The Emperor Gate Was About to Open

At the Mortal Flame Gate, a crimson-gold pillar of light pierced the clouds, burning undimmed for seven days.

Its radiance was no longer confined to Ash Kiln Village. Like the first light of dawn, it swept across the nine continents and four seas, piercing the Gu Clan's restrictions, secret-realm barriers, and Heavenly Flame seals, illuminating every forgotten corner. Countless people gazed skyward, an unprecedented light kindling in their eyes—hope, awakening, and the conviction that even mortals could seek the Dao.

And as this tide swept across the continent, heaven and earth changed upon the wastelands of the Northern Desert.

Overnight, the yellow sands receded, the earth's veins surged, and an enormous pitch-black gate slowly rose from underground. Ten thousand zhang tall and a thousand zhang wide, it was covered in ancient runes, each seemingly inscribed in the blood of a Dou Di, radiating a pressure that made all flames submit.

The Dou Di Gate—had manifested!

Legend held that this gate was the ultimate trial left behind by an ancient Dou Di before ascending. Only someone who gathered all nine "origin emperor flames" could open it. Beyond the gate lay the sole road to the true emperor realm, the ultimate destination where all flames returned to their source and all Daos became one.

Yet in ten thousand years, no one had gathered the nine flames, much less dared speak of opening this gate.

Now, on the seventh day after the Mortal Flame Gate awakened, it had manifested on its own.

"Is it answering a call? Or... a warning?" In an ancient hall in the Central Plains, a white-haired elder gazed toward the Northern Desert, his voice trembling. "The Mortal Flame Gate has awakened the sleeping Emperor Gate. This world... is about to see its heavens overturned."

"Overturned?" In a secret chamber of the Soul Clan, a black-robed figure sneered. "It merely lets the ants see how far they stand beneath the heavens. I have already ordered the Nine Clans to seal off the Northern Desert. This gate is not something the likes of Lin Yan may lay a finger on."

"But... mortal flames have gathered momentum, and the people's hearts are with him. If he truly gathers the nine flames..."

"Then let him gather them." The black-robed figure's eyes darkened. "The nine flames are hard to find, and eight have already died out. The last—the 'heart flame'—can only be kindled by someone who has truly endured ten thousand flames burning through his heart. If he dares come, let his own convictions burn him to ashes before the gate."

Ash Kiln Village, beneath the Mortal Flame Gate.

Lin Yan sat cross-legged before the Trial Stele. The will flame true blaze in his palm resonated with countless mortal flames, slowly circulating. His eyes were closed, yet he could "see"—the enormous gate in the Northern Desert, the faint call beyond it, and countless buried wills whispering.

"Did you hear it?" he asked softly.

Beside him, the old village physician leaned on his cane and gazed toward the sky. "I did. The source of dou qi is calling for a true human being."

"It isn't a call. It's a test." Lin Yan opened his eyes, fire coiling like dragons within them. "It's asking—do you dare tread the Emperor Road in a mortal body?"

He slowly rose, sheathed the Flame Blade, and looked toward the Northern Desert.

"The Mortal Flame Gate stands, and the will of the people burns. But if the gate to the imperial Dao remains closed and the old order unbroken, it will all amount to an illusion."

"So—" He stepped forward, a Fire Lotus blooming beneath his feet and reaching straight into the sky. "I will go to the Northern Desert myself, gather the nine flames, and open the Emperor Gate, to win a sliver of heavenly light for all flames."

"How can you alone withstand the Nine Clans' blockade? How will you find the nine flames?" the old village physician asked.

Lin Yan turned back and smiled, like warm sunlight breaking through clouds:

"I am not alone."

He raised his hand and lightly touched the Mortal Flame Gate.

Boom!

The Trial Stele resonated. The flames in the palms of countless mortals lit up at once, their crimson-gold radiance converging into a river of light that shot into the clouds and became a long bridge of fire spanning the continent, pointing straight toward the Northern Desert!

"All who guard my path are seeds of fire; all who walk beside me may wield a flame."

"On this road, I will not be alone."

"This gate, I will open."

Three days later, at the edge of the Northern Desert.

Windblown sand filled the sky, and yellow clouds pressed down upon the earth.

The armies of the Nine Clans had already deployed the "Nine Extremes Flame-Sealing Formation." Gu Clan elders guarded its nine formation cores, each suppressing a remnant aura of an origin emperor flame, intent on sealing off every chance of opening the Emperor Gate.

"If Lin Yan comes, we will bury him in this sea of sand!" the master of Thunder Punishment Valley barked coldly. "However fiercely mortal flames burn, they cannot break the Nine Extremes Formation!"

But just then—

Rumble!

At the horizon, a crimson-gold streak of fire cleaved through the wind and sand, surging from the south like a mighty river. Wherever it passed, the sandstorms dispersed, the earth's veins revived, withered grass sprouted flames, and yellow soil turned to crystal!

At the end of that streak, a figure strode upon fire, a blade hanging at his waist and his eyes blazing.

Lin Yan had arrived!

He stood outside the formation and looked toward its nine cores. His voice was calm, yet it carried across heaven and earth:

"You lock away flames with formations and crush the Dao with power, thinking that will stop the Emperor Gate from opening?"

"But you have forgotten—"

He slowly drew his blade. The will flame true blaze surged upward, resonating with the river of fire behind him:

"Mortal flames never fear a seal."

"Because—they were kindled in darkness to begin with."

His blade flashed!

Boom!

Crimson-gold blade energy swept across a thousand zhang, slashing straight at the first formation core!

Rumble! The formation core shattered. The suppressed remnant aura of the "flameheart emperor flame" shot into the sky, becoming a fire dragon that circled above Lin Yan's head before willingly merging into his will flame true blaze!

"No!" the master of Thunder Punishment Valley roared. "He... he can awaken sleeping emperor flames?!"

"This is more than awakening." Lin Yan raised his blade again and looked toward the remaining eight cores. "This is—all flames united in heart, the Emperor Gate about to open!"

At his command, the river of fire behind him surged. Countless mortals hurried from across the nine continents. Though they had yet to reach the Northern Desert, their heart flames resonated from afar. The flames in their palms gathered like stars, becoming a second stream of fire, then a third, pouring into Lin Yan's body!

"He... he is borrowing the will of the people to make the emperor flames whole!" an elder of Burning Flame Ridge cried in horror. "Quick! Activate the formation and kill him!"

The elders of the Nine Clans moved as one. Dou Di pressure gathered, and the Nine Extremes Formation fully activated. Heaven and earth changed color, and laws sharp as blades bore straight down on Lin Yan!

But he did not retreat.

He stood at the center of the sea of fire, the Flame Blade held high. His will flame true blaze mingled with the people's heart flames, and the remnant auras of nine emperor flames resonated within him, condensing into a phantom above his head—

Nine flames returned to source, the emperor flame first took form!

Boom!!!

The blade fell!

The ninth formation core shattered!

The Nine Extremes Flame-Sealing Formation broke!

Heaven and earth fell silent. The wind and sand stilled.

Only Lin Yan stood upon the yellow sands, his blade pointing toward the heavens. Behind him, the sea of fire surged like a dragon, while the remnant auras of nine emperor flames circled his body, slowly merging.

He looked toward the enormous pitch-black gate and said softly:

"I have come."

"In this life, mortal flames are the seeds, and countless wills the fuel—not to become an emperor—"

"Only to open a gate."

He stepped forward and walked toward the Emperor Gate.

Behind him, countless flames followed, like a river of stars seeing him on his way.

The Emperor Gate was about to open—who could stop it?

Next chapter preview: "Nine Flames Return to Source"

Lin Yan stood before the Emperor Gate, using the people's heart flames as a guide as the remnant auras of the nine flames were finally about to merge. But just then, a whisper came from within the gate: "Do you truly believe that becoming an emperor can change this world?" A figure identical to Lin Yan slowly walked out of the gate—the previous "Emperor Seed."