As Xue Lingzi had suspected, Ye Xuan’s combat strength had undergone a qualitative enhancement. Although it was only a small step, his power had become incomparably greater than before.
Martial Venerate Realm.
If a Martial Sect Master is a Martial Arts Grandmaster, then a Martial Venerate is the Supreme of Martial Arts.
Of course, this "Supreme" refers only to the supreme being within mundane martial arts; the true Supreme of this universe is hardly something a mere Martial Venerate Realm could compare to.
"At last, the breakthrough..."
Ye Xuan slowly exhaled, the process of the breakthrough having been incredibly difficult, arguably ten times harder than for others. Naturally, the subsequent increase in strength was something ordinary people couldn’t compare to.
Just as Ye Xuan was catching his breath, the surrounding fire energy surged once again, and a new Fire Spirit condensed in front of him, evidently much more powerful than the previous flame giant bear.
What appeared before him was a gigantic tiger creature with wings on its back, covered in flames. After it had successfully condensed, it lunged at Ye Xuan, teeth bared and claws flailing.
This time, Ye Xuan simply cleaved with the Dragon Abyss Ancient Sword, and with a "snap," the huge tiger creature was split in two.
The fiery tiger creature, now in two parts, instantly dissipated, transforming into streams of pure fire energy that poured into Ye Xuan’s body, converting into pure energy.
At the same time, driven by True Yuan, the Molten Lava Earth Core Fire grew even more vigorous than before. Above Ye Xuan’s head, a vortex of firelight emerged, voraciously absorbing the fire energy from this second layer.
Any Fire Spirit that appeared was slain by Ye Xuan in one move.
Previously somewhat disheveled, Ye Xuan now seemed like a completely different person, supremely domineering. This second layer posed no threat to him.
"What a terrifying lad, he has already broken the record of the Crown Prince Feng Tian."
The Tower Guardian Elder revealed a look of astonishment. After the breakthrough, Ye Xuan had become completely different from before, and now the second layer of the Heavenly Burning Qi Refining Tower no longer posed any threat to him.
The record of Crown Prince Feng Tian now seemed insignificant.
"Talking about records now is meaningless."
Xue Lingzi’s eyes flashed as he shook his head. Ye Xuan would surely set a new record, surpassing all their records.
Now, it all depended on how high Ye Xuan could push the record. He was also very curious about this point.
Ye Xuan had stayed on the second level for about eight days, and the time he had agreed with Xue Lingzi was almost upon him.
Before leaving the Heavenly Burning Qi Refining Tower, Ye Xuan decided to challenge the first level below. Having come this far, it would be regrettable not to take a look at the first level. This opportunity was extremely rare, under stringent conditions, and not to be wasted.
Without much hesitation, Ye Xuan’s figure flashed, and he rushed towards the staircase leading to the first level.
As soon as Ye Xuan’s feet touched the ground, he could feel the scorching heat of the floor, and through soul sensing, he could hear the sound of magma surging deep beneath the earth. It seemed as though the volcanoes below might erupt at any moment.
However, Ye Xuan did not have to worry about this. Below were indeed live volcanoes, but these were sealed by the Array set by a Semi-Saint Master. The Heavenly Burning Qi Refining Tower itself was a treasure and could not easily be breached by the magma.
Even the ten-thousand-year-old Earth Core Fire below was suppressed under the tower, only releasing some of its fundamental energy, which then transformed into Fire Spirits in the tower.
Looking around, the environment on the first level was somewhat similar to the second—very quiet. On the ground beneath his feet, intricate Array patterns were engraved, and at the center of these patterns, a huge flame decoration was etched. The color of this flame contained traces of black within its stark red, exuding a hint of destructive aura.
"Is this the original form of the ten-thousand-year-old Earth Core Fire?"
Looking at the flame decoration, Ye Xuan walked over to it. This area, where the Array’s energy fluctuations were strongest, was undoubtedly where the fiery decoration lay. From that spot, a strange fluctuation drifted.
Ye Xuan arrived at the fiery decoration and then clearly felt that this place held the densest fire energy within the entire Heavenly Burning Qi Refining Tower—a wildly violent fire energy incessantly surged up from the fiery pattern under his feet.
"It seems this spot is the closest to the ten-thousand-year-old Earth Core Fire; otherwise, the fire energy wouldn’t be so intense."
Ye Xuan slowly sat down cross-legged, the violent strands of fire energy aggressively compressing and assaulting his body. He soon frowned; in this position, even he, as he was now, would definitely not be able to endure for long.
"This young man is truly bold. That spot connects the Heavenly Burning Qi Refining Tower to the ten-thousand-year-old Earth Core Fire and is also where the Array is weakest. Not just any newcomer, but many veteran Inner Sect elite Disciples wouldn’t dare to approach that spot lightly. I didn’t expect this young man to sit down directly," the Tower Guardian Elder said with a chuckle, shaking his head.
As for Xue Lingzi, he was basically numb to it by now. Ye Xuan had already broken the Crown Prince’s record, and no matter what happened next, he wouldn’t be surprised anymore, knowing full well that he might have underestimated the potential of his fellow disciple, Ye Xuan.
However, just when both men’s expressions had relaxed, an abrupt change occurred on the screen in the Crystal Mirror. Without any warning, black flame tendrils stealthily emerged from below the Array, slowly entwining upward from Ye Xuan’s position.
Although the movement was subtle, Ye Xuan noticed it immediately—he couldn’t be fooled. However, just as he opened his eyes, a black flame tendril broke through the Array’s restraint and bound his body.
Ye Xuan’s pupils contracted, but before he could act, he was enveloped and completely swallowed by the sweeping black fire tendrils.
"This is bad! The ten-thousand-year-old Earth Core Fire has torn through the Array; this youngster is in danger!"
Witnessing this scene, the expressions on both the Tower Guardian Elder and Xue Lingzi’s faces suddenly changed dramatically, turning unsightly. The ten-thousand-year-old Earth Core Fire, being suppressed for so long, had become so cunning. Probably the Array had already been corroded by it, but it had lurked without a trace. Only now, with someone entering and sitting at that spot, did it explode instantly. It likely intended to possess Ye Xuan’s body to seize his soul.