Better to Kill an Innocent Than Let a Guilty One Escape!

Just then, Nihility Devouring Flame spoke.

"You four are the Four Elders of the Hun Clan, after all. You've even died once already. If resurrection were really that easy, Hun Tiandi would have brought you back long ago!"

The four thought it over and realized he had a point.

Nihility Devouring Flame turned to Hun Tiandi. "We've been discussing this for ages. You'd be better off going to the Heaven Tomb yourself and taking a look!"

"That's exactly what I had in mind!"

Hun Tiandi nodded, then added, "Also... what are your thoughts on the matter of the spy?"

The Four Elders exchanged glances.

A moment later.

Hun Shengtian seemed to remember something.

He slapped his forehead.

"I understand now. Could Xiao Xuan have planted a spy in our clan back then? Maybe that spy suddenly discovered that Hun Yang was actually Gu Yang, then told Gu Yuan. And before Hun Yang died, Gu Yuan told him that a spy Xiao Xuan had planted in the Hun Clan was the one who'd informed him?"

"Oh! I think that explanation makes more sense than the previous one." Hun Zhentian nodded in agreement.

"You lot, investigate every powerful member of the clan one by one. If anyone seems suspicious, better to kill an innocent than let a guilty one escape! I'll go to the Heaven Tomb myself and take a look."

With that, Hun Tiandi vanished.

Ancient Realm, outside the Heaven Tomb.

Hun Tiandi's figure appeared!

He swept out a hand!

The energy between heaven and earth roared into motion!

Immediately afterward, the Void Space ahead suddenly began to ripple violently!

A pitch-black crack was slowly torn open by force.

Hun Tiandi was about to enter!

The next second.

A powerful force flung him hundreds of yards away.

"What... what's going on?"

Hun Tiandi stared at the scene before him in bewilderment, unable to make sense of it.

He tried several more times!

Each time, he was flung hundreds of yards away!

Only then did he realize that the Heaven Tomb seemed to have changed from how it used to be!

Given his knowledge, the Heaven Tomb must have found its true master!

Without its master's permission!

Even a late-stage nine-star Dou Sheng who could tear open space would find it difficult to enter!

Having failed to achieve his goal.

Hun Tiandi could only leave!

He returned to the Hun Clan.

Nihility Devouring Flame immediately asked, "Hun Tiandi, how did it go?"

Hun Tiandi shook his head. "The Heaven Tomb has a master now. Even I couldn't get inside."

Nihility Devouring Flame furrowed his brow. "It seems Hun Yang really did discover something!"

"The Heaven Tomb is in the Ancient Realm. Could Gu Yuan have gotten lucky and earned its recognition?"

Nihility Devouring Flame suddenly asked.

"Judging by strength, he's the most likely candidate. But why did Hun Yang bring up Xiao Xuan?"

Hun Tiandi couldn't figure it out.

Nihility Devouring Flame couldn't figure it out either.

"But what if Gu Yuan really did obtain the Heaven Tomb? What if he finds a way to resurrect Xiao Xuan?"

Recalling the battle a thousand years ago, Xiao Xuan had been injured after failing to break through to Dou Di, yet he had still managed to kill the Four Elders of the Hun Clan!

If he were resurrected!

He would surely pose a tremendous obstacle to the plans he and Hun Tiandi had in motion!

"That shouldn't happen. As you said, resurrection isn't that easy. Besides, Xiao Xuan is only a remnant soul who can't leave the Heaven Tomb."

After saying this, Hun Tiandi fell silent for a moment.

Then he continued, "Still, to be safe, keep a close eye on the Ancient Clan. If Gu Yuan makes any move, tell me at once!"

Although he knew the chance of Xiao Xuan's resurrection was almost nonexistent!

Even if the odds were only one in ten thousand!

He still had to prepare for it!

He couldn't let himself be caught on the back foot!

Central Region of the Central Plains.

In the southwest stood a mountain range made up of searing volcanoes.

Wisps of white smoke rose from every peak, and rivers of lava flowed everywhere.

The air itself was thick with scorching heat!

But with so many volcanoes nearby, fire-attributed energy was abundant here.

It was an ideal place to cultivate fire techniques!

Between two towering crimson mountains, a startling spatial fluctuation could be faintly sensed!

This was where Burning Flame Valley, one of the Three Valleys of the Central Plains, was located.

In the valley, disciples of Burning Flame Valley dressed in red were practicing Dou Techniques in a plaza.

Many other disciples patrolled the area.

Security was extremely tight.

On the raised platform overlooking the plaza stood a frail old man in plain hemp clothes, his head covered in red hair.

He watched the disciples practice, his aged face beaming with a pleased smile.

Suddenly!

The old man abruptly looked up at the sky!

"Valley Master, what's wrong?"

Chi Huo turned his head and was horrified to see Tang Zhen's face ashen, as though he had just witnessed something terrifying!

His body had tensed up involuntarily!

Tang Zhen said nothing. He quickly crushed a jade talisman.

The talisman turned into a wisp of green smoke and shot into the void.

Just then, ripples spread through the air directly above the plaza.

Then a figure in blue stepped out!

The figure flashed and appeared before Tang Zhen like a ghost.

Tang Zhen was already drenched in sweat!

In all his years, this was the first time he had felt so close to death!

But for some reason, the figure's back seemed familiar!

Until...

The man turned around.

Tang Zhen's pupils contracted, as if he'd seen a ghost!

He rubbed his eyes in disbelief!

His voice trembling, he asked, "Y-You are... Senior Xiao Xuan?"

Burning Flame Valley still had a portrait of Xiao Xuan, so Tang Zhen recognized him at a glance.

Xiao Xuan nodded and smiled. "Where is Brother Fen Yan?"

After receiving confirmation, Tang Zhen was overcome with emotion. Tears glistened in his cloudy old eyes!

They looked ready to spill over at any moment!

It was a long while before he managed to reply. "Our Ancestor passed away three hundred years ago!"

Xiao Xuan furrowed his brow. "What?! Gu Yuan is still alive and well. Fen Yan was no weaker than him. How could he have died?!"

Even if he had been injured after failing to break through to Dou Di, there was no way he should have died!

Tang Zhen sighed. "Alas, it's a long story. Please come with me, Senior. We can talk at length."

The two went to the reception hall.

Only then did Tang Zhen begin to explain.

Xiao Xuan and Fen Yan had been close friends.

During the great battle against the Hun Clan, Fen Yan had also been in seclusion, attempting to break through to Dou Di!

On top of that, the incident had come without warning, and Xiao Xuan hadn't notified him.

Afterward, Burning Flame Ancestor had been filled with remorse.

He felt that if he hadn't been in seclusion and had been able to help Xiao Xuan, perhaps Xiao Xuan wouldn't have died.

In secret, he had kept a close watch on the Xiao Clan's affairs.

More than two hundred years after Xiao Xuan's death.

The fallen Xiao Clan moved out of the Ancient Clan and prepared to leave the Central Plains.

When the Hun Clan found out, they set their sights on the Ancient Jade!

The Hun Clan sent several Dou Shengs!

When Burning Flame Ancestor learned of it, he went alone to their rescue.

Who could have known that Hun Tiandi and Nihility Devouring Flame were lying in wait, originally intending to draw out Gu Yuan and kill him!

By a twist of fate, the one who showed up was Burning Flame Ancestor, and the two sides erupted into battle!

The few powerful members left in the Xiao Clan also perished in that battle.

Had Burning Flame Ancestor not intervened, the Xiao Clan would have been wiped out in that battle!

And it was precisely that fight!

That left Burning Flame Ancestor seriously injured.

Over the following centuries, the Hun Clan sent people to Burning Flame Valley many times, leaving Burning Flame Ancestor no time to recover. In the end, he succumbed to his injuries.