Chapter 7: Evolution of the Fallen Heart Flame

Yunluo Li, July 15, 9993.

The twenty-third day of summer vacation.

I came again to the Earth Fire Fissure deep in Hou Shan.

It had been nearly ten days since I last discovered this place; during this period, I had come here every day to cultivate for half a day. The magma at the bottom of the fissure flowed silently, sending out waves of heat that struck my face, distorting the air around me.

Today was different.

The Fallen Heart Flame trembled slightly within my body.

I fell silent for a moment, then began to chant a Magic spell.

Air currents circled my entire body; I stepped forward into the air above the fissure and slowly descended.

The deeper I went, the higher the temperature.

When I had descended halfway, sweat was already pouring from my body. At ten meters down, my skin began to burn. At five meters down, I had to raise a thin layer of Magic shield.

Finally, my feet touched solid ground.

The bottom of the fissure was a narrow passage, with dark red rock walls on both sides and scorching ground beneath my feet. About thirty or forty meters ahead, I could see a patch of dark red light—that was the magma pool.

I walked forward along the passage.

The beating of the Fallen Heart Flame grew more and more violent; that craving almost spilled out of my body. I could feel that something ahead was attracting it.

Reaching the end of the passage, the view suddenly opened up before me.

This was an underground space about twenty zhang square, with a churning pool of magma in the center. Bubbles occasionally rose to the surface of the magma, splashing tiny sparks when they burst.

What attracted me most was the very center of the magma pool.

There lay a black rock, about the size of a millstone. The rock's surface was covered in cracks, through which red-hot light shone. And atop the rock stood a small plant, entirely crimson.

"This is..."

I carefully recalled the Rare Plants of the Magical Beast Mountain Range I had seen in the library, and a name surfaced in my mind—

Sunfire Grass.

An extremely rare Fire-attribute spiritual herb that grows only in places where Fire Element is extremely concentrated, and must be near magma. It is said to take a hundred years to mature; when mature, the Sunfire Grass condenses a "Sunfire Pearl" at its tip, containing pure Fire Element energy.

The one before me had just matured.

No wonder the Fallen Heart Flame was so agitated.

But the problem arose: in the center of the magma pool, how to cross?

I looked around; there was no bridge, no path. The only way was to fly over. But with my current half-baked floating technique, whether I could land precisely on that rock was hard to say.

If I fell into the magma, I would truly become a skewer.

"I'll take a gamble."

I took a deep breath and began to chant the floating technique's spell.

Air currents circled my body once more; I slowly rose and drifted toward the center of the magma pool.

Three zhang, two zhang, one zhang—

Closer.

Just as I was less than two meters from that rock, the surface of the magma pool suddenly exploded!

A crimson shadow shot out from the magma, lunging at me!

My pupils contracted; before I could see what it was, I instinctively activated the Fallen Heart Flame.

Milky-white flames erupted from my palm, colliding head-on with that shadow.

"Sss—!"

A piercing shriek; that thing, struck by the Fallen Heart Flame, was knocked flying backward, smashed against the rock wall, then rolled onto the ground.

I finally saw its form—

It was a snake. Entirely crimson, about two meters long, covered in fine scales, with a pair of dark golden eyes. Struck by the Fallen Heart Flame, it bore a charred black mark on its body, yet it still writhed, clearly not dead yet.

A Level Four Magical Beast, the Fire-Scale Snake.

The Yunluo Shanmai Moshou Tujian records: Fire-Scale Snake, a Fire-attribute Level Four Magical Beast, fond of inhabiting areas near magma; fast, highly aggressive, capable of spitting fire. Its weakness is sensitivity to low temperatures, but its fire resistance is extremely strong.

"Fire resistance is strong?" I looked at the charred mark on its body and silently added in my heart, "It seems the 'fire' of the Fallen Heart Flame is different from ordinary fire."

The Fire-Scale Snake writhed its body, those dark golden eyes staring fixedly at me, filled with dread. It did not attack again but slowly retreated.

I did not pursue.

My target was the Sunfire Grass, not this snake. Moreover, fighting in such a place, if I fell into the magma, it would be a huge loss.

The Fire-Scale Snake retreated to a corner, then with a whoosh darted into a rock crack and vanished.

I breathed a sigh of relief and continued drifting toward that rock.

Finally, my feet stepped onto the rock.

The rock was very hot; I could feel the temperature even through the soles of my shoes. I squatted down and carefully examined the Sunfire Grass.

Observing it at close range, I could feel its extraordinariness even more. Its three leaves seemed carved from red crystal, with internal veins clearly visible. The Sunfire Pearl at the tip was only the size of a grain of rice, yet it emitted a soft red light, drawing Fire Element from the surroundings toward it.

I reached out and gently plucked the Sunfire Pearl.

The pearl felt warm in my hand, smooth to the touch. The moment I plucked it, the three leaves withered and turned black at a speed visible to the naked eye, finally turning to ash.

The essence of the Sunfire Grass was all in the pearl.

Before I could decide how to handle this pearl, the Fallen Heart Flame within my body suddenly beat violently. That craving almost burst through my chest—

It wanted this pearl.

I did not hesitate; I held the Sunfire Pearl in my palm and activated the Fallen Heart Flame.

The pearl instantly melted, turning into a stream of pure crimson energy that surged into my body through my palm. The Fallen Heart Flame, like a beast starved for ages, swallowed this energy in one gulp.

Then—

A wave of heat erupted from within my body!

My entire body felt as if it had been ignited; my skin instantly turned crimson, and the moment sweat seeped out, it evaporated. The air around me twisted even more violently, and the rocks beneath my feet even began to crack.

I do not know how much time passed before the heat waves gradually subsided.

I opened my eyes.

The Fallen Heart Flame within my body had grown nearly twice as large as before, changing from its original transparent, colorless state to a faint milky white. I could clearly perceive that its amplification of me had become stronger.

【Fallen Heart Flame has evolved: Infant Stage → Growth Stage.】

【Current Abilities: Automatic Cultivation Speed +150%, Flame Temperature +80%, Heart-Attacking Ability Enhanced.】

The System's voice rang out in my mind.

I stood up, feeling the changes within my body.

Automatic Cultivation Speed increased from 100% to 150%, Flame Temperature rose from fifty percent to eighty percent, Heart-Attacking Ability enhanced... This meant that my current strength had increased by at least thirty percent.

"It was worth it."

I looked at the magma pools around me, feeling some emotion in my heart. If not for the guidance of the Fallen Heart Flame, I would never have discovered this Sun-Flame Grass. If not for the Fallen Heart Flame's fire naturally suppressing the Fire-Scaled Snake, I would have been in danger just now.

Glancing around to confirm there were no other dangers, I began to walk back.

Retracing my original path, I climbed out of the crack; by the time I stepped onto the ground, it was already evening.

The setting sun slanted westward, and the sunset clouds dyed half the sky red.

I took a deep breath of fresh air, feeling that my entire self was different.

When I returned to the dormitory, it was already dark. After a simple wash, I lay on the bed, closed my eyes, and felt the changes within my body.

The Fallen Heart Flame burned quietly in my chest, more stable and more powerful than before. I could clearly perceive that it was slowly pulsing; with every pulse, a wisp of warm energy flowed into my four limbs and hundred bones, tempering my Magic.

"In another year, I should be able to reach Level Five," I calculated in my mind.

Outside the window, the moonlight was like water.

Beibei, I did not know when, had run over from Linlei's side and lay by my pillow, emitting a faint purring sound.

I smiled and closed my eyes.

【Ding—Detected Host Experience: Fallen Heart Flame Evolution.】

【Hidden Condition Triggered? Sign In?】

The System's voice suddenly rang out.

I silently thought in my heart: Sign In.

【Sign In Successful.】

【Reward Obtained: Gate of Eternal Life · Demon-Suppressing Bead (Fragment) — Can briefly suppress a Magic Beast, reducing its combat power by thirty percent, lasting for the duration of one cup of tea. Limited to once per day.】

A pale gray bead appeared out of thin air in my palm, roughly the size of a thumb, with faint patterns flowing across its surface. I examined it carefully for a moment, then stored it in my bosom.

I had gained another trump card.