Battle Through the Heavens: Xiao Yan, who was kidnapped to another world

Countless powerful individuals have entered the Demon Flame Space over the millennia. Apart from a few with exceptional strength and luck, the rest have all met the same fate—becoming fire slaves refined and controlled by the Pure Lotus Demon Flame.

Although the vast majority of fire slaves only possess the strength of a Dou Zun, once their numbers exceed ten thousand, even a Dou Sheng expert must be on high alert. Not to mention, the fire slaves within the Demon Flame Space, under the perfect control of the Purifying Lotus Demon Flame, further amplify the threat posed by their sheer numbers.

Even so, for Xiao Yan and his group of five, whose weakest members were all at least one-star Dou Sheng level, the barrier behind the white giant gate, composed of countless fire slaves, was not difficult at all. They broke through more than a dozen giant halls filled with Dou Zun fire slaves with ease.

boom!

The massive palace gate was shattered by Xiao Yan's palm strike. Amidst the flying debris, another colossal palace appeared before everyone's eyes. Upon seeing this palace, a sense of weariness involuntarily arose in the hearts of everyone, including Xiao Yan.

The repetitive challenges were neither fun nor challenging. With plenty of Qi-restoring pills in Xiao Yan's storage ring, he hadn't even consumed much of his battle qi. Therefore, aside from simply killing time, the challenges were meaningless.

"Ok?"

Xiao Yan's gaze swept across the giant hall, and he immediately perked up. After all, there were no densely packed fire slaves in this hall, which almost clearly told everyone that this was likely the last hurdle before seeing the Pure Lotus Demon Flame in the illusion!

He scanned the giant hall, but then exclaimed in surprise, because he discovered that there were no densely packed fire slaves in the hall!

"The challenge is over?" Xun'er also noticed this and asked in surprise.

"not yet……"

Gu Nanhai slowly shook his head, his gaze fixed on the center of the giant hall, where a somewhat thin figure stood upright. Surprisingly, there were no flames swirling around his body. His eyes were closed, and a powerful aura, as if Mount Tai were pressing down, emanated from his body!

"A four-star Dou Sheng!"

A solemn expression slowly crept onto Gu Nanhai's face. Although he was also a late-stage four-star Dou Sheng, the gaunt figure in the hall was clearly a step stronger than him, obviously having already stepped into the level of a five-star Dou Sheng!

"This is also a fire slave?!" Gu Qingyang stared in astonishment at the figure in the center of the giant hall. He simply couldn't imagine that the Pure Lotus Demon Flame had the power to refine a four-star Dou Sheng into a fire slave!

"He could be considered a fire slave, if you will," Xiao Yan said casually. "He has his own thoughts. Compared to the fire slaves who are completely controlled by the Purifying Lotus Demon Flame, he is more powerful, but also more fragile..."

"So, you're planning to take him down by yourself?" Zi Yan, who had been flexing her wrists in preparation for a big battle, understood the implication in Xiao Yan's words. She stopped flexing her wrists and looked at Xiao Yan with disbelief.

"Just hold him off for a minute or two."

Xiao Yan smiled wryly. Although Zi Yan was no longer the person who couldn't grow taller, since leaving Gulong Island a few years ago, her personality had become more and more like her own when she was still at Canaan Academy. If it were her when she first left Gulong Island, she would never have so obviously expressed that she wanted to move around.

Upon hearing this, Zi Yan's lips curled up slightly, revealing a smile of eager anticipation: "A minute or two? That's enough!"

Before she finished speaking, her slender figure had already disappeared from the spot, leaving only a shrill whistling sound like space being torn apart in the giant hall.

The next instant, Zi Yan's seemingly small fist slammed into the chest of that gaunt figure, unleashing terrifying force that sent the four-star Dou Sheng peak expert flying backward!

"Boom!"

The gaunt figure crashed through several stone pillars of the grand hall like a meteor, eventually embedding itself deep within the hall wall thousands of feet away, with spiderweb-like cracks spreading outwards from him.

The gaunt figure raised its head from the recessed wall, its dark eyes indifferently looking at where Zi Yan was. Compared to the previous fire slave, the gaunt figure's eyes were noticeably more lively, but also much colder.

Zi Yan naturally wouldn't give the gaunt figure a chance to catch his breath. She reappeared in front of him and delivered another merciless straight punch to his chest. The gale-force wind swirling around the punch seemed poised to tear his chest apart.

Boom!

A massive, blood-red axe, several meters in size, appeared in front of the gaunt figure, blocking the devastating blow for him.

"They're definitely much better than those brainless fire slaves!" Zi Yan smiled brightly. "But this is just the beginning!"

Zi Yan laughed and pounced again. The blood of the dragon and phoenix surged within her. Every kick and punch carried the power of a dragon's roar and a phoenix's cry. She clashed head-on with the gaunt figure wielding the blood-red giant axe. Every collision between the two caused the entire palace to tremble violently, and spatial cracks spread and healed like a spider web.

After confirming that Zi Yan wouldn't be injured in the short term, Xiao Yan withdrew his gaze. The Azure Lotus Earth Core Flame, Netherworld Poison Flame, Wind Fury Dragon Flame, Sea Heart Flame, and Fallen Heart Flame surged from his fingertips, then slowly condensed into a rune shape roughly two widths wide above his palm.

The Pure Lotus Demon Saint told Xiao Yan how to temporarily seal the Pure Lotus Demon Flame's control over the gaunt figure. However, for Xiao Yan, who didn't want the Pure Lotus Demon Flame to discover his abnormality too early, causing it to exhaust its strength prematurely in the subsequent battle, the sealing method given by the Pure Lotus Demon Saint needed to be slightly modified...

The battle in the distance has reached a fever pitch.

Although Zi Yan's true form as the Dragon Emperor was not fully revealed, her fists and feet were covered with fine purple-gold dragon scales, and each strike carried a terrifying power capable of shattering the void. However, the gaunt figure was not to be outdone. He had extremely rich combat experience and his moves were ruthless and skillful. He did not lose any ground when he clashed head-on with Zi Yan.

"Dragon and Phoenix Break!"

With a shout, Zi Yan unleashed a purple-gold dragon-shaped battle aura that shot straight at the face of the gaunt figure. The latter spun around and brought his giant axe down, forcefully splitting the dragon-shaped battle aura in two.

The battle qi, now split in two, continued to bombard the gaunt figure without pause, sending him flying backward. His footsteps left more than a dozen deep craters in the giant hall.

roar!"

Forced back, a frenzied heat surged in the indifferent eyes of the blood-axe-wielding figure. A low growl came from his throat, and then a strong light suddenly burst forth from between his brows.

Within that light, a rune slowly appeared in everyone's sight, and as the rune appeared, the person's aura suddenly surged!

The Xiao clan crest?!

The moment Xiao Yan saw the rune in front of the gaunt figure, his eyes widened, but his hands did not stop moving. The strange fire talisman landed steadily on the gaunt figure's chest.

The moment the strange fire talisman touched the gaunt figure, the milky white flames inside his body were completely swallowed by the talisman. A struggle appeared on the gaunt figure's face, but he quickly regained his composure.

"...The bloodline power of the Xiao clan," the figure's gaze fell on Xiao Yan, his mouth slightly open, and a hoarse voice finally escaped his lips, "You are...a member of the Xiao clan?"

Chapter 482 The Symbol of Breaking the Nightmare

The gaunt figure's dark eyes were fixed on Xiao Yan, and there was an extremely subtle fluctuation deep in his pupils—it was the Pure Lotus Demon Flame within him that had been suppressed by the Strange Flame Talisman, and his own will had finally broken free from its thousand-year imprisonment.

"Who...who am I?"

However, after a brief moment of clarity, the gaunt figure fell back into a daze. Clearly, apart from the Xiao clan, which was his obsession, he had almost forgotten everything else.

"You are Xiao Chen, Blood Axe Xiao Chen!"

A voice suddenly came from behind Xiao Yan, filled with deep shock.

Xiao Yan turned his head and looked at the incredulous Gu Nanhai, and asked, "Elder Nanhai, do you know this senior?"

"Xiao Chen?" The gaunt man frowned slightly and muttered to himself.

"I don't recognize it, but I have seen this blood-red giant axe in ancient books. Back then, the Xiao clan produced a person of extraordinary talent. This person's famous weapon was an extremely large blood axe, and this person was called Xiao Chen!"

Gu Nanhai stared at the gaunt man and said, "Xiao Chen has amazing talent. He is Xiao Xuan's cousin, but he is unruly and capricious. Countless powerful people have lost their lives under his axe. However, he disappeared without a trace. No matter how the Xiao clan searched, they could not find him. I never expected that he would appear here!"

"Xiao Xuan's cousin?" Xiao Yan paused, realizing that this person could also be considered his ancestor.

With the help of the strange fire talisman, Xiao Chen's consciousness had gradually recovered. Although he was still somewhat confused at first, he was completely awake after Gu Nanhai's lengthy introduction.

"The Xiao Clan..." Xiao Chen's voice was hoarse, like sandpaper rubbing against rock, "...what has become of my Xiao Clan?"

Xiao Yan was silent for a moment, then said softly, "The Xiao Clan no longer exists." He then briefly explained the current situation of the Xiao Clan.

Throughout the entire ordeal, Xiao Chen remained silent, but drops of crimson blood slowly slid from his clenched fist. After a long while, he finally spoke, his voice trembling slightly, "Even Brother Xiao Xuan has perished..."

Looking at Xiao Chen, who was clenching his fists and looking down, Xiao Yan sighed. He knew that Xiao Chen was filled with regret, but even if Xiao Chen stayed in the Xiao Clan, the Xiao Clan would probably still not escape that fate.

“Ancient Clan!” Xiao Chen suddenly looked up, staring directly at Gu Nanhai, “You…”

He seemed to want to vent something, but in the end he didn't finish his sentence. He also understood that when the Xiao Clan was almost completely wiped out by the Soul Clan, the Ancient Clan was already being more than generous in preserving a bloodline for the Xiao Clan. After all, it was normal for ancient races to eat up the bloodline of the extinct.

"This is the Demon Flame Space. Ancestor Xiao Chen, please lead us to the location of the Demon Flame," Xiao Yan said softly.

“You are no match for the Pure Lotus Demon Flame,” Xiao Chen shook his head, his voice still hoarse.

“But staying here means even less chance of survival.” Xiao Yan smiled slightly, but his eyes gleamed with unwavering determination.

"Come with me."

Xiao Chen raised his head, met Xiao Yan's gaze for a moment, and finally slowly stood up, then turned and walked towards the final palace gate.

"Follow."

Xiao Yan didn't say much, just waved his hand and followed. Gu Nanhai opened his mouth but didn't say anything, so he could only follow.

Crunch!

The group silently followed behind Xiao Chen, watching him slowly push open the giant door. Behind the door was a staircase that stretched to the end, and at the end of the staircase, a huge altar stone platform could be vaguely seen.

Looking at the altar stone platform at the end, Xiao Yan smiled faintly, took the lead in stepping onto the stone steps, and then walked step by step towards the end. Behind him, Xiao Chen, Xun'er and the others hesitated for a moment, but quickly followed.

The group climbed the stone steps in silence. After about ten minutes, they finally approached the altar. Xiao Yan looked up and saw a huge throne standing silently on the altar. On the throne, a figure dressed in white robes sat quietly, with wisps of milky white flames swirling around him, constantly changing into various shapes.

As everyone stepped onto the altar, the figure in white robes finally opened his eyes, revealing an incredibly stunning smile on his handsome face.

"Defeat me and you will obtain the source of the demonic fire; otherwise, you will remain here forever as my fire slaves." Its voice was gentle and kind, yet its sound seemed to cause the entire space to tremble.

"Nightmare Illusion, break!"

Gu Nanhai had no desire to communicate with the Pure Lotus Demon Flame. He pointed with two fingers, and a stream of essence blood shot out from his fingertips. The essence blood quickly moved across his fingertips, forming a strange blood talisman.

"A Nightmare-Breaking Talisman? Impossible, how could you possibly know this?!"

The moment it saw the blood talisman, the Pure Lotus Demon Flame's expression changed drastically. It simply couldn't imagine that thousands of years after the passing of the Pure Lotus Demon Saint, it could actually see this power to dispel the Nightmare Mist on another person.

Gu Nanhai ignored it, pointed his finger, and the blood talisman appeared and finally stuck in the void in front of him.

Instantly, the space began to shake violently, and finally, to everyone's surprise, it exploded with a bang.

At the moment of the spatial explosion, Xiao Yan and the others suddenly felt a dizzy sensation deep in their minds and quickly closed their eyes.

When they opened their eyes again, they were greeted by a sea of ​​lava, with milky white flames occasionally leaping out from within it. This milky white lava stretched to the horizon, as if the entire space was made of lava.

"Why do you possess that Nightmare-Breaking Talisman?!"

Before they could carefully observe their surroundings, a handsome man in a white robe reappeared before them. However, compared to his refined appearance in the illusion, he now seemed to have lost his mind, staring intently at Gu Nanhai as if he wanted to skin him alive.

"The Pure Lotus Demon Saint foresaw that you would one day learn the Nightmare Heavenly Mist," Gu Nanhai said calmly. "Therefore, before he was devoured and perished by you, he left the Nightmare-Breaking Talisman in our clan!"

Despite appearing calm on the surface, Gu Nanhai seriously suspected that Xiao Yan actually didn't want to be targeted by the Pure Lotus Demon Flame, which was why he entrusted Xiao Yan with the task of casting the Nightmare-Breaking Talisman.

Xiao Yan kept a close eye on his surroundings, only relaxing after figures appeared in the distance.

Although he could see through the illusion within the Nightmare Mist, without the Nightmare-Breaking Talisman, no one knew how long it would take to break the illusion. Not to mention that even if they did break the illusion, only the five of them could escape, while the other strong individuals who could be used as laborers might not be able to escape.

In the distance, Hun Miesheng, Hun Feng, and Hun Yan, the deputy hall master of the Soul Palace, had ashen faces. They could not accept that even with the Void Devouring Flame within their bodies, they were still trapped in the Nightmare Heavenly Mist. If someone hadn't broken through the Nightmare Heavenly Mist, even with the Void Devouring Flame within them, they would most likely have been completely exhausted and died in the illusion.

Chapter 483 The Inheritance of the Demon Saint?

Just minutes ago, Hun Miesheng and his companions, who were trapped in the Nightmare Mist, finally realized that they were in an illusion—

The Pure Lotus Demon Flame that appeared before them possessed the strength of a nine-star Dou Sheng, which was far from the level of a six-star Dou Sheng that the Void Devouring Flame had described. It was highly likely that the Void Devouring Flame was only infinitely close to a six-star Dou Sheng.

Despite the 'Purifying Lotus Demon Flame' constantly provoking them, the group, knowing they were in an illusion, naturally wouldn't fall for it. They tried to ignore the 'Purifying Lotus Demon Flame' as much as possible while searching for a way to leave the illusion.

Although they knew they were in an illusion, the group was constantly disturbed by the 'Purifying Lotus Demon Flame' while searching for an exit. Each of these disturbances carried the power to instantly crush them, so Hun Miesheng and the others could not find an exit for a long time. Even the Soul Demon, who was hiding in the shadows, was forced out and they were all caught in a fierce battle.

Because of the intense battle, Hun Miesheng and the others suddenly realized that the strength of the 'Pure Lotus Demon Flame' in front of them was very likely related to their imagination. As long as they thought the 'Pure Lotus Demon Flame' in front of them was as weak as a chicken, they could easily manipulate it.

Then, the moment Hun Miesheng and the others realized this, the Nightmare Mist that had enveloped them completely dissipated.

Before they could even figure out what was going on, they heard Gu Nanhai's calm and collected voice from afar—