Outside the Palace of Flames.

The vast sky was shrouded in dark clouds, blotting out the light, making the entire world seem dim, with only the salty air carried from the distant sea swirling like icy crystal light.

Bai Yijun’s snow-white robes billowed in the air; her slender form stood motionless outside the Palace of Flames, like a statue carved from ice and snow.

Her eyes, dazzling as turquoise waves, were fixed on the structure.

Time flowed past her without leaving a trace, and she remained as exquisitely beautiful as an angel.

Beside the Palace of Flames stood a smaller pavilion, upon whose roof three figures were leaning: Bai Long and the others.

“Yue Ling went back to the Ancient World; things are even more boring now.

Xiao Jun just stands there maintaining the barrier day after day, never seeming tired, never saying a word.

Sigh—” Bai Long yawned, his eyes heavy with sleep.

“I wonder how long this fellow plans to stay inside.

A hundred years have passed, and we haven't seen a ripple of movement.

His innate talent really is limited.” Yue Heng glanced sideways at him.

“Why don't you give it a try, then?” “Me? Such a golden opportunity—I’d much rather leave it for you two.

I’ve always been one to sacrifice myself for others,” Bai Long chuckled sleazily.

“Say, after Brother Ye Chen comes out, where should we go? Back to the Ancient World?” Zhuge Fan asked curiously.

Bai Long snorted.

“Absolutely not.

The Ancient World is such a mess, what’s there to go back to? We’ll just head straight for the Great Dark World and wipe that rotten place off the map in one go.” Zhuge Fan whispered, “But I heard that the Great Dark God, one of the Nine Heavenly Gods, didn't actually die and resides in the Great Dark World...

Can the few of us really sweep through him?” “Uh… well… I think the Ancient World might be better after all.

With our powerful cultivation, it would be a complete waste not to go kill a few more headless corpses and save humanity.

That would be like sitting on the privy and refusing to relieve oneself.” Bai Long said with utmost seriousness.

Yue Heng merely glanced at him and snorted, saying nothing more.

While the group chatted, Bai Yijun, standing before the Palace of Flames, continued to gaze fixedly at it, as if trying to pierce the walls with her eyes, to see straight through to the interior.

Though impossible, she felt no discouragement.

Her deepest hope was to see the moment Ye Chen walked out of that sealed door, to be the very first to lay eyes on him.

Inside the Palace of Flames, upon the vast, scorched earth.

Golden flames roared, seeming ready to melt the entire space.

Within this sea of golden fire, stretching as far as the eye could see, sat a solitary black figure, cross-legged.

The raging flames enveloped his body, squeezing sweat, oil, and shedding cells from his skin.

This inconceivably high temperature felt, to Ye Chen, like a gentle spring breeze caressing his face—merely warm, posing no threat whatsoever.

He could even swallow the flames without danger.

After a century of enduring this torment, his body underwent an earth-shattering transformation with every passing moment it was being burned.

Impurities within his physique were purged, as if his current constitution had been completely compressed.

Although he remained at the Divine Emperor realm and had not yet achieved the physical state of the Epoch Realm, he was only a single step away.

Most importantly, his body had grown more robust, filled with resilience, its taut muscle lines resembling those of an ancient War God—a mighty frame radiating a lean, sharp aura.

In the golden sea of fire, Ye Chen slowly opened his eyes.

His gaze shot out like lightning.

He then rose slowly to his feet, his eyes bright with vigor, exuding an unparalleled aura—a world of difference from the Ye Chen of a hundred years ago.

During this century, Ye Chen had not only tempered his body to be stronger, but amidst the agony of the flames scouring his bones, he had diligently studied and comprehended the Twelve Energy Profound Meanings imparted by Mik.

After a hundred years of deep contemplation, he had completely mastered six of these Profound Meanings, the most proficient of which was the Ice and Snow Profundity.

With these six Profound Meanings fully integrated, their combined might was certainly no less than the power of the Wind Origin Law.

If the two were coordinated, their power would be peerless, sufficient to sweep aside experts of the Void Heaven Realm! At this moment, Ye Chen stood up.

The Fire-Blood Phoenix immediately nodded with satisfaction, smiling faintly.

“You truly are strong, with astonishing willpower and a stubborn streak—a quality essential for us cultivators.

Of course, stubbornness differs greatly from being pig-headed.” Ye Chen couldn't help but smile.

“This is all thanks to your guidance, Senior.

If I had relied only on myself, enduring the trial by fire would have taken at least three hundred years.

It was you who combined special body-tempering energy substances with the flames and infused them into my body, allowing for such rapid progress in a short time.” The Fire-Blood Phoenix smiled gently.

“These flames are exhaled from my own body; naturally, they contain some of my essence.

There is no need for thanks.

Now, are you prepared for the second trial?” “Yes,” Ye Chen nodded.

“Good!” The Fire-Blood Phoenix’s eyes flashed sharply.

It suddenly opened its mouth and spewed forth a ball of flame.

As it landed before him, the fire subsided, revealing an ancient scripture coiled within, resembling bamboo slips, except each piece was carved from stark white beast bone.

“This is the secret manual, Phoenix Nirvana.

Cultivate this first.

Once you master it, I will teach you the World-Burning manual,” the Fire-Blood Phoenix said slowly.

Ye Chen said nothing more.

He knew that everything the Fire-Blood Phoenix did had its reasons, so he didn't ask.

He simply reached out and grasped the scripture, taking it into his palm.

The moment his hand closed around the manual, Ye Chen felt an icy chill emanate from it, startling him slightly.

Upon closer inspection, he saw that the beast bones were covered in countless tiny characters, impossibly smooth, radiating a brilliant, jade-like radiance.

Ye Chen did not recognize the script, yet every character pulsed with an intent.

Merely gazing at them seemed to conjure the image of the Fire-Blood Phoenix right before him, demonstrating the techniques.

Ye Chen wasted no time.

He sat cross-legged in the golden sea of fire and began to study the scripture in his hands.

The difficulty of this manual was the hardest Ye Chen had ever encountered.

Though the Heavenly Dao Sutras were powerful, they were simple to cultivate; however, without the correct method, they were impossible to practice.

This manual, however, provided the correct method right on the pages, yet it still felt immensely arduous.

Ye Chen slowly calmed his mind, scrutinizing every word and slowly pondering the meaning and essence of every sentence.

Time slipped by.

Ten years, twenty years, thirty years… Ye Chen spent decades immersed in the scripture, day in and day out.

Every character and every movement became ingrained in his memory, and he had achieved the initial stages of cultivation.

However, entering the final step—Nirvana—still required specific preparation.

The final stage of this manual carried inherent risks; a single misstep could easily result in self-immolation.

Ye Chen finally understood why the Fire-Blood Phoenix had him practice this manual first: if he couldn't even complete this one, there was no point in attempting the others.

Fifty years later.

Ye Chen remained seated in the golden sea of fire, still studying the Phoenix Nirvana manual.

By now, the golden sea was not just harmless to him, but had become his sustenance.

After practicing the Phoenix Secret Manual, although he hadn't achieved complete mastery, the portion he had learned allowed him to swallow all flames in the world, drawing them into his body to temper his spleen and lungs, strengthening his physique.

“Nirvana, Nirvana…” Ye Chen repeatedly tasted these words, a thoughtful expression on his face.

Dense flames erupted from every pore, cloaking him like thick robes.

These flames were blood-red, not external, but born from the combustion of all the blood within his body.

“Break and then establish, surpass the self, rebirth through fire…” Ye Chen’s brow furrowed tightly.

These words were simple to speak but monumentally difficult to enact.

He circulated the blood-fire externally, burning it off.

If he stopped, his cultivation would halt, but if he failed to manage it correctly, he would ignite himself.

Thus, it required continuous circulation, moving in and out through the pores.

As he controlled the flames, Ye Chen mulled over the puzzle, unable to grasp the final missing element.

He vaguely felt that taking this step required finding an impetus.

Gradually… The fire circulated, and circulated.

Ye Chen’s focus slowly shifted from contemplating Nirvana to the flames engulfing his body.

Suddenly, his eyes flashed brightly.

“Circulation!” “How could I miss such a simple truth! Everything in the universe operates in cycles! All adheres to the definition of conservation of energy.

Even if I burn myself to ash, I am still I.

Fire is me, and I am fire; I still exist between heaven and earth.

As long as the universe exists, I exist!” Ye Chen couldn't help but laugh wildly.

The blood-fire covering his body surged violently, instantly incinerating his physical form until not even dust remained.

Yet, a moment later, where Ye Chen had been sitting, a single cluster of flame appeared from thin air.

It rapidly expanded, forming a magnificent, reborn phoenix radiating divine splendor, its fiery wings unfurled, its majestic bearing unmatched under heaven.

Then, the fire phoenix drew all its flames inward, transforming back into Ye Chen’s likeness.

“Phoenix Nirvana!” Ye Chen’s eyes shone brightly.

He collected the scripture in his hand and offered it across the space to the Fire-Blood Phoenix.

“Remarkable.

In merely a few decades, you have mastered this Phoenix Nirvana.

While it is not yet fluent, practice will suffice later.

It seems you also possess considerable understanding regarding flames yourself,” the Fire-Blood Phoenix couldn’t help but praise.