After reaching the Second Level of the Innate Realm, Ming Qi's entire primordial energy had been completely depleted. Suddenly, he felt the pure power emanating from the Supreme Diagram, and a wave of ecstasy washed over him.
With a tap of his right index finger, another large number of pills flew out of the ring. Leveraging this powerful and pure energy, Ming Qi sought a golden opportunity to further elevate his realm.
These pills were somewhat different from those he had previously taken out. Most of them were a fiery red, clearly imbued with the powerful power of the fire element, which would be of immense benefit in familiarizing himself with and mastering the power of the fire element.
Ming Qi's immediate intention was clear. With this immense power as his backing, he could undoubtedly continue to break through realms. Although continuously advancing realms might cause his body to undergo a rapid and intense tempering, making his energy extremely unstable, Ming Qi truly did not want to miss this opportunity. Reaching the third level of the Innate Five Elements Realm meant he had already begun to master the fire element. Every burst of Innate Energy energy carried with it a rich infusion of fire energy, further enhancing Ming Qi's mastery of the fire element, already capable of controlling the Crimson Skyfire.
Reaching his strength was Ming Qi's sole concern. As long as he could not surpass the seven prefectures of Xilan Province, he would not be able to truly resolve the crisis.
The Supreme Diagram slowly circulated, and the power he had previously refined from the Poison Emperor's clone began to flow continuously from it.
With this power, Ming Qi immediately had the foundation to reach the third level of the Innate Realm.
Without hesitation, he rapidly mobilized the energy already flowing into his body, once again flushing the meridians and acupoints throughout his body.
At the second level of the Xiantian realm, Ming Qi, while already understanding and mastering the power of the fire element, was unable to truly master it. Only by breaking through to the third level of the Xiantian realm could he truly master it and fully unleash the wonders of the fire elemental cultivation technique of the Suzaku Burning Heaven Sutra.
Visibly, ripples of flames continuously rippled around Ming Qi. This seemingly gentle, non-lethal force was capable of completely melting anything it touched!
This was the true power of the Red Refining Heavenly Fire!
It was conceivable that once Ming Qi truly mastered the essence of the fire element, a single, subtle burst of Red Refining Heavenly Fire would be enough to reduce cultivators of the same level to ash!
Although this advancement process appeared to be relatively smooth, Ming Qi was also experiencing unprecedented pain.
The flames blazed, the flames lingering around Ming Qi's body far less powerful than the surging force within him. The fiery force coursing through his body was undergoing an incredible transformation.
From the simplest spiritual energy of heaven and earth to innate primordial energy, then to pure fire power, finally, it purged and tempered Ming Qi's acupuncture points and meridians. The pain of this process could only be felt by Ming Qi, who was experiencing it firsthand.
Bean-sized beads of sweat streamed down his cheeks in a near-constant stream. In less than a quarter of an hour, all of Ming Qi's clothes were drenched with sweat, even the corners of his clothes began to seep.
Ming Qi's teeth chattered, his face contorted in unremitting agony.
His hands were clasped tightly, his knuckles jerking, clearly exerting all his strength. But no matter how much pain he endured, his right hand remained firmly fixed on the spot where the pills were placed.
He placed his right hand close to the elixir, his intention clear: if needed, he could simply raise his hand and snatch it up.
The power of the flames showed no sign of relenting, and Ming Qi felt as if he were engulfed in a raging sea of fire.
"I must hold on!"
Ming Qi gritted his teeth, his face turning crimson, like a cooked shrimp.
His body began to tremble, and hallucinations gradually emerged in his consciousness.
As soon as this phenomenon appeared, Ming Qi immediately felt something was amiss. Hallucinations were often a precursor to possessedness. His decision to force a breakthrough this time had proven reckless.
However, sensing this glimmer of danger, Ming Qi didn't interrupt the tempering process. With a swift movement of his right hand, a turquoise-blue elixir flew into his mouth.
Gudong!
He swallowed the elixir with all his might, and a faint coolness instantly resonated within his internal organs.
This azure-colored elixir, specially prepared by Ming Qi to temporarily alleviate the violent nature of his flames, is a rare Earth Immortal-level elixir, the Nine-Turn Green Lotus Pill.
The Nine-Turn Green Lotus Pill is crafted from a rare spiritual herb, even more precious than the ten-thousand-year-old snow lotus, gathered from the ancient snow mountains. It is then combined with the inner core of a peak-level sixth-level demon beast with ice elements, and refined with dozens of other precious spiritual herbs.
Under normal circumstances, an Earth Immortal-level elixir like the Nine-Turn Green Lotus Pill is inconceivable to an innate-level alchemist; only a Martial King-level alchemist can achieve it. Ming Qi had obtained numerous elixirs from the man in black, but there was only one of these Nine-Turn Green Lotus Pills.
The only Earth Immortal-level elixir!
If this Nine-Turn Green Lotus Pill were put up for auction, its price would undoubtedly be no less than ten million low-grade Yuan Crystals.
However, for now, to successfully ascend to a higher realm, Ming Qi ignored the elixir's preciousness and swallowed it whole.
The potent medicinal power of the elixir immediately took effect, quickly suppressing the previously violent and ferocious flame force, transforming into a much gentler state.
With the pressure relieved, Ming Qi felt a sense of clarity within his mind, and he activated his internal energy to accelerate its circulation.
Striving for the third level of the Innate Realm, success or failure hinges on this single move!
For now, let's not consider how to deal with the unstable energy within his body after entering the Five Elements Realm. The only thing left to do is to temper his body, allowing the true flame force to fully awaken and be under his control!
In a short while, countless fragments of dirt and stone, shattered by the flames, cascaded down the walls of the cave surrounding Ming Qi's position, covering the ground in a flash.
Ming Qi's face was covered in dust and dirt, and from a distance, to the untrained eye, he looked like a sculpture worn down by time.
The only sign of life was his eyes, which occasionally fluttered.
Only those who can withstand the tempering of the blazing fire can possess the qualifications to control it. Throughout this endless period of pain and torture, Ming Qi firmly believed this truth, and no matter how brutal the ordeal, he persevered without hesitation.
Time passed, and the dust and rubble covering Ming Qi's body grew thicker and thicker, nearly burying him completely.
At this moment, Ming Qi felt a sense of seclusion within the mountains, unaware of the world beyond for a thousand years.
This impact lasted far longer than the time it took to enter the Yuan Gang Realm. Only when Ming Qi's seat was completely reduced to a pile of rubble and dust, with no trace of a human form left, did the lingering flames gradually begin to fade.
At this moment, the cave had already unnoticed been expanded by more than double due to the flames Ming Qi radiated. Fortunately, the surrounding mountain was solid; otherwise, the cave would have collapsed completely.
The Supreme Mountain and Sea Map seemed to have absorbed all the energy it had previously used to refine the Poison Emperor's clone, returning to its misty state. The only difference was that it now emitted a faint, milky-white halo, completely enveloping the mound, including Ming Qi, like a protective formation.
It took several hours for the surrounding flames to completely dissipate.
Not long after, a rumbling sound was heard from the mound, followed by a rapid collapse. Ming Qi's almost expressionless head emerged from within.
"Huh... Pah!"
He let out a long breath, opened his mouth, and spat out a dark mass streaked with gravel.
Ming Qi gritted his teeth in disgust, swaying a few times before extending his arms and using his Yuan Power to completely dissipate the mound. He then stood up.
"Damn, I'm practically buried alive!"
Looking at the rubble and dust around him, Ming Qi felt like a corpse crawling out of a grave.
His clothes had been completely burned, but the Great Destruction Battle Suit he wore underneath remained intact. This surprised Ming Qi, as he wondered what kind of forge it was made of, leaving it unscathed.
He shook off the dust, pulled out a few random pieces of clothing from his ring, and slipped them on before exiting the cave.
As soon as he emerged, the glaring sunlight made it almost blinding.
He had arrived just in time, at noon.
The wind rustled softly by his ears, and the early spring sunshine gave him a lazy feeling, but Ming Qi didn't have the time for that. He glanced around, didn't see Dabai, and simply ignored him, dashing off in one direction.
There was a small lake there, and he desperately needed a bath, otherwise he'd feel like a rock puppet, which was incredibly uncomfortable.
After running about four or five miles, Ming Qi arrived at a clear lake. Without a word, not even bothering to undress, he leaped right in.
Bang!
A large puddle formed on the lake's surface.
The slightly cool water gave Ming Qi a shudder, but he was now at the third level of the Innate Five Elements Realm and had already mastered the power of fire, so the chill had no effect on him at all.
He frantically washed away the dirt and stains on his body, and soon, Ming Qi was as fresh as a large white fish.
After several rounds of tempering that were almost beyond the limit, Ming Qi's body had become more perfect than ever before, especially his bones. After this tempering with fire, there were more flame patterns in them. When he looked inside, all the bones in his body showed a faint flame color. He could even feel a tiny flame force flowing endlessly in his bones.