The current body is under Xin Ci's control. Although his soul power is at the same five-star soul realm as Mu Qingqing's, his spiritual power realm is only at the half-step Profound realm.
He was afraid that if he wasn't careful, he would be refined by the Undying Phoenix Flame.
"Perhaps it's better to wait for her to appear before refining the Undying Phoenix Flame," Elder Han suggested, concerned for Xin Ci's safety.
However, Xin Ci refused, "Elder Han, let me refine this Undying Phoenix Flame."
Elder Han was slightly stunned, thinking Xin Ci was talking nonsense and did not intend to approve his opinion.
After a sigh, Xin Ci's gaze became unprecedentedly serious.
"Elder Han, both you and she have helped me enough. If my path of cultivation is paved and smoothed by others, I will never truly become strong."
"Only through painful tempering can one become a true powerhouse."
As he spoke, Xin Ci clenched his fist, his heart filled with unshakeable resolve.
Mu Qingqing, hearing Xin Ci's words in the space of consciousness, fell silent.
Thinking carefully, in the original novel's plot, the Undying Phoenix Flame was indeed refined by the male protagonist, Xin Ci.
This was also a crucial point in the growth of his mindset and will.
"Alright then, but I will forcibly sever your connection with the Undying Phoenix Flame using my soul power when you can no longer bear it."
Seeing Xin Ci's seriousness, Elder Han finally agreed.
Xin Ci moved slightly closer to the explosive, scorching crimson flame, faintly sensing his spiritual power within burning and boiling.
To use his half-step Profound realm spiritual power to refine the Undying Phoenix Flame would be suicidal.
However, since his soul shared the same origin as Mu Qingqing's, perhaps using his five-star soul power could succeed.
Xin Ci took a deep breath and transformed his soul power into threads, entwining them around the crimson flame.
The Undying Phoenix Flame seemed to sense the threat, burning even more fiercely, attempting to break free from his soul power threads.
Several threads snapped under the violent force of the Undying Phoenix Flame.
Xin Ci felt a sudden, splitting pain in his head.
He couldn't help but spit out a mouthful of blood, his face instantly turning much paler.
Yet, he gritted his teeth and persevered. In his eyes, this pain was nothing, for the path of cultivation was never smooth sailing.
No matter how many people helped, in the end, one could only rely on their own strength.
Soul power threads re-emerged, penetrating deeper into the Undying Phoenix Flame's origin, attempting to refine and control it.
During this process, Xin Ci had to endure not only the pain of his soul being scorched.
But also the constant boiling of his blood, scalding like plain water, and still evaporating.
Because the Undying Phoenix Flame would not easily allow Xin Ci to refine it, it directly dispersed a wisp of fire and landed on him.
Xin Ci's clothes instantly turned to ash, and his flesh was about to succumb to this domineering flame, becoming tattered and broken.
"Is it still too much of a stretch?"
Both Elder Han and Mu Qingqing worried simultaneously.
After all, it was too strenuous for Xin Ci to refine the Undying Phoenix Flame at this stage.
This was significantly earlier than the time of refinement in the original plot.
Elder Han was already preparing to use his soul power to move the Undying Phoenix Flame away from Xin Ci's body.
At this moment, Xin Ci hardened his heart, took out the Fengyang Flower and Huanghuo Grass, along with the Phoenix's essence blood in the jade bottle, and then swallowed them all in one go.
This series of actions left Elder Han stunned.
This kid was risking his life! Taking Phoenix essence blood at this time!
Wasn't this like adding fuel to the fire?
Under the double scorching of the Undying Phoenix Flame and the Phoenix's essence blood.
Xin Ci's body became like a furnace, with countless golden cracks appearing all over him.
It looked like his body was about to collapse, yet Xin Ci still gritted his teeth.
Using his mind on two things at once, he began cultivating the Phoenix Nirvana Art.
While astonished by Xin Ci's tenacious willpower, Elder Han couldn't help but sigh, "This kid is too ruthless to himself!"
Due to the cultivation of the Phoenix Nirvana Art, Xin Ci's body was being destroyed and melted while his vitality was constantly being reborn and reborn within.
However, his spiritual power was still too weak, and the speed of Nirvana rebirth could not keep up with the speed of destruction.
Suddenly, the two major cultivation techniques within his body, the "Eternal Dao Scripture" and the "Myriad Elephant Star Wheel Scripture," inexplicably began to operate at an accelerated pace.
At the critical moment, Mu Qingqing chose to intervene.
Although she did not want to interfere too much, if the male protagonist Xin Ci died, she would also perish.
However, all she could do was this; the rest still depended on Xin Ci himself.
This slight change caused a significant stir in Xin Ci's heart.
What was she like inside his body?
With the help of the two great cultivation techniques, the "Myriad Elephant Star Wheel Scripture" generated star spiritual energy that could enhance physical body repair, while the "Eternal Dao Scripture" could accelerate the refinement speed.
However, the refinement of the Undying Phoenix Flame was ultimately not something that could be accomplished overnight.
Soon, a year passed.
The figure who had been meditating in the Fiery Sun Hall finally opened his tightly closed eyes.
Instantly, a violent wave of spiritual energy surged around him.
Xin Ci's body was now much stronger, and every cell of his body, reforged by the Nirvana of flames, contained immense vitality and explosive power.
Before the age of sixteen, he already had perfect abdominal muscles. At eighteen, his face had lost some of its childishness and gained a touch more handsomeness.
The Undying Phoenix Flame was truly formidable, taking a full year to be preliminarily refined, allowing him to barely control it.
His spiritual power realm also advanced from the half-step Profound realm to the mid-stage Earth realm during the process of refining the Undying Phoenix Flame.
The Phoenix Nirvana Art had completed its first two Nirvanas, making his physical strength comparable to a top-grade spirit artifact, and his flesh recovery ability had also significantly improved.
Elder Han sensed Xin Ci's condition and floated out of the crystal space, appearing somewhat surprised.
He hadn't expected this kid to actually succeed in refining the Undying Phoenix Flame. Although it was only a preliminary refinement, it was enough to surprise him.
After all, even powerful cultivators at the King realm might not succeed.
Yet, Xin Ci had done it.
In fact, Mu Qingqing's help also played a role in his success.
Xin Ci knew that for the past year, it was she within his body who had been helping him operate the "Myriad Elephant Star Wheel Scripture."
Absorbing external spiritual energy to provide vitality to his body, otherwise, he would not have succeeded.
It had been a year since he left Four Symbols Academy, and it was time to return.
He wondered if Luo Fei and Liu Mu Ming were still spreading rumors about him.
More importantly, he wanted to return and personally deal with Nalan Wuxia.
From Elder Han, he learned that a year ago, the appearance of a fire phoenix had allowed him to successfully escape from Mu Qingqing.
After leaving the Xuanyang Palace, Xin Ci surprisingly did not see the fire phoenix that Elder Han had mentioned.
He estimated that by the time he finished refining the Undying Phoenix Flame, the Xuanyang formation in Fengyang Mountain had also officially expired and been lifted.
The fire phoenix had left beforehand.
Never mind, since the one who knew that spirit beast was Mu Qingqing, not him.
If they truly met, it would be difficult for him to explain.