The Lihuo Divine Furnace had been Emperor Hengyu's divine weapon before he attained the Dao. In the end, limitations in its material had prevented it from surviving the heavenly tribulation alongside him and becoming an Extreme Dao Emperor Weapon.
Even so, it stood in a class of its own among Quasi-Emperor Weapons.
Even with all its might restrained, even when wielded by a mere Dao Palace cultivator.
It still possessed boundless power. Burning the heavens and boiling the seas were nothing out of the ordinary.
"BOOM!!!"
Flames poured from the bronze furnace like a waterfall, sweeping toward Qin Tian. Crimson radiance flooded the sky, painting everything in sight a vivid red.
"Ah..."
Qin Tian remained unharmed, but the Lihuo Sect disciples cried out in agony first. Some of their clothes spontaneously caught fire and burned to ash.
Five-colored flames surged skyward from the Lihuo Divine Furnace, roiling furiously. Nothing else remained between heaven and earth-firelight filled every corner.
"A Quasi-Emperor Weapon!"
He dared not confront the Lihuo Divine Furnace head-on. Whatever else might be said, it was still a Quasi-Emperor Weapon.
If he accidentally awakened the Dao laws contained within it, even a wisp of its aura could grind Qin Tian into dust.
"But luckily, I came prepared!"
Qin Tian traced patterns with his feet, outlining array marks and a field that firmly restrained the Lihuo Divine Furnace high above.
The Lihuo Divine Furnace was indeed powerful as a Quasi-Emperor Weapon, but its wielder was not. He was far too weak.
That was a fatal flaw.
The same reasoning had kept Qin Tian from entering Jade Lake's tenth level back then. As the weapon's master, he had been far too weak; the slightest lapse could have seen him crushed to powder by its Extreme Dao aura.
To deal with this man and his weapon, he only needed to sever their connection. Then he could take it with ease.
Qin Tian supported the Lihuo Divine Furnace with one hand. Countless array marks sealed heaven and locked earth, forming an independent space that cut off all contact with the outside. Then his eyes flashed, and the light of time and space severed the Lihuo Sect's imprint within it.
"We can talk this over!" the Lihuo Sect's Grand Elder hurriedly cried when he sensed the connection break.
"Sir, whatever you want, we can discuss it. As long as you return the Lihuo Divine Furnace to me, everything is negotiable."
Qin Tian remained silent, ignoring him. He hefted the small, exquisite divine furnace and swept his gaze over its core.
"Interesting!"
A trace of surprise flashed through Qin Tian's eyes. "There's actually no deity inside. No wonder anyone can use it. No wonder the Jiang Family can't summon this Lihuo Divine Furnace back."
"Back then, when Emperor Hengyu forged the Solar Divine Furnace anew, he didn't discard the Lihuo Divine Furnace. Instead, he used a supreme divine ability to transfer its deity into the Solar Divine Furnace."
"No wonder the two weapons can merge. The same deity controls both emperor weapons-one is its new body, the other its old one."
"The two bodies are almost identical and share the same deity. When the divine weapons connect, the Ultimate Dao Laws awaken within the Lihuo Divine Furnace as well, making them equivalent to two Extreme Dao Emperor Weapons."
"Truly worthy of a Great Emperor!" Qin Tian marveled.
"He had no shortage of wisdom or imagination."
"Terms?"
Qin Tian lowered his head toward the Lihuo Sect's Grand Elder. "I can't be bothered negotiating with you. You aren't worthy of hearing them!"
"Fire Phoenix Emerges!" Qin Tian shouted, turning to activate the Lihuo Divine Furnace.
These people before him deserved no mercy. While searching for the Lihuo Sect, he had learned that they were no decent lot either.
Or rather, not one of the Northern Region's sects was any good. They were exactly like the Azure Cloud Sect in the original story.
They extorted ruinous levies, treated human lives like grass, and stopped at nothing to obtain source. Their hands were drenched in blood, their crimes piling up one after another.
They supported more than a dozen bands of marauders and frequently took action themselves, committing countless massacres. He could kill every last one outright; none were innocent.
Qin Tian directly activated the small, exquisite divine furnace. It flew into the air and expanded dozens of times over.
A fire phoenix burst from the enormous bronze furnace towering in the sky. It spread its wings and soared, blazing flames and rolling magma streaming upward like great rivers flowing backward into the heavens.
The phoenix's cry shook the heavens, clear and far-reaching. Around the fire phoenix hung eighty-one streams of blazing magma, like great waterfalls flowing in reverse.
Crimson light filled the sky, seeming to burn space itself into distortion. Rocks atop the mountain melted, and the volcano erupted as a result. Magma slowly flowed downward, the hot springs dried up, and the earth split open.
A terrifying aura spread. Space collapsed, great fissures spreading and drawing the entire Lihuo Sect into them. Too many people died in the aftershocks, reduced to powder and burned away the moment the heat reached them.
The sight made hearts tremble.
"How is this possible? How can you control my Lihuo Sect's weapon?" The Grand Elder's face drained of color.
"I spent a hundred years comprehending that secret technique, Fire Phoenix Emerges! How do you know it?"
Qin Tian chuckled. "A hundred years? Isn't it recorded right on the Lihuo Divine Furnace? Why bother comprehending it? Just activate it!"
"Well then..."
"Ciao!" Qin Tian waved his hand. The Lihuo Divine Furnace tipped downward, and the dazzling phoenix descended.
"RUMBLE!"
Vast divine power erupted. Extreme heat and destruction swept across this stretch of heaven and earth, obliterating the volcanic crater.
A mushroom cloud slowly rose, pouring energy in every direction and flattening everything within a hundred li.
"What was the next target? Some Azure-something Sect, wasn't it?" Qin Tian rubbed his chin.
"Mm, right. The Azure Cloud Sect. I just don't know whether that Emperor Jade is there at this point in time."
Qin Tian pondered. "I remember there's also an ancient cave containing Immortal Dao Marks left by Great Emperor Wushi."
"I'll go to the Azure Cloud Sect first, take the Emperor Jade, then inspect the ancient cave."
Qin Tian transformed into a divine rainbow and flew into the sky.
He soon reached the Azure Cloud Sect. Green waters wound through the vibrant landscape, and groves of maple orchid trees swayed, covered in pure white blossoms whose fragrance drifted through the air.
Birdsong mingled with the scent of flowers. The scenery around Azure Cloud's main peak was picturesque, graceful, and natural.
"Who goes there?" Someone had sensed Qin Tian's overwhelmingly powerful divine power fluctuations.
A decrepit, aged voice came from a hall halfway up the mountain. Then an old man in a crimson robe, jade belt, and crown appeared before Qin Tian.
A Four Extremes Realm cultivator?
Qin Tian narrowed his eyes and studied the man. He found him steeped in Death Aura, his aura utterly decayed. It seemed he had used some netherworld spirit medicine to cling to life until now.
"Now this is much more interesting!"
Qin Tian's lips curved upward. "I thought my current cultivation would let me steamroll this little dungeon. That would have been no fun at all."
"Now it seems a little surprise can still provide some entertainment."
"Sir, what business brings you to our sect?" the old man asked.
Qin Tian said softly, "To raze your mountain and smash your temples!"
In an instant, the old man's gaze hardened, and his aura began to strengthen. His blood energy scattered the surrounding mist, and his appearance began to change. His snowy hair turned black, and the wrinkles on his face vanished one by one. From the brink of death, he returned to middle age.
"Say that again!" the Four Extremes cultivator demanded coldly.
"A Four Extremes expert. Now that makes things interesting."
Qin Tian wasted no more words and attacked first. His divine power surged with unbelievable force, his blood energy billowing straight into the highest heavens. Compared with when he had been in the Sea of Bitterness Realm, he was far more than a hundred times stronger!
A heavenly chasm separated the Dao Palace and Sea of Bitterness realms. The gap between each level of the Dao Palace was also unimaginably vast.
"RUMBLE!"
The Four Extremes expert refused to show weakness. Even a sickly tiger retained the might to descend the mountain. Though an unmistakable Death Aura tainted his vast divine power, it remained formidable beyond compare.
Having entered the Four Extremes Realm, he could communicate with the Great Dao of heaven and earth, draw upon the power of the cosmos, and wield the Dao and principles he had comprehended. That made him far, far stronger than a Dao Palace cultivator.
Even Qin Tian, who could contend with a Divine King Body in the Other Shore Realm, could not swiftly defeat a Four Extremes cultivator while a full major realm beneath him. It would take a fierce battle.
I could match a Divine King Body in the Other Shore Realm because the Open Gate Method opened a gate of potential that didn't belong to that realm ahead of time.
Qin Tian reflected, But I haven't achieved much in the Dao Palace Secret Realm. Still, cultivating an Emperor Scripture lets me maintain my combat strength without falling too far behind him. We remain on the same level.
Qin Tian rationally analyzed the gap between himself and Ji Haoyue.
Special Physiques like the Divine King Body underwent a transformation in every realm. In particular, after crossing into the Four Extremes, the divine body reached minor accomplishment and experienced a qualitative leap.
Qin Tian was different. As a Mortal Body, he could only break through his limits bit by bit to stand shoulder to shoulder with a divine body.
Of course, Qin Tian would not fear him in a real fight. His own strength accounted for only part of his combat prowess; Formation Dao was what allowed him to battle above his realm.
Moreover, after reaching the Four Extremes, cultivators could wield the power of the Great Dao, and comprehension gradually became more important.
Qin Tian still had confidence in his own talent.
Nevertheless, he deeply envied Special Physiques.
"Special Physiques! They really are enviable!"
"The Yaoguang Holy Land... I'll have to find a way to get that supreme Emperor Scripture." Qin Tian's eyes darkened.
He had figured it out. To make a name for yourself in Shrouding the Heavens, you needed a Special Physique.
Even without one, you had to find a way to rival those who possessed a Special Physique.
Wang Teng, for instance, had bathed in undying divine phoenix blood and had once been able to rival the Desolate Ancient Sacred Body. The Mortal Body Great Emperors of ancient history must also have undergone similar experiences.
Examples included Amitabha Great Emperor's sixteen-foot golden body and Void Emperor drawing the great universe's origin into his own body.
They would have had no shortage of other blessings and opportunities either.
Otherwise, they would suffer far too great a disadvantage when facing those with a Special Physique on the Emperor Road.
They would fall behind in close combat and could even be driven into a deadly predicament with alarming ease. Their physical bodies were inferior, and their divine power would necessarily be weaker as well.
True, even a Mortal Body could attain the Dao.
But he had never heard of a Mortal Body becoming a Heavenly Emperor.
Whether Ye Fan, Wushi, or even the Undying Emperor, all possessed extraordinarily powerful constitutions.
Ruthless had devoured myriad constitutions to evolve chaos. Even Duan De, who appeared to have a Mortal Body, had originally been an Immortal Dao expert in the Chaotic Ancient Era.
Emperor Venerable was a Heavenly Venerable reborn through nirvana who attained the Dao again, and his constitution was extraordinary too. The God Emperor was no ordinary figure either: the Divine Silkworm's ten transformations let him look down upon past and present.
As for Azure Emperor, there was even less need to elaborate. He truly was a reincarnated Immortal King.
Of course, that did not mean a Mortal Body could never produce a Heavenly Emperor.
But a Special Physique made things easier. The stronger its advantages, the firmer its shackles. The Desolate Ancient Sacred Body was one example: its shackles were so strong that none of the nine generations of Great Accomplishment Sacred Bodies had attained the Dao.
Yet... once those shackles were broken, the cultivator would gain power far beyond an ordinary Great Emperor.
Thus, in pursuit of perfection and every additional measure of combat strength, Qin Tian felt he needed a Special Physique too.
After all, obtaining a Special Physique in this era was not particularly difficult.
Because there was a supreme cultivation art-the Heaven-Swallowing Demon Art!
By devouring the origins of myriad constitutions and forming a demonic embryo, one could rival any constitution in the world.
Granted, the demonic nature of this art was so powerful that it nearly surpassed every other Emperor Scripture.
Even its creator had been forced to abandon the scripture, break free of the demonic embryo, and create the Indestructible Heavenly Art.
But everything had a way forward. Qin Tian refused to believe the shackles of the Heaven-Swallowing Demon Art could not be broken.
Qin Tian said quietly, "Besides, I don't necessarily have to follow the path of absorbing myriad bodily origins to evolve a Chaos Body!"
"The Chaos Body is supremely powerful in this world, a first-rate constitution. But constitutions that rival it... do exist!"
"And merging myriad constitutions isn't the only path to a Chaos Body."
"Taiyin and Taiyang-which is stronger, which is weaker? When yin and yang unite, an emperor reigns over the world!"
Qin Tian lowered his gaze toward the Four Extremes cultivator and asked, "How long can you last, forcibly drawing out your blood energy?"
"Long enough to kill you."
"Let me use your blood to defend the dignity of our Azure Cloud Sect."
The Four Extremes elder drew his artifact from his bitter sea.
The world abruptly darkened. Four mountain peaks stretched across the sky, blocking the light of the sun and stars.
Qin Tian chuckled. "Mm, a Four Extremes Great Power with little time left, bringing a spirit-attuned treasure."
The four peaks merged with a tremendous roar. The great mountain loomed like the heavens, towering high and filling the sky as it slowly pressed downward.
Qin Tian's expression grew solemn. He shattered stars and moons and braced against the divine mountain with his strength, meeting each attack with valiant resistance.
Such a feat was rare throughout history. He truly was a heaven-blessed prodigy of the present age, inspiring awe and shaking hearts. Few in this world could cross a full major realm to challenge the Four Extremes from the Dao Palace.
"If this is all you have, you won't be able to entertain me!" Qin Tian said quietly. "Come, test the embryonic form of my Manifestation!"
"Yin-Yang Life-and-Death Diagram!"
Qin Tian raised a hand. Yin-yang qi emerged within his Sea of Bitterness, and his bitter sea and life spring resonated, producing the sound of the Dao, recounting the primordial beginning and the foundation upon which the world was built.
The true meanings of life and death condensed, actually forming a golden sun and a silver moon that represented their divine intent.
Life and death mingled, and the golden sun and silver moon became the eyes of the yin-yang fish.
The next moment, an ultimate aura of life shone from his life spring. Like the source of all things, it was the force driving the renewal of everything, flowing in steady streams like water through space.
Then vitality turned to deathly stillness. The source reflected by the bitter sea became the final destination of all things and all spirits, where every living being fell silent.
The powers of life and death intertwined and collided, unleashing vast fluctuations of divine power. They spun without cease, finally forming a life-and-death diagram.
Qin Tian held the life-and-death diagram high, commanding life and death, controlling yin and yang, and harnessing the life and death of all things for himself.
Manifestation-Yin-Yang Life-and-Death Diagram!
While in the Sea of Bitterness Realm, Qin Tian had comprehended some of the Kunpeng Method's profound mysteries. The potential of his life spring and bitter sea had been awakened, far surpassing cultivators of his level.
The Yin-Yang Life-and-Death Diagram Manifestation had naturally been born as a result.
Combined with the method for activating Manifestations he had learned from Ji Haoyue, this allowed Qin Tian to successfully unleash the embryonic Yin-Yang Life-and-Death Diagram ahead of time.
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