The Ethereal Fire's Omniscient Realm, according to the Yin Canon, required new Origin Seal power to be infused in order to continue strengthening, allowing the ethereal flames to burn.
Anything could be burned in the ethereal flames, but burning the Origin Seal or, in other words, the Imprint power, was the fastest way to enhance it.
At this stage, what he needed to do was to continuously collect all kinds of forbidden knowledge, sublimate every aspect of himself, accumulate different Origin Seals, and then cast them into the ethereal fire to fuel it.
As the process continued, the ethereal fire would grow stronger, and the condensed substance it burned would adhere to the inner side of the Sword Furnace, making it thicker and more solid over time.
With the process of sublimation, the cultivator would also achieve considerable enhancements, preparing for the sprint towards the Omniscient Realm after the Divine Fire.