Chapter 449: The Great Con Artist

Seeing the way the Three Thousand Yan Flame submitted, Xiao Yan stared in stunned disbelief.

Did I just make Zi Yan the bride?!! The groom isn't me!!

This play was written, directed, and filmed by me—I'm the male lead, and now the female lead is running off with someone else!!

Screenwriter! You messed up the script!

Even Zi Yan, now back in her true form, stood frozen, her dragon eyes wide. I didn't do anything—this Flame, which the Dan Tower had failed to subdue for a hundred years, was just subdued by her!

"Cough, cough." Xiao Yan cleared his throat and said, "Three Thousand Yan Flame, the Soul Hall has withdrawn. The Pill Giant will soon be free. You know the Dan Tower has kept you imprisoned all along, hoping one of their Alchemists could refine your origin and create an Alchemist with an Elemental Flame."

"If you leave the Star Domain now, the Pill Domain Elders will kill you on sight."

Mu Gu was killed by me; the Flame Sealing was broken by my arrangement. Without me, you'd already have been dragged back to the Soul Hall to be refined into a Pill!

Is this how you treat me?!

Unfair!

"Hmph, I was originally an Elemental Flame of the Void Ancient Dragon Clan. With the Dragon Seal's enhancement, even as a juvenile, I received Dragon Qi and Dragon Blood from a senior of the Void Ancient Dragon Clan. Before he departed, he instructed me to pledge loyalty to the Void Ancient Dragon Clan. Now, serving my clan's Dragon King is merely returning to my rightful place." 【85】 Facing the two Elder Giants and two Dou Zun Di Feng experts blocking her path, Xiao Yixian retracted her Eternal Calamity Poison, as if acknowledging she could not break through, and surrendered.

Three Thousand Yan Flame had already fully accepted itself as part of the Void Ancient Dragon Clan!

It's no surprise—the Void Ancient Dragon who first discovered Three Thousand Yan Flame likely planted subtle hints and methods long ago, cultivating it to become the clan's Elemental Flame.

Had the Void Ancient Dragon Clan not fallen into internal strife and had that senior not met misfortune, Three Thousand Yan Flame would have been reclaimed long ago—there'd be no room for the Dan Tower to whine.

Three Thousand Yan Flame fixed its gaze on Xiao Yan, its eyes gleaming with wisdom—it had attained extraordinary intellect, and said solemnly, "Moreover, if I am refined by the Dragon King, will your Dan Tower dare wage war against the Void Ancient Dragon Clan?"

This argument was genuinely sound—even Xiao Yan, master of rhetoric, was momentarily speechless.

Xiao Yan was furious—this was the gap of status and position!

Why was the Seal a Void Ancient Dragon Clan Dragon Seal, and not a Xiao Clan mark?! If it had been left by Ancestor Xiao Xuan, I, as Young Clan Leader, would have inherited it legitimately!

At this moment, Zi Yan, seeing Xiao Yan frozen in place, wore a smug smile. With a hum, purple light enveloped her body; her Dragon Scales transformed into a beautiful long gown, her figure slender, purple hair drifting. The transformed Zi Yan lightly stepped on Space, one step bringing her before Xiao Yan.

Though Zi Yan was now beautiful and captivating, Xiao Yan saw her smug expression and wanted to punch her.

"Little Yanzi, look at you now," said the elegant Zi Yan, arms crossed, lips curled in a triumphant grin.

Xiao Yan sighed and gave her a look, using Soul Resonance: "Don't play around, this Elemental Flame is useless to you."

Zi Yan giggled. Having learned her lesson, she no longer fell for Xiao Yan's tricks. "Who cares if it's useful? I can use it to roast chicken wings!"

Hearing Zi Yan planned to use Three Thousand Yan Flame to roast chicken wings, Xiao Yan was livid. Looking at her now, he clenched his fist—hard.

Seeing the cunning glint in Zi Yan's eyes, Xiao Yan knew exactly what she was thinking. He reluctantly used Soul Resonance: "Fine, fine, fine—I'll refine you another Eight Grade Pill, alright?"

Xiao Yan was exasperated—his debts kept piling up. He still owed Xiong Zhan one.

Hearing Xiao Yan yield, Zi Yan threw her arms around his neck, their heads touching, backs turned to the bewildered Three Thousand Yan Flame, whispering privately.

Zi Yan extended her hand, opened her fingers, and held up five fingers. "Five."

"Five?!" Xiao Yan gasped, then realized he'd spoken too loudly. He glanced at Three Thousand Yan Flame—still dazed—and relaxed.

Lowering his voice, he glared at Zi Yan: "Five?! Do you have any idea how much time and energy it takes to refine one Eight Grade Pill? Don't you know eating too many Pills is dangerous? Even if you're royal blood of the Void Ancient Dragon Clan, gorging on Pills won't work!"

Zi Yan paused, realizing he had a point—five was indeed too many. She retracted one finger. "Then four—I'll take some back for my clan."

Xiao Yan rolled his eyes, grabbed her slender, jade-white Jade Hand, and retracted three fingers. "One."

Zi Yan pouted and shook her head vigorously. "Too few! This is Three Thousand Yan Flame! It was left by my clan's senior—how am I supposed to explain giving it to you and coming back empty-handed?"

"Don't forget—I already owe you one from the Dan Realm. That's two Eight Grade Pills total. Here's the deal: after I refine it, I'll immediately ask the Dan Tower for a Pill Formula and refine one for you—certainly one with Five-Colored Pill Lightning. If you don't want it, fine—I've got plenty of Elemental Flames. I don't need this one."

Seeing Xiao Yan's resolute expression, and realizing that while Three Thousand Yan Flame had some use, risking his anger wasn't worth it, Zi Yan finally nodded, slapped his palm, and said: "Deal."

At this moment, poor Three Thousand Yan Flame still didn't know it had just been sold by this treacherous Dragon King!

With a hum, Zi Yan reverted to her little girl form. The two conspirators, having settled their price, turned to Three Thousand Yan Flame, both smiling.

Zi Yan clasped her hands behind her back, like a queen, gazing at Three Thousand Yan Flame and said coolly: "Little Qian, after careful consideration, I've decided—you shall follow Master Yan."

!?

Three Thousand Yan Flame showed a look of shock. Every Dan Tower Alchemist had begged on their knees, hoping to gain it as an ally.

Even the so-called Elders had initially made grand promises, treating it like ancestral deities, pleading desperately. Without its consent, even a Sage Emperor couldn't refine it.

After all, Three Thousand Yan Flame possessed consciousness—if pushed too far, it would explode inside you, taking you down with it.

I've submitted—and now you don't want me?!

Xiao Yan cleared his throat, gazing at Three Thousand Yan Flame with a look of pure sincerity. "Little Qian, don't think I'm human—I'm also a member of the Void Ancient Dragon Clan."

!? Not only did Three Thousand Yan Flame stare in shock, even Zi Yan turned her head, astonished. How did she not know this?

Xiao Yan explained: "You've misunderstood. The Void Ancient Dragon Clan and human Alchemists aren't enemies. For example, I often refine Pills for Zi Yan—I'm practically a half-Void Ancient Dragon Clan Alchemist."

Zi Yan suddenly understood. It made sense—her rapid advancement was thanks entirely to Xiao Yan.

"Yes, yes! Xiao Yan is our clan's exclusive Alchemist! So following him helps the Void Ancient Dragon Clan—his Alchemy improves, and so does our clan's strength!" Zi Yan quickly began to deceive.

In truth, Zi Yan had never even returned home! She knew nothing about the Void Ancient Dragon Clan!

Three Thousand Yan Flame fell into thought—it found Zi Yan's logic convincing.

Mostly because Zi Yan was of Dragon King bloodline. The Void Ancient Dragon who first discovered Three Thousand Yan Flame had left the Dragon Seal and some Dragon Blood precisely to ensure it would belong to the Void Ancient Dragon Clan upon maturity.

Naturally, for beasts, the word of their clan's King was absolute.

Three Thousand Yan Flame had intelligence, but compared to these two, its cunning was vastly inferior.

"If the Dragon King says you are our clan's Alchemist, then I shall lend my power to you."

Hearing this, Xiao Yan's heart surged with joy—he nearly laughed out loud! He'd truly been fooled by them!

Of course, it wasn't entirely deception—Zi Yan, though holding no real power in the Void Ancient Dragon Clan and merely a fake Dragon King, possessed genuine bloodline; Xiao Yan, though never having visited the Void Ancient Dragon Clan's Dragon Island, had genuinely refined Pills for Zi Yan repeatedly.

It was just a mix of truth and falsehood.

"Don't worry—I'm only borrowing your power temporarily. When I reach my century's end, I'll grant you freedom. Then, I'll even refine a Pill to help you gain a SpiritFlesh body and become a true Void Ancient Dragon," Xiao Yan promised, offering a sweet incentive to Three Thousand Yan Flame.

Hearing this, Three Thousand Yan Flame nodded in satisfaction. It seemed Alchemists could indeed be good or bad—no wonder it was the Void Ancient Dragon Clan's exclusive Alchemist!

Zi Yan rubbed her chin, pouting—she had the nagging feeling she'd forgotten something.

At this time, not long after Mu Gu's death and the three Heavenly Flame Sovereigns left the Star Domain, the four Heavenly Venerables of the Soul Sovereign received orders to retreat, evacuating everyone from Sheng Dan Cheng.

Besides a few Heavenly Venerables, many Soul Sovereign Guardians were hunting Alchemists throughout Sheng Dan Cheng; now the entire city was littered with broken walls and ruined foundations. Had it not been for several Dou Zun Di Feng patrons within the Cao Family and Dan Family, and numerous Factions willing to intervene and rescue Sheng Dan Cheng, the casualties would have been far worse.

"Something's odd. Why did they suddenly retreat?" Xuan Kongzi watched the four Heavenly Venerables depart through the Space Jade Slip, his brow furrowing.

Their arrival was sudden, and their departure was just as sudden.

"I don't know. Let's first check the condition of the Star Domain," Tian Leizi shook his head; he couldn't fathom what the Soul Sovereign intended.

At this moment, at the entrance to the Star Domain, Qiu Ling and others were utterly overwhelmed.

"Open the Star Domain for me right now!" At this moment, Xiao Yixian's face was covered in icy malice; strands of gray Poison emanated from her body, poisoning the surrounding space.

Seeing this murderous Xiao Yixian, Cao Ying and the others could hardly believe this was the gentle, quiet woman who had always followed Xiao Yan!

Qiu Ling felt the terrifying Spiritual Pressure of the Five-Star Dou Zun, caught between advance and retreat; he sighed bitterly, clasped his fists, and said, "Esteemed Sovereign, please calm down. If you open the Star Domain now, it will cause total collapse—powerful Space Turbulence and Three Thousand Yan Flame will destroy the entire Sheng Dan Cheng."

Xiao Yixian narrowed her eyes, her impatience clear; she slowly raised her hand, and the terrifying Eternal Calamity Poison coalesced upon it. Feeling the dread of this Poison, even Elder Qiu Ling turned pale!

"Get out of my way. You're no match for me." Xiao Yixian's face was dark, but more than anger, it was fear—fear of losing him.

Seeing Qiu Ling still blocking her, Xiao Yixian hesitated not at all; the Eternal Calamity Poison struck the Star Domain's protective Barrier, intending to force it open.

Boom! At this critical moment, Xuan Kongzi arrived and immediately opened a Space Tear, drawing away the deadly Poison.

Qiu Ling quickly explained the situation to Xuan Kongzi and the others; both Xuan Kongzi and Tian Leizi showed surprise and a hint of respect.

Xiao Yan faced Three Thousand Yan Flame and the Soul Sovereign alone?! He's gone mad!

Xuan Kongzi glanced at the murderous Xiao Yixian, then turned to Qiu Ling and asked, "What is the current state of the Star Domain?"

Qiu Ling shook his head. "The Seal has been broken; the Star Domain's space has collapsed. Though we've done our best to reinforce it, the battle between Three Thousand Yan Flame and the Soul Sovereign has left the interior… dire. If we open the Star Domain now—"

Upon hearing this, not only Xiao Yixian, but even Cao Ying and Dan Chen beside her turned pale.

Even if Three Thousand Yan Flame and the Soul Sovereign didn't kill him, who could possibly survive in such an environment?!

Xuan Kongzi looked at Xiao Yixian and sighed. "The Star Domain has begun collapsing. We've done all we can to reinforce it. Once we fully stabilize it, reforge the Seal, and contain Three Thousand Yan Flame, we will immediately enter to rescue him."

Xuan Kongzi understood Xiao Yixian's heart—he saw, deep in her eyes, a fear buried so profoundly it nearly broke him.

The incident with Xuan Yi had already shattered this woman's nerves. Like Xuan Yi, Xiao Yixian had only one person she relied upon.

Had she not seen Xuan Yi, Xiao Yixian might have waited a few more days—after all, Xiao Yan possessed a Heavenly Flame; perhaps he could still survive in that environment.

Facing the two Elder Giants, two Dou Zun Di Feng powerhouses blocking her path, Xiao Yixian retracted her Eternal Calamity Poison, as if acknowledging she could not break through, surrendering.

Xiao Yixian's eyes suddenly grew calm, calm yet resolute. "Open the Star Domain. I'm going to save Xiao Yan."

"Not yet—" Elder Qiu Ling had not finished speaking when Xiao Yixian lost her patience.

Xiao Yixian said nothing more. From her Storage Ring, she drew out a pale blue Poison Pill—this was the Calamity Poison Pill Xiao Yan had forged by refining the Ice Sovereign's Eternal Calamity Poison with various Medicinal Materials.

Without hesitation, Xiao Yixian swallowed the Pill. The instant she did, Xuan Kongzi and Tian Leizi both felt their hairs stand on end—a supreme danger surged through their entire bodies!

"Fall back!!"

Jiu!! Suddenly, a mass of ink-green flame erupted. This peculiar flame carried terrifying Poison; the Poison and flame coalesced into a colossal bird that shot straight into the Sky.

Boom! A massive vortex opened in the Sky. Poison clouds blotted out the sun and stars; Qian Mu Ye Jing instantly spread its wings, its thousand eyes gazing down upon the entire Sheng Dan Cheng!

In an instant, every person in Sheng Dan Cheng under the gaze of those thousand eyes felt their Dou Qi freeze; their muscles stiffened as if petrified—unable to move, unable to channel Dou Qi!

"Eternal Calamity Body!!"

"No—this isn't the ordinary Eternal Calamity Body! What is this?!"

Xuan Kongzi and the others turned pale. Xiao Yixian had never fought since arriving in Sheng Dan Cheng, merely wandering the city behind Xiao Yan—so even Xuan Kongzi and the others had no idea she was an Eternal Calamity Body!

Mostly because Xiao Yan's Poison Pill was flawless, allowing Xiao Yixian to perfectly control her Eternal Calamity Body with zero leakage—no one, not even a Pill Giant, could detect it.

Tian Leizi stared at the monstrous bird above, a chill running from his crown to his soles. With all his experience and power, he could not identify what it was.

It carried the scent of Spirit-Death Poison Flame, yet resembled a Beast—not quite a Beast, more like a Dan Beast!

Upon hearing "Eternal Calamity Body," everyone present—including Dan Chen and Cao Ying—were stunned. This woman was an Eternal Calamity Body?!

Isn't it said that an Eternal Calamity Body explodes at Dou Zun?! She's already Five-Star—and her power is still rising!

Fully activated, Xiao Yixian's hair turned snow-white; even her eyelashes became gray-white. Her eyes turned a blind, featureless gray, cold and piercing.

The Poison Immortal is heartless.

"Open the Star Domain." This was Xiao Yixian's third time saying those four words—and her last.

Never ask thrice.

For a moment, both Elder Giants wore grim expressions. They never imagined this woman who followed Xiao Yan was this terrifying!

If they fought the Eternal Calamity Body, even without Three Thousand Yan Flame, Sheng Dan Cheng would become a dead city of Poison.

At this moment, Xiao Yixian was unquestionably beyond all reason.

"Open the Star Domain." At this moment, a woman's voice came—Xuan Yi emerged from the Space Channel, aged beyond recognition.

Seeing Xuan Yi so aged, Xiao Yixian's eyes regained a sliver of focus.

Looking at the reckless Xiao Yixian, Xuan Yi shook her head inwardly. If she could choose again, Xuan Yi would have chosen the same path as Xiao Yixian—if only she had held on tighter, if she had ignored everything, perhaps the outcome would have been different.

Otherwise, she would regret it for life.

Xiao Yixian refused to become the second Xuan Yi.

"Evacuate everyone immediately. Open the Star Domain."

Before Qiu Ling could finish speaking, suddenly—riiiip! A massive DragonClaw tore through the Star Domain's Barrier, wrapped in Three Thousand Yan Flame.

"Huh? What's all this commotion? What are you doing?" A familiar voice came from within the Star Domain. After Three Thousand Yan Flame split open a gap, a white-robed figure stepped out.

Xiao Yan was exasperated with Zi Yan—had told her to reassure Xiao Yixian not to worry, yet Zi Yan forgot, nearly causing disaster!