It was a Blazing Lion, its mane burning like flames in the void, gazing down at Jinyao.
Jinyao looked up at the phantom, not retreating, but simply squatting in place, its right paw still pressed against the flame indentation.
“Blazing,” the phantom spoke, its voice deep and resonant, echoing through the empty ruins.
【Trial of Flame initiated.】
【Trial objective: Ignite the “Heart of Flame.”】
【Instructions: Use your own flame to ignite the “Heart of Flame” deep within the stele. The Heart of Flame has long been extinguished; only flames of sufficient purity can rekindle it. The Trial Participant must inject flame into the stele, resonate with the Heart of Flame, and make it burn anew.】
【Note: The Heart of Flame is extremely sensitive to flame purity. Mixed or impure flames cannot ignite it and may even cause a backlash.】
Jinyao tilted its head as it read the text.
“Yanyan?”
What does purity mean?
After the text faded, new words appeared.
【Trial start.】
【Please inject flame into the stele.】
Jinyao turned back to face the stele.
It took a deep breath, opened its mouth, and a ball of flame shot out.
The reddish-orange fireball struck the stele’s surface, exploding against the intricate patterns and dissipating into tiny sparks in the air.
The stele remained completely still.
Jinyao paused, then spat another burst.
Still no reaction.
It tilted its head, its eyes filled with confusion.
“Yanyan?”
Why isn’t it working?
Liu Yi stared at the dissipating sparks on the stele, rapidly analyzing the situation.
Jinyao’s flame was fine; its purity was sufficient, and its power wasn’t lacking.
The problem was that the flame only struck the stele’s surface; it hadn’t been injected into it at all.
“Jinyao,” she said, “don’t just spray it. You need to inject it, send the flame directly into the stele.”
Jinyao blinked, seemingly understanding.
It moved its right paw from the indentation, stared at the stele for a moment, then pressed its paw back onto it.
This time, it didn’t breathe fire. Instead, it closed its eyes, sensing the warm energy within its body.
It guided that energy to flow towards its paw tip, and then, injected it into the stele.
A ripple spread across the stele’s surface, radiating outwards from Jinyao’s paw tip.
The ripple was faint, but it was definitely there.
Jinyao opened its eyes, a flicker of surprise in them.
“Yanyan!”
It felt something inside the stele responding to it.
Liu Yi said, “Keep going.”
Jinyao nodded, injecting more energy into the stele.
Its paw began to glow, golden light seeping from its tip into the stele, and the intricate patterns started to light up from the indentation.
The flame within Jinyao flowed through the stele.
It spread upwards along the patterns, from the base to the body of the stele, and from the body to the very top.
The entire stele was illuminated by golden light; the previously dark red patterns turned golden, dazzling under the reddish-crimson sky.
A scorching heat emanated from Jinyao’s paw tip. It felt something awakening deep within the stele, something that had been dormant for a very long time, now roused by its flame.
The ripples on the stele’s surface intensified, and the golden light grew brighter.
It surged from the stele’s body, coalescing into a swirling light vortex above the stele.
At the center of the light vortex, a reddish-crimson speck of light was slowly forming.
The Heart of Flame.
Jinyao looked up at the forming speck of light, its golden eyes reflecting the burning crimson.
The flame within its body resonated with the speck of light; with every heartbeat, the speck of light grew brighter.
“Yanyan.”
The speck of light suddenly bloomed, erupting with reddish-crimson radiance that illuminated the entire ruins as if it were midday.
That radiance poured down from the top of the stele, flowing in reverse along the golden flame Jinyao had injected, returning to its paw tip and into its body.
The sensation was wonderful, as if something warm and stable had taken root within its body.
The Heart of Flame was ignited.
New text appeared on the stele.
【Trial of Flame - Passed.】
【Completion Reward: Heart of Flame Energy Infusion.】
【Effect: A wisp of the Heart of Flame’s primordial energy has been infused into Jinyao’s body. Fire-type skill power is permanently increased by 10%, perception of flames is greatly enhanced, allowing detection of all Fire-attribute energy sources within a fifty-meter radius. The Heart of Flame’s primordial energy will grow with Jinyao and provide additional energy support during its evolution.】
Jinyao stood before the stele, its right paw still pressed against the indentation.
It lowered its head, looking at its right paw. The warm energy still flowed within its body, more solidified than before, as if something had taken root inside it.
“Yanyan!”
It turned to Liu Yi, its eyes brimming with excitement.
I did it!
Liu Yi walked over, crouched down, and reached out to rub Jinyao’s head.
“Yes, you did.”
Jinyao’s tail wagged high, and its eyes squinted in pleasure from the rubbing.
Ziyue walked over from the side, looking down at Jinyao.
“Bingbing.”
How do you feel?
Jinyao opened its eyes and tilted its head.
“Yanyan.”
I feel warm inside, warmer than before.
Chiying descended from the air, its crimson eyes fixed on Jinyao.
“Mo.”
Can you feel where the Heart of Flame’s energy is?
Jinyao closed its eyes, sensed for a moment, then opened them and pointed to its chest with its right paw.
“Yanyan.”
It’s here.
Chiying’s tail swayed gently.
“Mo.”
Mm.
Liu Yi stood up, her gaze shifting from the left stele to the right one.
The Trial of Fist.
The patterns on that stele were distinctly different from the Stele of Flame; the lines were rougher, bolder, lacking the curves of fire, possessing only the force of a fist.
Carved in the center of the stele’s body was a fist-shaped indentation, with patterns around its edge resembling bone textures.
“Jinyao,” she said, looking down at the little golden lion, “can you keep going?”
Jinyao looked up at the right stele, its eyes full of fighting spirit.
“Yanyan!”
Yes!
Liu Yi’s lips curved into a slight smile.
“Then go for it.”
Jinyao turned from the stele and walked towards the right one.
This time, it didn’t ask Ziyue to lay an ice path. Instead, it walked to the base, pushed off with its hind legs, and leaped directly onto the stele’s base.
It steadied itself on the base, looking up at the fist-shaped indentation, which was even higher than the flame indentation had been.
Jinyao stood on its tiptoes and stretched out its right paw, but still couldn’t reach.
It retracted its paw, squatted on the base, and stared at the indentation for a moment.
Then it jumped down from the base, went to the side of the stele, where there was a protruding stone ridge.
Jinyao gripped the stone ridge with its paws, its body suspended, and climbed upwards little by little.
When it reached a position level with the indentation, it stretched out its right paw and pressed it onto the fist indentation.
The stele lit up.
Jinyao’s paw was pressed against the indentation, and it felt a heavy force surge from within the stele.
That force pressed down on its body, as if something was pulling it downwards.
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