Hearing Xiao Yan's words, Tianhuo Master was also momentarily stunned, then smiled gently and said, "Go on, tell me." Xiao Yan fixed his gaze steadily on Tianhuo Master and spoke softly, "I hope, should Master truly regain your strength one day, that you would protect me for one full year." "Protect me for one year?" Tianhuo Master was first taken aback, then a thoughtful smile spread across his face. "Young man, you're quite clever—instead of just asking for a favor, you're actually proposing that I serve as your personal guardian for a full year. You must know, a Battle Sovereign-level master isn't something anyone can easily summon." Xiao Yan smiled and replied, "For a Master of your caliber, one year is merely a matter of a few breaths. Moreover, I know that as long as your soul is successfully restored, even a revival wouldn't be particularly difficult. I believe that should be sufficient to secure your services for a full year." "Indeed, the young one is quite eloquent. As long as you can restore my soul over the course of a year, there should be no major issues—of course, provided you can mend my soul. With the strength of my current soul, I can only sustain this condition for a few more years." Tian Huo Master paused, then slowly nodded, his tone growing serious. "Master, please rest assured—I have not only restored souls before, and thus have some experience. Though your soul has been severely damaged, it is certainly repairable." Xiao Yan smiled, speaking with confidence. He had inherited numerous prescriptions from Yao Lao, including several for soul-restoration pills. However, the required ingredients were rare and difficult to source, which would take some time to gather. "I hope I haven't made a mistake in choosing you..." Tian Huo Master gazed at Xiao Yan intently, then, without hesitation, waved his hand. The young heart-flame embryo floating in his palm drifted gently toward Xiao Yan. With careful caution, he settled upon this fallen Heart Flame. As soon as contact was made, Xiao Yan sensed the delicate fragility of this small entity, and thus forcibly restrained his inner delight. He swiftly retrieved the "Concentrated Flame Pot" from his storage amulet and gently placed it into the flame. As the fallen Heart Flame entered the "Concentrated Flame Pot," a gentle warmth rose steadily. Xiao Yan clearly felt an invisible ripple spreading outwards—something he knew well, as this very ripple was precisely what the Heavenly Burn Refinement Tower required. Having finally resolved the inner courtyard's concerns, Xiao Yan exhaled in relief. With a simple hand motion, he stored the "Concentrated Flame Pot" back into his amulet, then waved the scroll of the "Five-Ring Separation Flame Method" in front of Tian Huo Master, smiling, "Then, I shall surely not be able to refuse this gift." Immediately, he also tucked the scroll into his amulet. Watching Xiang Yan's actions, Tianhuo Master couldn't help but shake his head in resignation, grasped the snow-white storage ring, and then looked at the pile of bones, sighing, "Could you please take care of collecting my bones as well? The remains of a Battle Sovereign do hold certain special significance." Naturally, Xiang Yan had no intention of refusing Tianhuo Master's request. With a simple gesture, a wave of suction surged out, drawing the entire pile of bones into the storage ring. After completing these, Xiao Yan clapped his hands and turned his gaze toward beyond the light shield. Though the crimson lava seemed to hold no trace of Flame Lizard people, Xiao Yan, having learned from his previous experience, knew well that the creatures were extremely hard to detect within the molten flow—perhaps they had just been spotted now. At present, he could barely handle the multitude of Lizard people, and as Tian Huo Master had mentioned, there were even Lizard warriors here whose strength rivaled that of a Battle Sovereign. Should Xiao Yan encounter such a level of Lizard warrior at this moment, escaping would surely prove difficult. "The Flame Lizard people are highly sensitive to the movement of the lava—any slight disturbance within the flow will alert them. With their large numbers, the more he killed, the more they came. Eventually, even the true elite warriors of their clan would be drawn in, and then—trouble would surely arise." "Master Tianfire gently reminded, for now he relied on Xiao Yan to heal his soul, and naturally wouldn't allow him to be torn apart by those lizard people. Xiao Yan nodded slightly, furrowed his brow and said, 'Above this molten rock lies the Gan'an Academy. Should these creatures ever reach there, the consequences would surely be disastrous...' 'Don't worry,' Master Tianfire calmly replied, 'these beings can only thrive within the molten rock. Once they leave it, they'll die like fish out of water.' Hearing this, Xiao Yan finally exhaled in relief, chuckling wryly, 'I have no idea how these creatures came to be. Nature truly is full of wonders. This isn't even the deepest part of the magma. What must lie deeper down remains a mystery...' Just as Xiao Yan finished speaking, his words abruptly cut off, for he suddenly noticed Master Tianfire's face, now flushed with an unmistakable fear. With his mouth slightly open, gazing at the fear etched on Tian Huo Master's face, Xiao Yan suddenly felt a cold breeze surge from his soles all the way up to his crown. Damn it... what kind of terrifying place was this? How could it make even a former Douzun-level master react with such fear? An odd and eerie atmosphere lingered in this space, finally breaking only after a while, as Tian Huo Master's breaths grew steady. "Young fellow, considering your help, I'd advise you not to be curious and venture downward. Though I don't know exactly what lies beneath, I can clearly sense—quite vaguely—that there exists something profoundly terrifying down there." Tian Huo Master took a deep breath, waved his hand, and spoke slowly. Seeing the serious expression on Tian Huo Master's face, Xiao Yan swallowed hard and nodded promptly. If even a Douzun-level master could be so afraid, then surely the depths of this magma world must harbor something of Dousheng-level terror. "I could only faintly sense it at the very moment my body was collapsing—then, only vaguely aware of it. Otherwise, under ordinary circumstances, I would have absolutely been unable to perceive it. In fact, at times, I wonder if these enigmatic flame lizard people might just be the guardians dwelling at the very depths of this molten world." Tian Huo Master said slowly. "If you wish to leave, you should first restore your strength. With the qi currently within you, it will be difficult to reach the molten lava smoothly. This location is safe—you won't be discovered by them. As for the 'Five-Phase Separation of Fire Method,' you can refine it once you're secure. You already possess the unique fire within your body. Should you employ this fire-controlling technique, its power will surely amplify significantly." The Heavenly Fire Patriarch spoke. Upon seeing the crimson orb in Xiao Yan's hands, Tianhuo Zhunshi was slightly surprised, then nodded, saying, "I didn't expect you to discover such a treasure hidden within a lizard's body. Indeed, it carries a very strong fire attribute energy, though it's rather turbulent—direct consumption might prove quite risky." Xiao Yan smiled, wondering what fire energy could be more turbulent than the Heterogeneous Fire? As one who possessed two Heterogeneous Fires, he could channel them in a raw, unrefined manner, fully integrating and absorbing them. With a simple finger flick, the crimson orb dropped into his mouth, then surged like a flame, rushing swiftly down his throat and into his body. At that moment, Xiao Yan's skin turned a deep red. Seeing Xiao Yan disregard his advice and swallow the fire orb whole, Tianhuo Zhunshi furrowed his brows, then seemed to recall something, smiled faintly, and shook his head, saying, "Ah, I seem to have forgotten that this young one possesses Heterogeneous Fire." His gaze settled on Xiao Yan. After a moment, when the latter's skin color gradually returned to normal, the elder gently nodded, placed his hands behind his back, raised his head, and gazed upward at the blazing magma, sighing softly and murmuring, "I never thought... I'd still have the chance to see the sky again. Truly, heaven has not forsaken me." The "Fire Pearl" Xiao Yan had consumed was not particularly advanced, and within just twenty minutes, he had fully absorbed and refined it. As a result, he felt a joyful surge of Qi filling his body. "Indeed, an excellent tonic. With these Fire Pearls stored in my Seal Ring, I believe I should be able to reach the level of Six-Star Duke Emperor. Still, I should hurry and leave this place soon." Feeling the steadily growing Qi within him, Xiao Yan exhaled in relief. "I'll do my best to conceal the magma fluctuations using the power of space, so you just make the most of the time—right now, I can't maintain this state for long..." Seeing Xiao Yan rise, Tianhuo Sovereign turned slightly and smiled. Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan nodded slightly, yet felt relieved that he hadn't been driven by self-interest to make any hasty moves. Though Tianhuo Sovereign's condition was indeed poor, he clearly wasn't as helpless as he had claimed. Seeing this, Tianhuo Master gently adjusted his hand seal, and the white naga ring in his hand automatically slipped onto Xiao Yan's fingers. His slightly blurred form then surged forward, emitting a subtle ripple that spread from the ring. Gradually, the luminous shield before Xiao Yan began to crack. His figure silently sliced through the molten rock. Suddenly, a sharp surge of awareness struck Xiang Yan's heart. The hand concealed within his sleeve flickered, and a fragment of ancient jade materialized in his palm. Now, the jade, which had remained utterly still and unresponsive for so long, was gently radiating a faint warmth. Xiang Yan lightly traced the jade with his fingers, yet his mind was stirred into a storm—for this jade fragment was none other than the ancestral jade of the Xiao family—the Jade of the Ancient Emperor Tuo She!