Just as Blue Maple was about to gather the fire, all the flames in his body started to slowly shift towards his belly. Whatever passageway the flames flowed past was completely scorched. It felt like lava was flowing in his body. The entire process was slow but continuous…

Several minutes passed, feeling like an eternity to Blue Maple. His entire body was burning. His blood, skin, bones, and even his brain were on fire. It was intolerable. Just as he was about to faint from the scorching heat, the small cube of ice in his body started to release waves of cold that soothed the excruciating pain he was suffering. However, only the pain in his head was relieved. It only prevented him from losing consciousness.

The rest of his body was still on fire. So what if that was the case? It was only pain! Blue Maple continued to tolerate the pain and didn’t utter a sound at all.

Is it the ice cube? I can survive without it. But it does make me feel much better. Blue Maple still had the mood to think of something like that. What can this pain do to me? I’m fine even if I die. This is just pain, pain that I knew was coming!

“Heavenly Fire, gather!” his will suddenly erupted.

The Heavenly Fire seemed to react to Blue Maple’s call. It started to quickly gather towards his belly.

---

“Hmm, not bad. It’s already starting to gather. It should be over soon. Well, things have gone rather smoothly.” The old man was smiling to himself as he nodded. He ceased controlling the external Heavenly Fire. Blue Maple was no longer absorbing any external Heavenly Fire, he just needed to fuse the Heavenly Fire in his body.

“Hehe, rascal. Even though you are suffering much pain right now, the benefits that you are about to reap are going to be much greater,” the old man muttered to himself as he stood to one side.

“Does this rascal not feel pain? It’s been so long, but he’s yet to mutter any sound. How fucking high is his pain tolerance?!” The old man still couldn’t control his dismay. Although he was maintaining his composure when he spoke to Blue Maple, he was just suppressing his disbelief.

---

Blue Maple ignored the old man and continued to control the Heavenly Fire in his body. The Heavenly Fire in his head was almost fully transformed. Only a small portion of it remained to resist the ice cube, so less chilly energy was being released.

Is this going to be over? Doesn’t seem like much. Blue Maple was wondering. Only he would think that this was nothing much.

If others were watching this, they wouldn’t think that it was that painful. However, this was because Blue Maple had remained so composed throughout. He didn’t make a sound no matter how much pain he was suffering. He would at most furrow his brow...

Since this ice cube can protect my head, can I absorb more Heavenly Fire if I swallow it? Blue Maple sensed the Heavenly Fire surrounding him after this wild thought surfaced in his head. He discovered that he could still absorb more.

At the same time, he discovered something else too. His clothes and armor had already been burned to ashes as he was sensing the external Heavenly Fire. He was naked now...

In that case, let me do this! Blue Maple seemed to have made a relatively easy decision. He had no intention of consulting the old man. However, he thought that it wasn’t a big deal because the old man didn’t warn him not to swallow the ice cube.

However, the old man didn’t warn him because… any normal person knew not to swallow something you were told to just put in your mouth. At least Blue Maple should have asked before he swallowed it!

Blue Maple couldn’t care less. He had already swallowed it. At the same time, he sensed the external Heavenly Fire and absorbed it again!

---

“What? Hey! Rascal, what are you doing?! Are you courting death? Why are you still absorbing Heavenly Fire? You are going over your physical limits!” the old man shouted, anxious after he discovered what Blue Maple was doing.

However, the old man was too late to stop him. Part of the Heavenly Fire had already been absorbed. It was just that he only absorbed from the area around his abdomen. However, he was absorbing much faster than before. The Heavenly Fire in his body now acted as a compass for the external Heavenly Fire.

It didn’t matter!

After Blue Maple swallowed the ice cube, he suddenly shifted it to where the Heavenly Fire was being gathered. Immediately, the Heavenly Fire fumed heavily, while the ice cube also quickly and ferociously released chilling energy. As the Heavenly Fire was comparatively more abundant, the chilly energy that was released felt almost irrelevant.

Due to the contrasting effects that had suddenly erupted in his belly, Blue Maple was in much greater pain. He gritted his teeth, but still wouldn’t utter a sound!

Fuck, keep silent if I’m going to absorb you!, Blue Maple swore right now.

The Heavenly Fire and ice cube seemed to have understood Blue Maple’s intention. They paused momentarily, but began their intense ‘fight’ once again. It was like they were fighting for territorial dominance in Blue Maple’s body.

Settle down!!!, Blue Maple roared at the Heavenly Fire and ice cube.

However, they seemed to ignore him, and continued their fighting!

---

When the old man saw Blue Maple gritting his teeth in pain, he still had the conception that Blue Maple was being greedy and suffering the consequences of his greed. He didn’t seem to know that everything was the result of Blue Maple swallowing the small ice cube. Since the old man couldn’t help Blue Maple with anything after the Heavenly Fire was in Blue Maple’s body, he didn’t probe further.

---

Fuck, it’s getting worse. They are still fighting against one another. Don’t they know how to hold it in? Truly crazy stuff, Blue Maple thought as he tried to hold in the pain.

Just as Blue Maple was thinking, the ice cube appeared to realize it wasn’t being recognized. It retracted the chilly energy that it had released. The Heavenly Fire couldn’t do anything to it either.

Suddenly, all the pain seemed to have disappeared. This sudden occurrence left Blue Maple rather stunned, and at a loss of what to do.

When the Heavenly Fire was pitting itself against the ice cube, it had quickly gathered itself in Blue Maple’s body. The entire process was sped-up. However, the Heavenly Fire couldn’t do anything after the ice cube decided to rein in itself. As a result, things quickly settled down in Blue Maple’s body.

This uncanny occurrence caused the overload of Heavenly Fire to concentrate very quickly in Blue Maple’s belly. In addition, it also seemed to have reinforced the Heavenly Fire.

Was this a blessing in disguise?

---

“Eh? Why did it end so suddenly?” The old man was watching from outside, and suddenly sensed that the absorption of Heavenly Fire was complete. He was left bewildered.

Blue Maple abruptly opened his eyes. His eyes were deep blue now. Instantly, a strong wind swept out from his body. It passed the Heavenly Fire, and seemed to be expanding as it spread further and further.

In response, a tremendously strong heat wave surged out from the Heavenly Fire. The lava beneath it started to form tides from the immense energy coming from the heat wave. The lava tides were spreading out! Eventually, these tides crashed into the walls of the chamber before rebounding.

The old man was drifting by the Heavenly Fire throughout. The wind and following heat wave only managed to ruffle his hair and clothes.

The old man was excited as he exclaimed, “Hahaha! Great! You actually managed to absorb so much Heavenly Fire, and in such a short period of time too! You’re truly living up to my expectations. Hahaha!

“Come, let’s return to shore,” the old man said to Blue Maple, who was still surrounded by the Heavenly Fire. Both of them returned to where they were when Blue Maple was preparing to absorb the Heavenly Fire.

“Come, new clothes for you.” The old man surrounded Blue Maple with a streak of fire. This streak of fire completely covered Blue Maple, disspating after roughly ten seconds.

A brand-new collared trench coat appeared on Blue Maple. There was also a tight-fitting shirt, trousers, a belt, and boots. Blue Maple was completely decked out. Right now, Blue Maple’s fashion style had completely changed. He had turned from a traditionally-dressed swordsman with a piece of light armor into a suave and handsome-looking man!

Blue Maple’s fair complexion, complemented by his sharp-edged frostiness and exquisite facial features, was contrasted by the flowing bangs that covered his left eye. This accentuated his hundred and eighty centimeters frame in a stylish trench coat, giving him a cool demeanor. The eye that was exposed revealed a shining gaze that left one intoxicated. His indifferent disposition made him seem cold, but not merciless. There was even a sense of melancholy about him.

Perhaps this suited him better. Bulky armor didn’t really suit him. It was much better for him to wear lighter garments.

“Woah! You’re just slightly inferior to me when I was younger. On closer look, you are rather handsome. No wonder that little doll wanted to follow you. She was also by your side when I came to bring you for your Class Advancement. I can sense it.” The old man gave an expression to suggest that he knew everything.

Blue Maple ignored the old man and sensed the Heavenly Fire in his body.

Zeng! A small ball of deep blue fire appeared in Blue Maple’s right hand. Blue Maple could tell the terrifying temperature of this fire, but he could only sense a slight warmth coming from it.

“Don’t bother about this. Come, spit the ice cube out. It’s not good for you to leave it inside your mouth for too long.” Seeing that Blue Maple had ignored him, the old man thought that it was because Blue Maple couldn’t speak due to the ice cube in his mouth. In fact, Blue Maple might not even bother with the old man, even if he spat the ice cube out. Moreover...

Blue Maple was confused as he asked, “Spit it out? How?”

“Ugh, just spit it out! Wait, this isn’t right! How, how are you speaking? Where’s the ice cube?!” The old man was astonished.

“I swallowed it,” Blue Maple immediately answered.

“Swallow…ed it?!” The old man was in complete disbelief.

“Yeah.”

The old man grabbed Blue Maple by his collar as he roared, “What the fuck!!! Rascal, it’s the Nine Heavens Mysterious Ice! I was lucky enough to find one, but you swallowed it!”

“Why do you think I was able to absorb so much Heavenly Fire?” Blue Maple remained very calm throughout.

The old man opened his mouth wide and was instantly speechless.

After this, the old man immediately checked on Blue Maple’s condition. After that, he furrowed his brow and entered into deep thought.

---

After some time, he calmed himself down and said to Blue Maple as he furrowed his brow, “Rascal, do you know what the Nine Heavens Mysterious Ice is?”

“From the looks of it, it should be of the same tier as the Heavenly Fire, isn’t it?” Blue Maple said after he watched the old man.

“Eh, I don’t know if it’s good or bad for you,” the old man sighed, a serious look on his face.