"Why?" Hearing this from the old medicine master, Xiao Yan was also slightly taken aback, expressing his astonishment. "Do you really think that once you reach the level of Battle Saint, securing Jinglian Spirit Flame will be a guaranteed success?" The old medicine master stared at Xiao Yan with a look of unusual scrutiny, chuckling lightly. "Even this isn't sufficient?" Xiao Yan's mouth twitched slightly. At his current level, if he absorbed some of the lower-ranked Spirit Flames, it wouldn't make much of a difference to his strength. Yet now the old medicine master claimed that even this level of strength still wasn't enough—this was indeed astonishing. "Ah well," the old medicine master sighed, "the top three Spirit Flames on the Spirit Flame Ranking are unique to the heavens and earth—such divine treasures, revered by gods and feared by the very heavens—how could they possibly be so easily subdued?" The old medic shook his head, sighed lightly, "During your period of meditation, I've gone through several ancient texts. I've gathered some knowledge about the Pure Lotus Demon Fire. This Demon Fire emerges once every thousand years—this isn't its first appearance. Yet, despite its emergence, no one has been able to subdue it. From this, you should already be able to deduce something." Xiao Yan's expression slightly changed, then nodded. The emergence of the Pure Lotus Demon Fire would inevitably draw out the strongest beings in the realm. Yet, throughout its past appearances, no one has ever succeeded in subduing it—this alone speaks volumes about its power. If even the greatest champions of the past have failed, then Xiao Yan's current strength at the initial stage of Star-Storage Saint is far from guaranteed to succeed. "Therefore, to tame the Pure Lotus Demon Fire, you must be well-prepared." "The old pharmacist said solemnly, "Now that Xiao Yan's strength has reached the level of Battle Saint, even ordinary hetero-fires, no matter how much he consumes, will no longer have a significant impact. Therefore, if he wishes to make a rapid further advancement, his only option is to focus on the top three hetero-fires. "Do you have something I need in the Nine-Depths Yellow Springs?" Xiao Yan asked. "Yes," the old pharmacist nodded slowly. With a gentle grasp of his hand, an ancient scroll of deep crimson appeared in his grasp. As soon as the scroll materialized, a profoundly cold ripple spread out, gradually enveloping the scroll, creating the effect of a vast expanse of chilly clouds—remarkably magical. "This is a ninth-rank prescription that I obtained at great cost, known as the Nine-Yin Yellow Springs Pill. When you subdue the Qinglian Demon Fire, administer this pill into the demon fire's body. The extreme yin energy contained within will weaken the demon fire's capabilities, thereby increasing your chances of successful subjugation." The herbal master gently stroked this ancient scroll, having sacrificed a considerable portion of his wealth to secure it from a master alchemist. "However, to prepare the Nine Yin Huangquan Pill, a primary ingredient is required—the Huangqu Blood Crystal, which only forms at the very bottom of the Nine-幽 Huangqu. Therefore, within these nine months, you must journey to the Nine-幽 Huangqu, obtain the Huangqu Blood Crystal, and successfully prepare the Nine Yin Huangquan Pill. Only then can you maximize your chances of successfully subduing the Jinglian Demon Fire." Xiao Yan gazed at the ancient, deep-red scroll, and after a moment, slowly nodded. To him, the Pure Lotus Divine Flame was truly indispensable—no matter what, he had to secure it. He understood that should this attempt fail, he might never again witness the emergence of the Divine Flame after a thousand years. "It's been so many years since I last prepared something specifically for absorbing divine flames..." Upon receiving the ancient deep-red scroll, Xiao Yan sighed. Back in the beginning, when he first absorbed the Qinglian Earth Heart Flame and the Fallen Heart Flame, he had prepared pills for each occasion. Since then, every time he encountered a divine flame, he simply absorbed it directly, never needing to prepare anything beforehand. Now, unexpectedly, he would once again have to return to that old habit. "It simply can't be compared to the divine flames like the Three Thousand Flame of Yanyan. How great the Pure Lotus Divine Saint must have been! It's said that even his final demise was caused by the counter-effect of the Pure Lotus Divine Flame. "Master, your medicine is indeed excellent." "Oh?" Hearing this, Xiao Yan's heart stirred, and his expression grew serious. The Qinglian Immortal Saint was at least a Nine-Star Battle Saint—yet even such a peak-level powerhouse had fallen to the Qinglian Immortal Flame. With that, Xiao Yan's own Battle Saint status seemed rather underwhelming. "It seems the Nine-Yin Yellow Springs Pill must be prepared then..." Xiao Yan nodded slowly, then asked, "Is the Nine-Youth Yellow Springs controlled by the Nine-Youth Earth-Underworld Serpent Clan?" "Yes, the Nine-Deep Yellow Springs lies deep within the earth, traditionally the domain of the Nine-Deep Earth-冥 Serpents, who regard it as a holy sanctuary. Any serpent aspiring to ascend usually journeys there to soak in its waters, which greatly facilitates their breakthrough. However, the springs' water is profoundly cold and Yin—being one of the most exceptional body-strengthening grounds in the world for serpentine beasts, naturally inclined toward cold and Yin. Yet, due to the extreme cold of the springs' water, even I have hesitated to truly dive deep into its core." The old pharmacist said gravely. "Fortunately, you possess four unique fires, providing protective fire energy. With this, you should be able to reach the depths of the Nine-Deep Yellow Springs and obtain the Yellow Spring Blood Crystals. Moreover, for the colorful scales, this place is also a sacred site. The Seven-Color Devouring Serpent is a divine serpent lineage, and the Nine-Color Devouring Serpent is even capable of rivaling the ancient Sky Serpent King. Should you successfully evolve within the Nine-Deep Yellow Springs, your power will undoubtedly surge dramatically." "The old medic smiled and said, 'If it truly evolves into a Nine-Color Sky-Devouring Python, then when it transforms into a serpent form, a single breath will be enough to swallow an entire mountain range—indeed, even the sky itself can be consumed.' Xiao Yan nodded. The Seven-Color Sky-Devouring Python is already rare, and the Nine-Color Sky-Devouring Python is exceptionally uncommon; even in ancient times, such occurrences were few and far between. He had no doubt that the power achieved by the colorful scales upon successful evolution would be truly formidable. 'Since the Nine-Deep Yellow Springs are under the jurisdiction of the Nine-Deep Earth-Immortal Python, they will naturally obstruct our deeper advances,' Xiao Yan mused. The Nine-Deep Earth-Immortal Python is one of the three major clans within the Beast Kingdom, possessing formidable strength. There will surely be true peak-level warriors stationed there, making this journey far from easy." "With your current strength, few members of the Jiyou Di Minglong Clan can defeat you—those deep-rooted elders, who remain hidden for long periods, rarely make themselves known. Of course, when the time truly comes, you'll simply tear open the spatial jade scroll. During that time, I'll frequently be with Fireyun Elder and the others. Should a call come, we'll all go together. The strength of our 'Tianfu Alliance' now is certainly no match for theirs." Old Yao smiled. Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan also smiled. While a single Xingyin Pavilion might still have been at a disadvantage against the Jiyou Di Minglong Clan, now that the Alliance had formed, their strength had surged significantly, making them no longer need to fear the Clan. "Then, since time is pressing, let's set out tomorrow." Xiao Yan also knew that time was running short, with the emergence of Jinglian Demon Fire drawing nearer each day. He had to complete the Jiaying Huangquan Pill before then—otherwise, should the effort to subdue the Jinglian Demon Fire fail, there would be no room for regret at all. "Don't worry, everything regarding the Alliance will be taken care of," the Elder of Medicine nodded with a smile. ... The next morning, as the sky began to lighten, Xiao Yan set off with Cai Lin, Xiao Yi Xian, and Qing Lin, leaving the Starfall Pavilion and heading straight for the Beast Realm. Having visited the Beast Realm before, Xiao Yan was now well-acquainted with the way there. With his strength greatly enhanced, his journey had become significantly faster—what used to take several days now only required half a day to reach. Upon entering the Beast Realm, Xiao Yan and his companions made no prolonged stops and immediately proceeded to the region where the Nine-Depths Earth-Medina Serpent Clan resided. The True homeland of the Jiyou Diming Python Clan lies deep beneath the earth, though on the surface, they also possess numerous offshoot branches. In terms of population, this race ranks first among the three major clans. However, their vast numbers have naturally led to a dilution of their ancient bloodlines. According to the elders of the Jiyou Diming Python Clan, under current conditions, the ancient lineage within the clan may be entirely depleted within a century, after which the clan would likely descend to the status of ordinary beasts. This issue has sparked significant debate and division within the clan. Without replenishment from ancient bloodlines, and given their current rate of reproduction, that day will inevitably arrive. … The Nine-Deep Abyss, a primary gateway into the subterranean realm, is inhabited and controlled by the Nine-Deep Earth-Mortar Serpents, thus boasting a formidable defense. However, this level of vigilance is only adequate for ordinary martial cultivators. With Xiao Yan's current strength, such defenses fail to even register his presence. As Xiao Yan and his companions emerged upon a mountain peak some distance from the abyss, he glanced at the seemingly rigorous defenses and shook his head. Just as he was about to activate his spatial abilities to transport the group into the depths, a sudden gust of wind erupted from afar. Moments later, several figures darted across the sky, materializing on the deep ravine within a few swift movements. "These people... seem to be from the Tai-Xu Ancient Dragon Clan?" Xiao Yan's gaze rested upon those several figures, yet a touch of astonishment flickered across his face. Though his own body carried a trace of Long-Phoenix lineage, he naturally felt a special resonance with the bloodline of the Tai-Xu Ancient Dragon Clan. What surprised him, however, was encountering members of that very clan here. "Could it be that Zi Yan has sent someone? Yet now, she should have already emerged from seclusion, settled the affairs of the other three Dragon Kings—how could she have dispatched representatives to this remote, long-estranged clan, the Jiyou Earth-Underground Python Clan?" Xiao Yan's brow furrowed slightly. Then, his mind stirred, and a ripple of energy spread outward from his body, gradually expanding in a quiet, swift manner. Not long after this wave of energy had fully unfolded, faint, intermittent voices began to filter through the space and reach his ears.