Chapter 609: Demon Flame Descends

At this moment, Yaming's heart churned like a storm-tossed sea—the Nine-Colored Swallowing Sky Python, a divine beast existing only in ancient legends, for the Tun Tian Mang Zong was already exceedingly rare, the Seven-Colored variant rarer still, let alone the Nine-Colored.

Thus, many did not even know that beyond the Seven-Colored Swallowing Sky Python lay the Nine-Colored.

The Nine-Colored Swallowing Sky Python, even in ancient times, appeared only a handful of times, and each appearance sent shockwaves through the Snake Race; Yaming had never imagined he would witness with his own eyes a divine beast existing only in myth.

At that moment, deep within a chasm of the Huang Quan Shan Mai, the Nine-Headed Heavenly Snake abruptly lifted its head, raising its nine massive, river-like serpentine bodies, its eighteen crimson pupils fixed upon the colossal serpent shadow in the sky.

In its bloodline memory, there were certain ancient super-beasts it dared not provoke—even the most ferocious Nine-Headed Heavenly Snake had its fears; the Dragon Phoenix was one, and the Nine-Colored Swallowing Sky Python was another.

Immediately, the central head of the Nine-Headed Heavenly Snake slowly lowered, gazing at the black-robed figure standing beside Jiu You Huang Quan.

The Dragon Phoenix and the Nine-Colored Swallowing Sky Python both stood beside this man—and even it was forced to obey the commands of the Qi San Hua Tong; one could only imagine how terrifying this man truly was.

He was the center!

With three swift whooshes, three Heavenly Flames shot from the pillar like meteors and instantly pierced into Xiao Yan's body.

Soon after the Heavenly Flames returned to Xiao Yan's body, the radiance in the sky gradually faded, and a figure long yearned for slowly emerged from the Nine-Colored Light, appearing before every pair of watching eyes.

Crimson lips, eyes cold and detached from all mortals, icy elegance, alluring, devastatingly beautiful—these words embodied her entirely.

At the first glimpse of her face, faintly curved with icy allure, many hearts quickened their pace; such a woman could be called a peerless enchantress.

The alluring figure in the sky slowly lowered her gaze; when she saw the man with his sunlit smile, her icy expression slowly thawed, revealing a hidden warmth and tenderness deep within her eyes.

At this moment, the entire world seemed muted, reduced to nothing but the two of them.

A faint curve slowly rose upon her alluring face, like a blooming peony—seductive, captivating, and breathtakingly beautiful.

Cai Lin stepped forward, instantly shifting through space, her jade foot lightly touching the Void, arriving before Xiao Yan.

Seeing his wife after two years apart, Xiao Yan's spirit momentarily drifted; though Cai Lin's appearance had not changed, her dazzling beauty and demeanor left him momentarily stunned.

"Out of seclusion?"

"Mm."

"Your cultivation seems to have improved greatly."

"Mid-Stage Dou Sheng, one star higher than you," Cai Lin's lips curled slightly, her beautiful eyes holding a touch of dominance—she had finally surpassed Xiao Yan's cultivation again!

Hearing Cai Lin's words, Xiao Yan stared in shock, turning to glance at Zi Yan, still receiving the inheritance, his expression odd.

Do beasts either stay stuck forever, or leap up in leaps when they advance?

"Just refining the Nine-Colored Original Stone and the Pudi Dahuandan shouldn't have boosted you this much," Xiao Yan suddenly recalled—Cai Lin hadn't been at the bottom of Jiu You Huang Quan; she had been in another space.

"Beneath Jiu You Huang Quan lies the nest of the Seven-Colored Swallowing Sky Python clan; I received the legacy of my ancestors—some of them, though their bodies were destroyed, still retained their spiritual souls; I awakened them, and they fused all their power into my bloodline, enhancing my physique, hence my rapid advancement," Cai Lin whispered softly.

"So that's how it was."

Hearing Cai Lin's brief explanation, Xiao Yan finally understood; no one had anticipated that beneath Jiu You Huang Quan lay the ruins of the Seven-Colored Swallowing Sky Python clan's nest—Cai Lin encountering it was truly a tremendous stroke of fortune.

The affairs of this world are full of miracles; he had obtained the Fen Jue and twelve Heavenly Flames, so others naturally had their own extraordinary encounters.

Yet despite this, Xiao Yan still felt a pang of melancholy; Zi Yan and Xun Er were fine—they were daughters of great families, heirs to glorious ancestors—but he had thought Cai Lin, like himself, was a commoner rising from nothing, only to find his own humble roots hadn't even grown as fast as hers.

Seeing the helplessness and faint resentment in Xiao Yan's eyes, Cai Lin naturally knew she must not show her joy too openly, lest she wound her husband's pride; a flash of dominant tenderness crossed her gaze, she opened her jade arms, and in full view of all, she firmly embraced Xiao Yan's neck and kissed him passionately.

This domineering yet considerate, tender kiss dissolved all of Xiao Yan's lingering displeasure.

Feeling Cai Lin's initiative, fueled by the frenzy of reunion, Xiao Yan surrendered.

Sometimes, this big man of his wanted to enjoy the "passive" state of lying still, letting Cai Lin do as she pleased.

The couple's "little act" stirred uncontainable lust and envy in countless young men and women present—some jealous, some helplessly amused, others standing frozen in fantasy.

Xiao Yan certainly wouldn't let outsiders watch; with a wave of his hand, he sealed the entire Jiu You Huang Quan space with a Soul Barrier, and the two shamelessly kissed behind Zi Yan.

But soon, their eyes met, filled with reluctant parting, a strand of white affectional thread between them as they separated—for a Dragon Might was slowly rising.

Too many misdeeds had drawn the Dragon Emperor Adult's retribution!

"Zi Yan's spiritual pressure," Cai Lin had long noticed Zi Yan, but since she was wrapped in Three Thousand Yan Flame, Cai Lin hadn't sensed it.

As the Three Thousand Yan Flame returned to Xiao Yan, an earth-shaking Dragon Emperor's Power erupted from Zi Yan's body—her Mid-Stage Dou Sheng cultivation even startled Cai Lin.

For in Cai Lin's memory, though Zi Yan had taken the Transformation Pill and she knew Zi Yan was a True Dragon of the Tai Xu Gu Long Clan, she never imagined her spiritual pressure would reach this level!

Looking at the towering Dragon Might, Xiao Yan smiled and said: "Zi Yan inherited the true lineage of the Tai Xu Gu Long Clan; her current cultivation is Mid-Stage Dou Sheng, and she is now the Dragon Emperor of the Tai Xu Gu Long Clan, preparing to unify the fractured Tai Xu Gu Long Clan."

Cai Lin gave Xiao Yan a strange look—wouldn't ruling the Heavenly Demon Phoenix Clan mean you're secretly ruling the entire Shou Yu?

True Master of Beasts?

After all, Cai Lin had been in seclusion for two years and didn't know much; before entering seclusion, she'd only planned to emerge when the Jing Lian Yao Huo descended, helping Xiao Yan obtain it—but in these two years, Xiao Yan had secretly prepared to unify the entire Shou Yu, even swaying Feng Qing'er, waiting for the Jing Lian Yao Huo's arrival to unite the Three Great Dragon Islands and then confront the Heavenly Demon Phoenix Clan, installing a puppet Clan Leader to seize full control of the entire clan!

Roar! Roar! Roar!!! Boom! Boom! Boom! Suddenly, a mighty Dragon Roar echoed, a bellow carrying Soul Shock and surging Dragon Qi spreading throughout the entire Jiu You Huang Quan.

A purple True Dragon emerged from the Void, its body colossal, long enough to cover an entire mountain range; its back bore hard purple Dragon Scales, its tail covered in scales of varying sizes and sharp spines.

Under the sunlight, the Dragon Scales shimmered with deep purple radiance, emitting intense aura and energy; its eyes were profound and bright, as if able to see through all things.

Its DragonClaw was extraordinarily strong and powerful, each claw tipped with razor-sharp blades capable of tearing through anything; from its mouth continuously poured streams of purple Dragon Breath, revealing its majesty and power.

Its long, powerful tail swayed with its movements, leaving behind clear purple trails, like a rainbow drawn across the sky; its entire body radiated an overwhelming Dragon Qi, inspiring awe.

"This Huangquan Heavenly Rage is truly hard to cultivate—harder to master than the Dragon Sword."

When Zi Yan's delicate voice rang out, the dragon's aura instantly collapsed; with a hum, the purple light vanished, revealing Zi Yan barefoot, standing on the Void, grumbling about the difficulty of the Dou Technique Huangquan Heavenly Rage.

Seeing Cai Lin, Zi Yan shifted form, reverting to her childlike appearance, hopping over with a skip to Cai Lin's side, excitedly asking: "Sister Cai Lin, you're out of seclusion?"

"You're the Dragon Emperor of the Tai Xu Gu Long Clan?" Cai Lin, gazing at Zi Yan's adorable child form, felt a maternal glow emanating from within.

"Hehe, Sister Cai Lin, aren't you the Empress of the Snake Empire too?" Zi Yan's innate beast perception told her that Cai Lin's power was now no weaker than her own.

Back at the Yan Alliance, Zi Yan and Cai Lin had often raided the Mo Shou Shan Mai's beasts together.

After chatting for a while, Cai Lin turned to Xiao Yan, her expression softening into seriousness, and asked: "How long until the Jing Lian Yao Huo descends?"

Hearing Cai Lin's question, Zi Yan's expression also turned grave; she knew how vital the Jing Lian Yao Huo was to Xiao Yan—he had schemed for over a decade to obtain it.

"It should be soon; let's return to the Yan Alliance and gather some forces," Xiao Yan's face grew solemn—the descent of the Jing Lian Yao Huo would inevitably bring another bloodbath.

Then the Ancient Dou Di Families would not let it pass, especially the Yan Clan, which already possessed three of the top ten Heavenly Flames among its five—how could they possibly let the third-ranked Jing Lian Yao Huo slip away?

Cai Lin nodded, gave instructions to Yue Mei and other tribal leaders, entrusted the Four Great Elders with temporary rule of the Snake Empire, and then Xiao Yan, Cai Lin, Zi Yan, and Qing Lin returned to the Yan Alliance.

Xiao Yan now needed to gather the strongest forces of the Yan Alliance; he could not possibly rely entirely on the Soul Palace or Xun Er's Gu Clan's power—by then, the Gu Clan might even become a obstacle in his quest for the Pure Lotus Demonic Flame.

After all, Xiao Yan had married Xun Er, not become a son-in-law; to the Gu Clan, the Pure Lotus Demonic Flame was likewise an immense interest they could not abandon.

Unfortunately, the Yan Alliance had very few Dou Sheng-level fighters—Tian Huo Zunzhe, who had once given Xiao Yan tremendous aid, was now merely a First-Transformation Dou Zun; such strength was formidable in Zhong Zhou, but attempting to compete for the Pure Lotus Demonic Flame would be certain death.

Even Yun Yun was only at Eight-Turn Dou Zun, still far from the Ninth Turn; Nalan Yanran, however, had gained the greatest benefit from the Bodhi Tree journey—after the battle with Tianming Sect, she had entered a death-seclusion to fully digest all the insights gained beneath the Bodhi Tree.

The good news was that Xiao Yixian, using the Yellow Spring Blood Crystal and the Heavenly Serpent Toxin Scripture to brew Yellow Spring Cold Toxin Powder, successfully broke through to One-Star Dou Sheng, even reaching One-Star Dou Sheng Late-Stage.

Moreover, after consuming one Bodhi Seed and being carefully nurtured by Xiao Yixian for two years, the Ancient Pill Beast obtained from Sky Scorpion Elder also broke through to Nine-Pillar Spirit Beast—now Xiao Yixian effectively possessed three Dan Beasts!

She was unquestionably a Dan Beast Master.

Finally, Xiao Yan made his decision: Cai Lin, Zi Yan, Xiao Yixian, and Qing Lin would accompany him to compete for the Pure Lotus Demonic Flame; if anything truly went wrong, at least these four had the ability to protect themselves.

In the days that followed, after completing all matters, Xiao Yan gradually grew idle, and he quietly awaited news from the Soul Palace's leader.

Of course, the Pure Lotus Demonic Flame was not merely monitored by the Yan Alliance and the Soul Palace—ancient sects and factions that had long remained obscure in Zhong Zhou had all begun stirring; at one moment, the entire Dou Qi Continent once again became a sea of hidden currents.

The imminent emergence of the Pure Lotus Demonic Flame had stirred nearly all powerful forces, visible or hidden, across Zhong Zhou!

That once-solitary forest, now, had become extraordinarily bustling.

This undercurrent of activity lasted approximately four days.

Xiao Yan, who had been playing with Xiao Xiao and Xiao Cai in the Yan Alliance, suddenly narrowed his eyes, slowly lifting his head to gaze at the distant sky—there, in the western heavens, two crescent moons appeared, one above the other.

At the same instant, nine brilliant stars in the starry sky slowly shifted, moving until they formed a straight line, witnessed by countless stunned gazes.

Twin moons appear together, nine stars united, celestial tides rise—the Demonic Flame descends upon the world!

The Pure Lotus Demonic Flame had finally, at this very moment, descended upon the world once more!

"Father?" Xiao Xiao, clutching a ball, tilted her head; Xiao Cai, now significantly larger, wriggled forward and flicked her serpent's tongue.

Cai Lin, sensing something, walked over and said gently: "Xiao Xiao, Xiao Cai, be good—your father and I are going to retrieve something, and we'll return after a while. You must listen well during this time."

At this moment, Yun Yun walked up slowly; the two women, each uniquely distinctive, exchanged a glance. After Xiao Yan and Cai Lin departed, the entire Yan Alliance would be in a vacuum—its strongest member would be Yun Yun, the Eight-Turn Dou Zun.

Cai Lin and Yun Yun had no prior interaction; indeed, during the Jia Ma Empire era, due to the hostility between the Jia Ma Empire and the Serpent Empire, they had once fought.

"I entrust them to you," Cai Lin said with serious eyes. "If danger arises, flee to East Dragon Island or Shou Yu."

The Pure Lotus Demonic Flame was too vital to Xiao Yan—it concerned whether the Burning Scripture could evolve into an Emperor-grade technique, and Qing Lin's Qi San Hua Tong—so they must spare no effort to seize it.

(End of Chapter)