Hun Qing released his perception first, only for it to be repelled by a faint surge of energy. Gu You fared even worse. Clearly, this was completely beyond their expectations—the person before them was far stronger than either of them.
"Sorry to trouble you. We're from Soul Hall in the Central Plains. This is the Second Heavenly Venerate, Gu You, and I'm Hun Qing, the deputy hall master of Soul Hall. We apologize for disturbing you."
Seeing that things weren't going their way, Hun Qing knew when to yield. There was no point losing their lives in a place like this. He also hoped the other party would think twice before acting. After all, there was no way they hadn't heard of Soul Hall. Since they hadn't been rash enough to attack today, there was still room to negotiate.
"Well, this is interesting..."
With an amused smile, Zhang Nian looked at the two men cupping their fists in greeting. He had no intention of letting them off so easily. They couldn't just show up out of nowhere, introduce themselves, and expect him to let them go. How could that be?
He knew all too well that if he didn't show a little strength now, more and more experts from Soul Hall and the Soul Clan would come to harass him. He might as well hit them hard enough to scare them.
Even if the flame in his hand really was the Purifying Lotus Demon Flame, so what? They'd tried to steal it and failed. Taking a couple of slaps for their trouble was perfectly normal, wasn't it?
He spread his palm. The milky-white Nanming Li Fire revealed its fearsome nature, unleashing its full power. At that moment, the faint wisp of the Nihility Devouring Flame's Sub-Flame inside Hun Qing began to tremble, as if it had encountered something terrifying.
This...
The subtle change left Hun Qing flustered. He had begged the clan for a long time before they finally gave him that wisp of the Nihility Devouring Flame's Sub-Flame. It had never feared ordinary Heavenly Flames, yet now it was showing such weakness—proof enough of how extraordinary the flame before them was.
"I hope you'll make things easy for us. I promise the two of us won't return here. How does that sound?"
A Dou Sheng Expert's word was as good as gold. Hun Qing had phrased his promise rather cleverly: the two of them certainly wouldn't return. Perhaps realizing the loophole in his words, he added, "I also guarantee that Soul Hall won't harbor any more designs on your flame."
At that, Zhang Nian smiled faintly. "Oh? Soul Hall won't harbor any designs on it? What about the Soul Clan?"
His words carried a chill. As soon as they fell, both men felt a faint killing intent lock onto them. Their expressions changed dramatically. The other party knew Soul Hall's true backing and clearly wouldn't let them go. Now, their only chance of survival was to join forces!
"Hmph! What arrogance! You know about the Soul Clan and still dare attack us? Do you really think becoming a Dou Sheng means you can do whatever you want? If the Soul Clan wants to kill you, it'll take nothing more than a wave of our hands!"
Hun Qing struck first. Battles between Dou Sheng Experts could change in an instant. Gu You, however, was frightened. As a Half-Saint, he knew all too well that the gap between him and their opponent was like heaven and earth. But when he saw Hun Qing charging forward, regret gave way to action, and he attacked with all his might.
"Let's go all out! I'm only a hair's breadth away from becoming a Dou Sheng!"
As soon as his voice fell, the two gaunt, skeletal old men rushed forward, surrounded by an ominous aura. Zhang Nian wasn't the least bit concerned as they closed in from both sides.
Black mist surged. Gu You roared at the sky like a demon descending into the world. A series of metallic clangs rang out as countless pitch-black chains burst from the fog, shrieking as they swept toward Zhang Nian from every direction. The sight was terrifying.
"Pathetic clowns."
The flames of the Nanming Li Fire could burn those chains to nothing in an instant. They were only good for frightening young people who hadn't seen much of the world.
The milky-white flames writhed downward like a swimming dragon. Wherever they passed, the pitch-black chains vanished without a trace. Gu You was no longer fierce as before. He stared blankly at the sky, his fear growing even stronger.
"Phantom Soul Blade Slash! Split!"
Gu You's attack held Zhang Nian at bay for a moment. In that brief opening, Hun Qing condensed his Dou Qi. A black slash shot from his body and split into over a thousand afterimages, all rushing toward Zhang Nian.
"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!"
The air rang with the sound of blades cutting through it. A closer look revealed a wisp of black flame clinging to every slash.
"Hm? The Nihility Devouring Flame?" Zhang Nian frowned slightly, recognizing the flame.
Golden wings burst from his back. His figure blurred, then vanished before the two men's eyes.
"How is that possible?!"
"What kind of Dou Technique is that?!"
In battles between Dou Sheng Experts, the strength of one's Dou Techniques was usually what mattered most. The two men were stunned because they couldn't track Zhang Nian at all. It was as if he had vanished into thin air, yet they hadn't sensed the slightest ripple in space.
Hun Qing nervously watched his surroundings. Gu You, still on the ground, did the same. This battle was turning out to be miserable. Both men were veterans who had seen countless battles, yet facing Zhang Nian made them feel like an old man toying with a child.
"Whoosh!"
A white speck of light flashed past. Gu You seemed to sense something, but by the time he reacted, it was too late. The Nanming Li Fire plunged straight into his body. In an instant, a searing pain that seemed to tear his soul apart swept through him. Gu You tried to resist, gathering the Dou Qi within his body to force the flame out.
But he was mistaken. This wasn't an ordinary Heavenly Flame. If one had to classify it, the Nanming Li Fire was a Godly Flame—a legendary fire.
Seeing Gu You's predicament, Hun Qing accepted reality. The flame had to be the Purifying Lotus Demon Flame. From the fight, he had also noticed a few clues: Zhang Nian didn't seem intent on killing them. He had simply been using his superior movement techniques to toy with them.
He stopped attacking and continued, "Do you really intend to set yourself against the Soul Clan?"
Zhang Nian paused. In truth, he had originally planned to keep the two of them here. But then he thought better of it. By sending the Nanming Li Fire into their bodies, he could effectively control them. He could let them leave, and if they brought more members of the Soul Clan back, he could simply guide the Nanming Li Fire to burn them to death. If they were willing to cooperate, the flame would behave itself just fine.
He then used Soaring Nine Heavens to repeat the same trick, appearing behind Hun Qing once more. But Hun Qing was, after all, a Dou Sheng Expert. In that instant, black flames burst from his back as he tried to fend off the Nanming Li Fire. It was a pity the two were nowhere near the same level.
The moment the two flames touched, the Nihility Devouring Flame displayed the boldness of a fearless expert. But as soon as the black flames spread, they were purified into air and vanished completely.
The Nanming Li Fire also successfully entered his body...
Before you continue