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"Xiao Yan, is this your ultimate move? Then my next strike will be the moment of your death." Qian Renhan pointed his sword at Xiao Yan. Although he had split apart the Buddha Fury Lotus Flame, the outburst of the strange flame still charred his body into cinders. However, it was merely a surface wound—nothing compared to the level of injuries Xiao Yan had sustained.
"Huff…"
Xiao Yan took a deep breath. His expression gradually became solemn. If he couldn't withstand this next attack… he might truly fall here.
Suddenly, Xiao Yan's hand seal changed dramatically. Then he opened his mouth, and a brilliant, dazzling light shot out, rapidly expanding against the wind. Incredibly, it transformed into a large platform suspended in the sky.
"The Heavenly Flame Platform?"
Seeing that somewhat familiar construct, Zhu Kun and the others were momentarily stunned. It was none other than the Heavenly Flame Platform they had previously retrieved from the Ancient Emperor's Mansion. However, the flames within it had no real power—they were merely specimens.
As the Heavenly Flame Platform floated in midair, Xiao Yan's body moved, appearing above it. At the center of his brow, a radiant flame mark began to pulse violently. A wave of indescribable spiritual intent surged out of that mark, spreading across the entire Dou Qi Continent at an unimaginably terrifying speed!
"In the name of Flame Emperor Xiao Yan, I summon all flames under heaven—heed the command of your emperor!"
Xiao Yan's eyes snapped open, and brilliant flames burst from within his body. His thunderous voice, filled with majesty, echoed grandly across every corner of the Dou Qi Continent!
"Heavenly Flame Ranking #23 — Xuanhuang Flame, take your place!"
Flames coiled around Xiao Yan like a sovereign in the heart of fire. As his voice fell, in a remote mountain range hundreds of thousands of miles from Central Region, a loud explosion erupted. A deep yellow flame shot out like a meteor streaking through the heavens, piercing space, and appeared over Central Region in mere moments, finally merging into a stone pillar atop the Heavenly Flame Platform.
"Boom!"
As the deep yellow flame entered the stone pillar, the Xuanhuang Flame blazed violently, forming a massive pillar of fire that soared into the sky.
"Heavenly Flame Ranking #22 — Myriad Beast Spirit Flame, take your place!"
"Heavenly Flame Ranking #21 — …"
"Heavenly Flame Ranking #19 — Green Lotus Core Flame, take your place!" A pale blue flame burst out from within Xiao Yan and rushed into another stone pillar.
"Heavenly Flame Ranking #3 — Purifying Demonic Lotus Flame, take your place!"
"Heavenly Flame Ranking #2 — Nihility Devouring Flame, take your place!"
As the final words were spoken, Qian Renxue, who had been watching the battle from Ancient Dragon Island, suddenly trembled. A black and white flame burst uncontrollably from her body and flew directly into a stone pillar.
With the Nihility Devouring Flame entering the final stone pillar, a black flame pillar also shot skyward. All twenty-two flame pillars gradually shifted and converged in midair. At the point where the flames intertwined, an ancient, color-shifting ruler materialized.
"Eternal Heavenly Flame Ruler!"
"You think you can defeat me with a black ruler formed from twenty-two flames?"
Qian Renhan was also preparing his final strike. He had absorbed the murderous intent released during the great war on the Dou Qi Continent—resentment and killing intent left behind by countless beings. The sky itself seemed to darken from the sheer weight of it.
The resentment was a gift from Soul Heaven Emperor's blood sacrifice of Central Region, while the killing intent had accumulated during Qian Renhan's battle against Soul Heaven Emperor. Within that murderous aura was even a portion inherited from the emperor himself.
After absorbing all that killing intent and resentment, the air across the Dou Qi Continent seemed noticeably lighter. Even in the distant Black-Corner Region, the death rate was rapidly dropping.
Feeling the terrifying power contained within the Asura Sword, Xiao Yan's expression turned grim. He knew that the power of the twenty-two Heavenly Flames alone wasn't enough. He hadn't yet gathered every flame in the world.
"Let my body become flame—fuse with the Eternal Heavenly Flame Ruler and reveal its true form!"
Gazing at the colossal ruler, Xiao Yan's pale face showed unwavering resolve. His body trembled—and then, it ignited.
"Xiao Yan!"
"Brother Xiao Yan, I'm willing to die—just don't burn yourself like this!"
Gu Xun'er's eyes turned red. She never imagined that Xiao Yan would go this far just to protect her.
Xiao Yan's body completely transformed into a dazzling flame—none other than the number one flame on the Heavenly Flame Ranking: Emperor Flame.
That brilliant fire surged into the Eternal Heavenly Flame Ruler, causing it to move on its own. The one driving the massive ruler was none other than Xiao Yan's soul. At this moment, his spirit had become the sword spirit of the ancient ruler.
"Boom!"
Qian Renhan also merged with the Asura Sword. A blood-red light surged out, and the sword expanded to match the size of the Eternal Heavenly Flame Ruler.
One ruler, one sword—both tore through space, shattering the void as they collided.
A terrifying storm swept across the sky. Gu Yuan and Zhu Kun immediately moved to protect those behind them, yet they were still blasted back thousands of meters by the shockwave.
Even the floating Heavenly Flame Platform in the sky was destroyed by the explosion. The ground below was blasted into a deep abyss tens of thousands of meters wide. The entire Dou Qi Continent was shattered in two, with the abyss at its center.
Above the abyss, those still capable of flight quickly gathered in the surrounding skies, staring anxiously into the chasm. Everyone knew—this was a clash of absolute power. The victor… would emerge from that pit.
Within the abyss, a bloodstained figure held a cracked, blood-red sword and dangled an aged, flickering soul—Xiao Yan's soul. His physical body had been destroyed.
Black qi and Dou Qi surged into Xiao Yan's soul, and after a moment, Qian Renhan casually tossed it aside. He looked up toward Gu Yuan and Gu Xun'er at the edge of the abyss.
"Didn't expect someone like you to spare Xiao Yan," Zhu Kun said as he walked over, glancing at Qian Renhan in mild surprise.
"Too many hindrances have arrived. This is just an insurance policy. Besides, his body is gone, and without that, his Heavenly Flames aren't worth harvesting."
Qian Renhan had altered Xiao Yan's memory—erasing parts involving Gu Yuan and Gu Xun'er and inserting new ones. Those lost memories would never return. Later, he would casually toss Xiao Yan's soul into some unfortunate fool, kill them, and send their soul into reincarnation.
"Heavenly Refinement Array!"
This time, Qian Renhan summoned the Ya Clan's mountain-sized medicinal cauldron and refined Gu Yuan and Gu Xun'er into pills.
Angel Realm
Qian Renhan had captured the Angel Clan from the Spirit Hall in the Douluo World and brought them to the Dou Qi Continent. Now, the Angel Realm housed over a hundred members of the Angel Clan.
Excluding Dou Di-level powerhouses, the Angel Clan ranked third on the continent. First was the Xiao Clan—after all, Xiao Yan had married the incredibly powerful Cai Lin, the Nine-Colored Sky-Swallowing Python. The Xiao Clan had many relatives sharing his bloodline. Second was the Ancient Taixu Dragon Clan. The Nine-Star Dou Sheng pinnacle powerhouse, Dragon Phoenix Zi Yan, could battle half-step Emperors. Without the continent's rules limiting her, she might have reached Battle Sovereign, also known as Dou Di.
Relations among the Three Realms were good. But the Xiao Clan's view of the Gu Clan was irreparably low—especially since Cai Lin and Yao Chen were now leading the Xiao Clan.
High in the void, Qian Renhan and Zhu Kun stood with their hands behind their backs.
Zhu Kun observed Qian Renhan for a while and finally said, "Looks like after devouring Soul Heaven Emperor and Gu Yuan, your cultivation has risen. I can't even sense what realm you're in now."
"The Dao is endless. Perhaps that other plane holds the answer." Qian Renhan raised his head, gazing into the endless void and murmured softly.
"I'm curious too." Zhu Kun grinned, his eyes flashing with eager heat. In this world, they were already unmatched. But in that mysterious plane… their journey might just be beginning.
"The Ancient Taixu Dragon Clan can be left to Zi Yan. With the source energy I gave her, reaching Dou Di is only a matter of time. I'll go ahead to that plane and pave the way for her."
"If they can follow, let them. I've done all I can. Whether they rise or fall no longer concerns me."
Qian Renhan slowly rose into the sky. As he ascended, thick clouds suddenly rolled in across tens of thousands of miles. The entire sky darkened in an instant. Countless powerhouses looked up in terror, sensing an overwhelmingly ominous energy radiating from the void.
Under the gaze of all beings, the endless void twisted violently. The clouds churned and finally formed a pitch-black passageway, exuding an aura that made even the boldest tremble.
Staring at the dark, abyss-like tunnel, Zhu Kun flicked his finger, sending a beam of light into the hands of the four companions around Qian Renhan.
"Exchange Soul Jades and leave a soul imprint. If anything happens, we'll know each other's status."
"Alright. I'll take yours," Qian Renhan said as he accepted Zhu Kun's soul jade. He didn't leave his own, and then stepped into the void tunnel.
Zhu Kun understood Qian Renhan's nature and sighed softly. Staring into the distance, he murmured, "If you could reach the peak of that plane too, maybe Zi Yan wouldn't need to keep running to find you."
(The End)