195: Refining

After everyone else had left, Tang Du and Deng Qi came over and said, "Boss, you were so cool just now."

Li Xiangyun smiled faintly, and at that moment, Cang Lanzi also walked over.

"A Nine Netherworld Divided Fire for a Void Realm Star Core. To be honest, you've made a huge profit, kid."

"Senior knows this Star Core?" Li Xiangyun asked.

"Naturally. This is the unique Star Marrow Core of the Big Dipper Star Region, extremely useful for a Domain. You can use it when you Breakthrough to Nascent Soul," Cang Lanzi nodded.

"Moreover, this is a Void Realm-attributed Star Core. Perhaps you can even glimpse the Space Dao Intent through it."

Li Xiangyun was a little surprised, then smiled and said, "Senior knows that I didn't think too much."

"Of course, this old man knows." Cang Lanzi stroked his beard and glared, "Precisely because of that, this old man says you're a lucky kid."

"Speaking of which, if this old man had your conditions back then..."

"Enough, let's not talk about these things." Cang Lanzi composed himself and said seriously, "I believe you should have gained a lot from this battle. Now, it's time to get down to business."

"Please speak, Senior!" Li Xiangyun's expression was equally serious.

"The main body of the Netherworld Darkfire is extremely powerful, at the Late-Stage Transformation God. This old man will Seal it within your Physical Body, allowing you to adapt to it little by little."

"But no matter what, you will eventually have to refine the Netherworld Darkfire."

"At that time, you must perform the Breakthrough and refinement simultaneously. First, die once with the Netherworld Darkfire, then use the Heavenly Tribulation to reshape your Physical Body. Only then can you temporarily escape the pursuit of the Abyss."

"Even the slightest carelessness in this process can lead to your demise."

"This old man originally wanted you to Breakthrough to Nascent Soul first, and then refine the Netherworld Darkfire, but those ghostly things came too quickly."

"Now, are you ready?"

Li Xiangyun took a deep breath, then bowed solemnly and said, "Senior, I am ready."

"However, please send Tang Du back to the Four Symbols Star Region and Deng Qi to the Li family."

With a wave of his hand, he returned their soul spirits to them.

"You're quite good at ordering people around, kid," Cang Lanzi chided with a smile, then continued, "But this old man agrees."

"Boss..." Tang Du and the other were moved.

"No need for more words." Li Xiangyun raised a hand to stop them, then turned to Cang Lanzi and said, "Please begin, Senior!"

Next, the three of them witnessed Cang Lanzi's true power.

Cang Lanzi's figure had appeared on the clouds at some point, his robes flapping in the fierce wind, and the runes swirling around his sleeves shone brighter than stars.

He looked down at the 'black hole,' his gaze penetrating the Void Realm, reaching the Netherworld Darkfire deep within the darkness.

Then, he flicked his fingertip, and a purple-gold chain materialized out of thin air. The end of the chain was wrapped around a twisted mass of darkness, which was letting out pained roars.

The Late-Stage Transformation God's oppressive might almost crushed the entire sky. The black sparks flickering at the edge of the flames, each particle, could incinerate ten thousand zhang of the Void Realm.

Li Xiangyun's heart was violently shaken. Just as he was about to circulate his Dao power to resist, he saw Cang Lanzi flick his finger. The purple-gold chain instantly transformed into countless runes, surging like a tide into his limbs and bones.

The Netherworld Darkfire was wrapped layer by layer by the runes, like a bound heart, and was forcefully pressed into his Dantian.

"Ugh~" Excruciating pain erupted along his Meridians. Li Xiangyun felt as if his internal organs were being gnawed by the dark purple Qi flames. The Late-Stage Transformation God's fire might almost incinerated his Dao foundation to ashes.

He tried to struggle but found his Physical Body already confined by Cang Lanzi's great power. He could only watch helplessly as the destructive fire churned in his Dantian, held down tightly by the runes, slowly permeating his spiritual power network.

"To refine the Netherworld Darkfire, the necessary pain must be endured. Only by overcoming it can you reach a vast expanse!" Cang Lanzi's voice carried an unquestionable authority. He raised his hand and tore open the Void Realm in front of him, revealing a bottomless black hole.

The entrance was wreathed in the unique desolate aura of the Nine Netherworld. The wails of countless vengeful spirits could faintly be heard. "The Land of Nine Netherworld, where Yin and Yang malevolence is strongest, is perfect to help you integrate this flame."

Before he finished speaking, Li Xiangyun felt a huge force strike his back, and he plummeted into the black hole like a kite with a broken string.

In the instant of falling, he saw Cang Lanzi's final gaze, which seemed to hold anticipation, yet also a sense of preordained arrangement.

There was no light in the black hole, only bone-chilling cold constantly eroding his Physical Body.

The Netherworld Darkfire in his Dantian suddenly became violent, attempting to break through the rune Seal. However, those purple-gold runes seemed alive; whenever the flames stirred, they would tighten a bit, forcing the fire's might back into his Meridians.

Pain and cold intertwined, forcing him to concentrate all his mind, resisting the erosion of the Nine Netherworld Yin malevolence while trying to guide that volatile flame Origin.

The depths of the black hole were not the expected desolation, but a churning sea of fire.

Dark blue flames licked at the Void Realm, each wisp carrying the tyrannical power to incinerate the Divine Soul. The Origin aura of the Netherworld Darkfire here was so dense it almost solidified, and even the air sizzled.

As soon as Li Xiangyun fell into it, his robes instantly turned to ash, and his skin felt a stinging pain like being pricked by needles.

He subconsciously circulated his spiritual power to protect himself, but saw the dark purple flames, like sharks scenting blood, frantically crashing against his spiritual power barrier, emitting crackling sounds.

In his Dantian, the main body of the Netherworld Darkfire, sealed by runes, suddenly trembled violently, resonating with the sea of fire outside.

The light of the sealed purple-gold runes flickered, and countless tiny fire threads actually seeped out through the rune gaps, intertwining with his spiritual power.

"Ugh..." He groaned, feeling as if his Meridians were being pierced by countless fire needles.

But this time, a strange pull was added to the pain.

Although the external Netherworld Darkfire was violent, it originated from the same source as the Origin Divided Fire within him.

Whenever he tried to guide the flames in his Dantian, the sea of fire around him would recede a bit, and even tiny fire wisps would actively drift over, absorbed by the flame imprint on his palm.

Li Xiangyun simply stopped resisting, letting his Physical Body float in the sea of fire.

He closed his eyes, sinking his mind into his Dantian, carefully sensing the confined flame.

Initially, the Netherworld Darkfire's main body was still frantically crashing against the Seal, trying to completely incinerate this "container." But as he continuously neutralized its malevolence with his Yin and Yang Dao foundation...

Coupled with the gentle spiritual power slowly enveloping it from the Star Marrow Core, the flame's agitation gradually subsided somewhat.

He was like a small boat adrift in a raging sea, sometimes lifted high by fire waves, feeling the scorching heat that almost tore his Divine Soul apart.

Sometimes, he sank to the bottom of the fiery abyss, capturing the trajectory of the flame's flow in extreme pain.

Whenever new Netherworld Darkfire was absorbed into his Physical Body, the Seal in his Dantian would emit a golden light, crushing and purifying it, then integrating it into his spiritual power.