Chapter 642 - 349: Advancing to Tier 7

"I’m back..." Su Chen exhaled a breath mixed with sparks, emitting a sharp SIZZLE AND CRACKLE.

Glancing at the time, he realized it had been about five days since he entered the Flame Space.

"Five days? It felt like barely half a day inside the Flame Space. Is there a discrepancy in the flow of time, or did the journey through the Flame Fire actually take much longer than I imagined?" Su Chen speculated internally.

Though only five days had passed, so much had happened that it felt like an entire lifetime.

Just as he was about to stow away the Fire-igniting Ash in his hand, his movements paused. "Hmm? Wait a minute..."

He frowned slightly, leaning in to carefully observe the mass of liquid gold-like Fire-igniting Ash. "Why does this light feel a bit dimmer? Was it consumed by the Residual Fire? So its Energy isn’t infinite?"

As soon as he thought that, he felt a bit speechless at himself. "Of course it isn’t infinite."

"But if it can only last for a few uses..." His frown deepened. After a moment of careful observation, however, his brows relaxed.

He noticed that the mass of Fire-igniting Ash was faintly extending tiny tentacles that vanished into the void, as if it were absorbing some kind of power.

"It seems to be reaching into the Netherworld Space. Is it extracting the Nether Fog to use as a power source?" he wondered.

Uncertain despite his careful observation, Su Chen decided to simply take the object into the Netherworld Space.

Sure enough, it was indeed absorbing the Nether Fog. It looked unremarkable in the outside world, but the moment it entered the Nether Realm, it erupted with a terrifying suction. Like a ravenous whirlwind, it violently tore the surrounding Nether Fog toward itself.

It even formed a violent torrent of such a massive scale that Su Chen felt a wave of trepidation. In mere moments, it created a colossal vortex spanning hundreds, even thousands of kilometers—and it was still expanding.

At the same time, the light radiating from the surface of the Fire-igniting Ash gradually began to recover.

"Although it gets depleted, this thing can also recover," he noted. "It’s roughly equivalent to having a cooldown period, which shouldn’t take too long."

Watching the surface brightness steadily return to normal, Su Chen felt much more at ease.

"In that case, I can’t put this away for the time being."

Su Chen’s true body returned to the Nether Tower. Staring at the Fire-igniting Ash in his hand, a whimsical idea suddenly crossed his mind. "I wonder if this thing can..."

Acting on the thought, Su Chen immediately attempted to ignite his Morning Fire.

Soon, a faint wisp of Morning Fire flickered to life in the center of his chest. He carefully maneuvered the small flame, bringing it closer to the Fire-igniting Ash.

If this had been Divine Blood, the Morning Fire would have already devoured it and flared up vigorously.

However, faced with the Fire-igniting Ash, the feeble wisp of Morning Fire remained utterly sluggish, seemingly lacking the slightest bit of interest.

"I knew it wouldn’t work..." Su Chen shook his head. The status panel had stated that the Fire-igniting Ash could only ignite specific flames, likely targeting only the Sun Residual Fire.

Obviously, his Morning Fire couldn’t use it as fuel. He had hoped for a free ride, thinking he wouldn’t have to worry about securing Divine Blood anymore.

It was just a sudden whim anyway, so he wasn’t disappointed by the failure. He pushed open the heavy doors of the Nether Tower and stepped outside.

Fresh air rushed against his face. Su Chen took a deep breath, letting the cool breeze fill his lungs. He felt instantly rejuvenated; the atmosphere inside the Flame Space had been genuinely oppressive.

Upon returning to the training room, Su Chen pulled out the Celestial Star Potion and gripped it tightly. "It’s a Potion, after all," he pondered. "The ’random’ effect surely isn’t truly random. It’s likely influenced by certain bodily factors—perhaps my profession type, or simply whether my body can endure the strain."

Glancing at his status panel, he saw that the development progress for the Thunder Ash World Master was at 89%.

"Just 11% more to max it out," he calculated. "Eleven percent is about the median. With an optimal effect, I should be able to max it out entirely. It should be close enough."

Su Chen calculated his next steps. If he could maximize it straight away, he would only need to elevate his Body Refining and Meditation Technique to the Master Level, and then he could...

At this thought, Su Chen’s heart stirred. "I almost forgot. Reaching the Master Level in Body Refining and Meditation Technique is a profession requirement. But I can just use Thunder Fury to erase all profession requirements. Whether or not I actually upgrade them to the Master Level doesn’t really matter."

The minor stat boost was entirely dispensable anyway.

He had no intention of endlessly chasing the absolute limits at the Low Tier. In his mind, his Main Professional Tier would always be his utmost priority.

Even while fulfilling the requirements of other professions, he couldn’t afford to delay his development progress. Fighting enemies beyond his Tier was far too grueling; crushing them with a High Tier advantage was the true path to supremacy.

Su Chen adjusted his condition. The Potion’s container was cast as a single solid piece, so he had to forcefully burn a small hole into it before pouring out the liquid inside.

The indigo Potion tasted faintly sweet, somewhat reminiscent of blueberries from his past life. But before he could even savor the flavor, his expression suddenly changed.

It felt as if a bomb had detonated in his mouth. The liquid instantly boiled, surging violently toward his stomach. It wreaked havoc down his esophagus—like swallowing glowing embers—leaving a dull, burning pain in its wake.

Then, the Potion’s potent medicinal effects erupted, flooding into his limbs and bones.

In an instant, Su Chen felt both the Elemental Power stored within his body and the Spiritual Power hidden deep within his cells begin to stir restlessly.

In a flash of inspiration, he immediately circulated his Body Refining and Meditation Technique. His heart leaped as crimson fire and flashes of lightning erupted around him without the slightest warning.

Every hair on his body stood on end. A searing agony radiated from beneath his skin. The violent surges of flames and lightning practically spiraled out of control as they coursed through his body.

In the past, aided by development potions, gravity chambers, and various other auxiliary equipment, his development efficiency had already been quite fast—equivalent to driving at top speed on a highway.

But now, it felt like strapping into a spaceship. His progression speed didn’t just soar; it exploded.

"Just as I expected," he thought. "The core principle is using powerful medicinal effects as a stimulant. If my body can withstand it, my development will skyrocket. If it can’t, I’ll be forced to stop."