Emergence

"It's time to go out."

With a thought, Lin Ming felt a slight ripple in the space around him, and the light shield formed by the Purple Extreme Annihilation Flame was absorbed into his body.

He took a step forward, his figure seemingly merging into the void, and when he reappeared, he was already at the location where the original Star Domain entrance was.

Although the entrance had been closed from the outside by Xuan Kongzi and others, it was not difficult for Chu Lin Ming, who was now very familiar with the internal structure of the Star Domain, to find the weak point and break through it.

He raised his hand, his fingertips swirling with a noble and mysterious Dark Purple Flame, and gently swished it across the seemingly stable void in front of him.

"Sizzle--!"

A massive Spatial Rift opened in response! Beyond the rift lay the familiar scene of the Pill Tower, and... countless shocked, horrified, and ghost-like gazes focused upon it!

Above Sacred Pill City, the seven-colored glow and the Great Dao Sound, triggered by the birth of the Heaven Tier Cultivation Method, had not yet completely dissipated, and countless people were still immersed in the shock and speculation brought about by this once-in-a-millennium Heaven and Earth Phenomenon.

The area around Pill Tower Plaza was packed with people, with eyes and ears from all sides mingling, all wanting to know the source of this strange phenomenon and who was behind it.

The three giants, Xuan Kongzi, Xuan Yi, and Tian Lei Zi, hovered at the highest point of the Pill Tower, their faces solemn as they scanned the surrounding void, trying to capture a trace of something in the darkness, but it remained as elusive as looking at flowers through a fog.

The seal at the entrance to the Star Domain remained firm, but the sense of energy depletion emanating from within was becoming increasingly pronounced. This aroused suspicion among the three giants, who vaguely felt that this anomaly might be connected to some unknown event within the Star Domain.

Just as this uproar and speculation reached its peak--

"Sizzle--!!!"

A sharp, piercing sound, like cloth being forcibly torn apart, suddenly rang out from the location above the Pill Tower, which was originally the entrance to the Star Domain!

The sound was so abrupt and penetrating that it instantly drowned out all the noise and discussion, clearly reaching the ears of everyone present!

Countless gazes, as if drawn by an invisible force, all focused on it!

The once calm and still void was now like fragile glass, torn open by an incomparably powerful force, creating a huge, pitch-black crack tens of feet long!

At the edge of the crack, Spatial Fragment peeled away and dissipated like ice crystals, revealing a chilling void of darkness inside, and an indescribable chaotic energy storm, a mixture of extreme heat and the boundless energy of new life, sweeping out from it!

"Space was forcibly torn apart?!"

"It's in the direction of the Star Domain!"

"What's going on? Did the flames burst out from inside?!"

Exclamations rose and fell as everyone was terrified by the sudden scene and retreated hastily, fearing that a destructive Sea of Fire purplish-black fire would erupt from the crack.

However, the anticipated Sea of Fire did not appear.

Under the gaze of countless horrified, puzzled, and incredulous eyes, a tall and slender figure, surrounded by a faint yet soul-stirring deep purple light, slowly stepped out from the enormous Spatial Rift as if taking a leisurely stroll.

His black hair was loose, and his robes fluttered in the Spatial Turbulence. He had a handsome face, and his eyes seemed to hold the rotation of the sun and moon and the birth and death of stars, so deep that people dared not look directly at them.

The aura emanating from him was not deliberately flamboyant, but it was like a vast starry sky, unfathomable, carrying a suffocatingly powerful pressure that had not yet been fully contained after his breakthrough!

This oppressive aura clearly belonged to Dou Venerate! Moreover, it was far from the superficiality of someone who had just entered the Dou Venerate; its condensation and solidity caused many veteran Dou Zun expert present to change color!

"That's... Lin Ming?!"

"He... he's not dead?! He even came out of the Star Domain!"

"Dou Venerate! His aura is that of Dou Venerate! How is this possible?! He was only Nine-Star Dou Zong when he went in!"

"Less than half a year has passed? He actually broke through to the Dou Venerate?! In that kind of Deadly Land situation?!"

When everyone saw the figure's face clearly, the entire square fell into a deathly silence, and then erupted into an uproar and commotion far more intense than when they had seen the Heaven and Earth Phenomenon before!

Countless gazes were filled with utter shock, bewilderment, and disbelief! A person who should have perished in the Sea of Fire not only survived but also, in a short period of time, crossed the insurmountable Natural Chasm between the Dou Zong and Dou Venerate —a chasm that countless people spend their entire lives trying to overcome! This completely shattered their understanding!

"Lin Ming!"

Xiao Yi Xian, Zi Yan, Elder Yao rushed up to Lin Ming almost the instant he appeared.

Xiao Yi Xian's eyes, which were originally filled with cold and Sectarian Qi, were now replaced by tears of ecstasy and disbelief. She stared intently at Lin Ming, as if to confirm that this was not an illusion. Zi Yan cheered, her little face full of excitement. Elder Yao's eyes also flashed with relief and deep surprise.

"You... you're alright? You really broke through?" Xiao Yi Xian asked anxiously, her voice trembling slightly.

Looking at the three people who were worried about him, Lin Ming felt a warmth in his heart. A gentle smile appeared on his face as he nodded, "Yes, it was a success. I'm sorry to have worried you."

Lin Ming's gaze then swept past the three and landed on Xuan Kongzi, Xuan Yi, and Tian Lei Zi, who had instantly appeared.

The expressions on the faces of the three Pill Tower Giants were quite varied. Shock, doubt, inquiry, and a complex mix of emotions were intertwined.

They looked Lin Ming up and down, as if they were seeing this young man for the first time.

"Lin Ming ...you..." Xuan Kongzi opened his mouth, but for a moment he didn't know how to speak.

He had too many questions in his mind: What exactly happened in the Star Domain? What about the Three Thousand Burning Flame? Why did that terrifying Sea of Fire disappear? And... that Heaven and Earth Phenomenon just now, could it be...?

Lin Ming knew exactly what they wanted to ask, but he didn't intend to reveal everything at this moment.

He bowed slightly to the three giants, his tone calm yet carrying an undeniable authority. "This junior has successfully refined the Three Thousand Burning Flame, as I have fulfilled my mission. The energy within the Star Domain was out of control, and I had no choice but to absorb all the remaining flame energy to quell the disaster. As for the disturbance caused, it was truly not my intention, and I ask for the understanding of the three guild leaders."

His words carried clearly, once again eliciting a collective gasp.

Successfully refined the Three Thousand Burning Flame!

It absorbed the remaining flame energy from the entire Star Domain!

This is what led to the depletion of energy in the Star Domain and the previous abnormal fluctuations!

Every piece of information was like a bombshell, leaving everyone dizzy and disoriented!

Refining the ninth-ranked Heavenly Flames is already a miracle! But absorbing the flame energy of an entire Star Domain —what terrifying methods and endurance would that require? No wonder he was able to break through to the Dou Venerate in one fell swoop!

Xuan Kongzi and the other two exchanged glances, all seeing deep shock in each other's eyes.

They knew Lin Ming was holding back some details, such as the Heaven and Earth Phenomenon and how he did it. But the solid Dou Venerate aura emanating from Lin Ming at this moment, as well as the faint flame fluctuations that made them all feel a little uneasy, proved that what he said was true.

"Good! Good! Good!"

Tian Lei Zi exclaimed "Good!" three times, his face full of amazement.

"Heroes emerge from among the young! No, they emerge from the extraordinary! Lin Ming, your feat is an unprecedented miracle since the founding of our Pill Tower!"

Xuan Yi looked at Lin Ming with a complicated expression, finally letting out a soft sigh, "It's good that you're out safe and sound. You've already refined the Three Thousand Burning Flame and advanced to the Dou Venerate; this is a cause for great joy."

Xuan Kongzi's gaze was deep; he looked intently at Lin Ming, as if trying to see right through him.

He vaguely sensed that the secrets hidden within this young man were probably far beyond their imagination.

That Heaven and Earth Phenomenon... He already had a pretty good idea of what was going on, but the idea was so astonishing that he couldn't be sure for a moment.

"Now that the crisis in the Star Domain has been resolved and you have successfully broken through, this matter can be temporarily put to rest." Xuan Kongzi suppressed the turmoil in his heart and regained the dignity of a giant.

"Lin Ming, you'll come with us and explain the situation in the Star Domain in detail. As for the rest of you, you may leave!"

As Xuan Kongzi spoke, the crowd in the square gradually dispersed, filled with shock and discussion. But everyone knew that from this day forward, a name would truly resound Middle Continent.

Lin Ming! He broke into the Deadly Land with the physique of Dou Zong, refined Heavenly Flames, devoured Star Domain, and advanced to Dou Venerate! Such achievements are enough to make any so-called genius pale in comparison!

Speculation about that Heaven and Earth Phenomenon continued. However, most people still couldn't connect it with Lin Ming, who had just advanced to the Dou Venerate, and simply assumed it was the work of some reclusive master who happened to coincide with Lin Ming's emergence from seclusion.

Lin Ming followed the three giants, walking deeper into the Pill Tower amidst countless gazes of awe, curiosity, and inquiry.

The torn Spatial Rift behind him slowly crawled and healed, eventually disappearing completely, leaving only the still-unresolved ripples in the air and the faint, scorching aura mixed with the Star Power that seemed to linger around his nose, proving that the astonishing scene just now was not an illusion.

Amidst the crowd, Cao Ying's beautiful eyes shone brightly as she stared intently at Lin Ming's departing figure. Her red lips parted slightly, eventually culminating in a barely audible sigh, the meaning of which was complex and difficult to discern.

This Cao Family Demoness has always been confident in her talent, but everything Lin Ming has done today has exceeded the scope that "talent" can explain. It is a kind of tyrannical and unconventional power.

Dan Chen's face was slightly pale, and she subconsciously patted her chest. She was clearly not yet fully recovered from the shock of the space being forcibly torn apart. In her gaze at Lin Ming's back, in addition to shock, there was also a hint of barely perceptible awe.

Xiao Yan rooted to the spot, his fists clenched slightly, his eyes flashing intensely. He too possessed Heavenly Flames, and could more deeply sense the terrifying and profound nature of the still-unreserved flame fluctuations around Lin Ming, far surpassing the power of the simple Three Thousand Burning Flame!

It was the aura of Flame King that transcended his understanding and achieved a fundamental leap.

"He actually... did it... and went so far..." Xiao Yan's heart was filled with turmoil, a mixture of joy at his friend's safety and great improvement in strength, and a sense of urgency at being left far behind, along with a soaring fighting spirit.

As Xuan Kongzi walked, his fingers under his sleeves rubbed together almost imperceptibly. His keen Soul Perception captured the extremely subtle, spontaneous submission and distortion of the space around Lin Ming. This was something that ordinary Dou Venerate could not do, and even some High-Grade Dou Venerate might not have such a natural spatial control.

He exchanged a glance with Xuan Yi and Tian Lei Zi beside him, and they both saw a deep, almost certain shock in each other's eyes—the strange phenomenon of the birth of the Heaven Tier Cultivation Method most likely originated from this boy!

Lin Ming was fully aware of the reactions behind him, but he did not turn around.

He knew that some explanations were unavoidable, but he had already prepared his words.

As for the true details of the <Chaos Spirit Five Elements Art> and the Purple Extreme Annihilation Flame, those are the foundation upon which he stands in this world, and naturally he will not easily reveal them to others.

Lin Ming gazed calmly yet resolutely into the depths of the Pill Tower, as if he could penetrate the layers of walls and see into the distant future.

Dou Venerate is just a new starting point. With a Heaven Tier Cultivation Method and a brand-new Heavenly Flames, and with a nearly three-thousand-foot- World Prototype nascent within his body, his true journey has only just begun!