When Xiao Yan flew out of the Earth Fire Abyss, the setting sun was dyeing the horizon gold and red. Dragging his weary body along, he found a secluded stretch of mountain forest several miles outside Li Fire City, set up a simple defensive formation, and sat cross-legged to regulate his breathing.
He had temporarily taken the Netherworld Core Flame into his body to nurture it alongside the Green Lotus Core Flame and the Fallen Heart Flame. The three Heavenly Flames floated quietly in his dantian. Though they subtly repelled one another, Xiao Yan deliberately guided them toward balance, and the energy they released steadily repaired his damaged meridians.
Qin Yan's dying counterattack and the crushing force of the Lava Hell Lion had thrown his Origin Qi into disorder once more and left faint cracks in several bones. Fortunately, years of tempering by Heavenly Flames had given his body powers of recovery far beyond those of an ordinary person. With the help of the healing pills he had prepared beforehand, his injuries were no longer serious after a night spent regulating his breathing.
Early the next morning, before the mist in the forest had dispersed, Xiao Yan opened his eyes. Feeling the Origin Qi surging through his body and the immense power of the three Heavenly Flames, he felt a flicker of anticipation.
"It's time to attempt a breakthrough to the Origin Emperor Realm."
He took the Sect Breaking Pill he had prepared long ago from his Storage Ring. Perfectly round and pale gold, the pill bore fine patterns that flowed across its surface. Pure, gentle energy emanated from it, and a single whiff was enough to lift his spirits.
The Sect Breaking Pill was a precious treasure of the Great Thousand World, used to help Origin Kings break through to the Origin Emperor Realm. Its medicinal power far surpassed that of similar pills on the Dou Qi Continent. Xiao Yan could sense that the energy within it was enough to carry him through the breakthrough, but that also meant the risks involved were greater.
"Success or failure hinges on this one attempt."
Xiao Yan took a deep breath. Without further hesitation, he swallowed the Sect Breaking Pill.
The pill melted as soon as it entered his mouth, turning into a torrent of energy that surged through his limbs and bones. Gentle yet overbearing, it widened and tempered his meridians wherever it passed. The Origin Qi barrier, which had already reached its limit, began to show signs of loosening.
"Now!"
Xiao Yan focused his mind and calmed his breathing, circulating his cultivation method with all his strength to guide the energy against the Origin Emperor barrier.
Boom!
Like a raging river, the torrent of energy slammed into the barrier again and again, each strike sounding with a muffled rumble. Every impact jolted Xiao Yan's entire body, as though it might tear him apart, but he gritted his teeth and held on through sheer, astonishing perseverance.
The three Heavenly Flames in his dantian also grew active, each releasing energy that complemented the Sect Breaking Pill's medicinal power and steadily weakened the Origin Emperor barrier.
Time passed bit by bit. Fine beads of sweat appeared on Xiao Yan's forehead, and his face grew pale, but the light in his eyes grew brighter.
He could clearly feel more and more cracks spreading across the Origin Emperor barrier. He was only one step away from breaking through.
"Break!"
With a sudden, low shout, Xiao Yan gathered every last bit of Origin Qi and Heavenly Flame energy in his body into a three-colored pillar of light and slammed it into the Origin Emperor barrier!
Crack!
A sound like shattering glass rang out as a breach was finally smashed through the Origin Emperor barrier!
More cracks spread in its wake, until the barrier finally shattered completely with a bang!
Origin Qi several times more immense than that of the Origin King Realm poured into Xiao Yan's dantian like a flood bursting through a dam. His presence soared at a speed visible to the naked eye, and the Origin Qi of heaven and earth gathered around him in a frenzy, forming a vast vortex of energy above his head.
The Origin Emperor Realm!
Xiao Yan could feel that his control over Origin Qi had reached an entirely new level. With the slightest movement, he could draw upon the power of heaven and earth. The three Heavenly Flames in his body had also become more condensed and far more powerful. The newly subdued Netherworld Core Flame in particular was now radiating a deep blue light that shone in harmony with the other two flames.
He slowly opened his eyes. A sharp gleam flashed through them and vanished, while a formidable presence spread outward, pressing the surrounding trees into a slight bend.
"I finally broke through." A smile touched Xiao Yan's lips. Feeling the unprecedented power within him, he was filled with exhilaration.
Though the Origin Emperor Realm still did not count among the very highest in the Great Thousand World, it marked a true entry into the ranks of the strong, enough to establish oneself in a region.
He stood and stretched his limbs. His bones crackled crisply, filled with explosive power.
"It's time to leave Li Fire City." Xiao Yan looked south. "The Southern Region... I wonder what's waiting for me there."
Just then, the Storage Ring at his waist suddenly began to tremble slightly.
Xiao Yan took out the Storage Ring to check it and discovered that what was trembling was none other than the black token he had taken from the Blood Shadow Cult Master.
The token was giving off a faint black light, and the strange runes on it flickered dimly, as though something had been activated.
"This token..." Xiao Yan frowned slightly. He had examined it before and found nothing special about it, so why was it suddenly acting strangely now?
He tried injecting a wisp of Origin Qi into the token.
The token's black light instantly intensified, and its runes blazed brightly. A faint black shadow emerged from it, forming a blurry human face.
"Who summons me?" The shadow spoke in a low, hoarse voice, carrying an evil presence that made the heart tremble.
Xiao Yan's gaze sharpened, and he watched the shadow warily. "Who are you? What exactly is this token?"
The shadow seemed to study Xiao Yan. Only after a moment did it slowly say, "I am the Blood Shadow Cult's guardian dharma king. A wisp of my remnant soul resides in this token. Boy, since you have obtained this Blood Soul Token, it seems the Blood Shadow Cult Master has fallen?"
"That's right," Xiao Yan said calmly. "The Blood Shadow Cult has been destroyed, and it's time this wisp of your remnant soul disappeared too."
"Hahaha!" The shadow suddenly burst into wild laughter. "Destroyed? You ants thought you could destroy the Blood Shadow Cult? How naive! How could you possibly shake the Blood Shadow Cult's foundations? Boy, do you know who truly stands behind the Blood Shadow Cult?"
"Who?" Xiao Yan's heart stirred.
"The great Lord of Darkness!" The shadow's voice grew fervent. "Even if the Blood Shadow Cult is destroyed, as long as the Lord of Darkness descends, the Great Thousand World will ultimately submit to darkness! Boy, I see you have an affinity for dark energy. Why not submit to me? When the Lord of Darkness descends, I guarantee you'll enjoy endless glory and riches!"
"Shut up!" A ruthless glint flashed through Xiao Yan's eyes. Heavenly Flames erupted at once, burning toward the shadow.
Hiss!
The shadow let out a miserable scream and retreated again and again under the flames. "Boy, you dare refuse?! I'll remember you! Once I find a new host, I'll tear you limb from limb!"
Before the words had faded, the shadow turned into a streak of light and shot back into the token. Its black light quickly dimmed, and it returned to its previous appearance, save that the runes on it had grown even fainter.
Xiao Yan looked at the token, now quiet again, and frowned even more deeply.
The Blood Shadow Cult's guardian dharma king? The Lord of Darkness?
It seemed there were deeper secrets behind the Blood Shadow Cult. This so-called Lord of Darkness was probably the true threat.
It seems the waters of the Great Thousand World run even deeper than I imagined, Xiao Yan thought.
He put the token back into his Storage Ring, his expression growing more grave. Whatever this Lord of Darkness was, he had to be prepared.
After packing his things, Xiao Yan rose and left the forest, heading toward Li Fire City.
He planned to replenish some supplies in Li Fire City before setting out for the Southern Region.
Li Fire City was as lively as ever, cultivators hurrying along its streets. No one knew that an Origin Emperor expert had just emerged in the mountain forest outside the city, much less that an even greater plot lay behind the Blood Shadow Cult.
Xiao Yan entered a shop that sold Origin Qi Pills, intending to exchange for some Middle-Grade Origin Qi Pills in case he needed them. Just after completing the exchange, he heard two cultivators at the next table talking in low voices.
"Have you heard? The Southern Region's Ten Thousand Medicines Gathering begins in another month!"
"Of course I've heard. It's one of the biggest events in the Southern Region. They say even a Pill King from the Pill Region will attend!"
"That's not all. I also heard the champion's prize this time is a Nine Revolutions Soul Return Pill! That's a Divine Pill that can bring the dead back to life and put flesh on bare bones!"
"Really? Then this Ten Thousand Medicines Gathering will probably draw experts from all across the Southern Region!"
At the mention of the Ten Thousand Medicines Gathering and the Nine Revolutions Soul Return Pill, Xiao Yan's heart stirred.
He had studied the art of pills extensively himself and naturally knew the value of a Nine Revolutions Soul Return Pill. Not only could it heal fatal injuries, but it could also nourish one's origin. To a cultivator, it was unquestionably a supreme treasure one could only hope to encounter.
More importantly, the Ten Thousand Medicines Gathering would bring together many experts and masters of the pill arts from the Southern Region and beyond. Perhaps he could ask around there for news of Xun'er and Cai Lin.
"The Ten Thousand Medicines Gathering..." A smile touched Xiao Yan's lips. "It seems I have another goal for my journey to the Southern Region."
He lingered no longer. After buying the supplies he needed, he left Li Fire City and raced toward the Southern Region.
Sunlight fell on him, casting his figure in a long shadow. The strength of the Origin Emperor Realm made him faster, and his presence steadier.
The road ahead was still full of unknowns, but Xiao Yan's eyes shone with anticipation and fighting spirit.
The Ten Thousand Medicines Gathering, the Nine Revolutions Soul Return Pill, the secret of the Lord of Darkness...
New challenges and opportunities awaited him in the Southern Region. And on this new land, his journey through the Great Thousand World would continue to write a new chapter.