With that, the towering flames swept back into Xiao Yan's body, but as they returned, his aura climbed higher and higher once more.
Only after his strength soared to the very limits of the Half-Saint level did it slowly stop rising.
This time, however, Xiao Yan did not activate his clan mark.
The Dou Sheng realm lay beyond a vast gulf, one that no secret art could bridge. Even activating the Xiao Clan's clan mark would have been futile.
No matter what, he could not cross that terrifying barrier. At this point, the restriction was almost a law of heaven and earth.
No secret art could help Xiao Yan break through this barrier. To enter the Dou Sheng realm, he could rely only on himself.
Even so, Xiao Yan's combat strength had already reached a terrifying level. Although he had not become a Dou Sheng, the combined power of his Heavenly Realm soul and Flame Mantra Dou Qi left him only a hair's breadth below an expert who had just entered that realm.
And that hair's breadth was not impossible to bridge!
"The Heavenly Flames Eternal Ruler?"
Killing intent surged in the bald, black-haired brute's eyes, which flickered with a vicious gleam.
"So you really are connected to the True Flame Emperor. In that case, I must kill you here, no matter what!"
With that, the bald, black-haired brute vanished from where he stood.
When he reappeared, he was already before Xiao Yan, his enormous palm wreathed in ink-black demonic Qi as he struck.
"Your Weird Curse Demon Race was once the greatest mortal enemy of the Dou Qi Continent's lineage. Who knows how many of our predecessors died fighting the invasion of your branch of demons?
"So I'm the one who must kill you!"
Xiao Yan sneered. Brilliant flames