The millennium earthcore fire was a flame that had only managed to become a high-level flame after 1,000 years of growth. The entirety of the volcanic crater was the turf of the millennium earthcore fire, and for now, this was the only place it could actually move around freely. This would only change when it became a ten millennium earthcore fire. By then, it would be able to change into any form it wanted and leave the place.
After obtaining the flame taming technique from the human skin, Xiang Shaoyun would naturally not give up on subduing the millennium earthcore fire. If it was anyone else who had fallen into the lava, even if that person survived, moving around freely would still be impossible.
In the pool of pure lava and raging flame, it was almost impossible for one to see clearly. Thus, it would be extremely hard to search for the millennium earthcore fire when it was within the lava. However, Xiang Shaoyun had his Nether Soul Domain, which could let him sense his surroundings clearly. In fact, it granted Xiang Shaoyun a full view.
Currently, Xiang Shaoyun was already rather proficient in using the Nether Soul Domain. Inwardly, he thought to himself, In the future, nobody can hope to ambush me anymore since I can now easily sense my surroundings. Too bad the range is still too short. Maybe after my cultivation level increases and my soul power grows, the range will increase as well.
He could sense that the millennium earthcore fire was not far underneath him. Apart from that, he also sensed that there was a living being near the millennium earthcore fire. That living being was not exactly a demonic beast. Rather, it was a herb. For now, he was unable to sense clearly what herb it was. He would have to get nearer for that.
It was unknown if the millennium earthcore fire had actually sensed him approaching, but it suddenly became agitated. It kept changing shapes as its flame pulsed repeatedly, looking incredibly mystical.
Xiang Shaoyun advanced with all his strength, completely ignoring the lava around him. When he was near the millennium earthcore fire, it suddenly transformed into a flame beast king before pouncing him.
Bang! Bang!
The dreadful power of flame emanating from this flame beast king was much scarier than ordinary flame. Not even king-grade weapons could hope to stop the attack. Xiang Shaoyun was greatly frightened, but his only choice was to shut his eyes and pray that the human skin could resist the attack.
The human skin was worthy of being an item from the ancient times. Its fire resistance was far stronger than Xiang Shaoyun's imagination. The millennium earthcore fire's attack arrived but was stopped by the incorporeal power the human skin was emanating. Xiang Shaoyun was completely protected within the skin.
The millennium earthcore fire could not accept it. It attacked continuously to no avail, making it so angry it assumed the form of a furious face. Xiang Shaoyun was overjoyed to discover that he would be perfectly fine facing the millennium earthcore fire.
Haha, time for me to tame you! Xiang Shaoyun thought to himself as he started chanting the flame taming mantra.
The so-called flame taming technique was in fact a technique allowing one to form some sort of resonance with the earthcore fire, allowing the earthcore fire to sense the tamer's goodwill. It would tell the earthcore fire that the tamer would not harm it and would even treat it well, giving it a sense of intimacy.
That might sound simple, but a large amount of patience and perseverance was required. After all, the millennium earthcore fire only had a vague consciousness, and it did not actually know any spoken words. Time would be required to convey the sense of intimacy to it.
The benefit of using a flame taming technique was that after subduing the flame, the compatibility between the tamer and the flame would be near perfect, and usage of the flame would feel much more natural.
Xiang Shaoyun completely emptied his mind and focused only on courting the millennium earthcore fire. This millennium earthcore fire had only come into being not long ago. Thus, it was still rather simple-minded. When it sensed the goodwill Xiang Shaoyun was trying to convey, it slowly calmed down.
However, it no longer rashly approached Xiang Shaoyun like it had. A few days passed, and Xiang Shaoyun found that the millennium earthcore fire was less opposed to him. However, it still refused to let Xiang Shaoyun get anywhere near it.
What is the issue here? Xiang Shaoyun pondered.
With his ancient flame taming technique, he should have been able to easily tame this innocent flame. But he was not succeeding. After thinking about it for a bit, he finally understood the issue.
Xiang Shaoyun cried out in realization, "I don't cultivate the power of flame!"
He only had the power of lightning and gold within him, and he had zero intimacy with the power of flame. Even if he had a flame taming technique, he still wouldn't be able to make the millennium earthcore fire approach him. If he actually cultivated the power of flame, taming the millennium earthcore fire would be much easier.
The realization caused Xiang Shaoyun to feel somewhat disheartened. One might cultivate many types of power, but most cultivators would only focus on one. Only that way would one be able to fully unleash the power one decided to cultivate.
Cultivating more than one type of power would cause one's inner stars to be split in terms of specialization and be unable to fully unleash the strength of any of the cultivated powers. Of course, there was also a benefit to cultivating multiple powers. One would be extremely flexible during battle, and the different powers could complement each other during different situations. Through good combinations of different powers, one would still be able to unleash greatly destructive attacks.
Most cultivators would choose to cultivate two or three types of powers if they decided to cultivate more than one. It was very unlikely for one to cultivate more than three powers because it would only make things messy, causing the strength of any particular power to be more limited. That was why Xiang Shaoyun was hesitating on whether he should cultivate the power of flame.
In the ancient times, there were freaks who only cultivated one type of power, filling all nine stars with one type of energy and exercising perfect control over the chosen power. A person like that is even capable of directly drawing out all the energy from an opponent's star—provided the opponent cultivated the same type of power. Doing so would also cause an imbalance of energy in their opponent's stars, eventually resulting in the opponent's self-destruction.
There were also freaks cultivating two types of powers of either opposing or supplementary elements. They could manipulate the powers in a way that the combination results in a power no weaker than those cultivating only one type of power. In fact, such combinations are even more extraordinary.
As for those cultivating three or four types of powers, there are no records. On the other hand, there exist records of those cultivating five types of powers, also otherwise known as the five elements. These people are recorded to possess the primal astral physique, a physique said to be born for battle. People with this physique naturally have five stars, but this physique is different from ordinary five-star physiques. It is a physique that innately allows one to store five different powers and transform them into a primal astral energy that will make one undefeatable in battle.
As for those cultivating six or more types of powers, these people are almost always known as people with mediocre accomplishments in cultivation, Xiang Shaoyun pondered. He then recalled something he once read: Nine stars present together; nine origins return to one. Capable of creation and destruction; life, death, and reincarnation with a snap of one's fingers.
It was in fact a text from a prophecy. It meant that through a nine-star physique, one could store nine types of powers in one's body. With that, one would be able to create and destroy all living beings, possessing the power to control life, death, and reincarnation as easy as snapping one's fingers.