Chapter 240: The Flame Seal and Huang Min and Ling Yun Emerge
"Alright, I'll leave it to you. If you can show me how the seal was created, it'll be a huge help in breaking it!"
Amid the turbulent void, Xiao Tianchen's voice had barely faded when the Plane Embryo emitted a beam of light that shot directly into his forehead.
In an instant, vivid images began flashing through Xiao Tianchen's mind.
After a long time, he exhaled deeply and said, "Tuoshe Ancient Emperor truly lives up to his reputation as the last Dou Di of the Dou Qi Continent over the past ten thousand years. To ascend as a spirit born from Heavenly Flame and devour other flames, his feats are unparalleled. While I cannot say for certain that no one will surpass him, he is undoubtedly a genius of his time!"
The memories shared by the Plane Embryo included not only Tuoshe's creation of the seal but also his journey from birth to his eventual demise reduced to ash by his insatiable greed for more Source Power.
Despite Tuoshe's downfall, Xiao Tianchen could not help but admire the man's extraordinary accomplishments.
Opposite him, the Plane Embryo also sighed with emotion. "Indeed, he was special. From the very birth of the Dou Qi Continent, spanning countless millennia, only he ascended to Dou Di as a Heavenly Flame.
His talent was initially unremarkable; even if he had cultivated to his utmost potential, he could have only reached the peak of Dou Zun.
But his unyielding will carried him through countless life and death trials, culminating in his ascension as a Flame Emperor.
Alas, his greed was his undoing."
Xiao Tianchen nodded in agreement. With a serious expression, he continued, "Regardless, I now understand how he created the seal. I estimate it will take me five years to break it. Thank you!"
"No need to thank me. Helping you aligns with my goals. We're simply aiding each other," the Plane Embryo replied with a gentle smile.
Xiao Tianchen chuckled, but a thought struck him. "What should I call you? Referring to you as the 'Plane Embryo' seems a bit inappropriate."
"A name?"
The Plane Embryo hesitated briefly, its voice tinged with melancholy. "I don't have a name. How about you give me one? After all, once you break Tuoshe's seal, I'll be accompanying you."
After a moment of contemplation, Xiao Tianchen suggested, "Since you are the Plane Embryo of the Dou Qi Continent and the essence of all life within it, how about I call you Ling'er, as in 'spirit'?"
"Ling'er? I like it! From now on, I'll be called Ling'er! Hehe!"
Suddenly, the Plane Embryo let out a joyful laugh, sounding just like an innocent, cheerful girl.
Despite their brief interaction, Xiao Tianchen found her to be a kind hearted being, much like a naive young girl unfamiliar with the complexities of the world.
"Ling'er, wait for me here. I'm heading to Tuoshe's seal to break it."
"Alright, I'll come with you!"
The Plane Embryo transformed into a tiny, doll like girl about the size of a palm. Her exquisite features made her look like a porcelain doll, irresistibly adorable.
Seeing Ling'er perched on his hand, Xiao Tianchen felt his heart melt. It was like those moments on Earth when people joked about wanting daughters after seeing cute baby videos on social media.
He gently poked Ling'er's cheek, but to his surprise, his finger passed right through. Startled, he pulled back, worried he had accidentally harmed her.
"Hehe, don't worry, Mister Xiao! This is just my spiritual projection. Physical attacks can't harm me!" Ling'er twirled around playfully in his palm.
Relieved, Xiao Tianchen laughed. "Good to know. But why do you call me 'Mister Xiao'?"
"Well, I'm much older than all the beings on the Dou Qi Continent, yet you'll refine me and merge with me soon. Calling you by your name feels a bit disrespectful.
Also, I saw you in Qing Mountain Town when you took in a boy from the Soul Devouring Clan as a disciple. You let him call you 'Mister.' Since I'm not your disciple, calling you 'Little Mister' feels just right!" Ling'er giggled.
Amused by her reasoning, Xiao Tianchen said, "Alright, 'Little Mister' it is. Let's go take a look at the seal!"
"Okay!"
With that, Xiao Tianchen's figure blurred, and in a flash, he appeared at the location Ling'er had pointed out.
Before him was an enormous, glowing seal, faintly flickering with light. Surrounding it was a colorless flame, barely perceptible save for the searing heat it emitted.
"This is the Emperor Flame? Its heat surpasses that of any individual Heavenly Flame!" Xiao Tianchen marveled.
"Yes, Little Mister! This is Tuoshe's Emperor Flame. Its temperature is so intense that even the combined heat of the 22 ranked Heavenly Flames falls short.
If not for this Emperor Flame, I could have broken Tuoshe's seal myself!" Ling'er said with a touch of helplessness.
Xiao Tianchen nodded in agreement. The Emperor Flame was indeed formidable, potent enough to pose a threat even to someone of his strength.
After carefully studying the seal, Xiao Tianchen sat cross legged to adjust his state.
About half an hour later, he began forming seals with his hands. Within minutes, tens of thousands of intricate sigils appeared around him, forming a protective armor.
He then enveloped himself in the Golden Emperor Flame, adding another layer of defense.
Suddenly, the Golden Emperor Flame flared violently, breaking free from his control and surging toward the seal.
Startled, Xiao Tianchen was about to act when Ling'er reassured him, "Don't worry, Little Mister. Your Golden Emperor Flame senses its origin within the seal.
We just need to wait a moment. The Emperor Flame will withdraw on its own."
True to her words, after a few minutes, the Golden Emperor Flame returned to Xiao Tianchen's hand, and the Emperor Flame on the seal disappeared.
"What just happened?" Xiao Tianchen asked, puzzled.
"The Emperor Flame is composed of all 22 Heavenly Flames, and your Golden Emperor Flame is one of them. When it entered the seal, it absorbed its original essence, causing the Emperor Flame to dissipate."
"Without the original essence of the Golden Emperor Flame, the Emperor Flame naturally dissipates.
In fact, anyone possessing one of the 22 Heavenly Flames could cause the Emperor Flame on the surface of the seal to vanish.
This was one of Tuoshe's methods. He firmly believed that even if he failed, one day he would return here and retrieve the Source Energy sealed within. Therefore, he didn't expend much effort fortifying the Emperor Flame," Ling'er quickly explained.
"I see. That explains why the Emperor Flame on the seal disappeared right after the Golden Emperor Flame left it," Xiao Tianchen said, now understanding the situation.
"Hehe, Little Mister, the true challenge was the void storm you faced earlier. That was the most dangerous part.
Tuoshe Ancient Emperor went to great lengths to create that void storm to prevent anyone but himself from reaching this place.
He feared that if someone retrieved the Source Energy from the seal and I perished, the Dou Qi Continent would rapidly lose all its Dou Qi. Without Dou Qi, the world would wither.
But of course, I would never let him succeed," Ling'er said with a mischievous smile.
"No wonder the void storm was far stronger than in other regions. Even a half emperor level expert would have struggled without special means and might have perished within it.
Tuoshe Ancient Emperor was indeed meticulous, but he failed to account for anomalies like you and me," Xiao Tianchen said with a smile.
"Yes, Little Mister is amazing!" Ling'er nodded enthusiastically, her little face lighting up with joy.
"Hahaha! Then the Source Energy within this seal is rightfully mine."
With a hearty laugh, Xiao Tianchen began the arduous process of breaking the seal.
Five Years Later
At the Heavenly Phoenix Palace outside Tianwaitian:
Huang Jiuji, Xiao Qing, Tianluo, Muling, and Xiao Xuan who had now reached half emperor status all stood together, waiting.
"Caw! Caw!"
Suddenly, two loud cries pierced the air. Two powerful auras, both at the pinnacle of nine star Dou Sheng, burst forth from the Heavenly Phoenix Palace.
The group looked up to see two majestic heavenly phoenixes soaring above the palace, their massive wings radiating an unparalleled aura of supremacy.
"It's done! It's done! Finally, my Heavenly Phoenix Clan has successors! Successors at last!"
Huang Jiuji, overwhelmed with emotion, burst into tears. Even when he had reached the pinnacle of nine star Dou Sheng six months ago, he hadn't felt such joy.
"Teacher, congratulations! Huang Min and Ling Yun's immense progress guarantees that the Heavenly Phoenix Clan will thrive in the future," Xiao Qing said, smiling warmly.
Now five years into his tenure as leader of the Xiao Clan, Xiao Qing exuded the composure and authority of a true ruler. He had also reached the pinnacle of nine star Dou Sheng two years ago.
Unfortunately, the Skyfiend Puppet made from Huang Jiuji's body had not progressed beyond mid nine star Dou Sheng strength, limiting its potential. Had the puppet reached its peak, Xiao Qing alone could have subdued the entire Dou Qi Continent.
"Congratulations, Senior Huang! Such joyous news!" Xiao Xuan and the others cupped their hands in congratulation.
"Hahaha! The joy is mutual! Huang Min and Ling Yun wouldn't have achieved this without the Xiao Clan's generous support," Huang Jiuji said, beaming as he returned the gesture.
"Caw! Caw!"
At that moment, the two heavenly phoenixes let out another cry before transforming into their human forms Huang Min and Ling Yun.
Huang Min now appeared even more graceful and stunning, her presence exuding a mature elegance. The aura emanating from her was vastly more powerful than before.
Beside her, Ling Yun stood tall and handsome. The scholarly air he once had was now replaced with an unmistakable dominance.
Xiao Xuan couldn't help but marvel at the pair. "As expected of the Heavenly Phoenix Clan, whose majesty once rivaled the Taixu Ancient Dragon Clan. Their auras alone would make most magical beasts on the Dou Qi Continent cower in submission."
"Indeed. Though their strength may not yet surpass Zhu Kun's, their auras already suppress his.
Word is they once suffered greatly at the hands of the Taixu Ancient Dragon Clan. But now, even if it's just the two of them, they could make the entire Taixu Ancient Dragon Clan bow," Muling said, his eyes glinting with anticipation.
Tianluo added with a chuckle, "I wouldn't be so certain about the entire clan, but if it's just Zhu Kun, they could make him bleed in three exchanges without even using the Heavenly Phoenix Secret Art."
As the group chatted, Huang Min and Ling Yun descended swiftly, leaving behind streaks of light in their wake. In a blink, they landed gracefully before the gathered elders.
"Greetings, Elder Huang, Clan Leader Xiao Qing, Lord Tianluo, Lord Muling, and Lord Xiao Xuan," the two said in unison, bowing respectfully.
Though they hadn't met Xiao Xuan or Muling before, they had heard about them through Xiao Qing and committed their identities to memory.
"No need for such formality. With your current speed, not even half emperor level experts could catch you. Truly, no one on the Dou Qi Continent could stop you now," Xiao Xuan said with a smile of approval.
As Xiao Tianchen's disciples, Huang Min and Ling Yun were like children to him, and he treated them with great affection.
"Thank you for the praise, Lord Xiao Xuan. However, we're not yet worthy of such high regard. In your presence, even with the Heavenly Phoenix Secret Art, we wouldn't stand a chance," Huang Min said humbly, a slight blush coloring her cheeks.
Ling Yun quickly added, "Min is right. The aura you emit makes it clear we're not your equals."
Their earlier pride and dominance were replaced with humility and respect.
Xiao Xuan burst into hearty laughter. "Hahaha! Good, very good! You're both remarkable young talents. Lord Tianchen will undoubtedly be proud of your achievements!"
As Xiao Tianchen's bodyguard, Xiao Xuan referred to him respectfully as "Lord Tianchen," a formality only he and Muling understood among the group.
"You're too kind, Lord Xiao Xuan. It's just a pity that Teacher isn't here to share in this joy with us."
Huang Min's voice carried a hint of regret, echoed silently by Ling Yun's solemn expression.
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