Chapter 861

"Alien Flame?!"

Upon hearing Xiao Yan's words, the shop clerk was instantly stunned, gazing at him with an expression as if looking at a fool.

Who in the entire Fire Spirit City didn't know that Alien Flames were all held by the Fire Spirit Clan, whose Divine Fire was forged by condensing every Alien Flame from the Great Thousand World? Not just in Fire Spirit City, but across the Great Thousand World, reports of Alien Flames appearing were exceedingly rare—and any that did were seized by the Fire Spirit Clan.

The clerk couldn't help but offer a wry smile and said, "Brothers, you don't understand—let alone our Fire Pavilion, not a single shop in Fire Spirit City could possibly sell an Alien Flame."

"From Alien Flames below the Supreme level up to Earth Supreme-grade Alien Flames, any naturally born, heaven-and-earth nurtured Alien Flame—the Fire Spirit Clan never lets one slip away. They're utterly ruthless over Alien Flames; no one has ever been known to wrest one away from them."

Suddenly, the clerk seemed to recall something and said cautiously, "Wait—except that Heavenly Venerable of Yan. I heard a few years ago, that Heavenly Venerable of Yan snatched a powerful Alien Flame from the Five Elements Spirit Soil."

Of course, the clerk had no idea the infamous Heavenly Venerable of Yan stood right before him. Though Xiao Yan's name was well-known, his appearance hadn't spread—ordinary people only knew Soul Palace Xiao Yan and Heavenly Venerable of Yan, not what he actually looked like.

"Is that so? But I heard the Fire Spirit Clan possesses a Divine Fire—how might one obtain it?" Xiao Yan's eyes shone with sincere curiosity, like a naive child asking.

"Sssss!" The clerk instantly drew a sharp breath, glancing left and right, terrified someone might overhear, and whispered, "Young master! Don't say such things—if Fire Spirit Clan disciples hear you, disaster will strike!"

"It's true—the Fire Spirit Clan does possess one Divine Fire, forged over the past thousand years by fusing all kinds of heavenly-earth Alien Flames through special means, its power boundless. The Fire Spirit Clan's current prestige, surpassing the other Four Spirit Clans to sit as the top Spirit Clan, is thanks entirely to that Divine Fire."

The clerk revealed to Xiao Yan, "That Divine Fire is the lifeblood of the Fire Spirit Clan. In ancient times, Grandmasters of Alchemy from the Ten Thousand Grasslands and the Dan God Clan came seeking it—but both failed, were turned away. Even those two great Pill Alchemy factions couldn't obtain it."

Xiao Yan's eyes flickered with a hint of unusual light.

After explaining, the clerk rubbed his hands together with a sly grin: "Hehehe, brother, I figure you've just broken through to the Supreme level and came seeking a peculiar flame to strengthen your Spiritual Energy, imbuing it with special power. Our shop doesn't have Alien Flames, but we've plenty of Beast Fires."

"Our shop holds Beast Fires from the top hundred of the Earth List of Ten Thousand Beasts—like the Golden Flame of the Golden Flame Beast at rank ninety-one, the Dragon Flame of the Dragon Flame Eagle at rank eighty-five, the Heart Flame of the Earth Heart Flame Dragon Lizard at rank seventy, and even the Nine Underworld Fire of the Nine Underworld Sparrow Clan at rank eleven."

The clerk assumed Xiao Yan had just reached the Supreme level and sought to enhance his Spiritual Energy, so he pulled out several Jade Bottles, each sealed with a Beast Fire.

Xiao Yan's gaze was drawn to these peculiar Beast Fires; after careful inspection, he judged their power to be merely average—similar to the Beast Fires of the Heavenly Demon Phoenix Clan. The Nine Underworld Fire was stronger, yet still weaker than the Dragon Flame of the True Dragon Clan.

Seeing Xiao Yan's calm expression—even no surprise at the Nine Underworld Fire—the clerk's eyes flickered with surprise, then said, "If you're unsatisfied, come inside—we have Beast Fires from Heavenly List divine beasts too: the Nine Underworld Dark Fire of the Nine Underworld Flame Sparrow, the Ancient Flame Dragon's Ancient Flame Dragon Beast Fire. Come take a look."

Xiao Yan smiled faintly. Though he sought to evolve the Burning Scripture's Beast Fire, it was useless—Beast Fire originated from beasts, a special flame nurtured by them, incapable of evolving the Burning Scripture. Even True Dragon Flame, Phoenix Flame, or the Immortal Fire of the Ancient Immortal Bird couldn't evolve his current Burning Scripture.

"Very well, I'll take a look—might not get another chance later." Xiao Yan smiled, accepted the clerk's invitation, and stepped into the shop. He wasn't in a hurry—after all, could the Fire Spirit Clan run away?

When Xiao Yan arrived on the Fire Spirit Continent, his Alien Flame Spirit sensed it—the Divine Fire was here, for much of it had been forged from Alien Flame origins of the Dou Qi Continent, allowing detection.

As for Xiao Yan's remark, "might not get another chance later," the clerk didn't notice—he assumed Xiao Yan meant he'd never return to Fire Spirit City.

Several days later, at the most spiritually rich location on the Fire Spirit Continent—a place called the Divine Fire Desert, as if scorched by a Divine Fire.

This place was a barren wasteland, utterly lifeless and silent, and at its deepest core lay the ancestral grounds of the Fire Spirit Clan.

On the Fire Spirit Continent, many had long believed the Divine Fire Desert had indeed been burned by a Divine Fire, thinking it was created when the Fire Spirit Clan's ancient ancestor battled the continent's former overlord, and the Divine Fire scorched the land.

Many rocks here had melted, and vast areas had become glazed—indicating this land had once been burned by flames too intense to imagine.

Only the Fire Spirit Clan's Divine Fire could reach such temperatures—hence, many on the Fire Spirit Continent speculated this land had indeed been burned by the Divine Fire.

The Infernal Heat of the Divine Fire Desert was extreme. Walking its dunes, feet scorched by sand, head under a blazing sun, most would soon go mad.

At this moment, a black-robed man carrying a massive black ruler walked alone across the Divine Fire Desert.

For this unbearable, scorching heat, he walked calmly, as if strolling through a garden—even the sand beneath his feet burning, even the sun above blazing to madness, had no effect.

Though this was Xiao Yan's first time in the Divine Fire Desert, his Alien Flame Sense guided him—he moved steadily forward without pause, soon arriving at a certain place.

"Heavenly Venerable Realm."

Xiao Yan looked up at the empty desert before him—it seemed utterly lifeless—but Xiao Yan knew the Fire Spirit Clan was right there, hidden within endless void, like a Emperor's Realm.

Yet strangely, Xiao Yan didn't immediately open a spatial seal to enter the ancestral grounds. Instead, he turned his head slightly, gazing at a distant stone mountain—where stood a man he recognized.

"Feeling so free to come watch?" Xiao Yan smiled, as if greeting an old friend, waving and sending a mental voice.

The man on the stone mountain, hands clasped behind his back, smiled warmly. His white robes exuded scholarly grace, his slender silhouette swaying like willow branches in spring breeze—resilient, yet with an ineffable elegance.

But anyone who mistook him for a frail scholar would die horribly—for this man was the Clan Leader of the Thirty-Three Great Tribes of the Domain Beyond, Hun Tian Di!

A few years ago, the Soul Sovereign discovered a Lower Plane possessing a World Seed—the Jinghe Continent. Under Hun Tian Di's leadership, they slaughtered every living being within less than a year, turning the land crimson with blood.

Finally, Hun Tian Di unleashed a Divine Technique, absorbing the spiritual essence of all life, performing a Blood Sacrifice upon the Jinghe Continent, and absorbing the World Seed to break through to Heavenly Supreme.

Of course, this was not Hun Tian Di's true body—only a Soul Avatar.

"Hehe, Tuoshe Ancient Emperor has ties to both you and me. I wish to witness the outcome of this battle, observe your battle as Dou Emperor Xiao Yan, and gain some insight." Hun Tian Di's voice was soft—on Blue Star, he'd be a top entertainment idol.

"You've seen me fight Tuoshe Ancient Emperor before." Xiao Yan shrugged.

Hun Tian Di's eyes narrowed slightly, his tone laden with meaning: "But I've never seen your full power."

Xiao Yan smiled, and didn't continue his "catch-up" with Hun Tian Di. Slowly, he raised his hand and pressed it into Space. Whoosh—a black flame slowly spread from his palm, as if igniting blank paper, burning outward in all directions.

"Whether I fight at full power isn't up to me—it depends on the opponent."

The black flame burned through Space faster and faster, until it seemed to set the entire heavens and earth ablaze—as if lifting a curtain, revealing the true stage!

Xiao Yan looked ahead—the ancestral grounds of the Fire Spirit Clan appeared built of red firestone. First to meet his eyes was a sea of crimson; the entire ancestral grounds was an endless fire realm, everywhere ablaze, structures forged from firestone.

Towering cities stood tall; on the fiery clouds above hovered divine pavilions and towers, each emitting unique energies—these towers were cultivation sites, like Tian Fen Lian Qi Ta.

The Fire Spirit Clan's Fire Spirit Realm was far larger than Xiao Realm, distinctly alien in character—clearly not meant for humans, but for fire itself, a world of Fire Spirits.

Of course, what drew Xiao Yan's gaze most wasn't the architecture—but the hundreds of thousands of Fire Spirit Clan warriors already awaiting him, a sea of red. Each disciple wore crimson robes embroidered with the Fire Spirit Clan's crest.

As if they'd foreseen Xiao Yan's arrival, every disciple was already prepared for battle.

And not just the Fire Spirit Clan—Xiao Yan spotted a familiar face at the rear: the Ice Spirit Ancestor of the Ice Spirit Clan. Also present were powerful figures from the Thunder Spirit Clan, Wood Spirit Tribe, and Wind Spirit Clan.

Beside the Ice Spirit Ancestor stood a middle-aged man in a crimson robe, his hair blazing red—the robe of the Fire Spirit Clan's Clan Leader. Like the Ice Spirit Ancestor, he too was a Spirit-grade Heavenly Supreme.

But Xiao Yan and Hun Tian Di both knew this man was not Tuoshe Ancient Emperor—they had seen Tuoshe Ancient Emperor's statue, even his Inheritance Spiritual Consciousness. Tuoshe Ancient Emperor didn't look like this.

Clearly, the Fire Spirit Clan had two Heavenly Supremes: one was the Clan Leader Zhu Jiuyan, the other was Tuoshe, who had become a Heavenly Supreme a thousand years ago.

"Looks like I'll need to use some force." Seeing this array, Xiao Yan wasn't alarmed, nor did he consider asking Hun Tian Di for help—he spoke calmly: "Since you want to watch, then so be it."

BOOM!! A thunderous roar shook the entire Fire Spirit Continent. The moment Xiao Yan finished speaking, the entire sky and Fire Realm dimmed—in an instant, an endless black Alien Flame surged from Space.

"Tuoshe Ancient Emperor, I've come for revenge!" The boundless Void Swallowing Flame seemed ready to devour the entire Fire Spirit Clan—its ferocious roar emerged from the black flame, the fury of a flame imprisoned for a thousand years.

It had come for revenge!

From the Lower Plane to the Great Thousand World, to the Fire Spirit Clan's ancestral grounds—it came solely for vengeance!

"Alien Flame!" As Void Swallowing Flame unleashed its full power, it shook the entire Fire Spirit Clan—this was no ordinary Void Swallowing Flame. This was Xiao Yan's Emperor Flame, though all Alien Flames had been fused and entrusted to Void Swallowing Flame's control.

In an instant, countless living beings across Huo Ling Da Lu trembled, feeling the terrifying might of the strange fire—even Earth Supremes were chilled to the bone.

Anyone who heard that voice, laden with resentment, would be stunned—what hatred could run this deep.

"Nihility Swallowing Flame!" In the deepest part of the Fire Spirit Tribe Ancestral Land, Fire Spirit Clan Leader Zhu Jiuyan saw the Black Flame that blotted out half the sky, and his expression instantly grew incomparably grave.

He certainly knew of the Nihility Swallowing Flame. The Fire Spirit Clan's Divine Fire was fused together through the Burning Art, so naturally it could split apart just like Xiao Yan's did. The split strange fire also included the Nihility Swallowing Flame, and could even split off sub-flames for the clan's disciples to inherit.

He himself had once obtained a sub-flame of the Nihility Swallowing Flame, using it to temper the Yan Shen Dharma Body.

That Divine Fire sustaining the entire Fire Spirit Clan was no joke—just as Xiao Yan could bestow sub-flames, the Tuoshe Ancient Emperor could as well, because he too was a cultivator of the Burning Art, and a grand-mastery one at that!

"Since the Tuoshe Ancient Emperor doesn't want to come out, let's warm up first." Xiao Yan rolled his neck. The strange fire had now departed, but he had more than just the strange fire as power—he was now a Heavenly Supreme as well.

"Dragon Phoenix true spirit, Dragon Phoenix Chaos Body."

With a hum, Xiao Yan's body erupted with a purple-gold radiance, and under the shocked gazes of everyone, he directly transformed into an incomparably massive purple-gold divine beast.

Behind the long purple giant dragon grew a pair of gold-red phoenix wings; when those wings spread, they measured roughly ten thousand zhang, unfurling to blot out the sun and sky.

"This is… the Dragon Phoenix Body!" Seeing the divine beast that Xiao Yan's flesh body had erupted into, even Hun Tian Di was somewhat stunned. He then thought of the new Dragon Emperor within the Taixu Ancient Dragon Clan.

"That Dragon Phoenix only obtained a sliver of Dragon Phoenix Bloodline through the Dragon Phoenix Origin Fruit—he shouldn't be able to give Xiao Yan such pure Dragon Phoenix Bloodline. Could something have mutated in the process?" Hun Tian Di's brows knit tightly; he hadn't expected Xiao Yan to open with such a bang!

(End of this chapter)