20demayo 852. Inside the Dragon's Belly
852. Inside the Dragon's Belly
After speaking, Xiao Yan quickly turned around, neatly and efficiently sitting cross-legged with his back to the jade basin. His Heavenly Realm soul power quietly spread out, covering an area of over ten thousand feet in radius. No movement could escape his perception, although he wouldn't deliberately try to sense the small area behind him.
After confirming that no energy bodies were approaching, Xiao Yan took out a frozen magical beast bear paw from his storage ring.
Xiao Yan waved his hand, and flames leaped out, enveloping the bear paw. The frost quickly melted, revealing the dark red bear paw flesh underneath.
Huo Zhi glanced at Xiao Yan discreetly, making sure he wasn't paying attention, then swiftly removed her outer robe, revealing her undergarments. Beneath the clothing, her graceful curves were faintly visible as she lightly stepped into the jade basin. Huo Zhi slowly immersed her entire body in the warm medicinal liquid. The emerald green liquid enveloped her slender form, and wisps of medicinal power seeped into her pores, gently cleansing the subtle, hidden injuries caused by the Eight Desolate Annihilation Flames within her body. She comfortably closed her eyes, exhaling a long breath, her cheeks gradually flushing a healthy rosy hue under the influence of the medicine.
Then silence fell, broken only by Huo Zhi's soft breathing in the jade basin and the howling of the wind and sand in the Heavenly Tomb.
The bear paw in Xiao Yan's hand gradually turned golden, with occasional drops of oil.
Huo Zhi opened her eyes and looked at Xiao Yan's straight back, feeling a sense of relief and warmth welling up in her heart.
"My injuries should heal in ten days at most." Huo Zhi was completely immersed in the jade basin, her voice languid. She raised her smooth, lotus-root-like arm and clearly felt the feedback from her body.
"That's good. Your injuries were too severe, and the environment of the Heavenly Tomb is harsh. It's quite impressive that you can maintain this speed."
Xiao Yan didn't even sway; he just kept turning the bear paws while replying.
As the temperature of the medicinal liquid in the basin cooled down, Huo Zhi had absorbed almost all of it. She coughed lightly a few times, and Xiao Yan immediately understood what she meant and nodded slightly.
Huo Zhi leaped out of the jade basin and quickly dressed herself amidst the rustling sounds. She moved swiftly, first using her battle qi to evaporate the water droplets from her body, then changing into a clean set of clothes. The skirt swayed gently, covering her long, fair legs.
When Xiao Yan turned around, he saw that the lingering moisture on Huo Zhi's face accentuated her jade-like skin, her pretty face was slightly flushed, and a few strands of damp hair clung to her forehead, giving her a moist beauty. This beautiful sight belonged only to Xiao Yan, but his gaze remained clear, not lingering on Huo Zhi for long.
Xiao Yan handed her the fragrant roasted monster bear paw: "It's ready, eat it while it's hot."
The unique aroma of bear paws is incredibly tempting.
Upon seeing this, Huo Zhi's eyes immediately lit up with excitement: "Wow, it already looks amazing!"
Ignoring the heat, she opened her mouth and took a big bite of the fattest part. The juices burst in her mouth, and the richness of the meat and the aroma of charcoal grilling made her squint her eyes happily as she chewed with her cheeks bulging.
Seeing this, Xiao Yan smiled. With the soul power of the Heavenly Realm, controlling a bear paw was a piece of cake. He only needed to try a few more times the first time before he could do it very well. Huo Zhi was obviously quite fond of this kind of food.
"Why do you love eating this so much?" Xiao Yan couldn't help but ask. If he hadn't made the bear paw himself, he would have suspected that it had some special cultivation effect.
As Huo Zhi was leisurely tearing into her second piece of meat, she mumbled a reply, "I've always liked it!"
"I worked so hard cultivating every day when I was little, so I always had to eat more to make up for it."
Seeing Huo Zhi's happy demeanor, Xiao Yan realized that this might actually be Huo Zhi's true nature. She had little contact with the outside world, and because of her immense strength and talent, it was easy for people to subconsciously overlook that she was just a young girl in the prime of her life. Beneath Huo Zhi's power lay such simple yet genuine interests.
"I stayed inside that fire dragon's belly for several years without any food, and now I like it even more." Fire Child reminisced as he ate, casually wiping his mouth with his greasy hands.
Xiao Yan smiled knowingly, recalling Huo Zhi and Zi Yan being trapped inside the Three Thousand Burning Flames: "You two have been cultivating for several years like that?"
"That's right. The Three Thousand Burning Flames have been nurtured by the Pill Tower for so many years that they have long since developed sentience. It sensed the aura of the Red Lotus Karmic Flame and initially intended to refine us."
"Oh, it's a different kind of fire, and it even wants to devour other different kinds of fire?" Xiao Yan was intrigued by Huo Zhi's answer. He had absorbed so many different kinds of fire but had never known this before.
Huo Zhi swallowed the food in his mouth and said seriously, "After I returned to the clan, I asked several elders about this matter, and it can be confirmed that as long as a strange fire gains intelligence, it can continuously increase its strength. That Three Thousand Burning Flames absorbed power in the Starry Sky of the Pill Tower for so many years, even a Dou Sheng might not be able to subdue it, it is already extremely terrifying."
"So how did you deal with it?"
"It's fortunate that you brought Zi Yan with you." Huo Zhi continued while taking a bite of bear paw meat, "At first, we were indeed just resisting its refinement, but later, a power with the same origin as the Three Thousand Burning Flames appeared in Zi Yan's body. The Three Thousand Burning Flames was also shocked and finally gave up on devouring and refining the two of us."
Xiao Yan smiled as he listened to this amazing experience. He had been searching for Zi Yan and Huo Zhi in Zhongzhou for several years, and the Starfall Pavilion had released one message after another, but they had not found a trace of the two until the Pill Tower Starfield was accidentally destroyed and the two broke through.
"After that, since you're all alright, why didn't you come out on your own?"
"Back then, we didn't even have the strength of a Dou Zun, so we couldn't break out of there. Fortunately, it was a good place for me to cultivate. My idea was to find a way to cultivate to a level stronger than that strange fire, so that I could break out of there on my own."
"Those Three Thousand Burning Flames were also cunning. Fearing being devoured by us, they frantically absorbed the power in the star field. Finally, when I felt it was about time, you released them."
Huo Zhi shrugged and said, "Those years there were really boring. There was nothing to eat except for the food I kept in my storage ring. I really miss the food outside."
After recounting her experiences, Huo Zhi asked Xiao Yan, "And what about you? I practically witnessed your demise. What have you been doing for the past three years?"