Fang Yang stood still, his consciousness completely immersed in the profound insights of the Creation Origin, as if he had merged with this very realm.
His aura surged like a tide, and rings of golden light spread through the void with him at their center, like ripples on water.
The light grew ever more intense, bathing the entire Heavenly Flame Plaza in its radiance, making it seem like an endlessly burning domain of fire.
Palpable, searing heat filled the air, causing even space itself to warp slightly from the intense heat.
"Not enough. It's still lacking..."
The Artifact Spirit's ethereal voice rang out in the void, tinged with solemnity.
The next moment, the twenty-three heaven-reaching giant pillars standing throughout the Heavenly Flame Plaza all let out a low, resonant hum.
The ancient runes carved into their bodies lit up one by one.
The various colored flames burning atop them swayed gently without any wind, inclining slightly in Fang Yang's direction, as if ten thousand fires were paying homage to their emperor.
"Besides the Emperor Flame, let's bring forth a few more."
In response, five Heavenly Flames of different forms appeared, slowly rotating around Fang Yang, bathing him in their light as if he were a supreme king born from the flames.
Each of the five Heavenly Flames emitted a power that made one's heart palpitate.
"Fourth on the Heavenly Flame Ranking, the Gold Emperor Incinerating Heavenly Flame."
It flowed with a brilliant golden luster, like liquid gold leaping in the air.
This Heavenly Flame was already renowned in ancient times, and few could subdue it.
Its most terrifying aspect was its ability to burn even Dou Qi.
Ancient records stated that when its first master unleashed this fire, he once incinerated the space created by a Dou Sheng expert into nothingness. Its power was truly world-destroying.
"Fifth on the Heavenly Flame Ranking, the Life Spirit Flame."
The liquid-like green flame swelled in the wind. As the sea of green liquid fire spread, layers of mist rose. Within that rising mist, countless wondrous medicinal herbs slowly grew, emitting a touching aura of life.
It was said that if this fire were to spread, one only needed to throw in seeds of medicinal herbs, and they would rapidly sprout and grow.
In other words, with this fire, one basically didn't need to search for medicinal herbs. As long as you had enough seeds, you could obtain a continuous supply of the herbs you desired. It was truly miraculous.
Moreover, this Life Spirit Flame was also known as the Flame of Longevity. Those who obtained it would have a lifespan comparable to, or even exceeding, that of magical beasts famous for their longevity.
Its only shortcoming was that it was not adept at combat, offering limited enhancement to fighting strength.
If this Life Spirit Flame were to take form, its spiritual intelligence would be extremely high.
Normally, it would not appear in the form of fire, but would instead transform into various kinds of medicinal herbs, quietly taking root in the soil.
Sometimes, even if you walked right past it, you would be unable to recognize it.
Only those with great fortune could be lucky enough to find it and dig it out from the ground.
"Sixth on the Heavenly Flame Ranking, the Eight Desolations Annihilation Flame."
The faint black flame, upon appearing, exuded a palpable, overbearing aura.
As the flame churned, it actually transformed into a pair of black flame wings, each several hundred feet in size. Every feather was condensed from pure flame.
When its wings spread, it seemed capable of devouring everything, causing even space to tremble slightly under its pressure.
"Seventh on the Heavenly Flame Ranking, the Nine Serene Golden Ancestor Flame."
It was a dark golden flame, at its core it seemed as if molten gold was flowing slowly.
The high temperature it emitted caused the surrounding space to warp like water.
Once the terrifying energy contained within it erupted, it would be enough to instantly devour a powerful enemy, leaving not even ash behind.
"Eighth on the Heavenly Flame Ranking, the Red Lotus Karma Flame."
It presented a bewitching, deep red color. As the flames leaped, they naturally condensed into the shape of red lotuses. Each petal was incomparably exquisite, yet hid a deadly intent.
The most terrifying aspect of this fire was its ability to directly burn the soul.
It would cause the victim unbearable pain, eventually causing them to lose their will to fight in an endless agony. It was an extremely strange and hard-to-defend-against Heavenly Flame.
The five Heavenly Flames floated in the void, each emitting a completely different aura, making Fang Yang seem like a master who commanded all flames.
Just then, an anomaly suddenly occurred.
A faint fluctuation emanated from Fang Yang's body, as if the black Heavenly Flame had sensed something.
Immediately after, a small, entirely black cat leaped out nimbly.
Its vertical pupils, which burned with ghostly flames, curiously sized up the few Heavenly Flames, its small ears twitching from time to time.
"Awooo—"
Xiao Hei let out a roar that was completely mismatched with its petite body, a sound that carried an ancient majesty.
The next moment, a terrifying aura erupted violently.
In just a few breaths, its mini body expanded at a visible speed, transforming in the blink of an eye into a giant beast over ten zhang tall.
Its entire body was covered in pitch-black scales that gleamed with a metallic luster in the firelight.
Flames seemed to burn substantively within its eyes, and faint black light flickered within its open maw, as if it could devour all things.
An astonishing momentum and majesty radiated from its body. It was, astonishingly, a ferocious beast from ancient times.
"This is... a Heavenly Flame Beast born primarily from the Myriad Beast Bloodline?"
The Artifact Spirit's voice held a hint of surprise.
Xiao Hei opened its giant maw, and a terrifying suction force suddenly erupted.
The five Heavenly Flames were powerless to resist this force and transformed into five streaks of light that entered its mouth.
As the Heavenly Flames entered its body, Xiao Hei's bestial frame trembled violently. A five-colored brilliance burst forth from between the scales on its surface.
It let out a low, guttural roar, seemingly enduring great pain, but its burning vertical pupils flashed with excitement.
A moment later, the brilliance faded. Xiao Hei's body shrank rapidly, once again becoming that unremarkable little black cat.
It nimbly leaped back onto Fang Yang's shoulder, affectionately nuzzling his cheek, before transforming into a streak of light and entering his body.
The Void Black Flame, fused from eleven Heavenly Flames, had at this moment successfully devoured the Gold Emperor Incinerating Heavenly Flame, the Life Spirit Flame, the Eight Desolations Annihilation Flame, the Nine Serene Golden Ancestor Flame, and the Red Lotus Karma Flame.
Fang Yang's aura erupted at this moment, reaching an unprecedented peak.
A red halo condensed into something tangible, and his entire person seemed to transform into an eternally burning sun, illuminating the entire Heavenly Flame Plaza.
He slowly opened his eyes. It seemed as if thousands of flames swirled within his pupils, deep and boundless like a sea of stars.
His soul power, having reached its culmination, broke through the bottleneck, achieving the Great Perfection of the Heavenly Realm!
And the Dou Qi within his body was like a vast, boundless ocean, surging endlessly and breaking through the final gate!
Fang Yang had finally stepped into the Dou Sheng realm!
"Finally... it's done."
He whispered to himself, feeling the surging power within him.
He slowly raised his palm. A wisp of black flame danced on his fingertip. The flame seemed calm, yet it contained a terrifying power capable of incinerating the heavens and destroying the earth.
"Congratulations on reaching Dou Sheng."
The Artifact Spirit's voice rang out again, this time tinged with gratification.
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