...Time flew by, and over half a month passed in the blink of an eye.
On this day, as Xiao Yan finished his last beating session and the effects of the final Medicinal Pill wore off, his Cultivation session officially concluded.
"Hoo... The Physical Body of a Top-Tier Fifth-Tier Magical Beast yields even better results than previously anticipated!" Yao Lao looked at Xiao Yan's physical strength and nodded in satisfaction.
"This is all due to Brother Yang's kindness!" Xiao Yan now felt that there were two suns on the Fighting Qi Continent for him: one hanging high above his head, and the other firmly placed in his heart.
"Don't deny your own effort, kid. Honestly, in all these years, this old man has never seen anyone so ruthless to themselves. Just based on the beatings you endured in the previous six months and this half year, you are guaranteed a place among the future experts of the Fighting Qi Continent!" Yao Lao said seriously to Xiao Yan, stroking his beard.
"Then we'll see what fate holds!" Xiao Yan chuckled, then spread his Green Swallow Wings and swiftly flew back to the city, arriving at Chen Yang's location.
"Finished Cultivating?" Chen Yang looked at Xiao Yan, who seemed to have grown taller again, and asked with a smile.
"Mhm!" Xiao Yan nodded heavily.
"Rest today and adjust your condition. Tomorrow, you will devour the strange fire!" Chen Yang stated solemnly.
"Alright!" Xiao Yan nodded, turned, rounded a few corners, found the room he had been staying in these past few days, and collapsed onto the bed to sleep... The next day!
Outside the city!
By the underground Magma Sea where the Green Lotus Core Flame was found, Chen Yang, Yun Yun, Xiao Yan, and the Sky Swallowing Python were all present. The Sky Swallowing Python squatted on Chen Yang's shoulder, its small head close to Chen Yang's face, looking timidly toward the Magma Sea.
Xiao Yan and Chen Yang exchanged glances, a hint of understanding flashing in their eyes.
At this time, Medusa's Soul seemed to be sleeping, but it still exerted a certain influence on the Sky Swallowing Python. Medusa had been severely injured here when collecting the Green Lotus Core Flame previously, and now the Sky Swallowing Python feared the Magma Sea. Neither of them believed that Medusa's Soul had no effect on the Sky Swallowing Python.
"Swoosh!"
Just then, a phantom Soul Body drifted out of Xiao Yan's storage ring, startling Yun Yun.
"Sister Yun Yun, this is my teacher, Yao Lao. He lost his Physical Body after being harmed by a villain, and now resides in this storage ring, guiding me in Cultivation," Xiao Yan explained to Yun Yun.
"Greetings, Old Mister Yao!" Yun Yun nodded. To be able to maintain a Soul Body without dissipating after losing a Physical Body, this Old Mister must have been at least a Dou Zong when alive. Yun Yun naturally showed respect.
"Mhm!" Yao Lao nodded kindly, and then began meticulously instructing Xiao Yan on the steps for devouring the strange fire.
Yao Lao had already explained this matter to Xiao Yan more than ten times. Although Xiao Yan was familiar with the process, he still listened attentively, as making a mistake in the steps of devouring a strange fire could be fatal!
"Little Yan Zi, your current Physical Body is comparable to a Peak Dou Wang expert, and the strange fire you are devouring is ranked lower. I was also a Dou Wang in cultivation back then and successfully devoured the Bone Chilling Flame. Compared to me, your foundation is much deeper and your preparation is more thorough!"
"I believe in you; you will definitely succeed!"
At this moment, Yao Lao did not tell Xiao Yan about how he barely managed to devour the strange fire after a near-death experience back then.
What Xiao Yan needed now was encouragement and confidence.
"Don't worry, Teacher, I will definitely succeed!"
Xiao Yan nodded, and just as he was about to take out the green lotus platform and sit down cross-legged, Chen Yang took out his own ten thousand year green lotus platform from his storage ring and tossed it beneath Xiao Yan's butt.
"Use this; it's safer!" Chen Yang said softly.
"This... Is this the ten thousand year green lotus platform?" Yao Lao exclaimed in shock upon seeing the green lotus platform. Even with his vast experience, seeing this item made his heart surge.
"The Green Lotus Core Flame is only a Thousand-Year Spirit. Using this ten thousand year green lotus platform can suppress its volatility to the minimum!" Chen Yang smiled, nodded, and said.
"Brother Yang..." Xiao Yan looked at his sun, so moved he was almost crying.
"You're a big man, don't be so wishy-washy. This is all I can do; the rest is up to you two, master and disciple!" Chen Yang waved his hand, then turned and led Yun Yun out of the cave.
Although he was a Dou Zong, without a strange fire to protect him, his usefulness here was even less than Yao Lao's, and there was no need to mention Yun Yun—a Trash Dou Huang would be severely injured if she touched the Green Lotus Core Flame.
Xiao Yan watched Chen Yang and Yun Yun leave, composed himself, blinked a few times, and then looked at Yao Lao: "Teacher, let's begin..."
Above the Magma Sea, in the desert, Chen Yang took out two beach chairs from his storage ring and set them down. He also pulled out a large folding umbrella, and he and Yun Yun lay in the desert, enjoying the scenery.
Yun Yun lay on her side on the beach chair, her fine figure fully displayed, which Chen Yang naturally appreciated admiringly.
Soon, two and a half hours flashed by. A System Notification Sound suddenly rang out by Chen Yang's ear, who was pretending to nap:
[Ding!]
[Detection complete! The person possessing the strongest strange fire near Stone Desert City is Xiao Yan. The strange fire is the Green Lotus Core Flame, ranked 19th on the strange fire ranking list. The host obtains the Volcanic Stone Flame, ranked 17th on the strange fire ranking list!]
"Swoosh!"
Inside Chen Yang's body, in his Dantian, a spirit absorption suddenly appeared. Inside the spirit absorption, a dark red strange fire, which seemed like it should have belonged to Chen Yang all along, lay quietly.
It was precisely the Volcanic Stone Flame, ranked 17th on the strange fire ranking list!