The Battle of the Burning City

Above Wutan City, black clouds bore down and a blood moon hung high.

Three terrifying auras tore through the sky, crashing onto the square before the City Lord's Mansion like falling meteors and throwing up towering waves of dust. The black-robed elder at their head was thin as kindling, his eyes sunken, his entire body shrouded in a suffocating, icy aura—a Hall of Souls Venerable Elder, a Nine-Star Dou Zun, at the Half-Step Dou Sheng stage.

He slowly raised his head, his gaze stabbing into the residence like a blade. "Xiao Ze, hand over the Heavenly Flames fragment and the Jade Slip containing the Flame Mantra. I may leave your corpse intact."

"Heh..." A soft chuckle came from within the residence. Xiao Ze stepped out slowly, his black robes snapping in the wind, wind-fed flames dancing in his eyes. "Who the hell do you think you are? You think you're worthy of talking about leaving my corpse intact?"

He raised his hand, and nine nether wind flame condensed into a long saber. Wherever its edge pointed, heaven and earth lost their color.

"Today, I'll use your blood to consecrate my Xiao Clan's road to revival!"

Before his words had faded, he slashed down!

Boom!

Wind and fire intertwined, forming a thousand-zhang blade of light that ripped through the sky and cleaved straight toward the Hall of Souls Venerable Elder!

"You court death!" the Venerable Elder roared. He pressed his palms together, and a colossal palm of gray mist rose to meet the strike. The two forces collided thunderously, cracking space inch by inch. Shock waves swept across the entire city, collapsing houses and splitting the earth!

Just then, two dark figures attacked from the flanks—the Misty Cloud Sect Master, Yun Zhen, and the Black-Corner Region's Blood Saber Ancestor, Xue Tu. Both were seven-star Dou Zun, and they joined forces to strike at Xiao Ze's back!

"Three against one? Shameless!" Xiao Li roared. He tried to rush forward to help, only to be bound by a chain of gray mist, unable to move.

"Old fool, your opponent is me!" A Hall of Souls Enforcer appeared with a vicious grin, blocking his path.

"The Xiao Clan will be destroyed today!" Yun Zhen sneered. The sword in his hand transformed into ten thousand sword shadows, enveloping Xiao Ze.

"Is that so?" Xiao Ze swept them with an icy gaze. "Do you really think... I'm alone?"

Boom!

A pillar of flame descended from the heavens. Xiao Yan arrived upon the fire, nine nether wind flame and Pure Lotus demon flame intertwining into wings of wind and fire that formed Protection at his sides.

"Uncle, I'm back!"

Father and son stood shoulder to shoulder, their powers of wind and fire illuminating one another. In the air, they actually condensed into a lotus of wind and flame, radiating a heart-palpitating pressure.

"What?! Xiao Yan broke through too?!" Xue Tu's expression changed drastically.

"No... that's not right! That's... the aura of Pure Lotus demon flame?!" Yun Zhen retreated in terror.

Xiao Yan sneered. "Sect Master Yun, three years ago, you humiliated my Xiao Clan. Today, I'll use your blood to consecrate my path of cultivation anew!"

He fiercely unleashed his Heavenly Flames. With a beat of his wind-and-fire wings, he became a blazing rainbow and charged straight at Yun Zhen!

"Junior, you court death!" Xue Tu roared. His blood saber unleashed a thousand-zhang wave of blood to meet Xiao Yan.

"Nine Nether Wind Flame: Heaven-Burning Slash!"

Xiao Ze struck at the same moment, his saber light surging once more. This time, its target was the Hall of Souls Venerable Elder!

Boom, boom, boom!

Four mighty Dou Zun fought in a chaotic melee. Heaven and earth lost their color, and Wutan City seemed plunged into purgatory. Wind and fire intertwined amid flashing blades and sword shadows. Every collision shook space, the ground kept splitting apart, and flames mingled with bloody mist, staining the sky red.

"This is bad! Run!" The city's people fled in terror.

"Protection formation, activate!" Xiao Ze abruptly bit through his fingertip and drew a talisman with his blood. Nine nether wind flame instantly spread throughout the city, forming an enormous formation—the Nine Nether Flame Formation!

"With my flames, burn away all evil! With my blood, Protection for my clansmen!"

The formation took shape, and flames rose. Wutan City became a fiery hell, and every spy from a hostile faction was targeted by the flames, their screams rising without end.

"What... what formation is this?!" At last, the Hall of Souls Venerable Elder's expression changed. "It actually carries the essence of a Dou Di?!"

"You don't understand." Xiao Ze's icy eyes were like blades. "This is... the beginning of the road to Dou Di!"

He fiercely unleashed his nine nether wind flame. His saber light swelled by a thousand zhang and cleaved straight toward the crown of the Hall of Souls Venerable Elder's head!

"No!" the Venerable Elder roared. He activated a Hall of Souls Secret Art, turning gray mist into a shield, but the saber light still cleaved it apart. Half his body was instantly burned to ash!

"Aah! Xiao Ze! I'll kill you!" he roared, though he had already begun thinking of retreat.

"Trying to leave?" Xiao Yan sneered. He spread his wind-and-fire wings and cut off the escape route. "Today, none of you are leaving alive!"

Father and son joined forces, wind and fire merging as one. Nine nether wind flame intertwined with Pure Lotus demon flame, transforming into a colossal dragon of wind and fire that roared as it lunged at the three mighty Venerable Elders!

"No!"

"Save me!"

"Spare me!"

Screams resounded through the night sky, and bloody mist filled the air.

At last, everything fell silent.

In Wutan City, blood flowed in rivers, and corpses littered the ground.

Xiao Ze stood upon the ruins, his black robes stained with blood, yet he remained as upright as a mountain.

Xiao Yan landed and dropped to one knee, gasping for breath.

"Uncle... we... won."

Xiao Ze turned and helped Xiao Yan up, a rare trace of tenderness appearing in his eyes. "Good boy, you've finally... become strong enough to stand on your own."

He looked toward the horizon. The blood moon slowly faded, and the first light of dawn emerged.

"The Hall of Souls, the Misty Cloud Sect, the Gu Clan... this battle was only the beginning. From this day onward, Wutan City will no longer endure in silence. The Xiao Clan will return to the summit of this continent!"

[Ding! Quest "The Battle of the Burning City" completed]

[Quest rewards issued: Nine nether wind flame evolution +20% (current: 40%), third level of the Nine Flames Return to Origin Art unlocked, one Emperor Flame Body-Guard Formation obtained, Xiao Yan's affection +20 (current: 100, "Entrusting Life and Death" bond achieved)

[Main storyline progress updated: Road to Dou Di · Stage One completed]

[Next stage: Nine Flames Return to Origin, the emperor's lock will soon be undone...

Morning light spilled over the figures of father and son standing shoulder to shoulder, as though heralding—

A new era was about to begin.

Next chapter preview: "Emperor Road Reopens"

Xiao Yan entered seclusion to break through to Dou Zong, while Xiao Ze refined the remnant soul of the Hall of Souls Venerable Elder and learned the truth of the Emperor-Banishing Lock. The Gu Clan flew into a rage, Xiao Xun'er was imprisoned, nine nether wind flame resonated, and the storm rose once more.