The three dialect speakers stared blankly at the blood-red flames contained within the deep green flame shield on Xiao Yan's palm. Upon hearing Xiao Yan's cheerful words, a sudden pressure built in their chests, and a strange flush spread across their faces. With a soft burst, they each spat out three mouthfuls of blood—almost simultaneously. That celestial starfire phoenix was formed from the accumulated majority of the three of Fangyan's qi over their lifetimes, and furthermore, due to the presence of their own vital essence, there was a subtle connection established between them and the phoenix itself. However, at the very moment the deep azure flame dome took shape, that connection vanished completely—utterly erased from their minds. Simultaneously, the refined qi that the three had cultivated for so many years also disappeared. This loss of qi meant that Fangyan's strength would plummet dramatically—his capabilities would suffer a devastating decline. The consequences were dire. Yet no matter how diligently the dialects tried to strengthen the connection between themselves and the Phoenix of Flame, their efforts ultimately went unheard—like stones dropped into deep water—yielding no response. That flame shield, seemingly no larger than a palm, appeared as an unbreakable prison, severing the bond between the dialects and the Flame of Birth, which had taken the form of the phoenix. To be honest, this ability to generate and contain the transformed flames was something that the three of us from the Fangyan faction had naturally brought to the table. If they had simply relied on their Qi to hold back Xiao Yan, the latter would have been forced to expend considerable energy using various demanding techniques—indeed, even if he managed to defeat all three of us, he would have sustained significant personal strain. Yet now, he stands calm and composed, not only unscathed but also effortlessly containing the flames generated by all three of us. Fangyan took a deep breath, gradually smoothing out the resentment in his eyes, and smiled warmly at Xiao Yan: "Heh, Master Xiao, your unique flames truly are unparalleled. It seems we three have been overly confident. These transformed flames are actually formed from the Qi of the three of us. Even if you manage to contain them, they will remain active and useful—only to eventually fade on their own. So, how about this: Master Xiao returns these flames to us, and I personally guarantee, with the full backing of the Magi-Inn Valley, that we will immediately withdraw and make no further claims on the Bodhi-Forming Saliva. What do you say?" Xiao Yan gazed at the smiling, weathered face of Fangyan, offered a gentle smile, and slowly shook his head. "Master Fangyan, we all understand each other. Such childish remarks—please, no need to repeat them. I simply won't believe that returning the Huasheng Fire to you will cause you to simply depart. And frankly speaking, right now, does it even matter whether you stay or leave?" As each word from Xiao Yan reached his ears, the smile on Fangyan's face gradually faded, and veins began to pulse across his forehead. After a moment, he could no longer contain his rising frustration and roared fiercely, "Then, what exactly do you want? You've taken the Huasheng Fire—what can you do with it except watch it fade away on its own? What do you desire? Just say it plainly!" "It's no surprise that the dialect is so agitated and out of his element right now, for he fully understands what it means to lose the Hua-Sheng Fire—what it signifies is that he will at least have to step down from the halfway mark toward the Dou-Zong level, downgraded to a mere Dou-Huang powerhouse. Moreover, with the loss of his essence and core vitality, this injury will be permanent. Perhaps he will remain stuck at the Dou-Huang level for the rest of his life, never advancing a single step. For a man with such ambitions, this outcome is nothing short of devastating. Yet, despite his agitation, Xiao Yan is far from a charitable person. He knows that showing kindness to someone like this is, in fact, a form of cruelty toward himself. The people of Hei-Jiao Domain carry daggers in their hearts—sharp, ready-to-strike blades—often turning on anyone at a moment's notice. As one of the domain's outstanding figures, Dialect's blade is especially keen. Should he regain the Hua-Sheng Fire, he would certainly not simply turn and leave as Cheng Nu suggested. Instead, he would rally the other two elders and launch a relentless campaign of attacks against Xiao Yan. Furthermore "Apologies, but this transformed flame proves quite useful to me. Therefore, regarding the return of the flame, Elder Fang should certainly have no expectations." Xiao Yan gently swayed his palm, the flame shield hovering above it, his gaze sweeping toward Fangyan, then shaking his head with a calm, gentle smile. Upon hearing Xiao Yan's words, Fangyan's expression turned completely grim, his eyes full of resentment. Without further words, he slammed a powerful fist into his chest, spewing out another surge of blood that flowed entirely onto his palm. With the blood now coating his hands—once dry and ghostly like claws—the hands emitted an eerie luminescence. As he moved, they formed a peculiar hand seal. "Seal it!" As the hand seal solidified, Fangyan roared a low command. And with the command, the blood-colored flame within the shield, which had been slowly flowing, suddenly surged to life, blazing fiercely and surging wildly, as though striving to breach the shield. "Stubborn!" Feeling the changes within the flame cocoon, a cold glint passed through Xiao Yan's eyes. With a cold laugh, he curled his fingers and sent out a surge of intangible flame, which then enveloped the deep green flame cocoon, reforming a fresh outer layer of flame. As the outer membrane of Yulin's Heart Flame took shape, the faint connection Fangyan had sensed through self-sacrifice instantly vanished—the previously agitated flame within the cocoon settled once more into stillness. Another failure, and Fangyan's face turned as pale as death, a cold sensation spreading from within his body. Xiao Yan stared at Fangyan with icy eyes, then opened his mouth slightly, tossed the flame cocoon into his mouth like a candy, and with a rolling of his throat, swallowed the living flame whole—right before the stunned eyes of Fangyan and the other two. "You… you madman! How dare you swallow the flame like that?" Seeing Xiao Yan's such wildly frantic actions, Fangyan and the other two exchanged a series of subtle tremors at their corners of the mouth. The human body, being the most delicate of all, is particularly vulnerable—even a Douzong-level powerhouse would likely face a grim fate if something substantial penetrated its interior. Yet now, Xiao Yan had swallowed a highly destructive flame right into his body. Such an act—indeed, nothing short of wildly frantic. Gently exhaled a warm, blazing breath, Xiao Yan smiled softly at the wide-eyed Fangyan trio. Though his innermost core was indeed the most delicate, it was protected by the Qinglian Earth-Heart Flame and the Fallen Heart Flame. Even at critical moments, he could summon the Bone-Spirit Cold Flame left behind by Yao Lao. Under the combined protection of these three unique flames, his body remained unusually secure. Naturally, Xiao Yan couldn't immediately test whether the Burned Technique could fully absorb and assimilate the Huasheng Flame, so he simply stored it within himself, preventing the flame from rapidly dissipating in the air. He would preserve the Transformation Fire within his body. Xiang Yan turned his gaze back to the three members of the Fang family, his dark eyes now veiled with a subtle cold intensity. Though after losing the Transformation Fire, these three would see a significant decline in their strength, it was no excuse for Xiang Yan to let them go. As one who believed in eliminating all opposition, he never wanted to leave behind any potential future complications. "Second brother, Third brother—kill him!" Perceiving the icy, lethal gaze from Xiang Yan, Fang's face slightly trembled, and he then roared the command. Upon hearing Fang's cry, the two senior elders of the Mo Yan Valley, now reduced to two- or three-star strength, exchanged a brief expression of surprise, before gritting their teeth and summoning the last remnants of their qi, charging forward at Xiang Yan with determined resolve. As these two elders advanced, Fang swiftly stepped back, retreating with a gaze fixed upon Xiang Yan—so venomous and cold it sent a shiver down one's spine. Gazing calmly at the two senior monks of Mo Yan Valley charging forward, Xiao Yan lifted his sleeve slightly, and in the next instant, a towering column of emerald-green flames erupted like a volcanic eruption! "Boom!" Feeling the intense energy surge from behind, Fang Yan's heart skipped a beat, yet he didn't turn around. With a powerful shake of his back, his dual aura wings surged forward, propelling him swiftly toward the forest's edge. "Second and third elder, I will avenge you both. As soon as I return and startle the Valley Master, that young fool will pay dearly—blood for blood! And as for the Xiao Sect, I'll make sure not a single chicken or dog remains!" Fang Yan fled with all his might, and through the wind, his venomous, low murmurs carried on. "Shh—" As the words escaped his lips, the figure in the dialect suddenly froze. The intense pain radiating from his chest nearly choked him, and with great difficulty, he lowered his head. Then, he saw a pale hand, enveloped in emerald flame, piercing through his chest. The scorching fire vaporized the blood around the wound. The dialect's eyes slowly shifted backward, and just as he was about to close them, he caught the image of a young face devoid of emotion, now framed within the eyes still holding a trace of resentment. "If you reunite with your companions again, even I wouldn't have to exert much effort to deal with you. Unfortunately... you've once again grown careless, old fellow." As the dialect's eyes began to close, a soft voice from behind gently reached his ears.