Zhao Li was surprised after taking a palm strike from Gu You. But Gu You was even more surprised than Zhao Li.
He hadn't held back much force in that palm; even Tang Renjie would have been severely injured.
But seeing Zhao Li sent flying, he didn't pursue. The main goal of this trip was to seize the Heavenly Flame.
Gu You's Momentum erupted, pressing down on the Nine-Dragon Thunderflame.
Although the Heavenly Flame's wildness had been stimulated and it had gone berserk, it was only around the strength of a Five-Star Dou Venerate. How could it be a match for Gu You?
Soon, it was beaten back to its original form, leaving only a wisp of Flame, within which nine dragon shadows faintly swam.
Seeing Gu You severely injure Tang Renjie with one move and then easily subdue the Heavenly Flame, everyone's hearts turned cold. Some even began to beg for mercy.
But no one paid them any mind.
Gu You looked at the wisp of Flame before him and also felt quite astonished. This tiny Flame was actually the silver-white giant dragon from before. Heavenly and earthly oddities were truly miraculous.
He reached out to grab it, intending to take the Heavenly Flame.
Suddenly, the Heavenly Flame, which had been suppressed and only had its core Flame remaining, surged violently again.
Gu You retreated abruptly, looking solemnly at the silver fire dragon.
There, a thin figure had suddenly appeared.
Gu You looked at him. It was his true opponent on this trip, Venerate Huoyun, the former Valley Master of Burning Flame Valley.
But seeing Huoyun now, he was utterly terrified. Huoyun's aura wasn't that of a Nine-Revolving Dou Venerate, but rather—
A Half-Saint!
He knew Huoyun was seeking a breakthrough. Twenty years ago, both were Nine-Star Dou Venerates. He had thought the gap wouldn't be too large, and even if he reached Nine-Revolving, he could still handle him.
But reality told him that they were no longer on the same level as him. Venerate Huoyun should now be called Saint Huoyun.
While unable to accept it, fear also arose in his heart. He forced a smile and said:
"Huoyun, my Soul Hall kindly sent a gift. Is this the hospitality of your Burning Flame Valley?"
Huoyun looked at the messy square, at the severely injured Tang Renjie, with killing intent surging in his eyes. Looking at Gu You, his tone was icy:
"Gu You, you're truly living backwards. What? Does your Soul Hall not even have the previous arrogant bearing anymore? Why are you suddenly trying to save face? Saying this now is ridiculous!"
Seeing Huoyun's eyes, Gu You's hair stood on end. He didn't even dare to argue, directly crushing a Spatial Jade Slip. At the same time, he shouted to Xue Hai:
"Objective achieved. Huoyun has advanced to Half-Saint. Retreat quickly."
Seeing the Spatial Channel appear, Huoyun instantly attacked. An attack followed Gu You into the Spatial Channel.
Immediately, his gaze swept towards Xue Hai.
Gu You returned to the Soul Hall, spitting blood. Looking behind him, he was utterly terrified.
The gap between a Half-Saint and a Dou Venerate was too vast.
Fear flashed in his eyes, along with a hint of madness.
"Pfft—"
Spitting out another mouthful of blood, he dared not linger and walked towards the main hall, heading to report to the Deputy Hall Master.
"Deputy Hall Master, that item was indeed useful for the Heavenly Flame. The Nine-Dragon Thunderflame swallowed it and went berserk. However, some unforeseen circumstances occurred, and it was stopped by someone, so it didn't backfire on Tang Renjie."
He finished recounting how Han Zichuan, Zhao Li, and others from the Pill Tower had interfered, and continued:
"Huoyun is indeed still alive and has broken through to Half-Saint. I was not his match and escaped back. Xue Hai and the others are likely in grave danger. Please punish me, Hall Master."
The Deputy Hall Master nodded:
"This Hall understands. It's not your fault. Go and heal your injuries."
Gu You withdrew.
The Deputy Hall Master's gaze was deep as he looked in the direction of the Pill Tower:
"Pill Tower, is it? Since you like to jump around so much, next time, it will be you."
...
Meanwhile, within Burning Flame Valley, Zhao Li saw the thin old man who had suddenly appeared. Naturally, he heard him call the Soul Hall person Gu You, the future Second Heavenly Venerate of the Soul Hall.
And the old man, merely by showing up, had scared off Gu You and then easily captured Xue Hai and a few others.
With such strength, there should only be one person within Burning Flame Valley: Old Ancestor Huoyun.
And that young master who had just been born was probably Tang Zhen.
Seeing that the matter here was resolved, Zhao Li felt relieved and made his own guesses.
Old Ancestor Huoyun casually annihilated the Soul Hall people and checked on Tang Renjie's injuries, frowning.
Tang Renjie was quite severely injured. If it dragged on and left a lingering problem, he might not live much longer.
He looked at Han Zichuan:
"Elder Han, I implore you to take action and refine a healing pill to save Renjie. I will surely repay you handsomely in the future."
Han Zichuan pondered for a moment, then nodded and agreed.
Old Ancestor Huoyun looked around at everyone again.
"My apologies for startling everyone. It was Burning Flame Valley's negligence. Today, I've achieved a breakthrough and will personally oversee this area. Please rest assured, the celebration will continue. If anyone wishes to leave, feel free. I won't stop you."
Saying this, he put away the Nine-Dragon Thunderflame and, no longer paying attention to the crowd, prepared to leave with Elder Han and Tang Renjie.
Tang Renjie pulled his father aside and briefly explained Zhao Li's earlier promise and assistance.
Only then did Old Ancestor Huoyun notice the young man. His eyes were clear and calm, confident but not arrogant, gentle and humble.
All these qualities made people feel comfortable at a glance.
And this kind of demeanor was different from the old man's lack of drive after seeing through the world's affairs; it was more of an inner peace stemming from extreme self-confidence, a certainty of reaching the world's pinnacle.
Old Ancestor Huoyun was slightly surprised. What an excellent young man.
Saying this, he also expressed his gratitude to Zhao Li, then turned to Han Zichuan and said,
"Elder Han, you're lucky. A person like this is destined for greatness."
Zhao Li was still thinking about the Heavenly Flame and the strange stone and asked,
"Does anyone know what the Heavenly Flame swallowed, and why it suddenly became so violent?"
Hearing this, the few people present shook their heads.
Old Ancestor Huoyun was puzzled and asked,
"What are you talking about?"
Tang Renjie explained the matter again, even feeling a bit scared in hindsight.
He released the Heavenly Flame and observed it carefully.
Zhao Li was also sensing and comprehending, but now it was no longer violent.
Old Ancestor Huoyun didn't find anything either, and even felt somewhat confused.
"The source of this Heavenly Flame has indeed improved significantly compared to before."
After a moment's thought, he understood Soul Hall's plan and snorted coldly.
"Hmph, Soul Hall is as overbearing and confident as ever. They've likely been looking for an opportunity to seize my Burning Flame Valley's Heavenly Flame, and perhaps also wanted to show off their strength. It was a good plan, but if I hadn't entered the Half-Saint realm, I'm afraid..."
Everyone present wasn't foolish and naturally understood Old Ancestor Huoyun's meaning.
Zhao Li shook his head and sighed,
"It's a pity that mysterious strange stone was swallowed by the Heavenly Flame. Otherwise, if we could study it, we might have discovered something. If Soul Hall has many of these things, then people with Heavenly Flames might be in danger in the future."
The few people felt some lingering fear, but Old Ancestor Huoyun said,
"How could there be so many Heavenly Flames, which are rare wonders of heaven and earth? Even if someone has subdued one, they likely wouldn't announce it everywhere. There's no need to worry too much."
"That's true. Hahahaha, we were just worrying needlessly. The Old Valley Master sees things clearly."
Hearing Old Ancestor Huoyun's words, everyone came back to their senses, smiled, and nodded in agreement.
"Elder Han, I'll trouble you. As for you young friends, feel free to relax and enjoy yourselves here."
Seeing everyone nod, Old Ancestor Huoyun temporarily put the matter aside before inviting Han Zichuan to refine medicine for Tang Renjie.
Seeing Elder Han and the two Valley Masters of Burning Flame Valley leave, Zhao Li returned to the Pill Tower's location on his own.
As soon as he returned, he was met with the scrutinizing gazes of Xuan Xueling and her niece.
The two kept circling him, and Zhao Li felt a bit uncomfortable being watched. He coughed lightly to interrupt them.
"Ahem, what are those expressions? Can you be serious? It's unnerving."
The two ignored Zhao Li and continued to circle and examine him.
After a long time, Xuan Yi clicked her tongue and spoke first,
"Aunt Ling, why don't you listen to Grandpa Han and be brave, boldly pursue Zhang Li?"
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