"Zi Yan?"
Mu Chen was dumbfounded as he watched Zi Yan gradually grow before his eyes. A surge of heat uncontrollably rose in his lower abdomen. Zi Yan's long hair cascaded down to her hips, her slender figure now fully matured into a stunningly beautiful woman.
Though her eyes were tightly shut, the occasional glimpse of her jade-like skin was enough to drive any man wild.
Mu Chen tried to avert his gaze from Zi Yan's body, but his eyes seemed glued to her. A wicked fire stirred in his lower abdomen. Her face, a masterpiece of nature, was flawless. The sight of her in pain only intensified the urge to embrace and comfort her.
A beauty like jade, her charm was innate.
It wasn't clear how much time had passed, but Zi Yan's internal condition was dire. Her meridians were dried and twisted, resembling plastic tubes scorched by fire. Without any medicinal aids, even her Void Ancient Dragon body couldn't withstand the damage. Her organs were severely deformed. If not for the robust physique of the Void Ancient Dragon lineage, Zi Yan might have been vaporized by the intense heat.
"As long as a single thought remains, one cannot perish."
Zi Yan clenched her teeth, not uttering a single cry of pain. She firmly remembered Mu Chen's words: "As long as a single thread of life remains, one cannot perish."
Yet, despite her resilience, her consciousness grew increasingly faint. She felt as though she was about to step into a world of complete darkness.
At the same time, a strange energy emerged from the depths of Zi Yan's bloodline. The damaged meridians, organs, and bones in her body were nourished by this peculiar energy, and a strange vitality began to reappear within her.
Meridians, organs, and bones were continuously destroyed and then reborn. This cycle of destruction and creation repeated endlessly.
The excruciating pain from this tug-of-war between life and death was unbearable for any human. However, Zi Yan, the future Dragon Queen of the Void Ancient Dragon clan, endured this inhuman torment with unwavering determination.
One thing was certain: if she could endure and awaken, she would truly undergo a metamorphosis.
The transformation was progressing slowly! With no reference for time in the underground magma, Mu Chen had no idea how long it had been when Zi Yan finally opened her eyes.
"Am I still alive?"
These were Zi Yan's first words upon awakening.
"You are alive. Congratulations, Zi Yan, you have obtained the Fallen Heart Flame."
Mu Chen looked at Zi Yan with admiration. To have refined the Fallen Heart Flame without any medicinal assistance once again proved that Zi Yan was no ordinary person.
"Thank you. I won't forget your kindness."
Zi Yan looked at Mu Chen with gratitude, then noticed her voice and was startled. "Why has my voice changed?"
She lowered her head and instinctively looked at her body. A flash of light passed through her eyes as she exclaimed in delight, "I've grown up? Wow, my chest has grown, and so have my hands and feet…"
Zi Yan excitedly examined her body, her eyes filled with excitement. She had only harbored a faint hope of growing up after obtaining the Strange Fire. She never dreamed that her wish would come true.
"Ahem."
Mu Chen coughed lightly, his eyes sweeping over Zi Yan's body before he reminded her, "Before you get too excited, perhaps you should put some clothes on."
"Clothes?"
Zi Yan froze as if struck by lightning. She looked up, her eyes wide as she stared directly at Mu Chen. Only then did she realize she was standing completely naked before him.
However, Zi Yan was different from other shy women. She didn't panic or scream. Instead, she spoke in a calm tone, "I really don't understand humans. Why do you like wearing clothes? Isn't it more convenient to be without them?"
Even as she said this, Zi Yan retrieved a white dress from her Storage Soul Guidance Device. Just as she was about to put it on, she noticed it no longer fit. Pouting, she asked, "Mu Chen, do you have any clothes? Can you lend me something to wear?"
"Of course," Mu Chen replied, taking out a piece of clothing. He walked through the magma, approaching Zi Yan, who was enveloped in milky-white flames, and handed her the garment.
Zi Yan reached out, about to touch the clothes Mu Chen was offering, when she suddenly felt the "Naling" she had just absorbed into the milky-white flames violently tremble.
"What's going on?" Zi Yan frowned.
"What's wrong?" Mu Chen asked.
"I feel like my heart is being tightly gripped by an invisible hand. A strange, wicked fire is suddenly spreading from the Naling. It's strange; I can't control it!" Zi Yan looked shocked as she tried to control the wicked fire, but it refused to obey her commands. Helpless, she turned to Mu Chen for help.
"Wicked fire?" Mu Chen's heart tightened as he suddenly remembered something. Still, he frowned and asked, "Is it causing any harm to your body?"
"Not exactly. But it's making my breathing faster, and there's an increasingly intense heat in my lower abdomen. Mu Chen, am I going to die?" Zi Yan asked anxiously.
"Don't worry, you won't die. This is just a side effect of absorbing the Fallen Heart Flame," Mu Chen reassured her.
"Side effect? What do you mean?" Zi Yan asked, her brows furrowing.
"The Fallen Heart Flame is somewhat special. When a Battle Practitioner refines it, it generates a wicked fire within the body. This wicked fire has effects similar to an aphrodisiac."
"What? An aphrodisiac?"
Zi Yan's eyes widened as she interrupted Mu Chen, staring at him in shock.
"Yes," Mu Chen nodded.
"What should I do? Wait, did you know this would happen beforehand?" Zi Yan asked.
"I did know," Mu Chen admitted.
"So, this was your plan all along? You gave me the Strange Fire just for this moment?" Zi Yan glared at Mu Chen angrily. As a woman, she couldn't accept her first time being manipulated like this.
"What are you implying? Was I wrong to give you the Strange Fire?" Mu Chen retorted sharply. "If that's how you feel, fine, I'll leave."
With that, Mu Chen turned and walked away without hesitation.
Zi Yan was stunned, looking around at the endless sea of fire. If Mu Chen left, what would she do? She had heard that there were hideous monsters in the magma. With the heat in her lower abdomen and no way to dispel it, the thought of her purity being taken by a monster was too horrifying to contemplate.
"Don't go," Zi Yan called out urgently.
(End of Chapter)