Ji An maintained his inner vision as time slipped by second by second. The Heaven and Earth Spirit Fire completely fused into one, and its color changed as well.
The spirit fire had only two layers. Its inner flame was pale black, while its outer flame was white—the exact opposite of the Primordial Life Fire.
The instant the new Heaven and Earth Spirit Fire took shape, his Primordial Life Fire seemed to receive some sort of replenishment, its radiance swelling slightly.
A mysterious connection formed between the two flames. Clearly, they could promote each other.
Ji An was deeply curious. He did not know the underlying principle behind the fusion of Heaven and Earth Spirit Fires, but since he had gained tangible benefits, he could ponder the matter slowly later.
The inner flame of the Primordial Life Fire was white, and white represented the aura of yang—yang within and yin without. The new spirit fire, meanwhile, was yin within and yang without. It was easier to understand why the two flames produced such a wondrous rhythm between them.
Ji An came back to himself. By now, the sky had completely darkened, and lanterns inlaid with luminous pearls hung nearby.
Soft light spilled over him, while beyond the reach of that light lay the profound night.
The alternation of day and night in the Gourd World had become increasingly distinct. At rat hour, deep darkness would devour the light emitted by the spirit trees.
When the small world had first developed the phenomenon of day and night, the light emitted by the spirit tree leaves at night had extended more than three feet. Now, it barely reached two feet.
Ji An raised his left hand and flicked his index finger. A black-and-white flame sprang forth, its flame core black and its