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"If you trust me, then come with me."
Qian Renhan sheathed the Asura Sword and collected all the scattered sub-flames left behind by the Void Swallowing Flame. With a wave of his sleeve, a spatial portal appeared before him, and he stepped into it.
The Void Swallowing Flame frowned slightly but followed. Rather, he had no choice. He had already revealed his greatest weakness to Qian Renhan. If Qian Renhan refused the alliance, then no matter the cost, the Void Swallowing Flame would have to eliminate him to prevent any leaks.
Hun Tiandi had spent a thousand years scheming to become Emperor. Likewise, the Void Swallowing Flame had also been laying out his plans for millennia.
When his vision cleared, the Void Swallowing Flame was suddenly overwhelmed by an ancient, primal aura—like that of the desolate, prehistoric era. He looked up and saw an incomparably majestic stone gate. The four characters at the top of the gate made his pupils tremble violently: Ancient Emperor's Cave.
"Senior Zhu Kun, it's been a long time!"
Qian Renhan's cheerful voice rang out, filled with rare emotion. In the Dou Qi Continent, only three people had ever touched his heart: Zi Yan, Yao Chen, and Zhu Kun. Zi Yan needed no explanation. Yao Chen had given him early guidance and investment, while Zhu Kun had once bestowed him with the Dao.
Zhu Kun opened his majestic purple-gold eyes, looked at Qian Renhan, and praised, "Peak Seven-Star Dou Saint… You've grown fast during the few months I've been asleep. Seems you've had many fortuitous encounters."
Time flowed much more slowly inside the Ancient Emperor's Cave than outside. Though only a few months had passed here, Qian Renhan had cultivated for four to five years in the outside world.
"Zi Yan didn't come with you?" Zhu Kun asked, his gaze shifting to the Void Swallowing Flame, who had just stepped in.
"Zi Yan inherited your position as the Dragon Emperor a few months ago. She's probably busy unifying the Ancient Dragon Island now. This is the Void Swallowing Flame." Qian Renhan turned to introduce him.
When Zhu Kun heard Zi Yan's name, his eyes revealed both comfort and concern. But at the name "Void Swallowing Flame," his expression turned serious. A powerful aura of a Peak Nine-Star Dou Saint surged out, enveloping the space.
"Second on the Heavenly Flame Ranking—Void Swallowing Flame. So your strength has already reached the early Nine-Star Dou Saint level."
"Qian Renhan, what's the meaning of bringing me here? Even if you have the support of the long-lost Dragon Emperor of the Taixu Ancient Dragon Clan, you can't stop me from leaving. You should know what I'm capable of if I decide to walk away. Worst case, we burn together, and let Hun Tiandi and Gu Yuan reap the benefits!" The Void Swallowing Flame narrowed his eyes, the black flames on his body retracting and condensing around his chest—ready to flee at any moment.
Qian Renhan replied calmly, "Put your flames away. I brought you here to discuss cooperation. You've shown your sincerity, and naturally, I must show mine. The location of the Ancient Emperor's Cave—and the hidden existence of Senior Zhu Kun. Is that enough sincerity?"
Starfall Mountain Range.
Gu Yuan floated in the sky above Starfall Pavilion, his hands clasped behind his back. The entire Demon-Slaying Alliance held their breath. This man could erase attacks from Five-Star Dou Saints and above with a casual gesture—his presence was terrifying.
Despair gripped the hearts of Starfall Pavilion's members. Was this the end of Starfall Pavilion?
"Is Xiao Yan here?" Gu Yuan asked, gazing down.
Xiao Yan stepped forward resolutely, no fear of death in his eyes. "Senior, what business do you have with me?"
Gu Yuan smiled faintly, "You've grown. When I first met you, you were only as tall as my thigh. Come with me—someone wants to see you. For his sake, I'll ensure Starfall Pavilion remains unharmed."
Ancient Emperor's Cave.
Zhu Kun had assumed human form. After a round of discussion, Qian Renhan and the Void Swallowing Flame had established a preliminary relationship of trust.
"To break through to the Dou Emperor realm, the immature Emperor-grade embryo pill inside this cave alone won't suffice. To ripen it, it needs an endless influx of heaven and earth energy. The Soul Clan spent a thousand years establishing the Soul Palace—on the surface, it was to collect soul bodies, but the real purpose was to set up the Soul Devouring Life-Extinguishing Formation across Central Continent," said the Void Swallowing Flame.
The collection of soul bodies to resurrect the Soul Clan's Demon Saints was merely a cover. If not for needing to conceal the true objective, the Soul Palace wouldn't have been necessary at all.
The Soul Clan's real plan was to steal the Tuoshe Ancient Emperor's Jade during the war with the Ancient Clan. Their current strength was enough to draw attention. Reviving the Demon Saints was just a way to minimize losses—losses that Hun Tiandi didn't care about anyway.
Zhu Kun remained silent, but inwardly he was shocked. In the thousand years he had been sealed, the Soul Clan—a minor race in his memory—had grown into a terrifying superpower. Hun Tiandi's strength, temperament, scheming, and intellect were truly formidable. If his plan continued, it would be a joke if he didn't become Emperor.
Qian Renhan paused, then said, "In that case, Void Swallowing Flame, continue cooperating with Hun Tiandi until he gathers all eight pieces of the Tuoshe Ancient Emperor's Jade. Before that happens, I will have reached the Peak of Nine-Star Dou Saint."
"You want to snatch the Ancient Emperor's Jade from Hun Tiandi? Are you dreaming? Even if you do take it and open the cave, you'll still have to fight him for the Emperor-grade embryo pill. And don't forget—you still need a way to ripen the pill," the Void Swallowing Flame said with disappointment in his eyes. He had hoped Qian Renhan could rival Hun Tiandi. But now it seemed he was just a hot-blooded youth. When I leave this place, I'll assassinate him!
"Heh, who says you must gather all eight pieces to enter the cave? As long as I possess half-Emperor strength, and with Senior Zhu Kun's help, I can enter." Qian Renhan repeated what Zhu Kun had earlier confirmed. He continued in a deep tone, "Void Swallowing Flame, since you can manipulate Dou Saint elders from both the Ancient and Soul Clans, can you have them set up the Soul Devouring Life-Extinguishing Formation within their territories?"
The Void Swallowing Flame thought for a moment, then replied, "That's doable. The Soul Clan already has the formation in place. As for the Ancient Clan, their internal management is more relaxed—especially at the Dou Saint level. Every Dou Saint has their own residence, and setting up the formation beneath those should pose no problem."
Qian Renhan's expression turned solemn. "According to predictions, the Soul Clan will act against the Ancient Clan and gather the Tuoshe Ancient Emperor's Jade within six years. In that time, I'll reach Peak Nine-Star Dou Saint and seize the Emperor-grade embryo pill. When Hun Tiandi and Gu Yuan enter the cave… that'll be the moment we trigger a blood sacrifice on the Soul and Ancient Clans to break through to the Dou Emperor realm."
"A bold plan," the Void Swallowing Flame remarked.
He did believe Qian Renhan could reach Peak Nine-Star Dou Saint within six years. He had already witnessed Qian Renhan's terrifying progress during the Soul Devouring Life-Extinguishing Formation incident in the Skeleton Mountain Range. With his devouring power and no moral restraints, reaching that level was absolutely possible.
(End of Chapter)