Chapter 286

With the most sincere smile, utter the cruelest words.

Xiao Yan's smiling face made those who didn't know think he and Han Feng were close friends.

Han Feng took a deep breath, the grotesque expression on his face slowly fading; now, he seemed to have reverted to the Han Feng who had betrayed and assassinated his own master, his eyes cold and sinister as he stared at Xiao Yan's smiling face: "If that's how it is, then I can only capture you. Hehe, don't worry—I have many methods, and you won't be able to avoid handing over the Burnt Scripture. Moreover, I'll take your internal Strange Flames too, reducing you completely to a useless shell."

"Although Strange Flames are branded onto the Spiritual Soul after refining, some factions in this world specialize in Spiritual Soul manipulation and can strip away Strange Flames."

Facing Han Feng's subtly sinister words, Xiao Yan merely smiled faintly and said: "To be honest, I also value your Sea Heart Flame—I believe it might enable my Burnt Scripture to evolve to a level I've long dreamed of."

"Then let's see if your strength matches your mouth!" Han Feng sneered, his Dou Qi surging violently; instantly, deep blue flames erupted from his palm, cascading into the sky like a waterfall descending from heaven, an awe-inspiring spectacle.

The sudden eruption of this towering blue flame curtain immediately drew countless gazes from the city, and as people saw the massive scale of the flames, exclamations of astonishment rose uncontrollably throughout the city.

Floating within the deep blue flame curtain descending from the heavens, Han Feng looked down at Xiao Yan with a cold sneer: "Your Strange Flame attack back then severely wounded me—but it also allowed me to touch the threshold of Dou Zong, reaching Half-step Dou Zong. Now, I'm far stronger than before. Last time, I merely underestimated your Fire Lotus. This time, you won't be so lucky."

Han Feng would not give Xiao Yan time to fuse Strange Flames and create that terrifying Fire Lotus again.

Xiao Yan smiled calmly, without wasting words, and swept his hand—activating the Heavenly Flame Three Profound Changes!

"Heavenly Flame Three Profound Changes—Myriad Beasts Glazed Transformation!"

A thunderous boom erupted within Xiao Yan's body; after the Burnt Scripture evolved into Quasi Heavenly Rank, his Fire Control Power reached an unimaginable level—he could now not only separate Strange Flames but even fuse several of them to birth an entirely new Strange Flame.

Myriad Beast Flame, Falling Heart Flame, and Green Lotus Earth Core Fire surged from his Nai Ling, then fused under the Burnt Scripture's influence into a brand-new Strange Flame.

Using six Strange Flames to perform the Heavenly Flame Three Profound Changes—even Xiao Yan's Seven-Grade Soul Force couldn't sustain it!

A terrifying, scorching infernal heat instantly burst from Xiao Yan's body; his spiritual pressure surged from Six-Star Dou Wang, climbing steadily past the Dou Huang realm until it reached Three-Star Dou Huang.

Such a sudden surge in power left Han Feng stunned—he remembered when Xiao Yan used the Heavenly Flame Three Profound Changes, he barely reached Dou Huang strength, and even then, barely.

Now, Xiao Yan's strength had not only surpassed Dou Huang, but he still looked relaxed, far from his limit!

Clenching his fist, Xiao Yan felt the immense power surging within his body.

"Fusing three Strange Flames for the Heavenly Flame Three Profound Changes is suitable; four should be the upper limit—if I tried five, my body would collapse again, like last time."

Although Xiao Yan's current cultivation realm is only Three-Star Dou Huang, don't forget—he now possesses a Quasi Heavenly Rank Burnt Scripture, while Han Feng's Burnt Scripture is incomplete and he's only refined one Strange Flame, barely at Heavenly Grade Mid Rank. The gap between them is so vast that even cultivation realm cannot compensate.

Seeing Han Feng's Sea Heart Flame appear slightly dimmed, Xiao Yan smiled and said: "Senior Brother, your Strange Flame doesn't seem as strong as mine."

"Y-you refined Falling Heart Flame? You fused it successfully?!"

Han Feng's eyes locked onto the crimson-and-emerald flame churning around Xiao Yan; though the flame showed no overwhelming aura, his exquisitely sharp Soul Perception allowed him to sense the terrifying energy concealed within.

It likely surpassed even the strongest Strange Flame he'd ever seen—stronger than Bone Spirit Cold Fire!

Seeing Han Feng's stunned expression, Xiao Yan smiled; a strand of emerald flame danced like a sprite along his fingertip, its fiery tail occasionally causing the space around it to subtly warp.

"Let's end this."

Han Feng's face twisted as if dripping with sweat; his Sea Heart Flame morphed into a long sword, its tip aimed directly at Xiao Yan as he roared: "I don't regret what I did back then! He was the one in the wrong!"

"Die!"

Boom! Han Feng's sea-blue Dou Qi wings flared, launching him forward as a streak of blue flame, the flame-formed sword sweeping toward Xiao Yan with terrifying force.

Ding! Xiao Yan didn't hold back—he drew his Black Heavy Ruler and slashed it straight into Han Feng's flame sword.

A terrifying force, utterly alien to Han Feng, surged through the sword, instantly flinging him backward.

Xiao Yan pressed his advantage, swinging the Black Heavy Ruler hard at Han Feng's face.

But Han Feng was experienced—he sensed Xiao Yan's attack in advance with his own Seven-Grade Soul Force and dodged. His hand flicked, the sword swirling into a blossom of blades, thrusting straight for Xiao Yan's throat.

Zii! A streak of lightning flashed—Han Feng pierced only Xiao Yan's afterimage.

Instantly teleporting to Han Feng's side, Xiao Yan, who also possessed Seven-Grade Soul Force, remained utterly calm.

Xiao Yan's sharp reaction made Han Feng raise an eyebrow in surprise; then his arm trembled rapidly, and the flame sword in his hand seemed to split into countless blades.

Dozens of flame swords, laced with searing wind, rained down like a flood, blasting toward Xiao Yan.

"Strange Flame Dou Technique—Beast Soul Descent."

Roar!! Behind Xiao Yan, the shadow of an Eight-Winged Flame Demon Tiger appeared; a torrent of demonic flame erupted, a wave of destruction resembling the end of the world—under the enhancement of the Heaven Grade Cultivation Method, Xiao Yan's Dou Qi quality surged dramatically.

The demonic flame utterly obliterated Han Feng's sword technique.

Seeing his own Strange Flame unable to match Xiao Yan's, Han Feng's face turned pale—he flipped backward, barely escaping the attack in a desperate, disheveled manner.

"This guy's Strange Flame… is this strong?!" Han Feng's heart pounded—he had higher cultivation, yet he couldn't overcome Xiao Yan's Strange Flame!

Seeing the corner of Han Feng's robe singed by his Strange Flame, Xiao Yan smiled and extended a finger; a cluster of colorless, transparent flame separated from his fused Strange Flame.

"Falling Heart Flame!"

No wonder Han Feng was so shocked—Falling Heart Flame ranked fourteenth, inherently superior to Sea Heart Flame, let alone that Xiao Yan had fused it with others!

Suddenly, Han Feng felt his body grow hot—he shuddered, his Dou Qi and Spiritual Soul spiraling into chaos, his flesh burning as if engulfed in flame.

Only through Soul Force Perception did he realize: an invisible Heart Fire was burning inside him!

"Heart Fire has entered my body!" Han Feng immediately activated his Sea Heart Flame to extinguish the internal flame.

But the moment Han Feng willed his Strange Flame to move, Xiao Yan's three-colored flame wings erupted like jet thrusters, hurling the Black Heavy Ruler toward Han Feng's distracted form.

Han Feng snapped his head up—a dark shadow rapidly expanded before his eyes. He had no time to extinguish the Heart Fire within—he raised his sword to block. Ding! A powerful shock numbed his arm.

But this allowed Han Feng to use the recoil to retreat; after his Sea Heart Flame extinguished the Heart Fire, he snapped his head up, his face twisted into a grotesque, frenzied mask. With a savage roar, he hurled a massive, sun-like ball of Dou Qi straight at Xiao Yan!

"Radiant Seal!"

A blinding beam of light tore through space; within it, a colossal handprint emerged, like a sun fallen from heaven, radiating a terrifying, bone-chilling energy!

Xiao Yan's heart tightened—he thought: "Earth Grade Dou Technique—and fully perfected."

Xiao Yan didn't hold back—flames erupted from his Black Heavy Ruler, gathering surrounding Heavenly Energy; the Burnt Scripture absorbed energy from a ten-kilometer radius like a nuclear reactor.

"Flame Splitting Wave Ruler!"

Three-colored flames transformed into a crescent-shaped blade, slicing through the air with a posture as if ready to cleave the earth itself—its momentum was terrifying!

Under their gazes, the two energies collided with a thunderous boom—and the outcome was unsurprising: Xiao Yan, wielding a Heaven Grade Cultivation Method, held absolute superiority.

Moreover, his Strange Flame was far superior to Han Feng's, and the cultivation gap between them was not only closed but reversed—he now held the upper hand.

Boom!! The ruler's blade split the energy handprint apart, and a torrent of infernal flame surged straight toward Han Feng's face.

"What!" Han Feng was stunned—this was his strongest Earth-Rank Dou Technique, yet it could not withstand the Earth-Rank Dou Technique unleashed by Xiao Yan, a Dou Wang who had used a Secret Technique to boost his power!

Boom!! The terrifying flame-scaled blade struck Han Feng and exploded instantly, engulfing him in a spherical torrent of anomalous fire that sought to refine and incinerate him.

The infernal heat made even the clouds in the sky vanish.

"Ha!" Inside the flame barrier, Han Feng let out a roar, and a sound like crashing waves echoed.

Sizzling—white smoke curled around him, steam spreading everywhere. Xiao Yan had known from the start: the special ability of Sea Heart Flame allowed Han Feng to cultivate Water-element Dou Techniques.

Xiao Yan slightly narrowed his eyes—he knew he could not defeat Han Feng with Flame Splitting Wave Blade alone.

A perfected Earth-Rank Low-Level Dou Technique might have been enough to decide victory against a former Dou Wang, but against the opponents Xiao Yan now faced, Earth-Rank Low-Level techniques were merely basic—they were insufficient to determine victory; a grand technique was needed!

For example, Buddha Fury Lotus.

Hum!!! While Han Feng was occupied with defense, Xiao Yan had already "hand-crafted" the Lotus.

Slowly raising his palm, a deep green glow emerged from within his wide sleeves, then shot forth—in an instant, a perfect, flawless emerald Fire Lotus, no larger than a palm, hovered above his palm.

"Huh—even with a Heaven Grade Cultivation Method, using only two sources of anomalous fire to create this still drains immense Dou Qi and Soul Force." Gazing at the emerald Lotus, Xiao Yan looked up and smiled lightly at Han Feng, whose face had frozen in shock.

Although this Lotus of Xiao Yan's was only two-colored, it used the primal sources of Falling Heart Flame and Green Lotus Earth Core Fire—its power was utterly terrifying, surpassing even the last one!

"Senior Brother, to fall for the same trick twice? I must have overestimated you."

Though the Lotus was no bigger than a palm, to Han Feng's eyes it was far more terrifying than the colossal blade that had nearly spanned the sky—because four months ago, it was this damned thing that had nearly cost him his life!

The emerald hue of the Fire Lotus appeared even more dazzling, yet Han Feng knew: this Lotus was far more terrifying than the one four months ago that had nearly blown him to pieces!

Han Feng, with his Seven-Grade Soul Perception, could faintly sense the power of this emerald Lotus—and his expression grew darker by the second. He knew: if he failed to block it, he would die horribly.

"Go."

Xiao Yan flicked the Lotus—its glassy Buddha Fury Lotus became a streak of fire that shot toward Han Feng, leaving behind scorched trails in Space itself.

"Damn bastard!"

Gnashing his teeth, Han Feng dared not slacken for a moment—he swallowed several pills to temporarily boost his strength.

Instantly, deep blue flames surged uncontrollably from his body, coalescing into a vast Sea of Fire seven or eight zhang wide. Strangely, the flames emitted thunderous roars like ocean waves crashing against rocks, pressing down on the heart with oppressive dread—as if one stood alone before an endless sea, stripped of all will to resist.

Clearly, Han Feng had mastered Sea Heart Flame thoroughly.

"Sea Heart Phantom Beast!"

Facing the flying Buddha Fury Lotus, Han Feng transformed his Sea of Fire into a sky-blue Giant Beast. The beast was colossal, charging straight at the small Lotus, aiming to smash it apart.

Boom! Silence lasted only an instant—then a catastrophic Energy Storm erupted from the center like a hurricane!

The terrifying flame Energy Storm spread over hundreds of meters—even the Dou Wangs locked in battle overhead scrambled desperately to flee, knowing full well that even their strength would not spare them from being crushed if caught in its wake.

Flames, like a tornado, engulfed both Xiao Yan and Han Feng.

Seeing the power of Xiao Yan's Dou Technique, Lin Yan, who had just slain a Black Horn Region Dou Wang, let out a bitter laugh: "This guy is becoming more terrifying by the day."

Lin Xiuya and Liu Qing both stared, their eyes dimmed—surpassing him was nearly impossible.

"Who won?" Zi Yan, having punched away a Peak Dou Wang, murmured to herself.

For a moment, even Su Qian and the Golden and Silver Elders paused their attacks—they knew Xiao Yan and Han Feng's victory would decide the fate of everyone.

"It's Han Feng! He's there!" Moments later, Han Feng's figure appeared—his robes torn to shreds, blood trickling from his lips, his body covered in widespread burns.

"Where's Xiao Yan?"

As everyone wondered where Xiao Yan was, a wisp of Black Flame suddenly appeared in Space—Xuan Heavy Ruler slashed violently from behind toward Han Feng.

"Disobeying your master and betraying your sect—today, Xiao Yan shall cleanse the sect on my master's behalf!"

Taking the blow with no defense, Han Feng spat a jet of crimson blood, his body flung backward like a bird with broken wings, limp and powerless.

(End of Chapter)