Chapter Twenty-Five: Has Xiao Yan Stood Up?

After obtaining the two supreme arts, the "God Elephant Suppressing Prison Force" and the "Original True Explanation," everyone in the group began to cultivate diligently.

Shi Jian was no exception. In addition to training in those two arts, he also chose the "Black Emperor Water Emperor Fist" from the "Great Five Elements Art." This technique is known for its surging majesty, enduring power, and dense, unyielding strength. It was the perfect match for his monstrous physical power. With the strength of a giant elephant, a single punch from him could withstand even the cubs of ancient fierce beasts.

During the day, he would head out to hunt various fierce beasts and gather precious medicinal herbs, which he then refined into potent medicine using the ancient recipes provided by Willow Deity. At night, instead of staying in Stone Village, he would travel over seventy miles to the chaotic rock waterfall group. This was the very place where Little Point, in the original story, carried out his training.

Here, three great rivers converged and cascaded down from the rocky valley. The waterfalls fell in massive sheets, occasionally bringing down boulders with a deafening roar. To the uninitiated, the sound was like the charge of an army of thousands. It was truly a sacred site for cultivation.

After consuming the precious blood of various beasts, Shi Jian would plunge into the waterfalls to temper his body and absorb energy. The violent pressure of the cascading water refined his physique, and the boulders that occasionally crashed down were enough to make anyone tremble. This practice was not only beneficial for his physical cultivation but also a trial for his mental fortitude. Even without using the strength of the giant elephant, training in these falls was a grueling ordeal for Shi Jian. His body was often covered in bruises, but his progress was terrifyingly rapid.

His cultivation improved steadily, and he had already reached a profound level of mastery in the "Black Emperor Water Emperor Fist." The fist style itself is grand and majestic, and the image of three rivers merging into a waterfall perfectly resonated with its artistic conception. By swimming against the current under these conditions, his understanding of cultivation advanced by leaps and bounds. Within a dozen days, he had already touched the threshold of the extreme limit of the Blood-Moving Realm. During this time, he also kept an eye on the chat group. As he made progress, the other members were also advancing rapidly.

...

In the world of *Battle Through the Heavens*, deep underground, cyan light shrouded the magma. Xiao Yan focused his gaze and saw a cyan lotus standing gracefully within that radiance.

"Green Lotus Core Flame? The Heavenly Flame is truly in this place!" Old Man Yao's excited voice rang in Xiao Yan's ears.

A few days ago, Xiao Yan had told Old Man Yao about the chat group. At first, the elder did not believe him, so Xiao Yan simply showed him the novel *Battle Through the Heavens*. Compared to the heaven-defying cheat that was the chat group, future scripts were no longer a strange concept. After reading it, Old Man Yao was completely unsettled. The book recorded everything that had happened since he and Xiao Yan met. If it were only the past, he could have dismissed it as something Xiao Yan had written himself, but it also contained future events—his own background, his disciple Han Feng, and everything else was documented with a clear, logical progression. This single book shattered his worldview. However, having been hardened by the world, Old Man Yao quickly accepted the reality.

Thus, he and Xiao Yan followed the events described in the book to search for the Green Lotus Core Flame. In the original future, the flame was taken by Queen Medusa, and Xiao Yan had intercepted it later. But now, they had arrived before her, and the flame remained undisturbed.

The cyan flame burned brightly, emitting a dazzling light. At first glance, Xiao Yan was completely captivated.

"The Green Lotus Core Flame is nineteenth on the Heavenly Flame Ranking. It is born deep within the earth, forged and compressed by the magma over countless years... ten years to sprout, a hundred to form, and a thousand to bloom into a lotus!" Old Man Yao was also excited. "Deep within the lotus lies the core flame. It is unfathomably powerful; near volcanic regions, it can even trigger eruptions and cause terrifying destruction. I have prepared items to increase your chances of devouring it, but the fusion process is agonizing. You must be prepared."

Xiao Yan nodded resolutely, his mind settling into a technique uploaded by a group member named Fang Han: the "Red Emperor Fire Emperor Qi." As a fire-attribute technique from the "Great Five Elements Art," it could transform all fire energy. While it might not match the "Original True Explanation" or the "God Elephant Suppressing Prison Force" in grade, the power of the five elements existed in every world. Therefore, the "Great Five Elements Art" would never be suppressed, making it highly applicable for all group members. Almost everyone in the group had chosen one or two chapters to practice, and Xiao Yan had chosen the "Red Emperor Fire Emperor Qi," which claimed to be able to convert any form of fire. It would surely help him subdue the Heavenly Flame.

"If you are ready, go ahead and absorb it. It is best to do so while sitting on the lotus, as they are of the same origin. Even if you fail, the lotus can save your life," Old Man Yao advised.

Xiao Yan nodded and swam toward the cyan lotus, carefully avoiding its roots. On the small lotus platform at its center, a small cluster of cyan flame burned. This was the legendary Green Lotus Core Flame. It seemed alive, greedily absorbing the violent fire-attribute energy from the surrounding magma. Even a Great Master would be burned to ashes in an instant if they approached, were it not for the protection of Old Man Yao's Bone Chilling Flame.

Seeing the small flame, Xiao Yan did not hesitate. He swallowed the Snow Lotus Pill prepared for him and approached. He reached out, and a surge of suction pulled the flame into mid-air. Once it left the lotus, a violent, destructive power awoke within it. The temperature rose a hundred, perhaps a thousand times, instantly sweeping through the underground. The tiny flame expanded a hundredfold, transforming from a house pet into a lion that could terrify all beasts.

Under Old Man Yao's guidance, Xiao Yan braced himself and thrust his hand into the flame, attempting to seize the core. The terrifying heat instantly overwhelmed him, and his protective measures began to fail. At his current level, he would have been reduced to ashes in seconds. Old Man Yao broke into a cold sweat, but Xiao Yan remained calm, enduring the agony as he activated the "Red Emperor Fire Emperor Qi."

The moment he began, the previously violent flames suddenly became docile. Wherever his hand passed, the fire retreated. Xiao Yan easily grasped the core. Old Man Yao watched, stunned—when had refining a Heavenly Flame become so simple?

Xiao Yan looked at the core in his palm, his heart racing. The cyan flame thrashed, and mottled, multicolored energy surged toward him like a five-colored galaxy. The flame was rebelling. Xiao Yan accelerated the "Red Emperor Fire Emperor Qi," and all that mottled energy was converted into fire qi, rapidly boosting his cultivation. He felt his power surging forward.

Xiao Yan had finally risen!