. … A day passed slowly, in Xiao Yan's eager anticipation. As the night gradually enveloped the land, Xiao Yan, who had been seated on a projecting outcrop of stone, slowly opened his eyes, extended his hands, and felt the steadily cooling air around him—his face immediately brightened with satisfaction. Rising to his feet, he looked up at the darkening sky. Perhaps due to the approaching storm, the atmosphere now felt heavy and oppressive. After observing the sky once more, Xiao Yan lightly tapped the stone with his foot, leapt gracefully into the mountain cave below, and then settled into a meditative posture at the center of the cave. It seemed as though the external sky had triggered a response, and the herbal elder within the ring also rose once more at this moment. With his palm extended, he gently swept it in front of him several times before nodding slightly and speaking softly, "Indeed, perhaps due to the changing weather, the heat in the air has now been suppressed to its lowest point—this is precisely the ideal climate for absorbing the strange flames." "Now, then?" Xiao Yan nervously rubbed his palms and looked up in inquiry. "Wait a moment. The peak of coldness in the day occurs at midnight—the operation should be initiated then!" Shaking his head slightly, the herbal elder drifted to the entrance of the cave and gazed at the dark, still sky. Xiao Yan nodded gently, said nothing further, and settled himself upon the massive stone, gradually closing his eyes, beginning to calm the fluttering rhythm of his heart. …… The sky was dark and cool, the breeze brushing through the forest, rustling the trees with a soft, continuous sound. Suddenly, deep within the dense clouds, a low rumble of thunder broke forth, rolling through the forest with a steady, resonant echo. Not long after, a massive streak of silver lightning surged forth from the cloud, blazing with brilliant light that seemed to divide the heavens and earth. Instantly, the once-dim forest was illuminated, clear and vibrant. Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan, who had been tightly closed-eyed, opened his eyes and directed his gaze toward the forest outside, illuminated by the lightning. He took a deep breath and nodded firmly. "I hope you succeed. The process of devouring strange flames and evolving your cultivation technique—I can offer you absolutely nothing to help. Therefore, everything will have to rely entirely on you... " The old pharmacist stood with his hands behind his back, gazing upward at the silver lightning serpents dancing in the sky. After a long silence, his deep voice echoed through the mountain cave, resonating with the rumbling thunder: "Here, I'd like to share a few thoughts. Though you once devoured the purple flame and successfully evolved your technique, according to the scroll, only by continuously devouring strange flames can your technique truly reach a high-tier evolution. Yet, as a destructive force, can strange flames actually be consumed by anyone? On this continent of cultivation, there may not be many who have clearly demonstrated or guided this process—even I, personally, have not." "You are the only one who has cultivated the Burned Technique. Therefore, whether it possesses the potential and qualifications to become a celestial-tier technique ultimately depends on your judgment." "At this point, the Elder of Medicine furrowed his brows, pausing for a while before speaking softly, 'If the evolution fails, then perhaps the Burned Decree technique truly does have some flaws. In that case, we may have to abandon it—without the evolution function, the Burned Decree would be worth no more than a scripture of Xu-level rank.' Xiao Yan slightly lowered his head; no one could see his expression, and his clenched fists beneath his sleeves remained tightly pressed. 'Boom!' A bolt of lightning flashed across the sky, its thunder rolling steadily through the forest. As the thunder roared, Xiao Yan's body trembled slightly, and he slowly lifted his head, gazing at the elderly figure standing at the entrance of the cave. After years of constant companionship, the elder's posture seemed to have grown more hunched. Gazing at the slender, fragile figure of the elder under the flash of lightning, Xiao Yan suddenly smiled gently, his warm voice echoing within the cave. "Hehe, Master, we've already reached this point—how can you still speak such discouraging words? Even if this evolution technique fails this time, I believe I won't give up on it. You said it's essential for me to become a top-tier master. Moreover... Master, your body requires the flames generated after the evolution of the Burn Technique to be refined. If I abandon the cultivation of the Burn Technique, it would mean abandoning your very hope of revival..." The gentle laughter from behind caused the elderly physician's body to instantly tense. He deeply inhaled several times, then slowly raised his head. In the reflection of the silver lightning, the misty light in his aged eyes seemed to shimmer with deep emotion—wonder and warmth. "Since you've insisted, then... My esteemed disciple, rest and focus on your cultivation. I believe you will succeed..." Wiping a tear from his eye, the herbal elder smiled, then stood with his hands behind his back, gazing upward at the endless black night sky. After a brief silence, he murmured softly, "Moreover, even if this technique fails to absorb the strange flames, my teacher will do everything possible to ensure you become a supreme master." With his dry hands lightly tapping against the edge of the cave entrance, cracks spread out, and then a massive stone crashed down, instantly sealing the entrance completely. Turning his head to gaze at the now-closed entrance, the elder floated gently upon a rocky outcrop, allowing raindrops to pass through his ethereal form, standing quietly beneath the swirling silver serpents of rain, waiting for the young disciple's success.