Seeing Xiao Yan's pale expression, the white-haired elder who identified himself as the Yau Tian Fire gently smiled and then waved a hand, speaking calmly, "Don't be afraid. That was merely his state before he passed away. Now, I am only a fragment of my soul. With your strength, you can completely extinguish me." Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan subtly eased his breath, remaining highly vigilant toward this enigmatic Dou Zun powerhouse—especially since the elder had mentioned he was the previous owner of the extinguished Heart Flame. The Heavenly Fire Sovereign gently held and played with the extinguished Heart Flame, then, after a moment of reflective silence, exhaled softly, and with a flick of his finger, launched the Heart Flame as a fiery serpent toward Xiao Yan. With careful attention, Xiao Yan caught the Falling Heart Flame, yet did not immediately absorb it into his body. Instead, he let it swirl gently upon his palm, only after confirming that nothing seemed amiss, did he cautiously draw it in. Once the Falling Heart Flame was safely absorbed, a slight easing of his vigilance settled upon him. He then politely smiled, saying, "The young man was impetuous; he didn't realize this was the place where the elder had passed into stillness. Should there be any offense, I kindly ask for your indulgence." The Heavenly Fire Master waved a hand, glanced at Xiao Yan, and then gently pointed to the young, nascent flame that had no form. He said, "Do you still find this Falling Heart Flame of interest?" Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan's expression tightened, and he offered a dry smile. "That is the elder's treasure. To have inherited even a single strand of the Falling Heart Flame is more than sufficient for me." "Kid," the Heavenly Fire Master said, with a half-smile, "don't play the diplomat with me. When I've been charming people across the Continent of Qi, your grandfather hadn't even been born yet." Hearing this, Xiao Yan felt a bit embarrassed—this old man had clearly seen through his thoughts all along. Unbothered by Xiao Yan's discomfort, the Heavenly Fire Sovereign gazed warmly at the young, newly-born heart flame that had perished, and slowly said, "When I first discovered this place, I first encountered the trace of the fallen heart flame. It took me several years of persistent effort before I finally managed to tame it. The fallen heart flame I tamed back then is precisely the one now residing within you." Upon hearing the Heavenly Fire Sovereign recount these past events, Xiao Yan leaned in attentively, as he himself had long been deeply interested in the fallen heart flame. "At that time, I was confident in my abilities and thought I could venture far beyond this realm. So, after taming the fallen heart flame, I did not leave immediately, but instead ventured deeper into this molten world out of curiosity..." The Sovereign's measured tone carried a hint of nostalgia, as though he were somewhat regretful of his youthful impulsiveness. "After I delved deep into the molten world, I once again discovered a seed of the Fallen Heart Flame—a find that brought me great joy. So eager to gather it, I decided to absorb this seed of the Fallen Heart Flame as well. However, when the two flames merged within my body, they did not harmonize perfectly; instead, they repelled each other fiercely, as if adversaries. This internal clash of flames left me severely wounded—just when I needed strength most, I was suddenly attacked." Tian Huo Sovereign sighed. "Were they the flame lizard people?" Xiao Yan's mind stirred, and he asked cautiously. "It seems you've also encountered them," Tian Huo Sovereign remarked, slightly surprised. "Indeed, I was just surrounded by them and had no choice but to rush into this area," Xiao Yan said, brushing his hair back with a dry smile. "The flame lizard beings appear to be the native life forms of this region, numerous in number, and among them are many super-strong warriors capable of matching even the Du Zun-tier masters. During that encounter, I met a lizard clan master at the Du Zun level. Had he been in his peak condition, I would certainly not have feared him. However, the clash of two distinct heterogenous flames had already inflicted serious injuries upon me. As for the outcome of that battle, you can easily imagine—it ended with a fatal wound for me. Fortunately, these lizard clan masters lack mastery over spatial abilities, making it difficult for them to locate my hidden retreats." The Tian Huo Master's eyes shone with a notably vivid intensity, as though the memory of that battle remained vivid in his mind. "However, although I successfully concealed my form, I sustained severe injuries, and my body gradually began to fail. In the final moments, I released the mature fallen heart flame that I had absorbed, and my soul attached itself to that strange fire seed, hoping to preserve it. Yet over the years, my soul has also grown increasingly weak. Should no one enter this place within the next two years, my soul may ultimately vanish entirely." "Heard this, Xiao Yan's heart stirred slightly. It seemed that the Heavenly Fire Master before him wasn't entirely dead—having reached the level of Battle Sovereign, as long as his soul hadn't completely dispersed, he still had a chance of revival. For instance, Doctor Yao, as long as a suitable body capable of housing his soul was crafted, he could be resurrected and return to his peak. Yet Yao's soul remained remarkably intact, while the Heavenly Fire Master's soul was quite thin. Whether or not he could be revived remained uncertain." Xiao Yan nodded seriously and then bowed respectfully, saying, "Should the elder be willing to bestow this young disciple's body-destroying heart flame upon me, please state your conditions. As long as I can fulfill them, I shall have no hesitation." Although the elder had mentioned that he could easily extinguish Xiao Yan's current state, Xiao Yan still held only a slight measure of confidence. After all, the elder was a genuine Douzun-level master; without some solid means, Xiao Yan truly found it hard to believe. Therefore, until he was certain, he preferred to remain cautious and polite. Upon hearing Xiao Yan's words, Tianhuo Zunzhe's expression remained unchanged. After a moment's thoughtful pause, he slowly said, "You may have it, but you must assist me with a certain task. Rest assured, I will provide you with ample compensation." "Please go on," Xiao Yan said, his heart stirred, while smiling warmly. "I observe a strong internal flame within you, with a faint, delicate trace of wood energy—likely a pharmacist, then? And considering you've tamed the Fallen Heart Flame, your pharmaceutical expertise must be quite refined, wouldn't you agree?" Tian Huo Sovereign smiled. "Indeed, a true Battle Sovereign—despite having only a sliver of soul left, your insight remains sharp." Xiao Yan silently praised him in his heart, gently nodding on his face. "As a pharmacist, I'm sure you're also familiar with the techniques for repairing damaged souls?" Tian Huo Sovereign chuckled lightly. The eyes slightly narrowed, Xiao Yan silently murmured, "Indeed," thinking to himself. These elder immortals at the Battle Sovereign level were truly indomitable—surviving with only a fraction of their souls, yet still so resilient. A thought flashed through his mind, yet on his face, he remained in thoughtful contemplation. Restoring the soul of a Battle Sovereign-level master was no simple task. Moreover, he had only just met Tian Huo Sovereign, and knew nothing of his nature. If he offered help haphazardly, and if the Sovereign eventually revived him, he might end up taking the unique Huo Fire from within Xiao Yan—what then? "Seeing Xiao Yan ponder, Tianhuo Master couldn't help but smile, and slowly spoke. Then, with a gesture, a snow-white nariet floated from the white bones beside him and landed in his hand. With a flick of his fingers, a pale scroll appeared before him, depicting various flying creatures whose bodies were entirely ablaze with flames. "This is my signature technique from years ago, the 'Five-Phase Separated Fire Method,' " Tianhuo Master said. "Well, calling it a combat technique is a bit off—more accurately, it should be considered a fire control technique." He tossed the scroll toward Xiao Yan, saying, "As long as you assist me, this will be yours. If you doubt my sincerity, you may take the scroll first. Once you're satisfied with it, you can then help me restore my soul at your convenience." With careful attention, Xiao Yan received the scroll. After a moment of hesitation, he gradually unfolded it with cautious care. "The Five-Ring Flame Method, a technique for controlling flame, is divided into five levels, distinguished according to the forms of the beasts—wolf, leopard, lion, tiger, and dragon—each level possessing its own flame spirit. When the technique is fully mastered and all five beasts gather, the Five-Ring Flame Array is formed, capable of vaporizing seas and incinerating heavens." His gaze slowly swept over the relatively simple descriptions in the column, then paused on the final set of smaller characters at the end. "Should four out of the five beasts be condensed into unique flames, this technique's power would rival that of a Heaven-Rank Combat Technique!" "Heaven-Rank Combat Technique?" His eyes fixed firmly on these four words. A deep breath of cold air passed through his chest. For years, he had never heard a single mention of Heaven-Rank Combat Techniques. The highest-level combat techniques he had encountered were perhaps the "Imperial Seal Technique" bestowed upon him by Xun'er—yet even that required full maturity to reach the threshold of a Heaven-Rank technique. Could it truly be that the so-called "Five-Ring Flame Method" was this formidable? After a moment of trembling, his mind gradually calmed. Xiao Yan gently pursed his lips. Though he had never practiced the technique of controlling fire, his usual method of directing the unique flames for attacks was quite simple. This "Five-Phase Separated Fire Technique" indeed suited him well. Yet, regarding the five beasts mentioned—four of which were formed by condensed unique flames—did that not imply the need for four distinct unique flames? As this thought came to him, Xiao Yan chuckled softly. Currently, he possessed only three unique flames within his body. To reach that level, he had no idea how long it might take—perhaps a full year. Even excluding this point, the "Five-Phase Separated Fire Technique" held considerable appeal for him. The scroll gently tapped against his palm as he remained silent for a while. That day's Fire Sovereign did not urge him, merely observing him calmly. The silence lasted for several minutes. Finally, Xiao Yan exhaled deeply, his bright eyes turning toward the Fire Sovereign, and spoke slowly. "I can help the elder mend his soul, but I hope the elder will agree to an additional condition on my part."