The alarm bells of the All-Heavens Hub continued to ring for three days, only gradually subsiding when all members of the All-Heavens Guard were in place and the defensive barrier was completely stabilized. During these three days, the entire Nexus was shrouded in a tense atmosphere. The All-Heavens Mirror at the Stargazing Platform was always surrounded by people, each with their eyes fixed on the worlds in the mirror that were being invaded by demons, their expressions solemn.
As the deputy commander of the Heaven Battalion, Xiao Yan guarded the Stargazing Platform almost day and night. He repeatedly fused the " Heaven Burning Nine Forms " inherited from the Old Ghost Heaven Burning with his own Law of Flame, making his sword moves increasingly refined. In particular, the third form, " Heaven Burning Purification," could use the power of the Heart-Clearing Jade to activate Heavenly Flames, forming a purifying light screen that had a miraculous effect on evil things like Soul-Eroding Mist and Heart-Corroding Black Water, and had already shown its prowess in several small-scale cleanup missions.
That morning, the Blazing Sun Realm Lord rushed into the Stargazing Platform, holding a blood-stained jade slip in his hand. " Xiao Yan, something has happened in the Black Domain!"
The Black Domain is a chaotic Star Domain on the edge of the All Heavens and Myriad Realms, where laws are broken and teeming with desperate outlaws; it is also a blind spot for the surveillance of the All-Heavens Guard. Xiao Yan took the jade slip, infused it with spiritual power, and a blurry image appeared—
In the scene, on an abandoned planet in the Black Domain, countless black vines are growing wildly, laden with blood-red fruits. From these fruits burst open, monsters resembling Law-Devouring Beast emerge, only smaller, faster, and covered in fine black fur. Deep within the vines, an altar built of bones can be vaguely seen. On the altar, a figure clad in black robes raises his hands, chanting obscure incantations.
"It's the ' Soul-Devouring Vine '!" a veteran guard exclaimed in shock. "Rumor has it that it's a 'living weapon' cultivated by Outer Realm Demons. The vine feeds on the souls of living beings, and its fruit can hatch ' Soul-Devouring Beast.' If it spreads, the consequences will be unimaginable!"
Xiao Yan's gaze fell on the black-robed figure. Although he couldn't see the face clearly, the aura emanating from the other party made him feel inexplicably uneasy—it was an evil power that was colder and purer than the Law-Devouring Beast King, as if it could freeze a person's soul.
" The Black Domain has always been chaotic, making it difficult for our forces to penetrate deep into it." The Blazing Sun Realm Lord frowned. "But this time is different. The Soul-Devouring Vine are growing too fast. If they are allowed to spread out of the Black Domain, the three surrounding medium-sized Realm Capital suffer."
Xiao Yan pondered for a moment, then said, "I'll go."
"You?" The Blazing Sun Realm Lord was somewhat surprised. "The laws of the Black Domain are even more chaotic than those of the Void Rift, and the desperados within are more difficult to deal with than demons. A slight misstep could lead to being surrounded."
"That's precisely why we should go." Xiao Yan pointed to the altar in the jade slip. "The black-robed man is presiding over some kind of ritual. The longer we delay, the greater the danger. I'm familiar with purification-type sword techniques, which might be more effective against the Soul-Devouring Vine." He paused, then added, "I'll take an elite squad; we'll go quickly and return quickly, without lingering in battle."
Looking at his resolute eyes, the Blazing Sun Realm Lord finally nodded. "Very well. I'll assign you thirty of the Heaven Battalion's most skilled cultivators, adept at concealment and surprise attacks, and I'll also give you this ' Realm-Breaking Talisman.' If you encounter danger, you can directly tear through space and return to the Nexus."
Half a day later, Xiao Yan led his thirty team members onto the teleportation array heading to the Black Domain. Unlike previous teleportations, the space in the Black Domain was extremely unstable. During the teleportation, everyone's protective laws trembled violently. If Xiao Yan hadn't used the flame barrier of the Heaven Burning Sword to protect the entire team, they would probably have been torn apart by spatial fragments as soon as they entered the Black Domain.
The moment they landed, a strong stench of blood assaulted their nostrils. They found themselves on a desolate planet; the sky was leaden gray, the earth cracked, and the distant mountains were covered in an eerie black layer—clearly the trail of the Soul-Devouring Vine- Devouring Vines.
"Deputy Commander, we've detected a large number of soul fluctuations disappearing a thousand miles to the southwest. It should be the nest of the Soul-Devouring Vine!" a team member skilled in mental laws whispered.
Xiao Yan nodded, signaling everyone to conceal their auras. "Keep hidden and try to avoid those desperate criminals."
The group transformed into streaks of light, swiftly traversing the desolate land. The chaos of the Black Domain far exceeded their expectations. Along the way, they not only spotted traces of the Soul-Devouring Vine but also encountered several groups of barbarians wielding bone blades. These barbarians' eyes glowed red, clearly corrupted by the aura of the Soul-Devouring Vine. Upon seeing them, they charged madly, leaving them no choice but to kill them.
After venturing three thousand miles deeper into the Black Domain, the scene ahead became increasingly bizarre. The earth was covered by black vines, and countless tiny fragments of souls floated in the air, accompanied by mournful howls that constantly assaulted the consciousness of the group.
"Be careful, the Soul-Devouring Vine has a strong effect on mental corruption." Xiao Yan summoned the Heaven Burning Sword, and a fiery barrier spread out, isolating the soul fragments. "Prepare to use ' Heaven Burning Purification Purification' to purify them immediately if they get close to the altar!"
Everyone nodded, took out their weapons, and gathered their spiritual energy, ready to unleash it.
After traveling several hundred miles, the white bone altar finally came into view. The altar was about a hundred feet high and was made of countless white bones, each bone engraved with blood-red runes. Around the altar, the Soul-Devouring Vine were the most dense, and the blood-red fruits on the vines kept bursting open, releasing Soul-Devouring Beast like a tide, spreading in all directions.
At the top of the altar, the black-robed man continued chanting incantations. Dozens of crystals shimmering with green light floated around him, their crystals brimming with a dense, evil power that was constantly being injected into the roots of the Soul-Devouring Vine.
"Now!" Xiao Yan shouted, instantly unleashing the third move of the Heaven Burning Nine Forms, " Heaven Burning Purification ".
The six-colored flames intertwined with the power of the Heart-Clearing Jade, forming a massive golden light curtain that swept towards the altar like a tidal wave. Wherever it passed, the Soul-Devouring Vine withered instantly, and the blood-red fruits burst open, burning the Soul-Devouring Beast inside to ashes before they could even hatch.
"Um?"
The black-robed figure at the top of the altar finally stopped chanting and slowly turned around. His face was hidden in the shadow of his black robe, with only a pair of eyes flashing green light visible. His gaze fell on Xiao Yan, carrying a hint of surprise and amusement.
"The little rascal from the All-Heavens Guard? He's got some skill." The black-robed man's voice was hoarse and grating, like the scraping of metal. "Too bad, we're too late."
He raised his right hand, his five fingers forming a claw, and fiercely grabbed at the center of the altar. There, a black crystal the size of a human head suddenly lit up, and a vast, evil power surged from the crystal, instantly flowing into all the Soul-Devouring Vine.
"Roar--!"
The previously withered Soul-Devouring Vine suddenly grew wildly, with countless barbs sprouting from their vines, lashing out at Xiao Yan and the others. Even more terrifying, the purified remains of the Soul-Devouring Beast reformed, transforming into a gigantic Soul-Devouring Beast King. It opened its massive maw and spewed out a cloud of black mist—condensed spiritual pollution, a hundred times more terrifying than the Soul-Eroding Mist!
"Form ranks!" Xiao Yan remained calm under pressure, sweeping his Heaven Burning Sword, causing the golden light barrier to erupt once more, colliding with the black mist. "You guys provide cover, I'll go and kill that black-robed man!"
He pushed the flame barrier to its limit, his figure transforming into a streak of light, ignoring the vines that were being pulled at him, and rushed straight to the top of the altar.
The man in black robes looked at Xiao Yan, who was rushing towards him, and a strange smile appeared on his lips, "He's courting death."
With a wave of his left hand, the white bones around the altar suddenly flew up, transforming into countless bone spears that shot towards Xiao Yan with a whooshing sound. At the same time, his right hand pressed on the black crystal, and more evil power surged into the Soul-Devouring Vine, which instantly coiled into a huge barrier, blocking Xiao Yan's path.
Xiao Yan's eyes sharpened, and he unleashed the fifth move of the Heaven Burning Nine Forms, " Heaven Burning Rend ".
Six-colored flames coalesced into a gigantic flaming battle axe, which, with a force capable of tearing apart the heavens and earth, slammed fiercely into the vine barrier. With a "crack," the barrier shattered in response, but the flaming battle axe continued its momentum, slashing towards the black-robed man.
"Interesting." A hint of surprise flashed in the black-robed man's eyes. His figure transformed into a wisp of black smoke, instantly appearing a hundred feet away, avoiding the attack.
The flaming battle axe struck the altar, instantly causing a corner of the bone altar to collapse, and countless blood-red runes to dissipate.
"Who are you? Why are you helping the Outer Realm Demons?" Xiao Yan landed on the altar ruins, gripping the Heaven Burning Sword tightly, and stared warily at the man in black robes.
The black-robed figure slowly dissipated the black smoke, revealing its true face—a pale face with distorted features, a hollow black hole in its left eye, a green light flickering in its right eye, and a trace of blood remaining at the corner of its mouth.
"Help?" He scoffed. "I am the ' Void Envoy,' what help do I have to offer?"
The Void Envoy? Xiao Yan's heart trembled. This name had appeared in the memories of the Flame God's lingering will—it was a very high-ranking being among the Outer Realm Demons, responsible for cultivating evil creatures in the All Heavens and Myriad Realms to prepare for a large-scale invasion.
"It seems you know me." The Void Envoy licked the blood from the corner of his mouth. "In that case, I can't let you live even more."
He formed a hand seal, and the black crystal suddenly burst forth with a blinding green light. Within the green light, countless phantoms appeared—the remnants of souls devoured by the Soul-Devouring Vine, now refined into weapons of attack, swarming towards Xiao Yan.
Xiao Yan took a deep breath, knowing that things would not end well today. He pushed the Heart of the Flame Realm to its limit, and the flames on the Heaven Burning Sword shone brighter than ever before.
"Want me to stay? Let's see if you have the ability!"
Golden flames and green malevolent light collided in the Black Domain sky, erupting into a dazzling yet dangerous display. In the distance, the Soul-Devouring Vine continued their rampant growth, as if foreshadowing an even greater storm brewing.
Xiao Yan knew that this was only the first encounter with the Void Envoy. And this name, along with the Outer Realm Demons forces behind him, would be the most terrifying enemy of the All-Heavens Guard in the future.
The battle has only just begun.