At the very moment Xiao Yan stood up, a flicker of alarm passed through the three thousand Yan Flame fires, which were encased in the deep purple-black sea of flames—unsteadiness quietly settled upon its heart. Under the watchful gaze of the three thousand flames, Xiao Yan raised his hand, and the surrounding fire dome gradually contracted, then settled into a delicate green glow that gently enveloped his body. With a steady step, he then advanced, his feet brushing against the surging waves of fire. "Roar!" As Xiao Yan finally began to move, the three thousand Yan Flame fires erupted in a furious roar. Opening its massive maw, it unleashed a towering column of flame, like that of a volcano, aimed directly at him—but the force of this column was clearly far less potent than before. Faced with the assault of three thousand Yan Yan flames, Xiao Yan merely smiled slightly. With a gentle sweep of his sleeve, a column of emerald fire burst forth from within, colliding powerfully with the towering flame. Amid the intense impact, the deep purple-black column held only for an instant before collapsing into fragments, while the remaining emerald column struck directly upon the body of the three thousand Yan Yan flames, exploding upon impact and causing the latter to emit a sharp cry. "You are far too weak now," Xiao Yan said, gently clenching his hands and feeling the overwhelming strength in every movement. A sense of satisfaction surged within him. This stubborn beast had indeed been showing off its prowess, constantly mocking and pressuring him to appear and fight—yet now, the situation had finally turned. "A base human—do not be so arrogant!" "Three Thousand Yan Yan Flames' eyes blazed with fury, roaring in rage like thunder that erupted throughout the space. Immediately, the pervasive purple-black flames surged into motion, transforming into countless smaller fire dragons that roared and surged forward, charging fiercely at Xiao Yan. 'Boom! Boom! Boom!' The fire dragons exploded against Xiao Yan's body, sending out waves of scorching heat that continuously spread outward, nearly completely engulfing the very spot where he had previously stood. 'Huff...' After unleashing such a powerful assault, the already weakened Three Thousand Yan Yan Flames struggled to catch its breath. With its dragon eyes fixed upon the sea of flames above, it hadn't even had time to exhale when it was startled to see a figure slowly stepping out from within the flame sea—glowing like a divine fire god under the surrounding blaze." Xiao Yan stood amidst the sea of flames, a gentle smile slowly spreading across his face. With a light lift of his hand, the dragon seal at the center of his palm erupted in a breathtaking golden radiance. This golden glow rose like the sun itself within the spiritual realm, and the surrounding waves of deep purple and black flames—normally persistent—were suddenly drawn toward the seal as if by an irresistible, powerful suction. Within mere moments, the entire sea of flames vanished into the seal. At the same time, the entire length of Xiao Yan's arm began to seep with deep purple and black flames. As the flames receded, the spiritual realm now contained only the three thousand blazing fires and Xiao Yan, facing each other. Yet now, the fires in the sky were filled with profound fear, their massive bodies retreating steadily. "You've lost..." gazing at the thousand flames of Qian San Yan Yan Hao, now showing signs of panic and beginning to retreat, Xiao Yan smiled slightly. The golden light in his palm surged brightly, and within a few swift strides, he caught up to the latter, wrapping around it. Amidst the former's roaring struggles, Xiao Yan swiftly returned to the Dragon Seal. As he drew closer to the Seal, the massive body of Qian San Yan Yan Hao rapidly shrank, until finally it condensed into a streak of deep purple and black flame, drawn into the golden light and absorbed into the Dragon Seal within Xiao Yan's palm. Only then, after watching the thousand flames vanish into his palm, did Xiao Yan finally breathe a complete, deep sigh. This was a contest of will—Qian San Yan Yan Hao should not have retreated, no matter how unbalanced the forces were between them. "Break!" Xiao Yan lifted his head, surveying the circle of spiritual space, and spoke calmly. As the sound faded, the surrounding space surged violently, and then with a crisp crack, shattered into countless fine fragments, exploding outward... The struggle for life and death is inherently brutal, with no inherent distinction between evil and good. Rising to his feet, Xiao Yan slowly walked toward the small fire dragon before him, placing his palm gently upon its forehead. A sudden surge of suction followed, and the dragon transformed into a deep, profound purple-black flame, drifting upward steadily. Gazing at this purple-black flame, Xiao Yan sighed softly. This was the very essence of the Three Thousand Yan Fire—the source he had longed for. To reach it, he had journeyed from the Black Angle Region to the Central Plains, enduring countless hardships. Now, at last, his dream had come true. "Rest assured," Xiao Yan murmured, "with me by your side, you won't fall short of the reputation you hold on the list of rare fire dragons..." He opened his mouth slightly, and the purple-black flame was smoothly swallowed into his body. As the essence entered his body, a warm, radiant heat began to spread throughout him. Xiao Yan promptly settled into a meditative posture, with emerald and deep purple-black flames continuously erupting from his pores. Successfully obtained the essence of the Three Thousand Yan Fire, what Xiao Yan now needs to do is fully refine it, blend it with the Lvyuan Lotus Heart Fire, and thereby awaken the Burned Technique once again for evolution. Although thanks to the Dragon Seal, Xiao Yan has nearly achieved full control over the Three Thousand Yan Fire, this fire ranks quite strongly on the Unusual Fire List, and over the years of its accumulation, it has developed an unyielding pride that is deeply ingrained—refining it will undoubtedly take a considerable amount of time. Back when Xiao Yan was refining the Fallen Heart Fire, he had spent nearly three years underground. This time, while it may not take as long, it is certain that it will not be resolved within just a day or two. As Xiao Yan settled into a meditative posture with his eyes closed, the jade-green flame shield surrounding him gradually faded, until it finally vanished entirely. With the disappearance of the shield, the vast purple-black sea of flames that had been drifting throughout the surrounding star realm surged forth. Yet, as they approached within a few zhang of Xiao Yan, they promptly split and flowed gracefully around him, forming a reverent, almost ceremonial embrace—like a procession of devotees paying homage. Xiao Yan remained unharmed by the flame sea, but the Heavenly Demon Puppet, deprived of the shield's protection, began to emit a faint golden glow. Though it was within a similar distance of Xiao Yan, the temperature in the star realm had become overwhelming—like that of a steaming oven—conditions that Xiao Yan could withstand, but which the puppet could not. As a result, golden droplets began to seep from its body. However, as these droplets slid down, the brilliant golden hue on its surface seemed to slowly transform into a more subtle, deeper shade of dark gold, appearing increasingly profound and enigmatic. Looking at this scene, it seems that the vast thunderous energies absorbed by the Celestial Spirit Puppet are being naturally tempered by the high heat of this natural stellar furnace... Although Xiao Yan knew that the time required to fully integrate three thousand blazing flames would surely not be brief, he still hadn't anticipated that merely by closing his eyes, he would remain in this state for half a year. During those six months, the stellar realm remained as silent and lifeless as a dead expanse, yet beyond the realm, chaos erupted incessantly. As early as the third day after the initial closure of the stellar realm, Xiao Yi Xian had firmly insisted that the three major powers open the realm to rescue the patients. Despite their resistance, and with Xuan Yi's persistent mediation, they finally agreed to open the realm on that third day. However, at the very moment the spatial gateway unfolded, a terrifying wave of fire surged forth like a primordial beast, overwhelming everything—had it not been for the early preparations made by the three major powers, a significant disaster would undoubtedly have ensued. Though the situation was distressing, the young physician was unable to press the three giants to reopen the realm once more. Fortunately, thanks to Zi Yan's sensitivity, otherwise she would have found it unbearable to endure such prolonged waiting. About a month after the initial opening, the three giants initiated another activation of the Dan Realm. This time, Xuan Kongzi entered alone, but within just five minutes, he was forced to hastily retreat. Due to the closure of the stellar domain, the temperature inside intensified rapidly, and despite his strength, he could only penetrate about a kilometer before being overwhelmed and compelled to escape. Witnessing Xuan Kongzi's disheveled condition, everyone's growing sense of concern deepened—given that even his strength could not sustain him within the stellar domain, how could Xiao Yan possibly endure it? Yet, when everyone else held the most pessimistic expectations, the young physician and her companions still clung to their last hope—the dragon seal in Zi Yan's palm. Now, their sole source of hope rested entirely on this seal. Should it suddenly vanish, she would surely collapse completely. As time passed, more and more people began to lose faith in Xiao Yan's survival—even the elders like Xuan Kongzi found themselves quietly sighing. Who could have imagined that a champion of the Dan Conference would end up in such a state?