Chapter 695: End? Just Beginning. (40,000 Words—Request Monthly Votes!)

Twenty-two Infernal Flames, plus the special Mao Wu—Xiao Yan is now no weaker than the Tuoshe Ancient Emperor once was.

Imperial Soul, Emperor Grade Cultivation Realm, Emperor Rank Cultivation Method, all Infernal Flames! No one can predict how strong Xiao Yan is now—he is the undisputed sovereign of the Dou Qi Continent.

The entire Dou Qi Continent lies under his control; he can even deduce certain things, though this is limited only to the Dou Qi Continent.

Now Xiao Yan understands: the Tuoshe Ancient Emperor Jade, the Tuoshe Ancient Emperor Cave Mansion, everything—it was all a trial of inheritance set by the Tuoshe Ancient Emperor!

A trial open to everyone on the Dou Qi Continent!

In the end, two would become Emperors: one would ascend using an Imperial Grade Pill, while the other would inherit his legacy; then the two would wage war, and the one possessing the Tuoshe Ancient Emperor's inheritance would slay the Emperor and attain the Dao, becoming the strongest and gaining all Infernal Flames!

Void Devouring Flame and Pure Lotus Demonic Flame were the only Infernal Flames on the Dou Qi Continent, yet when the Tuoshe Ancient Emperor departed, he did not take them with him.

There were only two reasons: he did not wish to take them, or he could not take them.

From the fact that Void Devouring Flame and Pure Lotus Demonic Flame were not taken, it is clear the Tuoshe Ancient Emperor was likely not a being of the Dou Qi Continent—he could not possess them, only absorb their power.

Seeing the Tuoshe Ancient Emperor's consciousness appear, the true forms of Void Devouring Flame and Pure Lotus Demonic Flame also emerged; the refined Void Devouring Flame retained its original appearance, both fixing their hateful gazes upon the Tuoshe Ancient Emperor.

"Tuoshe Ancient Emperor!!" Void Devouring Flame gritted his teeth, hatred nearly overflowing from his eyes.

Void Devouring Flame had not lost his memories—he clearly remembered many things.

Xiao Yi's small face was cold and filled with hatred as she stared at the Tuoshe Ancient Emperor, yet she said nothing; on that tiny face, faint traces of confusion flickered—he still could not clearly recall the distant past, the only thing he knew was the complex mix of resentment and fear toward the figure before him.

"The Great Thousand World does not need you," the Tuoshe Ancient Emperor said, his voice low, his gaze sharpening slightly.

"The Great Thousand World? Could it be… the origin of the universe?" Xiao Yan's eyes flickered with surprise as he asked.

BOOM BOOM BOOM!! Suddenly, the massive Heavenly Flame Square began to tremble; the Sea of Fire behind the Tuoshe Ancient Emperor slammed against Space, surging wildly!

As the Tuoshe Ancient Emperor's sea of Infernal Flames surged, a terrifying aura capable of destroying half the Dou Qi Continent crushed all things under heaven and earth—mountains shattered, oceans evaporated, infernal heat skyrocketed!

"Fall back!!"

"Is this the power of the Tuoshe Ancient Emperor?!"

The Tuoshe Ancient Emperor's gaze sharpened slightly; within him, he felt a peculiar sensation—perhaps the one who would plunge the Great Thousand World into true darkness was not the Tian Xie God!

The Tuoshe Ancient Emperor swept his hand; the sea of Infernal Flames behind him transformed into streams of flame, surging into the stone pillars of the Heavenly Flame Square—WHOOSH WHOOSH WHOOSH—sounds like ignition echoed as each pillar rose, flames blazing from Xuan Huang Flame to Void Devouring Flame; twenty-two pillars of Infernal Flames shot skyward, slowly shifting until they all converged in midair, and where the flames merged, a magnificent ancient ruler materialized.

"Henggu Chi!"

When they saw the ancient ruler wreathed in dazzling flames, Gu Yuan and others' pupils shrank sharply, their voices sharpening with shock.

"So this is how the legendary Henggu Chi appears!" Zhu Kun stared blankly, murmuring.

This was a mysterious artifact existing only in ancient times—even the strongest of the ancients rarely ever laid eyes on it.

Legend said this Henggu Chi possessed the power to create heaven and earth!

Seeing the Tuoshe Ancient Emperor wield the Henggu Chi, Xiao Yan suddenly smiled and said: "Henggu Chi."

Xiao Yan flipped his hand, and a black giant ruler appeared in his grasp.

Those who knew Xiao Yan frowned at the sight of his black ruler—because Xiao Yan, too, used a ruler as his weapon!

And a ruler weapon? That was the most obscure of the obscure! Now the Tuoshe Ancient Emperor had just used a ruler-type Dou Technique!

"My master left a note on the Xuan Zhong Chi saying it was forged from meteoric iron and bore a Earth-Rank Low-Level Dou Technique—Yan Fen Shi Lang Chi," Xiao Yan looked at the Xuan Zhong Chi in his hand, recalling Yao Chen's note—he himself now found it absurd.

Same cultivation method as mine, same weapon type, and the Xuan Zhong Chi forged from meteoric iron—is this really coincidence?!

When all coincidences gather together, they are no longer coincidences!

The Fen Jue, Yan Fen Shi Lang Chi, and Xuan Zhong Chi—likely all found by Yao Chen in the same place, and this was far more than mere coincidence!

Watching the Henggu Chi formed from the combined power of twenty-two Infernal Flames, enhanced by the special properties of the Heavenly Flame Square, even Hun Tian Di's expression turned grave—he felt that even the Zhan Di Ghost Blood Blade from the Zhan Di Array left by the Soul Emperor could not match the Henggu Chi summoned by the Heavenly Flame Square.

Know this: the Zhan Di Ghost Blood Blade had truly slain a Dou Emperor—it was unquestionably the pinnacle of Dou Techniques; by rank, calling it Emperor Grade High-Level would be no exaggeration!

Watching the Henggu Chi in the sky, Xiao Yan's face showed no panic; he smiled: "I promised Void Devouring Flame that if he helped me ascend to Emperor, I would avenge him. Let you taste what it's like to be imprisoned on stone pillars, endlessly drained of power, trapped in a dark, sunless cave mansion."

"Now, let's collect a little interest."

ZZZZ! With a hum, twenty-two—not, twenty-three—Infernal Flames emerged from Xiao Yan's Nai Ling; though Xiao Yan lacked the Heavenly Flame Square and did not know how to wield the Henggu Chi, he possessed one Dou Technique!

This Dou Technique's rank and power would rise with the advancement of the Fen Jue—it was Xiao Yan's strongest trump card!

ZZZZZZ!! All Infernal Flames, including Void Devouring Flame, transformed into their primal forms; Xiao Yan's Soul Force surged wildly from his body, terrifying Dou Qi flooding into the Infernal Flames!

Xiao Yan pressed his palms together, forming a gathering gesture; the twenty-three Infernal Flames became a torrent, condensing relentlessly into his palms.

Before refining Void Devouring Flame, Xiao Yan's Fen Jue had already advanced to near Emperor Grade Intermediate; after absorbing Void Devouring Flame, the twenty-two Infernal Flame primordials, and Mao Wu, his Fen Jue had now evolved to an extreme level—Emperor Grade High-Level Cultivation Method!!

A Dou Emperor is merely one rank—but Xiao Yan's Fen Jue had evolved to the pinnacle of the Dou Qi Continent!

"Is that Xiao Yan's Buddha Fury Lotus?!"

"He plans to use this Dou Technique to counter the Henggu Chi!!"

Above, two dazzling flames illuminated heaven and earth; Xiao Yan's Buddha Fury Lotus rapidly formed.

This was the Buddha Fury Lotus forged from the fusion of all Infernal Flames!!

ZZZ—A palm-sized fire lotus, shimmering with five-colored radiance, appeared in Xiao Yan's palm; compared to the colossal Henggu Chi, the Buddha Fury Lotus seemed minuscule!

Yet when Xiao Yan's Buddha Fury Lotus appeared, the Tuoshe Ancient Emperor's pupils contracted—he clearly sensed the terrifying power within it!

The Tuoshe Ancient Emperor's expression grew grim; after the sea of Infernal Flames coalesced into the Henggu Chi, he exhaled deeply, then seized the ancient ruler formed from the twenty-two Infernal Flames.

With a step forward, the dazzling flame ruler slashed through Space, hurtling toward Xiao Yan with boundless, terrifying force.

"You are an anomaly—more dangerous than the Domain Beyond demons. You cannot be left alive!" the Tuoshe Ancient Emperor barked, bringing the Henggu Chi down in one strike.

Seeing the Tuoshe Ancient Emperor charge, Xiao Yan's face remained calm as still water; he shook his head: "Those who seek to control fate will ultimately be devoured by fate."

"Go, Buddha Fury Lotus."

ZZZZZZZZ!! The palm-sized Buddha Fury Lotus, trailing a long tail of flame, shot toward the Tuoshe Ancient Emperor; the Tuoshe Ancient Emperor, expending all his strength, slammed the Henggu Chi down upon it!

CLANG!

Instantly, two forces capable of splitting heaven and earth collided; a terrifying storm erupted violently across the sky.

"Gu Emperor Mirror!"

"Ancestral Dragon's Protection!"

"Soul Seal!"

Feeling the terrifying impact, Gu Yuan, Zhu Kun, and Hun Tian Di immediately unleashed powerful defenses to withstand the residual shockwaves!

Almost instantly, those three seemingly impregnable defenses were torn apart, and every single person within was blasted a thousand zhang away, the very Space shattering into powder at that moment.

The terrifying storm directly slammed into the Heavenly Flame Square floating in the Sky, forcing it crashing to the ground, where it gouged out a massive abyss roughly one hundred thousand li wide.

The collision resembled a star exploding—vast amounts of light and thermal energy formed a gigantic, brilliant sphere, a fireball blindingly radiant like the sun.

When all saw this terrifying collision, when they saw Tuoshe Ancient Emperor wielding the Henggu Chi and Xiao Yan fighting as a Dou Emperor, they all concluded this was the legendary Dual Emperor War of ancient times.

But everyone was wrong—there was no Dual Emperor War in this world, only Xiao Yan.

When the flames finally faded, they saw Xiao Yan, his robes still spotless, cradling in his right hand an extremely faint flame seed, its surface bearing twenty-two colors.

One move!

Merely one move—the Heavenly Flame Square, the Tuoshe Ancient Emperor Cave Mansion, and Tuoshe Ancient Emperor's Henggu Chi—all were reduced to nothing by the Buddha Fury Lotus.

Without doubt, the flame seed in Xiao Yan's palm was a fragment left behind by Tuoshe Ancient Emperor—not his Origin Flame Seed, but a Heavenly Flame seed foreign to the Dou Qi Continent, originating from the so-called Great Thousand World!

And this Emperor Flame seed was Tuoshe Ancient Emperor's legacy!

"Mao Wu, take it. This top-ranked Heavenly Flame deserves a proper name." Xiao Yan looked at the flame seed in his palm and directly fed it to the cat.

(>^ω^<) Meow!

Mao Wu was utterly unceremonious—now that Xiao Yan had refined the true body of Void Swallowing Flame, its status was in grave danger!

With a loud smack, Mao Wu swallowed the flame seed whole, though refining it would still take some time.

After Mao Wu devoured the flame seed, Xiao Yan's Burning Scripture suddenly gained a slight enhancement!

"The Heavenly Flames of the Great Thousand World are acceptable. It seems the Burning Scripture can still evolve further." Xiao Yan stroked Mao Wu's small head, his eyes half-lidded as he murmured: "Hehehe, if I could refine the complete Tuoshe Ancient Emperor, could the Burning Scripture break beyond Emperor Grade? What lies beyond Emperor Grade?"

No sooner had Xiao Yan's laughter faded than three graceful figures flew toward him and slammed fiercely into his arms.

"Cough, cough, cough!" Xiao Yan was violently jolted—their combined assault had surpassed even the Henggu Chi!

"I'm fine. It was just dealing with some long-dead Dou Emperor relic—child's play." Xiao Yan chuckled awkwardly at the three women.

Watching Xiao Yan, who had shattered the Henggu Chi with a single move and refined the Emperor Flame seed, Yan Jin, Clan Leader of the Yan Clan, stared in shock: "My clan's Dou Emperor once said that among the Nine Grades of Dou Emperor, he ranked seventh. Where does Xiao Yan stand?"

Lei Ying shook his head dumbly: "I don't know. But even if I broke through to Dou Emperor, I couldn't withstand even one of his moves—that Fire Lotus was too strong."

"Xiao Yan broke through to Dou Emperor using an Elixir—so is he the Pill Emperor?" someone suddenly asked.

"But isn't his greatest strength the Heavenly Flames? Shouldn't he be called Yan Emperor?"

"But his Soul Force is also incredibly strong—why not call him Soul Emperor?"

"He has beast bloodline in his body too."

"How is this guy good at everything?"

At that moment, watching Xiao Yan in the sky, Hun Tian Di narrowed his eyes slightly and said: "The Xiao Clan's Dou Emperor has a unique title."

Hearing Hun Tian Di's words, Gu Yuan's expression flickered with surprise.

Every clan names its Dou Emperor—Soul Sovereign's is Soul Emperor, Gu Clan's is Gu Emperor, Lei Clan's is Lei Emperor, Ling Clan's is Ling Emperor.

But the Xiao Clan's Dou Emperor was never called Xiao Emperor, because the Xiao Clan is the oldest Dou Emperor Family—their Ancestor was simply called Dou Emperor.

"Dou Emperor, Xiao Yan."

The book is not finished.

In the Great Thousand World, where dimensions converge and countless clans stand tall, heroes gather—each Heavenly Supreme from the Lower Planes weaves legendary tales in this endless world, pursuing the path of the Great Overlord.

In the Endless Fire Domain, the Yan Emperor reigns, flames scorching the heavens.

Within the Martial Realm, the Martial Ancestor's might shakes heaven and earth.

In the Western Heaven Palace, the Battle Emperor's glory is unmatched.

On the North Desert Hill, the Land of Ten Thousand Graves, the Lord of Immortality holds dominion over heaven and earth.

If a butterfly flaps its wings and causes two parallel lines, forever destined not to meet, to veer off their original paths—could two identical dimensional worlds exist in the Great Thousand World?

In the river of time, among parallel worlds and multiverses entangled within the Great Thousand World—how will the story unfold?

The true body of Tuoshe Ancient Emperor, the hope to pierce the heavens, the secret behind the disappearance of the Dou Emperors, the ultimate limit of the Burning Scripture's evolution!

Who answers "Soul Palace Xiao Yan"? And who asks, "Who dares to come?"

In the Great Thousand World's Sky List, the true names of three Supremes—Mu, Xiao, and Lin—guard the Great Thousand World. Do they defend against only the Domain Beyond demons?

Tian Xie Shen, the demon plaguing the Great Thousand World, is merely a failed being from another world. The First Sequence True God rules the Heavenly Origin Great World—what did he see fifty thousand years ago?

As a cosmic anomaly born of the butterfly effect, what role will Soul Palace Xiao Yan play?

Life is a game of chess—once the piece is placed, no regrets!

Three powers stand in balance—who shall rule the tide?

There may be many Supremes, but only one Great Overlord!

From genius to invincible in Dou Po III: The Great Thousand World.

Forty-thousand-character update—requesting monthly votes!

(End of chapter)