Chapter 285: Chapter 285: An Unexpected Breakthrough

Ye Xuan couldn’t afford to be shocked. He hastily released streams of Soul Sense and began refining the Endless Molten Flame.

"What are you?"

"You insignificant human, you actually think you can subjugate me?"

A vague ripple emanated from the Endless Molten Flame—clearly the nascent will it had just formed.

Following its will came an even more scorching power.

CRACKLE, CRACKLE.

The surface of Ye Xuan’s body was immediately scorched, his flesh and blood on the verge of being incinerated into nothingness.

Without a change in expression, Ye Xuan swiftly threw out one Array Disc after another. A large number of them surrounded him, isolating him from the flame’s power.

After learning there might be a Celestial Fire here, Ye Xuan had spent the last two days making preparations, specifically forging many Array Discs and Arrays capable of isolating the aura of flames.

With the support of these Array Discs, the fiery power entering Ye Xuan’s body was immediately reduced by more than half.

Seizing the opportunity, Ye Xuan immediately released his Soul Sense with all his might, frantically imprinting it upon the core of the Endless Molten Flame.

"Human, you’re actually engraving your aura on me? No, you can actually refine me? How are you doing this?"

Although the Endless Molten Flame had previously counter-attacked Ye Xuan, it was merely subconscious. The bulk of its vague consciousness’s energy was still focused on the Seven-Colored Lotus above, preparing to use it to absorb the Profound Power from the Demon Beasts and human Martial Artists.

Now that it discovered Ye Xuan could refine it, a sense of panic immediately washed over it, and it turned the majority of its power to attack Ye Xuan.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

The Array Discs, which had previously been able to block most of the Endless Molten Flame’s aura, instantly began to explode one after another. At the same time, an aura several times more scorching than before enveloped Ye Xuan.

Ye Xuan’s body immediately blackened again, the charring spreading inward.

Ye Xuan was horrified. ’At this rate, I’ll be burned to ashes long before I can refine this Endless Molten Flame!’

In his desperation, Ye Xuan could no longer hold back. He immediately activated the Life Martial Soul in his mind.

As soon as the Life Martial Soul appeared, a vigorous life force immediately began to circulate within Ye Xuan’s body, rapidly repairing it.

On one side was the constantly burning flame; on the other, the constantly repairing life force.

The process of his skin, muscles, and even bones being constantly destroyed and reborn left Ye Xuan caught between life and death. The agony was truly beyond words.

Under the constant output of the Life Martial Soul, Ye Xuan’s body gradually recovered its vitality. He finally breathed a sigh of relief, recovered his senses slightly, and increased his efforts to refine the Endless Molten Flame.

He knew that only by completely refining the Endless Molten Flame would he truly be safe.

Unexpectedly, Ye Xuan’s intensified refining efforts only increased the Endless Molten Flame’s resistance.

Ye Xuan, who had just breathed a sigh of relief, once again felt something was wrong. His body had just been repaired when an even stronger wave of fiery power from the Endless Molten Flame swept over him, covering him in scorch marks once more.

Ye Xuan quickly urged his Life Martial Soul to release more life force, but his newly repaired body was soon injured again. After this repeated several times, Ye Xuan immediately noticed a problem.

His Life Martial Soul was currently only one-star. Under his frantic consumption, its life force was showing signs of being unable to keep up. In contrast, the power of the Endless Molten Flame was growing stronger and stronger.

At this rate, it wouldn’t be long before the power in his Life Martial Soul was completely depleted, and he himself would be burned to a crisp by the Endless Molten Flame.

At this thought, Ye Xuan immediately and swiftly took out a large quantity of Spirit Medicines and Profound Stones from his Storage Ring, frantically replenishing the Profound Qi in his body.

At the same time, he rapidly inscribed one array pattern after another, laying down Restrictions while he continued to refine the Endless Molten Flame.

These Restrictions incorporated some of the insights he had just gained.

Despite all these efforts, Ye Xuan still found that his body was gradually heading toward collapse.

Ye Xuan couldn’t help but give a bitter smile. Only now did he realize that with his current strength, he couldn’t casually refine even a newly born Celestial Fire with an immature consciousness.

But things had already come to this. There was no turning back.

Either he would refine the Endless Molten Flame.

Or he would be utterly incinerated by it. There was no other possibility.

Thinking of this, Ye Xuan grit his teeth and spat out a mouthful of blood essence.

"Nine Transformation Sacred Body!"

"Formless Soul Skill!"

"Nine Transformation Arrogant World Skill!"

"Refine for me!"

Ye Xuan let out a low shout, completely unleashing his potential and frantically suppressing the Endless Molten Flame.

BUZZZZ!

Runes for imprisoning the Celestial Fire also appeared from within Ye Xuan’s body—the result of his constant preparations over the past few days.

The Endless Molten Flame also seemed to realize that things had reached the most critical moment. The flames atop it surged even more violently, colliding with Ye Xuan’s power.

BOOM!

The terrifying aura of the Celestial Fire annihilated everything.

CRACKLE, CRACKLE.

Ye Xuan’s physical body began to incinerate at a speed visible to the naked eye.

’Am I going to fail?’

Ye Xuan sighed inwardly.

’Celestial Fire truly lives up to its name as the supreme flame between heaven and earth. The difficulty of refining it is simply not something an Earth Fire can compare to.’

However, this difficulty only served to stir the resolute side of Ye Xuan’s heart.

’I refuse to believe it! I, Ye Xuan, who roamed the cosmos in my past life and started over in this one, will die so easily here.’

’Even if I die, I won’t let you have an easy time of it!’

"Break! Break! Break for me!"

A furious roar erupted from Ye Xuan’s mouth.

BOOM!

Ye Xuan felt as if something inside him had shattered. An astonishing power surged forth, and at the same time, under the last wisp of power from his Life Martial Soul, his body began to recover at an incredible speed.

At the critical moment when his physical body was about to be incinerated...

...having absorbed and consumed a large amount of Spirit Medicines, Pills, and Profound Stones, he actually broke through from the Third Layer of the Earth Martial Artist realm to the Tier Four Celestial Martial Artist realm! At the same time, the constant recovery of his physical body also allowed his Nine Transformation Sacred Body to quietly advance from the Second Transformation to the Third Transformation.

This sudden change at the critical moment instantly snatched Ye Xuan from the jaws of death. The Profound Qi in his body rapidly converted into the more powerful Profound Power, and his Soul Power also quietly broke through to the Late-Fourth Grade.

The moment his Soul Power rose, Ye Xuan suppressed his joy, not daring to delay for even a second. He enveloped the Endless Molten Flame with all his strength and activated all of his Soul Sense to begin refining it.

Ye Xuan, who had been completely suppressed before, immediately gained a slight upper hand.

Sensing the explosive increase in Ye Xuan’s strength and Soul Sense, the Endless Molten Flame seemed to perceive the danger. It actually stopped tangling with Ye Xuan. Freed from his Restrictions, it instead tried to break free from the shackles of his Soul Sense and escape.

How could Ye Xuan let the Endless Molten Flame get its wish? After spending so much energy and suffering so much, how could he possibly let it escape?

The Endless Molten Flame’s attempt to flee immediately gave Ye Xuan the opportunity to counterattack. The Soul Talisman in his mind suddenly bloomed with an infinite aura of Soul Power. Under his Divine Spirit Gaze, Ye Xuan swiftly branded one Soul Seal after another onto the Endless Molten Flame.

Although the Endless Molten Flame possessed a certain level of consciousness, it was still very rudimentary. Under the assault of the experienced Ye Xuan, it was instantly outmaneuvered.

Half an hour later, a panting and completely charred Ye Xuan finally finished refining the Endless Molten Flame.

Ye Xuan immediately felt a harmonious connection form between himself and the Endless Molten Flame. The once incomparably violent flame now felt like an extension of his own body, something he could command as easily as moving a limb.

But just as Ye Xuan was about to properly study the Endless Molten Flame, his senses suddenly picked up something unusual.

Someone was coming!

With no time to investigate who had discovered this place, Ye Xuan directly absorbed the Endless Molten Flame into the space between his eyebrows. He then quickly collected the roots of the Seven-Colored Lotus, and with a flicker of his body, he dove into the tunnel bored out earlier by the earth-drilling beast and swiftly left the area.

As he left, Ye Xuan also sent a message to the Little Purple Mink to make its move.

「In the lava cavern above.」

Without the support of the Endless Molten Flame, the fiery aura on the Seven-Colored Lotus dropped sharply.

The previously flowing Magma Lake also began to gradually solidify.

This phenomenon was immediately noticed by the Demon Beasts and human Martial Artists who were attacking each other.

’Could the Seven-Colored Lotus be picked now?’

The warring human Martial Artists and the swarm of Demon Beasts all froze for a moment, but none made a move.

But in the instant they were stunned...

SWOOSH!

...a streak of purple light shot toward the Seven-Colored Lotus like a sharp arrow. It was the Little Purple Mink.

"Damn it, the Seven-Colored Lotus can be picked!"

"Quick!"

"Where did that little purple thing come from? It’s too cunning! Stop it!"

For a moment, furious shouts rang out one after another. Whether human Martial Artists or Demon Beasts, none had any desire to continue fighting. One by one, they charged madly toward the Seven-Colored Lotus.

SNAP!

Although the Little Purple Mink’s paws were small, its speed was extremely fast. In a brief instant, it had picked three of the seven lotus blossoms.

Just as it was about to pick the fourth...

"Get lost!"

The Profound Beast Black Netherworld was the first to arrive. With a roar, it swatted at the Little Purple Mink while simultaneously grabbing for the lotus blossom closest to it.

Behind Black Netherworld, the other two Tier Five Profound Beasts, Red Flame and White Elephant, were also charging over furiously. A large number of Tier Five Demon Beasts and human Martial Sect warriors also rushed in for the kill, their eyes bloodshot.

The Little Purple Mink let out a mocking laugh. Its body flickered and vanished into thin air, then it instantly reappeared next to the lotus blossom Black Netherworld had its eye on and plucked the fourth one.

As it plucked it, the Little Purple Mink also gave a sharp kick, sending an adjacent lotus blossom flying.

The direction it kicked was right where Dongfang Yanyu and Kuchen were.

THWAP!

A lotus blossom landed in their hands, and both Dongfang Yanyu and Kuchen were stunned.

They never would have expected to obtain a lotus blossom so easily. Wasn’t their luck a bit too good?

"This Little Purple Mink looks so familiar... Why does it look so much like Ye Xuan’s?"

Both Dongfang Yanyu and Kuchen had seen Ye Xuan’s Little Purple Mink before. Their expressions froze, and after a quick glance at each other, they retreated backward without the slightest hesitation.