Cultivating nine different powers with a nine-star physique was something many geniuses had attempted since the ancient times. Unfortunately, all of them had failed. It was simply too difficult a cultivation path to pursue. The hard part wasn't gathering nine types of powers; it was cultivating all nine powers to the extremes, accomplishing a never-done-before feat.
Although Xiang Shaoyun had an insane nine-star physique, he was not so arrogant that he believed himself capable of cultivating nine powers to the extremes, reaching the point where he could merge the nine stars into one. He had only cultivated two types of powers thus far and was already feeling overstretched. In fact, he even had the urge to abandon his gold energy and focus only on lightning. He was clear that it wouldn't be sensible to start cultivating the power of flame as well.
Am I going to give up just like that? Xiang Shaoyun questioned himself repeatedly. But at the same time, there was this thought nibbling on his mind, pushing him to absorb this millennium earthcore fire, to not give up on it.
Xiang Shaoyun sank into a long silence of contemplation with the millennium earthcore fire drifting around him and wondering why this human had suddenly stopped communicating with it.
Scenes of everything Xiang Shaoyun had experienced before flipped past his mind one after another. He thought back to the oath he once took: the oath to retake all that was his family's and to trample over all who had betrayed him. He wanted to prove everyone who had once belittled and insulted him that they were all blind.
He wanted to be a man capable of supporting the weight of the heavens on his shoulder. Even so, there was still no need for him to gamble on his future cultivation prospects and step on a cultivation path none had succeeded before. He could still give up on the millennium earthcore fire.
To refine the white tiger bone, his current surroundings were already enough. But then, he suddenly thought of his father whose whereabouts were still unknown to this day. His father had headed to a forbidden area to battle an opponent, and to search for his father in that place, he needed more strength.
At that thought, Xiang Shaoyun's gaze turned resolute as he spoke to himself, "Screw it. I will subdue the millennium earthcore fire first and worry later. At worst, I just have to tread a path nobody has walked before, a path nobody will walk after me. With my talent, nothing can stop me!"
Xiang Shaoyun then started circulating his Heaven Conquering Overlord Manual and drew in the strands of flame energy in the air around him. Since he was the one drawing in the power of flame, the human skin did not stop the strands of flame energy from approaching. Thus, flame energy started gathering in Xiang Shaoyun's body.
The flame energy all gathered in his third star. Xiang Shaoyun was going to turn this star into a star of the fire element. This cultivation session lasted an entire month. A month later, he finally had a considerable amount of flame energy in him, and the cultivation session had also helped consolidate his cultivation base. In fact, his cultivation base was stably growing.
During the month, he would communicate with the millennium earthcore fire every now and then, never fully severing the connection between them. That was all for the sake of maintaining the intimacy between him and the millennium earthcore fire.
Another month passed. Xiang Shaoyun once again used his flame taming technique on the millennium earthcore fire. This time, it started approaching him more. Obviously, him cultivating the power of flame had caused the millennium earthcore fire to be even less opposed to him.
That discovery caused Xiang Shaoyun to be overjoyed. He fully emptied his mind and started focusing on chanting the mantra of the flame taming technique, communicating with the millennium earthcore fire again and again.
Slowly, Xiang Shaoyun came to understand that a naturally occurring flame like this also had its own emotions. As for the millennium earthcore fire before him, it was like a child without a playmate. It required a friend, it needed love, and it wanted a friend to play with. But it was a type of flame that existed in the form of energy. Only those similar to it would be able to form a resonance with it. Others would never be able to understand its thoughts.
Xiang Shaoyun possessed an ancient flame taming technique, which was undoubtedly a wondrous technique that allowed him to understand the earthcore fire. It also allowed the earthcore fire to understand him.
Xiang Shaoyun started persuading the millennium earthcore fire like he would a child, "Just come. A wide and interesting world is waiting out there. Let me take you out to see the world outside. You will definitely like it. I can also help you devour different flames, helping you evolve into an even more powerful existence."
Three days later, the millennium earthcore fire finally understood what Xiang Shaoyun was trying to say. It started approaching him, and Xiang Shaoyun also reached out to pet it. The millennium earthcore fire was a terrifying existence. Anything that directly touched it would be instantly burned to crisp.
Even so, Xiang Shaoyun was reaching out to pet it. If others saw, they would definitely say he was a madman. But was Xiang Shaoyun a madman? Of course not! He did that because he knew if the millennium earthcore fire had accepted him, its flame would not harm him. Sure enough, when his hand touched the millennium earthcore fire, he first felt an intense heat that vanished immediately after. He remained completely unharmed.
Xiang Shaoyun heaved a breath of relief as he thought, The flame taming technique is indeed right. A flame possesses its own wisdom. It is capable of destroying everything. But at the same time, it is also capable of not destroying anything. Everything is on its whim alone. It simply seems destructive because it remains in an agitated mood most of the time. Now that it has accepted me, it will no longer harm me.
The millennium earthcore fire behaved like a child as it turned into a small clump of flame and hopped onto Xiang Shaoyun's palm. There, it started pulsing and playing around happily like a gleeful child.
At this point, Xiang Shaoyun was no longer in any rush to draw it into his body. He had to first make it accept everything about him and drop all resistances before doing that. He spent his subsequent days communicating with the millennium earthcore fire. He had even named the millennium earthcore fire Yun Flame, signifying that it was a flame belonging to him alone.
It was also during this period that Xiang Shaoyun vowed to help Yun Flame evolve into an even higher level of flame, helping it become a hegemon of flames. In the blink of an eye, half a month had passed. Finally, he started the process of absorbing and refining Yun Flame.
"Flame, don't resist, and go along with my will. Only by becoming one with me will I be able to take you to the outside world. In the future, I can help you grow stronger. Remember, do not resist. Otherwise, I will die!" Xiang Shaoyun reminded Yun Flame repeatedly. Only after Yun Flame bent down like it was nodding did he start circulating his Heaven Conquering Overlord Manual to absorb it into his body.
Everything progressed smoothly as Yun Flame did not resist at all. It obediently entered his body and entered the third star. Right after it entered his third star, its power of flame soared. It instantly lit the star on fire, turning it into a star of flame. But the power of flame was too potent, to the point the star seemed to be on the brink of destruction. Even Xiang Shaoyun cried out from the pain.
"AHHHH!"