"You've heard? Elder Huo Yi has become a traitor, betraying our Flame Clan!"
"Huo Yi colluded with the Gu Clan and was ultimately killed by Elders Huo Ye and Elder Huo Zhen! Not only Huo Yi, but also his son, Huo Yi, the Huo Cheng of our Yan Clan's Four Heroes, was killed!"
"Huo Yi's body was hung in a prominent spot in the central square..."
"Alas, I never imagined that Elder Huo Yi, a Dou Sheng Expert, would end up like this..."
"This is what happens when you betray someone..."
Huo Yi's betrayal of the Flame Clan spread like wildfire throughout the entire Flame Clan, and soon everyone in the Flame Clan knew that Huo Yi was a traitor.
The sun was blazing hot, its rays like fire.
Above the central square of the Yan World.
Huo Yi's body was left hanging here to be exposed to the scorching sun; this was Huo Xuan's idea.
Although Huo Yi is dead, he still serves a purpose: to warn everyone that those who betray Yan World will ultimately suffer the consequences.
The body was hung here for ten days, exposed to the scorching sun, yet it showed no signs of rotting or decaying. After all, it was the body of Dou Sheng Expert; how could it be like the body of an ordinary person?
Huo Xuan suggested that Huo Yi's body should be exposed to the scorching sun for at least three months. Once the time was up, the body would serve another purpose, making a final "small contribution" to the Flame Clan.
Although Huo Yi is dead, Huo Xuan won't let him off easily. After all, he was a Dou Sheng Expert, and even in death, his corpse still holds considerable value: Dou Sheng Skeleton, Dou Sheng Essence —these are all valuable items...
He could even use this corpse to Refining Puppet, allowing Huo Yi to "resurrect" in another way. In that case, he could not only continue to serve the Flame Clan, but would also never betray them.
In fact, the Flame Clan generally holds the deceased in high esteem, especially the strong. According to the Flame Clan's rules, Dou Sheng Expert, whether they died a natural or unnatural death, is usually buried in a designated tomb if they leave behind a body. However, Huo Yi is different. Although he is Dou Sheng Expert, he also has another identity: a traitor...
To bury a traitor in a tomb. Who would dare allow it? Who would dare propose it? Who would dare let him be buried in a tomb and laid to rest? Even if they agreed, the ancestors in the tomb probably wouldn't. If he were really buried in the tomb, those ancestors might come looking for you that very night.
There's no need to follow rules when dealing with traitors. He served as an elder of the Flame Clan for so long, and the Flame Clan had given him many benefits during his lifetime. Now that he's a traitor, all the resources the Flame Clan had invested in him have gone down the drain. Now that he's dead, confiscating his body after his death is a small form of compensation...
A large crowd had gathered around the central square, gazing at Huo Yi's hanging corpse. They were filled with anger at his actions in life, for he was a traitor. Yet, along with their anger, they also felt a pang of pity, for he was, in a way, pitiful...
"Over the years, I feel that our Flame Clan has never mistreated Elder Huo Yi, so why did he become a traitor..." Someone in the crowd muttered quietly, and upon hearing this, the crowd began to discuss among themselves.
"You don't know this, do you? I heard that Elder Huo Yi is extremely power-hungry and has always hoped that his son could become the Young Clan Leader. Last time, he even suggested to the clan leader that the Young Clan Leader be deposed. In the end, not only did he fail to get the clan leader to depose the Young Clan Leader, but he himself was deposed by the clan leader instead."
"No wonder, he's brainless! Our Young Clan Leader was handpicked by the clan leader, and he actually dared to set his sights on that..."
"Later I heard that it was because of the suggestion to depose the Young Clan Leader that Huo Yi offended the Young Clan Leader. He probably felt that he could not survive in the Flame Clan in the future, so he chose to become a traitor."
"And what about Huo Cheng? What became of him?"
"I know that." A Flame Clan disciple in the crowd quickly spoke up, "He has already been dealt with by the Young Clan Leader. My brother had some connections with Yan Liao, who was by the Young Clan Leader's side. My brother went to great lengths to find out what happened to Huo Cheng. He Burning Body with Fierce Fire. Those flames were not ordinary flames, but two kinds of Strange Fire."
"Being burned by two Strange Fire must be incredibly painful..."
"Well..."
As the sun and moon alternate, time flows like water, and in the blink of an eye, half a year has passed...
Inside the Council Hall.
Huo Xuan stood in the center of the hall, not taking the seat reserved for the clan leader, because that seat was already occupied.
After half a year, Yan Jin has finally emerged from seclusion!
Upon seeing Yan Jin again after half a year, Huo Xuan noticed that although Yan Jin's aura was still as gentle and concealed as before, like a warm flame, Huo Xuan's Heaven Realm Soul sensed that Yan Jin's aura was significantly stronger than it had been six months ago...
"Chieftain, you've succeeded!"
"Hahaha, not bad! Thanks to the Volcanic Rock Flame you found, although it's not a powerful Strange Fire, it didn't disappoint me. I managed to break through to the Nine-Star Dou Sheng Initial Stage Volcanic Rock Flame Nine-Star Dou Sheng thanks to its power." Yan Jin said happily.
"Congratulations, Clan Chief!"
"Our clan leader has reached the Nine Star Dou Sheng. Although we are still somewhat behind the Flame Clan Gu Clan, compared to the Lei Clan, the Lei Clan is no match for our Flame Clan."
Upon hearing Huo Xuan's words, Yan Jin's initial joy at breaking through to the Nine Star Dou Sheng instantly vanished by half. Compared to the Gu Clan, their Flame Clan had only lacked one Nine Star Dou Sheng. Now that he had broken through to the Nine Star Dou Sheng, Huo Xuan still said that the Flame Clan was inferior to the Gu Clan. These words were like a bucket of cold water, extinguishing the flame of joy that had risen in his heart due to his successful breakthrough.
However, he didn't blame Huo Xuan, because he was telling the truth. He had only just broken through from the Eight Star Dou Sheng to the Nine-Star Dou Sheng Initial Stage, while Gu Yuan had been at the Nine-Star Dou Sheng Late Stage for hundreds of years. The difference between the early and late stages was still significant, and he was still quite far behind Gu Yuan.
Although they are not as good as the Gu Clan, at least the Lei Clan is no longer a match for them.
The news of Yan Jin's breakthrough to the Nine Star Dou Sheng is strictly forbidden from being publicized. Currently, apart from Huo Xuan, a few elders, and some members of the Medicine Clan who are allied with them, only a few people know about it.
The news that Yan Jin had successfully broken through to the Nine Star Dou Sheng undoubtedly strengthened the alliance between the two clans when it reached the Medicine Clan.
When the Medicine Clan learned of the Flame Clan's request to join forces against the Gu Clan, they initially intended to refuse outright. After all, apart from the Hun Clan, the other clans were unwilling to truly fight the Gu Clan. Although the Gu Clan many grudges against them, their strength was undeniable, and who would want to go against them for no reason?
However, after the Medicine Clan learned of the Hun Clan's true strength, coupled with Huo Xuan's threat of dying together if they did not form an alliance and their promise to do their best to protect the Medicine Clan in the future, they reconsidered and finally agreed to the Flame Clan's request for an alliance.
However, after hearing that the Gu Lei clan had formed an alliance, the Medicine Clan, while outwardly maintaining an alliance with the Flame Clan, was secretly in a wavering state. Last time, they had already struggled to defeat just one Gu Clan, and now with the addition of the Lei Clan, the Medicine Clan did not believe they could defeat the Gu-Lei Alliance.
Some members of the Medicine Clan even proposed withdrawing from the alliance and seeking peace with the Gu Clan, believing that if they stood on the same side as the Flame Clan, the Medicine Clan might perish even faster.
However, their clan leader Yao Dan still decided to fight on the same side as the Flame Clan. It wasn't that he particularly favored the Flame Clan; he was afraid that the Flame Clan would really join forces with the Hun Clan. He believed that if the Flame Clan dared to do so, the Hun Clan would definitely help. After all, the two Ancient Jade that might exist in the Flame Clan were not just for show, and the Hun Clan would be happy to take the opportunity to eliminate Gu Yuan, who was also Nine Star Dou Sheng.
Although the Yao Dan were there to keep them in check, the Medicine Clan was still in a state of uncertainty. However, when they received the news that Yan Jin had successfully broken through to the Nine Star Dou Sheng, this state of uncertainty immediately vanished.
With the addition of Nine Star Dou Sheng, the gap between them and the Gu Clan has narrowed considerably. They are probably planning to fight again, since they won last time and might win this time as well.