The Emperor Flame Abyss Opens

In the far south of the Central Plains lay the convergence of the world's fire veins—the Emperor Flame Abyss.

This was where the ancient "purifying lotus demon flame" had fallen, and the site of the final trial of the Nine Flames Return to Origin Art. Legend held that only one who gathered all nine flames and possessed the Pure Lotus Token could enter and undergo the ninefold fire tribulation. Survive, and they would claim the mantle of emperor flame and reopen the Emperor Road.

Tonight, the heavens tore open, nine stars aligned, and strange phenomena erupted across heaven and earth.

A scarlet-gold streak of flame tore through the sky, arriving like an emperor descending upon the world and taking his stand at the entrance to the Emperor Flame Abyss—Xiao Yan!

He held the Pure Lotus Token, the Nine Flames Emperor Seal hovering above his head. The second tier of his windfire emperor body, the "flame emperor body," had reached perfection. Scarlet-gold flame patterns flowed across him, resonating with the world's fire veins.

"The Ninefold Fire Tribulation... it's finally here." His voice was low, his eyes blazing with fighting spirit.

"Xiao Yan! You actually dared to enter the Emperor Flame Abyss!" The Ancestor of the Gu Clan's voice rang out from the void. "This is an ancient forbidden land. Every stage of the Ninefold Fire Tribulation can burn a Dou Zun to death. You're merely a Dou Zong, yet you dream of becoming an emperor?"

"Today, I shall join the Soul Clan in activating the Nine Deaths Emperor-Burning Array, refining you into nothing and severing all hope of nine flames returning to origin!"

Before the words had faded, the void split open. The Ancestor of the Gu Clan descended with three Peak Dou Zun experts of the Gu Clan. The remnants of the Soul Clan also surged out from underground, led by the High Priest of the Hall of Souls, and laid down ninety-nine Soul Locks to seal the exit of the Emperor Flame Abyss.

"Nine Deaths Emperor-Burning Array—activate!"

Rumble!

Heaven and earth changed color as the Ninefold Fire Tribulation descended from the sky—

The first stage, the Crimson Flame Tribulation: burning bones and melting marrow, aimed squarely at the flesh;

The second stage, the Black Flame Tribulation: devouring souls and burning spirits, striking directly at the Primordial Spirit;

The third stage, the Golden Sun Tribulation: scorching away Dou Qi and severing its foundations;

The ninth stage, the Purifying Lotus Tribulation: Nine flames becoming one, burning away all karma!

"Just what I wanted!" Xiao Yan threw back his head and laughed. Rather than retreat, he advanced. "My path of cultivation has always defied heaven! Today, I'll use this Ninefold Fire Tribulation to cleanse my emperor's bones and forge my emperor's soul!"

He unleashed the Nine Nether Heaven-Burning Art. The Nine Flames Emperor Seal spun with a thunderous roar, stirring the Nine Flames Return to Origin Art within him—

"Nine flames return to origin, emperor flame takes its place—refine!"

Boom!

The first stage, the Crimson Flame Tribulation, struck. Xiao Yan's flesh cracked instantly, his blood vaporizing, yet he refused to retreat. Instead, he withstood it head-on with his body, using the fire tribulation to temper his flesh!

"What?! He's using the fire tribulation to temper his windfire emperor body?!" The Ancestor of the Gu Clan was stunned.

"Second stage, Black Flame Tribulation—burn his spirit!" the High Priest of the Hall of Souls roared. Black flames surged like a tide, rushing straight at Xiao Yan's Primordial Spirit.

Xiao Yan closed his eyes, his primordial spirit leaving his body. The Nine Flames Emperor Seal transformed into a shield of flame to protect his sea of consciousness, while he invoked the fourth tier of the nine nether wind flame—Nether emperor's awareness!

"Nine nether wind flame, awaken—the fourth tier!"

Boom!

His Primordial Spirit swelled, his sea of consciousness becoming an ocean of wind and fire. The black flames entered his body, only to be devoured instead. As the nine nether wind flame consumed the power of the soul flames, it actually began to evolve!

"No!" the High Priest of the Hall of Souls screamed. "My soul flames! My—!"

"Nine flames return to origin, nine flames become one—break through!"

Xiao Yan opened his eyes, his pupils now scarlet-gold. The Nine Flames Emperor Seal and the nine nether wind flame fused completely. The second tier of his windfire emperor body reached perfection, and the third tier—the flame emperor body—began to emerge!

"This is bad! He used the fire tribulation to break through!" The Ancestor of the Gu Clan was horrified. "Quickly, activate the Nine Deaths Emperor-Burning Array's ultimate killing move!"

"Nine deaths burn the emperor, nine flames return to ashes—kill!"

The ninety-nine Soul Locks and nine layers of Gu Clan seals erupted at once, forming a destructive net of fire that engulfed Xiao Yan completely!

Boom!!!

The fiery net burned the heavens, and the Emperor Flame Abyss collapsed. Layer after layer wrapped around Xiao Yan's body, as though he would soon turn to ash.

Wutan City, the Xiao Clan Ancestral Shrine.

Xiao Ze's eyes snapped open. The ninth ring of the Nine Nether Chain Formation shook violently, on the verge of shattering!

"Yan'er!"

He roared, unleashing the full power of his Peak Dou Zun cultivation. Drawing on the power of the Xiao Clan ancestral vein and using his own blood essence as a catalyst, he activated the Nine Nether Chain Formation's final move—

"Nine Nether Chain Formation—ninth ring, emperor flame shares one source, wind and fire resonate!"

"Son, your father lends you a wisp of the emperor seal's power—break through the tribulation!"

Boom!!!

Nine scarlet-gold rings of fire shot skyward from Wutan City, crossing the void and reaching the Emperor Flame Abyss!

"What?! Xiao Ze! You're forcibly invoking the emperor seal's power with only a Dou Zun's body?!" The Ancestor of the Gu Clan was horrified.

"He's gone mad! That power will burn him out of existence!" the High Priest of the Hall of Souls shrieked.

But the nine scarlet-gold rings of fire had already descended with a thunderous roar, resonating with the Nine Flames Emperor Seal inside Xiao Yan!

"Father...!" Xiao Yan opened his eyes amid the fire tribulation. The third tier of his windfire emperor body—the flame emperor body—fully awakened!

"Nine Nether Heaven-Burning Art—fifth move, nine flames return to origin, emperor flame burns the heavens!"

He roared. The Nine Flames Emperor Seal expanded with a thunderous blast, the nine flames merging into one scarlet-gold pillar of fire that shot into the highest heavens and devoured the entire Ninefold Fire Tribulation!

"No!" the Ancestor of the Gu Clan screamed. "My Nine Deaths Emperor-Burning Array—!"

"Burn the Firmament to ashes, nine nether flames burn the heavens—annihilate!"

Boom!!!

The scarlet-gold pillar swept across everything. The Nine Deaths Emperor-Burning Array collapsed, the Ancestor of the Gu Clan's body burned away, and the High Priest of the Hall of Souls' Primordial Spirit dispersed, leaving only a wisp of remnant soul to flee.

All fell silent in the Emperor Flame Abyss.

Xiao Yan stood at the heart of the flames, the Nine Flames Emperor Seal hovering above his head, wind and fire encircling him like an emperor descended upon the world.

He slowly raised his hand. The fragments of the Pure Lotus Token flew of their own accord into the deepest reaches of the Emperor Flame Abyss, opening a scarlet-gold gateway—

The Third Tier of the Emperor Flame Abyss—opened!

Within the gateway, a wisp of eerie purple flame slowly emerged, blooming like a lotus and releasing an aura that made heaven and earth bow—

The purifying lotus demon flame, the flame of origin!

"Finally... I've found it." Xiao Yan murmured, scarlet-gold flames dancing in his eyes. "Nine flames return to origin. Only the final flame remains—the pure lotus must take its place!"

Wutan City, the Xiao Clan Ancestral Shrine.

Xiao Ze coughed up blood. His body had begun to crack under the backlash of the emperor seal's power, and the ninth ring of the Nine Nether Chain Formation had lost all its light.

"Good... my good boy..." His smile was radiant. "You did it... your father... will wait for you to return... to walk the Emperor Road together..."

His voice faded, and his eyes closed.

At the entrance to the Emperor Flame Abyss, scarlet clouds churned.

Xiao Yan stood upon the flames, gazing at the scarlet-gold gateway, his voice like thunder:

"The next trial—the pure lotus takes its place!"

"I, Xiao Yan, swear by fire to burn away all injustice and reopen the Emperor Road!"

Next chapter preview: "The Pure Lotus Takes Its Place"

Xiao Yan entered the Third Tier of the Emperor Flame Abyss and faced the trial of the Purifying Lotus Demon Flame Origin's will. The nine nether wind flame fused completely with the remnant pure lotus flames, awakening its fifth tier. The purifying lotus demon flame whispered, "Nine flames return to origin not to become an emperor, but to—defy heaven and change fate." Xiao Yan took the flame of origin head-on with his windfire emperor body. The Nine Flames Return to Origin Art finally reached completion, and the Nine Flames Emperor Seal transformed into the "Emperor Fire Seal." Wind and fire burned the heavens, their might shaking the continent! The design of nine flames returning to origin reached fulfillment. The Emperor Road was about to reopen, the Great Calamity loomed, and heroes gathered to pay homage. The name of the Nine Flames Emperor resounded through heaven and earth!