Chapter 763

Xiao Yan smiled faintly, but his eyes held no amusement: "If you only have one Nine-Grade Spirit Array, you will die for certain this time."

As Xiao Yan spoke, whoosh whoosh whoosh—a black flame instantly surged upward!

They had seized all the Treasures, consumed the Supreme Spirit Liquid, and learned the location of the Inheritance. If Xiao Yan had spared Zhu Ye before for his wealth, Zhu Ye now had absolutely no value left.

Last time he escaped was unavoidable—after all, Xiao Yan had been solely focused on plundering; when he saw the opponent activate an escape Spirit Array, his first thought wasn't to stop him, but to have Mao Wu extract every Treasure hidden within the Array's space—and so Zhu Ye slipped away.

This time, Xiao Yan went all out.

Flames flared, and a wave of heat surged outward from Xiao Yan in all directions; at this moment, Xiao Yan resembled a black furnace, black flames enveloping his robes—so dense that unless one looked closely, one could barely perceive the flames rising.

The moment Di An's Black Flame erupted, the surrounding trees ignited spontaneously, Spiritual Artifacts melted. But it wasn't just the shattered low-grade Spiritual Artifacts that melted—rocks nearby, even Space itself, liquefied like melting ice cream.

As the heat wave's Infernal Heat intensified, the melting traces grew fiercer, clearly revealing how immensely powerful Mao Wu had become after consuming the Heavenly Flame seed.

"Flames?! He's a Spirit Puppeteer—how does he have flames, and why are they so powerful?!"

The Heavenly Tomb is most famous for Xing Tian, the Spirit Puppet, and many had escaped from that recent battle—so everyone assumed Xiao Yan was a Spirit Puppeteer seeking to monopolize the Heavenly Tomb.

No one expected he was actually the master of the Heavenly Tomb himself, and that he came from the Lower Plane.

It's not surprising no one guessed—it's exceedingly rare for anyone to come from the Lower Plane, and no one imagined such a place could harbor so many powerful cultivators.

"Pfft, what's strange about that? Spirit Puppeteers craft their own puppets—using flames to forge them isn't odd at all. It's just that this flame seems a bit too intense—even from here, I feel the heat."

Xiao Yan's Soul Force swept over him and immediately discerned: Zhu Ye's ability to construct a Heavenly Array wasn't due to his own skill, but because over the past twenty years, he had received rewards from clearing certain trials, granting him temporary boosts to his Spirit Array Master abilities.

It was like how Xiao Yan once used the Soul Force of the Heavenly Flame Sovereign to enhance his own power. Spirit Array Masters rely on forming Spiritual Seals, and Zhu Ye possessed a mysterious force within him that made forming Spiritual Seals far easier.

For a moment, all observers held their breath, their hearts tightly clenched—not only did they care who would win between Xiao Yan and Zhu Ye, many also wondered how Ning Tian Continent would change afterward.

Many observers knew these black-robed figures were outsiders from another continent, and that the Western Realm's backers were precisely these black-robed ones—who had even expelled Zhu Ye, the hidden overlord who had dominated for two decades.

Some speculated whether Zhu Ye still possessed other deadly weapons; otherwise, facing so many Nine-Star Sovereigns was pure suicide.

Of course, everyone assumed all members of the Soul Sect were Nine-Star Sovereigns—but in truth, Cai Lin and Xiao Yixian were far from reaching that level, and Xiao Yan was more than an ordinary Nine-Star Sovereign.

"Yan Zunzhe, I won't deny you're powerful—but this is the Great Thousand World, Ning Tian Continent," Zhu Ye took a deep breath, regaining composure. Though startled by Di An's Black Flame, he had seen great things before—he had even faced Earth Supremes—so despite his initial panic, he quickly steadied himself.

Xiao Yan glanced at Zhu Ye and smiled faintly: "Is that so? You merely obtained some Array Disc or similar relic from Wan Zhu Lin. What other trump cards do you have? With your cultivation, you're nothing but dust in my hands. Your talent as a Spirit Array Master is indeed decent—but you never applied yourself to cultivation. For twenty years, you obsessed over Wan Zhu Lin's relics and neglected your own growth, letting your Cultivation Realm stagnate, relying entirely on external power. Otherwise, you wouldn't be stuck at this level—you might have even struggled a little against me."

Over these seven days, Xiao Yan had learned a bit about Wan Zhu Lin's Spirit Array inheritance. With his eye, he could easily tell Zhu Ye had merely stumbled upon the inheritance by luck—he lacked the talent. Zhu Ye's Spirit Array Master talent paled in comparison to Xun Er's, making him unfit for the Trial.

Zhu Ye had tried countless times, wasting enormous amounts of time.

"You!" At Xiao Yan's words, Zhu Ye's face flushed crimson, glaring furiously at him.

Xiao Yan's words tore open Zhu Ye's deepest wound—he wasn't lacking in talent; he had grand ambitions to become a Heaven Supreme. Twenty years ago, he had accidentally discovered the Wooden Tablet that opened Wan Zhu Lin, uncovering a Spirit Array Master Inheritance Trial.

But reality had struck him like a hammer—he couldn't pass the Trial!

Because of this, though he possessed considerable talent, his Cultivation Realm remained only at Seven-Star Sovereign, and his Spirit Arrays could barely reach Eight-Grade—hardly impressive. Had he not obsessed over the inheritance and instead trained diligently, he might already be a true Nine-Star Sovereign, even Half-Step Sovereign, dominating all of Ning Tian Continent.

He had wasted twenty precious years.

This was Zhu Ye's inner scar—and now Xiao Yan had ripped it open all at once. How could he not rage?

"What, angry because you're exposed?" Xiao Yan smiled faintly. "But it doesn't matter—there's worse to come. Originally, I would've let you live, considering you gave me so much Supreme Spirit Liquid. I didn't care if you crawled around Ning Tian Continent."

"But now that you've brought these cats and dogs here, I have no reason to spare you."

"Yan Zunzhe, don't get cocky! Your two companions aren't Nine-Star Sovereigns—you're only three Nine-Star Sovereigns!" Zhu Ye trembled with rage—he had never endured such humiliation.

In any corner of Ning Tian Continent, in any Sect, he, the top Spirit Array Grandmaster, had been revered, surrounded by admirers. Everyone needed his Arrays—he had been courted even by the Four Great Sects. Now, Xiao Yan's words were unbearable—he clenched his teeth in fury!

"Xiao Yixian, Cai Lin, you two handle the four Eight-Star Sovereigns with Lord Gu Yuan. I'll take the two Nine-Star Sovereigns," Xiao Yan whispered via Soul Resonance.

Xiao Yixian and Cai Lin nodded silently.

But Zhu Kun, returned to human form, stared fixedly at the DragonSubduingMaster and growled: "Xiao Yan, I'll handle this one."

!?

"This guy's Cultivation Method must target Dragon Clan bloodlines." Even without having seen it before, Xiao Yan could tell from the thick Dragon Clan malice radiating from him—the DragonSeeking Elder was a DragonSubduingMaster; his Cultivation Method required slaying Dragons to grow stronger.

Xiao Yan had never heard of such a Method on the Dou Qi Continent, but he could guess it must exert extreme suppression over Dragon Clan Spiritual Beasts.

Hearing Xiao Yan's concern, Zhu Kun burst into loud laughter: "Hahahaha! When I roamed the Dou Qi Continent, Hun Tian Di was still nursing!"

Gagaga, Zhu Kun cracked his neck and beckoned the DragonSeeking Elder with a finger: "Come fight me in Space!"

The DragonSeeking Elder paused, then smirked: "You know my DragonSubduingDivineArt suppresses Dragon Clan Bloodline Power—and yet you still challenge me? Foolish. Fine—I've killed too many arrogant, foolish Dragons already."

"Your Bloodline can remove the DragonCuff Seal—I won't waste a single drop of your blood."

Zhu Kun sneered: "The hunter is the one who wins, not the one who talks the loudest."

Zhu Kun transformed back into his true form and vanished into Space. Only Space could accommodate his colossal body as a Battlefield.

Seeing Zhu Kun vanish into Space, the DragonSeeking Elder gripped his DivineSword and followed him in. Even though Space had sealed shut, terrifying sword intent and Dragon aura still bled out from within.

Watching Zhu Kun and the DragonSeeking Elder vanish into Space, Xiao Yan's mind stirred—and the headless Xing Tian appeared.

"Xin Zhangsheng, Lu Ming, Ye Mu, Huang Dong—where are you?!"

Four black lines shot upward; the four men dropped to one knee and roared: "Your servants are here!"

"You four lead the Western Realm's powerhouses to surround the Four Great Sects' airships—don't let anyone escape. It will follow you," Xiao Yan ordered.

With the Seven-Star Sovereign Xing Tian guarding nearby, the four felt relieved—the Four Great Sects had more than just one Supreme!

"We obey!"

After giving all orders, Xiao Yan smiled faintly and slowly walked toward Zhu Ye, stepping deliberately into the range of his Spirit Array.

Clang! The instant Xiao Yan entered Zhu Ye's Spirit Array, the massive Array activated—streaks of starlight surged like countless black iron divine swords, severing all directions, cutting off ten thousand realms, instantly blocking Xiao Yan's path—as if he could never cross the Thunder Pool again.

"Hmph, if you want to die, I'll grant your wish!" Zhu Ye sneered—could anyone really be so foolish as to walk willingly into a Spirit Array Master's Array? Wasn't that suicide?!

Clang clang! As Zhu Ye spoke, the vast starry Sky Array above the Nine Heavens erupted in blinding light—thousands of starlight blades plummeted from the heavens, like ten thousand swords fired at once, striking straight at Xiao Yan.

In that instant, sword qi crisscrossed, hissing sounds filled the air—each blade punched holes into the ground, turned a mountain peak into a sieve, and even some weak cultivators who had crowded too close were instantly reduced to blood mist.

"Watch out!!"

"Don't get too close—this Array's attack range is too wide!!"

Seeing Zhu Ye's furious strike, many were horrified and scrambled to retreat.

"Go!"

Facing the spirit array firing ten thousand swords, Xiao Yan merely cast a cold glance and said only this one word.

In that instant, Xiao Yan extended his large hand and grabbed toward the volley of ten thousand swords.

Whoosh! As Xiao Yan reached out, endless Black Flame surged from his palm, transforming into flame waves that, from afar, resembled a giant hand reaching out.

As Xiao Yan's great hand came crashing down, Zhu Ye pulled out a Jade Bottle; the bottle exploded, and over a million Supreme Spirit Liquids merged into the spirit array. Strengthened by the million Supreme Spirit Liquids, the array's starlight erupted with even more brilliant sword light, sword qi surging wildly, overwhelmingly fierce—this volley of ten thousand swords seemed capable of piercing heaven and earth in an instant.

Such a brutal strike made many observers shudder in fear.

"This is a Spirit Array Master! No wonder some say the strongest profession in the Great Thousand World is the Spirit Array Master!"

"Zhu Ye's Cultivation Realm is only Seven-Star—how can he unleash such a terrifying attack?!"

Under the terrifying divine might of the ten thousand swords firing in unison, seeing Xiao Yan still refuse to dodge, many drew a sharp breath.

"Can the Flame Sovereign really withstand this spirit array with bare hands? Won't he be pierced through instantly?" Though Xiao Yan's Strange Fire was powerful, many believed he could not hold against the ten thousand swords of the spirit array.

Boom! As everyone doubted, Xiao Yan's flames slammed into the volley of ten thousand swords—but instead of his hand being pierced or blood spraying as imagined, nothing of the sort happened.

The seemingly terrifying ten thousand swords of the spirit array vanished the instant they touched the black flames—evaporated by the fire!

Before anyone could react, the terrifying Black Flame surged violently with the wind, transforming into a vast Sea of Fire that instantly burned in all directions; the enormous spirit array had no chance to escape Xiao Yan's Strange Fire!

The black flames burned like paper—this spirit array, constructed in Space, formless and invisible, was consumed; its spirit power was devoured. From afar, it looked as if the Sky itself was on fire—the massive spirit array burned rapidly, and within moments, it was entirely reduced to ashes.

This scene was utterly shocking; countless people remained frozen, staring dumbfounded as Xiao Yan burned the spirit array to nothing.

At this moment, time seemed frozen on this image: a black-robed man, wreathed in Black Flame, stood calm, radiating a wild, domineering aura that struck every person present with awe.

This was a Heaven-Grade High-Level Spirit Array! A spirit array capable of slaying Nine-Pin Sovereigns! Yet now, Xiao Yan's flames had burned it to nothing in an instant—how ferocious, how domineering a sight!

This scene happened too fast—everything occurred in the blink of an eye. Many still could not comprehend it; they had never seen such a domineering flame—one that could even burn a spirit array!

"Heaven, no wonder he's called the Flame Sovereign—he's a fire user!"

"What terrifying flames! What kind of fire is this? So domineering!"

"He's an outsider, yet wields such powerful flames—could he be from the Fire Spirit Clan?!"

It was no wonder others suspected Xiao Yan was from the Fire Spirit Clan, for in the Great Thousand World, fire-wielding masters were almost all from the Fire Spirit Clan—not only because they were born as Spirit Flames with extreme affinity for fire, but also because the Fire Spirit Clan was one of the top clans of the Great Thousand World, possessing Heavenly Supremes.

Almost all Strange Fires in the Great Thousand World were held by the Fire Spirit Clan; thus, seeing Xiao Yan wield such a powerful, Shen Mi Zhi Yi flame capable of burning spirit arrays, it was natural to link him to the Fire Spirit Clan.

Meow—a black cat emerged from Space and perched on Xiao Yan's shoulder, scratching its neck with its hind leg. A mere Nine-Pin Spirit Array wasn't even enough to fill its teeth.

"If you don't want Ning Tian Continent to fall into the hands of the Soul Temple, stop hiding—today, if you fail to kill this man, you will be picked off one by one by the Soul Temple!" After Xiao Yan burned Zhu Ye's spirit array, Zhu Ye's voice echoed in the minds of Youtianhuang, Xue Shi Yun, and the other three Supremes.

The four of them could barely hold their own against Gu Yuan, who wielded Nine-Pin Sovereign power—but with Cai Lin, whose strength reached the peak of Seven-Star Sovereign, and Xiao Yixian, the master of poison, the battle situation grew increasingly dire.

At this moment, all four turned toward Zhu Ye's direction and saw that he paid no attention to his shattered array; instead, he had somehow stood atop a mountain range, and beneath his feet, the earth glowed with light—now, the light emanating from beneath Zhu Ye's feet was formed by countless dense Spirit Array patterns.

From afar, Zhu Ye's feet appeared rooted like tree trunks, embedded into the earth—in that instant, it gave the illusion that Zhu Ye had grown from the land like a great tree; now, he was not merely one with the earth, but continuously absorbing its power.

If one stood high enough to look down, one would see that the Earth Vein beneath Zhu Ye was directly connected to the Spiritual Vein of Wan Zhu Lin—it was a branch of Wan Zhu Lin's Spiritual Vein!

Youtianhuang and the other three frowned deeply; now, only two choices remained: either surrender and submit to the Soul Temple, or fight. After all, the Soul Temple now possessed three Nine-Pin Sovereigns, and the Flame Sovereign was no ordinary Nine-Pin Sovereign—his flames nearly reached Earth Supreme level, though no one understood why he emitted no spiritual energy fluctuations at all.

The second option, of course, was to unite and resist—if they could hold their ground, the future might see the world divided equally, avoiding absorption by the Soul Temple; they would remain leaders of their Factions, not subjects to another.

"Very well! Since Master Zhu Ye has a strategy to slay the demon, this old man will give everything he has!" The King of Huoshan Kingdom, An Huang, laughed joyously, his figure flashing instantly to stand beside Zhu Ye.

"To make me submit? Impossible!" Xue Shi Yun roared.

The other two, seeing this, did not hesitate—they rushed to Zhu Ye's side.

"You four should've attacked together from the start—save me the trouble." Xiao Yan smiled faintly, neither surprised nor stopping them.

"Flame Sovereign, you are undeniably powerful—but today, you will surely die!" Zhu Ye's eyes sharpened, revealing cold, lethal intent.

The four Supremes resolved to fight Xiao Yan to the death, each pulling out Jade Bottles and pouring countless Supreme Spirit Liquids into Zhu Ye's Sealing Array.

(End of Chapter)