36: Traces of Heart Flame, Undercurrent Resurfaces

In the temporary camp deep in the mountains, the bonfire flickered. Lin Chen squatted by the fire, poking at the burning firewood with a branch.

The firelight cast shifting shadows on his chiseled face, and the Hall of Souls brand on his left wrist occasionally sent needle-like stabs of pain.

"Here." Xiao Yan tossed over a waterskin. "It's medicinal tea concocted by Old Yao; it can alleviate the backlash from the brand."

Lin Chen took the waterskin and cautiously sniffed it. A faint medicinal fragrance mixed with a hint of an Otherworldly Flame's aura—it was indeed Yao Chen's handiwork.

He tilted his head back and took a big gulp. The scorching liquid slid down his throat, and the stinging pain from the brand immediately lessened considerably.

"Thanks." Lin Chen wiped his mouth. "But don't expect this small favor to make me eternally grateful."

Xiao Yan smiled indifferently and sat opposite him. "The tracking team just sent back news: the Fallen Heart Flame last appeared near the volcano to the north."

Lin Chen's eyes narrowed slightly. This intelligence matched the location he sensed through the Fallen Heart Flame's Origin. It seemed Xiao Yan genuinely intended to cooperate.

"The terrain there is complex, and Hall of Souls has definitely set up an ambush," Lin Chen said in a low voice. "Especially that Silver Masked Man; he..."

Before he finished speaking, a sudden commotion erupted at the edge of the camp. Both men turned their heads simultaneously, only to see Gu Xun'er walking over with several ancient clan guards.

Her golden eyes, like two small suns in the firelight, looked directly at Lin Chen.

"Brother Xiao Yan, may I speak with this 'friend' alone?" Xun'er's voice was soft but carried an undeniable authority.

Xiao Yan stood up, looking slightly awkward. "Xun'er, Lin Chen, he..."

"Don't worry, I won't make things difficult for him." Xun'er smiled slightly. "I just have some... private questions to ask."

A warning bell rang in Lin Chen's heart. The Young Miss of the ancient clan's "questions" were probably not that simple. But he remained outwardly calm and made a gesture for her to proceed.

Xiao Yan hesitated for a moment but still walked away. Only Lin Chen and Xun'er remained by the bonfire, and the air seemed to solidify.

"Lin Chen, or should I call you... Hall of Souls's 'Shadow Blade'?" Xun'er got straight to the point, a wisp of golden flame dancing on her fingertip.

Lin Chen's pupils contracted slightly. This codename was one he used during secret missions for Hall of Souls, known by no more than five people.

"The ancient clan's intelligence network truly lives up to its reputation," Lin Chen said, forcing himself to remain calm. "But I have no connection with Hall of Souls anymore."

"Is that so?" Xun'er gently raised her hand, and a golden light barrier enveloped the two of them, isolating them from all outside prying. "Then explain why, three hours ago, your brand sent out a message to the outside world?"

Lin Chen's heart trembled violently! This was impossible; he had clearly used Shadow Erosion Dou Qi to Seal the brand... unless...

"You placed a tracking mark on me?" Lin Chen's gaze suddenly turned cold.

Xun'er neither confirmed nor denied it. "Brother Xiao Yan is too trusting. I must guard against risks for him." The golden flame on her fingertip suddenly flared. "Now, tell me the truth, or else..."

"Or else what? You'll kill me?" Lin Chen suddenly laughed. "Then you'll never know Hall of Souls's plans in the ancient realm."

This time, it was Xun'er's expression that changed slightly. "What did you say?"

"The 'Tiandu' branch family in the southwest corner of the ancient realm, haven't three Elders suddenly gone into seclusion recently?" Lin Chen lowered his voice. "And your informant 'Xuan Qi' in Hall of Souls, his contact was suddenly lost last month, right?"

Xun'er's golden flame instantly pressed against Lin Chen's throat. "How do you know these secrets?"

"Because I was the one responsible for cleaning up 'Xuan Qi'," Lin Chen said, his expression unchanged. "But I spared his life, only erasing relevant memories. In exchange, he gave me some... interesting information."

This was a half-truth, half-lie concocted by Lin Chen. He did know some secrets of the ancient realm, but the source was the original plot, not some informant.

Xun'er stared intently into Lin Chen's eyes, seemingly judging the veracity. After a long while, she finally reined in the golden flame slightly. "Why would you help us?"

"I told you, I have no connection with Hall of Souls anymore." Lin Chen revealed the brand on his wrist. "This thing is like a time bomb. Since Yao Chen has a way to remove it, I am naturally willing to cooperate."

"I hope you're telling the truth." Xun'er withdrew the golden light barrier. "I'll be watching you, every step."

She turned and left, her golden dress tracing a graceful arc in the firelight. Lin Chen let out a long breath, his back already drenched in cold sweat. If he had handled that situation with the slightest carelessness, he would probably be a corpse by now.

"How did the talk go?" Xiao Yan returned at an opportune moment, a look of concern on his face.

"Very pleasant." Lin Chen twitched his lips. "Your little girlfriend warned me to stay away from you."

Xiao Yan coughed awkwardly twice. "Xun'er is just... cautious. Let's get to the point, Old Yao found a way to temporarily suppress the brand."

He took out a small jade bottle from his storage ring, inside which was a ball of green and white flames intertwined. "This is a hybrid of Green Lotus Core Flame and Fallen Heart Flame; it can temporarily sever the brand's connection with Hall of Souls."

Lin Chen took the jade bottle and felt the terrifying energy contained within. The combination of these two Otherworldly Flames indeed had the potential to interfere with Hall of Souls's secret technique.

"How do I use it?"

"Drink it directly." Xiao Yan's expression became serious. "But the process will be very painful, and it will only last for twelve hours."

Lin Chen didn't hesitate; he uncorked the bottle and drank it all. The moment the flames entered his throat, he felt as if he had swallowed a ball of molten lava!

A fierce burning sensation spread from his throat all the way to his stomach, then exploded, flowing through his limbs and bones.

"Ugh ah--!"

Lin Chen knelt on the ground, his veins bulging. Strange greenish-white patterns appeared on his skin, and the brand on his left wrist emitted a harsh "sizzling" sound, giving off a wisp of black smoke.

The pain lasted for nearly a quarter of an hour before gradually subsiding. Lin Chen was soaked, as if he had just been pulled out of water, but his eyes gleamed with excitement—the brand's connection was indeed severed!

"How do you feel?" Xiao Yan offered a towel.

"Like being trampled by two elephants." Lin Chen gasped for breath as he stood up. "But it was worth it."

He moved his body and found that his Dou Qi circulated more smoothly than before, even showing faint signs of a Breakthrough. The lingering effects of the two Otherworldly Flames circulated within him, continuously refining his Meridians and bones.

"Old Yao said this counts as an extra benefit," Xiao Yan chuckled. "Now, we should talk about the main business."

He took out a map and spread it on the ground, pointing to the volcanic cluster to the north. "According to multiple sources of intelligence, the Fallen Heart Flame is hidden in this area. But the problem is..."

"Hall of Souls has already laid a net there," Lin Chen interjected. "And I suspect they deliberately drove the Fallen Heart Flame there for a specific purpose."

Xiao Yan's brows furrowed. "What purpose?"

"Sacrifice." Lin Chen's voice was low. "Using the energy of the Fallen Heart Flame to forcibly open the Seal of some ancient ruin."

This was fragmented information he had read from the Silver Masked Man's memories. This plotline was not in the original novel, clearly a plan adjusted by Hall of Souls in response to changing circumstances.

Xiao Yan gasped. "Ancient ruin? Could it be..."

"That's right, it's the legendary place where clues to the 'Purity Lotus Demonic Flame' are hidden." Lin Chen dropped this bombshell.

Xiao Yan suddenly stood up, his eyes flashing with brilliance. "How do you know about the Purity Lotus Demonic Flame? This is a secret even Old Yao isn't clear about!"

"Because I was once a core member of Hall of Souls," Lin Chen lied, his expression unchanged. "All this information was stolen from the Silver Masked Man."

This explanation was plausible, and although Xiao Yan still had doubts, he temporarily accepted it. He pondered for a moment, then suddenly asked, "Why are you telling me this? With your personality, you could completely go treasure hunting alone."

Lin Chen had long anticipated this question and calmly replied, "Two reasons. First, without your Otherworldly Flame's assistance, no one can subdue the Fallen Heart Flame; second..." He pointed to his left wrist. "I need Yao Chen to completely remove this brand, and this is the best bargaining chip."

Xiao Yan looked deeply at Lin Chen, then suddenly extended his hand. "Pleasant cooperation."

Lin Chen grasped that hand. "Each gets what they need."

......

At dawn, an elite squad quietly left the camp and headed north towards the volcanic cluster. Besides Xiao Yan and Lin Chen, there were also Gu Xun'er, Zi Yan, and two Elders from Jia Nan Academy. Such a lineup was enough to walk unhindered in the Black-Corner Region.

"Ahead is the volcanic zone." Grand Elder Su Qian stopped, pointing at the distant smoke-emitting peaks. "The temperature will get higher and higher; everyone conserve your energy."

Lin Chen walked at the end of the team, secretly observing the terrain. Through the Fallen Heart Flame's Origin within his body, he could vaguely sense the main entity's location—at the bottom of the magma lake in the central active volcano.

"Movement!" Zi Yan suddenly perked up her ears. This little girl, a transformed Ancient Void Dragon, possessed extraordinary perception.

Everyone immediately became alert. A moment later, three disheveled figures emerged from behind the rocks ahead—it was none other than the Silver Masked Man and the Red Robed Old Man who had escaped earlier, supporting a dying black-robed person.

"It's people from Hall of Souls!" Xiao Yan immediately adopted a fighting stance.

Unexpectedly, the Silver Masked Man had no intention of attacking; instead, he raised a hand. "Stop! We're not here to fight!"

Lin Chen narrowed his eyes. This was too abnormal; when had people from Hall of Souls ever been so reasonable?

"What's going on?" Su Qian asked in a low voice.

"We... we were tricked!" The Red Robed Old Man gritted his teeth. "That's not an ordinary Fallen Heart Flame at all; it... it's been contaminated by something!"

As he spoke, he pulled back the black-robed man's hood. Everyone gasped—half of the man's face had turned into a grotesque white crystal, and it was still slowly spreading!

"This is... the 'Heart Fire Crystallization' of the Fallen Heart Flame?" Yao Chen's voice came from the ring. "No, normal crystallization should be red..."

"Our squad of ten, now only three remain," the Silver Masked Man's voice was hoarse. "That thing... it can devour Souls!"

Lin Chen's heart jolted. Devour Souls? This wasn't a characteristic of the Fallen Heart Flame; it was more like... the ability of the Void Swallowing Flame! Had Hall of Souls mixed a sub-flame of the Void Swallowing Flame into the Fallen Heart Flame?

This terrifying conjecture sent cold sweat down his back. If this were true, then Hall of Souls's scheme was far more terrifying than imagined!

"What is your purpose?" Xun'er asked coldly.

"Cooperation," the Silver Masked Man said directly. "First, deal with that monster, then each of us will contend for the Otherworldly Flame based on our own abilities."

Xiao Yan and the others exchanged glances. Making a deal with the devil was never wise, but the current situation was indeed strange.

Just as everyone hesitated, the ground suddenly shook violently! The mouth of the central volcano in the distance erupted with a towering pillar of fire, and a white light streaked towards them at an astonishing speed.

"It's coming!" the Red Robed Old Man screamed in terror.

Lin Chen's pupils suddenly contracted. Enveloped within that white light was indeed the Fallen Heart Flame he was familiar with, but at the center of the flame, there was a strange wisp of black—the characteristic of the Void Swallowing Flame!

"Prepare for battle!" Su Qian shouted, his Dou Qi fully erupting.

Lin Chen, however, quietly retreated a few steps. This sudden turn of events had disrupted all his plans; he now had to re-evaluate the situation. If the Void Swallowing Flame truly intervened, then Hall of Souls's goal was probably not just the clue to the Purity Lotus Demonic Flame...

But to use these two Otherworldly Flames as a guide to forcibly open an even more terrifying Seal!