835 Eternal Star Fire! (2/2)
The steps might seem easy, but the hardest part is where one has to swallow the fire of an Eternal Star!
Wang Baole fell into a contemplative silence. Swallowing Eternal Star Fire was the first step to practicing the Black Earth Star Refinement Art. The practitioner needed a form of kindling inside him. As he continued his cultivation, he would add other forms of kindling to keep the fire inside him going. This would make him stronger and madder at the same time.
There were great risks to this first step. A misstep would result in his being burned alive. There was a reminder in the jade slip that stated that one should attempt the Black Earth Star Refinement Art under specific conditions. It was inadvisable to practice it otherwise.
One needed luck in order to meet either of these conditions. Wang Baole wasn't lucky enough at the moment. But the Black Earth Star Refinement Art only discouraged practicing the refinement art without meeting either of those specific conditions. It didn't explicitly state that he would fail otherwise.
That was why… Wang Baole thought that he could still give it a go. He had an advantage no other person had. His current form… was an avatar conjured by his essence technique!
If I fail the first time, I'll try another ten times. If I fail those ten times, I'll just try a hundred times! Wang Baole's eyes flashed as he lifted his right hand and formed a hand seal. His physical form grew indistinct instantly. Wisps of mist emerged from his body, gathered before him, and morphed into a smaller version of himself. This mini Wang Baole stepped through the walls of the Dharmic Battleship and rushed towards the sun.
It got as close as it could to the sun, then took a deep breath in. Flames surged towards the mini Wang Baole and flooded his mouth. In the next moment, the mini Wang Baole shuddered, then burst into flames. The avatar turned to dust instantly.
Wang Baole narrowed his eyes. He carefully examined what he had felt from the earlier attempt.
I tried to absorb too much energy. I should take in less. I need to tweak what the avatar does after absorbing the energy as well… Wang Baole dissected the causes of his failure and quickly summoned the second avatar.
Lather, rinse, repeat. Wang Baole's fleet stationed itself next to the Eternal Star for an entire month!
Wang Baole almost drove himself mad during that month. He made failed attempt after failed attempt, downing pills when he felt weak and eating other supreme-grade materials such as Spirit Stones to keep himself going. Despite all of that, he could feel his essence being drained away and the fading of his body.
His repeated attempts weren't for nothing, though. Each failed attempt earned Wang Baole a great deal of experience. On his hundred and seventy-third try, his avatar finally managed to swallow a ball of Eternal Star Fire without exploding, successfully returning to the battleship!
Wang Baole was elated upon its return. His physical form dissipated into pure mist, racing towards his avatar and transforming it into his primary avatar via the essence technique. His body shuddered violently at that instant. He could feel heat coursing through his whole body!
A prototype of a sun had appeared in his Divine Sea. It was burning hotly. Dark Fire surrounded the brightly burning sun, achieving a kind of balance between the two types of fire!
I've done it! Upon sensing the Eternal Star Fire inside his body, Wang Baole opened his eyes and revealed a flash of fire flickering in his eyes. The sight of the fleeting flames sent Little Wu and the donkey shuddering uncontrollably. Even though Wang Baole was only at the False Immortal realm now, the dangerous vibes that he was exuding had surpassed that of a Planet realm cultivator!