Aaron Jace was influenced by Joe Di. When he couldn't cultivate while piloting the flying shuttle, he used his divine sense to temper and refine it. Watching Joe Di cultivate, seeing the immortal aura swirl into a vortex, Aaron was determined not to fall too far behind.
Moria Lane only occasionally appeared on the deck of the flying shuttle to observe the void outside, but Blackfire remained on the deck cultivating continuously.
After just one year, Blackfire called out to Aaron Jace, saying it was time to go out and undergo its tribulation.
With Aaron Jace, a Grand Ether Immortal, on board, Joe Di had no worries about the shuttle's safety and had already entered deep seclusion.
Seeing Blackfire easily pass its tribulation and advance to a fourth-rank immortal fiend beast, Aaron Jace grew anxious. He had to cultivate immediately; otherwise, Blackfire might surpass him in the future.
Except for Joe Di, Blackfire had always looked down on the talents of both him and Tree Brother.
Sure enough, after Blackfire returned to the shuttle having survived the lightning tribulation, its first words were, "Aaron, you need to work harder! I'm about to reach the fifth rank soon, and your cultivation speed is still a bit too slow."
"Who gave you permission to call me Aaron?" Aaron Jace's expression darkened.
Blackfire was not afraid of Aaron Jace. "Once I reach the fifth rank, even Joe Di will have you call me Brother Blackfire."
"I've been piloting the shuttle all this time. Otherwise, do you think you'd surpass my strength so quickly?" Aaron Jace's tone was full of disdain; he had once been a Grand Ether Immortal.
"In that case, let me take control of the Skyshuttle." Blackfire grinned slyly. If Tree Brother were here, he’d know this was Blackfire’s true intention all along.
"Alright." Aaron Jace had just been provoked and was eager to cultivate. Now that Blackfire wanted to take the helm, he handed over the Skyshuttle without hesitation.
Joe Di was unaware that control of the Skyshuttle had switched from Aaron Jace to Blackfire. After a year of relentless cultivation, he was now just a step away from reaching the third layer of Immortal Lord.
At this moment, Joe Di was furiously absorbing immortal aura. The immortal crystals around him shattered one after another, all their released energy swept up by Joe Di.
In the void, time was the least valuable currency. In the blink of an eye, another half year had slipped by.
Boom! At last, Joe Di broke through the barrier at the second layer of Immortal Lord and stepped into the third.
Almost the instant Joe Di advanced to the third layer of Immortal Lord, he sensed a restless summons. It had always lingered at the edge of his awareness, but his weaker cultivation had kept it at bay. Now, with his breakthrough, the call surged forth unmistakably.
"Wait!" Joe Di strode straight onto the Skyshuttle’s deck.
"Big Brother, you’ve come out of seclusion?" Blackfire, now piloting the Skyshuttle, called out as soon as he saw Joe Di approach.
Joe Di had already noticed Aaron Jace immersed in closed-door cultivation. Aaron had reached roughly the third layer of Grand Immortal, and was now at the fourth layer of Major Immortal—a startling leap. As for Blackfire, who had advanced to a fourth-rank immortal beast, Joe Di found it unsurprising.