With his mind made up, the hesitation in Xiao Yan's eyes gradually faded. He lowered his gaze upon the boundless river of molten rock, a serious expression passing over his face. Though he had no clear idea of how deep the underground magma extended, he knew that to penetrate it, he would need exceptionally strong prowess—beneath the intense heat and relentless pressure of the magma, ordinary强者 simply could not endure. Based on his estimation, at least a Douzong-level strength would be required to operate within the magma chamber; for ordinary Douhuang cultivators, especially those with less robust qi, descent would likely prove perilous, with outcomes uncertain. Yet Xiao Yan was an exception. This very place was where the Fallen Heart Flame originated, and as the current master of the Fallen Heart Flame, his journey through the depths would be considerably smoother than that of others. After pondering upon the molten lava for a while, Xiao Yan waved his hand, and the Xuanzhong Chi reappeared in his grasp. Then, with a swift motion of his sleeve, the heavy ruler surged forward like a shadow, finally piercing deeply into the mountain wall with such force that it sank several feet into the stone. On the ruler, Xiao Yan imprinted a trace of his soul—this would serve as his beacon. Deep within the lava, visibility was hazy, the depth uncertain, and the lava itself was thick and expansive. Should he wander aimlessly, who could say where he’d end up? Perhaps, as he moved randomly, he’d gradually drift farther from the safe zone. With this soul-marked beacon, even if something unexpected arose, Xiao Yan could swiftly and accurately retrace his path and escape. Only then did Xiao Yan feel a bit reassured, exhaled softly, and a steady green flame slowly rose from within his body, eventually enveloping his entire form. From a distance, he appeared as a rising, blazing mass of emerald fire. Xiao Yan's figure paused slightly, carefully surveying his surroundings. Only after confirming that nothing had changed did he exhale a deep breath of relief. Then, with a flick of his finger, a subtle, intangible flame slowly rose from his fingertip. At first, the flame remained steady, but suddenly grew intensely hot and bright. It then shifted slightly, eventually aligning itself toward the depths of the magma, and began to surge downward—uncontrollably, as if drawn by an unseen force. With doubts lingering in his heart, Xiao Yan's figure transformed into a shimmering green flame, gliding through the thick molten rock as if a fish entering the sea. Ahead of him, several meters away, an intangible flame surged forth, guiding his way like a beacon. Though he knew little about this molten sea, he did know that it was the very place where the Fallen Heart Flame had originated. As for whether this region of molten rock beneath the inner courtyard held any other secrets, he remained entirely unaware. Indeed, even Su Qian, the Senior Monks, might not be fully familiar with these underground flows. In the past, this area had long served as the home of the Fallen Heart Flame, and the inner courtyard's powerful cultivators had made every effort to seal off its entrance, preventing the flame from breaking free. Consequently, few had ever willingly ventured into the depths. After Xiao Yan successfully subdued the Fallen Heart Flame, Su Qian had visited once, yet upon witnessing the endless expanse of molten rock, he had hesitated and turned away, clearly intimidated. After all, he wasn't Xiao Yan. Though he possessed an exceptionally strong power at the Douzong level, facing this subterranean magma world forged by nature over countless years, he still felt remarkably small. Thus, he had to set aside his exploration plans and swiftly depart. As a result, no one could provide Xiao Yan with any information about this magma realm—everything would have to be discovered by him himself. Due to the increasing depth, the surrounding pressure grew more and more terrifying. Without the aid of the Lvyuan Lotus Heart Flame, even with Xiao Yan's five-star Battle Emperor strength, he absolutely could not have endured this long. Even so, the situation remained far from optimistic. Activating the Lvyuan Lotus Heart Flame required a substantial expenditure of Qi. Although the magma contained an exceptionally rich concentration of fire energy, it was still insufficient to offset such large-scale consumption. While this significantly delayed the depletion of his Qi, it was only a matter of time before it eventually ran out. Moreover, Xiao Yan would need to reserve enough Qi to return to the surface of the magma. As he mentally reviewed the rapidly sweeping remnants of the Heart Flame ahead, Xiao Yan sighed softly. This time, it seemed a bit hasty. In such a perilous situation, a single oversight might well lead to a tragic end. He lifted his head, and what met his eyes was a uniform, deep crimson—this unchanging visual scene. Had it not been for the soul imprint he had placed upon the Xuanzhong Scale when entering the molten terrain, Xiao Yan would have long since lost his way. To lose direction in such a world of perpetual lava meant certain doom. It remains a world of deep crimson, and it does not appear to be the end of this molten sea, for even beneath Xiao Yan's feet, the molten rock retains its dark red hue—subtly veiled with a deep, unsettling blackness that makes one never quite certain what lies at the very depths of this underground realm. After taking in the scene, Xiao Yan couldn't help but feel a touch of curiosity. There was nothing particularly remarkable here—could it be that the mysterious summons was emanating from this very spot? As Xiao Yan pondered this, the cluster of fallen Heart Flame before him gently drifted upward, and a soft glow of fire poured forth, like a slender lamp column, illuminating a patch of molten rock some distance below. Suddenly, a remarkable phenomenon occurred—the molten rock began to slowly ripple and pulsate. From the vortex of the molten flow, a translucent, luminous circle gradually emerged. Such a turn of events not only left Xiao Yan astonished but also fully activated his internal qi flow. He had now decided that, should any unforeseen circumstances arise, he would immediately turn and flee—escape was the most rational course of action. After all, the person capable of creating such an extraordinary phenomenon within this molten rock was undoubtedly beyond his current capabilities. Under Xiao Yan's intense, battle-ready gaze, the faint, translucent light ring finally emerged clearly from the lava. At the very first moment, Xiao Yan's eyes swept over it. Though the ring was transparent and did not obstruct his view, when his gaze penetrated it, he was instantly stunned, his eyes filled with shock and disbelief. For within that circle, there was nothing else but a skeleton, its bones now turned to white ash, radiating a faint glow. What truly astonished Xiao Yan was not the skeleton itself, but the flame drifting gently upon it—the flame was entirely transparent, as if intangible. While others might find this phenomenon unfamiliar, Xiao Yan recognized it instantly, for this very flame was the Fallen Heart Flame. At first glance, he could clearly discern that the transparent flame within the circle was no ordinary heart flame, but genuine Fallen Heart Flame. That meant the one now before him was a *different* kind of Fallen Heart Flame. At this moment, Xiao Yan felt as though his head were spinning—how could the same place harbor two distinct yet identical rare flames? And who, exactly, was the mysterious skeleton? A myriad of puzzles surged into his mind, leaving Xiao Yan's brain nearly turned into a thick, mushy mass. As he stood in bewilderment, his body's hairs suddenly bristled upright—because a surprisingly hot gust of wind was rushing straight toward him! How could there be anyone else in this lifeless world of molten rock? In that very instant, Xiao Yan's scalp couldn't help but tingle with nervousness.