"I can help you break the seal."
A wisp of black flame emerged from the tip of Xiao Yan's finger.
Even though the Nihility Devouring Flame was still just a Seed Flame, merely a child among Heavenly Flames, it still possessed the miraculous power unique to such flames. Moreover, it was the 2nd-ranked Nihility Devouring Flame.
The Amethyst Winged Lion King had merely used its body's Amethyst Flame to block Yun Yun's meridians and seal her Dou Qi. If the Nihility Devouring Flame could devour the amethyst crystals within her meridian points, she would naturally regain her Dou Emperor strength.
Her physical injuries were of no concern, as Yun Yun herself had medicinal pills to heal her wounds.
Yun Yun's beautiful eyes focused on the black flame on Xiao Yan's fingertip, her delicate eyebrows slightly furrowed as she asked in confusion, "Fire condensation requires the skills of at least a 4th-tier alchemist or someone with Dou Spirit cultivation. Your combat power seems to be at the Dou Grandmaster realm, but your cultivation should only be at the Dou Master realm."
She was utterly perplexed, the young man in front of her had completely shattered her understanding of what was possible.
Only 4th-tier alchemists and those with Dou Spirit or higher cultivation could achieve fire condensation, yet he, a mere Dou Master, had done it.
Even the ability to transform Dou Qi into wings, which normally required the strength of a Dou King, had been achieved by him.
And now, a seal that she, a Dou Emperor, couldn't break, he claimed to have a solution for.
Was he really a Dou Master? Why did he seem more like a Dou Ancestor?
"This black flame of yours is very strange. It feels weak, but somehow it gives off a very dangerous feeling." Yun Yun wasn't an alchemist and was unaware of the Heavenly Flame Ranking. She knew of the existence of Heavenly Flames, but this black flame seemed too weak compared to the ones she knew, so she hadn't considered the possibility.
"It's a family heirloom. It may be a bit weak, but it's very effective," Xiao Yan touched his nose as he lied without batting an eye.
"Let me see where the seal of the Amethyst Winged Lion King is. It will take some time to remove it completely."
Yun Yun's body trembled visibly upon hearing Xiao Yan's words. A blush quickly spread across her cheeks.
After pondering for a moment, she gently unfastened the button on the front of her garment. The act of a beauty unbuttoning her clothes made Xiao Yan's mouth dry.
Eventually, a purple-colored rune mark was revealed on the hollow of Yun Yun's sternum. This rune extended numerous purple threads throughout her meridian points, and it was these threads that were blocking the flow of Dou Qi.
Xiao Yan glanced at this purple-colored rune. It was so prominent that even her inner armor could not fully conceal it.
This naturally referred to the rune.
He took a deep breath, pushed aside all distractions, and focused the Nihility Devouring Flame at his fingertip. After that, he gradually approached the edge of the purple rune threads and gently touched Yun Yun's snow-white skin.
"Ah~"
!!!?
Xiao Yan immediately withdrew his hand at the sound of her scream. His pupils dilated in shock.
What are you screaming for?!
Looking at Yun Yun, whose cheeks were as red as apples and who was visibly embarrassed, Xiao Yan bit his tongue slightly and said in a deep voice, "Miss Yun Zhi, please bear with the pain a little."
Xiao Yan's lying skills were becoming more and more refined. That scream didn't sound like it came from pain at all. He had never before tried to use the Nihility Devouring Flame to devour a seal, so he didn't know what it would feel like.
Only Yun Yun knew that when the Nihility Devouring Flame entered her skin and began to devour the Amethyst Flame, the collision of the two flames caused a searing current to seep into her body, making it heat up.
Xiao Yan's hand trembled slightly as the devouring power of the Nihility Devouring Flame slowly consumed the seal of the Amethyst Winged Lion King.
Meanwhile, Yun Yun slowly closed her beautiful eyes, her long eyelashes trembling slightly. She pressed her lips tightly shut and her hands tightly clutched the hem of her dress, forcibly suppressing the 'pain' to prevent herself from making a sound.
Xiao Yan withdrew his finger after exhausting all of his Dou Qi and turned around to say, "Let's continue tomorrow after I've recovered my Dou Qi."
"Oh." Yun Yun exhaled a breath of warm air, her skin glowing red as if she had just soaked in a hot bath, her eyes and expression conveying a hint of spring.
"You can stay in the cave for now; I'll keep watch outside tonight."
Watching Xiao Yan's retreating back, Yun Yun showed a smile, "Thank you."
Once Xiao Yan was far enough away, he let out a long breath. His mind recalled the feel of her skin, which caused a flutter in his heart.
He couldn't help but compare it to Xun Er's skin.
'Thirty-something years old, yet her skin is still so well cared for.' It was evident how important Xun Er was in Xiao Yan's heart; he always compared everything to her.
…
In the quiet of the night, Xiao Yan began to meditate in a cross-legged position.
'Hmm? What is this cluster of pure energy within my body?' Xiao Yan suddenly discovered a new, pure energy cluster next to his Acceptance Soul.
The Nihility Devouring Flame could indeed devour everything, but it did not directly transfer any benefits back to him. Instead, the flame itself grew stronger, which in turn strengthened the black flame he wielded. However, his cultivation level did not increase as a result.
'Could this extra pure energy be... Yun Yun's?'
A sudden thought made Xiao Yan's heart skip a beat. He had not expected that while the Nihility Devouring Flame devoured the seal, it would also bring back a small amount of Yun Yun's Dou Qi energy.
Yun Yun was a Dou Emperor, and even a slight leakage of her energy could benefit him immensely.
After calming down and pondering for a long time, a faint smile of secret joy spread across his heart. He considered this extra energy as a kind of 'operation fee.' Once something reached his hands, how could he possibly let it slip away?
Xiao Yan's mind dug deep and controlled this energy cluster with his Spiritual Strength. After that, he began to circulate it along the path outlined by the Flame Mantra. Only when the energy became somewhat viscous did he finally channel it into his Qi cyclone, where it was integrated into his own Dou Qi cultivation.
He couldn't help but lick his lips; with one or two more such energy clusters, he could break through from a 3-star Dou Master to a 4-star. He had only recently reached three stars and hadn't expected such a windfall.
This added an extra layer of anticipation for breaking Yun Yun's seal the next day.
Why the extra anticipation? That, only Xiao Yan knew.
…
Three days later, the purple rune on Yun Yun had been reduced by a large portion, and all the extending purple fire lines had been completely erased. Xiao Yan's fingers moved like an eraser as he slowly traced down the pattern of the rune.
His fingers gradually felt an extraordinary elasticity. Xiao Yan clenched his teeth and muttered to himself, 'Hold on, Xiao Yan, you can't lose to beauty now. If you make a wrong move, Yun Yun might beat you to death on the spot once her Dou Qi is restored.'
'Life is important! Xun Er is still waiting for you at Jia Nan Academy! You can't let her become a widow!'
A powerful aura suddenly awakened as Xiao Yan wrestled with his thoughts. He looked toward Yun Yun who had her eyes closed. That terrifying aura was emanating from within her body.
He quickly withdrew his finger and stepped back as a burst of green-colored Dou Qi erupted from her, forcibly breaking through the remaining seal!
A pair of green wind wings that resembled phoenix wings appeared behind Yun Yun with a whoosh. This signaled her full recovery!
Xiao Yan realized that this play house kind of game was coming to an end when he saw the majestic Yun Yun in front of him. It was time to face the Amethyst Winged Lion King.
Before the seal was broken, he could still hold a playing house mentality, but once it came to fighting, he became a different person altogether.
Yun Yun's delicate hand slowly reached out and gently pressed against his back, infusing a surge of Dou Qi energy into the Purple Cloud Wings.
Then, a pair of green-colored Purple Cloud Wings appeared on Xiao Yan's back.
"This Dou Qi is enough for you to use your flying technique for one hour. If something uncontrollable happens, leave immediately!"
Xiao Yan nodded slightly, his expression instantly turning cold and his gaze sharp as he looked toward the cave of the Amethyst Winged Lion King. The fleeting moments of intimacy from the past few days seemed to be instantly forgotten.
For Xiao Yan, the Ten Thousand Beast Flame was still the top priority in his heart.
Boom! Boom! Two sounds of breaking wind echoed as two green streaks of light, trailing long tails of flame, shot directly toward the cave of the Amethyst Winged Lion King.