Chapter 52: Chapter 52
"You’re impatient, kid," Mr. Burn chuckled, though his expression quickly hardened into solemnity.
"In the name of the thirty-sixth generation Sect Master and the Supreme Elder of the Azure Origin Dao Sect, I hereby wish to accept you as my direct disciple."
"Are you willing?" His voice carried the weight of ancient authority.
"Direct disciple?!" Ethan’s heart bloomed like spring flowers in warmth and disbelief.
He had been bracing for a drink order, a casual request for wine, but never imagined this: Mr. Burn, the Supreme Elder, wanted to accept him as his personal disciple.
Becoming the personal disciple of Mr. Burn was no trivial mark — it would elevate Ethan’s status to a level equal to that of the Empress herself.
Yet Ethan was not hungry for power or station.
Still, if he became Mr. Burn’s direct disciple, he would be the Empress’s junior brother — making him the master uncle of Seraphina.
He imagined with a small smile the haughty saint being utterly suppressed by his superior strength and status — truly a delightful torture.
"What... you don’t want it?" Mr. Burn asked, the light of jest in his deep gaze.
"Yes. Of course!" Ethan replied eagerly.
"Disciple Ethan, I have met my new master!" Ethan bowed deeply.
"Hahaha, excellent," Mr. Burn beamed, pride warming every word. He was truly delighted to accept such an unusually talented junior.
"In all my centuries, only two have captured my eye," Ash Burn declared solemnly.
"The first is the Empress. The second is you, young Ethan."
He chuckled as thought struck him.
"Speaking of the Empress, she’s been the sect leader thirty or fifty years now... I wonder if she’s found a sweetheart. A girl shouldn’t be single so long."
His beard brushed as he stroked it thoughtfully.
"Now, this matter seems quite rushed. I haven’t prepared any formal apprenticeship ceremony yet."
"And what would you ask of me?" Ethan queried.
"Elixirs, spiritual weapons, heavenly materials and earthly treasures—name them, and as your master, I shall strive to provide." Ash Burn’s voice was bold and commanding.
Ethan considered but shook his head.
"I want nothing of that sort—except the chance to practice here on the eighteenth floor for some time."
Though his collection lacked some heavenly and earthly treasures needed for the Celestial Jade Physique Scripture’s full potential, the system’s support and Junior Sister Liana’s aid meant gathering these should become only a matter of time.
Furthermore, as a new direct disciple of the Supreme Elder, Ethan felt it presumptuous to ask for too much at once.
Ash Burn’s tone shifted to one of amused caution.
"Huh. You want to practice amidst demon fire? Others cannot hide from it, and you actually desire it?"
"That is accurate. My body refining method is to temper myself with flames. I do not dare contact the innate spiritual fire directly, but the demon flame, weakened by the formations, is suitable."
"Very well, since you ask, you may."
"However, do not underestimate what awaits you. If you cannot endure it, signal me immediately, and I shall escort you safely out."
Ethan nodded solemnly.
"Understood. The disciple will begin now."
"Go ahead."
With his master’s assent, Ethan left the stone chamber and settled cross-legged in the center of the great stone slab. The jade bottle was cradled in his arms.
He closed his eyes, quietly starting to practice the Divine Flame Bodybuilding Technique, beginning to absorb the fiery energy suffusing the space.
Simultaneously, the blue flame nestled within the bottle awakened and likewise began to assimilate the flame energy, both consciousnesses flowing together in steady harmony.
Suddenly, a voice cut through the subterranean stillness.
"Boy, are you truly planning to train on this eighteenth floor?"
The guttural voice of Azraeth V’khorath thundered from the gloom below.
Ethan remained silent, unwavering, his focus centered entirely on the flames.
The insult to his dignity stung Azraeth—a mere junior human ignoring his haughty presence!
In response, the demon lord unleashed a roar, accompanied by explosive fluctuations of magical power.
A muffled boom echoed sharply in Ethan’s mind, rousing him abruptly.
"Old demon, can you just keep quiet? Or at least tone it down?" Ethan opened his eyes.
"Boy, you scorn me?"
"I know you are a pure body cultivator, seeking strength and tempering your own body through the flames of demon fire."
’The method to use flames to temper ones own body is ancient physical cultivation technique, Few remain who even know of this kind of physical cultivation.’ Azraeth spoke in his mind.
Azraeth’s voice deepened, icy with contempt.
"Do you truly believe you can absorb the flames of this spiritual fire at will?"
Ethan smiled faintly, intensifying his absorption of the flame. "I’ve been practicing for hours already."
"Madness!"
"To wield my spiritual fire, one must possess the ability to do so!" Azraeth barked, voice cold as ice and flame.
Then, the massive floor beneath trembled fiercely.
Ethan’s face grew grave as the reverberations pounded through the formation.
Though the formations held, the demonic force and shockwave wrenched violently against them, disrupting his absorption.
He was forced to rise, pumping energy and blood fiercely, bracing his body against the relentless onslaught.
"This demon’s power is truly terrifying," Ethan thought, awe struggling with fear.
"Even bound by formations and the immortal artifact, his might is overwhelming."
Yet in that instant, humility swept over him: no matter his efforts or support, to the Demon sealed he remained but an insect.
Without formations or weapons to bolster him, that ancient being could crush Ethan with a single finger.
"Azraeth V’khorath," Ash Burn muttered, "are you reduced to bullying juniors now?"
"Or is it fear," Ash Burn’s voice echoed slyly through the chamber, "that the boy will grow beyond your grasp and see your Black Demon Sect to ruin?"
"So what if I am?" came the disdainful reply.
"I will never let a mortal rise who threatens the demon legacy."
Ash Burn’s challenge was cold and sharp. "You dare hope? You forget: the walls and ages stand firmer than your anger."
Azraeth’s defiance sounded genuine, exposing no hiding place.
Ash Burn laughed grimly, scoffing, "This is the Demon Sealing Cave! No phantom power can break its chains."
A wave of crushing force rolled out from the stone door, enveloping the entire eighteenth floor and pressing relentlessly beneath Ethan’s feet.
Abruptly, the suffocating pressure eased.
He could sit, breathe, and resume absorbing the flame anew.
"Thank you, Master," Ethan whispered, grateful for this reprieve and ready to press forward.