"Ahh!"


    Even with the "Flame Sutra" at his disposal, Han still felt immense pain as he refined the Ice Spirit Soul Flame.


    It was an intense cold that seeped into his bones, freezing every inch of his body, leaving him numb and immobile.


    The nameless ghost fire wrapped around the Ice Spirit Soul Flame, slowly consuming it, bit by bit.


    First, the outer layer, then the core, and finally, the very essence.


    This time, there was no prior accumulation of experience from the dream realm. Han had to go straight into it, step by step, proceeding with extreme caution, not daring to rush even for a moment.


    In dreams, one could recklessly court danger, but in reality, there was only one life to protect.


    The Ice Spirit Soul Flame lacked any intelligence; it was just a pure flame, which, in theory, would not resist.


    However, the violent fluctuations that occurred when the two fire sources merged were far too dangerous and difficult to control. One wrong move, and it would explode.


    The fusion of fire sources—this was one of the most intense reactions in the world.


    Luckily, the Yin Earth Fire Seal inherently suppressed foreign fires, and Han''s own ghost fire had also evolved, giving it a considerable suppressive effect.


    Lu Qingmo had also prepared auxiliary items for flame refining, leftovers from her previous experiments.


    Most importantly, Han’s cultivation level had reached a certain strength, allowing him to refine the Ice Spirit Soul Flame without much danger.


    Originally, the ghost fire was gray-white tinged with green, but it slowly took on an icy blue hue, with the white parts being replaced.


    Now, a tri-colored flame of gray, blue, and green burned in the palm of Han’s hand—extremely cold, eerily dark, and filled with an ominous aura.


    Lu Qingmo, who had been carefully watching over him, finally relaxed and observed the new Yin fire. After a moment, she nodded with satisfaction.


    "Mo Aunt, do you think it''s strong enough?" Han asked with a grin.


    "What do you think?" she replied with a smile.


    "It’s as strong as it gets!"


    Lu Qingmo chuckled. "After refining two rare flames, your Yin fire is already quite formidable."


    The combination of an initial Yin Earth Fire, Netherfire, and this Ice Fire effectively created a trio of fires merging into one.


    "Previously, you used Yin Earth Fire against the Day-Treading Cultivators. While they struggled to deal with the fire, after being infected with Yin fire for a while, they could still resist."


    "But now, if this fire were to entangle an ordinary Day-Treading Cultivator, they would instantly lose any ability to resist, and in no time, they would be reduced to ashes."


    "If you could refine another heavenly flame, even cultivators of higher realms would burn away in an instant."


    This technique was one that could continue growing; its power depended on the level of Yin Earth Fire one cultivated.


    Han nodded in agreement after hearing Lu Qingmo’s words.


    "Excellent!"


    "You can now begin studying the Yang Earth Fire Seal," Lu Qingmo continued.


    "The Day-Treading Realm allows the soul to have a trace of Yang energy, which is the foundation for cultivating the Yang Earth Fire Seal."


    "At the same time, this seal requires a specific level of Yin Earth Fire. Now that your Yin Fire has met the requirement, you’re ready."


    "Yang Earth Fire is refined using Yin Earth Fire as its base. You must slowly extract pure fire source from it and, with your soul''s Yang energy, reverse it to form the source of Yang Fire."


    Lu Qingmo elaborated on the key points of refining the Yang Earth Fire Seal.


    "Refining Yang Fire from Yin Fire is also the foundation for successfully merging Yin and Yang later, transforming into the Primal Chaos Fire. Only then can both be considered of the same origin."


    "You must comprehend the Yang Earth Fire Seal and understand the method of cultivation. Then, you can slowly refine the pure fire source..."


    She spoke for quite some time, imparting her personal insights and refining experience regarding the Earth Fire Seals.


    Finally, she gave Han a serious reminder.


    "Remember one thing: the number of rare fires refined by Yin Earth Fire and Yang Earth Fire shouldn’t differ by more than one. Otherwise, one fire will be stronger than the other, making it difficult to achieve the balance of Yin and Yang, and ultimately merge into Primal Chaos Fire."


    "If your Yin Earth Fire has refined three different flames, your Yang Earth Fire should also refine three. At the very least, it should have two, but no more than four."


    "If, in the future, you come across more Yin or Yang flames, be cautious before refining and merging them. You must not upset the Yin-Yang balance."


    "The Primal Chaos Fire is the true essence of the Earth Fire Seals. It is the most powerful form. You can even think of Yin and Yang Fire as preparations for it."


    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    Han nodded, committing Lu Qingmo’s words to memory.


    The path of Yin-Yang balance was indeed a profound one.


    Han began to ponder the Yang Earth Fire Seal in his mind. But soon, he heard something coming from Lu Qingmo’s side.


    "Whoo!"


    Suddenly, a strong gust of wind surged, and Lu Qingmo’s aura uncontrollably leaked out, causing Han to feel a bit of pressure.


    He quickly looked at her, only to find her expression filled with surprise.


    She was holding a jade disk in her hand.


    "Mo Aunt, what’s going on?" Han asked.


    "My junior brother sent me a message..." Lu Qingmo took a deep breath and closed her eyes slightly.


    "He said that he found an ancient book in a relic. It contains some information that might help with my situation."


    "Your situation... Mo Aunt, do you have hope of continuing your cultivation?" Han asked, suddenly realizing and feeling excited.


    "I don’t know." Lu Qingmo’s calm demeanor was replaced by some inner turmoil.


    "The contents of the ancient book are still uncertain. The text is written in ancient cryptic language, and much of it hasn''t been deciphered yet."


    "Either way, there’s hope. What should we do next?"


    "I’ll ask him."


    Lu Qingmo said, forming a hand seal and sending a pulse of energy into the jade disk in her hand.


    The jade disk suddenly glowed brightly before dimming again.


    "Mo Aunt, what did he say?"


    "We’ll have to wait a while for my junior brother’s reply," Lu Qingmo said, "Yujing is too far from here. The transmission technique and artifact have a long delay. The message I just received may have been sent by him yesterday."


    "This is still thanks to my junior brother being at Xuandu Temple, where he can use various magical artifacts. If he were elsewhere, it would be much more difficult to send a message."


    "Huh?" Han asked, puzzled, "What if something urgent comes up?"


    "Then we would have to report it to the higher-ups at Xuandu Temple and use special methods to relay the message," Lu Qingmo shook her head.


    "Those methods are highly restricted. They’re not used lightly unless absolutely necessary."


    "Your sound-transmitting snail is an amazing tool, though—it can even communicate across the Black Mountain range."


    "It’s not that magical," Han replied modestly. "The snails do have limitations. If the distance is too great, they stop working."


    But for now, the snails were sufficient. Han could still contact Lu Qingmo within a third of a county''s range.


    Based on the notes in the Immortal Tree’s secret realm, the sound-transmitting snails could grow.


    However, after all this time, Han hadn''t seen any signs of them growing.


    Could it really be that they weren’t growing because he hadn’t been feeding them?


    Noticing Lu Qingmo’s anxiety, Han thought for a moment and asked:


    "Mo Aunt, what’s this ancient cryptic language you mentioned?"


    Changing the topic to distract her, Han added, "What exactly is it?"


    "In ancient times, many sects and families would use a complex and nearly indecipherable cryptic language to record their precious legacies and information," Lu Qingmo explained.


    "Many of these sects have been wiped out over time, but occasionally, ruins appear, and such ancient books are discovered by later generations."


    "This kind of ancient cipher is a very unique form of knowledge," Lu Qingmo explained, her voice carrying a hint of concentration. "Each character has multiple meanings, and when combined, they create something even more complex and ever-changing. Even the same cipher can have different interpretations depending on the time it is read. So, deciphering these ciphers can be quite a hassle."


    "But fortunately, all ancient ciphers have a common origin, a traceable source. As long as you have enough mastery over these ciphers, along with some deduction skills, you can decipher them and uncover the ancient knowledge and secrets they contain."


    True to her words, as Lu Qingmo taught Han, her focus deepened, and the anxiety that had previously clouded her expression seemed to dissipate.


    "My junior brother is particularly good at this," she continued, a slight smile appearing on her face. "He loves exploring ancient ruins."


    Han, curious, asked, "Is this the same junior brother of yours who specializes in soul-binding restrictions?"


    "Yes, that''s him," Lu Qingmo nodded. "Junior Brother Song has a particular fondness for the field of奇门 (Qimen), and he''s involved in all sorts of mysterious arts."


    Han let out a thoughtful sigh. "Your junior brother truly is a remarkable talent—so young, yet already proficient in so many fields. His talent is simply extraordinary."


    But just as he spoke, Han noticed that Lu Qingmo’s expression had shifted in a rather peculiar way.


    "What''s wrong, Aunt Mo?" Han asked, sensing something odd in her mood. "Did I say something wrong?"


    "If Junior Brother Song heard you complimenting him on his youth, he''d be thrilled," she said, her tone teasing. "Especially the part about being so young."


    Han was confused. "What do you mean by that?"


    Lu Qingmo looked at him with a sly smile and then dropped a bombshell. "Because, Junior Brother Song is over a hundred years old. His hair is already grey, and his beard reaches down to his chest."


    Han was taken aback, his mind struggling to process the information. "Wait, what? Over a hundred years old? Your junior brother is over a century old?"


    He looked at Lu Qingmo, then back down at the ground, pondering. After a long pause, he hesitantly asked, "Aunt Mo, if your junior brother is over a hundred, does that mean you...?"


    Lu Qingmo shot him an exaggerated, playful look. "Stop overthinking," she said, rolling her eyes. "Although Junior Brother Song is my junior, he was the one who entered our master''s sect first. But because he got so deeply engrossed in his own pursuits and ignored our master’s guidance, he became somewhat estranged from the sect. That''s why our master only accepted him as a disciple in name."


    "He''s been a named disciple for decades, while I became the true disciple. So, despite him being much older than me, he still has to call me ‘Senior Sister.’"


    Han''s mind raced. He had assumed that Lu Qingmo was much older than she appeared. But now, hearing that her junior brother was over a hundred, it seemed the age gap between them wasn’t as vast as he''d imagined. Yet still... the idea of someone over a century old being called ‘junior’ was something he hadn’t anticipated.


    "Does that mean your junior brother is still just a named disciple?" Han asked, trying to make sense of it all.


    "Yes," Lu Qingmo confirmed. "Despite his impressive abilities, he''s still technically a named disciple. But that doesn’t mean he''s any less capable. He holds quite a bit of power in the Xuan Du Sect."


    Han sighed in relief. While a hundred years of age was a considerable difference, it wasn’t something impossible to accept. Still, the thought of someone being over a hundred years old and still active and vibrant was a little... intimidating.


    "I understand, Aunt Mo," Han said, his thoughts settling. He had learned that just because someone was a named disciple didn''t mean they lacked skill or status. In fact, Junior Brother Song was certainly an extraordinary individual. After all, anyone who lived over a century while constantly exploring ancient ruins had to be strong and capable.


    "Be careful, though," Lu Qingmo added seriously. "If you meet Junior Brother Song in the future, don''t underestimate him just because he''s a named disciple. His standing in the Xuan Du Sect is considerable, and he’s a man of great skill."


    "I understand," Han nodded, a new sense of respect for this elder disciple filling him.


    Lu Qingmo then shared more about her master and the structure of the sect. "Master has four formal disciples and one named disciple. I''m the youngest of the formal disciples. Unfortunately, my second senior sister has passed away. My eldest senior brother, her husband, disappeared after her death. My third senior sister is still alive, but she spends most of her time in seclusion at Xuan Fa Mountain, working on her alchemy. We don’t see her for years."


    The next morning, news finally came through. The delay in the message was no surprise. After all, communication between such distant locations was always slow. The message that arrived made Lu Qingmo smile, but there was still a shadow of uncertainty in her expression.


    "Tiantian Teng," she murmured, her voice filled with intrigue. The name held profound meaning—one that hinted at potential answers for her current dilemma.


    Han watched her carefully. Whatever this news meant, it was clear that it could change everything.