Clash of Souls!

As Jiang Yun's words fell, silence returned to their surroundings!

The space seemed to freeze. An oppressive aura shrouded the underground chamber, and Qing Ming's expression grew graver than ever. He stared fixedly at Jiang Yun, watching his every move, afraid that something might go wrong.

Time ticked away, second by second!

The silence lasted several minutes before the Saint Heavenly Demon Flame inside Jiang Yun suddenly emerged beyond his control. The flame flickered slowly, then ripples spread through it. At the same time, a soft chuckle drifted out.

"Little fellow, how did you discover me?"

The voice instantly made Qing Ming tense all over. The Azure Nether Tower began awakening involuntarily, its scant remaining power surging like a flood. At the slightest movement, a rainstorm of attacks would erupt!

Even if he shattered completely and could no longer suppress the Saint Heavenly Demon Flame beneath the tower, allowing it to burn the entire Black-Corner Region to scorched earth, Qing Ming would not hesitate!

"Saint Heavenly Demon Emperor!!!" Although he had prepared himself mentally, Qing Ming still trembled with fear the moment he actually saw him.

The Saint Heavenly Demon Emperor had no interest in Qing Ming. Instead, he studied Jiang Yun with keen interest, as though trying to see right through him and discover how Jiang Yun had detected his presence.

Even Jiang Ya had failed to discover him. How had Jiang Yun, a mere Divine Soul cultivator-a Dou Ling-managed it? No matter how he pondered it, he could not understand.

Jiang Yun was not nearly as nervous as Qing Ming. Instead, he looked straight into the Saint Heavenly Demon Emperor's eyes. After a moment of silence, he said calmly, "Perhaps it's talent!"

"The flaw you revealed last time, when you first saw the Fallen Heart Flame, gave me my answer!"

Jiang Yun's answer was outrageous. He actually dared talk about talent before the Saint Heavenly Demon Emperor?

Yet the Saint Heavenly Demon Emperor nodded in agreement. "You are indeed very talented. Unfortunately..." As he spoke, his voice suddenly turned icy. "Anyone who betrays our clan deserves to die-"

"Lord Saint Heavenly, there's no need to bluff. I imagine your current strength isn't much greater than mine, is it?"

The Saint Heavenly Demon Emperor's sudden change made Qing Ming tense at once. Jiang Yun, however, remained calm and spoke words that left even the Saint Heavenly Demon Emperor momentarily stunned.

"You truly are clever!" the Saint Heavenly Demon Emperor said quietly.

"You've already answered your own question. Might you clear up a few questions of mine, Lord Saint Heavenly?"

Under Qing Ming's bewildered gaze, Jiang Yun and the Saint Heavenly Demon Emperor actually began conversing as "equals"!

Humans truly are complicated!

The Saint Heavenly Demon Emperor was deeply interested in this unusual member of the Evil Spirit Clan. He nodded for Jiang Yun to continue.

"Clan Chief Jiang Ya and Senior Qing Ming clearly erased the will within this child flame. Why did this still happen?"

"Heh-" Jiang Yun's question brought a contemptuous smile to the Saint Heavenly Demon Emperor's face. "How could Jiang Ya and this insignificant little tower understand my methods? Your greatest mistake was leaving that child flame intact. As long as the flame survives, so do I!"

Hearing that answer, Qing Ming felt rather embarrassed. They had thought they had handled everything so well, yet all of it had happened right under the other man's nose.

"Still, you must have suffered considerable damage too, Senior?" Jiang Yun spoke up, salvaging some dignity for Jiang Ya and Qing Ming. "Otherwise, why would you only regain a sliver of consciousness after encountering the Fallen Heart Flame?"

"Annoying brat!" the Saint Heavenly Demon Emperor said coldly, but he did not deny it.

"My second question: what exactly is the Fallen Heart Flame?" Jiang Yun's expression grew considerably more serious. This question would likely lift the veil of mystery surrounding the Dou Qi Continent.

The Saint Heavenly Demon Emperor gazed at Jiang Yun and smiled faintly. "Nothing much. It merely formed from the essence of one of our clan's defeated members!"

A sharp gleam flashed through Jiang Yun's eyes, and he blurted out, "The previous wielder of the Wan Huo Indestructible Body!"

"Correct. The Great Thousand World originally possessed ten Primordial Dharma Bodies, each with the potential to transcend its limits. Unfortunately, our clan destroyed five of them fifty thousand years ago, including the Wan Huo Indestructible Body!"

The Saint Heavenly Demon Emperor spoke casually, as though destroying five Primordial Dharma Bodies had been nothing out of the ordinary.

"I simply never expected that, so many years after his death, he would cause this continent to give birth to such peculiar flames!"

With that answer, Jiang Yun finally felt relieved. A rough plan had formed in his mind, though it would have to wait until he survived this ordeal.

"My questions are finished. Now, Lord Demon Emperor, allow me to send you to your death!"

The atmosphere suddenly filled with murderous tension. The Saint Heavenly Demon Emperor asked curiously, "Since you know so many secrets, you must have guessed that your soul became tainted with my aura as you absorbed the Saint Heavenly Demon Flame. My death means your death."

Jiang Yun was entangled too deeply with the Saint Heavenly Demon Flame. Absorbing it had allowed him to advance so quickly, but it had also contaminated his soul with a considerable amount of the Saint Heavenly Demon Emperor's aura.

If this continued until the Saint Heavenly Demon Emperor accumulated enough power, he could refine Jiang Yun completely and turn him into his Fire Slave.

That was precisely why Jiang Yun had acted decisively upon discovering him, determined to eliminate him.

"That's why I came here!" Jiang Yun smiled mysteriously, finally revealing the dagger hidden beneath his map.

He slowly rose and approached the edge of the azure barrier. Outside it, a small Fire Python was staring coldly at him. It was the Fallen Heart Flame's origin heart flame.

To utterly destroy the other man's will within the Saint Heavenly Demon Flame inside him, Jiang Yun needed the Fallen Heart Flame, which could attack the soul directly, to cleanse his body and soul.

"You should know that this method ultimately comes down to whose will is stronger. One careless mistake, and your soul will be annihilated. Are you confident you can defeat me?" The Saint Heavenly Demon Emperor's gaze turned peculiar. Moments ago, he had looked at Jiang Yun with admiration; now, he looked as though he were staring at an idiot.

You want to pit your will against an old monster who has lived for tens of thousands of years?

Jiang Yun seemed not to hear the mockery in the Saint Heavenly Demon Emperor's words. Instead, he extended one hand and said calmly, "Life itself is a miracle. To my body, you are ultimately nothing more than an intruder."

"Even ants cling to life. Lord Demon Emperor, never underestimate any living creature's desire to survive!"

"If you grow careless..."

"Even a mighty dragon can be devoured by ants!"

As his words fell, Jiang Yun swept his hand lightly. The azure barrier shattered, and a vicious gleam flared in the Fallen Heart Flame's serpentine eyes. Terrifying waves of invisible flame slowly rose from its body and surged toward Jiang Yun.

"Evil Spirit Bind!"

With that roar, a vertical eye suddenly opened between Jiang Yun's brows. Endless violet light poured from it, forming a violet soul chain that coiled toward the Fire Python.

"Scree!"

A furious, piercing cry rang out. Terror appeared in the eyes of the Invisible Fire Python formed by the Fallen Heart Flame. It sensed an overwhelming threat.

The flames around its body suddenly swelled. The crimson magma outside also began boiling, countless bubbles churning before bursting apart.

"A futile effort!"

Jiang Yun sneered. Evil Spirit Bind was one of the Evil Spirit Clan's innate divine abilities. It attacked the soul directly, forcibly dragging an opponent into a contest of souls.

Such an attack was extremely dangerous. The slightest mistake could result in the annihilation of one's soul, so even members of the Evil Spirit Clan rarely used it.

An attack that acted directly upon the soul was also far more difficult to defend against!

The violet chain moved like a roaming dragon, piercing the Fallen Heart Flame's defenses in an instant. Within the crimson world, the Fallen Heart Flame slowly began turning transparent.

A palm-sized little flame snake, somewhat milky-white in color, flickered ceaselessly. Invisible flames filled its eyes, and their movement made it look remarkably lively.

At that moment, its serpentine eyes gleamed fiercely as it watched Jiang Yun, while terrifying waves of invisible flame slowly rose from its body.

"Come here!"

Jiang Yun's eyes lit up. With a soft chuckle, he changed his hand seal. Under its terrified gaze, several violet soul chains immediately wrapped tightly around it.

"Scree!"

Shrill hisses rang out incessantly. Within the violet glow, a little flame snake darted madly in every direction.

"Come on. Success or failure hinges on this!" Jiang Yun glanced at the Saint Heavenly Demon Emperor, who was being watched by Qing Ming.

His face became as still as an ancient well, but unprecedented resolve filled his eyes. Vast soul power formed an illusory violet lotus seat beneath him.

As Jiang Yun slowly sat cross-legged, the invisible Fire Python, enveloped in violet light, drifted toward the space between his brows.

"Heh... interesting. Truly interesting. Jiang Yun, I must say, when it comes to courage, no one in the Great Thousand World can surpass you." Faced with Jiang Yun's challenge, the Saint Heavenly Demon Emperor revealed an intrigued smile.

Then he chuckled. "Let me see just how much you're worth!"

As his words fell, his figure slowly dispersed into a Saint Heavenly Demon Flame of interwoven black and white, which descended toward Jiang Yun's brow.

"Yun'er..." Watching the Saint Heavenly Demon Emperor disappear, Qing Ming looked worriedly at Jiang Yun, whose eyes were already closed. Even now, he felt that the world had gone mad. Someone actually dared challenge the Saint Heavenly Demon Emperor to a clash of wills-and that someone was a child!

With no time to fret, Qing Ming took out the remains of the bodhi tree that Jiang Yun had produced before falling asleep and placed them behind him. Instantly, wisps of pure energy descended, slowly flowing into Jiang Yun's violet vertical eye.

Having offered the last assistance he could, Qing Ming stared fixedly at Jiang Yun and murmured, "You must succeed!"

Regardless of Qing Ming's worries outside, Jiang Yun's soul space had already become a battlefield.

"Roar-"

An enormous Invisible Fire Python let out a furious roar. It watched the newly appeared black-and-white flame uneasily, sensing both an overwhelming threat and an irresistible temptation.

With its roar, the invisible flames within the space immediately surged wildly.

"An aura I haven't felt in so long!" The Saint Heavenly Demon Flame assumed human form, a nostalgic smile appearing on his face as though he were recalling the past.

"How do you intend to compete?" The Saint Heavenly Demon Emperor turned toward the little soul figure beside him. It was Jiang Yun.

He was now a noble, mysterious violet, and he stared coldly at the Fallen Heart Flame and the Saint Heavenly Demon Emperor.

"On my own turf..."

"Naturally, I'll suppress every last one of you!"

As Jiang Yun's domineering declaration fell, the intangible soul space instantly turned violet. A closer look revealed faint black-and-white stripes within it.

Violet soul fire appeared, surging toward both opponents in a wave that blotted out the sky. With such momentum, he actually intended to fight two foes alone!

"Hahaha-good! I'll play with you, junior!" At the sight, the Saint Heavenly Demon Emperor laughed heartily. His entire body immediately transformed into black-and-white Saint Heavenly Demon Flame, rushing toward both the Fallen Heart Flame and Jiang Yun's violet soul fire.

"Roar-" Under attack from both of them, the Fallen Heart Flame also let out a furious roar. Flames surged around its body as it launched attacks at both opponents.

The moment the battle began, Jiang Yun felt excruciating pain, as though his soul were being torn to pieces. As his soul trembled, a cool sensation rose from its depths, restoring its stability.

The entire soul space became a sea of fire. Violet, black-and-white, and invisible flames intertwined within it.

Yet a careful look revealed subtle differences between the three sides.

The Fallen Heart Flame was the strongest, occupying more than half the space. With the Saint Heavenly Demon Emperor fighting on its behalf, the Saint Heavenly Demon Flame occupied the second-largest territory. Only Jiang Yun...

Occupied a tiny patch of territory, roughly one-tenth of the whole!

Yet beneath the tempest of attacks from both opponents, the violet flames remained immovable as mountains.

Although all three attacked indiscriminately, the strongest of them, the Fallen Heart Flame, seemed instinctively to direct more attacks toward the Saint Heavenly Demon Emperor.

As a result, the Saint Heavenly Demon Flame continuously drew fine black-and-white threads out of the violet barriers. Through this process, Jiang Yun gradually freed himself from the Saint Heavenly Demon Emperor's influence.

Within the violet sea of fire, Jiang Yun's little soul figure opened his eyes slightly, then fell still once more.

As time passed, Jiang Yun continued holding his one-tenth of the territory, while the black-and-white stripes along the surrounding barriers slowly faded. Locked in fierce combat, the Fallen Heart Flame and the Saint Heavenly Demon Emperor failed to notice countless faint violet flames slowly emerging along the edges.

In the underground chamber, Qing Ming watched anxiously. Before him, Jiang Yun sat quietly cross-legged with his eyes closed. An enormous Invisible Fire Python stood in front of him, and this once-ferocious creature had also fallen into an eerie stillness.

Qing Ming noticed that Jiang Yun's body shuddered violently at regular intervals.

The Fallen Heart Flame could attack the soul directly, yet Jiang Yun had taken it straight into his Sea of Souls. Now that all three sides had begun fighting, it was already a miracle that Jiang Yun had not collapsed outright.

Every collision was equivalent to scorching Jiang Yun's soul. The pain involved was beyond an ordinary person's imagination.

Qing Ming had no idea how Jiang Yun endured it. He had to focus on maintaining his clash with the Fallen Heart Flame and the Saint Heavenly Demon Flame while simultaneously suffering the agony of his soul being burned.

"Jiang Ya, I can give you a definite answer now. This child truly is the hope of the Evil Spirit Clan..."

"Yun'er will surely lead the Evil Spirit Clan to glory!"

As his quiet murmurs sounded, Qing Ming looked at Jiang Yun, who was already drenched in sweat, with complicated emotions. At that moment, he seemed to glimpse a boundless future in him.

In the end, for the sake of my dear readers, I decided not to take the day off. I got home at eleven tonight and revised this!

Tomorrow is my older female cousin's wedding, so let me share in a little of that joy. May they enjoy a hundred years of happiness together! And may my book's results keep getting better!