It was already evening when Shen Luo returned to his room.
The Fire Fairy's distinctive fragrance still lingered on him.
Although he had not won over that mature beauty in one fell swoop today, he had certainly taken every advantage he could.
"Once I reach the Dou Zun Realm, I wonder if my heavenly tyrant body will let me break through the defenses of her Dou Sheng physique?"
Shen Luo shook his head and sat cross-legged to cultivate!
He had already confirmed how outrageously powerful Fire Control was. Everything else could wait.
Keeping a low profile while growing stronger was the way to go. Once he lay low long enough to perfect his tyrant body, he would take down the likes of Hun Tiandi with a single punch apiece!
However, although the heavenly tyrant body was an unrivaled physique, its demand for worldly energy was equally immense.
To break through from Peak Dou Emperor to Dou Zong, he had refined roughly ten times as much worldly energy as anyone else.
Fortunately, he could refine pills and had the Devouring Ancestral Symbol. Otherwise, he could never have broken through to Dou Zong in such a short time.
Three days later, several majestic peals of a bell resounded throughout the Flame Realm.
Above the Flame Realm.
The Fire Fairy stood in the center, her expression languid!
More than a dozen Yan Clan elders stood behind her.
She turned her head slightly, glanced at Shen Luo below, and beckoned with a slender, jade-like hand.
Shen Luo approached the group, bowed, and cupped his hands.
He was not a member of the Yan Clan, but thanks to their deliberate arrangements, he had already been branded as one.
"Hehe, this must be Old Man Shennong's personal disciple? What fine looks and an extraordinary bearing." A white-haired elder stroked his beard and smiled.
Another elder stepped forward and patted Shen Luo's shoulder. "Don't stand on ceremony. Your master is an honorary elder of our Yan Clan, so naturally, you count as half a member yourself."
Damn, these shameless old geezers have just decided what I am without asking.
Shen Luo grumbled inwardly, but his face remained full of smiles.
Out of the corner of his eye, he kept a close watch on that imposing, regal beauty.
The Fire Fairy wore a lavish pink robe today, displaying all the voluptuous curves befitting a mature beauty.
Her skin was like congealed cream, so tender it seemed water might seep out if pinched.
Her proud peaks trembled slightly with each breath, while her long, jet-black hair was coiled behind her head, accentuating her stately elegance.
Her fair, rosy feet rested in crystal shoes with heels roughly ten centimeters high, making her already tall figure seem even more statuesque.
Shen Luo quietly swallowed, not daring to meet the Fire Fairy's eyes.
This woman possessed both beauty and strength, dignity and allure. She made people retreat three paces, yet they could not resist wanting to draw closer.
"Shen Luo, you will participate in this Emperor Clan Tournament as well. Your master is not only an alchemist capable of refining a Ninth-Tier Profound Pill, but also a Mid-Stage Six-Star Dou Sheng. Broadening your horizons won't hurt." The Fire Fairy's lips curved as she spoke coldly.
"Yes, Aunt Ling." Shen Luo nodded and took his place behind Huo Xuan.
With his arms folded across his chest, Huo Xuan looked at the white-robed Shen Luo and suddenly asked in a low voice, "Shen Luo, what did you ask the supreme elder for? She said she would grant anything!"
"Uh, nothing much." Shen Luo smacked his lips and changed the subject. "Little Brother Huo Xuan, with your strength, surely you'll take the crown in this tournament?"
Huo Xuan frowned and said gravely, "First place will be difficult. The other clans are manageable, but those freaks from the Lei Clan and Gu Clan are the real problem. I only placed third last time."
Shen Luo was about to ask for details when a thousand-zhang spatial rift suddenly opened, and more than a dozen figures slowly stepped out.
At their head stood a white-haired elder with the bearing of an immortal. His aura was as unfathomable as an abyss, as though he had become one with heaven and earth.
"Hehe, little sister Fire Spirit, it's been a long time." The white-haired elder's hearty laughter rang out above the Flame Realm.
"Brother Gu Dao, I never expected you to lead the delegation personally. My greetings." The Fire Fairy's expression grew solemn, and flames seemed to churn within her narrow eyes.
Gu Dao's personal arrival truly surprised her. By the usual custom, even a low-star Dou Sheng elder leading a clan's delegation would have been the most they could expect. It seemed the Gu Clan attached great importance to this tournament.
"Ah, I had nothing else to do. After sitting still for so long, these old bones wanted to move, so I came to take a stroll around your Flame Realm."
Shen Luo's gaze sharpened.
This white-haired elder should be Gu Dao, the leader of the Three Immortals of the Gu Clan, whose strength had likewise reached Late-Stage Seven-Star Dou Saint.
His standing in the Gu Clan was second only to Gu Yuan and Black Annihilation King Gu Lie, making him the clan's third-ranking figure.
Shen Luo began looking over the people behind Gu Dao.
Two more white-haired elders stood among the delegation. They nodded slightly to the Yan Clan elders, their auras deep and enduring. Presumably, they were also Dou Sheng experts.
Behind those two stood a lineup composed entirely of the Gu Clan's young prodigies.
The young man at their head wore black, his hair tied in a high ponytail. His bearing was gentle and refined.
The young man's gaze also swept over them before settling on Huo Xuan.
"Brother Huo Xuan, it's been a while."
Huo Xuan's brows rose, and his lips twisted as he cupped his hands in return. "Brother Qingyang, do go easy on me this time."
Looking at the seemingly hostile Huo Xuan, the black-clad young man gave a helpless smile.
Shen Luo's eyes gleamed.
This black-clad man whom Huo Xuan called Brother Qingyang should be Gu Qingyang, second only to Gu Xun'er among the Gu Clan's younger generation!
Although Shen Luo could no longer recall every detail of the original story, Gu Qingyang had left a deep impression on him.
He seemed to possess a peak ninth-grade bloodline, second only to the divine grade, and apparently became the Gu Clan's patriarch in the future.
Shen Luo continued looking.
His pupils contracted slightly.
A girl wearing a white veil and a long dress that shaded from pale green to white stood behind the others.
Her bearing was cool and aloof, her flowing black hair loosely tied with a purple ribbon. Her figure was slender and graceful, her willow-leaf waist barely a handspan around. She was like a green lotus rising from the mud unstained.
"Gu Xun'er?" Shen Luo frowned, his breathing quickening slightly.
As though sensing Shen Luo's gaze, the girl in the long dress turned slightly and glanced his way. Her eyes were cool, as though every man in the world was no different from a stone by the roadside.
It looks like this Emperor Clan Tournament will be quite a spectacle, Shen Luo mused.
A short while later, several enormous rifts appeared in the sky in succession, and several groups arrived above the Flame Realm almost simultaneously.
The Fire Fairy's gaze was deep and inscrutable. She discreetly glanced at the green-robed girl at the rear of the Gu Clan's delegation, then began greeting the elders of the other Emperor Clans one by one.
The Lei Clan, Yao Clan, and Spirit Clan had all arrived in the Flame Realm, each led by their own Dou Sheng elders.
"You have all traveled far. Thank you for making the journey. Our Yan Clan has prepared rooms for you to rest. Also, our patriarch is in seclusion, so I will preside over this tournament." The Fire Fairy smoothed the hair beside her ear and continued slowly, "As usual, opponents will be decided by drawing lots from the rosters you have submitted."
With that, the Fire Fairy extended her slender, jade-like hand in a welcoming gesture.
Everyone smiled calmly and began flying toward the Yan Clan's main hall.
Suddenly, the Fire Fairy and Gu Dao halted and turned back, their gazes fixed intently on a spot in the void above.
"Hehe, Fire Spirit, how could a contest between the younger generation take place without our Soul Clan?" A slightly hoarse voice rang out from the void.
Before you continue