The Yan Clan lay in a remote corner of the western Central Plains. Anyone who followed a map to its location would surely have been astonished, for all they would find was an unbroken stretch of volcanoes, many of them active and erupting. The Yan Clan's home was hidden among those active volcanoes.
Of course, this did not mean the Yan Clan lived inside volcanoes. Rather, they had chosen this region to create an independent space, much like the Gu Clan's "Ancient Realm" and the Hun Clan's "Soul Realm." Though the Yan Clan was weaker than the Gu Clan and Hun Clan, it still possessed such deep reserves as one of the Ancient Clans. The entrance to that "Flame Realm" lay inside a volcano, and the magma from its eruptions formed the Flame Realm's natural defensive barrier.
Moreover, the abundant fire energy had nurtured some unusual flames within these volcanoes. The volcanic stone flame possessed by Yan Jin, the Yan Clan's chief, had been found here. Though the other flames could not compare to heavenly flames, they were far stronger than ordinary Dou Qi flames. Thus, every year, many Yan Clan members whose skill lent them courage ventured into the magma to search for flames.
The Profound Fire Gathering was an important event held by the Yan Clan, one of the Ancient Eight Clans. Its main venue was the Profound Fire Mountain Range near the clan's territory. Though this region was also volcanic, all its volcanoes were extinct. Over more than a thousand years, vast amounts of energy had accumulated beneath the mountain range, making it something of a holy land for fire-attribute cultivators.
The Profound Fire Gathering was held only once every five years, and its participants were almost all talented youths and outstanding prodigies. It was somewhat similar