The Nether Department's soul fire had nine realms.
Apart from the first realm, Fire Seeking, the second realm, Fire Embracing, and the third realm, Fire Melting, which the Nether Emperor had already described, next came the fourth realm, Burning Fire.
The fifth realm marked an important dividing line, much like the Green Mountain Sword Sect's Wuzhang Realm, because soul fire could then be used directly in combat.
It was also from the fifth realm onward that the word "fire" was placed first.
The fifth realm, Fire Separation.
The sixth realm, Fire Carving.
The seventh realm, Fire Wandering.
The eighth realm, Fire Concealment.
The ninth realm, Fire Awakening.
"Soul Fire Control lies outside the nine realms, but not above them. It is not a tenth realm, because it is an entirely different method of cultivation."
The Nether Emperor looked at Jing Jiu and said, "After the sixth realm, you must choose whether to follow traditional soul fire cultivation or take the path of Soul Fire Control."
Jing Jiu said, "The traditional method bears some resemblance to ours."
"Indeed, and it is somewhat simpler, too," the Nether Emperor said. "Soul Fire Control, however, is quite troublesome. You must endure tremendous pain and take tremendous risks, cutting off a portion of your divine soul that remembers the secret cultivation method, then using Fire Carving to brand it into the soul fire outside your body, allowing it to cultivate and grow on its own."
Merely hearing these words was enough to sense the risks hidden within-and... the courage.
Jing Jiu suddenly thought of the Ghost-Eyed Ling in Turbid Waters.
The vast majority of the demonic beasts that had once ravaged the Chaotian Continent had been driven by the Nether Department, reaching the surface through the Great Whirlpool or other passages in the