Inside the study.
Hun Tiandi looked at Hun Xiu and Hun Yu, both standing before him, and nodded slightly.
With a raise of his hand, two flames—each the size of a palm—appeared in front of them.
One strong.One weak.
A high-grade sub-flame and a normal sub-flame.
Gulp—
Hun Yu's throat was a little dry as he stared at the palm-sized black flame in front of him. He swallowed hard.
Even though this was just an ordinary sub-flame from Lord Void Swallowing Flame, its strength was enough to rival many Heavenly Flame-ranked entities.
In the entire Hun Clan, even among the elders, very few possessed a sub-flame from Lord Void.
And now—
This coveted treasure was right before his eyes.
Hun Yu was visibly shaken. His gaze burned with desire.
In his eyes, this wasn't just some flame—it was like a half-naked, seductive goddess standing before him.
If Hun Tiandi weren't present, Hun Yu might have already taken the flame and started refining it on the spot.
In contrast, Hun Xiu appeared calm—at least on the surface.
But deep down, he was incredibly shocked.
He just knew how to keep it hidden.
Hun Tiandi naturally noticed the reactions of both his sons. He was very pleased with Hun Xiu's composure.
"To remain unfazed before a sub-flame of Void Swallowing Flame... This level of restraint—he truly is my son,"he thought, feeling gratified.
Hun Tiandi spoke lightly:
"This is your reward for the Clan Competition. Take it."
"Thank you, Father—Clan Leader."
Hun Yu didn't hesitate. He quickly stored the Void Swallowing Flame's sub-flame. With this, his combat power would be unmatched within his tier.
Of course—
A young elite from the Hun Clan could already dominate peers across the continent. Their cultivation methods and battle techniques far surpassed what other families or factions could offer.
But to be unmatched within the clan itself—that was a different story.
Here, genius was the norm.
Hun Xiu first reached out and touched the flame. It wasn't as domineering as he had expected.
Only then did he calmly store it away.
Outwardly, he remained composed—but inside, waves of emotion surged.
"With this high-grade sub-flame, and enough time and strength, I might even evolve it into an independent Void Swallowing Flame."
Seeing both had accepted their rewards, Hun Tiandi turned to Hun Yu and waved his hand:
"Hun Yu, you may leave."
"Yes, Clan Leader."
Hun Yu had no desire to linger.
Having obtained the flame, he was already euphoric.
Without delay, he respectfully bowed and took his leave.
(Somewhere, Hun Feng sneezed.)Hun Feng: "Are you trying to imply something here…?"
Now only Hun Tiandi and Hun Xiu remained in the study.
They looked at each other.
The room fell into a stifling silence.
No one spoke.
The atmosphere was oddly tense.
Eventually, Hun Tiandi broke the silence:
"Xiu'er, do you know why I kept you behind?"
"I don't," Hun Xiu replied, shaking his head.
He had no idea what trick his father was playing this time. The man was unpredictable.
After all, he might be Hun Tiandi's son—but in this patriarch's eyes, he was still an ant.
If Hun Tiandi released even a sliver of pressure, he wouldn't be able to endure it.
At the end of the day, he was still too weak.
If not for his identity as Hun Tiandi's son, he wouldn't even be qualified to stand in this room.
"If it were someone else,"he thought,"they'd probably have been slapped into ashes by now."
Hun Tiandi's voice was calm:
"Weren't you planning to leave the Hun Clan?"
"…Huh?"
Hun Xiu's heart sank. He looked nervously at his father.
"Father… are you saying you won't let me leave anymore?"
He had to leave. That was non-negotiable.
But without Hun Tiandi's permission, it was impossible.
He probably wouldn't even be able to step out of his courtyard, let alone the clan.
Unless… he waited until he came of age.
Hun Tiandi shook his head:
"Since I've already said you can leave, I will naturally let you go."
"Thank you, Father."
Hun Xiu finally relaxed.
Honestly, he had been worried Hun Tiandi would go back on his word.
This father of his wasn't just any old man—he was the overlord of the entire Hun Clan.
Unless Void Swallowing Flame openly opposed him, Hun Tiandi's word was law.
If he said one, who would dare say two?
"The moment you try, you'll understand what despair really feels like."
"You're afraid I'll change my mind?"
Hun Tiandi naturally noticed Hun Xiu's reaction.
He frowned internally.
"Is he… doubting me?"
"I wouldn't dare."Hun Xiu quickly shook his head, sensing the rising displeasure.
Anyone with half a brain could tell what to do here.
Hun Xiu may not be a genius with an IQ of 250, but he wasn't an idiot either.
"Hmph…"
Hun Tiandi snorted.
Of course he could tell from Hun Xiu's reply that there was a trace of mistrust.
His expression darkened.
"With your strength, leaving the clan isn't a problem.Go now. But return to the study tomorrow night at this same time."
"Yes, Father. Thank you."
Hun Xiu bowed respectfully and exited the study.
As he watched his son leave, Hun Tiandi murmured to himself:
"To think… without any resources, just by absorbing Dou Qi,Xiu'er reached the level of a Two-Star Dou King."
"And the Dou Qi in his body… is absurdly vast."
"You truly live up to your name, Xiu'er."
"You want to leave the clan? So your wings have hardened, have they?""You are the greatest talent in the history of the Hun Clan.""Even if you do leave, it must be after those wings are fully grown."
Hun Tiandi slowly raised his hand.
Two ancient, pitch-black storage rings floated silently in his palm.
He stared at them for a long moment, deep in thought.
Meanwhile—
Hun Xiu had returned to his room.
Sitting cross-legged on his bed, he flipped his hand, summoning the Void Swallowing Flame's sub-flame into his palm.
Looking at the black flame, he whispered:
"With this, my strength will soar again."
Without hesitation, he swallowed the flame.
In an instant, the once-gentle black flame surged violently within his body.
His entire form was engulfed in raging black fire.
Even the bed beneath him dissolved into nothing.
Now hovering mid-air in his room, Hun Xiu sat cross-legged.
His body burned with jet-black fire, and his hands began forming rapid, mysterious hand seals.
The powers of heaven and earth began converging wildly around him…