After parting ways with Xiao Yan.
Shen Shihuang returned to the Mittel Family.
Ya Fei held a jug of wine, gazing at Shen Shihuang with reluctance in her eyes. "If you have time, don't forget to come visit."
Shen Shihuang took the jug from Ya Fei and nodded. "Don't worry. If I have time in the future, I'll definitely come back."
Compared to the reluctance in Ya Fei's eyes, Teng Shan's was even more pronounced. He even made sure to give Shen Shihuang a large sum of gold coins.
"Ya Fei, Elder Hai, Grand Elder, I'll take my leave!"
Shen Shihuang cupped his hands in farewell.
Three days later.
Shen Shihuang gazed into the distance. The Black-Corner Region lay over there.
He had already obtained the Origin Flame Seed energy of the Green Lotus Core Flame. That was Shen Shihuang's first step. "Next comes the Origin Flame energy of a second Heavenly Flame."
In the Black-Corner Region.
There was another Heavenly Flame, and its owner was none other than the Medicine Emperor Han Feng of Maple City.
Likewise.
He was also the weakest among the many owners of Heavenly Flames.
As for the other Heavenly Flames, they were either impossible to seize because they had been passed down for ages, belonged to Dou God Clans like the Ancient Eight Clans, or were in the hands of terrifying powerhouses who had been famous for a long time.
Compared to them.
The Medicine Emperor Han Feng.
Was simply... weak as hell!
Who else was there to rob if not him?
"Sea Heart Flame, ranked fifteenth on the Heavenly Flame Ranking."
Shen Shihuang didn't act right away. Although he was already capable of forcibly taking the Sea Heart Flame from Han Feng, he was more interested in seeing what changes the Taisui Flame would undergo after absorbing the Green Lotus Core Flame's Origin Flame Seed energy.
Whoosh!
With that thought.
Shen Shihuang found a desolate spot, punched a hole into a mountainside, and crawled inside. Then he sealed the entrance with other rocks.
After sitting cross-legged, Shen Shihuang held out one hand. The black Taisui Flame burst into existence, and in an instant, the temperature throughout the cave surged. Keeping it under control, he extended his other hand, and a wisp of green flame appeared. Compared to a regular flame, this green wisp was far more brilliant, as though it had been purified again and again.
"Fuse!"
Shen Shihuang slowly brought his hands together. The black Taisui Flame suddenly grew restless, and countless black tongues of flame surged up, swallowing the green flame completely in an instant.
In that instant.
Shen Shihuang felt energy surge wildly through his body.
"Damn!"
Shen Shihuang's vision went black, and he nearly passed out. At that moment, black Taisui Flame engulfed his entire body, as if he himself were the furnace and his Dou Qi the fuel.
"Hss!"
Shen Shihuang endured the agony as his skin split, his bones seared, and his blood evaporated. His expression twisted into a grimace. "What immense power!"
At the same time, Shen Shihuang could feel the tremendous power welling up inside him. Vaguely, he sensed that through the Heavenly Flame within him, he could even stir the magma beneath the earth.
Huff, huff!
Shen Shihuang gasped for breath. The black flames burning across his body gradually formed the shape of a lotus, with him at its center.
The Green Lotus Core Flame took the shape of a lotus.
In volcanic regions, it could trigger eruptions, unleashing a terrifying force capable of laying waste to the world.
Now.
Shen Shihuang could clearly feel that the Taisui Flame had gained the same ability.
"Is this the Taisui Flame's ability?"
"Does it gain the abilities of other Heavenly Flames by fusing with their Origin Flame Seed energy?"
At that moment, Shen Shihuang.
Was filled with excitement. If he could obtain the Origin Flame Seed energy of every Heavenly Flame on the Heavenly Flame Ranking, just how powerful would the Taisui Flame become?
Besides.
The appearance of the Taisui Flame had made it clear to Shen Shihuang that there had to be other Heavenly Flames on the Dou Qi Continent that weren't recorded on the Heavenly Flame Ranking.
As the Taisui Flame slowly withdrew from Shen Shihuang and returned to his palm.
His clothes had long since burned away into nothingness.
The Taisui Flame seemed to understand Shen Shihuang's predicament. Streams of flame flowed over him, transforming into a black robe.
"Ahhhhhhh!"
As the black robe appeared, Shen Shihuang felt as if someone had split his back open with a cleaver.
Whoosh!
A pair of black bone wings, each several feet long, emerged from Shen Shihuang's back. Their pitch-black surface seemed to gaze into the abyss. At a mere thought, the wings beat, and the rocks blocking the cave's entrance were instantly flung aside.
Shen Shihuang shot out of the cave and soared into the air.
Feeling the power of the bone wings at his back.
A look of realization appeared in Shen Shihuang's eyes.
"Has the Taisui Flame advanced?"
The black bone wings held no power, yet at the same time seemed to contain an utterly terrifying force. Shen Shihuang beat his wings and instantly streaked toward the distance like a shooting star.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
Shen Shihuang came to a stop, a satisfied smile on his face.
The bone wings were several times faster than his ability to tread through the air!
Simply terrifying.
"Taisui Bone."
"Low Earth Tier Dou Technique."
"It can evolve as the Taisui Flame advances. Once it reaches its peak, it can break through the constraints of time at will."
Information, as if innate, surfaced in Shen Shihuang's mind.
It concerned the black bone wings on his back.
"Hss!"
Shen Shihuang shuddered. "Break through the constraints of time at will? Could they even let me travel through time?"
Whether that was possible.
Shen Shihuang didn't know yet. But he did know that when it came to speed, these bone wings could probably outmatch anyone below the Dou Zong level.
At least.
That was how things stood for now.
"Could it be that every time the Taisui Flame advances, I'll receive a similar benefit?"
On a mountaintop.
Shen Shihuang sat cross-legged, supporting his chin as he pondered.
But he didn't notice that tiny flickers of black flame had appeared on the bone wings behind him, merging into the surrounding space.
"If that's how it works..."
"These Earth Tier bone wings are already this powerful. If the next advancement gives me an offensive Dou Technique, wouldn't it be even more powerful?"
"Heavenly Flames!!"
After experiencing the benefits the Taisui Flame brought him for the first time, Shen Shihuang's yearning for Heavenly Flame Origin energy grew even stronger.
Screeeech!
Suddenly.
Black flames appeared in front of Shen Shihuang, forcibly tearing a rift in space. Shen Shihuang hurried to his feet and leapt backward.
He stared at the spatial rift. Within it, there seemed to be an endless sea of flames.
Black.
The same familiar essence.
"The Taisui Flame?"
Shen Shihuang froze.
Then, from within the boundless black flames, a figure slowly emerged.
A young man with a handsome face.
Though he still fell short of Shen Shihuang.
The man slowly walked through the endless flames to the edge of the spatial rift, then stepped out.
Once he had fully emerged, he bowed respectfully to Shen Shihuang.
"Congratulations, my king."
Shen Shihuang: "???"
Though he bowed in greeting, his graceful bearing remained unmistakable. The man slowly circled Shen Shihuang once.
He said, "My king's first fusion and advancement awakened the Taisui Bone. That was the key to summoning us."
"My king must grow stronger quickly from now on. Only then will we, your subjects, be able to come to this world."
Listening to the man's words.
Shen Shihuang looked utterly bewildered.
Who are you?
What are you talking about?