Seeing the prompt, Fang Xing willed the enhancement to begin.

A crimson light covered the Earth Fire Lotus in his hand, and Fang Xing stared, unblinking.

As he watched, the crimson light gradually faded, and the Earth Fire Lotus in his hand underwent a few changes.

The petals of the Earth Fire Lotus were blood-red, interwoven with faint golden patterns.

[A fifteen-year-old Earth Fire Lotus has been successfully enhanced. You have obtained one three-hundred-year-old Earth Core Fire Lotus!]

’Three hundred years old...’

’An Earth Core Fire Lotus!’

Reading the prompt before him, Fang Xing’s eyes lit up.

Earth Fire Lotus and Earth Core Fire Lotus. ’Though their names differ by only a single word, the difference between them is enormous, and their effects are completely dissimilar.’

’No wonder it cost five hundred Enhancement Points.’

Fang Xing composed himself.

He then took out the Fire Element Pill.

It was a red elixir with intricate patterns swirling across its surface.

[One Middle Grade Fire Element Pill. Enhancement Cost: 500 points.]

’The same?’

Fang Xing was slightly surprised by the cost.

The enhancement costs for the Fire Element Pill and the Earth Fire Lotus were identical.

After a brief pause, Fang Xing quickly came to his senses and began the enhancement.

A crimson light enveloped the elixir, and as he watched, the Fire Element Pill in his hand began to change.

Soon, the crimson light dissipated, revealing the newly transformed elixir.

[One Middle Grade Fire Element Pill has been successfully enhanced. You have obtained one Upper Grade Blazing Yuan Pill.]

’A Blazing Yuan Pill...’

Looking at the elixir, Fang Xing thought for a moment. He seemed to recall seeing a description for the Blazing Yuan Pill on the exchange list.

The effects of a Blazing Yuan Pill were far superior to those of a Fire Element Pill.

In terms of exchange price alone, a single Blazing Yuan Pill cost a full five thousand Merit.

That alone was enough to prove the Blazing Yuan Pill’s power.

’I should test the effects of this Blazing Yuan Pill first.’

Composing himself, Fang Xing swallowed it in a single gulp.

VMMMMM—!!!

Instantly, the Blazing Yuan Pill unleashed its potent medicinal properties within his body.

An incomparably scorching heat, like a raging inferno, swept through every inch of his body.

Calming his mind, Fang Xing circulated the Red Fire Divine Skill with all his might and began to absorb the medicinal power of the Blazing Yuan Pill.

The medicinal power of the Blazing Yuan Pill was absorbed bit by bit as its effects continued to manifest.

A layer of crimson light swirled around him, enveloping his entire body.

As Fang Xing immersed himself in absorbing the Blazing Yuan Pill, the temperature in the room seemed to rise considerably.

—

Time ticked by.

In the blink of an eye, five days had passed.

It took Fang Xing a full five days to completely absorb the Blazing Yuan Pill.

The Blazing Yuan Pill contained a vast amount of Fire Attribute energy, providing a significant boost to his Red Fire Divine Skill.

The medicinal power from that one Blazing Yuan Pill had pushed him directly to the Fourth Layer Extreme of the Red Fire Divine Skill.

He felt he was not far from reaching the Fifth Layer of the Red Fire Divine Skill.

’It was a bit expensive, but the results are definitely worth it.’

Fang Xing opened his palm, and Red Flame True Qi condensed within it.

The Fourth Layer Extreme of the Red Fire Divine Skill.

His Red Flame True Qi had grown much more powerful.

Its power was even greater!

The Red Flame True Qi was so intense it almost seemed to warp the air.

’I wonder what the effects of the Earth Core Fire Lotus will be...’ Fang Xing’s gaze fell upon the lotus on the table.

’Three hundred years old... Breaking through to the Fifth Layer shouldn’t be a problem.’

Fang Xing stood, picked up the Earth Core Fire Lotus from the table, and left the room, heading to the kitchen to decoct it.

More than three hours later, it was nearly ready.

He had decocted an entire clay pot of medicinal liquid.

Fang Xing drank it all in one go.

He then continued to cultivate his Red Fire Divine Skill.

This time, it took a full six days for Fang Xing to completely absorb the medicinal liquid from the Earth Core Fire Lotus.

As expected, with the aid of the Earth Core Fire Lotus’s medicinal power, he broke through to the Fifth Layer of the Red Fire Divine Skill.

His Red Flame True Qi burned ferociously.

Scorching heat filled the room.

’Just one more layer to go... before I reach the Late-stage Cyan Flame.’

Fang Xing gazed at his Red Flame True Qi.

At the Fifth Layer of the Red Fire Divine Skill, he could clearly feel his progress slowing down.

The transition from the Fifth Layer to the Sixth Layer was the key to stepping into the Third Realm.

His Red Fire Divine Skill had reached a bottleneck.

Breaking through this layer would require even more time and resources.

At the same time, Fang Xing analyzed the difference between the two items he had enhanced: the Blazing Yuan Pill and the Earth Core Fire Lotus.

In terms of the boost they provided, there didn’t seem to be a significant difference between the two enhanced items.

There was no obvious disparity; he couldn’t tell which was more potent.

After some deliberation, Fang Xing decided to exchange for Fire Element Pills.

They were more cost-effective.

’The Sixth Layer... I’ll need even more Fire Element Pills.’

’I hope my remaining Merit will be enough to break through.’

The thought flashed through Fang Xing’s mind.

He wasn’t sure if he could break through, but he had to try.

Breaking through to the Sixth Layer of the Red Fire Divine Skill would be a fundamental transformation.

His power would rise to a terrifying new level.

Once he took this step, he would be even closer to achieving Great Success in the Red Fire Divine Skill.

He left his residence and went to the Merit Hall, where he exchanged all ten thousand of his Merit for Fire Element Pills in one go.

He only had five hundred Merit left.

To him when he had just joined the Observatory, that might have seemed like a lot, but now, it was just a drop in the bucket.

Enhancing all ten Fire Element Pills cost him a full five thousand Enhancement Points.

In the days that followed, Fang Xing once again immersed himself in arduous cultivation.

He never once set foot outside his door.

His days became exceedingly tranquil.

All other matters were temporarily set aside.

Improving his Martial Arts was his top priority.

—

「A month passed in the blink of an eye.」

It was the height of summer, and the Sun was brutal.

Inside the room, Fang Xing sat motionless, a layer of crimson light swirling all around him.

And within that crimson glow, a wisp of cyan began to emerge.