Endless Flame Domain

Dou Qi Continent, Central Plains.

Above the nine heavens.

Space twisted slightly, and a figure in azure slowly stepped out of the void.

Yang Xuan stood upon the void, gazing down as everything in this land entered his sight.

The spiritual energy here was far thinner than in the Primordial World, yet several times richer than that of ordinary minor worlds.

His divine sense swept across the entire continent. From the Jia Ma Empire to the Central Plains, from the territory of the Snake-People Tribe to the Pill Tower, no corner could escape the perception of a late Golden Immortal.

He quickly located that vine leaf—it was in the Great Thousand World, at the heart of the Endless Flame Domain, within Xiao Yan's Daoist sanctuary.

The vine leaf was no longer the tiny leaf it had once been. Having absorbed several centuries' worth of laws and world origin from the Dou Qi Continent, it had grown into a towering tree.

Its trunk was verdant throughout, seven-colored radiance flowing amid its branches and leaves. Its canopy stretched over dozens of miles, shrouding the entire Endless Flame Domain beneath peaceful seven-colored auspicious clouds.

A faint aura of the Great Dao circulated through the tree. It was a trace of the Dao rhythm from his true body, interwoven with the Heavenly Dao laws of the Battle Through the Heavens world, creating a unique resonance that in turn nourished this world.

"No wonder that kid Xiao Yan broke through to Heavenly Sovereign so quickly."

Yang Xuan murmured.

He did not descend immediately, instead first concealing his strength to the utmost.

Late Golden Immortal cultivation was merely enough to sit at the table in the Primordial World, but on the Dou Qi Continent, the slightest revealed strand of law would be enough to destroy heaven and earth.

He did not wish for his arrival to disrupt this world's balance, so he suppressed his cultivation to the perfected Heavenly Sovereign level, equivalent to the True Immortal stage in the Primordial World.

This would neither provoke the rejection of the Heavenly Dao nor make Xiao Yan and Medusa feel too much pressure.

After suppressing his cultivation, Yang Xuan took a single step, and his figure appeared above the Endless Flame Domain.

The Endless Flame Domain, Xiao Yan's Daoist sanctuary.

Though it was called a Daoist sanctuary, it was more like a kingdom of fire floating above the nine heavens.

The palaces were condensed from Heavenly Flames. Crimson, orange, yellow, green, cyan, blue, and violet—flames of seven colors flowed across the palace surfaces, casting the entire complex in the glow of an immortal palace from myth.

Dozens of small floating islands surrounded the palaces. On every island, a powerhouse at least at the Dou Saint level cultivated, their auras deep and powerful. They were clearly all Xiao Yan's disciples or followers.

At that moment, Xiao Yan stood in the square before the palace, looking up at the sky.

He had already sensed Yang Xuan's aura.

That sudden, heart-palpitating pressure descending between heaven and earth.

There were not many people in this world capable of making him feel danger—indeed, one could say there were none.

So...

Xiao Yan took a deep breath, straightened his robes, then led the disciples behind him in a respectful bow.

"This junior, Xiao Yan, welcomes Senior!"

His voice was not loud, yet it rang clearly throughout the Endless Flame Domain.

The disciples behind him all raised their heads, their eyes filled with shock.

Their master, Xiao Yan the Flame Emperor, lord of the Endless Flame Domain, was actually bowing to someone and addressing him as "Senior"?!!

Yang Xuan stepped out of the void and landed in the square.

His azure Daoist robe stirred though there was no wind, his long hair fastened with a wooden hairpin. His handsome features gave no hint of his age.

"No need for such ceremony."

Yang Xuan raised a hand, and an invisible force lifted Xiao Yan and everyone behind him.

Xiao Yan straightened up and looked at Yang Xuan, his eyes brimming with excitement.

After all these years, Immortal Senior had finally come again.

He had imagined their reunion countless times, but he had never expected that after their parting in his youth, their next meeting would be more than three hundred years later...

"Senior, please."

Xiao Yan stepped aside and made a welcoming gesture. "This junior has already prepared a banquet."

The corners of Yang Xuan's lips rose slightly. "You are thoughtful."

Xiao Yan grinned and led Yang Xuan into the palace.

The disciples behind them exchanged looks and whispered among themselves.

"Who is that Senior? Why is Master so respectful toward him?"

"Didn't you hear it? Master called him 'Senior.' There can't be many people in the entire Great Thousand World whom Master would address that way, right?"

"I heard that Master was able to reach where he is today entirely because of guidance from a mysterious senior. Could it be this very person?"

"Shh, keep your voice down. Even Master cannot see through that Senior's cultivation. Don't speak carelessly."

Yang Xuan heard their discussions but paid them no mind.

Xiao Yan led Yang Xuan through layer upon layer of halls until they reached the core hall in the deepest part of the Endless Flame Domain.

The hall doors stood wide open. A rich medicinal fragrance rushed forth, intertwining with the blazing aura of the Heavenly Flames to form a unique law.

The hall's furnishings were simple: a stone table, several stone stools, several plates of spirit fruits on the table, a pot of hot tea, and a jar of immortal spirit wine that had been sealed away for a long time.

Two people stood beside the table. One was an elderly man with white hair, his features lean and his gaze profound.

The other was a woman in green robes, peerlessly beautiful and ethereal in temperament, with a faint imperial bearing lingering around her. (Wonder if Xiao Yan was from Sichuan—was he henpecked?)

They were none other than Yao Lao and Gu Xun'er.

Yao Lao stepped forward first and cupped his hands in greeting. An astonished smile lay on his face, along with the wistfulness of a reunion after long separation. "This old man is Yao Chen. Greetings, Immortal Daoist."

Yang Xuan nodded slightly. "Yao Lao, there is no need for ceremony. It has been a long time since we last met as well."

Yao Lao froze for a moment, then glanced at Xiao Yan.

Xiao Yan grinned and scratched his head. "Master, Immortal Senior is not an outsider. No need to be so formal."

Gu Xun'er also stepped forward and gave a graceful bow. "Gu Xun'er greets Immortal Senior. Thank you for bestowing that opportunity upon us back then. My husband and I have always kept it in our hearts. Without Senior's help, my husband might not have come this far."

Yang Xuan looked at her and smiled faintly. "You were able to cast aside the shackles of your clan and share hardship and sweetness with Xiao Yan. That devotion is more precious than any opportunity."

Gu Xun'er's face flushed slightly, and she lowered her head without speaking.

Xiao Yan grinned so broadly that his mouth nearly split open.

The group took their seats.

Xiao Yan personally poured Yang Xuan a drink. The fragrance of immortal spirit wine permeated the hall, sweet and refreshing with a trace of heat. It was a century-aged treasure Xiao Yan had specially purchased from Ye Fan.

Yang Xuan raised his cup and took a light sip. "Fine wine!"

Xiao Yan's eyes lit up. "I'm glad Senior likes it! This junior specifically saved three jars. We will finish one today, and I ask Senior to take the remaining two with you as a small token of this junior's regard."

Yao Lao stroked his beard at the side and chided with a smile, "This boy. This old man usually can't get even one jar out of you, yet today you're being so generous."

Xiao Yan grinned. "Master, if you want to drink, you can do so anytime. This wine was meant for our own people to drink."

After a few exchanges, the atmosphere grew much more relaxed.

Yao Lao had always been a free-spirited man. Seeing that Yang Xuan put on no airs, he began speaking freely.

He asked about the Heavens Marketplace and brought up the mysteries behind the cultivation techniques Yang Xuan had taught Xiao Yan back then.

Yang Xuan answered each question. At times, with only a few words, golden lotuses bloomed from the earth and heavenly flowers scattered wildly. Yao Lao nodded again and again as a keen light flashed in his eyes.

"Immortal Daoist, this old man has something to ask."

Yao Lao suddenly said solemnly.

"Please speak."

"This old man has cultivated until now, yet I have always been trapped by the shackles of the soul. Though I have already reshaped my body, the compatibility between my soul and flesh has always remained short by a thread. Fellow Daoist cultivates the Dao of Creation. Is there a way to resolve this?"

Yang Xuan pondered for a moment, then took a jade-green leaf from his sleeve and handed it to Yao Lao.

"This is from an acquired spirit root called the Everlasting Willow, which I obtained while traveling through the White Snake World. This is one of its tender leaves, containing the power of creation. Fuse it into your divine soul and nourish it with soul flame for seven times seven, forty-nine days. It will naturally become complete."

Yang Xuan could certainly have waved his hand and made Yao Lao's Primordial Spirit flawless and complete, but doing so would have cut off the other's path of advancement, leaving his cultivation unable to progress any further.

The Great Dao had no end. Naturally, he did not wish to see a cultivator trapped here.

"This... is far too precious." Yao Lao shook his head in refusal.

Yang Xuan waved a hand. "It is nothing. Xiao Yan calls this poor Daoist Senior, so this poor Daoist cannot allow those close to him to be left with regrets."

Yao Lao took a deep breath, then solemnly accepted the leaf with both hands and stored it away.

He did not say "thank you" again, because he knew that this debt of gratitude was no longer something the words "thank you" could bear.

Gu Xun'er watched from the side, her gaze full of gratitude.

Xiao Yan scratched his head beside them and laughed. "Senior, the moment you arrived, you solved my master's problem. From now on, they will be singing your praises every day. This disciple may be falling out of favor."

Yao Lao glared at him. "You brat, no sense of propriety."

The corners of Yang Xuan's lips lifted slightly as he raised his cup. "Come, drink."

The group raised their cups and drained them in one gulp.