Demon Fury Sage

The Fallen Mountain Range was an exceedingly remote yet remarkably bustling place on the Dou Qi Continent. Though it lay within the Central Plains, it was close to their outskirts. In plain terms, it was a forgotten corner of the Central Plains.

Normally, aside from the magical beast clans that already lived nearby, few people would venture into this region. But the Fallen Mountain Range was clearly a very special place. Several earth-shaking battles had once erupted here, and rumor had it that many Dou Sheng Experts had fallen here as well. That was how the Fallen Mountain Range had earned its name.

It was precisely this legend, true or otherwise, that drew people from other regions here, hoping to find the treasures those Dou Sheng had left behind and ascend to the heavens in a single stride. Of course, every last one of them returned empty-handed.

Yet this did nothing to dampen the treasure hunters' enthusiasm. They would only insist that the treasures left behind by those Dou Sheng had yet to be discovered, rather than consider that there were no treasures at all.

At that moment, a black-robed young man was walking slowly along the broad path leading toward the summit. His features were fairly handsome, but the cold indifference in his eyes made many women who had wanted to approach him because of his looks shrink back.

Stranger still, although his steps seemed slow, each one carried him several thousand meters. Yet not a single person in the entire mountain range noticed this. Only occasionally did a traveler suddenly realize that the black-robed young man who had been beside them had quietly vanished from sight.

"This is the place." The black-robed young man gazed at the steepest peak in the entire mountain range, then leaped straight to its summit. This was the heart of the Fallen Mountain Range, known as Fallen Peak. With its sheer slopes and terrifying height of thirty thousand meters, very few people ever came here.

In contrast to its precipitous slopes, Fallen Peak's summit was extraordinarily smooth. From afar, it looked like an enormous mirror laid across the very center of the mountain range. Sunlight streamed down from the sky, only to be reflected straight back up by that mirror, creating the spectacle of a pillar of light soaring into the heavens.

"Looks like this trip wasn't wasted." As the black-robed young man sensed the fluctuations coming from the pillar of light, a rare flicker of fervor appeared in his black eyes, normally as still as an ancient well. Within that pillar, he sensed an exceptionally pure energy. Though it was extremely faint, if he could absorb it completely, he could step into that legendary realm!

The black-robed young man studied the white pillar of light but did not recklessly charge into it. He raised his head, looked at the space before him, and said calmly, "Since you're here, show yourself. What kind of hero hides their head and tail?"

"Hehe... just what I'd expect from Demon Fury Sage, the man who gives all seven clans such terrible headaches. Your perception really is sharp." As laughter rang out, a spatial vortex rapidly formed barely a thousand meters from the black-robed young man. A somewhat slender figure then slowly stepped out of it.

The person who emerged from the spatial passage was actually a woman. She wore a white dress and was exceptionally beautiful. Although she had a smile on her face, the fierce killing intent radiating from her gave the illusion of facing a boundless sea of blood. Looking at the impassive black-robed young man, she smiled and said, "Long time no see, Xiao Yan."

"If you only wanted to reminisce, I doubt you needed to make a special trip here, Hun Dai'er... oh, I suppose calling you the Hun Clan's clan leader would be more appropriate now." Xiao Yan remained unmoved by the white-clad woman's friendly overture. Having dealt with her many times before, he naturally knew how frightening she was. Beneath that gentle, charming exterior, the people who had fallen at her hands could probably fill the entire Fallen Mountain Range.

Of course, compared with his own record, hers was merely a little witch meeting a great sorcerer. However ruthless she was, she still had her own limits, whereas the man before her had long since ceased to acknowledge even his own kin.

"Surely you already know what I'm here for?" Hun Dai'er smiled. "You're not the only person in this world with their eyes on that thing."

"Tsk, what a nuisance." Xiao Yan shook his head and opened his hand slightly. A pink flame ignited in his palm. "It's been a long time since we last fought, ever since you inherited the position of Hun Clan leader. I'd like to see how you differ from Hun Tiandi."

"If you'd agreed to hand over your piece of the Tou She Ancient God Jade back then, things would never have reached this point." Seeing the wisp of flame in Xiao Yan's palm, a trace of wariness entered Hun Dai'er's eyes. Even a Peak Dou Sheng like her dared not underestimate the purifying lotus demon flame, ranked third on the heavenly flame ranking.

"Heh, I told you a hundred years ago that I'd already destroyed that piece of the Tou She Ancient God Jade." Xiao Yan shook his head. "If I can't get what I want, neither will you. We might as well smash it all and go our separate ways."

"A hundred years ago, I also told you that as long as you were willing to cooperate with us, you would always be an honored guest of the Hun Clan. And once I broke through to Dou Di, I would help you enter that realm as well. That offer still stands." Hun Dai'er looked straight at the man who had once caused her endless trouble and extended an olive branch once again.

"No need. One taste of betrayal was enough." Xiao Yan gave a mocking smile. "Call out all the helpers from your clan. Coming alone to a meeting isn't your style."

"You really do know me..." Hun Dai'er shook her head helplessly. Immediately afterward, layers of black mist surged into the sky above Fallen Peak. Within a few breaths, the mist spread tens of thousands of kilometers, engulfing all of Fallen Peak.

At this sight, Xiao Yan's brow furrowed slightly. He looked up and saw the black mist churn. Then four pitch-black gates shot out of it, occupying the four directions of the sky. An aura of death spread from them, sealing off the space for thousands of kilometers around Xiao Yan.

Each of the figures seated atop those four enormous gates possessed a powerful aura no weaker than that of an eight-star Dou Sheng. Yet Xiao Yan could sense something strange about the auras of these four eight-star Dou Sheng, something different from ordinary people.

"The Gate of Dead Silence. I never imagined you could even deploy something like this." As Xiao Yan watched the aura of dead silence spreading around him, not a ripple appeared in his eyes. With the unique purifying power of the purifying lotus demon flame, an aura of this level could not harm him in the slightest. Even so, the Realm of Death formed by these four Gates of Dead Silence could not be underestimated, especially with four eight-star Dou Sheng presiding over it.

"Hehe, when dealing with a second Xiao Xuan, our clan naturally won't be as careless as before," an old man atop one of the Gates of Dead Silence said with a dry chuckle.

"I remember you. Your name is Hun Yuantian, isn't it? Ancestor Xiao Xuan killed you back then. I never thought you'd have a chance to see daylight again. It seems your Hun Clan has quite a few things hidden away..." Xiao Yan chuckled, and pink flames ignited in his dark eyes. "But do you think you're the only ones with a trump card tucked away? I have one too."

"Come forth, Heaven Refining Ancient Formation."

Xiao Yan raised his hand lightly. In the next instant, two flaming light formations, each tens of thousands of meters across, suddenly appeared. As they emerged, pink flames spread outward, burning away every trace of black mist in the sky. Even Hun Dai'er's eyes filled with terror at the sight of those two formations. "That's the Purifying Lotus Demon Sage's Heaven Refining Ancient Formation? Damn it! You actually inherited this technique too!"

"Just a stroke of luck. Still, I'd quite like to see whether your Realm of Death is stronger, or whether my Heaven Refining Ancient Formation has the upper hand..." Xiao Yan said calmly. As his words fell, the two flaming light formations swept toward the four Gates of Dead Silence. Faced with this terrifying assault, the other eight-star Dou Sheng dared not delay. They hurriedly activated the Realm of Death to resist the Heaven Refining Ancient Formation's encroachment.

"Now no one will interrupt us." Xiao Yan looked up at the Heaven Refining Ancient Formation contending with the Realm of Death, his expression indifferent. Without his personal control, the formation's power would be greatly reduced, but it was more than enough to hold those men at bay.

"Whatever other tricks you have, use them all." Xiao Yan slowly extended his hand. Brilliant flames swiftly gathered above his palm, finally condensing into a dazzling Fire Lotus that hovered quietly in his hand.

"Do you really think I'm afraid of your Fire Lotus?" Hun Dai'er stamped her foot. Vast, boundless energy condensed into a tidal surge tens of thousands of meters high and roared toward Xiao Yan. Space shattered wherever the energy tide passed. Anyone swept into it would likely perish, even an eight-star Dou Sheng!

Facing a tide of worldly energy terrifying enough to fill even an eight-star Dou Sheng with dread, Xiao Yan remained calm. With a light toss of his hand, the Fire Lotus in his palm flew out.

The Fire Lotus was only palm-sized, utterly insignificant beside the energy tide towering tens of thousands of meters high. Yet the instant it touched that tide, the enormous mass of Heaven and Earth Energy was burned clean away within a few breaths.

Hun Dai'er's pupils contracted slightly at the sight. Seeing the Fire Lotus sweep toward her without losing any momentum after burning away the tide of worldly energy, she immediately bit her fingertip and traced a strange rune in the air. A blood-colored demonic talisman condensed before her and slammed into the Fire Lotus in midair.

The instant the two collided, the entire world seemed to fall briefly silent. In the next moment, an energy fluctuation spread soundlessly outward. Though it appeared entirely unremarkable, it reduced the space for tens of thousands of kilometers around them to nothingness. Even the entire Fallen Mountain Range below was melted away by that terrifying collision.

"The Hun Clan's Blood Hun Mo Talisman... no wonder it could withstand the Destruction Fire Lotus." Xiao Yan was somewhat surprised to see the Fire Lotus's attack stopped. Just as he prepared to gather another attack, the white pillar of light in the sky, which seemed to connect heaven and earth, suddenly blazed with dazzling radiance.

"What is this..." The sudden change stunned both Xiao Yan and Hun Dai'er. In the next instant, the pillar of light abruptly expanded, so quickly that even the two Peak Dou Sheng Experts could not react before being engulfed. "Damn it... what is this thing?"

Xiao Yan and Hun Dai'er struggled with all their might, but the energy filling the pillar of light stood far above their own. Even after exhausting every means at their disposal, they could not escape its reach. Stranger still, despite their emperor realm Soul Force, they felt their consciousness gradually growing hazy within the light.

When Xiao Yan's mind became clear again, the blank whiteness before his eyes was gone. In its place stood an ancient, magnificent hall. He instinctively looked around, only to discover that Hun Dai'er, who should have been swept in along with him, was nowhere to be found.

"Looks like there's no choice but to go forward." Xiao Yan took a deep breath and sped along the palace's passageway. He had never been an indecisive man. Even he felt his heart tremble at the aura permeating the palace. Surely only a legendary Dou Di could make a Peak Dou Sheng feel such dread...

This palace might allow him to break through to the realm he had long yearned for, but it might also plunge him into eternal damnation!

As Xiao Yan flew swiftly onward, a streak of black light shot toward him. Alarmed, he immediately summoned his heavenly flames, forming a protective barrier over his body. Yet just as he finished preparing his defenses, the light suddenly stopped and hovered quietly before him.

"What is this..." Xiao Yan was surprised by the black light's appearance, for what hovered before him was actually a mass of flame. Judging by its aura, it was no weaker than some heavenly flames! There were several black flames on the heavenly flame ranking, but he had seen all of them. This was clearly none of those.

Could this thing be the heavenly flame ranked first? An absurd thought suddenly arose in Xiao Yan's mind, but he quickly dismissed it. Though he had never seen the first-ranked heavenly flame, and no ancient text contained any record of it, for some reason he felt that it ought to look far more dazzling, rather than like this.

"Perhaps it's some undiscovered heavenly flame?" Xiao Yan speculated. The heavenly flame ranking was indeed authoritative, but some believed that there were far more than twenty-three types of heavenly flames in the world, and that others might remain undiscovered. Still, since this palace was connected to a Dou Di, this flame's power could hardly be lacking.

Just as Xiao Yan was speculating about the heavenly flame's origins, the previously motionless flame suddenly moved again. What shocked him even more was that the defenses he had erected as a Peak Dou Sheng had no effect whatsoever on the black flame. It swept straight into his body.

Xiao Yan cursed inwardly and hurriedly unleashed his Soul Force, frantically scanning his body. Yet no matter how he searched, he could not discover where the black flame had hidden itself...

The moment after the black flame entered Xiao Yan's body, the space before him suddenly twisted. Then a white spatial vortex appeared in front of him. At the sight of it, Xiao Yan froze, for he seemed to hear a voice echoing beside his ear.

"Pass through this gate, and you will see what you cherish most."

"What I cherish most..." For a moment, Xiao Yan felt lost. He had no family or loved ones in this life. What could possibly count as the thing he cherished most? His heavenly flames?

As though moved by some unseen force, Xiao Yan stepped forward and entered the spatial gate.

The instant he entered the spatial gate, Xiao Yan felt his power rapidly draining away. Both his Dou Qi and his Soul Force gradually dissipated. Even the heavenly flames that had accompanied him for so long quietly vanished from his body, while his body rapidly shrank.

Finally, an intense white light suddenly appeared before Xiao Yan. Under its glare, he instinctively closed his eyes. Then a delighted voice rang out beside his ear. "Madam! The baby's here! It's a boy!"