The Soul Hall's Fire

Central Plains, the Soul Hall's forbidden grounds—the Netherworld Fire Abyss.

This place held the Soul Hall's foundation of ten thousand years. Buried underground was the "Ten Thousand Souls Fire Vein," sealed in ancient times, where the vengeful souls of countless experts and remnants of Heavenly Flames converged. It was the Soul Clan's ultimate site for forging soul artifacts and devouring Heavenly Flames. Now, the third Purifying Lotus Token fragment lay within the Soul Devouring Hall in the deepest reaches of the abyss.

The night was black as ink, the heavens starless.

A crimson-gold streak of flame tore through the sky like a falling meteor and crashed before the Hall of Souls' mountain gate.

Xiao Yan stood at the center of the burning crater, the Nine Flames Emperor Seal hovering above his head. The second tier of his Windfire Emperor Body, the "Flame Emperor Body," was fully activated. Crimson-gold flame patterns flowed over him, as though an emperor had descended upon the world.

"Xiao Yan! You dared storm our Hall of Souls alone?!"

"This place will be your grave!"

Several Soul Hall Protectors roared in fury. They were about to form an array when Xiao Yan merely stamped his foot lightly—

"Ninefold Windfire Transformation—third transformation, mountain incineration!"

A crimson-gold wave of fire swept across them. Before the Protectors could even scream, they had turned to ash.

"I came only to reclaim what belongs to my Xiao Clan." His voice was icy. With a single step, he entered the Netherworld Fire Abyss.

Deep within the Netherworld Fire Abyss, the Soul Devouring Hall.

A Soul Hall elder sat cross-legged at the center of the Ten Thousand Souls Fire Array, countless chains of vengeful souls coiled around him. In his hand was a crimson-gold token—the third Purifying Lotus Token fragment!

"Xiao Yan, you came at just the right time." He grinned viciously. "I already laid the Ten Thousand Souls Flame-Devouring Array here, specifically to suppress your nine nether wind flame!"

Before his words had faded, he bit the tip of his tongue and spat blood essence onto the array's core.

"Activate—ten thousand souls, take your places! Devour the flames and burn the emperor!"

Rumble—!

The entire Flame Abyss shook violently. Ten thousand souls wailed underground, and countless vengeful spirits burst from the fire vein, turning into nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine chains of black flame that coiled toward Xiao Yan like giant pythons!

More terrifying still, Ancient Runes covered the chains. They actually resonated with the nine nether wind flame, forcibly suppressing its power!

"What?!" Xiao Yan's expression changed. His nine nether wind flame was suppressed, the circulation of his Windfire Emperor Body obstructed, and his Dou Qi stagnated!

"Hahaha!" The Hall of Souls Venerable Elder laughed wildly. "This array is a secret inheritance of our Soul Clan, using ten thousand souls as its catalyst and flame-devouring power as its foundation. It is the bane of Heavenly Flame Masters! Even with your Windfire Emperor Body, you cannot escape being refined!"

"Today, I will offer your blood to the Hall of Souls' ten-thousand-year plan!"

He formed seals with both hands. The soul chains abruptly tightened, binding Xiao Yan fast. His skin began to crack, blood seeping out—only to be consumed by the vengeful souls!

"This is bad..." Xiao Yan gritted his teeth. "This array is devouring the power of my emperor body!"

"Nine Nether Heaven-Burning Art—incinerate the heavens!"

He forcibly drove his cultivation art. The Nine Flames Emperor Seal unleashed crimson-gold waves of fire, incinerating hundreds of vengeful souls. Yet the chains regenerated, the souls endured, and the power of his nine nether wind flame remained suppressed!

"It's useless!" The Hall of Souls Venerable Elder grinned savagely. "Do you know why the nine nether wind flame chose you? Because it was originally a 'remnant flame of wind' that split from the purifying lotus demon flame when it was sealed! And this Pure Lotus Token in my hand is the very key to suppressing it!"

He raised the Purifying Lotus Token fragment high. Its light blazed, violently repelling the nine nether wind flame and forcibly stripping the Heavenly Flame power from Xiao Yan's body!

"No..." Xiao Yan's eyes turned blood-red. The Nine Flames Emperor Seal dimmed, and his Windfire Emperor Body was on the verge of collapse!

"Today marks the end of your Nine Flames Return to Origin!" the Hall of Souls Venerable Elder roared. "Ten thousand souls, devour the flames! Refine—Xiao Yan!"

Boom—!

Ten thousand chains of black flame erupted at once, swallowing Xiao Yan completely. Above the Flame Abyss, only wails and the roar of burning fire remained.

Wutan City, the Xiao Clan Ancestral Shrine.

Xiao Ze's eyes snapped open. The ninth ring of the Nine Nether Chain Formation shook violently, all nine rings of fire nearly shattering!

"Yan'er—!"

He roared and formed seals with both hands, unleashing his full Peak Dou Zun cultivation. Drawing upon the power of the Xiao Clan Ancestral Vein and using his own blood essence as a catalyst, he activated the final move of the Nine Nether Chain Formation—

"Nine Nether Chain Formation—ninth ring, Emperor Flame, return to your place!"

"Windfire Origin, father and son share one heart—break!"

Boom—!!!

Nine crimson-gold rings of fire shot skyward from Wutan City, crossed the void, and reached the Netherworld Fire Abyss!

"What?!" The Hall of Souls Venerable Elder was horrified. "This power... Xiao Ze?! He activated the Nine Nether formation's power from a thousand miles away?!"

"Impossible! He is only a Dou Zun! How could he—!"

Before he could finish, the nine crimson-gold rings descended with a thunderous crash, resonating with the Nine Flames Emperor Seal inside Xiao Yan!

"Father...!" Xiao Yan opened his eyes amid the sea of flames. The second tier of his Windfire Emperor Body—activated once more!

"Nine Nether Heaven-Burning Art—fourth move, emperor flame, return to your place! Wind and fire share one source!"

He roared. The Nine Flames Emperor Seal spun with a thunderous rumble, drawing upon the power of the Nine Nether Chain Formation. Wind and fire fused into one, becoming a crimson-gold storm that swept through the ten thousand souls!

"No—!" the Hall of Souls Venerable Elder screamed. "My array! My vengeful souls! My—!"

"Incinerate the heavens, burn the sky with nine nether flames—be destroyed!"

Boom—!!!

The crimson-gold storm swept through. The Ten Thousand Souls Flame-Devouring Array collapsed, every vengeful soul was annihilated, and the Soul Hall elder's body was shredded by wind and fire. Only a Purifying Lotus Token fragment and a secret Soul Hall order fell to the ground.

Xiao Yan reached out and gathered all three Purifying Lotus Token fragments into his palm. The Nine Flames Emperor Seal blazed with light, and nine fiery silhouettes slowly returned to their places in the void, resonating with one another like stars settling into position.

"Nine Flames Return to Origin... just one step away," he murmured.

Just then, all three fragments shone at once and fused into one—

The Purifying Lotus Token appeared!

A line of blood-red text emerged on the token:

"Nine Flames Return to Origin, Emperor Flame returns to its place.

The bearer of this token may enter the Third Tier of the Emperor Flame Abyss to seek the purifying lotus origin.

But—a great calamity approaches. The day the Nine Flames unite shall be the hour heaven and earth are reforged."

Xiao Yan tightened his grip on the Purifying Lotus Token and gazed toward the horizon. "Father, I'm coming."

Wutan City, the Xiao Clan Ancestral Shrine.

Xiao Ze coughed up a mouthful of blood. His face was pale, yet his smile was radiant. "Good... my good boy, you did it."

He looked up at the sky. The ninth ring of the Nine Nether Chain Formation had reached complete perfection, and the final seal of the Emperor-Banishing Lock—had loosened by ninety percent!

"Nine Flames Return to Origin awaits only the final flame—the purifying lotus origin."

"The Xiao Clan's Emperor Road... will finally open again."

He murmured softly, "My son, your father awaits your return. Together, we will tread the Emperor Road and burn away every injustice!"

Above the ruins of the Netherworld Fire Abyss, crimson clouds churned.

Xiao Yan stood upon the flames, the Nine Flames Emperor Seal hovering above his head, wind and fire swirling around him, as though an emperor had descended upon the world.

He looked in the direction of the Gu Clan, his voice like thunder:

"The next trial—the Emperor Flame Abyss!"

"The purifying lotus origin—I, Xiao Yan, will claim it!"

Next chapter preview: "The Emperor Flame Abyss"

Bearing the Purifying Lotus Token, Xiao Yan stormed the Emperor Flame Abyss. Nine tiers of fiery tribulations descended, and his nine nether wind flame awakened its fourth tier. The Gu Clan ancestor joined forces with the Soul Clan's remnants to lay the "Nine Deaths Emperor-Burning Array," seeking to destroy Xiao Yan within the emperor flames. With his Dou Zun body, Xiao Ze drew upon the ninth ring of the Nine Nether Chain Formation. Father and son resonated across the distance, wind and fire sharing one source as they resisted the nine tiers of heavenly fire together! Nine Flames Return to Origin awaited only the final fusion—the purifying lotus demon flame was about to return to its place!