Seeing that Nalan Yanran had finally calmed down, Xiao Yan let out a deep sigh of relief. He looked at her and asked, "Why are you here?"
Nalan Yanran didn't know either. She had been cultivating in her own palace in the Pure Heaven Divine Realm. Then, in the middle of her training, she had been inexplicably pulled through space and dropped here, wrapped in a surge of energy that kept her from speaking a single word. She'd flown straight into this cave entrance, and then… everything that just happened, happened.
"I… I don't know either. I just appeared here out of nowhere."
She stood there, rooted in place, completely lost.
"Don't rush. Take it slow."
Xiao Yan gently patted her shoulder, his voice soft.
Something about that gesture made Nalan Yanran feel safe. The panic that had been clawing at her chest slowly began to fade. She gathered her thoughts and told him everything, word by word.
When she finished, Xiao Yan frowned. "Could something have happened to Brother Tian? Could that be why this occurred?"
"I don't know." Nalan Yanran suddenly felt utterly useless. She couldn't even understand what was happening to her own body.
"Then I'll go back up with you. I can use this chance to check on Brother Tian. I want to help him—even if it means trading my life for his, I won't hesitate."
A sharp glint flashed in Xiao Yan's eyes. His Third Brother was his benefactor. Without Brother Tian, he had no idea how much more suffering he would have endured as a child. At his most helpless, Brother Tian had stood in front of him, shielding him. And all through those years, he had kept helping him—even giving him the Heavenly Flame he had fought so hard to obtain.
Before, the Heavenly Flame had just been a concept to him. Only after truly possessing it did he understand its weight. It had elevated his cultivation, his techniques, his alchemy. All of his current strength was tied to it. The Burning Technique, the Three Mysterious Transformations, the Fire Lotus—every trump card had undergone a complete transformation because of that flame.
When he learned he still needed more Heavenly Flames, Brother Tian had spent ages negotiating with the academy, even weakening the Fallen Heart Flame so Xiao Yan could subdue it safely. Everything had been laid out for him.
Purple Cloud Wings unfurled behind Xiao Yan's back. He was just about to grab Nalan Yanran and fly upward when Yao Lao's voice echoed in his mind.
"Yan'er, you can't get out right now. The cave entrance was sealed again after you entered. With your current strength, you can't break it."
Xiao Yan froze. "Can't get out? Then what do I do?"
"Have you forgotten why you came in here in the first place? Or has a pretty face made you lose your head?"
Yao Lao watched his disciple, who seemed to have completely misplaced his usual sharpness, and scolded him with a laugh.
Xiao Yan looked up at Nalan Yanran. He still had plenty of good feelings toward her now, but the memory of her breaking off their engagement remained a thorn that had never fully pulled free.
Nalan Yanran caught his gaze. "What's wrong? Is something wrong with me?"
"No. It's just that we can't leave for now. The cave entrance is sealed. Stay here and don't wander off."
Xiao Yan shook his head.
Nalan Yanran saw the seriousness on his face. Combined with her complete ignorance of this place, she obediently nodded.
Xiao Yan stared at the docile girl before him. It was hard to connect her with the arrogant Nalan Yanran he remembered.
He shook the thoughts from his mind and walked to the edge of the stone platform. He lowered his head and stared down at the churning, exploding magma below.
"Teacher, what do I do?" Xiao Yan asked inwardly.
"Jump down."
"What? Jump down? I feel like I'll melt!"
If Nalan Yanran hadn't been standing right there, Yao Lao would have materialized just to rap Xiao Yan on the head.
"Wrap yourself in the Green Lotus Core Flame and jump. You have a Heavenly Flame protecting you—this level of magma heat is nothing. And time is precious right now. You need to find the Fallen Heart Flame as quickly as possible, or it'll recover enough to make things much harder."
Yao Lao's helpless voice echoed in Xiao Yan's mind. *Where did my old Yan'er go? Whoever you are, get out of him right now.*
Hearing Yao Lao's words, Xiao Yan didn't hesitate further. He prepared to jump into the magma below.
The moment Nalan Yanran saw him move, she rushed behind him and threw her arms around him, her voice thick with worry. "What are you doing?! I already said I forgave you! You don't have to throw your life away over this!"
Xiao Yan felt the soft warmth pressed against his back. Her words made it clear—she had completely misunderstood. And it was his fault for not explaining.
He gently tried to pry her hands off, but her grip was iron-tight. He used a little Dou Qi to carefully shake them loose. Turning around, he found Nalan Yanran's eyes already glistening with anxious tears. Worry was written across every inch of her face.
Seeing that expression, something in Xiao Yan's heart went soft. He sighed and reached out, gently wiping the tears from the corners of her eyes. "Did you forget what I am? I'm going down to take care of something. Don't worry. Nothing's going to happen to me."
Nalan Yanran heard his words and suddenly remembered—Xiao Yan was an Alchemist. He possessed a Heavenly Flame. She had been so frantic she'd completely forgotten.
"Then… you have to protect yourself. I'll wait for you here."
She awkwardly fidgeted with her fingernails, her voice barely above a whisper.
Xiao Yan nodded gently. He reached out and tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear. "Stay right here. Don't wander around. Other places can be very dangerous."
Without waiting for her response, he turned and leaped into the magma below.
As he fell, green flames erupted from his body, wrapping him completely. With a splash, he plunged into the molten sea.
"Teacher, this place is enormous. How am I supposed to find it?"
Once inside the magma world, Xiao Yan realized the underground space was staggeringly vast. Endless red magma stretched in every direction. It would be far too easy to lose all sense of direction.
"Keep diving to your left. I can sense its lingering aura."
About two breaths after Xiao Yan asked, Yao Lao's reply came.
Xiao Yan didn't hesitate. He dove left, cutting through the magma like a green comet.
On the platform, left alone, Nalan Yanran stared at the spot where Xiao Yan had vanished into the molten sea. She…