Especially after cultivating this secret manual, the Civilization's Light created is incomparably potent, immense beyond measure. Currently, Ye Chen has only reached the first level, capable of refining the Civilization's Light using the genes of ten civilizations.

Even so, he managed to slay the Electromagnetic Beast within the electromagnetic storm zone of the Ancient Realm Peak back then! That Electromagnetic Beast was at least at the Epoch Realm.

Ye Chen suddenly felt a surge of tension. He took a deep breath, then directed the Myriad Heavens God-Melting Art to drift towards the black flame.

The power fused from ten distinct civilization genes slowly coalesced into a dazzling, pure white brilliance, exuding an aura of vast sanctity, innocence, nobility, and elegance—as if it were the perfect embodiment of all beautiful things in the world, grand and profound like an epic masterpiece. As soon as this Civilization's Light materialized, it emitted a fierce, glaring white light that actively resisted the black flame, surprisingly refusing to be assimilated by it!

Ye Chen paused for a beat, then, with a thought, forcefully urged the two energies to converge and undergo fusion. However, the black flame and the pure white Civilization's Light acted like mortal enemies separated by generations, desperately pushing away from each other, as if utterly unwilling to touch.

Ye Chen’s face flushed red as he exerted every ounce of his strength to pull the two forces together, but it was to no avail. Though his will was mighty, against the sheer repulsion of these two energies, it seemed minuscule and humble, like a mayfly trying to shake an ancient tree—all effort wasted.

Ye Chen sighed softly, his brow furrowed. He sensed the black and white energies warring within his body, pondered for a moment, then slowly shook his head, separating the two forces to opposite sides of his body.

He opened his eyes and immediately met the concerned gaze of the Fire-Blood Phoenix. A warmth bloomed in Ye Chen's heart.

He stood up and announced, "The creation of the fire is successful." The Fire-Blood Phoenix's silver eyes brightened. "Come and see quickly." Whoosh!

Ye Chen tapped his finger, and a cluster of flame ignited at his fingertip. The pitch-black flame resembled thick, viscous magma, carrying an aura that was strange and malevolent.

Instead of radiating intense heat, a mere glance at it sent a chilling cold through the body, as if one had fallen into an ice cavern. A sharp glint flashed in the Fire-Blood Phoenix's eyes; its ancient gaze erupted with brilliant light, exclaiming in delight, "The color of this flame, the sensed energy—it even carries a trace of my own fire-blood aura!

Back then, your Eldest Senior Sister's Vermilion Bird Flame already astonished me enough to make me believe that, besides my own blood-fire, hers was the strongest in the world! Even your Second Senior Sister's Grand Phoenix Ancient Fire paled in comparison beneath the Vermilion Bird Flame.

I never expected that the aura emanating from this flame of yours would actually be even stronger..." Ye Chen’s heart stirred, and he asked, "Senior, can you discern this flame's capabilities?" "Of course," the Fire-Blood Phoenix replied without hesitation. "I am a spirit born from the essence of fire; I command all flames between heaven and earth!

Any flame, as long as I wish it, will obey my command. To know its power and temperature is merely child’s play." Ye Chen’s eyes flashed.

"In that case, were the Flame Gods among the Nine Great Heavenly Gods weaker than you?" "That is not precisely true," the Fire-Blood Phoenix sighed softly. "Reaching their level as Heavenly Gods is an entirely different realm.

Although they wielded fire, it was not fire; it was simultaneously fire and not-fire. Even I cannot distinguish it, let alone control it." "'Is fire, yet is not fire'?" Ye Chen frowned.

"When you grow stronger, you will face that threshold. If you can pass it, you will exist eternally between heaven and earth; even as the sun and moon decay, you will remain, sharing the lifespan of the world!

At that time, though what you unleash is fire, it is fundamentally the world itself. Though you seem to possess no strength, the entire world becomes your strength.

Though you appear ordinary, you hold the power to destroy heaven and earth!" The Fire-Blood Phoenix’s gaze was filled with boundless yearning. It then lowered its eyes to Ye Chen and smiled faintly, "This black flame in your hand is definitely no lesser than your Eldest Senior Sister's Vermilion Bird Flame.

It possesses the destructive power to incinerate everything. Even someone a full realm above you must guard against it carefully, for once this flame burns and invades, it is exceedingly difficult to expel." Ye Chen looked at the black flame in his hand, a thought suddenly striking him.

"So, this sea of fire is still significantly inferior to your blood-fire." The Fire-Blood Phoenix paused, then burst into a soft laugh. "Naturally.

My blood-fire was nurtured over countless eons from the flowing blood of heaven and earth; it is the ultimate expression of fire, and no flame can surpass it. Even the Ancient Gods of the past, playing with fire before me, would be absolutely inferior to me." Ye Chen raised an eyebrow but sighed internally with helplessness.

"No matter what, as long as it’s not too weak, that’s fine." He seemed remarkably accepting of the situation. The Fire-Blood Phoenix couldn't help but laugh.

"Your flame is not just 'not too weak'; it is terrifyingly potent! While it cannot rival my blood-fire, it could likely contend with, or even suppress, your Eldest Senior Sister's Vermilion Bird Flame!

Any cultivator who follows the Dao of Fire is like a landmine before you; with a mere thought, you can detonate the flames within their body, causing them to self-immolate!" Ye Chen nodded. The flame, refined from the Fire-Blood Phoenix's superhuman genes and numerous other superhuman genes and secret manuals, had not disappointed his expectations.

It was not too weak, and as long as he could contend with experts at the Heaven-Defying Realm, he possessed sufficient means of self-preservation. As for those who had surpassed the Heaven-Defying Realm...

Those were only the Supreme Beings of the Eight Great Worlds. However, such figures rarely descended to the Ancient World; they usually dispatched emissaries to probe the situation.

In that regard, Ye Chen felt absolute confidence facing these envoys. "I wonder how much time has passed here." Ye Chen thought, his brow furrowing.

He pinched his fingers and drew the surrounding golden sea of fire inward, integrating it into the black flame. Instantly, even the scorching ambient temperature plummeted to ice-cold.

Only then did he open the Rune Space. If he had opened the Rune Space under the previous extreme heat, the connection points of the Rune Space would have instantly collapsed under the strain.

Retrieving the Demon God Palace from the Rune Space, Ye Chen checked the time chronicle inside. The sight made him gasp!

"Ten Thousand Years!" Ye Chen’s face was a mask of shock. "I’ve actually been here for ten thousand years!!!" He remembered spending only a few hundred years cultivating the Flame Divine Body and the Phoenix Nirvana previously.

He never imagined the final stage of fire creation would consume a full ten thousand years of his life! What concept was ten thousand years?

The entire history of China on Earth, from its inception through countless dynasties and the fall of innumerable dazzling figures into the river of history, spanned barely five thousand years! Now, ten thousand years had passed!

Ye Chen immediately thought of Bai Yijun and Yue Heng waiting outside the door, feeling a sudden anxiety. He quickly looked up at the Fire-Blood Phoenix and said urgently, "Senior, I need to leave." The Fire-Blood Phoenix paused, then frowned sternly.

"No! While the flames you now command are sufficient for you to roam freely in the Heaven-Defying Realm, the outside world is still too dangerous.

This is a chaotic age, the world stands on the brink of collapse. Otherwise, that young girl would never have begged for my feather for help.

You still have one trial left to complete; you cannot leave before finishing it!" Seeing the firmness in its voice, Ye Chen's expression shifted. Finally, he gritted his teeth and said in a deep voice, "What is the third trial?" The Fire-Blood Phoenix looked at him and slowly stated, "This third trial is simple.

I will soon open my Flame World and allow you entry. Within it, I have nurtured nine Heaven-Defying Realm weapons.

Your task is to find one of them inside and bring it out!" Ye Chen replied swiftly, "Let's start!" The Fire-Blood Phoenix glanced at him. "There's no need to rush; this requires a calm heart.

Otherwise, you might never emerge from that place! I know you have been here a long time and are anxious, but ten thousand years is merely the blink of an eye for cultivators of our level.

Why dwell on it? Calm your heart first; this trial is no small matter." Ye Chen remained silent for a moment before nodding.

"I understand. Begin." The Fire-Blood Phoenix looked at him once more, said nothing further, opened its mouth, and expelled a black ring wreathed in flames.

It rapidly expanded before Ye Chen to ten zhang wide, forming a spatial passage. Ye Chen peered inside and saw a world engulfed in roaring fire.

The crimson flames flowed like demonic blood throughout the world, enough to make one’s scalp tingle just by looking at it. He did not hesitate for a second, plunging swiftly inside.

The Fire-Blood Phoenix couldn't help but let out a wry chuckle. "Young people are always in such a hurry." Haste often leads to swift action in all matters—perhaps that is simply the nature of youth.

Fire. Everywhere he looked, towering, blood-red flames burned, spreading across the entire world like rolling smoke.

Ye Chen surveyed the fiery domain, raising his gaze to the sky. Far above, the heavens were a crimson blood-curtain, deep and mesmerizing like a piece of red amber, from which massive fireballs occasionally plummeted, striking the flames below with the resounding crash of meteorites.

Ye Chen could feel that this world was composed entirely of crimson fire. Although it was not the true Blood-Fire wielded by the Fire-Blood Phoenix, its power far exceeded the golden sea of fire he had previously encountered, enough to instantly incinerate an expert at the Void Heaven Realm into ash.

Ye Chen manifested his black flame, letting it wrap around his body like dark fur, lending him an indescribably eerie and evil appearance. The moment the black flame appeared, the blood-red flames parted as if a tide had turned, receding to either side.

Yet, beneath his feet remained vast expanses of fire, as if the entire world was land made of flame.