Space Within the Magma World

When these elders arrived at the sealed grounds, they found the area completely empty. Not only had Fallen Heart Flame vanished, even the red flames associated with it had disappeared without a trace. Only the Magma Lake remained, continuously radiating astonishing heat.

Several elders looked at one another, all realizing that things had gone terribly wrong. Fallen Heart Flame had truly disappeared.

The Sky Burning Qi Refining Tower was Canaan Academy's sacred ground, capable of steadily producing top-tier experts for the academy. Fallen Heart Flame had played the greatest role in this. Without it, none of them knew whether Canaan Academy would decline in the future.

Still unwilling to give up, the elders searched everywhere, practically digging up the ground, but no matter how hard they searched, they could not find even the slightest trace related to Fallen Heart Flame. It was as though it had vanished into thin air.

"Alas, these are truly troubled times." First Elder Su Qian finally gave up. He sighed and spoke with emotion.

The Dou Qi Continent appeared peaceful at present, but beneath the surface, hidden currents surged. The Ancient Eight Clans seemed intent on stepping out from behind the scenes, while the Soul Clan had established Soul Halls throughout the continent, capturing alchemists everywhere and leaving countless alchemists in constant fear.

The Three Great Magical Beast Royal Clans were also unwilling to remain idle. After the Dragon Emperor vanished, the Void Ancient Dragon Clan had split into five major factions that constantly fought among themselves, leaving them no time to concern themselves with outside affairs. They remained confined to Dragon Island, but the ambitious Black Dragon Clan had already set its sights on the Dou Qi Continent.

The Heaven Demon Phoenix Clan had always been the most active. Their clan was filled with experts, and most of their younger generation had grown into pillars of the clan. Secretly, they were eager to destroy humanity and become the rulers of the Dou Qi Continent.

Although the Nine Nether Earth Python Clan dwelled beneath the Nine Nether Yellow Springs, that did not mean they had no designs on the Dou Qi Continent. It was merely because internal strife had severely weakened them that they had no choice but to lie low for the time being.

In short, the Dou Qi Continent, which had been peaceful for several thousand years, was about to undergo tremendous upheaval. This was an era that produced heroes in great numbers, but also an era where human lives were as cheap as ants. Only by becoming strong could one control one's own fate.

Now they were truly screwed. Once something happened to Fallen Heart Flame, it meant that the Sky Burning Qi Refining Tower, this sacred ground, was completely useless. From now on, cultivation could only rely on medicinal pills or meditation. Trying to take shortcuts would be impossible.

After becoming accustomed to the feeling of rapidly improving one's cultivation, returning to those bitter old days would probably be unbearable for anyone.

Yet no matter how unwilling they were, Fallen Heart Flame's disappearance had become a fact. Rather than agonizing over such useless matters here, it was better to consider what path Canaan Academy should take in the future.

First Elder Su Qian's brows were tightly furrowed, his face filled with an inexpressible gloom.

"Alas!"

The crimson Magma Lake was incomparably vast, stretching beyond the limits of sight. Xiao Xian moved through it with calm composure. With every step he took, it was as though he crossed layer upon layer of space—one step spanning the distance between worlds.

The Magma Lake did not contain only scorching magma. It also held creatures that survived by relying on magma, such as these Lizardmen before him, who resembled lizards but stood upright like humans.

"Human, leave at once. This is God's Graveyard, not a place you can enter. Otherwise, bear the consequences yourself." The Lizardmen looked like beasts, yet possessed astonishing intelligence. One of the Half-Saint Lizardmen spoke.

"What if I don't leave?" Xiao Xian asked with a smile.

Though the Lizardman was a Half-Saint, in Xiao Xian's eyes, it was no different from an ant. He could crush it with a single finger, so naturally, he would not retreat because of a single sentence from it.

In the current Dou Qi Continent, Xiao Xian was an absolutely invincible existence. No place and no person could threaten him. Even if Tou She Ancient God from ten thousand years ago were revived, he might not be Xiao Xian's match, much less a graveyard he had built.

Even if this graveyard had some hidden contingencies left behind, they were no more than empty decoration in the eyes of a Dou Emperor.

"Don't leave, die."

The Lizardman seemed unaccustomed to speaking, its words halting and awkward, but its meaning was clear. It would not allow Xiao Xian to proceed any farther. Otherwise, they would strike and kill him.

"I was only joking with you. Do you really think you're somebody?" Xiao Xian shook his head and laughed, then casually swung a palm.

The entire magma world immediately erupted. Violent power tore apart heaven and earth. Before the force even reached them, the two Lizardmen's expressions changed drastically. Alarm bells rang in their minds, and their bodies instinctively trembled.

The two Lizardmen tried to resist, but it was useless. When a Dou Emperor made a move, how could they be allowed any extra movement? They were instantly reduced to pulp.

Not only that, the force continued to break through the magma's obstruction, piercing through the entire magma world. Finally, it penetrated the unseen barrier, revealing a dark and empty space.

Xiao Xian took a step forward, and when he reappeared, he was already within that dark, empty space.

This was a world whose end could not be seen at a glance. Yet the entire world was filled with darkness, and all around was utter silence. There was no earth, no sun, moon, or stars—only boundless emptiness. This seemed to be a Small World that had only been half-developed. Because its laws were incomplete, it could not produce tangible matter at all.

Oh, it could not be called absolutely empty either, because ahead stood a stone gate that reached from heaven to earth. The entire gate was tens of thousands of zhang tall. Before it, a human body was about the size of a speck of dust, unbelievably tiny.

The stone gate floated alone in the empty space. Four enormous characters were carved upon it—Ancient Emperor Cave Abode—making it especially conspicuous.

Although Xiao Xian did not approach, with a single glance, he took in the entire stone gate, including the enormous dragon body, tens of thousands of zhang long, coiled above it.

This was an ancient dragon whose entire body was purple-gold. Its body was fully ten thousand zhang long, its height exceeding a thousand zhang. Its dragon head was unimaginably huge, and each of its eyes was as large as several hundred people standing side by side.

Sensing the aura of a living stranger, the dragon had already awakened. Its two enormous eyes were fixed on Xiao Xian, carefully examining him.

Although Xiao Xian's body emitted no aura fluctuations whatsoever, this Void Ancient Dragon did not underestimate him because of that. As an existence that had lived for at least ten thousand years, it would not casually look down on any living being—provided that the being's cultivation earned its recognition.

Clearly, although Xiao Xian had not made a move, his strength had already earned the Void Ancient Dragon's acknowledgment. It regarded him as an existence on the same level as itself, which was why it did not directly pressure him as it had Xiao Yan in the original story.

"Please produce your Emperor Jade." Dragon Emperor Zhu Kun of the Void Ancient Dragon Clan spoke, his voice reverberating through the entire empty space.

"I don't have one."

Xiao Xian spread his hands and replied indifferently.