Chapter 187 Breaking the Limit

With these words, he shook his hands and formed seals one after another. The small golden tripod suddenly swelled to fifty zhang in height, its swirling golden radiance growing increasingly dazzling, and within it, raging flames could faintly be seen burning.

This was a golden space, surrounded by walls of gold and jade. Inside the entire small tripod, a golden flame blazed, its sputtering fire distorting the void as it burned, both scorching hot and terrifying.

“What a treacherous move.” After wandering through this void for a while, Yang Tian’s face darkened. He had been trapped inside the golden small tripod without even noticing how Qin Shi had attacked.

Golden flames were everywhere. Yang Tian could sense the terror of the golden flames; they were far beyond the flames inside the Golden Crow Divine Furnace, and their intensity likely reached the level of Mysterious Fire.

Just as Yang Tian was pondering, the flames he dreaded suddenly erupted. The golden flames flickered, their sputtering heat unbearable, scorching Yang Tian’s skin until it ached.

“Such formidable flames. I wonder if they can be used to temper the body?” At this moment, Yang Tian sat cross-legged. Though these flames were terrifying, they could not kill him.

After a moment of stillness, Yang Tian noticed the intensity of the heat surging wildly. He sneered, a cold gleam flashing in his eyes.

Yang Tian opened his mouth and inhaled, drawing a strand of golden flame into his body. In an instant, a wave of terrifying heat spread through his entire being, and his body turned bright red.

“Hiss…” Yang Tian sucked in a breath of cold air. That wisp of golden flame clung to his flesh like a stubborn worm, instantly igniting bursts of fire.

“This flame is truly strange—it can attack on its own.” Seeing this, Yang Tian clicked his tongue. Even his formidable flesh was slightly burned away.

“Let’s see how powerful it really is.” With a shrug, Yang Tian slowly closed his eyes. His body suddenly radiated silver light, and arcs of lightning leaped out, shielding his nearly melting flesh.

Yang Tian’s mind entered the Ancestral Dragon Ring. At that moment, the Ancient Tree was releasing energy, filling the entire space with a dense aura of antiquity.

“Even if you rack your brains, you’d never guess I have a space inside me, would you?” Yang Tian suddenly smiled, sat cross-legged beneath the Ancient Tree, and began to circulate the Battle Heaven Art.

Rumble! The river of blood and qi trembled. Strands of crystalline blood and qi cascaded down, filling his body. A small vortex formed above the wisp of flame.

The golden flame was slowly refined. Yang Tian ceased his resistance, allowing the golden flame to temper his flesh. Even so, he couldn’t help but suck in a breath of cold air—the flame was so fierce it seared even his indomitable will.

Yang Tian dared not absorb too violently, lest his body suffer unimaginable damage.

Every wisp of golden flame tempered his skin and flesh. After a while, Yang Tian noticed his body taking on a golden hue, as if plated with gold.

“It works! This flame can break the limit!” Sensing his flesh strengthening, Yang Tian grinned. After two years in seclusion, his physical body had improved little, especially after manifesting the Stars Shine Over the Azure Sky phenomenon. He had reached a bottleneck.

Unexpectedly, he had now encountered an opportunity—using the golden flame to break the limit and create room for improvement.

Just as Yang Tian was happily refining, Yang Xiao’s voice slowly rang out: “Try using the Heavenly Pivot to temper its blade with the flame. The essence of the divine material has barely been released.”

Hearing this, Yang Tian nodded. With a thought, the Heavenly Pivot Divine Sword appeared in his hand. He sent a mental command for the sword to refine itself.

The Heavenly Pivot possessed intelligence; it could accomplish many things on its own, without Yang Tian having to guide it step by step.

With a hum, the Heavenly Pivot vibrated, its blade appearing directly in the central area. Its devouring power opened wide, drawing the terrifying flames around it to the sword’s body.

Light flowed on the Heavenly Pivot as golden flames adhered to its blade. Every inch was crystalline and translucent. Under the flame’s tempering, Yang Tian could sense the sword’s power increasing slightly.

But the increase was minute, almost imperceptible. Yet Yang Tian’s face lit up with excitement. He looked up at the lid of the golden tripod, a sly grin creeping onto his face.

Yang Tian stomped his foot, unleashing a surge of force. The body of the golden tripod hummed as if metal were grinding against metal.

In that space, Qin Shi was forming seals. With each seal, the flames inside the golden tripod intensified slightly.

Just as he formed another hand seal, the fifty-zhang-tall golden tripod suddenly trembled, emitting a piercing screech. Qin Shi’s face froze. He knew well the temperature inside—even a War King could not survive long.

“Are you ready to beg for mercy? If so, hand over the artifact, and I’ll let you go.” Qin Shi’s eyes flickered for a moment, then he tapped the now-calm tripod and smiled lightly.

After three breaths of silence, the tripod’s lid suddenly shook, threatening to lift off.

“Not bad, kid. You’ve got some skill.” Seeing this, Qin Shi chuckled and formed several seals over the lid. The golden tripod blazed with light, and a wandering golden dragonlet spat a breath of dragon’s breath, suppressing the trembling lid.

“If you’ve got the guts, bring it on. These flames aren’t even enough to tickle me.”

An extremely arrogant voice rang out. Qin Shi’s expression soured. He hadn’t expected that after the time it took to drink a cup of tea, Yang Tian was still full of vigor.

“I’ll give you what you want.” Qin Shi chuckled lightly. The seal in his hand shot out, and the illusory dragonlet cried out, circling the tripod and spouting dragon’s breath onto it.

Forcibly driving the golden dragonlet consumed Qin Shi’s blood and qi rapidly. He swallowed several pills, replenishing his spent energy.

Inside the golden tripod, the fiery domain suddenly expanded. Flames soared into the sky, and the power of the golden flame multiplied several times over.

The golden flame boiled over. Wisps of golden fire danced through the void, the scorching waves terrifying. Sweat beaded on Yang Tian’s face.

Ahead, the Heavenly Pivot was ecstatic. Forged from divine material, even Heavenly Fire could not harm it, let alone this flame. It madly gathered the surrounding flames.

Humming continuously, the Heavenly Pivot radiated divine light—the essence of the divine material. Under the flame’s tempering, its latent power was gradually awakened.

Yang Tian grimaced in pain, his body emitting green smoke. His skin cracked, and fire poison began to form within his flesh. He could no longer focus on cultivation.

“Hum…” Sensing Yang Tian’s distress, the Heavenly Pivot chirped and appeared above his head, letting down strands of golden light that enveloped his body.

The golden light was dazzling, the flames scorching, but when the terrifying flames touched Yang Tian’s surroundings, they were devoured by the golden light.

“This little one knows how to protect its master.” Feeling the joyful intent from the Heavenly Pivot, Yang Tian scratched his head and smiled happily.

Humming, the Heavenly Pivot zipped around Yang Tian.

After a moment of stillness, Yang Tian opened his mouth and inhaled another wisp of golden flame.

The scorching flame instantly flooded his body. Yang Tian winced as his flesh cracked, revealing red skin and faintly visible bones that hummed.

The golden flame blazed, wreaking havoc inside Yang Tian. He endured the pain, and after about three breaths, he took out the Hundred Herbs Divine Liquid.

Life essence gurgled, radiating infinite vitality. Each drop of emerald liquid was like a jade bead, a spring of life.

Yang Tian dripped three drops of the Hundred Herbs Divine Liquid. The dense life force poured into his limbs and bones. A cool sensation struck his mind, and his face was filled with bliss.

His flesh began to recover. Without hesitation, Yang Tian refined the medicinal power. His body transformed, the limit broken by the golden flame, now having room for improvement.

After a while, Yang Tian inhaled another wisp of golden flame, offering no resistance. His newly tempered flesh broke its limit again, cracking open to reveal blood and bone.

Yang Tian repeated the process, absorbing the medicinal power and tempering his physique. His body transformed, and his indomitable will endured the ordeal, growing ever more condensed, like a sword with its edge concealed.

After about half an hour, the Heavenly Pivot Divine Sword hummed incessantly, surrounded by divine radiance. Its inner essence was refined out, its quality improving. The flames inside the tripod were all gathered around it.

His flesh was like jade, radiating golden light. Yang Tian’s body was transforming, his bones emitting faint golden hues. The aura he exuded had deepened significantly.