As he collected numerous energy cores into his jade talisman, the smile on Xiao Yan's face gradually faded, and his gaze grew serious as it settled on the crystalline wall ahead. Now, beyond the wall, faint, wriggling shadows of creatures could be seen with the naked eye, and streams of liquid energy continuously seeped out from the wall, coalescing into tangible forms and adhering to its surface. Yao Xingji drew back his gaze, shifting his hand seal—then a pale, dark flame emerged from the palm of his hand. As the flame roared, a strange wind seemed to ripple within it. When this wind reached the ears of the listeners, it evoked a peculiar sense of restlessness, as though the sound could stir emotional disturbances, causing subtle fluctuations in mood. “What is this…?” Everyone present turned their attention to the pale, dark flame in Yao Xingji’s hands, their expressions tinged with wonder. Such an unusual flame was indeed rare—even as members of ancient races, they had never seen one before. “Nine-Deep Wind Flame, ranked tenth on the List of Unusual Flares…” Seeing the astonished glances of the others, Yao Xingji couldn’t help but lift a subtle smile at the corner of his mouth. "The Nine-Deep Wind-Flame..." Xiao Yan's gaze paused on the black flame. As a pharmacist, he had naturally heard of this phenomenon—formed by rare and astonishing means. Unlike his own Three-Thousand Flame焱, which coalesced in the void, the Nine-Deep Wind-Flame originated in the boundless depths of an eternally cold, profoundly阴 region, where the wind never ceased. Even ordinary Douzun-level warriors dared not venture deep into such places. This flame specifically formed where the wind's force was at its most intense. To obtain such a Nine-Deep Wind-Flame, one needed not only fortune but also extraordinary strength. Based on Xiao Yan's estimation, the cost the Medicinal Clan must have borne to secure this rare flame was likely substantial. "Poof!" Just as the crowd's gaze had converged on the Jiuyou Fengyan in the hands of Yao Xingji, a subtle voice suddenly echoed. Within the crystalline corridor, deep red hues began to seep slowly, and lines of sight followed the radiating light to reveal a particularly vibrant, deep crimson flame rising steadily from the Fire-Infant Jade's hand. As the flame surged upward, delicate red lotus patterns began to form upon its surface. With the emergence of this deep red flame, the Jiuyou Fengyan in Yao Xingji's hands dimmed slightly—its characteristic whispering wind sound weakened noticeably. Seeing his unique flame react this way, Yao Xingji couldn't help but tremble slightly, though he was somewhat displeased. Still, he had no choice, for the Red Lotus Flame ranked two positions ahead of his Jiuyou Fengyan on the Unique Flame Ranking, indicating a clear gap between them. "Hm, I suppose this must be the Red Lotus Flame of the Fire Clan," he murmured. Gǔ Qīngyáng gazed at the unusual fire in Huǒ Zhì’s hands and couldn’t help but smile. “Hmm,” Huǒ Zhì nodded slightly, yet her beautiful eyes turned toward Xiao Yan, carrying a certain peculiar expression. Seeing Huǒ Zhì’s slightly challenging gaze, Xiao Yan couldn’t help but smile—this woman usually spoke little, but here, in the matter of the unusual fire, she seemed remarkably spirited. Taking a deep breath, Xiao Yan gently clenched his hands, and streams of flames of varying hues seeped out from his fingertips, eventually gathering into a single flame of deep purple-brown with a streak of pale, crisp white. The flame swayed and surged, with dragon-shaped tendrils continuously rising from within, and faintly, a clear sound of dragon’s roar seemed to echo through the air! “Roar!” At the very instant when the unusual flame appeared in Xiao Yan's hands, the lotus blooms glowing on Huo Zhi's red lotus flame began to surge violently, taking on a somewhat ethereal quality. Meanwhile, the nine-abyss wind flame held by Yao Xingji, already somewhat dimmed under the pressure of the red lotus flame, now grew even duller, and the steady whispering wind sounds that had previously emanated from it completely vanished. "Though your unusual flame isn't ranked among the very top, your fusion has elevated it to match the strength of the top six flames... Yet, such an extraordinary feat of fusing flames—perhaps you are the very first throughout history to have accomplished it," Huo Zhi said, her eyes shimmering with subtle emotion, her voice soft and melodious beneath the veil. Regarding this, Xiao Yan remained silent. While the fusion of hetero-flames seemed extravagant, it was far from impossible. As for the claim that he was the very first to achieve such a fusion—well, that seemed dubious. After all, the master who created the remarkable Feng Jue technique must have also fused hetero-flames, surely. "The tail of the fire dragon was connected to Xiao Yan's arm. With a sharp cry, he planted his feet firmly onto the ground, and his body surged forward swiftly. Behind him, Gu Qingshang and the others followed closely. "Such powerful flame control..." Seeing Xiao Yan shape the flames into a dragon to breach the crystalline wall, Huo Zhi's eyes flashed with astonishment, then quickly moved into position. At the same time, deep red flames surged from his palms, completely covering the left crystalline wall. The intense heat immediately slowed the wall's closing speed. On the other side, Yao Xingji also began working. Though he was somewhat frustrated by Xiao Yan's direction, his life was now at stake—no matter who he disagreed with, he wouldn't risk his own life. Thus, he worked diligently and thoroughly." Within the crystal wall, the fire dragon roared and surged forward, its terrifying heat incinerating ancient insectoid creatures hidden ahead even at a considerable distance. Yet despite this, the ancient insectoids continued to pour forth like moths to the flame, their abundant energy posing a significant hindrance to Xiao Yan. Seeing Xiang Yin ahead absorbing the energy cores like a whale feeding, the others behind—Gǔ Qīngyáng and the rest—also grew serious. They understood that the crystal walls here were exceptionally hard, compounded by the ancient insect-eating creature’s resistance. Even with Xiang Yin’s unique fire, the process was far from as smooth as they had anticipated. "We should break through the light barrier in about thirty minutes," the man in silver robes mused. Gǔ Qīngyáng nodded slightly. Now, all they could do was hope that Xiang Yin would hold on. The dragon roared, its powerful blows crashing against the crystalline wall, sending shards of crystal flying. Yet Xiao Yan's steps slowed slightly, and he spoke in a steady tone, "We've used up all our energy cores..." Hearing this, many faces grew tense. Gu Qingyang paused, then quickly produced a brilliant energy core and handed it to Xiao Yan, "This is a nine-star energy core—our entire supply is only one." "Not enough!" Xiao Yan accepted it without hesitation, yet shook his head. Even before they had advanced a single meter, nearly one-tenth of the qi within him would be consumed. Though strong, a single nine-star energy core was still insufficient to carry them all through the light barrier. "I also have one," Fire Xuan said, hesitating slightly before producing a nine-star energy core as well. "Give me three more!" Xiao Yan exhaled and said. Upon hearing this, the group fell silent. After all, nine-star energy cores were truly precious to them. "Ah, if I die here, then even the most powerful energy cores will be of little use." The man from the Lei Clan exhaled, bending his finger and sending an energy core into Xiao Yan's hands. "Then it will be quite a favor to Xiao Yan, brothers." Two large men from the Shi Clan exchanged glances and quickly offered Xiao Yan another energy core. After the Shi Clan members had handed over their cores, everyone's gaze naturally turned toward the two from the Hun Cliffs. Upon noticing this attention, the Hun Cliff's eyes twitched slightly. Now he realized that any further words would be useless—he could only grit his teeth and retrieve an energy core, reluctantly tossing it toward Xiao Yan. To obtain this nine-star energy core, he and his companion, Hun Li, had worked tirelessly. Yet now, he found himself handing it over to the very person he had always found most frustrating. With all five Nine-Star Energy Nuclei securely held in his hands, Xiao Yan slowly exhaled and then delivered a powerful punch. The fire dragon ahead instantly surged with blazing flames, transforming into a streak of fire that shot forward like a lightning bolt, instantly piercing through layer after layer of crystalline walls. Behind it, Xiao Yan and his companions swiftly followed. This relentless, almost sacrificial advance continued for nearly half an hour, until the flames on the fire dragon's body gradually dimmed. "We're almost out," Xiao Yan murmured, his eyes fixed on the jade-like crystalline wall ahead. Behind it, ancient insect-like creatures swarmed densely. As long as they passed through this point, they would truly enter the third level of the Heavenly Tomb. "Hm? What is this?" And as the Fire Dragon was about to collide fiercely with the Emerald Crystal Wall, Xiao Yan's drifting gaze suddenly settled on the central point of the wall—there, a faintly glowing, fist-sized, uniformly reddish object seemed to exist, resembling an unusual insect cocoon from a distance!