Liu Xi paid no mind to the aftermath of the Fire Spirit Clan's destruction. Even if the heavens themselves took note, he still held the upper hand. Whatever trouble might follow, compared to what he had gained, it was insignificant.
In the Great Thousand Worlds, Heavenly Flames were called Divine Flames, and these sixteen flames, each containing boundless fiery Spiritual Energy, would be enough to push him into an entirely new realm.
Returning to the Burning Heaven Continent, Liu Xi left a few brief instructions for Xuan Pao before heading directly into seclusion within the Burning Heaven Mountain Range.
The only strength was the true foundation of all things.
Within the Burning Heaven Range, Liu Xi sat cross-legged at the crater's edge. Beneath him surged a sea of molten magma, the thick, violent Fire-attributed Spiritual Energy gathering endlessly around him.
After attuning his Spiritual Energy to its peak, Liu Xi slowly opened his eyes. His calm gaze shimmered faintly with flickering flames.
He exhaled deeply and murmured softly, "It's been nearly two years, hasn't it? From the West Heaven Continent to the Merchant Continent, then the Skylaw Continent, and now here at Burning Heaven... finally, I've reached this point."
Two years of wandering across the Great Thousand Worlds had brought his strength to the peak of the Spiritual Grade Heavenly Sovereign. Now, with the sixteen Divine Flames taken from the Fire Spirit Clan, it was time to break through to the next realm.
"Next is the Immortal Grade... Once I reach the Saint Grade, I'll finally have enough power to open the channel between the Great Thousand Worlds and the Dou Qi Continent."
As he spoke, a flick of his sleeve sent streams of Divine Flames into the air. Sixteen flames appeared, each leaping like sentient spirits—some shaped like clouds coiling into dragons, some like white tigers formed of roaring gales, and others like suns burning high above.
Compared to the Heavenly Flames of the Dou Qi Continent, these Divine Flames contained even greater elemental power but lacked the profound spiritual resonance that gave Heavenly Flames their soul.
Even the Burning Heaven Spirit Flame, buried deep beneath the volcano with power approaching Saint Grade, was less alive than the Heavenly Flames that had birthed their own will.
That was the difference of worlds—Heavenly Flames of the Dou Qi Continent were cherished by the very will of their plane.
Divine Flames like these could only, after tens of thousands of years of nurturing, gain trace awareness—just as the Bodhisattva Ancient Tree had once done.
Still, these sixteen Divine Flames, refined over ages by the Fire Spirit Clan, pulsed with immense Fire Spiritual Energy.
But now, all of them belonged to Liu Xi.
Before him, the sixteen flames quivered faintly. The divine lights that once burned proudly now flickered weakly, trembling in reverence before their new master.
With a deep inhale, Liu Xi drew all sixteen flames into his body, sending them into his Sovereign Sea.
His Divine Spirit stepped forth, a faint azure lotus mark glowing between his brows. Cold, divine eyes gazed downward like those of a god overlooking creation.
"With fire as fuel—refine the self."
In that instant, the sixteen Divine Flames erupted, their cores detonating under his command. Endless torrents of Fire Spiritual Energy burst forth, engulfing his Divine Spirit, Spiritual Body, and Celestial Body.
From the outside, Liu Xi's body sat serenely atop the volcano, wrapped in swirling, multicolored flames. Yet his face remained calm, untouched by pain.
This fire was enough to incinerate any Spiritual Grade Heavenly Sovereign, and even most Immortal Grade ones would fear to touch it—yet Liu Xi had long since grown accustomed to this level of torment.
The Divine Flames' explosion released the Fire Spiritual Energy gathered over tens of millennia, enough to drown mountains and boil the heavens.
As the inferno tempered his being, that raging sea of energy was absorbed and refined, drop by drop, into his body.
Then, at a certain moment, his Spiritual Body reached its ultimate limit.
Boom—!
It shattered through its boundary, bursting forth in radiant light. His entire being began to evolve.
The gap between the Spiritual and Immortal Grades lay in the transformation of the Spiritual Body. Once transcended, it could contain even more of the world's power, granting strength beyond measure.
For others, such advancement might seem impossible—but Liu Xi, who could already overpower Immortal Grade opponents as a Spiritual Grade, was destined to defy that rule.
As his Spiritual Body transformed, his power surged.
Day after day passed—half a month, then one month, then forty-five days later...
Atop the Burning Heaven Volcano, a massive cocoon of light had formed, burning with a terrifying life force and pulsing waves of fiery Spiritual Energy.
Boom, boom, boom!
The cocoon began to throb like a living heart, shaking the world. From its core rippled vast waves of Spiritual Energy that spread for miles—ten thousand, a hundred thousand... until the entire world trembled.
Then came the sound of cracking.
With a final muffled explosion, the cocoon shattered.
A tall figure stood suspended in the air, flames dancing lightly around him like playful spirits—beautiful, agile, and deadly. Each wisp of fire could reduce a Heavenly Sovereign to ash.
He moved his fingers gently, and the flames danced between them, obedient and tamed.
Only Liu Xi—The Sovereign of Flame—could command such docile, divine fire.
He smiled faintly. His power now was more than tenfold stronger than before. With a single thought, he could draw upon the Spiritual Energy of the entire continent.
He had transcended his limits.
"Now I stand at the Middle Immortal Grade Heavenly Sovereign stage. When I reach Late Immortal Grade... I wonder how overwhelming my strength will be then."
Waving his sleeve, Liu Xi dispersed the lingering flames. Ripples of spatial energy spread outward like water.
"When I reach the Saint Grade... moving an entire plane will be no more than a flick of the wrist."
Suddenly, space twisted nearby.
From that distortion stepped an old man in coarse robes, a wine gourd hanging from his waist.
Liu Xi turned his gaze toward him—sharp as a blade. The old man's expression tightened, his body immediately shrouded in Spiritual Energy as he entered full alert.
"Who are you?" Liu Xi asked calmly.
The old man took a deep breath, forcing a smile despite the pressure.
"I am Mo Feng, a guest elder of the Great Thousand Palace," he said respectfully. "I pay my respects to Mister Qing Lian."
(End of Chapter)
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