Using a condensed Heavenly Flame alone was already an extremely draining task, as previous experiments had shown.
Now, not only was it being used alone, but it also had to be split into nearly its origin essence. The combination of these two factors naturally made the consumption of Dou Qi even more terrifying.
When the five wisps of Heavenly Flame were placed on the palm-sized flame-feathered beast hide, the intense heat they emitted immediately caused the hide to sizzle.
Two different fire-attribute materials collided in a clash of temperatures.
"Sacred Seal!" Xiao Yan shouted deeply, his palm imbued with a strange black energy pressing down onto the beast hide.
The peculiar energy unfurled into a mysterious magic array, spinning rapidly as it forced all five wisps of Heavenly Flame into the hide.
A ripple of energy spread out, and at the moment the seal was completed, the originally fiery-red beast hide underwent a dramatic transformation. A black dot appeared at its center, quickly spreading across the entire hide, altering its appearance entirely.
Xiao Yan let out a surprised sound as he observed the now pitch-black hide, which seemed to shimmer with countless dazzling stars.
However, the appearance was unimportant—what truly mattered was the effect it could produce.
His extensive experience in crafting puppets once again proved useful. Xiao Yan concentrated his Dou Qi into his fingers and methodically began drawing runes on the hide to activate the Heavenly Flame.
Though both utilized beast flames, the application in the Blazing Spirit Armor was far gentler compared to the extreme outburst of the Three Great Heavenly Flame Transformations.
Moreover, since the flames were external and lacked a source, the Heavenly Flame within the Blazing Spirit Armor required multiple auxiliary runes for activation, stabilization, and recovery.
This ensured that during battle, the energy wouldn't become too violent, and after combat, it could recover on its own, avoiding becoming a one-time-use item.
Xiao Yan had already gained a deep understanding of this energy utilization method through his puppet-making.
The only difference this time was that he was using the狂暴的 Heavenly Flame, which was far more difficult to control.
"Merge!" With a low roar from Xiao Yan, the runes drawn by his fingers instantly sank into the beast hide.
In that instant, the starlight on the hide began to shimmer and flow as if it had been given life.
Looking at the finished product in his hand, Xiao Yan smiled faintly. "The ultra-low-tier version of the Blazing Spirit Armor is complete."
With a hand seal, he activated it and began testing its effects.
Stabilized by the runes, even the狂暴的 Heavenly Flame could only release its energy gradually.
Amid a dazzling burst of light, Xiao Yan could feel a substantial energy emanating from the hide in his palm.
In that brief moment, the hide seemed to become an extension of his body, and his strength noticeably increased with this additional energy.
Unlike the Flame Mark, which purely increased Dou Qi quantity, this enhancement not only boosted his Dou Qi but also tangibly raised his power level.
However, the Heavenly Flame sealed this time was far too weak. For a Two-Star Dou Huang like him, the improvement wasn't transformative—far inferior to the effects of the Flame Mark.
When the Flame Mark was activated, the increase in Dou Qi, combined with his mastery of numerous high-level Dou Techniques, allowed him to amplify his combat prowess even without a direct rise in power level.
With enough powerful techniques, as long as the opponent wasn't overwhelmingly strong, he could eventually wear them down.
After fifteen minutes, Xiao Yan's enhanced strength returned to normal, and the beast hide, now drained of its Heavenly Flame energy, dimmed significantly as it slowly absorbed natural energy to replenish itself.
"Fifteen minutes…" Xiao Yan lowered his head in thought. "At this stage, the material itself isn't an issue. If the scale is expanded, both the magnitude and duration of the enhancement will increase. But the question is—will it still hold up then?"
A single success didn't guarantee future ones. Otherwise, he wouldn't have prepared to craft a female version first, intending for Yun Yun, a Dou Huang powerhouse, to test it.
Storing away the ultra-low-tier Blazing Spirit Armor, Xiao Yan swallowed a Dou Qi recovery pill and began circulating the "Vajra Fourfold Purity" secret technique.
Golden light radiated from his body as his heart instantly turned into a blazing furnace. His Dou Qi was refined by the scorching heat as it circulated.
Simultaneously, once the refined Dou Qi completed its circulation, his meridians, bones, and cells would all undergo strengthening.
This way, Xiao Yan could not only accelerate the absorption of medicinal energy but also neutralize the toxins within the pills.
These toxins were negligible for most people, but for someone like Xiao Yan, who had consumed countless pills to nourish his Heavenly Flames, the accumulated toxins in his body had reached a terrifying level.
Although there had been some deviation in the condensation process of the Fallen Heart Flame, resulting in a secret technique far less remarkable than the "Three Thousand Stars Technique" (which could accelerate Heavenly Flame condensation), the secret techniques "Bodhi Three Realizations" and "Vajra Fourfold Purity" surpassed the effects of the Fallen Heart Flame itself.
Especially in purging the accumulated pill toxins—this was something the Fallen Heart Flame couldn't achieve.
Ever since entering the microscopic world and witnessing the state of his body, Xiao Yan had been deeply satisfied with this effect.
Moreover, as he cultivated these two secret techniques, he gained new insights.
So what if the Fallen Heart Flame's condensation had deviated? Perhaps this deviation could lead him to even greater heights.
Both secret techniques already replicated the effects of the Fallen Heart Flame—even transcending them. In the future, it might be possible to create a Heavenly Flame stronger than the ordinary Fallen Heart Flame.
The condensation of Heavenly Flames was just the beginning. Their evolution and upgrades had no true limits.
Having condensed five Heavenly Flames, Xiao Yan summarized their paths. At best, they could reach or slightly surpass their rankings on the Heavenly Flame List.
But perhaps this path of condensing the Fallen Heart Flame would not only surpass its ranking but also transcend the very nature of the Fallen Heart Flame itself.
Just as Xiao Yan was recovering his Dou Qi, the Purple Crystal Winged Lion King, having consumed two powerful sixth-rank Magic Cores, underwent a sudden transformation.
A towering purple light erupted from the massive beast's body, so dazzling it even overshadowed the sun.
Having just finished washing up, Yun Yun, gently tying up her hair, looked toward the valley entrance and frowned. "Such immense pressure… The Purple Crystal Winged Lion King's strength has increased again?!"
Though magical beasts had long lifespans, their cultivation speed was slow. Yet, in just a few days, the Purple Crystal Winged Lion King's power had risen repeatedly!
The "Purple Origin Refining Extreme Art" was a quasi-Heavenly Tier technique tailor-made for the Purple Crystal Winged Lion King, excelling in energy refinement.
The energy from the two sixth-rank fire-attribute Magic Cores, which would normally take years to absorb and refine, had been fully assimilated by the Lion King in just over a night, thanks to this technique.
(End of Chapter)
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