Won't Yield to Soft Tactics

Two days passed in the blink of an eye.

As the morning sun began to shine down from the sky on the second day, Saint Pill City, which had been relatively calm for two days, became bustling again. Countless people rushed towards the direction of the Danta. Today was the day when the top ten contestants of the Pill Gathering would enter the Star Region to subdue the Three Thousand Burning Flame. Countless people were very curious: had the Three Thousand Burning Flame, which had been sealed by the Danta for many years, really been subdued this time? Outside the Danta, the streets and alleys were already filled with noise and bustling crowds.

As the sun gradually climbed to its peak, three figures finally flew away from the top of the Danta and then hovered high in the sky.

"Those who enter the Pill Domain, prepare yourselves!"

Xuan Kongzi hovered in the sky, looking down at those below, his deep voice resounding throughout the land.

Whoosh! As soon as Xuan Kongzi finished speaking, figures rushed in from all directions and then stopped in the sky. Judging from their appearance, they were none other than Xiao Yan and the others who had entered the top ten.

The three presidents of Xuan Kongzi slowly swept their gazes over the ten people and nodded slightly.

Slowly withdrawing their gazes, Xuan Kongzi and the other two exchanged glances. Their hand seals shifted with lightning speed, and a vast wave of soul energy emanated from their bodies. Immediately, everyone saw that the void sky suddenly ripple violently, and then a pale silver spatial gate appeared in everyone's sight.

"Elder Xiao Yuan and the Great Elder will accompany you into the Star Region on this trip. They will explain the rules to you in detail later."

Xuan Kongzi glanced at the silver spatial gate, his eyes suddenly turning sharp.

"Now, go inside."

As Xuan Kongzi finished speaking, a figure in white robes appeared before everyone without warning. He glanced at Xiao Yan and the others and said indifferently, "I am Qiu Ling, the Pill Tower Grand Elder Qiu Ling. I will be leading you into the Star Region this time. Just follow me. If anyone disobeys the rules, I have the right to disqualify him from entering the Star Region this time."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan and the others nodded slightly. Xiao Yuan, on the other hand, didn't bother to say anything. His main purpose in going in this time was to ensure that the recovery of the Heavenly Flames was foolproof.

Although Zi Yan had already helped Xiao Yan implant the Dragon Mark two days ago, it was no easy task to make the Three Thousand Burning Flame submit.

If things go wrong and Xiao Yan is controlled by the Three Thousand Burning Flame, things could get very bad.

As they were talking, the fluctuating silver spatial gate finally stabilized completely.

"Let's go."

Seeing this, Qiu Ling's gaze met Xuan Kongzi's and the other two's for a moment, and then they all nodded slightly. With a wave of his hand, Qiu Ling took the lead and stepped into the spatial gate, disappearing in the blink of an eye. Xiao Yan and the others followed closely behind, while Xiao Yuan was at the very back.

As the space fluctuated, one figure after another disappeared into the fluctuations. In less than a minute, the twelve people vanished from the gaze of countless eyes.

After Xiao Yuan entered the spatial gate, the sharp look on Xuan Kongzi's face softened slightly. He looked down and scanned the area before saying in a deep voice, "Be extra careful today, and make sure nothing goes wrong."

"I have arranged for all the experts from the Danta to be stationed in Saint Pill City, ready to come to our aid at any time should anything happen," Heavenly Lightning nodded and said.

"There are also some powerful figures who have good relations with the Danta and are currently in Saint Pill City. I will send someone to inform them and ask them to keep a close eye on things for us," Xuan Yi said softly.

Upon hearing this, Xuan Kongzi nodded slightly, gazing at the spatial gate, and sighed softly, "I hope everything goes smoothly and I will prevail!"

The void space suddenly rippled, and then twelve figures slowly emerged.

The scorching heat hit them head-on, and at the same time, the Heavenly Flames within Xiao Yuan and Xiao Yan's bodies suddenly became scorching hot. This situation only occurs when they encounter other Heavenly Flames.

Of course, the two of them were not surprised by this, since they had been here once before and it was not unfamiliar to them.

The so-called Star Region is a space forcibly torn apart by the Pill Tower Three Giants. This kind of space is naturally not comparable to strange places like the Pill World or the Ancient World. Moreover, it looks quite desolate. A faint, scorching mist permeates the surroundings, and faintly, some weak light penetrates into this space, making the light here seem a bit cold.

Xiao Yuan casually grasped the faint light with his hand, but it was icy cold to the touch. He narrowed his eyes slightly and looked at Great Elder Qiu Ling in front of him, asking in a telepathic voice, "Is the Star Power here already this concentrated? It's almost visible to the naked eye."

"Yes, the Star Region cannot prevent the penetration of Star Power, but daytime is when Star Power is weakest, so we can only choose this time to enter."

Great Elder Qiu Ling responded quite politely.

Xiao Yuan nodded upon hearing this. Even though he already knew about the special nature of the Three Thousand Burning Flame, he was still shocked.

The Three Thousand Burning Flame, also known as the Starry Sky Flame, are born from the condensation of Star Power. As long as there is enough Star Power, it will be immortal. In this world, Star Power rarely disappears completely, because even in broad daylight, Star Power still exists, only relatively weaker.

As his strength increased, Xiao Yuan became increasingly aware of just how terrifying this immortal and indestructible characteristic was.

"Follow me and don't get separated. This Star Region exists in Space Rift, some of which connect directly to the Void Space. If you venture in, you should understand the consequences."

Qiu Ling waved his hand, and with a swift movement, he rushed forward. Xiao Yan and the others behind him also hurriedly followed.

The area of Star Region is not comparable to that of the Pill World, but that is only in relative terms. According to Xiao Yan and the others' guesses, the area here is probably no smaller than the enormous Saint Pill City. This can be seen from the fact that they have been flying for nearly ten minutes and still have not seen the edge.

Although they had flown for so long without seeing their target, Xiao Yan and the others could clearly feel that the surrounding temperature was getting higher and higher. Later, people like Song Qing had to summon their Dou Qi in order to withstand the scorching heat.

At this temperature, Xiao Yuan and Xiao Yan did not feel any discomfort. They both had Heavenly Flames protecting them, and their fire resistance was far beyond that of ordinary people.

The group flew rapidly through the void, head down, for about ten minutes.

After the second ten minutes, apart from Xiao Yuan, Xiao Yan, the Great Elder, and the four Qinghua Old Freak who did not use their Dou Qi to protect themselves, everyone else was already enveloped in powerful Dou Qi, and the temperature here had reached a very high level.

"It seems we're almost there."

A moment later, Xiao Yuan suddenly felt a surge of emotion and his gaze shot straight ahead into the distance. The Heavenly Flames within his body suddenly surged violently in that instant, a reaction he had never experienced in all these years.

There was also a look of surprise in Xiao Yan's eyes; clearly, he had sensed this situation as well!

Although the others did not sense the Heavenly Flames, they could still feel the sudden increase in temperature around them. They all understood that they should be arriving at their destination soon! As everyone quietly increased their vigilance, a blazing light suddenly emerged from the distant Void Space. The light was as intense as the sun, making their eyes sting.

"We're almost there, so be careful!"

The leader, Qiu Ling, suddenly stopped, turned his head, and said with a serious expression.

After saying this, Qiu Ling slowed down and slowly drifted down towards the front, with the others quickly following behind.

As they approached the blinding light, the object within it finally came into clear view!

"Gurgle!"

When they finally saw what was inside the light, the group froze, swallowed hard, and were filled with utter shock!

Within the light was a colossal dragon whose length was unseen. Its eyes were closed, and its body was coiled and twisted. A Heavenly Flames swirled around its massive body, and as the flame rose, the surrounding space seemed to distort. In the vast void, the dragon coiled, and the purplish-black flames continuously seeped out from its body, burning tirelessly. This magnificent scene evoked an overwhelming sense of awe.

Although they had seen it once when their souls were wandering, it was only a fleeting glimpse. Now, standing in person, they could clearly feel how awe-inspiring this ancient wonder was. Standing before the dragon, they felt like ants, a sense of insignificance rising from the depths of their hearts.

"So this is the Three Thousand Burning Flame?"

In the silence, a voice trembled slightly as someone murmured, "Although the dragon's eyes are closed, its powerful dragon might still makes one's legs tremble. Its size is simply too awe-inspiring."

However, the dragon's might had no effect on Xiao Yuan, who possessed the Dou Emperor Bloodline.

After the first person spoke, the others gradually recovered from their shock, exchanged glances, and clicked their tongues in disbelief. This thing was truly too terrifying.

Xiao Yan stared at the giant dragon in front of him, and his palm suddenly felt warm. He immediately had a thought and glanced at it without leaving a trace. He noticed that the Dragon Mark that Zi Yan had planted was now showing signs of getting slightly warm.

"It seems Zi Yan was right after all; a Dragon Mark has indeed been implanted within the Three Thousand Burning Flame."

Noticing the change in the Dragon Mark, Xiao Yan's heart stirred, and he thought to himself.

"This is the Three Thousand Burning Flame, but it has been sealed. Now, you will all take turns trying to subdue it using gentle methods," Qiu Ling said in a deep voice. "Remember, use gentle methods; you must not awaken it from its slumber!"

As Qiu Ling spoke, his eyes were filled with a chilling intent, and his tone carried a warning.

After all, if the dormant Three Thousand Burning Flame were awakened, the entire Danta would suffer.

Qiu Ling turned his gaze to Xiao Yan and said gently, "Xiao Yan, you are the champion of this year's Pill Gathering, so you can go first."

As soon as Qiu Ling finished speaking, everyone's eyes were focused on Xiao Yan.

Under these gazes, Xiao Yan's expression remained unchanged. After a slight hesitation, he nodded slightly, took a deep breath, and slowly walked towards the sleeping dragon! A moment later, Xiao Yan arrived in front of the dragon, his body hovering above the dragon's head. From a distance, compared to the enormous body of the Three Thousand Burning Flame, it was practically negligible.

Now, having come into close contact with the Three Thousand Burning Flame, Xiao Yan once again truly felt the awe-inspiring power of this behemoth. In terms of size, he was probably not much different from a single dragon scale on the former's body.

Standing before the enormous dragon head, even though the Three Thousand Burning Flame had its eyes tightly closed, Xiao Yan had a strange feeling in his heart, as if this behemoth was staring at him with a cold gaze.

This feeling sent chills down Xiao Yan's spine, and he quickly calmed himself down.

"Xiao Yan, place your palm on the forehead of the Three Thousand Burning Flame. There is a dragon scale there that has not been covered by the purple-black flames. Then, infiltrate it with your soul power. If you are lucky, you may be able to subdue it." Just as Xiao Yan was secretly alarmed, Qiu Ling's voice suddenly rang out from behind.

Upon hearing this, a bitter expression appeared on Xiao Yan's face. How could the Three Thousand Burning Flame be so easily subdued? However, despite thinking this, Xiao Yan still stepped forward as instructed and found the dragon scale that was as tall as a person. Sure enough, there were no flames swirling around it.

Furthermore, there are black lines resembling spider silk on it. These black lines intertwine with each other, forming extremely strange-looking runes. These runes are tightly attached to the dragon scales, like an enormous black net, completely enveloping the Three Thousand Burning Flame.

With such skill, why is the Inner Academy so much more powerful back then?

When his palm touched the scales, surprisingly there was no heat at all; instead, there was a faint chill. But Xiao Yan had no time to wonder. He closed his eyes, and the soul power between his brows carefully flowed up his arm and then along the dragon scales, invading the dragon.

However, a moment later, Xiao Yan, whose palm was touching the dragon scale, suddenly opened his eyes and withdrew his palm as if he had been electrocuted. He quickly retreated with lingering fear. This Three Thousand Burning Flame was truly domineering, and it had completely evaporated his wisp of soul.

Xiao Yan wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, then turned his gaze to Qiu Ling and the others beside him, shrugged, and said, "We failed. That guy was too fierce!"

Upon hearing this, a hint of disappointment flashed across Qiu Ling's eyes. He nodded and sighed, "In that case, let's move on to the next one."