Chapter 448: The Righteous and Majestic Tian Zun!

Crack—crack—several sounds of space shattering, as the battle between Dou Zun made the Star Domain nearly collapse.

"Damn it! If the Star Domain breaks, the Three Thousand Yan Flame trapped within will flood into Sheng Dan Cheng—this entire city will become a hellfire!"

"Then what do we do? If the Star Domain collapses and space caves in, space turbulence will form here—even a Dou Zun might not survive!"

"So are we just going to watch the Soul Hall take the Three Thousand Yan Flame?!"

For a moment, the other top ten Alchemists bickered endlessly, none knowing what to do.

"Leave here immediately."

At that moment, a low voice came from ahead—unnoticed, Xiao Yan had walked toward the Battlefield, his back turned to everyone, his silhouette filled with grim resolve!

"Xiao Yan brother, come back!" Dan Chen cried out urgently—this wasn't just walking into danger, there was not only the Three Thousand Yan Flame but also Soul Hall Venerables over there!

Cao Ying's heart tightened, and she hurriedly asked: "Xiao Yan, what are you doing?!"

Xiao Yan did not turn around; his voice was low: "If the Three Thousand Yan Flame falls into the hands of the Soul Hall, it will be a disaster for the entire Zhong Zhou—we cannot let them succeed. I hope the Three Thousand Yan Flame can lay down its hatred now."

Upon hearing Xiao Yan's words, everyone present was stunned.

"Xiao Yan! Don't go! The Star Domain is about to collapse—even if you stop the Soul Hall, you'll be dragged into the space collapse yourself!"

Xiao Yan said nothing, instead summoning Xing Tian—the one who had absorbed the Six-Colored Pill Lightning and reached the threshold of Tian Yao Kui.

At this moment, Xing Tian's combat power had reached the terrifying level of Half-Peak Dou Zun.

A wave of heat erupted from Xiao Yan's body; with every step he took, the Heavenly Flame Three Mystical Transformations continuously boosted his strength, stopping only when he reached the Half-Peak Dou Zun realm.

One man and one puppet stepped forward, one by one, toward the Dou Zun battlefield!

Qiu Ling looked at the young man in the Champion's white robe and could not help but feel respect—and shame for himself—he was inferior to a teenager!

Helping the Three Thousand Yan Flame repel the Soul Hall—this sounds easy, but even Qing Hua the Old Monster and Elder Qiu Ling, both Dou Zun, dared not attempt it.

After all, the Soul Hall was no pushover—if all four Soul Hall Venerables attacked at once, Elder Qiu Ling would perish. How could he possibly expect the Three Thousand Yan Flame to aid him?

And even if, hypothetically, they succeeded in helping the Three Thousand Yan Flame repel the Soul Hall—who could guarantee the Flame would truly lay down its hatred and not seize the chance to kill them?

Not to mention the Star Domain's space was about to collapse!

Even now, as the Elder Giant of Dan Tower, he dared not do such a thing—yet a mere twenty-six-year-old boy had bravely taken the first step!

At this moment, Xiao Yan's silhouette carried the chilling weight of "The wind howls, the Yi River runs cold"—a righteous, heroic spirit instantly brought tears to the eyes of all present.

Many had originally resented that this Alchemist from beyond Zhong Zhou could become an Elder Giant candidate—but now, seeing this, they were filled with shame.

Such a man of great righteousness will surely lead Dan Tower to glory!

Roar! The Three Thousand Yan Flame, facing the four Soul Hall Venerables, let out a furious roar—immediately, the entire Star Domain shattered violently, spewing torrents of Purple-Black Flame that surged wildly, engulfing every direction with terrifying force.

"Run! The Flame Wave is coming!"

Facing the Flame Wave that filled the entire Star Domain like an ocean, Xiao Yan, wrapped in a cocoon of Fused Strange Fire, charged straight in—his figure vanished into the Sea of Fire.

"Xiao Yan!"

"Xiao Yan brother!"

Seeing Xiao Yan actually charge into that terrifying Flame Wave, Dan Chen and Cao Ying turned pale with horror—this was suicide!

"Trust him—he's not reckless. Let's leave and find the President—he's the only one who can save Xiao Yan."

Qiu Ling's expression was grave; he swept his sleeve toward Cao Ying and the others—a gust of wind lifted them all and shot them swiftly toward the Star Domain's exit.

Qiu Ling turned his head and gazed deeply at the direction of the Three Thousand Yan Flame, sighing: "Alas, Xiao Yan—since you insist on this path, may fortune favor you."

As the last person escaped the Star Domain, the Void Space became utterly silent—the Purple-Black Flame spread like a Sea of Fire across every corner, its infernal heat warping even space itself, as space continued to collapse.

Yet on the battlefield of the Three Thousand Yan Flame, the four Soul Hall Venerables who had been fighting halted all at once.

Qiu Ling would never have dreamed that here—every single one of them was a Soul Hall Venerable!

And one more—Tian Zun.

"Ji ji ji—Three Thousand Yan Flame, now that the Dan Tower nuisances are gone, I wonder who can save you!" Mu Gu sneered, his eyes greedily fixed on the Three Thousand Yan Flame.

Mu Gu had always feared the Dan Tower suddenly interfering—after all, Qing Hua the Old Monster and Elder Qiu Ling were both Dou Zun; if they truly didn't care about dying and came to obstruct them, they might succeed.

Now, they actually believed Xiao Yan's words—this was truly Heaven's blessing for the Soul Hall!

"Beast, surrender! When we take you back to the Soul Hall, our Lord will deal with you!" Mu Gu glanced at the Three Thousand Yan Flame, then cast a wary look at Xiao Yan across from him.

Mu Gu's eyes still held a sharp edge—he still resented it. He believed he had lost to Xiao Yan only because he lacked a Strange Fire.

Once he captured the Three Thousand Yan Flame, if the Lord could help him refine it, he might surpass Xiao Yan!

Hearing Mu Gu's words, Xiao Yan chuckled, shaking his head: "Mu Gu, Mu Gu—don't you see the situation yet? Still dreaming?"

!?

Whoosh—a Soul Hall Venerable beside Mu Gu suddenly attacked, slamming a palm toward Mu Gu!

"Qing Hai! What are you doing?!" Mu Gu's face changed—he hastily activated a Defensive Dou Technique!

Boom! Mu Gu countered with a palm strike—their Dou Qi clashed, but since Mu Gu was one Star higher than Qing Hai, the latter gained no advantage.

But before Mu Gu could even breathe out, a ghostly figure appeared behind him and struck with ruthless precision at his back.

The terrifying force of a Three-Star Peak Dou Zun sent Mu Gu spitting blood.

Now, Mu Gu had none of his earlier arrogance—he stared in terror at the two Soul Hall Dou Zun, utterly confused: why were they attacking him?!

"It's you! Xiao Yan!" Mu Gu's face twisted in fury as he glared at Xiao Yan far away, roaring: "Xiao Yan! Are you insane?! This mission was ordered personally by our Lord! Are you betraying the Soul Hall?!"

Hearing Mu Gu's shouts, Xiao Yan grinned, revealing his big white teeth—laughing with pure delight.

"Correct—it was the Lord's order," Xiao Yan nodded, then smiled: "But the mission changed—to help me enter Xiao Dan Ta and retrieve a Pill Formula."

"To enter Xiao Dan Ta, I needed the trust of Xuan Kongzi and the others—and you, Mu Gu, are the perfect offering."

At these words, Mu Gu's face turned ashen, as if he'd seen a ghost—terrified beyond words.

This Xiao Yan was using his life to gain the Dan Tower's trust!!

Kill Mu Gu, save Sheng Dan Cheng, reclaim the Three Thousand Yan Flame—Xiao Yan would become the Dan Tower's hero, earning the trust of every Elder, even the Elder Giants, and the love of all Sheng Dan Cheng!

He, Mu Gu, was merely Xiao Yan's stepping stone!

Mu Gu didn't waste another word; he immediately pulled out a Space Jade Slip and crushed it, intending to open a Soul Passage and flee.

Yet after Mu Gu crushed the Space Jade Slip, the entire space fell silent—nothing happened.

"No… no, the Lord would never do this to me! I'm an Eight-Rank Alchemist! I'm the Soul Hall's 'Yao Zunzhe'!!" Mu Gu's eyes glazed over; the blow was too great—he couldn't believe it!

He, Mu Gu, was merely an expendable pawn.

"I heard that over twenty years ago, you and Han Feng betrayed him in the same way."

Xiao Yan's icy voice reached Mu Gu's ears, causing him to shudder violently, his mind flooding back to that day!!

Back then, Yao Zunzhe was betrayed by his own disciple and younger brother—and died as a result. Now, Xiao Yan would make Mu Gu feel the same taste of betrayal.

An eye for an eye!

Mu Gu's original plan to the Soul Hall Lord was to have Soul Hall Dou Zun deliberately cause chaos in Sheng Dan Cheng, delaying the Elders' movements, while he himself used his second-place finish in the Pill Gathering to enter the Star Domain, break the Flame Sealing of Three Thousand Yan Flame, exploit its hatred toward Dan Tower, destroy Sheng Dan Cheng, and seize countless Soul Bodies in the chaos.

If Dan Tower and Three Thousand Yan Flame fought to the death, he could even claim Three Thousand Yan Flame for himself.

That was Mu Gu's original plan.

But Heavenly Venerable of Yan disagreed—he changed the entire plan.

During these days in Sheng Dan Cheng, Xiao Yan hadn't merely been cultivating Tai Yi Soul Art; he had also traveled to the nearest Soul Hall outpost, learned of Mu Gu's plan, and used the Soul Seal to contact the Soul Hall Lord.

"Mu Gu's plan remains unchanged, but the final outcome becomes: I kill Mu Gu, save Sheng Dan Cheng, and enter Xiao Dan Ta," Xiao Yan said.

The reply he received was the same as Hun Xu Zi's: Do as you please.

Whether the Soul Hall Lord or Hun Xu Zi, their sole goal was to successfully forge the Emperor Pill for Hun Tian Di, to break through to Dou Emperor!

To achieve this goal, they could slaughter all under heaven—let alone a mere Mu Gu.

"Kill him." With a sweep of his robe, Xiao Yan's eyes flashed with sharp killing intent.

Whether for Mu Gu's repeated harassment of him or for Yao Zunzhe, Xiao Yan had no reason to spare him. His death was inevitable—Xiao Yan simply didn't want him to die as easily as Han Feng had.

As Xiao Yan spoke, the three Dou Zun summoned by Mu Gu unleashed streams of energy toward him.

Aside from Qinghai Zunzhe, the Three-Star Peak Dou Zun stronger than Mu Gu was naturally Heavenly Flame Zunzhe; the other was a Dou Zun arranged by the Soul Hall, also a Three-Star Dou Zun.

Facing the three attackers, plus a surprise palm strike from Heavenly Flame Zunzhe, Mu Gu had no chance of survival.

Watching Mu Gu being besieged in the sky, Xiao Yan's eyes showed no mercy—this was retribution!

Soon, Mu Gu was killed by a single palm from Heavenly Flame Zunzhe; even his Soul Body tried to escape, but Qinghai Zunzhe sealed it inside the Soul Seal.

Mu Gu could never have imagined he'd be killed by Soul Hall Venerables—and that his Soul Body would be captured by a Soul Seal.

It was as if everything he had ever done had come back to him—like a karmic cycle.

Looking at Mu Gu's lifeless, wide-eyed corpse on the ground, Xiao Yan had truly and fully avenged his master and purged the traitor.

"Heavenly Venerable, here is Mu Gu's Soul Body." Qinghai Zunzhe knelt on one knee and offered his Soul Seal with both hands.

Mu Gu's Soul Body was extremely valuable—a Soul Body of an Eight-Rank Alchemist capable of summoning Four-Colored Pill Lightning was worth many times more than YaoLi's.

Qinghai would never dare keep it for himself—he knew well that Xiao Yan was now a Heavenly Venerable! And the Pill Gathering Champion!

Xiao Yan waved his hand and said coolly: "I still owe you an Elixir, don't I?"

Hearing this, Qinghai lowered his head nervously: "Heavenly Venerable of Yan, you jest. Back then, I was blind to your greatness—helping you is my honor!"

Xiao Yan shook his head dismissively: "Keep the Soul Body. It's enough to cover an Eight-Rank Elixir. I have no time to refine pills now—consider it payment."

At this, Qinghai Zunzhe's face lit up with joy, and he quickly bowed: "Thank you, Heavenly Venerable!"

Then Xiao Yan turned to the other Three-Star Dou Zun. Seeing Xiao Yan look at him, even this famed Soul Hall Venerable felt his heart freeze—this man was terrifying!

Mu Gu had died without understanding why.

Thud! The Soul Hall Venerable immediately knelt on one knee, bowing his head: "The Lord has issued a ban—we will not speak a single word!"

Xiao Yan nodded. The Soul Hall had its rules: Guardians and Venerables must keep their identities secret unless exposed—especially Xiao Yan's, which was far too important.

Hearing this, Xiao Yan finally relaxed—he trusted that Hun Xu Zi and Hun Mie Sheng would find a way to conceal his identity.

Xiao Yan nodded to Heavenly Flame Zunzhe, who pulled out a Space Jade Slip, crushed it, and a special Soul Passage appeared.

The three entered the Soul Passage and left the Star Domain, leaving Xiao Yan alone.

Seeing Heavenly Flame Zunzhe and the others depart, Xiao Yan turned to face the immense Three Thousand Yan Flame.

Seeing Xiao Yan turn toward him, Three Thousand Yan Flame's dragon pupils contracted. Though this man's power could be crushed by a single blow, he now felt profound dread.

He had a premonition: if he truly attacked Xiao Yan, he would die horribly, reduced to ashes.

"I've lifted the Flame Sealing for you. Now only I remain. Is that enough sincerity?" Xiao Yan showed no fear, staring directly into the terrifying Three Thousand Yan Flame.

"I don't trust humans—especially Alchemists," Three Thousand Yan Flame rumbled from its throat, watching Xiao Yan with extreme wariness.

Xiao Yan smiled. Suddenly, a purple light flashed from Space—a massive DragonClaw tore through the void, and a purple dragon nearly identical to Three Thousand Yan Flame emerged from the Void Passage.

But this purple dragon was slightly smaller than Three Thousand Yan Flame, for Zi Yan was still Seven Rank, not yet Eight Rank—her body had not fully matured.

Seeing Zi Yan appear, Three Thousand Yan Flame was stunned—it didn't know why it looked like this, only remembering that when it was young and without consciousness, it had been discovered and tamed.

That person had nurtured it for a time, but then vanished without explanation. It had always wanted to leave Dan Tower—to find that person.

Three Thousand Yan Flame felt a special connection: that person was its true master, which was why it had always rejected Dan Tower's Alchemists.

"Three Thousand Yan Flame, you resemble Zi Yan because the one who tamed you was an Ancient Dragon—he left a Soul Dragon Seal within you, which is why you take the form of the Ancient Dragon Clan."

Xiao Yan had just conversed with Three Thousand Yan Flame, using his powerful Soul Force to detect the Soul Seal inside it.

"Ancient Dragon… where is he, in the Ancient Dragon's land?" Three Thousand Yan Flame asked.

"I don't know. But I will take Zi Yan back there."

Xiao Yan smiled and continued: "Zi Yan is the Dragon King of the Ancient Dragon Clan, possessing Ancestral Dragon power. If you are truly part of the Ancient Dragon Clan, you should trust her—only I can take you out of Dan Tower."

"If you leave the Star Domain on your own, Dan Tower Elders will kill you instantly. For all these years, they haven't killed you not because they can't—but because they didn't want to waste you."

Hearing this, Three Thousand Yan Flame glared fiercely at Xiao Yan and growled: "You want to refine me?!"

Xiao Yan smiled, swept his sleeve, and summoned Luoluo Xin Yan—it instantly transformed into a Sea Giant Python, its size no smaller than Three Thousand Yan Flame in its Ancient Dragon form.

"My Cultivation Method is unique—I can preserve your consciousness. Help me complete my goals, and you may leave anytime, regain your freedom."

Hiss hiss! The Falling Heart Flame flicked its forked tongue, trying to sweet-talk Xiao Yan.

Seeing that the Three Thousand Yan Flame was still somewhat hesitant yet remained highly guarded, Xiao Yan glanced at Zi Yan. Zi Yan immediately understood and gave Xiao Yan a wink.

In an instant, a dazzling purple light erupted from Zi Yan's body, and an overwhelmingly powerful royal-clan might descended. With a hum, the instant Zi Yan's Dragon King aura erupted, a dragon seal surfaced on the Three Thousand Yan Flame's forehead.

This dragon seal resonated with Zi Yan's Grand Void Ancient Dragon royal-clan might — more precisely, this was submission!

After all, the dragon seal left behind by that Grand Void Ancient Dragon back then was only an ordinary dragon seal; how could it possibly compare to the royal clan of the Grand Void Ancient Dragons?

The Three Thousand Yan Flame was now essentially half a Grand Void Ancient Dragon, and this innate pressure was effective against it as well.

Feeling that submission rising from the depths of its heart, the Three Thousand Yan Flame lowered its guard and said to Zi Yan in surrender: "I am willing to submit to you, Dragon King."

????

Xiao Yan was shocked — Kuang?! His Heavenly Flame had been snatched away by Zi Yan!!

(End of chapter)