Liu Xi knew that deep within this Earth Eye, an Earth Core Bead had already formed. It was precisely because of this bead that the Earth Fire emerging from the depths had grown increasingly rare.
The corners of his lips lifted slightly. Closing his eyes, he released his vast Spiritual Power, sending it surging down the Earth Eye toward the fiery depths below.
As his Spiritual Power descended, Liu Xi immediately sensed an oppressive heat. Fortunately, his Heavenly Flames shielded him from harm, though the burning energy was still fierce enough to make his soul tremble faintly.
The deeper his Spiritual Power delved, the more intense the scorching heat became—until even his consciousness felt faintly dizzy.
Liu Xi tensed inwardly. 'The fire poison here is so concentrated that even Heavenly Flames can't completely block it…'
But soon, in the pitch-black depths, a faint red glow began to flicker—causing a small breath of relief to escape him.
'Good… if I couldn't find the Earth Core Bead soon, I'd have to withdraw. No treasure is worth the loss of my soul.'
His Spiritual Power shot forward at blinding speed. In moments, he reached the source of the crimson light.
Before him lay a pool of thick, blood-red liquid, pulsing with terrifying fire-attribute energy. It completely blocked the tunnel of the Earth Eye, like molten blood sealing a wound.
And within that crimson magma-like fluid floated a small, thumb-sized bead—round, lustrous, and glowing with a fiery crimson brilliance.
The bead burned faintly, its inner light flowing like living flame.
"The Earth Core Bead…"
Also called the Earth Heart Flame Bead, it contained an incomparably vast reservoir of energy. Rumor had it that such a bead was often required to refine 8th Tier and even 9th Tier pills.
Liu Xi smiled inwardly. This bead—he was determined to claim it. His Spiritual Power began to coil and tighten around it.
The closer he drew, the stronger the pressure grew. The sheer heat radiating from the bead made even his incorporeal soul ripple.
Ignoring the burning waves, he focused all his attention on the bead. The blood-red liquid pulsed rhythmically, dimming and brightening like a beating heart.
He quickly noticed that when the red glow dimmed, the energy fluctuations weakened slightly. That would be the perfect moment to strike.
Patience was something Liu Xi had in abundance—honed by years of alchemy. Like a hunter waiting in the shadows, his Spiritual Power stayed locked on the bead, waiting for that single, perfect heartbeat.
Time passed silently.
Then—finally—the crimson liquid darkened to its faintest hue.
In that instant, Liu Xi acted.
His Spiritual Power shot forward like lightning, piercing straight into the molten depths. Scalding heat seared across his soul, but he paid it no mind.
In one decisive motion, his Spiritual Power wrapped tightly around the bead and ripped it free. Without lingering to savor success, he immediately turned and sped upward, fleeing the inferno.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The moment the Earth Core Bead left its nest, the blood-red magma lost stability. A thunderous eruption followed as the liquid tore apart, and a flood of Earth Fire roared upward like a volcanic explosion.
Behind him, the surging fire sea devoured everything. Even without a physical body, Liu Xi felt an unbearable suffocation—the heat licking at his very soul. It was as if his backside were literally on fire, and though souls lacked such anatomy, the description felt painfully accurate.
He didn't dare look back. One pause—one hesitation—and the infernal blaze would swallow his spirit whole.
Fortunately, souls moved faster than flesh. In less than a few dozen breaths, the faint light of the Earth Eye's exit appeared before him.
In that instant, Liu Xi's soul snapped back into his body. His eyes flew open as he thrust his hand forward. With a powerful suction, the glowing bead flew into his palm.
He immediately pressed his palm against the black stone slab, sliding it back into place and sealing the Earth Eye completely.
The ground rumbled violently. The stone slab trembled as a torrent of Earth Fire pounded beneath it like a raging beast desperate to break free.
Liu Xi's expression tightened. His Dou Qi surged furiously as he poured his strength downward, pressing the slab with overwhelming force to reinforce the seal.
Just then, the surrounding stone walls began to pulse with light. Streams of radiance converged upon the slab, forming an ancient suppressive power that sank into its surface.
The black stone devoured the gathered light like a bottomless abyss. Its surface shimmered faintly with strange, heavy patterns as it withstood the assault of the Earth Fire—utterly unmoved.
Gradually, the rumbling ceased. The fiery fury below dwindled to a dying ember.
Liu Xi exhaled slowly and turned his head toward Xiao Yixian. She was still seated in calm concentration, her body rhythmically absorbing the last traces of Woeful Poison Qi.
Only then did he glance back at the bead in his hand, a faint warmth pulsing through his palm. A gentle smile tugged at his lips.
"Good… all went well. With this Earth Core Bead as a source of Sun Fire, it should be enough to nurture my Transmuted Flame until it nears the level of a Heavenly Flame."
He lifted the bead into the light. With a soft whoosh, a column of white flame flared upward from its surface.
Liu Xi chuckled quietly, settling himself. Crossing his legs, he began to absorb the Sun Fire produced by the bead. With this Earth Core Bead, strengthening the Transmuted Flame was only a matter of time.
He devoted himself entirely to the refinement process. The white flame's energy streamed into his body, merging into the flame seed within him—growing stronger by the minute.
Three days passed in the blink of an eye.
At that moment, Xiao Yixian's long lashes trembled faintly. Her eyes opened slowly—gentle, violet-gray, and clear as moonlight. A brief haze crossed her gaze before calm recognition returned.
No energy leaked from her form, yet she seemed to merge completely with the heavens and earth—vast and boundless, like an endless ocean whose depths could not be seen.
She lifted one slender jade hand, catching a beam of sunlight that spilled through the altar's cracks. Warmth flowed into her palm.
"So warm…"
Her voice was soft, and then—without warning—two lines of tears slid down her cheeks. Yet her lips curved in a radiant, liberated smile.
The heavy weight that had suffocated her for years—the cursed fate of the Woeful Poison Body—had finally been shattered the instant her Poison Pill formed.
Her gaze shifted toward Liu Xi's back. A tender warmth glowed in her beautiful eyes.
She rose lightly to her feet, utterly unmindful of her unclothed state. Her jade feet rippled the air beneath her as she glided forward, coming to rest behind him.
Then, kneeling softly, she wrapped her arms around his torso, pressing her delicate body close against his back.
"I'll stay with you… until the end of my life."
Liu Xi's eyes darkened slightly, his breath catching. His voice was low and strained. "Xian'er… you do realize… that what you're doing right now is very dangerous?"
Her arms tightened.
Her smile was soft and teasing, voice sweet as honey. "Who's afraid of who? I'm a Dou Zun now, you know."
(End of Chapter)
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