Alone in the Star Domain

In that brief moment when everyone was stunned and bewildered by the Three Thousand Burning Flame 'Origin Flame being willingly thrown into Lin Ming's mouth, the four Soul Hall Venerable Elders, severely injured and exhausted, displayed their ruthlessness and decisiveness as high-ranking members of the Soul Hall.

Almost simultaneously, they endured the churning pain within their bodies and the burning sensation that seemed to tear their souls apart, and as quickly as possible, they pulled out a jade slip from their respective Storage Ring. This slip was similar to the ones used by the two spies before them, but with more complex runes and a more dazzling silver Jade Slip.

Without the slightest hesitation, and disregarding the preciousness of this life-saving item, a ruthless glint flashed in the eyes of the four men, and they crushed the silver Jade Slip in their palms with a sudden burst of force!

"Snap!"

The crisp cracking sound was barely audible against the backdrop of the churning Sea of Fire, but the immense Space Power that surged forth was like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, abruptly shattering the energy balance of the place!

Four intense beams of silver light erupted from their hands, rapidly twisting and tearing open in front of them a narrow, extremely unstable, pitch-black Spatial Rift, barely wide enough for one person to pass through!

Within the cracks Void Turbulence, but for them at this moment, it was their only path to survival.

"Since you've come, disturbing the peace of my Pill Tower and harming it, do you think you can leave so easily unscathed? I'll leave you with a little souvenir..."

Seeing how quickly the four Hall of Souls Venerate reacted and how decisively they ran away, a cold mockery and Killing Intent flashed across Xuan Kongzi's solemn face.

He didn't make any big movements, but simply raised his right fist seemingly casually, slowly clenching his five fingers. The moment his fist clenched, the surrounding Heaven and Earth Energy seemed to be instantly drained and compressed! Then, he casually threw a punch at the four figures who were about to escape into the Spatial Rift.

This punch, seemingly slow, contained an exquisite control over the Space Power! The fist did not directly contact any of the people, but struck the void in front of the four!

"Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!"

Four deep, muffled sounds rang out almost simultaneously, and the void in front of the four people suddenly shattered like fragile glass, revealing a web of black cracks!

Immediately following, four incredibly terrifying, formless yet extremely condensed fist imprints pierced through layers of spatial barriers, landing precisely on the chests of the four individuals with an extremely bizarre trajectory that surpassed the understanding of ordinary Dou Venerate, as if locking onto the very Soul Origin!

"Pfft--!"

The bodies of the four Soul Hall Venerable Elder shuddered violently as if struck by an invisible giant hammer! The horror and despair in their eyes had barely surfaced when four mouthfuls of crimson blood foam mixed with fragments of broken internal organs gushed out of their mouths uncontrollably like fountains.

With a single punch, four Soul Hall experts at the Dou Venerate were all defeated, their fates unknown! Such effortless yet supremely powerful strength truly befits one of the three giants who wield the Pill Tower and are renowned Middle Continent!

In a single exchange, the four Dou Zun expert from the Soul Hall, who had been arrogant and had set up a great formation, were forced to retreat and severely injured. Just as Xuan Kongzi was about to turn around and give Qiu Ling and the others some instructions, his expression suddenly changed drastically!

His deep, star-like gaze suddenly shot towards the void above, where the enormous, purplish-black Giant Dragon shell, composed of the remaining energy of the Three Thousand Burning Flame and no longer under the control of the Origin Flame, began to expand wildly at a terrifying speed, as if being inflated!

On the surface of the dragon's body, the previously stable Purple-Black Flame now erupted and surged wildly and erratically, as if a volcano that had been suppressed for thousands of years had found an outlet!

A wave of energy, far more violent, chaotic, and destructive than before, like the low pressure before a storm, instantly enveloped the entire Star Domain!

"Oh no! The remnants of the Three Thousand Burning Flame' body are about to lose control of their energy and explode completely..."

Gazing at the Giant Dragon's body rapidly expanding in his field of vision, like a super bomb about to explode, even with Xuan Kongzi's extensive knowledge and composure, he couldn't help but gasp, his expression becoming extremely solemn.

He could clearly feel that the Star Fire contained within that body, accumulated over countless years, was losing its final restraints and was about to be released in its most complete form!

"Boom--!!!"

As if confirming Xuan Kongzi's judgment, within the Void Space, the enormous remaining body of the Three Thousand Burning Flame swelled to a critical point!

First, part of the dragon's tail exploded violently!

This was no ordinary explosion; it was like a star falling, releasing unimaginable energy! An exceptionally terrifying, viscous, purplish -Purple-Black Flame, like liquid, swept across the Void Space with the force of a wildfire!

The terrifyingly high temperature was not merely scorching; it also possessed a destructive quality, instantly transforming this once silent and cold Star Domain into a sea of Purple-Black Flame of death and destruction!

Flames surged, heat waves distorted space, and as far as the eye could see, all was a despairing purplish-black!

Even someone as powerful as Xuan Kongzi was slightly affected by such a large-scale, out-of-control eruption of flames.

He could clearly sense that the remaining shell of the Three Thousand Burning Flame seemed to be unleashing all the flame energy it had absorbed and accumulated from the stars over the years without reservation... This was an instinctive counterattack, and also a final frenzy of mutual destruction!

At this moment, everyone's gaze involuntarily turned once again to the only seemingly calm spot in the sea of flames— Lin Ming!

Because the scene of the primordial dragon actively entering their bodies was still vivid in their minds, they all knew that the real refining had already begun.

The terrifying ocean of flames formed from the body of the Three Thousand Burning Flame, once it began to erupt, could not be stopped. It seemed to be the final stage set for this refining process, and also the most cruel furnace.

Only when the refiner successfully refines the Heavenly Flames, or... is consumed by the boundless Sea of Fire along with the Origin Flame within their body, burning them into nothingness, can the victor be determined.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

To everyone's horror, the Giant Dragon's body began to explode violently one after another!

Each explosion of his body was like a heavy bomb thrown into Sea of Fire, unleashing even more violent waves of flame! Terrifying purplish-black flames, like world-destroying dragons breaking free of their shackles, surged and roared, spreading wildly with an overwhelming momentum, threatening to engulf Xuan Kongzi as well.

However, a strange thing happened.

The raging, destructive Sea of Fire of purplish-black fire, when it reached within a few feet of Lin Ming, seemed to encounter an invisible barrier and suddenly split off automatically, leaving a strange, relatively calm clearing around him, like an isolated island in a sea of Sea of Fire.

Then the devastating torrent of fire bypassed him and continued its journey into the distance.

"Qiu Ling, get them out of the Star Domain immediately! Quickly!"

Feeling the temperature within this Star Domain rising exponentially, and even his Protective Dou Qi beginning to be severely depleted, Xuan Kongzi's expression became extremely solemn, and he shouted sharply.

Having absorbed the Star Fire over so many years, the Three Thousand Burning Flame now unleash a power powerful enough to Burn Mountains Boil Seas, destroying entire spaces!

Even with his formidable strength Peak Dou Venerate, he wouldn't dare linger in such a place for too long. The terrifying temperature was enough to penetrate most Dou Qi defenses and directly burn his soul and body!

Upon hearing this, Elder Qiu Ling's expression became more solemn than ever before, knowing that this place was no longer a place to stay.

Without hesitation, he waved his sleeve at Cao Ying, Dan Chen, and Song Qing, who were not far away. A gentle yet irresistible gust of wind swept the three of them up. Then, his figure transformed into a streak of light, carrying the three of them, and he sped away at the speed of the Star Domain exit, not daring to delay for the slightest.

"Teacher! Lin Ming is still there! Lin Ming is still there!"

Forced away from the Sea of Fire by the strong winds from the Qiu Ling, Cao Ying looked back at the area rapidly being swallowed by the purplish-black flames, and at the blurry figure surrounded by flames within it. She hurriedly called out, her voice filled with barely concealed anxiety and worry.

Xuan Kongzi frowned, his gaze fixed on Lin Ming, who was completely surrounded by a sea of Purple-Black Flame. Although the raging flames around him did not directly impact him, staying in such an extremely high-temperature environment for too long would melt even a piece of divine iron! That terrifying, omnipresent heat was enough to exhaust the Dou Qi of an ordinary Dou Zun expert and cause their physical body to collapse!

"Boom boom boom--!"

Another massive section of the dragon's body exploded with a deafening roar, unleashing an even more terrifying Purple-Black Flame, like a world-destroying torrent formed by countless roaring fire dragons. With a terrifying momentum that threatened to fill the entire Star Domain, it swept towards Xuan Kongzi's location!

Before the fire even reached him, the scorching heat wave made his robes flutter and his skin sting.

Sensing the terrifying power contained within the Sea of Fire, enough to threaten his own safety, Xuan Kongzi frowned, his gaze flickering rapidly between Lin Ming and the surging flames, hesitant and undecided.

If he were to leave alone now, leaving Lin Ming in this Deadly Land, the latter would likely face certain death, with little chance of survival! This was the Pill Gathering Champion, the future hope of the Pill Tower!

"Xuan Kongzi! Hurry up and leave, or you'll be waiting to die! That kid seems a bit strange. The source of the Three Thousand Burning Flame actively sought him out, and now the Sea of Fire isn't harming him. Maybe he really does have something to rely on. He should be fine!"

While Xuan Kongzi hesitated, even the formidable Old Monster Qing Hua couldn't withstand the increasingly abnormal high temperature here. His Protective Dou Qi fluctuated violently, and he hurriedly rushed towards the Star Domain exit. As he passed by Xuan Kongzi, he didn't forget to urge him on.

Although he was curious, he valued his life more.

Just as the Old Monster Qing Hua finished speaking, a purplish-red flame suddenly spread from Lin Ming's body below! As soon as the flame appeared, it immediately transformed into an Energy Shield, enveloping Lin Ming's body.

Seeing this, Xuan Kongzi felt a slight sense of relief. He focused his gaze on Lin Ming in the center of the Sea of Fire, watching the rumbling, endless, seemingly hellish flames sweeping in. Finally, he no longer hesitated.

Judging from Lin Ming's appearance, he remained calm despite being in dire straits, and the flames around him automatically retreated, clearly indicating that he had his own plans and reliance. Xuan Kongzi was somewhat relieved about this young man who had repeatedly created miracles; at least from his observations over this period, the latter was not the kind of person who would act recklessly and seek death without thinking.

"Sigh, kid, since you've insisted on staying and embarking on this most perilous path of refining, then good luck to you! I hope... you can truly create a miracle once again and completely conquer these Three Thousand Burning Flame!"

Even he was powerless to intervene at this moment, and could only sigh helplessly. The consequences of outsiders forcibly interfering in this kind of primordial refinement would be unimaginable.

With a soft sigh, Xuan Kongzi didn't linger any longer. He turned around and transformed into a streak of light, rushing towards the exit of the Star Domain.

As he moved, his gaze coldly swept over the two Soul Hall members who had previously slipped into the top ten and were now like headless flies, trying to escape in the chaos.

These two did not possess the precious life-saving Spatial Jade Slip that the four Hall of Souls Venerate had, so they could only rely on their own speed to escape in a disheveled and humiliating manner.

"Hmph, you scum of the Soul Hall! If it weren't for your meddling, things wouldn't have come to this!"

Because of the Soul Hall's repeated provocations and today's disruption, Xuan Kongzi was filled with rage with nowhere to vent it. Seeing the two sneaky people trying to get away with it, he let out a cold snort, his Killing Intent palpable.

With a casual flick of his sleeve, a powerful force surged forth like an invisible hand, instantly enveloping the two panicked individuals. Then, as if throwing away trash, he hurled it directly into the surging purple-black Sea of Fire behind them!

"No! Xuan Kongzi! You can't—ah!!!"

The two unfortunate Soul Hall experts only had time to let out half a terrified scream before they fell into the boiling, purplish-black Sea of Fire like two small pebbles.

A bloodcurdling scream, so shrill it was inhuman, suddenly rang out. They desperately unleashed their Dou Qi in an attempt to resist, but their resistance seemed so pale and powerless in the face of the Star Fire that had accumulated over countless years!

They held out for less than ten breaths before being completely engulfed and annihilated by the raging flames! Their bodies, along with their souls, were burned into a clump of black ash in the blink of an eye, drifting away with the wind and disappearing completely from this world.

"That's... ruthless..."

Xiao Yan, who was also desperately urging his Heavenly Flames and shooting towards the Star Domain exit at maximum speed, caught a glimpse of Xuan Kongzi's clean, decisive, and ruthless actions out of the corner of his eye. He couldn't help but feel a chill in his heart and muttered to himself, "This is the leader of the continent's top power, showing no mercy to his enemies!"

Xuan Kongzi glanced back one last time at the purplish-black Sea of Fire that had completely engulfed the entire Star Domain, a scene of utter destruction as far as the eye could see.

In the center of that boundless, churning, roaring Sea of Fire, a faint circle of purplish-red light, like a lone boat adrift on a raging ocean, flickered as if it might be extinguished at any moment.

"Sigh, kid, whether you rise from the Nirvana or turn to ashes... that depends on your own fate..."

With a helpless sigh, Xuan Kongzi looked at the endless, surging fire lines and, without hesitation, transformed into a blurry figure, rushing towards the Star Domain exit that was now within reach. In a final flash, he completely darted out.

"Boom!"

As Xuan Kongzi became the last person to escape the Star Domain, the spatial entrance leading to the Star Domain slowly closed under Xuan Kongzi control, isolating the inside from the outside.

This Void Space, which once imprisoned the Three Thousand Burning Flame, has become utterly silent. Only the purplish-black flames, like an eternally burning Purgatory Sea of Fire, permeate every corner of the Star Domain. The terrifying heat relentlessly scorches everything, even causing large-scale, visible distortions and ripples in the solid space...

All hope and despair rested on that silent figure at the heart of the Sea of Fire.