GREEN LOTUS CORE FLAME!!!

"Qinglin!"

Seeing her about to faint, Xie Tianxiao, who had been prepared for this, swiftly caught her in his arms. He gently fed her a pill and asked, "Are you okay? How do you feel?"

Having read the original story, Xie Tianxiao knew that Qinglin would pass out after controlling the Fire Spirit Serpent, so he had made sure to be ready for this.

"I'm fine. I just need a little rest," Qinglin replied softly after taking the pill. Her complexion gradually returned to normal. "I felt suddenly weak and sleepy, but I'm feeling much better now."

"That's good to hear."

Xie Tianxiao carefully put her down and smiled. "You did great, Qinglin. That beast is now your pet."

"Really? That's wonderful!" Qinglin's eyes sparkled with excitement. She felt proud and relieved that she could finally help Xie Tianxiao and no longer felt useless. Her mood instantly lifted.

"Of course," Xie Tianxiao chuckled at her joyful expression. "Now, you can command it however you like. Don't be afraid to give it orders."

Qinglin looked over at the Fire Spirit Serpent and noticed that its once ferocious and hostile eyes were now calm and submissive.

"Come here, little snake," she called softly.

"Hiss!"

The Fire Spirit Serpent responded with a low growl. As soon as Xie Tianxiao released his restraint on it, the massive snake slithered obediently to Qinglin, bowing both of its heads and rubbing affectionately against her.

"So well-behaved." Qinglin smiled and gently patted the snake's heads, clearly pleased with how tame it had become.

"Qinglin, you stay here and rest. Spend some time getting familiar with your new companion," Xie Tianxiao said, glancing at the Fire Spirit Serpent. "I'll go down and absorb the Heavenly Flame. Once I'm done, I'll take you back."

"Alright, Lord Tianxiao," Qinglin nodded before adding, "But please be careful. I'll wait here for your return."

She had heard the two captains of the Iron Desert Mercenary Group talk about the difficulty and danger of absorbing a Heavenly Flame. Even a small mistake could lead to death, and she was genuinely worried for Xie Tianxiao's safety.

"Don't worry." Xie Tianxiao smiled at her concern before his figure gradually distorted and vanished from sight.

---

At the bottom of the lava pit.

The molten lava had disappeared, replaced by a vast area filled with an eerie blue light and intense heat.

"So this is the core of the Heavenly Flame... The temperature here is terrifying," Xie Tianxiao muttered to himself, feeling the intense heat surrounding him. "Anyone below the level of Dou Wang would be reduced to ashes instantly if they fell in here."

 As he marveled at the heat, his gaze locked onto something glowing brilliantly in the distance. His eyes narrowed as he recognized the object.

A delicate blue lotus stood gracefully within the light.

The lotus had eight petals, each one as perfect as if it had been crafted from the finest jade. Around the lotus was a small lotus platform about two to three feet in diameter. Several small holes on the platform contained the purest fire attribute energy, forming lotus seeds.

At the heart of the lotus, a flickering blue flame greedily absorbed the violent fire energy from the surrounding lava.

"This… This is the 'Green Lotus Core Flame', ranked nineteenth on the Heavenly Flame list!" Xie Tianxiao's heart surged with excitement. Finally, he had found the legendary flame described in the original story.

The 'Green Lotus Core Flame' was born deep within the earth, forged by countless cycles of subterranean fire, compression, and fusion. After ten years, it gained consciousness; after a hundred, it took form. After a thousand years, it blossomed into a lotus, its core giving rise to the blue flame known as the Green Lotus Flame or Green Lotus Core Flame. Its power was so immense that it could trigger volcanic eruptions, unleashing nature's most destructive forces.

"At last, the flame is mine. Who cares about Xiao Yan? I'm taking this!" Xie Tianxiao thought, his eyes filled with greed as he approached the Green Lotus Core Flame.

As Xie Tianxiao neared the flame, the Green Lotus Core Flame sensed the danger and began to release an intense, menacing energy. Blue flames shot out from the lotus petals, aiming straight at Xie Tianxiao.

 "Do you think you can resist?"

Xie Tianxiao didn't flinch. With a simple wave of his hand, the approaching blue flames vanished into thin air. Then, he reached out with his right hand, and a massive black-and-white energy hand formed, gripping the entire Green Lotus Core Flame tightly.

The flame struggled fiercely, sending out bursts of blue fire in an attempt to break free from the energy hand's grip. But Xie Tianxiao, now at the half-saint level and wielding the power of yin-yang flames, had the upper hand. No matter how hard the flame fought, it couldn't escape his grasp.

"I'm not Xiao Yan. A mere flame ranked nineteenth dares challenge me?"

Xie Tianxiao laughed softly, raising the captured flame in front of him.

"Once I absorb you, my strength will rise to a high-level half-saint," he murmured, excitement flashing in his eyes.

"System, begin the devouring process!" Xie Tianxiao commanded, placing his hand directly on the 'Green Lotus Core Flame'.

Ding!

[Heavenly flame detected. Beginning devouring process!]

Ding!

[Host is absorbing a rare Heavenly Flame. Estimated time to complete: forty-nine days.]

[Progress: 1%...]

As the electronic voice echoed in his mind, a massive suction force erupted from Xie Tianxiao's body, slowly drawing the Green Lotus Core Flame into him.

Hearing the system's message, Xie Tianxiao frowned slightly. "Forty-nine days? Does that mean I'll have to stay here for over a month?"

Ding!

[The host's assumption is correct. The absorption process will take forty-nine days, during which time you must remain here.]

"Damn it!"

Xie Tianxiao cursed under his breath. "Why didn't this happen when I devoured the souls in the Soul Palace? Or with the Yin-Yang Flames? Why is it taking so long this time?"

He was clearly frustrated by the unexpected delay.