Plan

Before leaving Canaan Academy, Huo Xuan still had some important matters to deal with. For example, Zi Yan had entered the Heavenly Flame Training Gas Tower with them—so how had she suddenly vanished?

Zi Yan's disappearance inevitably aroused the suspicions of Canaan Academy's elders. To avoid raising further suspicion, Huo Xuan casually made up a reason, claiming that the Fallen Heart Flame had gone berserk and Zi Yan had accidentally died inside the Heavenly Flame Training Gas Tower, leaving not even a corpse behind.

Clearly, this explanation was absurd, and no one believed it at all. With a Dou Sheng present, could they really not handle a mere Fallen Heart Flame? Fortunately, Huo Xuan's acting skills were superb.

He recounted the situation in meticulous detail, even vividly describing exactly how Zi Yan had "died." Under Huo Xuan's masterful performance, the elders actually believed him.

In the end, Huo Xuan even "sincerely" apologized to Elder Su Qian, who had taken Zi Yan in all those years ago, and comforted him, telling him to "restrain his grief and accept fate."

After settling matters at Canaan Academy, Huo Xuan and his group set off on their journey back to the Flame Clan.

Flame Clan Council Hall.

Because Huo Xuan's cultivation had risen so quickly, Huo Zhi had been stimulated by his progress. As soon as she returned to the Flame Clan and collected a batch of cultivation resources, she ran off into secluded cultivation. The girl had declared that she would not emerge until she reached Dou Zong.

As for Huo Xuan, he headed straight to the Council Hall upon returning to discuss important matters with the Clan Leader and the elders.

Before long, Clan Leader Yan Jin and the various elders arrived one after another.

"Huo Xuan greets the Clan Leader and the elders."

"Huo Xuan, when you left, you were only at the Dou Huang Peak. Yet in just a few short months, you've already reached Four-Star Dou Zong?" Yan Jin, seated at the head of the hall, immediately saw through Huo Xuan's cultivation.

"I was fortunate enough to subdue two Heavenly Flames. Only after refining them did I break through the Dou Huang realm and reach Four-Star Dou Zong," Huo Xuan said.

Fortunate enough to subdue two Heavenly Flames!

Heavenly Flames were spiritual treasures born of heaven and earth, among the most supreme Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures on the Dou Qi Continent. Yet Huo Xuan alone possessed five of them.

Even Yan Jin felt somewhat envious of Huo Xuan. After all, he himself only possessed two Heavenly Flames.

In truth, Huo Xuan possessed seven Heavenly Flames. One was the Sea Heart Flame he had taken from Han Feng and had yet to refine, while another was a Fallen Heart Flame still in its infancy.

Huo Xuan summoned the infant Fallen Heart Flame from within his body. The moment the invisible little flame appeared, it slowly began radiating scorching heat.

"Huo Xuan, isn't this Fallen Heart Flame meant for your cultivation? Why are you taking it out?" Yan Jin asked.

"Clan Leader, I have already devoured the Fallen Heart Flame within Canaan Academy. I obtained this one by chance. It is still in its infancy and is no longer of much use to me, so I shall leave it to the Clan Leader and the elders to decide what to do with it."

As he spoke, Huo Xuan flicked his finger, sending the infant Fallen Heart Flame in his hand flying toward Yan Jin.

The elders present immediately grew anxious at the sight of the Fallen Heart Flame, all beginning to fight over who it should belong to.

The Flame Clan only had five Heavenly Flames in total, and three already had owners. These elders had long been fighting over the remaining two, but in the end, the Eight Desolations Destruction Flame and the Red Lotus Karma Flame had been subdued by Huo Xuan and Huo Zhi. There was nothing they could do about it—after all, those two were among the Flame Clan's greatest geniuses.

Now that another Heavenly Flame had appeared before them, how could they not be excited? Though the Fallen Heart Flame ranked only fourteenth on the Heavenly Flame Ranking, it was known as a "cultivation cheat."

Fire arose from the heart, tempering qi and refining bones. Once one successfully refined the Fallen Heart Flame, an endless stream of heartfire would be generated within the body. This heartfire required no control, burning and refining one's Dou Qi day and night, at every moment. Under such nearly ceaseless tempering, it was as though one's body remained in a state of cultivation at all times—and the results were even better than ordinary cultivation.

And if a single person monopolized it, how fast would their cultivation progress be? Thus, the elders argued fiercely over this Fallen Heart Flame.

"Clan Leader, give this Fallen Heart Flame to my son. His talent is so exceptional—giving it to him would certainly be the right choice."

"Hmph! My grandson is more talented than your son. Clan Leader, I think this Fallen Heart Flame should go to my grandson."

"Great Elder, with talent like your grandson's, giving him the Fallen Heart Flame would be a waste. I say it should go to my son instead."

"Ah, this feeling is still so familiar..."

Seeing this, Huo Xuan shook his head helplessly. Clearly, this was not the first time he had witnessed such a scene. This level of arguing was not even the worst of it. Sometimes, when fighting over things like Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures, these elders would even abandon all sense of dignity.

"Clan Leader, I have one more matter to report."

After Huo Xuan spoke, Yan Jin waved his hand, and the elders gradually stopped arguing.

"What is it?" Yan Jin asked.

"I found the Ancient Emperor's Cave Mansion."

The Ancient Emperor's Cave Mansion!

"What?!" The news struck the crowd like a thunderbolt, leaving everyone utterly stunned!

This was the Ancient Emperor's Cave Mansion! The eight clans had searched for it for nearly a thousand years without finding anything, yet Huo Xuan claimed that he had found it!

"Is... is this true?"

"Huo Xuan, this matter is no small matter! You must not speak recklessly!"

"Clan Leader, I am not joking. I really did find the Ancient Emperor's Cave Mansion. If you do not believe me, you may ask Elder Huo Shuo. He was there as well."

"That's right, Clan Leader. I was there too. The Young Clan Leader truly found the Ancient Emperor's Cave Mansion," Huo Shuo said.

"Huo Xuan, then where is Tou She Ancient God's Cave Mansion?" After calming himself somewhat, Yan Jin asked.

"The Ancient Emperor's Cave Mansion lies in the Magma World beneath Canaan Academy's Heavenly Flame Training Gas Tower. I found it by accident while subduing the Fallen Heart Flame."

At those words, Yan Jin and the elders' faces twitched slightly.

"By accident? Again by accident? Just how many things have you encountered by accident? Why can you stumble into things like this by accident, while we can't?"

"Huo Xuan, you truly are the Flame Clan's lucky star!" Yan Jin said.

"That's right! Now, as long as we obtain the Ancient Jade of the other clans and open the Ancient Emperor's Cave Mansion, the Clan Leader can take that final step and become the new Dou Di of the Dou Qi Continent! At that time, our Flame Clan will become the number one clan on the continent!" the Great Elder said.

"Alas, it's just a pity that our Yan Clan does not possess that kind of strength."

Yan Jin let out a helpless sigh. Even if he now knew where the Ancient God Cave Abode was, what use would it be? To break through to the Dou Di realm, one needed at least the strength of a Nine Star Dou Sheng.

His current strength was only at the late stage of Eight Star Dou Sheng. Though he was merely one step away from Nine Star Dou Sheng, he had failed to take that step for all these years.

Moreover, the other clans were not the declining Xiao Clan. The Yan Clan did not have the ability to obtain all the Ancient Jade.

"Then let the Hun Clan help us," Huo Xuan said.

"Huo Xuan, what do you mean by that?" Yan Jin's expression changed as he asked in confusion.

"Clan Chief, while traveling and training outside, I accidentally learned that the Hun Clan has already begun Planning for the other pieces of Ancient Jade. The Hun Clan has planted spies within our Yan Clan, and I imagine the same is true for the other clans. Since that is the case, why not go with the flow and let the Hun Clan obtain all the Ancient Jade and help us open the cave abode?"

After a moment of silence, Yan Jin said, "This plan may be good, but what happens after the Hun Clan opens the Ancient God Cave Abode? If we compete with the Hun Clan for the opportunity to become a Dou Di, our Yan Clan cannot contend with them. Besides, even without the Hun Clan, there is still the Gu Clan."

"Clan Chief, there is no need to worry about that. There is an Ancient Void Dragon inside the Ancient God Cave Abode. He was also the Dragon Emperor of the previous generation of Void Ancient Dragons. His strength has reached the level of Nine Star Dou Sheng, and he is absolutely no weaker than Hun Tiandi or Gu Yuan. I have already reached an agreement with him. When the time comes, he will help our Yan Clan deal with the Hun Clan."

"However, the prerequisite is that our Yan Clan must help him reunify the divided Void Ancient Dragon clan."

"Furthermore, the Dragon Emperor said that there may be more than one opportunity to become a Dou Di. Once the Ancient God Cave Abode opens, Clan Chief, you can join forces with Gu Yuan and the Dragon Emperor to kill Hun Tiandi. Afterward, we can split the opportunities to become a Dou Di equally with the Dragon Emperor. If Gu Yuan dares to object then, Clan Chief can join forces with the Dragon Emperor to kill Gu Yuan as well."

After hearing Huo Xuan's words, everyone present revealed shocked expressions. After a while, Yan Jin gradually regained his composure, but his heaving chest exposed just how unsettled he was inside.

"Clan Chief, if you do not believe me, you may first visit the ancestral hall and investigate whether the Ancestral Hall Elder is acting strangely. For example, whether he has been possessed."

"Phew..."

Yan Jin slowly exhaled. Only after a while did he slowly say, "Mm, I understand. I will verify this matter. You may withdraw first."

"Then Huo Xuan shall take his leave."

As they watched Huo Xuan depart, the elders began discussing the matter among themselves once more.

"The Hun Clan, the Ancient God Cave Abode, the Dragon Emperor... What do you all think of Huo Xuan's plan?" Yan Jin asked.

"I think it is somewhat too risky," the Great Elder said.

"Great Elder, I believe it is worth trying," the Second Elder also spoke up.

"Clan Chief, what do you think?"

"If what Huo Xuan said is true, Hun Tiandi will likely make his move completely within the next few years. As Huo Xuan said, Great Elder, go inspect those elders guarding the Ancient Jade and see whether there is anything unusual about them. But do not alert them if possible," Yan Jin said.

"Understood, Clan Chief!"

"To have Huo Xuan is truly a great blessing for our Yan Clan!" the Second Elder praised.

"The new generation surpasses the old. Each generation is stronger than the last," Yan Jin said with a sigh.

From the time he succeeded as Yan Clan Chief until today, several thousand years had passed. He had guarded the Yan Clan for several thousand years as well, yet he had never expected that the Yan Clan's rise would ultimately have to rely on a junior.

"What a formidable youngster!"

"I hope everyone present will keep today's matter strictly confidential. It absolutely must not be leaked."

"Understood, Clan Chief."