Chapter 89: Silver Flame

The Soul Refining Vessel began to glow faintly, drawing in the surging orbs of energy pouring forth from the rift; attracted by the vessel, these orbs drifted toward it. Tang Tian watched with curiosity as each wisp of light floated toward the Soul Refining Vessel at his feet.

One after another, the energy orbs were absorbed, and the vessel's glow grew ever brighter and more dazzling. Suddenly, with a soft pop, a tongue of flame burst from the Soul Refining Vessel. The sudden appearance of fire startled Tang Tian, but he quickly realized that, unexpectedly, the flame beneath his feet was not hot at all.

He bent down, gazing curiously at the cold blue fire flickering from the Soul Refining Vessel.

"The greatest function of the Soul Refining Vessel," Bing said calmly, "is to transform energy into flames that can temper the Martial Spirit. We call these Soul Refining Flames. You've already condensed your Martial Spirit; now you can try using it to lift the Soul Refining Flame."

"Lifting the Soul Tempering Fire?" Tang Tian was stunned. "How do I do that?"

"Concentrate on your Martial Spirit. Imagine it as a palm, lifting the Soul Refining Flame," Bing's tone grew solemn. "The first time you touch the Soul Refining Flame, it will be excruciating. But remember—no matter how much it hurts, you must not drop the flame. The moment you drop it, you fail completely."

Tang Tian's expression mirrored the solemnity. "Fail as soon as I drop it?"

"Exactly." Bing glanced at him. "Begin."

Tang Tian shut his eyes, focusing all his attention on his Martial Spirit. This was the first time he had ever concentrated so deeply on observing it. His Martial Spirit appeared as a dim flame, as though it might be extinguished at any moment. Following Bing's instructions, Tang Tian forced himself to imagine his Martial Spirit as a hand.

Sure enough, as his thoughts shifted, the flame-like spirit began to writhe and change shape.

Before long, a semi-transparent palm appeared above Tang Tian’s head.

The palm drifted downward to his feet, and the Soul Refining Flame atop the vessel, as if drawn by an unseen force, floated onto the translucent hand.

The instant the Soul Refining Flame landed on the palm, a searing, piercing pain exploded in Tang Tian’s mind. He couldn’t help but groan, and his spirit hand trembled—the Soul Refining Flame nearly tumbled off. Tang Tian reacted instantly, steadying his focus and holding the flame firm.

His face contorted with pain.

The agony was so sharp it left his mind nearly blank. He could even feel, with vivid clarity, the sizzle as the Soul Refining Flame scorched the hand formed by his spirit. Martial Spirit and consciousness were intertwined; this pain pierced his very soul, inescapable, unavoidable. Not only could he not flee from it, he had to focus even more intently, driving the suffering deeper into his core.

"Good. You'll gradually get used to the pain—do you feel it’s already less intense? That’s because some of the impurities in your Martial Spirit have already been refined," came Uncle Bing’s patient, guiding voice. Whether due to Bing’s soothing tone or the refining itself, Tang Tian indeed felt the pain was easing.

"Excellent, you’re doing very well. You’ve taken the most crucial step. Next, you need to control your Martial Spirit and draw in another portion of the Soul Refining Flame—not too much. We’ll proceed step by step." Bing's steady voice inspired a sense of safety, and Tang Tian quickly regained his composure.

Following Bing’s instructions, Tang Tian carefully summoned another strand of Soul Refining Flame. A searing pain stabbed through his mind like a spike, making his spirit hand tremble again.

"Hold steady! No matter how much it hurts, hold on!"

"Very good, well done! You’re adapting—the impurities in your Martial Spirit are being refined!"

"You’ve had ample rest; it’s time for another round of tempering. This won’t be a problem for you. Just as before, draw in another portion of the Soul Refining Flame."

…

Bing maintained a deliberate, measured pace in his speech, ensuring Tang Tian would lose track of time.

An hour passed.

Bing’s focus never wavered; his gaze never left Tang Tian.

He spoke continuously.

By now, Tang Tian’s mind was growing muddled—anyone’s endurance for pain has limits. He followed Bing’s guidance mechanically, drawing in flame after flame, cycle after cycle, losing all sense of how long he’d been tempering.

The Soul Refining Flame had grown as large as a table, completely enveloping Tang Tian’s Martial Spirit.

Bing watched closely. When he saw Tang Tian’s Martial Spirit gradually become translucent, a flash of excitement crossed his eyes.

An hour and a half had passed.

For a radius of thirty feet, the energy orbs, like sharks scenting blood, surged madly toward the fiery orb above Tang Tian’s head, feeding the Soul Refining Flame until it blazed ever more fiercely.

At that moment, Bing held only Soul Cores in his hands—some accumulated by Tang Tian, others scavenged from the corpses at the base previously. Flicking his finger, Bing sent a Soul Core directly into the Soul Refining Flame.

Impurities were quickly burned away, leaving only a thread of pure Martial Spirit.

Tang Tian’s Martial Spirit instinctively sensed and devoured this pure essence.

"Exactly—just like that. Good, can you feel your Martial Spirit growing stronger? Keep drawing in the Soul Refining Flame."

As Bing encouraged Tang Tian, he continued feeding Soul Cores into the flame. Tang Tian’s Martial Spirit grew rapidly, and as it did, its magnetic pull intensified. The surrounding energy orbs surged toward him like a rising tide.

The Soul Refining Flame swelled explosively.

Bing’s expression grew more and more tense. Only ten minutes remained until two hours—the record he himself had set with the Southern Cross Legion.

With firsthand experience, Bing knew more than anyone: at this stage, the Soul Refining Flame would become unstable, gradually collapsing inward. The energy orbs pouring from this rift weren’t of the highest tier, but as the fireball shrank, it would shatter their fourth-tier barrier.

In other words, the Soul Refining Flame would soon break through to the fifth tier.

The higher the tier of the Soul Refining Flame, the more thoroughly it would temper the Martial Spirit.

Its color began to shift from a ghostly blue to a deepening green.

Intense waves of pain battered Tang Tian, as if his mind were being roasted alive. The agony grew ever fiercer—so fierce that it took every ounce of his will, truly every last scrap of strength, to hang on.

Bing’s voice drifted in Tang Tian’s ears, distant and indistinct, sometimes near, sometimes far. Tang Tian no longer had the energy to listen.

He was on the brink of collapse. The relentless pain threatened to shatter his defenses at any moment.

Two hours!

The Soul Refining Flame’s color fully transformed into azure.

Bing’s expression remained calm, but inside, he was in turmoil. Two hours—Tang Tian had actually endured for two hours! This arrogant, self-assured youth...

He had truly lasted two hours!

In all the years of the legion, no one but Bing himself had reached such a mark.

But now, Tang Tian was spent. His body trembled violently, the pain on his face growing more evident, his complexion turning pale.

A jolt ran through Bing. This was no time for distraction. He knew that after passing the two-hour mark, every second counted. Each moment now would be worth a hundredfold in the years to come.

He drew a deep breath and roared, "Tang Tian!"

Beneath the blazing orb, Tang Tian’s body jerked.

"Have you forgotten your dream? Have you forgotten your vow? Have you forgotten your desire to become the strongest?"

"Tang Tian! Have you forgotten the taste of failure?"

"Tang Tian! Have you forgotten the mockery you’ve endured all these years?"

"Tang Tian! Have you forgotten the helplessness of being unable to change anything?"

"Are you going to give up?"

"Tang Tian, are you really willing to give up like this?"

"Are you content?"

The final four words burst forth from Bing, a thunderous roar wrung from the depths of his being.

Tang Tian’s body froze, then began to tremble even more violently. A flush of red crept into his pallid face, and at some point, his fists clenched tight.

"Tang Tian!" Bing drew a breath and shouted, "Just ten more minutes! Hold on for ten more minutes—the last ten minutes!"

"And you’ll achieve your dream!"

"You’ll become the strongest man!"

"You’ll fulfill your vow!"

"Tang Tian!"

"Ten minutes! Just ten minutes!"

"You can absolutely do it!"

Bing was practically grinding his teeth with effort, his fists clenched as tightly as Tang Tian’s, his gaze fixed unblinking on the youth. When he finished shouting, he felt as though all strength had been drained from him, leaving only exhaustion.

Hang in there, miraculous youth...

Bing’s whisper was almost inaudible.

Tang Tian shook so hard he seemed about to shatter, on the verge of collapse.

Bing could barely contain his anxiety—two hours and three minutes had passed!

The Soul Refining Flame was now a deep, bronze-like green, the chilly blue aura replaced by a fierce and murderous intensity. Within a radius of forty feet, every energy orb was drawn in, swirling into the flame like snow in a wild gale.

The green deepened further.

Tang Tian’s body trembled ceaselessly, the agony striking harder and faster than ever.

But his mind echoed only those words:

Are you content?

Are you really willing to give up like this?

Give up?

Give up… No. I won’t give up. How could I give up? How could I… Never! Even if I die, never…

From nowhere, a surge of strength arose. In the depths of soul-wrenching agony, a wild, defiant smile twisted Tang Tian’s face—ugly, yet indomitable.

I am a youth like a god!

How could I give up?

I am destined to be the strongest man!

How could I give up?

How could I?

With a crackling roar, the Soul Refining Flame shifted from green to a deep, inky black. The fireball shrank to the size of a basket, and suddenly, a burst of silver light exploded from within.

In a heartbeat, silver blazed like frost, the flames exuding a biting, chilling aura.

The surge of energy within the rift was so great that Jing Hao, startled, looked up to see a sky full of energy orbs converging in tens of thousands of blue streaks toward one direction.

Wait—that was where Tang Tian was cultivating!

Jing Hao’s face drained of color as he sprinted madly for the spot. When he arrived and saw the scene before him, he was rooted to the ground.

Beneath the frigid silver flames, the boy’s silhouette stood, wild and unyielding.