Chapter 870: Great Thousand Palace Senior Execution Demon Master

In the five-colored, dazzling Sea of Fire born from the collision, two figures stood—one naturally Xiao Yan, the other not Tuoshe Ancient Emperor, but Void Swallowing Flame.

Without doubt, the victor of this battle was Xiao Yan—he had not only fused the Beast Fires but also absorbed Source Qi from the Domain Beyond; this Buddha Fury Lotus was no longer merely a fusion of Beast Fires, its power now immeasurable.

Regarding Beast Fires, the Five Elemental Divine Fire had indeed reached the pseudo-Xianpin Zhenzun Zhenzun Zhenzun Zhenzun Zhenzun Zhenzun Zhenzun Zhenzun Zhenzun Zhenzun Zhenzun Zhenzun Zhenzun Supreme Emperor Beast Fire level, whereas Xiao Yan's initial refining of Starry Gray Flame had only elevated his Beast Fire to the mere Spirit-level Supreme Emperor tier—the gap between them was immense.

But in reality, Xiao Yan's Beast Fire had also reached the pseudo-Xianpin Zhenzun Zhenzun Zhenzun Zhenzun Zhenzun Zhenzun Zhenzun Zhenzun Zhenzun Zhenzun Zhenzun Zhenzun Zhenzun Supreme Emperor level.

The reason was simple: after refining Starry Gray Flame, Xiao Yan's Beast Fire had also evolved!

Profound Yellow Flame absorbed the Profound Yellow Qi from the Domain Beyond twice, and ultimately, with the aid of the Dou Qi Continent's dimensional womb and the entire continent's collective Faith Power, it completed its transformation.

Profound Yellow Flame is the fire of humanity, the flame of the Human King; possessing it grants the power to alter Qi Circulation, condense the Yellow Dragon's Qi Circulation, and become the True Son of Heaven.

As the ancients said: "Central yellow is earth."

In human imperial dynasties, the Human King wore a dragon robe—and the dragon on that robe was the Yellow Dragon!

The reason Xiao Yan's Buddha Fury Lotus contained Source Qi at the final moment was because it came from Profound Yellow Flame—more precisely, from the evolved Profound Yellow Flame that had transformed into a Yellow Dragon!

This is also why the refined Burning Scripture cannot use Beast Fire but requires Beast Fires—Beast Fires can grow stronger, evolve, and even take on physical forms as Spirit Flames, whereas Beast Fire is fixed and unchanging.

Whether it was the mighty Void Swallowing Flame or Pure Lotus Demonic Flame, their potential and special abilities held little difference—they were both born kings among Beast Fires—but when Xiao Yan refined them, the gap in their power was enormous.

One was a Nine Star Dou Sheng, the other a Five Star Dou Sheng—the difference between them was incalculable.

Even the lower-ranked Heartfall Flame and Three Thousand Yan Flame, when first subdued by Xiao Yan, already possessed combat power stronger than Nine Underworld Wind Flame, Crimson Lotus Karma Flame, and Xun Er's Golden Emperor Burning Heaven Flame.

Beast Fires can absorb relative power to cultivate; perhaps one day, Heartfall Flame's strength could surpass Void Swallowing Flame.

And Profound Yellow Flame was the first among all Xiao Yan's Beast Fires to evolve, rising from behind to take the lead.

Thus, when Xiao Yan fought Tuoshe Ancient Emperor, his Beast Fire's rank had not lagged behind—it had even held a slight advantage.

"You should be happy now that your vengeance is complete," Xiao Yan said to Void Swallowing Flame beside him.

Clearly, this fated confrontation between Burning Scripture cultivators ended in Xiao Yan's victory.

Void Swallowing Flame fell silent for a moment, then said: "Revenge fulfilled does not necessarily bring joy. Besides, Beast Fires have no true death."

Xiao Yan smiled and did not press the matter further.

Xiao Yan gestured with his hand, and the Five Elemental Divine Fire appeared in his palm. Though Tuoshe Ancient Emperor himself was a Beast Fire, this was now merely the Beast Fire's primal source—its energy was nearly depleted.

There was no help for it: Tuoshe Ancient Emperor had perished, and the residual energy within the Divine Fire was scarce. Yet this primal source of the Five Elemental Divine Fire was sufficient to allow the Burning Scripture to evolve once more, making the Beast Fire vastly stronger.

After a moment of contemplation, Xiao Yan extended his hand, gently plucking out a strand of Five Elemental Divine Fire as thin as a hair—the residual spiritual essence of the Five Elemental Divine Fire. He released it, letting it drift with the wind until it landed somewhere unknown on Huo Ling Da Lu.

Perhaps after countless years, a new Beast Fire might be born on Huo Ling Da Lu; whether it would be the Five Elemental Divine Fire, or whether it counted as Tuoshe Ancient Emperor's reincarnation, remained unknown.

With a soft pop, Xiao Yan directly swallowed the Five Elemental Divine Fire into his abdomen—but he did not immediately refine it; this was hardly an ideal place to refine a Beast Fire.

"Let's go. I need to find a place to heal—Tuoshe Ancient Emperor's final strike was no ordinary blow." Xiao Yan's expression grew grave as he touched his chest, where a deep wound, bone-showing and burning with unique Beast Fire energy, refused to be suppressed even by his Dragon Phoenix Chaos Body.

After all, that was Tuoshe Ancient Emperor's final, desperate strike. Though Xiao Yan had obliterated him, he had taken the full force of the blow.

"Uninvited guests are approaching," Xiao Yan said, his gaze piercing the heavens of Huo Ling Da Lu; his Soul Power sensed two Supreme Emperors tearing through the sky.

Void Swallowing Flame glanced down at the Fire Spirit Tribe Ancestral Land—he had no interest now in capturing Fire Spirit Clan disciples to imprison; his vengeance was complete.

Some rejoiced, others grieved: Xiao Yan's overwhelming victory meant the Fire Spirit Clan and the other Four Spirit Clans had suffered total defeat.

"Sigh—karma. All is fate. When you, Tuoshe, first discovered the Dou Qi Continent, that was the cause," Zhu Jiuyan sighed. Though other Fire Spirit Clan disciples had survived, their ancestral land was destroyed, their strongest ancestor perished, and they had lost their Divine Fire.

"All Fire Spirit Clan disciples, listen: from today, the Fire Spirit Tribe Ancestral Land is sealed. All disciples enter seclusion and cultivate until the Da Qian Alliance arrives."

From then on, Fire Spirit Clan disciples wandering the Great Thousand World became far fewer; those occasionally seen grew quiet and reserved.

Xiao Yan tore through Space and left the Fire Spirit Clan, landing on a meteorite. He took out an Elixir and swallowed it, then sat cross-legged to refine it.

Moments later, Xiao Yan slowly opened his eyes, sensed his condition, and frowned deeply—his high-grade Imperial Grade Pill could only suppress the wound, not heal it.

"I'll need to refine some Supreme Emperor-grade Elixirs to recover. After healing, I'll refine the Five Elemental Divine Fire." Xiao Yan sighed helplessly. Though he appeared calm now, as if untouched, Tuoshe Ancient Emperor's final strike was a lethal wound even for a Supreme Emperor.

Even for Xiao Yan, mishandling it could prove fatal.

Xiao Yan's calmness stemmed from his confidence—he could heal himself, for he was an Alchemist. How could he not be calm?

"Let me calculate the time—I should pay a visit to the Ancient Ten Thousand Grassland." Xiao Yan remembered Wu Ling Tian Zun, whom he had tricked twice over two years ago; he could no longer keep the man waiting. Besides, the Ancient Ten Thousand Grassland's Ancient Elixir Ritual was about to begin.

"The Ancient Ten Thousand Grassland should have healing Medicinal Materials." Having decided, Xiao Yan pulled out a Soul Token—the token left to him by the Medicine Saint Nu Shan, granting him direct entry into the Ancient Ten Thousand Grassland.

But then he reconsidered and tucked Nu Shan's Soul Token away. The Ancient Ten Thousand Grassland was, in a sense, a tripartite power structure: though it housed many Alchemists and Alchemist families, it was truly governed by only three individuals—the three Grandmaster Alchemists of the Ancient Ten Thousand Grassland.

Nu Shan was the younger brother and disciple of one of these Grandmaster Alchemists; the Hundred Vine Alchemist King who attacked Ning Tian Continent was a disciple of another Grandmaster Alchemist.

Clearly, power divisions within the Ancient Ten Thousand Grassland were severe. Xiao Yan merely intended to fulfill his promise, attend the Elixir Ritual, and claim his reward—he had no desire to get entangled in these power struggles.

"Good. I still have another token." Xiao Yan retrieved a simple, ancient Soul Token from Void Space; on it was inscribed a single character: "Zhao."

This was the token given to Xiao Yan long ago, when he first arrived in the Great Thousand World, at a shop on Ning Tian Continent—the shopkeeper had offered it, hoping to invite Xiao Yan to join the Ancient Ten Thousand Grassland.

"Heh, this thing came in handy after all." Xiao Yan hadn't expected it to actually be useful.

He gently infused a bit of Soul Power into the token; it emitted a pulse, pointing toward a direction—clearly, the direction of the Ancient Ten Thousand Grassland.

But Xiao Yan did not depart immediately. After confirming the direction, he stored the token and turned his head toward the boundless Void. "Don't follow me like a shadow."

As his words faded, the dark expanse of Space twisted, and two figures emerged—the two men from the Great Thousand Palace.

Seeing the embroidery on their robes, Xiao Yan frowned slightly—he recognized the emblem of the Great Thousand Palace.

"A Spirit-level Supreme Emperor at the late stage, and a half-Xianpin Zhenzun Zhenzun Zhenzun Zhenzun Zhenzun Zhenzun Zhenzun Zhenzun Zhenzun Zhenzun Zhenzun Zhenzun Zhenzun Supreme Emperor. What do the Great Thousand Palace want with me?" Though Xiao Yan was severely wounded, his Soul Power and Dou Qi nearly depleted, he had not yet used his Saint Pupil or the Evil God Asura Soul Body.

Facing these two, Xiao Yan was not overly concerned—if push came to shove, he could risk exposure and escape without issue.

"A worthy youth!" The middle-aged man, the half-Xianpin Zhenzun Zhenzun Zhenzun Zhenzun Zhenzun Zhenzun Zhenzun Zhenzun Zhenzun Zhenzun Zhenzun Zhenzun Zhenzun Supreme Emperor, stepped forward, studied Xiao Yan carefully, then spoke slowly.

The two had rushed from the Great Thousand Palace with one purpose: to stop Xiao Yan. The Great Thousand Palace always hoped Supreme Emperor-level cultivators would preserve their strength to fight the Domain Beyond demons.

But they had never expected that by the time they arrived at Huo Ling Da Lu at top speed, the battle was already over.

When they learned the mighty Fire Spirit Ancestor had been slain by Xiao Yan and that the Fire Spirit Clan's Divine Fire had been stolen, they were stunned. Only a few years ago, Xiao Yan had barely escaped from the Ice Spirit Ancestor—he had been utterly powerless against him.

Now, just a few years later, he had taken on all Five Spirit Clans! The Ice Spirit Ancestor had been humiliated and crushed! The speed of his power growth was unheard of—even Mo He Tian had advanced more slowly.

"With such abilities, you need never fear lacking a place in this world. I am ShangGuanYan, Senior Execution Demon Master of the Great Thousand Palace." The half-Xianpin Zhenzun Zhenzun Zhenzun Zhenzun Zhenzun Zhenzun Zhenzun Zhenzun Zhenzun Zhenzun Zhenzun Zhenzun Zhenzun Supreme Emperor bowed respectfully to Xiao Yan.

"I am SuGong, Senior Execution Demon Master of the Great Thousand Palace," said the other Execution Demon Master, his tone indifferent.

"Senior Execution Demon Master?" Xiao Yan naturally didn't understand the title, but he had heard that Mo He Tian was a Senior Execution Demon Master.

SuGong glanced at Xiao Yan and said: "A Senior Execution Demon Master is one who has accumulated three thousand Execution Demon Points. Killing a Demon King of Lower Earth Supreme rank grants fifty points; killing a Demon King of Upper Earth Supreme rank grants one hundred points; killing a Demon Emperor of Perfect Earth Supreme rank grants two hundred points. Killing a Spirit-grade Heavenly Supreme-level Demon Emperor grants three thousand points."

"Oh." Xiao Yan uttered a dismissive "oh," showing no interest whatsoever.

By this calculation, Xiao Yan himself could be considered a Senior Execution Demon Master. And from Xiao Yan's observation, SuGong likely lacked the ability to kill a Demon Emperor—he had merely accumulated points over time to reach the rank.

The other, ShangGuanYan, was far more likely to have slain a Demon Emperor himself—a true powerhouse, unquestionably strong.

Hearing Xiao Yan's tone, SuGong frowned slightly, visibly displeased. In the Great Thousand World, who did not treat Execution Demon Masters with the utmost respect? It wasn't just about power—it was honor. They were the protectors of the Great Thousand World!

But he forgot that Xiao Yan came from the Dou Qi Continent, where the protectors of old were not the Great Thousand Palace, but the ancient Dou Emperors.

Xiao Yan had no intention of showing the Great Thousand Palace any deference.

"If there's nothing else, I'll take my leave—I have matters to attend to," Xiao Yan said calmly.

"Wait," ShangGuanYan said hastily, then sighed helplessly: "Heavenly Venerable of Yan, your personal affairs are not the Great Thousand Palace's business to interfere in—but according to the ancient pact established by the Immortal Emperor, Heavenly Supreme-level powerhouses in the Great Thousand World should avoid deadly clashes, preserving strength to confront the Domain Beyond."

Xiao Yan smiled faintly, his tone laden with implication: "So?"

ShangGuanYan sighed inwardly, forcing a bitter smile: "So the Great Thousand Palace hopes you will join us as an honored guest. And… release JingAnOldImmortal and the other two."

Xiao Yan's eyes narrowed slightly—he immediately understood why the Great Thousand Palace had arrived so quickly. It wasn't just word of his actions; it was because he had captured three Heavenly Supremes. Even if they were only early Spirit-grade Heavenly Supremes, they were still Heavenly Supremes.

To the Great Thousand World, one Heavenly Supreme was equivalent to one Demon Emperor. Of course, a Spirit-grade Heavenly Supreme couldn't sway the tide—only serve as a pillar, an elite foe.

But for the Great Thousand World, more Heavenly Supremes were always better.

At this, Xiao Yan smiled faintly, waved his hand, and a wooden table and three chairs materialized out of thin air.

Xiao Yan sat in the seat of honor, poured three cups of hot tea, gestured for them to sit, took a sip, then said slowly: "Joining your Great Thousand Palace is out of the question—I come from the Lower Plane and have no interest in this. As for releasing them? Not impossible. How much ransom are you willing to pay?"

Three Spirit-grade Heavenly Supremes. Though Xiao Yan didn't know Blood Sacrifice techniques or Spirit Offering arts, he could at least sell them to the Domain Beyond—to the Holy Heavenly Demon Emperor. They were worth more than a Planetary Core!

The Great Thousand World had the Great Thousand Palace—the Domain Beyond had the Ten Thousand Demon Palace!

The Heavenly Venerable of Yan came from the Soul Palace—he had once sold countless Soul Bodies. Now he was returning to his old trade.

Hearing Xiao Yan demand "ransom," both men froze. In all their long lives, after years in the Great Thousand Palace, they had never heard such a thing!

And what was the Great Thousand Palace? In plain terms, it was the United Nations of the Great Thousand World—the strongest force protecting world peace. Yet someone dared to defy it!

Even the Five Great God Tribes gave the Great Thousand Palace some leeway.

"What? These three attacked my territory together and were captured—now they owe no price? If you want them back, fine. One Heavenly Supreme for one Planetary Core."