Cultivation begins in Qingfeng Market.

Zhu Yan's name spread throughout Dingfeng Plain overnight, across the three great dynasties, and even to more distant places.

Some say he is the last hope of the Heavenly Fire Dynasty, some say he is a madman, and some say he won't live much longer.

However, the result of the news being spread was that even more Foundation Establishment cultivators joined in the hunt for him.

Some were inherently hostile to the Heavenly Fire Dynasty, while others coveted the Core Formation resources possessed by Zhu Yan.

Some people simply wanted to challenge him—to rise to power by stepping on the name of the Seven Sons of Heavenly Fire, and to break through their own cultivation level through a life-or-death battle.

Zhu Yan accepted all comers.

In just six months, he killed over a hundred Foundation Establishment cultivators.

From the depths of the secret realm to the edge of Dingfeng Plain, from the crater to the depths of the ruins, he fought with increasing ferocity and madness, like a knife that was repeatedly tempered, becoming sharper and more terrifying with each battle.

It can only be said that although the Demon Blade is powerful, it still depends on the person wielding it. A magical weapon combined with a cultivator whose country has been destroyed and whose family has been destroyed, and who has been driven to the brink of despair, can display astonishing power.

Yan Chiheng rarely returned, and when he spoke to Lin Zhao about what was happening outside, he said in a complicated tone, "That Zhu Yan has gone on a killing spree. Everyone outside is saying that his strength has surpassed yours."

Lin Zhao shook his head and remained silent.

He knew perfectly well what those rumors meant; they were just an attempt to provoke him into attacking Zhu Yan.

However, although the Crimson Flame Demon Blade in Zhu Yan's hand was not created by Lin Zhao, it was forged by him personally, and Lin Zhao also deserves some credit for this achievement.

Under this life-or-death crisis, Zhu Yan's potential has been squeezed to its limit.

If you don't succeed, you die trying.

To witness someone in their lifetime who can sustain themselves through war and achieve breakthroughs in battle is a rare and precious thing.

It all depends on whether he can hold on.

-----

However, Zhu Yan's condition was not as good as the rumors suggested.

He was able to hold on because of a secret technique—the Heavenly Fire Dynasty's most treasured technique, which involved burning his lifespan to gain combat power. In just six months, he had 150 years of lifespan left, but he has already burned off 50 years.

If things continue like this, he will surely die if he fails to form his core, and even if he succeeds, he will live a hundred years less than an ordinary core cultivator.

But Zhu Yan has no regrets. Since he embarked on this path, he never thought of turning back.

However, there was one thing that no one expected: the connection between the Crimson Flame Demon Blade and the Vermilion Flame grew deeper and deeper, to the point that sometimes he couldn't tell whether he was controlling the Demon Blade or the Demon Blade was controlling him.

Each time he slays an opponent, the demonic blade devours the opponent's life essence, giving him a portion to repair his injuries—those raw wounds, those hidden injuries, even the lifespan burned away by the secret technique—

It can only be said that the Crimson Flame Demon Blade truly lived up to the reputation of a master of Core Formation weapon crafting, creating a masterpiece that was also his final work.

Zhu Yan was unaware of these things, but he knew one thing: he needed this power, and perhaps, he could truly become a Core Formation True Person.

A month later, a Core Formation cultivator personally took action.

When the news reached Cangyun Mountain, everyone thought Zhu Yan was finished.

But Zhu Yan escaped. Not only did he escape, but he was also hunted down three times by the same Core Formation cultivator in the following month, and he escaped alive each time.

In the final attack, even the Crimson Flame Demon Blade was shattered, its blade breaking into several pieces. However, the blade possessed an indestructible quality; the fragments reformed in the flames, and the cracks on the blade healed and regenerated one by one.

With nowhere else to turn, Zhu Yan led the Core Formation cultivator to a volcano crater. The volcano was still active, and deep within the crater, crimson magma was still churning.

The Core Formation cultivator caught up, but unexpectedly, Zhu Yan detonated the entire volcano. Lava shot into the sky, burning through the clouds, turning the sky within a hundred miles blood red.

The Core Formation cultivator was engulfed by the power of the volcanic eruption and barely escaped thanks to a defensive magic weapon in his hand. The magic weapon was almost destroyed, and he was also seriously injured.

Several months later, Zhu Yan, still recovering from his injuries, recklessly attempted to break through to the Core Formation stage. The last remaining member of the Seven Sons of Heavenly Fire gave him all the remaining Core Formation resources of the Heavenly Fire Dynasty.

When the heavenly lightning struck, his golden core was almost completely shattered.

But the Demon Blade held it off for him—the life essence of the hundreds of Foundation Establishment cultivators he had killed was released by the Demon Blade at this moment, frantically repairing his Golden Core, his meridians, and his sea of ​​consciousness.

He eventually pulled through.

The thunderclouds dispersed, and sunlight shone through the gaps in the fiery mist, falling on the ruins and on Zhu Yan. He lay in the rubble, his body charred black, like a burnt corpse. But his chest was rising and falling.

His golden core was suspended in his dantian. Although it was only of low grade, it was intact and began to slowly rotate, emitting a warm light.

He became.

Heavenly Fire Immortal.

Zhu Yan.

The demonic patterns on the Crimson Flame Demon Blade have also completely changed—they are no longer the patterns of a second-tier top-grade magic weapon, but the precious light of a third-tier magic treasure.

The first thing he did after reaching the Core Formation stage was to find the Core Formation cultivator who had been chasing him for half a year. That person no longer had any defensive magic treasures. A great battle ensued, lasting from day to night. In the end, Zhu Yan beheaded that person with a single stroke and hung his head on the ruins of the former capital of the Heavenly Fire Dynasty.

When the news spread throughout the two great dynasties and the Dingfeng Plain, everyone fell silent.

Some people recalled the battle when Lin Zhao, a Foundation Establishment cultivator, defeated a Core Formation cultivator, while others recalled the battle when Zhu Yan single-handedly killed fifteen Foundation Establishment cultivators.

But this time was different. He directly killed a Core Formation cultivator. Judging from the results, Zhu Yan has undoubtedly surpassed Lin Zhao.

Heavenly Fire Immortal Zhu Yan.

From that day on, no one dared to underestimate this name.

After hearing Yan Chiheng's account, Lin Zhao remained silent for a long time.

"Heavenly Fire Immortal." He repeated the title, then suddenly smiled. So he did have a competitive spirit after all.

Whether the two are stronger in combat or not can only be determined after they fight, but in terms of cultivation, Zhu Yan has undoubtedly surpassed him.

Lin Zhao returned to the cultivation room and closed his eyes.

Within his sea of ​​consciousness, the Divine Soul Sword Tower slowly rotated, its tip shining even brighter than before, signaling that the day his divine sense would break through to the Core Formation stage was drawing ever closer.

Before Lin Zhao went into seclusion again, she only said one sentence to Elder He: "I need to break through, and no one is allowed to disturb me."

Old He nodded and personally guarded the garrison headquarters.

Dingfeng Plains, the largest camp of the survivors.

Zhu Yan stood in the center of the camp, with nearly a hundred Foundation Establishment cultivators standing in front of him. They were all surviving cultivators of the Heavenly Fire Dynasty, ranging from the early to the peak of Foundation Establishment.

"From this day forward, the Heavenly Fire Alliance is established." Zhu Yan's voice wasn't loud, but every word was imbued with Core Formation level spiritual power, clearly reaching the ears of everyone present. "I will serve as the Alliance Leader, and from now on..."