Xiao Yan watched the platform draw closer and closer, and the faint glow that was about to meet the six ice pillars. He was frantic.
"Almost there! Almost there! Just a little more!"
At last, as Xiao Yan shouted over and over in his heart, he landed on the platform before the glow met the ice pillars.
Xiao Yan glanced at the glow, which was about to touch the pillars, then turned toward the center of the platform. He froze. Instead of the Heavenly Flame that should have been there, a hole plunged straight down through the center of the platform. Several dozen feet across, it was ice-blue throughout and gave off a faint glow that made the entire area above it glitter so brilliantly it dazzled the eyes.
Xiao Yan was experienced, after all. After a few breaths of surprise, he planted his foot and burst toward the hole. He was only a few dozen feet away when, at that crucial moment, the entire platform beneath him suddenly blazed with light. A pillar of light shot straight into the sky, forcing Xiao Yan to narrow his eyes.
Xiao Yan roared inwardly. Rather than retreat, he pressed forward, stamping hard on the ground again and shooting toward the pillar of light even faster. But just as he was about to enter it, his expression suddenly changed. He thrust his palm forward, striking the pillar of light with a heavy blow.
"Boom!"
A deafening crash erupted where Xiao Yan's palm struck. An immense backlash sent the blood and Qi churning endlessly inside him, and he staggered back to the edge of the platform before he stopped. By now, Xiao Yan naturally knew what had happened. Eyes narrowed, he watched the pillar of light soaring into the sky before him and slowly circulated Dou Qi throughout his body.
A moment later, the pillar of light gradually faded, revealing what lay within. Opposite Xiao Yan, six ice dragons, each hundreds of feet long, circled in front of the hole. Low growls rumbled from their enormous jaws, and waves of icy air spread from them, causing tiny shards of ice to appear in the surrounding space. Yet the instant the ice formed, a fierce heat swallowed it, turning it into wisps of mist that rose and vanished into the void.
At this point, if Xiao Yan still could not recognize which Heavenly Flame had sealed itself away, he would truly have brought shame upon his title of Flame Emperor.
The instant Xiao Yan saw the six ice dragons, he knew exactly which Heavenly Flame lay within the mountain. It was clearly one of the Heavenly Flames he had dealt with for the longest time, and also the first he had ever seen: Bone Spirit Cold Flame!
"I never expected the Heavenly Flame sealed here to be Bone Spirit Cold Flame. It looks like I'll have to get past this trial first if I want to obtain it."
Xiao Yan looked at the six ice dragons, shook his head lightly, and sighed. Then he gathered his Dou Qi, preparing for the battle ahead. The six ice dragons seemed to know he was about to fight, and their enormous bodies, which had been coiled around one another, began to twist. Wave after wave of terrifying draconic pressure spread from them, enough to make hearts tremble. Given Xiao Yan's strength, he could naturally sense that all six ice dragons had likely reached the level of a Dou Di. Even compared to him, they were probably only a fraction weaker.
"I never expected ice dragons formed solely by a formation to be so powerful, or to possess a trace of the dragon race's pressure. It seems this formation is no simple thing!"
Xiao Yan sensed the terrifying draconic pressure coming from the ice dragons and sighed inwardly. Looking at the six dragons, he felt a fierce battle intent blaze in his eyes. He flashed forward and charged at them, driving a punch toward the dragon in the lead. The dragon showed no weakness. Its enormous claw clenched into a fist and met his head-on. Their fists slammed together, and a thunderous explosion rang through the cavern, making the entire place rumble. Xiao Yan and the dragon each stepped back. The dragon swung its enormous body and lunged at him again with a claw. Xiao Yan laughed aloud. With a thought, brilliant golden light burst from his body, and a vast draconic pressure radiated from him. He raised his head and let out a long cry. Suddenly, a fierce, imperious dragon roar echoed through the cavern, shaking the entire mountain. The golden light faded, revealing Xiao Yan's entire body covered in purple-gold dragon scales. But that was not all. His hands continued forming seals, and the golden light that had dimmed suddenly brightened again. His body began to change and grow taller. In a few short breaths, Xiao Yan had transformed into a golden giant ninety-nine feet tall. Seeing the dragon fly close, he threw a punch that slammed into its enormous claw. Xiao Yan let out a mighty roar, and the force behind his huge golden fist suddenly intensified, blasting the ice dragon back. His hand seals changed again, and he unleashed the Ancient Emperor Seal from the Emperor Seal Art. His palm struck the dragon's body, sending it flying. After that move, Xiao Yan made no further attack, but waited quietly where he stood. The remaining five ice dragons watched the one he had knocked back and let out low growls. They all glared viciously at Xiao Yan and closed in around him.
"Since I can't avoid it, let's have a proper fight!" Xiao Yan grinned and roared. Watching the five ice dragons close in, he hurled his enormous body at them. One huge fist struck fiercely at an ice dragon's head, while his other hand sent out another Ancient Emperor Seal. Not to be left behind, his enormous foot unleashed the Eight Extremes Blast, which he had not used in a long time, against another dragon. He even used Yellow Springs Heavenly Wrath.
"Moo! Moo!"
Xiao Yan's attacks were powerful and every move was ruthless, but the five dragons were no weaklings either. Yellow Springs Heavenly Wrath slowed them for only an instant before they charged at him again. The dragons themselves had been formed from Bone Spirit Cold Flame and were weapons of the formation. Seeing those immensely powerful attacks about to reach them, each dragon erupted in white flames and fired beams of flame from its mouth. The beams merged into one thick pillar of fire that shot toward Xiao Yan.
Xiao Yan's expression grew grave. Each of these dragons was already nearly as strong as he was, and now that they had combined their attacks, the power would multiply. Watching the beam of flame draw closer, Xiao Yan stretched both hands forward at chest height. With a boom, dazzling flames rose in his palms. He clapped his hands together, and sparks blossomed into points of starlight in the void. The fire in his hands surged, instantly enveloping them. As he watched the five dragons draw closer, Xiao Yan poured Dou Qi furiously into the Heavenly Flame in his palms, his hands moving faster and faster. A few breaths later, his enormous golden body crashed into the pillar of flame, forcibly blocking it with his own body. The fire in his hands grew brighter. When Xiao Yan fought through his injuries to reach the five dragons, he thrust his right hand forward. A dazzling lotus flew from his palm, shooting straight toward them. At the same time, he roared:
"Buddha's Fury Fire Lotus! Explode!"
"Boom!"
A tremendous blast resounded throughout the cavern. Xiao Yan's enormous body slammed into the stone wall, and spiderweb-like cracks spread out around him. The five dragons, covered in wounds, were also blasted backward and embedded in the stone wall alongside the ice dragon that had led them.
"Boom!"
Xiao Yan kicked hard off the shattered stone wall with both enormous feet, sending his great body shooting toward the hole at the center of the stone platform. As he flew, his huge form returned to its original size. His face was slightly pale, traces of blood marked the corners of his mouth, and his white robes were in disarray. He looked utterly battered, but his charging figure still gave an impression of immense strength. An incomparable pressure could be felt from him, as though everything in the world lay beneath his feet.
"Roar!"
Suddenly, a dragon roar that shook heaven and earth rang out of nowhere. The six ice dragons vanished, replaced by a single enormous dragon whose body filled a full fifth of the cavern.
The moment Xiao Yan landed on the platform, he darted to one side. An enormous dragon tail flashed through the spot where he had just been, whipping up a gale that snapped his robes. The cutting wind raised by the tail sent waves of knife-like pain across his skin. Xiao Yan continued flashing from place to place, finally stopping at the edge of the platform, his eyes grave.
The ice dragon's enormous body circled above the hole. Xiao Yan glanced at the statue of Tou She Ancient God, one corner of which had been shattered by his attack, and a trace of suspicion appeared in his eyes. But before he could think further, the dragon attacked again, bringing a claw down toward his head. If it landed, Xiao Yan would surely die on the spot. He did not hesitate. He thrust out his right palm, opened his mouth wide, and pointed a finger of his left hand at the dragon's forehead.
"Yellow Springs Palm! Yellow Springs Finger! Yellow Springs Heavenly Wrath! Moo! Moo!"
The dragon had just been about to move, but when it saw that finger, both its claws struck out together, furiously grabbing at Xiao Yan's hands. Its huge eyes were full of rage. For of all the fingers Xiao Yan could have used to perform Yellow Springs Finger, he had chosen his middle finger! This had truly enraged the ice dragon!
"Boom!"
This exchange ended with Xiao Yan and the dragon each retreating a thousand feet. But the dragon gave him no chance to catch his breath. As soon as it stopped, a heart-chilling cold spread from its entire body. Yet within that cold was an exceedingly fierce and tyrannical fiery presence, making it feel as though one's entire body was constantly shifting between extreme cold and extreme heat.
"Roar!"
A beam suddenly burst from the dragon's mouth. It was so dazzling that it enveloped the dragon completely, making it part of the beam as it shot toward Xiao Yan. The might of this strike was enough to shake the heavens and shatter the void. Before it, all things seemed like ants, destined to become nothingness.
Xiao Yan's expression was exceptionally grave. Heavenly Flame emerged in his palm, circling continuously at its center, faster and faster, until it formed a ring of fire. The ring spun ceaselessly, drawing in the spiritual Qi of heaven and earth. At its center, a black speck the size of a thumb spread until it filled the entire center of the fiery ring.
Watching the beam of energy draw closer, Xiao Yan held the fiery ring upright, its black center aimed at the beam. Four words slipped lightly from his mouth:
"Buddha's Fury Reincarnation!"
"Boom!"
Between heaven and earth, an incomparably violent wave of energy swept out from a towering mountain in the Distant Forest. Within thousands of miles, neither humans nor magical beasts survived.
(Recommendations, please! Recommendations! The editor needs your votes!! Please!)