Qin Chen sat cross-legged in his cultivation chamber, his body radiating an aura of sheer dominance.
The golden flames surrounding him flickered like a living entity, wrapping around his frame as if worshipping their master.
He had already pushed his cultivation to Foundation Establishment Stage 3—but this was only the beginning.
His Fire Sovereign Dao Body hummed with excitement, its natural affinity for flame-based cultivation allowing him to refine and absorb Qi at an unprecedented rate.
Other cultivators had to slow down to prevent their foundations from crumbling.
Qin Chen?
He had no such worries.
His Dao Body automatically perfected his foundation, tempering his meridians with every breakthrough, ensuring that no bottlenecks, no impurities, and no flaws would ever hinder his progress.
He could ascend as fast as his resources allowed.
And today?
He would ascend far.
Qin Chen's breathing steadied, his golden eyes flickering open.
He reached for the second batch of Refined Fire Spirit Stones, crushing them in his palm.
BOOM!
The moment they shattered, a wave of fiery essence erupted from within, surging through his meridians like a rushing inferno.
The power flooded his dantian, expanding his energy reserves with ease.
His body trembled slightly as the fire Qi condensed, its quality shifting to a denser, more refined form.
Then—
Ding!
Foundation Establishment Stage 3 → Stage 4!
A burst of golden flames shot out from his skin, searing through the air like a divine decree.
Qin Chen exhaled, feeling the raw strength coursing through his limbs.
But he wasn't done.
Not even close.
With zero hesitation, Qin Chen swallowed part of the next cultivation treasure—the Flame Quenching Lotus.
The moment the first petal touched his tongue—
BOOOOOOM!
His blood ignited.
A terrifying burst of Qi surged through his veins, reinforcing his meridians and fueling his unstoppable ascent.
The pain was immense—a normal cultivator would have needed weeks to properly digest this level of energy.
But Qin Chen?
He laughed.
His Fire Sovereign Dao Body devoured the medicinal effects, refining them instantly.
The energy flooded his dantian, forging his spiritual foundation into something even stronger.
Ding!
Foundation Establishment Stage 4 → Stage 5!
His aura expanded once more, the flames surrounding him burning with even greater intensity.
The air shimmered, as if the heavens themselves recognized his terrifying growth.
Qin Chen didn't slow down.
The Flame Quenching Lotus was the key to making his next breakthroughs smooth, ensuring that his Qi didn't become unstable.
He crushed the next 4 lotus petals between his fingers, absorbing their essence into his meridians.
The effect was immediate.
All the excess, raging Qi within him suddenly calmed.
His flames, once chaotic and explosive, became refined. Sharper. Deadlier.
Ding!
Foundation Establishment Stage 5 → Stage 6!
Qin Chen clenched his fists, his body vibrating with sheer power.
A single step sent cracks through the reinforced cultivation chamber floor.
His Qi wasn't just growing—it was transforming.
Qin Chen gritted his teeth.
One last step.
He reached into his spatial ring, retrieving a high-grade Molten Fire Essence Pill he had purchased earlier.
This was it.
The final resource to push him further.
He swallowed it whole.
BOOOOOOOOOOM!
A pillar of golden flames erupted from his body, piercing through the roof of his cultivation chamber.
The entire Core Sect trembled as the sheer force of his breakthrough sent shockwaves across the mountain range.
The other Core Disciples felt it.
The elders felt it.
Far away, even the Sect Master turned his gaze.
Ding!
Foundation Establishment Stage 6 → Stage 7!
BOOM!
Foundation Establishment Stage 7 → Stage 8!
The moment he reached Stage 8, Qin Chen's body froze.
His dantian, which had been expanding, suddenly began to compress.
Refining itself.
Becoming something far stronger.
His foundation was now no longer just stable—it was terrifyingly solid.
The Fire Sovereign Dao Body had not only allowed him to absorb all the power seamlessly, but it had enhanced his cultivation to the point where his Foundation Establishment Qi was almost on par with Core Formation cultivators.
Qin Chen exhaled.
The golden flames slowly withdrew, sinking into his body.
The overwhelming, oppressive aura faded, but what remained was something even deadlier.
A quiet, restrained power.
A sleeping titan waiting to be unleashed.
Qin Chen opened his eyes.
His golden irises burned with the intensity of a thousand infernos.
He had done it.
While Qin Chen stood in his chamber, absorbing the immense power of his breakthroughs, the rest of the Core Sect was in an uproar.
The sky above the mountain peaks still flickered with the remnants of his golden flames.
Atop a floating platform, several Core Disciples gathered, gazing at the disturbance.
One of them, a man with long golden hair and sharp crimson eyes, smirked.
"That aura just now… that was the new recruit, wasn't it?"
The woman beside him, dressed in a flowing silver robe, narrowed her eyes.
"He broke through that fast?"
The golden-haired man laughed.
"Interesting. He just reached Foundation Establishment, and yet…"
He turned, his gaze locking onto the Heaven's Ranking Tablet.
"It won't be long before he starts climbing the rankings."
His eyes gleamed with amusement.
"And when he does… we'll be waiting."
Back in his chamber, Qin Chen sat in silent contemplation.
Foundation Establishment Stage 8.
With this, he was far stronger than any Inner Disciples.
He was confident that even if they were almost in the Core Formation Realm, he could best them.
But it wasn't enough.
The Core Sect was still full of monsters.
He needed to push even further.
His golden eyes flickered.
Tomorrow, he would begin his first true test in the Core Sect.
And one thing was certain—
He would carve his name into the heavens.