Chapter 693

'Sssss…'

'Zzzzz…'

The Nine Heaven Mystic Fire shrank to several zhang in size and formed a human face, glaring angrily at He Pingsheng.

Strictly speaking, this thing was not a member of the demonic race.

It was a spirit.

Or perhaps a spirit of an artifact.

Without immense fortune, such primordial entities had virtually no chance of taking form.

Of course, it possessed eternal lifespan beyond the reach of ordinary mortals.

'Wwwww…'

Seeing this thing rush toward him, He Pingsheng immediately stripped off all his clothing and dao robe.

Otherwise, if it spat fire, his clothes would be burned to ash.

Naked and bare, in this confined space, only He Pingsheng and the flame remained.

'Boom…'

The furious Nine Heaven Mystic Fire finally opened its mouth wide and spat a torrent of flame.

The scorching fire instantly engulfed He Pingsheng.

Yet He Pingsheng made no move to dodge—he let the flames burn his body.

The Nine Heaven Mystic Fire's rank might be high, but its energy was ordinary, insufficient even to harm He Pingsheng's current body.

To unleash its true power, external energy must continuously strike it.

Only when human and flame become one, and magic power drives the Nine Heaven Mystic Fire, can it become a force capable of destroying heaven and earth.

Otherwise, the fire-element energy within the Nine Heaven Mystic Fire now was negligible.

But this only applied to direct confrontation.

If one sought to swallow and merge with it, matters were different.

Though the energy within this flame was minimal, its law-force was extremely advanced; once swallowed, the Nine Heaven Mystic Fire could instantly burn a person's meridians and dantian to ash.

This was why even the Body Integration-stage Divine Emperor had failed to subdue it.

Honestly, logically, a Body Integration-stage Divine Emperor should have been able to subdue the Nine Heaven Mystic Fire.

Why the Divine Emperor buried in the great tomb never managed to subdue it remained unknown.

Perhaps he had some unspeakable reason.

Or perhaps it was elemental opposition!

For instance, if that Divine Emperor possessed a Metal-elemental spiritual root and his cultivation was at Body Integration stages one, two, or three, he would find it nearly impossible to subdue this flame.

Because fire overcomes metal.

"I know you understand me!" He Pingsheng said to the Nine Heaven Mystic Fire. "You've lived countless years, been fused with countless others, and after fusion, you gain boundless power—why resist me so fiercely?"

"Believe me, merge with me, and I'll take you across the world!"

"Besides, if not for me, you'd still be trapped underground in eternal darkness—I freed you from that place. Why resist me?"

He Pingsheng tried to reason with the Nine Heaven Mystic Fire.

For the first time, the Nine Heaven Mystic Fire sent a thought through spiritual sense: "It's not that I don't want to merge with you—those who fused with me before were all heavenly prodigies, and their cultivation was at least Body Integration!"

"You?"

"A mere Nascent Soul cultivator, and you dare try to fuse with me?"

"It's not that I refuse—I just can't afford the shame!"

Uh…

He Pingsheng was momentarily speechless, struck down by a flame's insult.

I'm being rejected by a clump of fire?

"My cultivation is low now!" He Pingsheng explained. "But who wasn't once low-level?"

"Believe me, merge with me—I'll raise my cultivation to Body Integration one day."

"Impossible!" said the Nine Heaven Mystic Fire. "You, a Nascent Soul cultivator, already possess a heavenly artifact like me—if the outside world finds out, won't they line up to kill you?"

"Do you think you'll live to reach Dao Union?"

"I don't believe it for a second."

"Young man, out of gratitude for freeing me from underground, let me go—I'll give you a rule of the Nine Heaven Mystic Fire to contemplate, how about that?"

The Nine Heaven Mystic Fire's voice entered He Pingsheng's spiritual sense again.

The voice sounded like a tiny, squeaky child.

"Impossible!" He Pingsheng looked around his magic treasure space. "This magic treasure surpasses Emperor-grade weapons—it's at least Immortal Artifact level!"

"If you refuse, I'll trap you here forever!"

"Forever and ever!"

"When I die, I'll throw this magic treasure deep underground!"

"You'll never see the light of day again!"

Hearing this, the Nine Heaven Mystic Fire flew into rage: "You dare—"

Ordinary magic treasures could not contain the Nine Heaven Mystic Fire, for fire overcomes metal and would instantly melt through the treasure space.

But this magic treasure space was different.

The Nine Heaven Mystic Fire had tried many times—no matter how hard it tried, it couldn't even scratch the space, let alone melt through it.

"What do I dare not do?" He Pingsheng said. "When I'm dead, I'll toss you deep underground—what then?"

"Now, I give you one last chance!" He Pingsheng continued. "Merge with me!"

"Or… sink into eternal oblivion!"

The Nine Heaven Mystic Fire fell silent.

It truly feared He Pingsheng might dump it underground upon death.

After thinking a moment, it nodded. "Fine… I'll cooperate."

"Fuse me!"

Though it spoke of cooperation, deep inside, the Nine Heaven Mystic Fire planned to burn He Pingsheng's meridians to ash the moment fusion began.

Burn him from within to without, turn him into nothing but ash.

Then it wouldn't have to fear being buried underground.

After all, this powerful magic treasure lay on the surface—someone would surely pick it up eventually.

Once someone picked it up, it would have another chance to escape.

But He Pingsheng merely smiled faintly. "Swear a Heavenly Oath: while I melt you, you must not resist—you must cooperate."

"Otherwise, you will be erased from this world."

"You—" The Nine Heaven Mystic Fire grew even angrier.

If I swear, how can I still cause trouble?

"Also!" He Pingsheng added. "I have other ways to forcibly subdue you—for example, I could split your body into ten thousand pieces, fuse one piece at a time. Over time, I'll eventually consume you entirely."

"Then tell me—what do you think I'll do to you?"

"No!" Under threat and pressure, the Nine Heaven Mystic Fire finally surrendered. "Fine, fine, fine… I'll swear!"

The tiny voice sounded full of grievance.

Then the Nine Heaven Mystic Fire began to swear.

After the Heavenly Oath was sworn, He Pingsheng sat cross-legged and began studying the method of assimilation and absorption.

In truth, no special method was needed.

Simply merge the Nine Heaven Mystic Fire with yourself—using the 【Bathing in Flame Golden Body Scripture】 and other fire-element techniques would suffice.