Tang Huo'er fuses with a different kind of fire

The next day, in the Quiet Room of the Yan Xin Courtyard.

Tang Huo'er sat cross-legged on a red jade cushion, her expression slightly solemn. Shen Wen and Valley Master Tang Zhen stood to the side, watching quietly.

She no longer hesitated and took out the cold jade box containing the Eighth Grade fire bodhi pill, lifting the lid.

The Medicinal Pill was crimson and round, with pill veins flowing over its surface. A warm and mellow medicinal fragrance wafted out, faintly carrying a strange power that soothed fiery energy.

Tang Huo'er placed the Medicinal Pill into her mouth.

The pill melted upon entry, turning into a warm torrent. It wasn't overbearing; instead, it quietly soaked into her limbs and bones like spring water.

Wherever the medicinal power passed, the burning pain and sluggishness in her Meridians—remnants of the Heavenly Flame's backlash—quickly dissolved like snow meeting the sun.

Shen Wen's Heavenly Realm Soul perception quietly enveloped her, carefully investigating her changes.

With this probe, his heart stirred slightly.

Although he knew the wonderful effects of this pill while refining it yesterday, it wasn't until he witnessed the medicinal power dissolving with his own eyes that he could more clearly "see" the true condition inside Tang Huo'er's body.

Deep within her Dantian, there resided a small, extremely obscure clump of energy that was dim and silver in color.

That wasn't pure Heavenly Flame power, but rather a "scar" imprint left by the violent impact of the Nine Dragon Lightning Flame. It was faintly intertwined with her own Dou Qi and even her Dantian's Origin, like a maggot in the bone.

This hidden injury didn't seem obvious, and its power when erupting might not be world-destroying, but its difficulty lay in its "entanglement."

It had deeply embedded itself into Tang Huo'er's cultivation Foundation. Ordinary Medicinal Pills or Dou Qi flushes would find it hard to eradicate; instead, they might stimulate it to erupt.

If not for Tang Huo'er's special Physique, which was naturally compatible with Heavenly Flames...

And the Bloodline mark flowing within her, passed down through generations of the Burning Flame Valley and sharing the same source as the Nine Dragon Lightning Flame...

Which acted as a buffer and maintenance mechanism, this hidden injury would likely have erupted completely long ago.

She would have been dead and buried long ago; how could she have held on until now?

"Treacherous indeed," Shen Wen thought to himself.

This situation was likely a few degrees more troublesome than what Valley Master Tang Zhen had previously described.

No wonder few in the Burning Flame Valley's history dared to forcibly fuse with this flame when their cultivation was insufficient; the price of failure was too heavy.

As the fire bodhi pill's medicinal power continued to penetrate, that silver scar imprint began to be slowly enveloped and permeated by a layer of soft yet resilient crimson medicinal power.

The medicinal power didn't tear at it forcefully, but rather in a gentle yet firm manner.

It gradually "peeled" it away from its entanglement with the Dantian and Meridians, while simultaneously repairing the scorched Origin.

Tang Huo'er's overall aura became visibly harmonious and stable.

The slight floatiness and restlessness that had been faintly present due to the hidden injury vanished completely, replaced by a solid, full resonance.

Beneath her fair skin, a warm red light faintly flowed; that was the medicinal power tempering her Physique and stabilizing her Foundation.

About an hour later, Tang Huo'er's long eyelashes fluttered slightly, and she slowly opened her eyes.

Those eyes, which were already bright, were now crystal clear and transparent, as if a thousand-pound burden had been lifted, flashing with unprecedented ease and vitality.

She subconsciously circulated her Dou Qi; the flow was incredibly smooth, without a hint of sluggishness or pain. Her Dantian felt warm and full of life.

She looked up, her gaze falling on Shen Wen. The gratitude in her eyes was almost overflowing as she said sincerely, "Shen Wen, thank you! I have never felt this good."

Shen Wen nodded slightly. "The power of the Medicinal Pill has not yet fully dissolved. Right now is when the fire energy in your body is at its smoothest, your old injuries are newly healed, and you are most compatible with the new medicinal power."

“If you want to fuse with the Nine Dragon Lightning Flame, now is the best time.”

"Now?" Hearing this, the joy on Valley Master Tang Zhen's face immediately froze, turning into deep worry.

He looked at his daughter, his brow furrowed. "Huo-er, your injuries have only just healed. Your Dantian and Meridians still need time to stabilize."

“The power of a Heavenly Flame is so violent. If something happens... your father really cannot rest easy.”

It wasn't that he didn't trust Shen Wen, but as a father, having seen the miserable state his daughter was in after the last failed Fusion, that lingering fear was already etched into his very marrow.

He would rather his daughter take it slow, even if she was destined never to wield the complete Heavenly Flame in this life, as long as she was safe.

Shen Wen saw his concerns and directly pointed out the key: "Valley Master Tang, the medicinal power of a complete Eighth Grade fire bodhi pill is not limited to healing."

“The blending of several of its main ingredients inherently has the miraculous effect of soothing Heavenly Flames, protecting the Origin, and increasing the success rate of Fusion.”

“The medicinal power is at its Peak right now. If you wait for it to slowly dissipate with daily cultivation, this 'auxiliary' effect will be greatly diminished. Attempting it now may seem risky, but it is actually the lowest risk and has the highest chance of success.”

He paused and looked at Tang Huo'er: "Of course, the decision is yours."

Tang Huo'er hardly hesitated.

She felt the surging vitality and unprecedented sense of ease within her, and recalled the peerless style Shen Wen displayed when refining the pill—handling heavy tasks as if they were light and shaking lightning with his bare hands. A strong sense of trust inexplicably rose in her heart.

She stood up and walked before Valley Master Tang Zhen, her gaze firm. "Father, I believe in Shen Wen's judgment."

“Last time, I was ill-prepared and too eager for success.”

“This time, with an Eighth Grade Medicinal Pill protecting me, my injuries healed, and my state at its Peak... I don't want to wait anymore.”

“If I don't even dare to try such an opportunity, then I, Tang Huo'er, have no need to pursue the path of the strong anymore.”

The light in his daughter's eyes made Valley Master Tang Zhen both proud and pained.

He opened his mouth, looking at his daughter's determined expression, and then at Shen Wen, who looked calm but naturally carried a convincing aura.

Ultimately, all his words of discouragement turned into a long sigh, and he smiled helplessly. "Fine, fine."

“You've grown up and have your own resolve. Father... trusts you, and trusts Grandmaster Shen.”

Two days later, deep within the Burning Flame Valley's Forbidden Ground, at the Nine Dragon Thunder Gang Pool.

This was a naturally formed magma cavern, but the pool did not contain ordinary magma. Instead, it was filled with a churning, silver, viscous liquid. The scorching heat distorted the space itself.

Above the surface of the pool, nine dragon-shaped phantoms faintly circled and swam, emitting low thunderous sounds and dragon roars, radiating a heart-palpitating ancient pressure.

This place was the usual slumbering spot of the Nine Dragon Lightning Flame, and also the core location where successive Valley Masters of the Burning Flame Valley inherited the Heavenly Flame.

Valley Master Tang Zhen had a solemn expression as he stood by the pool.

His hands formed complex seals, and a dragon-shaped flame mark lit up on his forehead, resonating with the aura in the pool.

He took a deep breath and shouted in a low voice, "Nine Dragon Lightning, hear my command, return temporarily to your Origin!"

As his voice fell, his majestic Dou Zun aura erupted, and a condensed silver pillar of light shot up from the crown of his head into the pool.

The silver liquid in the pool churned violently, and the nine dragon phantoms let out a long cry, throwing themselves into the pillar of light one after another.

A moment later, the pillar of light was withdrawn. Valley Master Tang Zhen's face was slightly pale; clearly, this operation had taken quite a toll.

In the pool, the originally churning silver liquid had calmed significantly. Only in the center floated a fist-sized Origin Flame Seed containing nine dragon shadows, constantly flashing with golden-red lightning.

This was the Nine Dragon Lightning Flame, temporarily released from the Valley Master's control and returned to its most primitive state.