The emerald flame burns fiercely, radiating a steady, scorching heat that makes Xiao Yan's body feel like an oven. Fortunately, Xiao Yan has fully refined the Lvyuan Lotus Heart Flame, so this intense heat poses no harm to him at all. Otherwise, no one could endure having an unusual flame burn freely within their own body. Within the emerald flame, a black energy thread coils like a small serpent, violently writhing. With each of its movements, a bit of its black hue dissipates under the intense heat of the Lvyuan Lotus Heart Flame. Although this dispersion was extremely slow, under such circumstances with no subsequent support, the dark hue would inevitably be completely incinerated and reduced to nothing. As soon as this potent, toxic black thread vanished, the refined Qi essence contained within the magical toxin lines would be easily absorbed by Xiao Yan, serving as a significant enhancement and subtly elevating his strength. Xiao Yan intently focused on this slender thread of darkness, yet inwardly chuckled. While the magical toxin spot, with his current capabilities, was indeed something he dared not recklessly confront, this mere thread—lacking any reinforcements—had boldly ventured forth. It seemed they truly believed that his body's fusion of the two unique flames, the Lvylian Heart Flame, posed no real threat at all. Focusing intently on the dark toxic thread gradually fading in color, Xiao Yan now had a somewhat clearer understanding of the so-called magical toxin spots—indeed, as Little Doctor Xian had described, they were exceptionally poisonous. With his current Douhuang strength, they were truly difficult to overcome. However, from the effects produced by the Lvylian Lotus Heart Flame, it was evident that he was not entirely defenseless against these spots. The Lvylian Lotus Heart Flame, formed by the fusion of two distinct flames, was capable of neutralizing the toxicity of the spots. Though this process was extremely slow and only effective when the target was a mere thin thread, it was still sufficient—this flame could at least gradually transform and eliminate the toxin. Thus, Xiao Yan quietly speculated that if he could further blend another unique flame into his Lvylian Lotus Heart Flame, completely neutralizing the entire patch of magical toxin spots would certainly not be a formidable challenge. Of course... the difficulty in integrating a new type of hetero-fire is no less than securing a battle-peak master to assist with detoxification. This continent of qi is vast, yet hetero-fires are exceptionally rare. Finding one is a matter of great fortune, and even if you succeed in locating it, fusing it into your own essence proves equally challenging. Moreover, hetero-fires are not exclusive to alchemists—some cultivators who specialize in fiery qi or employ alternative techniques can also master them. Thus, among the many powerful cultivators capable of fusing hetero-fires, how many do not covet them? Should a new hetero-fire be discovered, countless strong contenders would immediately rush to claim it. And to successfully emerge from this fierce competition and secure the fire itself? That would be an even greater challenge. Think back to when Xiao Yan spent nearly a full year at the Ganlan Academy just to secure the Fallen Heart Flame—only then did he gain the opportunity to obtain it during the great battle between Ganlan Academy and the elite warriors of Hei Jiao Domain, and even that came after enduring significant life-and-death struggles. Therefore, the difficulty of seeking another unique flame and fusing it with his own would not be much less than finding a Douzun-level master. Of course, there is a third unique flame already within Xiao Yan—Bone-Spirit Cold Flame, left behind by Yao Lao. However, this flame carries the soul imprint of Yao Lao. Unless Yao Lao's soul is completely extinguished, it would be impossible for Xiao Yan to fuse it, as he would have to erase that soul imprint. For Xiao Yan, this is absolutely unthinkable—he still relies on this Bone-Spirit Cold Flame to sense Yao Lao's life and well-being. Though the old doctor had once said that if the flame mark on Xiao Yan's forehead faded, then he would fully absorb and integrate the Bone Spirit Cold Flame, the mark still persists—though it no longer emits heat. Moreover, given Xiao Yan's nature, even if the flame mark eventually vanished, he might still find it difficult to fully absorb and assimilate it without reservation. After all, once that happened, the very scenario he most dreaded would arise. As Xiao Yan's thoughts turned, the magmatic toxin lines within the emerald flame had already noticeably lightened, and even now, the pure, viscous qi—resembling a liquid—could be clearly seen. "Indeed, it's no wonder this poison—concentrated with the accumulated qi of a Douzong-level master—has withstood so long within the strange flames..." Gazing at the still lingering black, venomous thread, Xiao Yan sighed with a touch of resignation. Then, with a sudden surge of mental focus, the jade-green flame suddenly brightened significantly, its intense heat rising steadily. This remarkably slow process of refinement, Xiao Yan had no idea how long it had lasted—he only knew that in order to refine this thread of magical toxin, nearly two-thirds of the qi within him had been consumed. From this, it was evident just how formidable this toxin was; even a slender thread like this had driven Xiao Yan to such a state. As he shook his head in quiet admiration, a surge of pure, robust qi suddenly erupted within the roaring emerald flames. Xiao Yan's spirit instantly sharpened, and in a single mental movement, he observed that the once pitch-black toxin thread within the flame had now completely lost its dark hue, replaced instead by a color resembling emptiness. Within this emptiness, a viscous, refined qi flowed gently. Originally toxic, this qi had been purified over the prolonged exposure to the Lí Lú Lián Xīn fire, with all impurities expelled, leaving behind only the most pure form of qi energy. This energy, as long as it could be sustained, could be absorbed by anyone without any adverse effects. The emerald flames gradually dispersed, though for safety's sake, a single orb of qi remained suspended nearby, ready to respond to Xiao Yan's command. The heart and spirit carefully radiated out, gently touching the pure combat energy, and only after sensing no anomaly did Xiao Yan slowly immerse his spirit within it. The immersion encountered almost no resistance—almost immediately, Xiao Yan gained full control of the pure combat energy, suppressing the surge of delight that rose in his heart. With a mere mental command, he directed the pure combat energy along the route prescribed by the Burned Decision technique, setting it into swift circulation. As the circulation of the pure combat energy intensified, its speed accelerated progressively, until ultimately it resembled a powerful energy hurricane swirling within his body, producing a distinct, resonant whistling sound. This surge of energy hurricane brought no discomfort to Xiao Yan at all; rather, wherever the hurricane reached, droplets of thick, pure qi poured down like a steady stream. At every point where these pure qi droplets landed, an unparalleled sense of comfort radiated from deep within Xiao Yan’s bones, so intense that he could hardly help but sigh softly. By the stone pond, the young physician stood gracefully, now fully dressed. As she gazed into the black waters of the pond, a touch of resignation shimmered in her eyes—she had not expected the inner fire within Xiao Yan to be so formidable. The mere temperature radiating out during the process of purifying the magical toxin lines had already vaporized the precious toxic water into its current state. With a delicate tap of his foot on the water, leveraging the subtle buoyancy, Xiao Yan launched himself with agile grace, landing lightly beside the stone pool and offering a smile to Xiao Yi, the young physician. As Xiao Yan stepped out of the pool, however, Xiao Yi quickly diverted her gaze, her lips pressing into a hurried scolding, "You still haven't put on your clothes!" Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan felt embarrassed to realize he had been completely bare, chuckling awkwardly and swiftly retrieving his garments from his storage seal, hurriedly dressing himself. Only after Xiao Yan was fully dressed did Xiao Yi return her gaze, gently brushing aside the flowing white hair that fell across her forehead, her cheeks still tinged with a faint blush. After a brief moment of composure, she steadied herself, her eyes appraising Xiao Yan from head to toe with a touch of curiosity, and asked, "After absorbing that escaping band of demonic poison, how much have you improved in strength?" Xiao Yan paused to sense the change, then smiled, "Not much—right now, I'm still at the peak of a two-star Emperor rank." "Enough... It's actually becoming a bad thing, growing so fast. Besides, with that magical toxin spot already within you, once you're strong enough to fully refine it, your power will truly soar." The young physician smiled warmly, and her smile seemed to bloom even more when she was alone with the two of them. Xiao Yan nodded with a smile, clearly understanding the difficulty of advancing one star in the Battle Emperor stage—many practitioners, even after a year of cultivation, often struggled to achieve it. Thus, the mere refinement of that single thread of magical toxin was beyond his expectations. "When fully refined, will I reach the peak of the Battle Emperor stage?"