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

This is the troublesome aspect of interpersonal relationships—

After Gu Yuan personally handed Xun'er over to him, Xiao Yan had to consider the issue from the perspective of the Gu Clan to a certain extent. For example, now that the Gu Clan and the Soul Clan were suspected by the other three clans, even if Xiao Yan had the strength to wipe them all out in an instant, he still had to let the Yan Clan and the Medicine Clan leave. After all, the Gu Clan was unwilling to go to war with the other three clans—even if the other three clans joined forces, they would not be a match for the Gu Clan.

Gu Si and Gu Nanhai had just recovered from their shock when they heard Xiao Yan's somewhat indifferent words. For a moment, they were at a loss for words.

Their thoughts were similar to those of the Soul Demon and the others; they all believed that Xiao Yan wouldn't be able to hold out for long, which was why they voluntarily stayed to help him. However, they never imagined that the reason Xiao Yan was willing to let the Soul Clan members leave was that he couldn't kill everyone from the Medicine Clan and the Flame Clan...

Just as Xiao Yan was explaining, the Soul Demon's palm suddenly pierced through the heart of Soul Wind behind him, followed by the heart of Soul Extinction.

'Self-formed... no, it's the sub-flame of the Void Devouring Flame.' Xiao Yan frowned slightly. It wasn't until the Soul Demon extracted two black flames from their bodies that he realized what was happening. However, he still didn't react much. After all, even if the Soul Demon possessed the sub-flame of the Void Devouring Flame, it was impossible for him to skip the mid and late stages of a six-star Dou Sheng and directly possess the strength to fight him.

Chapter 490 The Emperor's Fire and the Void Devouring Flame

The moment the Soul Demon withdrew his hand from Soul Wind's chest, the pitch-black flame struggled violently in his palm as if it were alive, emitting a chilling hiss. Without the slightest hesitation, he plunged his other hand into Soul Extinction's chest, and finally into Soul Flame.

Three black flames danced wildly in the Soul Demon's palm, each radiating a terrifying heat that could distort space. His face was contorted almost grotesque in the firelight, his eyes filled with a desperate, mad rage.

"Xiao Yan... do you think you've already won?"

The Soul Demon's voice was hoarse, as if squeezed from the depths of his throat. The moment he forcibly forced the three balls of fire into his body, his aura began to rise at an almost frenzied speed: mid-stage six-star Dou Sheng, late-stage six-star Dou Sheng, peak six-star Dou Sheng—

Despite the countless cracks scorched on his body by the black flames, the Soul Demon persevered.

"Emperor's Fire...this is the power of Emperor's Fire!"

The Soul Demon roared to the sky, feeling more powerful than ever before. The three sub-fires merged into a single, complete Heavenly Fire within his body, and the power that seemed capable of burning everything made him almost forget his fear.

He suddenly turned to Xiao Yan, his eyes filled with ferocious rage: "Now, you still dare to say—"

The Soul Demon's words came to an abrupt halt.

Because his body suddenly became uncontrollable.

To be precise, it was as if his hands, feet, and even every wisp of fighting spirit within his body had been taken over from the inside by something. He could only watch helplessly as his body stiffly hovered in mid-air, unable to do anything.

"What?"

Soul Demon's pupils suddenly contracted, and a chill that was far more terrifying than Xiao Yan's fist rose from the depths of his soul. He felt it—the black flame that he had just regarded as the source of power was now spreading wildly in his body, like black vines, wrapping around his meridians, bones, and even soul.

A voice, cold and devoid of any emotion, echoed in his mind. That voice didn't belong to Xiao Yan, nor to anyone else present; it came from—

"Who gave you permission to touch my things?"

boom!

The Emperor's Fire within the Soul Demon's body suddenly exploded, black flames gushing out from his seven orifices and coalescing into a blurry humanoid outline three feet above his head. The outline's face was indistinct, but its eyes, burning with a dark, eerie light, sent a chill down the spines of everyone present.

That's the Void Devouring Flame!

Or rather, it was a wisp of consciousness belonging to the Void Devouring Flame that had attached itself to this newly born Emperor's Flame.

The Soul Demon's legs went weak, and he knelt directly in the void. He opened his mouth as if to explain something, but the Void Devouring Flame did not listen to his explanation. The blurry humanoid outline merely glanced at him indifferently, and then raised a palm formed from black flames.

"You're nothing but a lackey, yet you dare to make decisions for me... Die!" As the words fell, Void Devouring Flame clenched his raised right hand.

With a clenched fist, the Soul Demon's body suddenly froze.

There was no violent explosion, no earth-shattering noise. It was as if the Soul Demon's body had been completely erased from the inside by some force—his flesh, bones, fighting spirit, and soul turned into nothingness in wisps of black flames, without even leaving a scream.

The three lifeless bodies behind the Soul Demon were not spared either. The Void Devouring Flame didn't even glance at them. It simply separated three strands of flame from the Emperor's Flame, as thin as hair, and gently swept over the bodies of Soul Wind, Soul Extinction, and Soul Flame. The three of them then completely disappeared from this world.

Clean and efficient, leaving no trace.

From the moment the Soul Demon seized the Child Flame to the moment the four were killed and their souls were annihilated, only three breaths had passed. After obliterating the four Soul Demons, the Heavenly Fire began to tear apart the spatial barrier of the Demon Flame Space.

The pitch-black flames transformed into black chains, wrapping around the edge of the spatial rift and tearing it wider and wider. Clearly, the Void Devouring Flame intended to directly manipulate this Emperor's Flame to burn through the void and return to its original form.

However, just as the Emperor's Fire was about to disappear into the void rift, countless milky-white chains of flame suddenly and tightly bound it, and even the consciousness of the Void Devouring Flame could not control it.

The Ancient Refining Heaven Formation.

Xiao Yan had already formed hand seals at some point, and the countless milky-white flame chains were like a giant fishing net, precisely locking the Emperor's Fire. No matter how frantically the black flames attacked the bindings of the Refining Heaven Ancient Array, the giant flame array remained completely unmoved.

The Void Devouring Flame remained silent for a moment, then the blurry humanoid silhouette slowly turned around, its dark, fiery eyes looking at Xiao Yan.

"The Ancient Refining Heaven Formation..." The voice of the Void Devouring Flame remained cold, but there was a hint of almost imperceptible solemnity in it. "You've managed to use the Pure Lotus Demon Saint's artifact quite well."

Xiao Yan remained calm, his hands still in the hand seal position, and said lightly, "Thank you for the compliment, but since you're here, I'll leave this Emperor's Flame as a gift."

"You think this forcibly elevated six-star Dou Sheng peak strength can trap me?" Void Devouring Flame's tone carried a hint of sarcasm.

“It can’t possibly trap your consciousness,” Xiao Yan readily admitted, “but it’s more than enough to trap this Emperor’s Flame!”

The Void Devouring Flame fell silent once again.

He knew Xiao Yan was telling the truth. This forcibly condensed Emperor Flame was only a part of his true form. Although he had immersed a part of his consciousness into the Emperor Flame the moment he noticed its unexpected birth, facing Xiao Yan at his peak and the Refining Heaven Ancient Array, which had existed in the Demon Flame Space for thousands of years and accumulated power for thousands of years, he had no chance of escaping unless his true form was present.

However, Void Devouring Flame, residing in the Soul Realm, understood that it was impossible for his physical body to leave, and even a brief departure of his consciousness could arouse the suspicion of the Soul Emperor. If the Soul Emperor were to discover the purpose of his release of the sub-flame...

A wisp of Void Devouring Flame's consciousness slowly detached from the Emperor's Flame. A wisp of black flame hovered in mid-air, condensing into a pair of dark eyes, which swept over Xiao Yan one last time.

"Xiao Yan, I will remember you."

As the voice faded, the black flame suddenly erupted with a blinding light. In the next instant, it transformed into a black streak of light and rushed into the void rift at an incredible speed.

Xiao Yan did not stop him, because he knew he couldn't stop him. Besides, the Void Devouring Flame's true form was in the Soul Realm. If he were forced into a corner, it would likely attract the siege of the Soul Emperor and the Void Devouring Flame's true form. He was no match for either of them now, so there was no need to waste his energy on such a thing.

not to mention……

'To seize the consciousness of the Soul Clan through sub-fire?' Xiao Yan's lips curled slightly upward. 'Is the Soul Emperor unaware, or indifferent?'

In Xiao Yan's view, it is most likely the latter. That is to say, while coveting the half-finished Emperor Pill left behind by the Ancient Emperor Tuoshe, the Soul Emperor also desired the power of the Void Devouring Flame.

That's good news.

The void rift slowly healed, and the Demon Flame Space returned to calm. The Emperor Flame, which had been locked by the Refining Heaven Ancient Array, floated quietly in mid-air, emitting a faint black light, like a black star that had been imprisoned.

Gu Si and Gu Nanhai exchanged a glance, both seeing the relief of surviving a disaster in each other's eyes. They had originally thought they were staying to help Xiao Yan, but in the end, Xiao Yan had to shoulder everything alone.

From the emergence of the Void Devouring Flame consciousness to the fall of all four Soul Clan Dou Sheng experts in just a few breaths, only Xiao Yan did not show the slightest panic. He even took the opportunity to weaken the power of the Void Devouring Flame!

Gu Si took a deep breath, and his gaze toward Xiao Yan held a hint of awe. This young man was far more terrifying than he had imagined!

Xiao Yan didn't care about their gazes. He just quietly looked at the locked Emperor Flame, a thoughtful look flashing in his eyes.

Chapter 491 Interlude: The Battle Between the Soul Emperor and the Void Devouring Flame

The Soul Realm, the residence of the clan leader.

"The four members of the Soul Demon group are dead," Void Devouring Flame, who was playing chess with the Soul Emperor, suddenly said.

"Hmm," the Soul Emperor responded indifferently, and only after placing the next piece did he casually utter the next sentence, "So, you went to retrieve a few sparks of flame?"

“It was unsuccessful,” Void Devouring Flame replied. “Xiao Yan obtained the inheritance of the Pure Lotus Demon Saint, and the entire Demon Flame Space is under his control. In addition, with the Refining Heaven Ancient Formation set up by the Pure Lotus Demon Saint, unless he goes there in person, there is absolutely no way to retrieve those four sub-flames.”

Void Devouring Flame naturally understood that his actions could not be hidden from the Soul Emperor, so he took the initiative to reveal the deaths of the four Soul Demons and did not conceal the fact that the three sub-flames he had scattered had not been retrieved.

"The Heaven-Refining Ancient Array set up by the Pure Lotus Demon Saint?"

Upon hearing this, the Soul Emperor couldn't help but feel a surge of interest. After all, back when the Pure Lotus Demon Saint was still alive, the Soul Clan Chief himself believed he was no match for her.

But soon, this interest dissipated. The Pure Lotus Demon Saint had been gone for thousands of years, and the only one on the Dou Qi Continent who could arouse his interest was Gu Yuan. And Gu Yuan was the kind of 'coward' who would never take action unless faced with a life-or-death situation.

"How has Xiao Yan's strength changed in the past few years?" After putting aside the matter of the Refining Heaven Ancient Formation, the Soul Emperor asked with great interest.

"A four-star or five-star Dou Sheng?" Void Devouring Flame said uncertainly. Then, under the slightly surprised gaze of Soul Emperor, he continued, "Although his soul power has exceeded the realm of the Great Perfection of the Heavenly Realm, it is still some distance away from the Emperor Realm... However, even so, I still cannot see through his specific strength when he uses a secret technique."

"...It's probably the work of the World Consciousness," Soul Emperor realized after a brief moment of surprise, then shook his head helplessly. "Although I've known about the World Consciousness's differential treatment for a long time, this is the first time I've clearly felt how much it expects Xiao Yan!"

Void Devouring Flame did not answer, but his feelings were the same as Soul Emperor's... even more indignant than Soul Emperor's—

Inside the Heavenly Tomb, just as Cang Qiong was about to reveal more crucial information, he forcibly severed the connection between the Soul Emperor, the Void Devouring Flame, and their soul avatars; in the Demon Flame Space, he also blocked the Emperor-level soul's ability to probe Xiao Yan's strength...

'You clearly bestowed upon me and the Pure Lotus Demon Flame the origin of the Dou Qi Continent,' the Void Devouring Flame thought to itself with a self-deprecating laugh, 'yet you show even greater favor to Xiao Yan, who possesses the origin of other worlds… Who, then, is the child you truly conceived?'

Many years have passed since the Heavenly Tomb. During these years, Void Devouring Flame has gradually come to understand what the so-called 'uniqueness' really means. As a result, he has become increasingly unable to understand the capricious behavior of the Azure Sky.

After each person placed a few pieces, the Soul Emperor suddenly asked a question.

"What about the Pure Lotus Demon Flame? A thousand years have passed, it must have grown quite a bit by now, right?"

"It?" The Void Devouring Flame paused slightly as it placed the chess piece, and only after the piece was placed did it slowly speak, "When I arrived, its origin had already been sealed, and its strength at its peak could no longer be discerned."

"If... you were to devour the Pure Lotus Demon Flame and absorb all the energy within its space, to what extent would you be able to improve?" The Soul Emperor paused slightly before adding, "If your strength were comparable to Xiao Yan's?"

"Me?" Void Devouring Flame hesitated for a moment, "Perhaps... I can break through to the Nine-Star Dou Sheng realm?"

The Demon Flame Space had existed for thousands of years, condensing all the power that the Pure Lotus Demon Flame had released over those millennia. The sheer amount of energy it contained was so immense that even the Void Devouring Flame felt a pang of envy when it sensed it. Unfortunately, it couldn't intervene.

With the strength of a Nine-Star Dou Sheng in its early stages and the soul power of an Emperor Realm cultivator, this was already the extent of Hun Tiandi's tolerance towards him. If he were to improve even slightly, Hun Tiandi had no doubt that he would die before the next ancient race was wiped out.

"A Nine-Star Dou Sheng...?" The Soul Emperor tapped the table lightly with his finger, looking at the chessboard, lost in thought.

A moment later, the Soul Emperor made his move, securing victory in the game. At the same time, he slowly said, "Have Soul Flame go to the other four clans on my behalf. Tell them... to prepare for the impending crisis on the continent, my Soul Clan sincerely invites the four clans to form an alliance. The time will be... after Xiao Yan emerges from seclusion!"

Upon hearing this, Void Devouring Flame was slightly startled and asked, "Is there a problem with the Medicine Clan?"

He knew that the Soul Emperor had used his power to plant powerful spies in the Ancient, Thunder, and Flame clans, but the Medicine Clan... the most conservative and traditional clan, did not have his power!

"The Heavenly Tomb can be opened ahead of time, so why can't the Medicine Clan's Pharmacopoeia?" The Soul Emperor collected the chess pieces on the board one by one. "Besides... the Medicine Clan has also witnessed the crimson clouds that covered the entire Central Continent a few days ago, hasn't they?"

The Medicine Clan's Pharmacopoeia is not held at a fixed time, and this so-called Pharmacopoeia is merely a challenge issued by the Medicine Clan to all the top alchemists on the entire continent. After the appearance of the Pill Cloud covering the entire Central Continent, the Medicine Clan already knew that an alchemist who was almost capable of refining Golden Cores had appeared on the Dou Qi Continent. Under these circumstances, they hoped that the Pharmacopoeia could be opened ahead of schedule, perhaps to integrate its contents.

After a moment of silence, Void Devouring Flame nodded, and then, as the messenger of Soul Emperor, he went to inform Soul Flame.

'The four pieces of fire haven't been retrieved?' The Soul Emperor chuckled inwardly. 'Indeed, he wasn't lying... but the timing was slightly off.' His gaze casually fell upon the four black pieces that had quietly shattered in the chess box—

These four black pieces once contained the soul imprints of the four Soul Demons, soul imprints that would dissipate upon the death of the four.

'Going a little earlier, returning a little later…' The Soul Emperor stroked the chess piece in his hand. 'Are you worried I'll discover your secret, or… is there something else you need in the Tuoshe Ancient Emperor's cave besides that half-finished Emperor Pill?'

He believed that the Void Devouring Flame would not betray him—before he collected all eight ancient jades and opened the Tuoshe Ancient Emperor's Cave.

But after that, how could Void Devouring Flame possibly believe him? After all... after he becomes a Dou Di, the first to suffer would only be Void Devouring Flame, a strange flame with the strength of a nine-star Dou Sheng.

So... a legacy?

Soul Emperor suddenly frowned. No one knew the origin of Tuoshe Ancient Emperor, and there was no race on the Dou Qi Continent with the bloodline of Tuoshe Ancient Emperor. Even if Tuoshe Ancient Emperor's cave contained the inheritance he left behind, who could guarantee that they would be suitable for that inheritance, or even break through to the Dou Di realm with it?

Is it a desperate gamble or are you sure you can win?

The Soul Emperor was so excited about what would happen then that he even hoped the Pharmacopoeia would be held directly at the former site of Canaan Academy.