Watching Wei Haolong sit down irritably to meditate, patiently waiting for the hour of Zi, Shu Han scrutinized the massive array formation in detail. The more he observed, the more mysterious and profound it seemed.

Using his Clear Bright Spiritual Eye, he discerned that within the matrix of Earth Dragon flames, a fiery dragon could faintly be seen.

It was the very origin of the Earth Dragon Fire!

"Hey, Senior Brother Wei, why is there the origin of the Earth Dragon Fire in this formation?"

Without opening his eyes, Wei Haolong replied indifferently, "Did you think regular Earth Dragon flames could produce the miraculous Fiery Cloud Onsen? It's the very origin extracted by the sect leader using great spiritual power from the main body of the Earth Dragon Fire. Imprisoned here using an array my father devised, consider it the avatar of the Earth Dragon flame. This cluster of the Earth Dragon flame's origin can communicate with its main body, thereby gaining a continuous stream of its core power."

No wonder the Fiery Cloud Onsen could rapidly amplify the Black Abyssal Fire. It was directly absorbing the Earth Dragon flame's essence!

Shu Han continued to inquire, "Senior Brother Wei, when you pass on the 'Heavenly Fire Manipulation Art' to me in the future, how long will it take for me to assimilate the heavenly flame's essence into my being, just as you did?"

"It depends on individual talent. It took me a full eighty years."

Eighty years!

Shu Han seemed choked up by the response but pressed on, "Are there quicker instances?"

Wei Haolong stated, "The fastest so far is Song Changyi, who only took fifty years."

"Isn't there a better method?"

Wei Haolong opened his eyes, looking at Shu Han with surprise, "This is already the fastest. Cultivators like us live for centuries; what does a mere eighty years represent? Furthermore, heavenly flames are tumultuous and incredibly hard to tame. Being able to completely refine them in eighty years is already commendable."

Shu Han understood that the deeper one goes in cultivation, the longer it takes. However, he was constrained by time and couldn't follow the usual steps.

"In fact, there might be a quicker way."

Eagerly, Shu Han questioned, "How?"

Wei Haolong responded lightly, "Wait."

Wait?

Wei Haolong explained, "In twelve years, it will be the once-in-a-millennium grand event of my Fiery Cloud Instant Sect, known as 'The Fiery Sun Dominating the Sky'."

"'The Fiery Sun Dominating the Sky'?"

"According to the historical records of the Fiery Cloud Instant Sect, every nine hundred and eighty-four years, based on the evolution of the Great Sun star sign, there will be a special period of seven days. During this time, the energy of the sun in the sky reaches its zenith, and precisely at noon, its vast light, powered by the collective energy of the stars, will shine directly on the mouth of Fire Cloud Mountain. This period is when the essence of the Earth Dragon flame is at its most potent, hence it's called 'The Fiery Sun Dominating the Sky'."

"The Fiery Sun Dominating the Sky is the best opportunity to absorb and refine the heavenly flame's essence. Merely seven days of cultivation, assisted by the boiling Earth Dragon flame essence, can equate to over a decade of rigorous training. Cultivators possessing the essence of the heavenly flame can also use this period to break their cultivation bottleneck, increasing the chances of making a breakthrough."

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Equivalent to over a decade of rigorous training! Breaking through a bottleneck!

These revelations made Shu Han's heart race with excitement.

He resolved to prepare diligently, waiting for the moment of 'The Fiery Sun Dominating the Sky' to challenge his cultivation barrier. However, using 'The Fiery Sun Dominating the Sky' to break through an advanced bottleneck would be wasteful.

Shu Han thought, twelve years should be enough for him to reach the advanced stage.

By then, 'The Fiery Sun Dominating the Sky' might help him break through to the False Core Realm, or, if he was audacious enough, even the Golden Core! If that were the case, he might fulfill his promise to Linlin even sooner!

Seeing Shu Han's goofy grin, Wei Haolong said exasperatedly, "Diligence in daily practice is crucial. Don't place too much hope on 'The Fiery Sun Dominating the Sky'. Although it has indeed fostered the rise of numerous prodigies in our Fiery Cloud Instant Sect, it has also brought about severe calamities..."

"Calamities?"

Wei Haolong sighed, "It seems you truly are a greenhorn. You've never even heard of the 'Human Demon Uproar' from nine hundred years ago."

"Human Demon Uproar?"

"It's said that during 'The Fiery Sun Dominating the Sky' nine centuries ago, a humanoid demon covered in crimson patterns descended upon our Fiery Cloud Instant Sect. This human demon possessed overwhelming power, single-handedly decimating our sect, slaying the sect leader, exterminating the elders, and causing untold devastation. After 'The Fiery Sun Dominating the Sky' concluded, the demon vanished without a trace, leaving behind a shattered Fiery Cloud Instant Sect. Within those seven days, this demon pushed our sect to unprecedented lows."

"At that time, there were scarcely any elders of the Core Formation stage or higher. Fiery Cloud Instant Sect was on the verge of being annexed by other sects and erased from the northern territories of the Great Cloud. Later, the current sect leader, in a dire situation, emerged as a formidable force, astonishing all with his talent, swiftly advancing through the latter stages of the Core Formation, dominating his rivals, stabilizing the situation, and preserving the millennia-old foundation of the Fiery Cloud Instant Sect."

"To stem the tide and prop up a teetering edifice."

No wonder the white-robed Sect Leader, back on the rooftop, appeared nonchalant about his dignity. He didn't need to bother about it since his reputation had already deeply ingrained itself into the hearts of many.

Shu Han wished to be such a figure in Shangguan Ruolin's heart.

He was lost in thought, gazing at the formation, when suddenly an idea occurred to him, and he blurted out, "If we modify this formation to be applied to cultivators, encapsulating the heavenly flame essence within their bodies, wouldn't that save decades of cultivating?"

Wei Haolong scoffed with a smile, "Quite an imagination you have! This majestic formation alone took countless efforts to design and construct. It cannot be applied to individuals."

Shu Han, stubbornly curious, approached the Pure Ice Jade Pillar to examine it more closely. Activating his Clear Bright Spiritual Eye, he peered deep into the pillar, and to his astonishment, he noticed a tiny fire dragon roaming inside.

He exclaimed, "Damn! There's an Earth Dragon Fire's origin inside this Pure Ice Jade Pillar! How is that possible? The Pure Ice Jade Pillar is a treasure of extreme cold. How can it contain such raging heavenly flames?"

Wei Haolong grinned, "This was a result of centuries of research by my father and the Sect Leader. It's the core component of this formation. What appears to be a Pure Ice Jade Pillar has, in fact, changed in its properties."

Shu Han marveled, "Your father and the Sect Leader are truly unparalleled geniuses to achieve such a feat! By the way, who's your father?"

"You've never heard of him? He's the Heavenly Fire Elder of the Fiery Cloud Instant Sect, second only to the Sect Leader in stature and cultivation. A peak cultivator at the mid-stage of Core Formation."

Wei Haolong fell silent, resuming his meditation, waiting for the right moment. Meanwhile, Shu Han, with fervent curiosity, continued to study the formation, admiring the Pure Ice Jade Pillar as one might a beautiful artwork.

Soon, the appointed hour arrived. The Pure Ice Jade Pillar emanated intense cold, maximizing the purifying power of the formation. Wei Haolong grabbed Shu Han, shouting, "Release your spiritual power as a protective shield! Or the Earth Dragon's fire will scorch you!" Without hesitating, Shu Han activated his magical energy barrier.

Then, with a powerful leap, Wei Haolong led Shu Han to ascend with the essence spewing from the formation, propelling them into a massive cavity above. Everything around them was bathed in a fiery red glow. Shu Han could feel his magical barrier depleting rapidly, but soon, they plunged into water – the familiar Fiery Cloud Onsen.

Together, they rose with the currents.

With a splash, they emerged from the Fiery Cloud Onsen. Wei Haolong exclaimed, "Told you so!" Shu Han, quite pleased, patted his back, "Excellent! Looking forward to future collaborations."

However, just then, the illusionary bamboo maze surrounding the Fiery Cloud Onsen shifted unexpectedly.

Wei Haolong shouted in alarm, "Someone's approaching!"

Reacting instantly, Shu Han dived back into the water. After a moment, peering through the hazy water, he saw a pair of delicate feet entering the hot spring. A woman had arrived!