"Xiao Yan, brother—ready?" Xun'er sat in the air, her beautiful eyes slowly opening as she gazed at Xiao Yan, who had suddenly stood up beside her. Her eyes sparkled with a warm smile. "Yes." Xiao Yan nodded, his gaze fixed on the large array above. The array was composed of faint lines of fire, interwoven and connected, yet subtly, there seeped a gentle coldness through them. "This is the Yanhan Array. This coldness isn't ordinary mist—it emerges when the temperature reaches a certain level, making it a rather unusual blend of heat and cold. Though not as imposing as the array laid out by the Pure Lotus Divine Saint, it does exert some suppression over the Pure Lotus Divine Flame." Xiao Yan pointed to the array, explaining to Xun'er, whose eyes still held a touch of curiosity. "I'm going to begin refining and absorbing the Pure Lotus Divine Flame. Xun'er, please watch over me!" Xiao Yan smiled, turned his gaze back to the Qinglian Spirit Flame, and spoke seriously. "Hm." Xun'er's face also grew more solemn. To assimilate the Qinglian Spirit Flame was no easy feat—should anything go wrong, she might very well be reduced to ashes. Xiao Yan naturally understood the risks involved, but now there was no time to dwell on them. He swiftly changed his hand seal, and the great array in the sky began to spin rapidly. Then, an exceptionally dense wave of cold air surged forth from the array and, under Xiao Yan's precise control, struck the area where the spirit flame lotus bloomed. Under the influence of this cold air, the molten rock around it cracked and solidified, while the spirit flame lotus continued to rotate gently. However, a thin layer of frost now covered the numerous petals of the lotus. Seeing the阵 had some effect, Xiao Yan breathed a sigh of relief and grasped his hand, whereupon a pale pink jade bottle appeared in his grasp. Tilting the bottle, a stream of delicate red liquid poured swiftly down and settled into the phoenix fire lotus. This liquid, known as Zui Yao Xian, possessed a strong anesthetic effect. Of course, Xiao Yan didn't expect it to fully anesthetize the phoenix fire. He merely wished to use its medicinal properties to induce a relaxed, languid state in the pure lotus fire, thereby slightly reducing its intensity and thus increasing the chances of successful refinement. As the Zui Yao Xian sank into the Jinglian Yao Fire, the lotus flame gradually unfurled, its petals now carrying a lazy, relaxed demeanor. Though the current Jinglian Yao Fire still retained its spirit, it lacked true intelligence and would need time to interact with humans before regaining the sharp, refined wisdom of the former Jinglian Yao Fire. Yet at this very moment, this was the perfect opportunity for Xiao Yan to act. "Go..." Having completed these two steps, Xiao Yan did not stop there. He withdrew another pill from his storage amulet. As soon as the pill appeared, a piercing cold mist surged around them. This pill—naturally—was the Jiuyin Huangquan Pill, which Xiao Yan had prepared in advance. With a gentle flick of his fingers, the Nine Yin Yellow Spring Dan shot forth, swiftly melting upon contact with Jinglian's divine flame. Layer after layer of ice formed on the surface of the flame, only to be instantly vaporized by the intense heat, creating a continuous stream of hissing white mist that rose steadily from the flame's body. Yet, despite its compact size, this small cluster is capable of reducing even a six-star Duke Saint, with mere carelessness, to ash—should it penetrate the body. Its terrifying power is beyond doubt. Xiao Yan fixed his gaze upon the cluster of the phoenix fire essence, and his integrated phoenix flames surged vigorously within him, eventually coalescing on his body surface. However, despite having previously been exceptionally strong, these flames now trembled slightly as they formed on his surface, appearing noticeably dimmer—clearly intimidated by the pure lotus phoenix fire. The top three phoenix flames on the Phoenix Flame Rank are regarded as sovereigns among phoenix flames; even ordinary phoenix flames suffer a significant weakening when encountering them. Though Xiao Yan’s phoenix flames were formed through the fusion of five distinct types, they still fell short in matching the power of the pure lotus phoenix fire. "Shh—" At that moment, Xiao Yan didn't have the time to worry about the dimming of the flames on his body. With Xun'er's anxious gaze, he slowly extended his slightly trembling hand, then passed through the lotus of fire and reached out to grasp the cluster of pink flames. "Hoo!" As Xiao Yan's hand touched the seemingly small cluster of pink fire, it suddenly expanded in an instant, transforming into a roaring blaze that completely enveloped his entire body, releasing a terrifying heat that instantly changed the sky. "Xiao Yan-brother!" The sudden development left Xun'er stunned, quickly rising to her feet and staring intently at the vibrant pink flame within. Amid the fiercely burning flames, Xiao Yan's face twisted under the searing pain. He desperately accelerated the flow of his unique fire, constantly resisting the high-temperature destruction from the Pure Lotus Demon Fire. Though he had made extraordinary preparations, upon first contact, he clearly sensed the formidable nature of this third-ranked unique fire on the Unique Fire Ranking List... "Huff... huff..." With intense breaths constantly escaping his lips, crimson blood seeped out through his pores. Yet as soon as the blood appeared, it instantly solidified, forming a tight seal against his skin, making him appear as though clad in a armor of blood. "Hmm... heh... For this very moment, I've strived for so many years. This pain? It won't stop me!" "His entire body streaked with blood, his hair long since reduced to ashes, leaving him with a smooth, round head that looked both comical and tragic. With blood obscuring his vision, he fixed his gaze firmly on the rosy flame in his palm. A fierce, grim smile spread across his face, and then, without a word, he plunged the flame directly into Xun'er's stunned eyes—into her mouth—and forced it down his throat! 'Pop!' As the妖fire essence entered his body, the ancient robe formed from the ancient insect emperor's garment instantly turned to ash, and his skin rapidly vanished, revealing the flesh beneath. Between the flesh, faint scales could be seen—ancient dragon and phoenix armor hidden beneath the skin. Yet even this resilient armor now grew dim and faded. 'Furnace Technique! Refine it for me!' An unbearable agony radiated from every part of Xiao Yan's body, so intense it seemed to drive one mad. Yet Xiao Yan stared with bloodshot eyes, holding on with sheer determination, his mind roaring with fury. As the roar echoed, the qi within him surged forward with unwavering resolve, charging straight at the core of the demonic flame and forcibly encasing it, then circulating along the path of the Burned Decree. "Hoo-hoo!" Faced with the refining power of the Burned Decree, the core of the demonic flame seemed to sense something as well, writhing violently. The flame's temperature grew increasingly terrifying, and some of Xiao Yan's more delicate meridians instantly turned to ash; even certain bones began to soften. Outside, Xun stood in stunned silence, watching Xiao Yan scream and struggle violently within the flames. Compared to his earlier state, Xiao Yan's body had shrunk nearly in half, appearing remarkably terrifying. "Brother Xiao Yan..." Xun'er bit down hard on her red lips, blood seeping steadily from the corners, making it especially vivid. With every low roar from Xiao Yan, it felt as though a blade were slicing through her heart—so intense was the pain that her breathing grew labored. This was the first time she had witnessed Xiao Yan devouring the hetero-fire, though she hadn't personally felt it, she could clearly sense the unbearable agony. For years, Xiao Yan had trained alone, and while others admired his astonishing progress, few knew the sacrifices he had made behind the scenes as he ascended in strength. "Let me forge it!" Amid the surging flames, another strained, desperate roar escaped Xiao Yan, yet no matter how hard he struggled, his body grew increasingly shattered. The power of Jinglian's immortal flame was vast and boundless—he simply could not bear it. The terrifying fire engulfed every part of his body, seeping deep into his very heart. These flames could not escape, and soon, they would consume Xiao Yan from within outwards. "If this continues, Brother Xiao Yan will surely perish!" Xin'er gently wiped the shimmering droplets that slid down her cheeks from tears of sorrow. A golden flame surged forth from within her body, and then, her figure arced gracefully through the sky, plunging into the very flames that were tormenting Xiao Yan beyond endurance. "Xin'er! What are you doing?!" The sudden intruder immediately restored some clarity to Xiao Yan's mind, which had been overwhelmed by intense pain. With his eyes nearly bursting with fury, he roared, only for the jade-like figure rushing into the flames to instantly coil around him like a serpent. The soft touch and delicate fragrance instantly ignited the nearly violent flames within Xiao Yan's body. "Xun'er!" Clutching tightly to that flawless, jade-like form, Xiao Yan gasped heavily. In his eyes, a renewed sense of composure returned. He knew very well what would happen if things continued this way—he had experienced this before with Medusa, though back then he had been utterly irrational. Now, however, he remained firmly under control. "Xiao Yan, brother, we must stay together if we are to fully absorb and transform it," Xun'er murmured, her cheeks flushed, gently biting at his earlobe with her delicate teeth, her voice both alluring and enchanting. A simple phrase finally caused Xiao Yan's eyes to flare once more with crimson, and from deep within, a low roar, like that of a wild beast, erupted. With a sharp *crack*, his delicate garments were torn apart by the furious force and instantly reduced to ash in the scorching heat. At that moment, the entire realm bloomed with the vibrant springtime.