Chapter 1370: with translation of chapter title

And upon seeing everyone's astonished appearance, Zhu Kun, who hadn't shown himself before people for thousands of years, instantly became spirited.

Immediately after, he mysteriously smiled and said: "And when he entered the Dou Emperor stage, after causing that earth-shattering scene, Tuo She Gu Di vanished again. Except for a long time later, when he appeared once during the refining of emperor-grade infant elixir, there has been no news of him since."

"The main point is, logically speaking, Tuo She Gu Di entered the Dou Emperor level. His family, and those relatives related by blood, should also instantly activate their bloodline power. And in an extremely short time, their strength would surge to a remarkably terrifying level, especially those whose bloodline is closest to his."

As soon as these words fell, the people around instantly fell into doubt and silence.

Although they had never seen a Dou Emperor expert, almost everyone present came from a major clan.

By looking through the records collected by their own families, one can also know that the Dou Emperor bloodline becomes stronger the closer it is to that generation of Dou Emperor.

And those who enjoy the first-generation Dou Emperor bloodline naturally reap the greatest benefits.

So, if a new ancient race had appeared back then.

The commotion caused by a large number of people nearly simultaneously breaking through would surely shake the Dou Qi continent!

But the problem is, such a thing did not occur in Tuo She Gu Di's era.

Of course, it's not ruled out that Tuo She Gu Di is similar to Lin Feng, being someone not born into a major family.

Therefore, due to their numbers being too few and scattered, they were not discovered by other ancient races.

However, soon everyone's brows furrowed again.

Because even if Tuo She Gu Di, like Lin Feng, had few relatives.

But why, after he became an emperor, did he not create a new family or force, and then have it endorse him?

Take Lin Feng before us as an example; although he currently has no family.

But if he truly could break through to Dou Emperor, everyone firmly believes he is highly likely to establish a new family or force.

However, Tuo She Gu Di did not do that.

Moreover, even if Tuo She Gu Di's descendants kept a low profile.

But those with rich Dou Emperor bloodline would surely see many top-tier experts emerge within their clan.

In that case, even if they did not participate in continental affairs, the various ancient races would certainly know of their existence!

Upon reaching this point, Huang Tian pondered for a long time, then immediately spoke with a puzzled expression: "So speaking, Tuo She Gu Di has hardly any clansmen, and even those similar to his bloodline have never existed?"

As soon as these words were spoken, others also could not understand.

Because even if Tuo She Gu Di entered the Dou Emperor stage, he did not specially take many concubines to reproduce and create his own family.

But the strength of his many aunts and uncles would definitely receive a great increase!

"Hehe, you don't need to be surprised, because Tuo She Gu Di is heaven-born and earth-raised, having hardly any clan; if we must talk about these, then perhaps all the strange fires in the world could be considered his relatives."

Seeing the puzzled crowd, Lin Feng placed his hands behind his back, then lightly smiled and explained this confusion to everyone.

Immediately after, he raised his head and gazed at the huge stone statue in the distance.

His tone suddenly shifted, and he continued: "Do you all know who compiled the Strange Fire Ranking? And what is the pattern behind their rankings?"

"Why is the first among the twenty-three strange fires on the list always nameless and faceless, to the point that we cannot even know its appearance? Even ancient texts contain no information about it."

Having said that, Lin Feng's gaze swept over the crowd with interest, and he continued: "Moreover, inside Tuo She Gu Di Dongfu, including the Pure Lotus Demonic Fire and Wu Nie Tun Yan that ran out, aside from the top-ranked strange fire on the list, all twenty-two other strange fires are present—just look at that number one."

"You mean... could it be that Tuo She Gu Di is"

Nobody present was simple-minded; upon hearing this, after their shock, they quickly reacted, and then all looked at the speaker in disbelief.

After all, the meaning of the other party's words was already quite clear.

Because combining what the two said earlier, plus the twenty-two strange fires stored in the ancient emperor's cave dwelling.

All the information unanimously points to a single truth.

That is Tuo She Gu Di—he is precisely the strange fire ranked first on the Strange Fire Ranking!

"Not bad, Tuo She Gu Di was once a strange fire, born between heaven and earth, taking a thousand years to form, ten thousand years of Spirit Gathering, ten thousand years of secluded cultivation; in the dark, it made him somewhat aberrant. As is well known, ordinary strange fires, unless they give birth to a fire spirit, rarely actively leave their birthplace."

Having said that, Zhu Kun took a deep breath, then continued: "However, after Tuo She Gu Di's birth, it was different; once it gained a bit of spirituality, it began to walk along the underground magma, wandering in the extremely deep depths where no human traces exist, for a thousand years, living by consuming fire."

"And it consumed as many as twenty-one kinds of fire, all of which have rankings on the current Strange Fire Ranking. Moreover, unlike others, the newly matured Tuo She Gu Di actually knew how to seek fortune and avoid misfortune, prioritizing the weak; after spending thousands of years, it actually consumed one by one twenty different strange fires from the Strange Fire Ranking."

After that, even the innate overlords among strange fires such as Wu Nie Tun Yan and Pure Lotus Demonic Fire, before it, could only bow down and submit; after it consecutively subdued Pure Lotus Demonic Fire and Wu Nie Tun Yan, it proclaimed itself Emperor Flame, then after another thousand years of cultivation, it broke out into the world, and after advancing to Dou Emperor on the Zhongzhou Continent, the subsequent events you all know.

"Hiss!"

After hearing the previous speaker, everyone involuntarily sucked in a breath of cold air.

Because everyone knows that the consumption of strange fires has a high probability of causing two flames to cancel each other out, thereby triggering self-destruction.

Therefore, among such heaven-born and earth-raised spirit objects as strange fires, powerful beings are extremely rare.

After all, before a fire spirit is formed and can absolutely suppress other strange fires.

The probability of successfully consuming other strange fires is really too low!

Otherwise, the Dou Qi continent would not be so vast.

Only Pure Lotus Demonic Fire and Wu Nie Tun Yan, these two fire spirits that have existed for a long time.

And Tuo She Gu Di was able to consume twenty-plus strange fires one by one, and yet did not trigger self-destruction.

This can be said to be nothing short of a miracle!

Upon reaching this point, Yao Mie also couldn't help but sigh: "It seems heaven intends to fulfill Tuo She Gu Di; despite consuming so many strange fires, it has not suffered a single failure. It seems we can only call it fate."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Kun also nodded helplessly, agreeing with the former's view.

After all, when strange fires consume each other, there is at least a ninety-nine percent chance of self-destruction.

And Tuo She Gu Di being able to consume so many strange fires consecutively without self-destructing is truly hard to explain.

Even he could only think of it as fate.

"Hehe, that's not the case; you only know one side, not the other. Tuo She Gu Di is not like the normal mutual consumption of strange fires, which is simple and crude."

Hearing everyone's astonishment, Lin Feng shook his head, then somewhat mysteriously denied their speculation.

"Not that simple and crude consumption?"

Upon these words, aside from Xiao Yixian and the other girls who already knew, everyone else instantly looked at the speaker with faces full of doubt.

However, shortly after, Zhu Kun seemed to recall something, and immediately turned his gaze toward Lin Feng.

"Your technique that can swallow and fuse multiple different fires—could it also have some connection to Tuoshe Gu Di?"

As he spoke, he again directed his gaze to the very top of the towering stone statue that reached into the heavens.

More precisely, it was on the colored hair of that stone statue.

Because normally, when a different fire swallows another different fire, it transforms the opponent into energy to fuel its own growth.

And after this swallowing, the swallowed different fire will completely disappear from this world.

As for the swallower, it can only obtain the energy of the swallowed different fire, but cannot fuse it with itself to unleash the energy of another different fire.

Simply put, the mutual swallowing of normal different fires is like a person eating rice.

After being eaten and transformed into energy, that rice also completely disappears.

And the person eating the rice will not gain the ability to summon rice just because they ate it.

But Lin Feng's swallowing, however, completely changes the previous situation, allowing him to preserve the seed of the swallowed different fire, thereby granting him the ability to summon that different fire!

At the same time, the flames on Tuoshe Gu Di's head, since they exist.

Could it be that he wants to indicate that his method of subduing different fires is not the same as the normal mutual swallowing of different fires?

But rather, he can preserve the fire seed within his body, allowing him to gain the abilities of other different fires?

"Hiss!"

Thinking of this, Zhu Kun was stunned and involuntarily sucked in a breath of cold air.

They could hardly imagine what would happen if a single different fire possessed the abilities of all the other different fires on the Different Fire List.

His combat power—among peers, who could still stand against him in battle?

And when the others saw Zhu Kun glance at Tuoshe Gu Di's hair, then immediately turn his head to look toward Lin Feng in front, repeating this back-and-forth, they were suddenly filled with doubt.

But soon, upon recalling Lin Feng's extraordinary ability to swallow and fuse multiple different fires, they suddenly came to their senses.

Immediately afterward, the people of the Three Great Magic Beast Families all stared at Lin Feng with shocked faces.

"Lin Feng, could it be that the technique you cultivate is the Different Fire Swallowing Method originally created by Tuoshe Gu Di? And your knowledge of his specific details comes from having once received his inheritance?"

After a long silence, finally, Zhu Kun could not help but ask in disbelief.

"Hehe, anyway you'll find out sooner or later, so this time I won't keep it from you any longer."

Hearing everyone's questions, Lin Feng gave a slight smile and then no longer intended to conceal anything.

After all, he now possesses sufficient strength to protect himself.

Therefore, naturally there is no need to remain so timid and hesitant.

As soon as these words were spoken, the surrounding people instantly became unsettled.

Could it be that Lin Feng truly received Tuoshe Gu Di's inheritance?

"Actually, I didn't receive Tuoshe Gu Di's inheritance; if anything, you could call me a fellow disciple of Tuoshe Gu Di, or perhaps even more accurately, someone who came later."

Saying this, Lin Feng cracked a smile, and amidst the others' suddenly changing expressions, he continued: "Because the technique I cultivate is the same kind as that of Tuoshe Gu Di. When he first gained sentience tens of thousands of years ago, he happened to obtain this technique. Thereafter, he could rely on this technique to continuously swallow and fuse other different fires, ultimately merging twenty-two other different fires, thereby reaching the foundational strength needed to advance to Dou Emperor."

"After that, he, just as you know, successfully advanced to Dou Emperor by utilizing the Primal Emperor Qi, making him the last Dou Emperor on the Dou Qi Continent up to now."

Upon these words falling, the powerful experts of the Three Great Races present stared blankly at Lin Feng before them, momentarily not knowing what to say.

Who would have thought that this person before our eyes is actually a fellow disciple of the last Dou Emperor expert on the Dou Qi Continent?

"Wait a minute, I recall that Xiao Yan earlier also cultivated this technique, right?"

However, shortly after, Huang Tian's face showed surprise, then he immediately recalled some information about Xiao Yan from before, and instinctively exclaimed in astonishment.

Hearing this, the others also all came back to their senses.

Yeah, back then Xiao Yan also absorbed quite a few different fires.

Furthermore, in every aspect of that technique, it is pretty much the same as Lin Feng's.

Thus, it seems that Xiao Yan also cultivated this technique!

"That's right, Xiao Yan indeed cultivated the Flame Scripture, and the reason he had been wanting to kill me all along was precisely for this technique and the different fires on my body. After all, this technique only unleashes greater power when it absorbs more different fires. However, in the matter of the Yao Yao Cauldron, he was already counter-killed by me, and now he has vanished like smoke."

Regarding everyone, Lin Feng also did not avoid this matter, but rather laughed and said it out loud.

"No wonder."

Hearing this, everyone suddenly had an expression of sudden realization.

They said Xiao Yan, why had he been constantly chasing Lin Feng, shouting to fight?

Gee, the problem is right here!

And Lin Feng at this moment immediately continued toward the distant stone statue, continuing: "As for this plaza, no, it should be said that inside this Tuoshe Gu Di stone statue lies the inheritance he left behind. If one could obtain it, breaking through to Dou Emperor would still be somewhat possible."

"Swish!"

After hearing the former's explanation, the people around instantly turned their gazes again toward the distant stone statue.

Their eyes were filled with greed and longing.

And seeing everyone's expressions, Lin Feng immediately explained: "However, this inheritance is not so easy to obtain; only half‑Emperor experts or those who know a special method can open this stone statue. Others cannot even see the inheritance inside."

As he spoke, his figure flickered, and in an instant he arrived at the base of the distant stone statue.

His speed was so great that even Zhu Kun could not keep up with his movement.

Seeing this, the others exchanged glances and hurriedly flew toward the stone statue as well.

"I have an idea: if you can open this stone statue, I won't say more; if not, then later just listen to what I have to say."

Once everyone caught up, Lin Feng immediately turned his head with a grin, looking at the people behind him, and continued: "How about it, father‑in‑law, want to give it a try and see if you can smash this stone statue?"

"Of course."

Hearing this, the eager Zhu Kun, naturally unwilling to listen to Lin Feng's any idea, quickly nodded.

As he spoke, he rolled up his sleeves and walked to the foot of the stone statue.

As for the others, they all stood to the side, looking expectantly at the former.

After all, everyone had previously agreed that among them, any strong warrior of Seven Stars or above would have a chance to try and see if they could be selected.

Therefore, everyone still harbored a sliver of hope in their hearts.

What if I were the one chosen?

「Ha! 」

Amidst the eager gazes of the crowd, Zhu Kun, at the base of the stone statue, immediately stepped back, exerting force from his lower legs and waist, finally gathering power in his right fist before unleashing a fierce full-force blow.

「Boom! 」

As Zhu Kun's punch fiercely struck the stone statue's foot, in an instant, amidst a thunderous roar that shook heaven and earth, an energy shockwave suddenly burst outward from the point of impact.

「Holy shit! 」

The next moment, the people of the Three Great Beast Families nearby stared in disbelief as the Nine Star Peak expert, who was also the beast Zhu Kun, instantly, amid curses, turned into a black shadow streaked with sharp sonic booms, flying backward even faster than his own flight speed. (End of chapter)