"Bewitching girl, don't be afraid, your old master has come to save you!" Just as Yaoyao was about to bite her tongue off, a voice, once very familiar yet often ignored, suddenly reached her ears.

Strange, was she hallucinating, seeing his shadow appear? But how could it be his voice? Could it truly just be an illusion? Yaoyao looked carefully in that direction and saw, trailing closely behind Ye Jingyu, a man with a deathly pale face...

If this wasn't Liang Xiaoke, then who was it? Was she truly not mistaken?

As Yaoyao harbored her doubts, streaks of fiery red flames began to erupt from the body of the Scarlet Flame Dragon, which then transformed into a streak of light, shooting directly toward Ye Jingyu's form.

Seeing the Scarlet Flame Dragon attack Ye Jingyu once more, Yaoyao gasped, "Young Master, flee!" In Yaoyao's eyes, the Scarlet Flame Dragon's power was so immense that even masters like Huangfu Buyue and Bai Jingfei were instantly slain. Though Ye Jingyu was stronger than Huangfu Buyue, he might not be its match either?

But Yaoyao’s cry of alarm quickly silenced itself...

Ye Jingyu's figure shot directly in front of the Scarlet Flame Dragon. Facing the dragon's scorching fiery fist, Ye Jingyu didn't even spare it a glance, simply extending one hand to seize its wrist.

Under Yaoyao's horrified gaze, the Scarlet Flame Dragon's arm was instantly crushed to powder by Ye Jingyu’s grip; an overwhelming force utterly destroyed the dragon’s limb.

"Ah..." A scream tore from the Scarlet Flame Dragon's throat, but Ye Jingyu's other hand had already plunged straight into its sternum...

"I hear that all of you in the Yanmo clan possess an Flame Heart, a fire akin to the Earth Core Fire. My Fiery Golden Elixir is still lacking a bit of heat, so please forgive my impoliteness!" Ye Jingyu spoke coldly, his manner akin to a heavenly deity pronouncing judgment upon a mortal's fate.

A tremendous suction force descended, and the scattered flames covering the Yanmo's body were completely absorbed. The Scarlet Flame Dragon struggled, but against Ye Jingyu's sheer violence, resistance was futile.

In less time than it takes to draw a breath, the once arrogant Scarlet Flame Dragon was sucked dry into a desiccated corpse. Its body resembled a stone statue, specifically a gaunt, withered one.

With a "crack..." Ye Jingyu moved one hand, channeling the Starlight Power surging within him, shattering the stone statue into dust.

"Hoo..." Ye Jingyu took a long, deep breath, having completely absorbed the essence and blood of the Scarlet Flame Dragon. The Fire Aperture in his heart grew increasingly full, the crimson mist within surging and churning, becoming ever more refined. In the blink of an eye, it condensed into a swirling cloud of fire. This fire cloud shrunk and brightened until it finally formed a fire-red Golden Elixir. However, a faint wisp of white flame—the Li Fire belonging to the Vermilion Bird lineage—seemed to flow subtly over this elixir.

As the Fiery Golden Elixir took shape, a searing column of flame shot toward the heavens, shining countless times brighter than the Nine Heavens Flame the Scarlet Flame Dragon had unleashed moments before.

Nearly the entire sky was bathed in this pillar of fire, as if nothing else existed in the world but this single blaze.

Gazing upon Ye Jingyu, whose entire body shimmered with fiery light, seeing Ye Jingyu as if he were a celestial god, Yaoyao was utterly mesmerized.

All her life, she had regarded men merely as playthings, as tools. Whether it was the former Young Master or any other man, in her eyes, they were merely instruments to achieve her desires. Even initially, Ye Jingyu was just a slightly more interesting tool, owing to the doctrine ingrained in her from childhood: trust no man.

But as time passed, especially after a conversation with Jiufeng, ripples had begun to stir in her previously still heart, and Ye Jingyu’s image would surface in her mind from time to time.

However, she was, after all, an outstanding disciple of the Hundred Flowers Sect—a seductive woman who would never easily surrender her emotions. Though she might recall Ye Jingyu sometimes, she skillfully suppressed those thoughts, trusting only herself.

Yet, the immense power of the Scarlet Flame Dragon moments ago had brought her a profound sense of despair. At the very edge of death, the only person she thought of was Ye Jingyu.

Having been certain of her demise, Ye Jingyu suddenly appeared and effortlessly annihilated the Scarlet Flame Dragon—the source of her despair—with devastating force. The impact of this display on her heart was colossal.

In that instant, she harbored a single thought: as long as she could be sheltered in his embrace, she would do anything for him.

This was the sort of man worthy of dedicating her life to.

At this moment, Yaoyao was lost, intoxicated, and entranced...

"Waaah, Miss Yaoyao, don't be scared, I'm here to save you!" While Ye Jingyu was dealing with the Scarlet Flame Dragon, Liang Xiaoke had rushed to Yaoyao's side, pulling out a set of clothes and tossing it over her body. He then tenderly helped her up from the ground with deep affection.

But at this moment, Yaoyao’s eyes held no room for him; her gaze, slightly blue, was fixed solely and intensely on Ye Jingyu...

The rampant power continued, the boundless flames burned on. With the formation of Ye Jingyu's Fiery Golden Elixir, the power of the Stars, the power of Thunder, and the power of Fire continuously tempered his physical body, and an ever-strengthening aura emanated from him...

His strength, already capable of contending with experts of the Seventh Heaven, was ceaselessly increasing. Just the mere aura he exuded was enough to shock any master below the Sixth Heaven.

If he were to strike with his full might, he would be capable of battling a Ninth Heaven expert...

And if he added the magical artifacts he possessed, slaying a Ninth Heaven master would not be difficult, though the true extent of their combat disparity would only be known after a fight.

However, Ye Jingyu understood that his power had advanced significantly once more. Furthermore, with the creation of the Fiery Golden Elixir, the influx of fire energy toward the Heaven-Overturning Seal became richer, and the cracks previously shattered by the Eastern Emperor Bell began to slowly mend...

(Apologies for the wait. I've been dealing with some troubling personal matters recently. Rest assured, however, I promise that the minimum daily update of six thousand characters will not be missed. There is one more chapter coming today, but it will be a bit later!)