Nether Flame Breaks the Realm · Burning Souls to Survive the Tribulation

Before the sky was fully bright, the light of the Netherworld was already swirling at the top of the realm. Outside the main hall of the Nether Firmament Underworld Sect, the five great expeditionary teams of the Spirit Firmament gathered on the vast Star Abyss Floating Altar. Ten thousand rays of soul light converged, and the divine radiance of the nine heavens intertwined like chains. The Realm Master Xuancang Shenying personally appeared, wearing a Xuan Dao Azure Robe, his might overwhelming the four realms. He stood quietly in front of the formation, his gaze slowly sweeping across the entire scene.

All spirits are still, the wind has ceased and the soul has stopped.

⸻

[Group 1 - Nether Firmament Underworld Sect]

Ming Tong, dressed in a black and gold soul-patterned robe with a cold expression, held the Ghost Soul Token in his hand and led Ming Zhen, Ming Ye, Ming Kong, Ming Xiao, and Ming Hong forward. The six of them were enveloped in surging black soul energy as they walked in the void, with underworld lotus wheels blooming beneath their feet.

The Ten Thousand Ghosts Formation Diagram appeared, and the furious roar of the Azure Souls shattered mountains and rivers. The disciples of the Underworld Sect knelt and chanted in unison, "May the Underworld Path prosper forever, and may the souls never perish!"

Ming Tong bowed respectfully to the Xuancang Shenying: "From the Chaos Rift, I vow to capture the Candle Tribulation Nether Blaze!"

⸻

[Group Two - Thunder Prison Mystic Gate]

Amidst the rolling thunder, purple lightning pierced the sky, and a towering Soul Tower hung in mid-air. Nangong Heyao stood atop the tower with his hands behind his back, clad in a thunder soul robe, his sword-like eyebrows sharp, his expression solemn.

Zhou Yu, Ran Haoxuan, Yin Xuanxi, Jiang Liran, Yao Wanqing stood on either side, thunder roared, and the True Soul Thunder Seal shone behind them, like five thunder gods standing in the sky.

"The name of Lightning Prison must not be dishonored," Nangong Heyao said coldly.

The disciples of the Thunder Prison Mystic Gate chanted in unison, "The sound of the soul is the law, and the thunder is the punishment! May the Thunder Prison Mystic Gate shatter the illusion and return to the void!"

As the lightning pillar rose into the sky, the team transformed into a streak of lightning, breaking through the air and heading towards the Soul Source Anomalous Tide.

⸻

[Group 3 - Divine Flame Radiant Realm]

The Fiery Banner fluttered in the wind, Venerable He Yanyao, clad in the Flame Emperor's Battle Robe, stood atop the Crimson Divine Wheel, his blazing flames surging like the Realm Sea, illuminating all directions.

He Qingli, Yan Yaoteng, Rong Chen, Li Ming, and Yan Fenye, clad in Flame Soul Armor, stood behind them. One after another, fiery soul shadows manifested in the void, like fire phoenixes, flame dragons, and crimson flame giants roaring in unison, their flames soaring across the realm.

Venerable He Yanyao shouted loudly, "With the Lord of the Burning Realm before me, Star-Imprisoning Chi will not yield and Bugui the realm!"

Above the heavens, the Nine Flames Banner descended, illuminating all directions. The third group marched on flames, their aura reaching the heavens.

⸻

[Group 4 - Heavenly Abyss Beast Que]

Xuan Yicang held the Beast God Token and stood atop a ten-thousand-foot-tall beast shadow. Behind him, Qiong Yan, Yun Tong, Ao Yanti, Ling Yuan, Kong Lingling aura like the sea, and the void roared as their beast soul energy fluctuated.

Five illusory divine beasts circled around from all directions. Xuan Yicang voice, "The Star-Imprisoning Chi's Lock must not remain beneath the Heavenly Abyss. Divine beasts, form your array! We vow to shatter the Severed Realm Void Vortex!"

The beast palace roared, and all the beasts rushed forward, transforming into a torrent that surged straight to the heavens, advancing alongside the Divine Flame Radiant Realm.

⸻

[Group 5 - Myriad Spirits Contract Beast Clan]

Qin Yu stood calmly amidst the five-colored light, his gaze sharp and composed. Qian Ruishan, Mu Qingwan, Ling Jingxi stood side by side, their auras merging, each with their own soul beast circling behind them.

Xia Beiyuan walked through the air, while Lu Chenshuang roared angrily at the sky. Xueli danced lightly in the air, her silver feathers like illusory Moon-Congealing Frost; Yunyi hid behind Qin Ning, like a goddess of the dark abyss.

"If, in the stillness, Extinguished Light appears, we shall sever its life," Qin Ning murmured, his eyes reflecting the desolation like a mirror.

The Xuancang Shenying gazed at Qin Ning and slowly nodded. "On this journey... you will become the pillars of the Spirit Firmament."

As the five-colored divine light rose, the Myriad Spirits Contract Beast Clan vanished from the edge of the sky amidst the boundary light, heading towards the Silent Nether Swamp.

⸻

Xuancang Shenying slowly stepped forward, raised his palm and drew a spiritual light seal across the sky, suppressing the five directions of the void.

"Your journey today is for the sake of Spirit Firmament's existence for a thousand years. This battle, though fate is uncertain and the path is difficult to sever, but—"

His voice, like a divine bell, resounded through the heavens. "May you all, on the day your souls depart, still stand atop the Spirit Firmament!"

As the words fell, billions of rays of light spread across the four corners of the Azure Realm, and the 100,000 sects of the Spirit Firmament Realm responded from afar, raising their soul flags and resounding with wind and thunder!

--The five routes of Spirit Firmament have officially embarked on the path of conquest.

The sky darkened, and the clouds at the boundary became heavy and inky.

At the westernmost edge of the Spirit Firmament Great Realm, a chasm, seemingly abandoned by time— the Chaos Rift —quietly opens its twisted, heaven-devouring maw. Heaven and earth cease here, all phenomena come to an end here, and even the most stable laws are incinerated and reconstructed here, like a forbidden scar that even an era dares not gaze upon.

There is no sky here, only a chasm that pierces through the heavens and the earth's core, like a crack left by a god who angrily tore apart the great realm. Within it, chaotic currents surge like magma, but they are neither fire nor water; rather, they are a mixture of the source of destruction and the laws that constitute the realm. As they surge, the sound of souls burning seems to come from near and far, like the wailing of a hundred gods.

Beside the rift, massive layers of soul rock fractured and piled up, like the uncontrolled remnants of law; the mountain floated in the air without being bound by gravitational rules, and ancient battle monuments shattered and sank into the void, with only the four characters [Abyss of Nether Flame] remaining on them.

The first group of six members from the Nether Firmament Underworld Sect stood in neat rows atop the high cliff, their expressions solemn.

Elder Ming Tong stood at the forefront, clad in a ghostly robe, his Silent Origin Soul Breath as heavy as twilight clouds. His gaze was piercing as he stared at the chaotic vortex scorching the space, and he spoke in a low voice:

"This is where the [Candle Tribulation Nether Blaze] slumbers. The Chaos Rift only recognizes whether something is completely burned away; if one enters its realm and their soul is even slightly disturbed, they will be reconstructed into chaotic dust by the karmic fire."

Ming Zhen slowly raised his head, looking at the abyssal storm that burned the void, his eyes filled with fear, only his fist clenched tightly.

Ming Ye and Ming Kong exchanged a glance and softly recited the ancient soul incantations of the Nether Firmament Underworld Sect. Then, a black and gold ghost moon soul wheel appeared behind each of them, slowly vibrating out of their soul consciousness defenses.

Ming Xiao and Ming Hong stood quietly behind the formation, respectively activating the Soul Array Spirit Diagram and the Obsession Soul Protection Spell, secretly protecting the six people to ensure the formation remained intact.

As the wind and sand swept by, invisible flames swept across the edge of the Soul Realm barrier, instantly turning a giant rock into ashes.

With a flash in Ming Tong's hand, an ancient scroll of broken flames unfolded, with faint light of Silent Origin floating around its edges.

"Proceed through the formation, making sure you don't lose your composure. If you see the soul flames igniting your consciousness, you cannot resist; calmly guide them through."

Behind him, Ming Zhen was the first to step forward, his feet treading on the empty rock, heading towards the storm of soul flames. Then, one by one, the figures of the group swept into the gap where shattered spacetime and the melting realm intertwined, facing the legendary final beast that could sever Sever Karma and ignite the Fate Soul — the Candle Tribulation Nether Blaze Realm.

The moment they stepped into the Chaos Rift, the world behind the six seemed to quietly close, and the laws of the realm peeled away like dust. The people of the Nether Firmament Underworld Sect seemed to be stripped from the Spirit Firmament Great Realm and fell into a primordial desolate domain that could not be recorded in history.

Chaos reigned in all directions, with no distinction between front and back; heaven and earth were shrouded in gray flames and mist.

This is the edge of the "Burning World Karmic Fire," where even the axis of spacetime is scorched and blurred. Ming Xiao gritted his teeth and whispered, "Here... even the sea of consciousness seems to be burning." As soon as he finished speaking, a magic rune in his soul-protecting array throbbed violently, as if being licked by some invisible flame.

Ming Tong formed a hand seal with his right hand and shouted in a deep voice:

"Everyone forms the 'Silent Soul Guiding Formation' —using the Soul Seal bestowed by the sect leader to suppress the Sea of Fate."

The six people sat cross-legged and formed a reverse soul array. Ming Zhen was the first to be attacked. His eyes were bloodshot. He suppressed the chaotic soul flames rising in his body, sealed his heart and soul with his fist, and restrained his Xuanxi.

The moment the formation was activated, a pale purple Soul Seal spread slowly from the six people like ripples on the surface of water, temporarily blocking the surrounding flames and the flow of rules.

However, just as the formation stabilized, a strange low hum came from the depths of chaos.

Like a dormant will being awakened, the voice was neither dragon nor beast, like crying and laughing, as if billions of souls were howling, carrying flames and anger, stirring up a chaotic storm.

"--They've arrived." Ming Tong's expression tightened slightly. "This is the test of [Candle Tribulation Nether Blaze]'s will."

An invisible soul flame swept in from afar like a wave, carrying causal burn marks in the wind. Every gust of wind seemed to ignite the "choices" of the past, forcibly pulling them out of the Fate Soul.

"That was when I was fourteen, defying fate and abandoning my master..." Ming Ye's pupils contracted sharply, and the scene of his severed karmic connection from his youth surfaced in his mind.

"These soul flames are not an attack, but an awakening! Awakening the most flammable regrets and sins within your soul!" the Ming Kong roared, "Do not succumb to self-immolation!"

"Everyone! Use the Underworld Firmament Heart Mantra to suppress the cause and consciousness!" Ming Tong suddenly released the power of the Silent Origin, and a Netherworld Soul Mirror appeared in his right palm, illuminating everyone's sea of consciousness and reflecting away all the "Regret Cause Illusion Flame".

The soul flame of [Candle Tribulation Nether Blaze] is not an ordinary flame, but rather a "causal flame" that burns away the trajectory of Fate Soul. It can pull out any person's regrets, wrongdoings, and obsessions from their soul, ignite them, and burn them away.

This is its first trial. "The Trial of Cause and Effect: Testing the Soul's Consciousness."

Ming Kong's face was ferocious. His protective soul armor had cracked under the high temperature and soul pressure, but he still gritted his teeth and refused to back down. He threw a series of heavy punches, shattering the "Surging Flames" around his body.

Ming Hong used the power of his obsession to protect the array's core, his ten fingers weaving together to stabilize the array's halo.

After an unknown amount of time, the low murmur from the depths of chaos rang out again, but this time, it was mixed with a roar of unwillingness.

Boom--!

A massive shadow suddenly appeared amidst the distant flames and mist.

Its form does not exist entirely in reality, but rather vibrates in space in the form of a high-dimensional soul flame. Its three pupils open first, the gray-black fire wheel slowly rotates, and a wisp of "Fate Soul flame" is drawn from its tail and flutters over.

"...[Candle Tribulation Nether Blaze], since the divine sense began." Ming Tong's expression was as solemn as a mountain.

The fiery dragon seemed to be crawling out from the end of fate; its pupils held no life, only a ring of Annihilation fire that burned away all existence and cause and effect.

Ming Kong asked in a low voice, "Elder, how do we form a soul bond with such a divine beast...?"

A glint flashed in Ming Tong's eyes, and she said:

"Survival is the priority!"

The next moment, the six broke through the formation and rose up, facing the chaotic abyss where the Lord of Karmic Fire had descended.

Within the Chaos Rift, the world lost its color in an instant.

It was a shattered space, seemingly stripped away by countless worlds. The invisible boundary membrane had been burned to charred marks, and the earth's veins beneath one's feet no longer bore any physical laws, but instead floated with layers of gray-black flames resembling "illusory fire." These flames, though seemingly intangible, could scorch the soul and one's innate laws, like "existential ashes" flowing at the end of time.

"Ming Ye, Ming Kong, form the formation!" Ming Tong commanded in a deep voice.

Ming Ye and Ming Kong flipped their left arms, activating their dual Soul Seal. A formation wheel called "Nether Abyss Soul Formation" suddenly opened, enveloping the six of them and resisting the erosion of the gray fire. Ming Xiao transformed into a rock-cracked heavy armor, standing at the forefront like a wall of the boundary gate, blocking the first wave of void fire.

However--

"Roar--!!!"

A beastly roar, seemingly emanating from the depths of an ancient era, erupted from the void. A ferocious beast wreathed in nine-flame gray light stepped out from the crack. It was none other than [Candle Tribulation Nether Blaze], the first guardian under [Candle Life-Burning Envoy]. Its body was like that of fiery rock, and its three pupils blazed the sky. Wherever it went, it left behind only the Abyss of Silent Fire.

"It's the Molten Beast of the Candle Tribulation Nether Blaze!" Ming Zhen voice.

"Just what I wanted." Ming Xiao roared angrily, his footsteps thundering out.

The light of the soul array behind him surged dramatically, and his fists slammed into the Life-Burning Envoy like Realm Splitting in the azure sky, forcibly pressing him into the rock strata!

"Thump!!"

The ground caved in, and the void briefly lost its balance, revealing a wisp of broken sky.

"Ming Xiao! Come back!" Ming Tong roared.

However, Ming Xiao recklessly charged into the scorching fire domain, using his body to fight the enemy, punching him one after another, and firmly suppressing the Life-Burning Envoy in the center of the formation.

"I have lived for my sect for four hundred years, and today... I will give my life to take this first step!"

The next instant, the Soulfire Slave Beast's entire body erupted with scorching light, Ming Xiao roared furiously, and its blood soul exploded, tearing its head apart in the process.

Boom!!

The soul fire collapsed, and Ming Xiao's body was also burned to ashes.

"Ming Xiao!!!" Ming Ye's eyes reddened, and he roared, unleashing the full power of the Netherworld Array.

Though the ashes have receded, the Ruin Abyss remain.

Ming Tong closed her eyes for a moment. "He... he secured a passage for us."

"Go—enter the next Soul Mark Zone."

Gritting their teeth, the group dragged their heavily injured bodies through the first layer of the "Gray Flame Realm Splitting," finally reaching the passage to the true core of chaos.

Deep within the Chaos Rift, the remnants of the Soul Realm sink ever deeper into decay.

As soon as they crossed the Abyss of Ashfire, they stepped into a desolate space known as the "Gray Domain Soul Tide." There was no ground, no sky, only an endless expanse of ghostly gray soul mist rolling in all directions, so thick that it seemed capable of submerging one's sea of consciousness.

Ming Zhen paused, his expression turning icy. "It's a soul tide... a place where the dead gather."

Ming Ye gripped the soul weapon tightly, his anger still burning. "Ming Xiao just sacrificed himself in battle, we cannot retreat now."

Suddenly, strange shadows formed from shattered Spiritual Sense burst forth from the tide of souls—they were cultivators who had been burned to ashes by the [Candle Tribulation Nether Blaze] thousands of years ago, now only their remnants of soul shells remain, trapped here, never to be reborn.

"Soul Devourer, Roar of All Consciousness!"

Dozens of strange soul tides rushed over, their howls piercing the ears and penetrating straight into the sea of consciousness. Instantly, Ming Kong and Ming Hong showed expressions of pain, and veins throbbed on their foreheads!

"They're trying to disturb my mind and soul!" Ming Tong roared, stomping the ground and unleashing the [Silent Origin Divine Soul Wall]!

A dark, solidified barrier of souls formed behind him, shaped like a boundary marker, and crashed into the soul tide.

But that's far from enough.

"I will suppress the soul." Ming Hong stepped forward, frantically pouring his soul power into the lamp in his sea of consciousness.

He chanted the ancient "Abyss-Suppressing Oath," summoning his last remaining source of lingering attachment—

"The soul returns to the underworld, the light of the abyss never dies!"

A beam of silver light burst forth in his palm, like stars piercing the night, actually cleaving a "Path of True Consciousness" through the Gray Domain.

Everyone's gaze sharpened, realizing that it was a glimmer of hope ignited by Ming Hong exhausting his soul power to serve as a lamp.

"Go!" Ming Tong no longer hesitated, and with a palm strike, she repelled the soul tide and led Ming Zhen and Ming Ye into the path of soul light.

The tide of souls roared furiously, a thousand souls exploded, collapsing and Annihilation within the chaotic mist.

But when they reached the edge of the Gray Domain and looked back, that glimmer of silver light had completely gone out.

Ming Hong's figure still stands in the deepest part of the soul tide, holding a lamp, standing firm, unyielding.

Ming Ye murmured softly, "You're right, Ming Xiao isn't fighting alone... nor is Ming Hong."

Ming Tong's gaze was calm as she murmured softly, "The two disciples have already forged the Soul Path for our sect... From now on, it is up to us to live on and complete this Soul Contract mission."

As a ruined altar appeared at the edge of the Gray Domain, the group finally stepped through the spatial portal leading to the [Central Soul Flame Sacrificial Sea].

As they traversed the edge of the Gray Domain, a spatial fluctuation, like Realm Splitting in a world, pulled them into a crimson-blue world—

This is an altar space entirely constructed of soul fire, named "Soul Flame Sacrificial Sea". Countless black skeletons in a withered sitting posture float around it, their souls long since burned away, leaving only the inscriptions of the sacrificial texts flowing faintly on their bones, eerie and heavy.

In the center, there was a deep, burning "Crimson Bone Fire Soul Pool," and above it—

Floating around nine fiery rings are the divine beast's will chains left behind by [Candle Tribulation Nether Blaze]!

"This... is the Soul Flame Realm it set up?" Ming Kong's gaze turned solemn, his sea of consciousness trembling violently. "This fire can even burn away the karma of Fate Soul."

A fierce glint flashed in Ming Zhen's eyes. "This is forcing us to sacrifice our souls one by one."

Sure enough, before anyone was ready, a dark, ghostly figure slowly descended from within the nine rings of fire!

That was [Candle Tribulation Nether Blaze]'s "projected beast body" formed from the divine beast's consciousness, its three eyes reflecting the karma of everyone—

The third eye suddenly opened--

A "Fate Track Fire Mark" slashed straight down!

"Ming Kong!" Ming Tong roared, but it was too late!

A transparent soul trace suddenly appeared on the surface of the Ming Kong, which was actually ignited by the divine beast's fire—it was the "trajectory of his Fate Soul" that he had walked since he began cultivating, and it was being erased piece by piece.

"Damn it... I haven't even..." Ming Kong roared, but suddenly gritted his teeth!

"Ming Ye, fight your way out for me!"

His soul power erupted in full, and he actively used his soul body as a guide to rush into the "Fate Track Fire Mark". He self-destructed his sea of consciousness and actually tore a crack in that fire mark with the power of burning his life!

"Ming Kong!!!" Ming Ye roared, his voice shattering the soul realm!

"Damn you, Candle Tribulation... You can only kill our souls, but you can never kill our beliefs!" He suddenly attacked, his soul blade slicing through the shattered light of life flames left in the Ming Kong, shattering the phantom of the divine beast that charged towards him.

Ming Tong hissed sharply in a low voice, "They cleared an entrance for us; they must not retreat."

Only three of the six remained, fighting their way into the "center of the sea sacrifice."

At this moment, the nine rings of fire were spinning rapidly, and a real "Divine Soul Burning Sacrificial Altar" was slowly rising. At its center was a "Soul Pivot Seal," which was the true key seal for entering the [Candle Tribulation Divine Domain].

But the will of the divine beast resurfaced:

"Without offering sacrifices to ten thousand souls, who dares to step into this realm?"

At that moment, Ming Ye sneered, "... Let me show you who the true soul sacrificer is!"

He raised his Soul Blade high, infusing it with the fragmented light of the remnants of the Ming Kong and the Ming Hong, using a "Fifth-Order Soul Arts of the Realm Consciousness Realm · Fifth Stage"—

"Underworld Ember Seizure!"

One blade sliced down one of the nine rings!

Boom--!

The first ring shattered, and the soul flames scattered.

Ming Ye shattered the fire ring, his blood energy still lingering, the "Divine Soul Burning Sacrificial Altar" trembled violently and collapsed, as if it had enraged the entire Candle Tribulation Divine Domain itself.

The next instant, the void beneath the sacrificial altar suddenly cracked open, and a portal to a fiery abyss burst forth, flames raging like a sea. A soul prison, entirely gray-black, rose from the ground, its gates inscribed with four ferocious ancient characters:

--[Candle Tribulation Hell]!

An unprecedented destructive soul pressure then enveloped the heavens and earth, as if the entire Chaos Rift was dominated by a soul fire will from the "deepest reaches of the end".

Ming Tong whispered, "This is the true manifestation of a divine beast's consciousness—the 'Candle Tribulation Primordial Flame Body'."

Within the fiery hell, a three-eyed dragon shadow, a hundred feet tall, slowly stepped out. Its entire body was wrapped in karmic fire divine patterns, and its nine fiery tails tore through space. Wherever it stepped, all laws were burned, and even the flow of time in the underworld began to distort.

"It... can actually burn 'time'?" Ming Zhen's forehead was covered in cold sweat, and his voice trembled slightly.

"We cannot let it step out of the prison gates!" Ming Tong shouted, "Otherwise, this entire region will surely turn to ashes!"

Boom--!

[Candle Tribulation Nether Blaze]'s body suddenly opened its eyes, all three pupils blooming!

--The first pupil reflected the past, causing memories of Ming Ye's childhood cultivation days, when he was tormented by the burning technique, to surface in his sea of consciousness;

--The second pupil gazed directly at the present moment, causing the Soul Flame Seal to ignite within Ming Zhen's physical body;

--The third pupil then locks onto the future, directly manifesting their deaths and pressing them into their consciousness!

Ming Zhen forced himself to take a step forward, then suddenly opened his mouth and exhaled his own "Silent Origin Breath," activating the [Realm-Breaking Divine Fire Spear]!

"Then I'll... ignite your future!"

Ming Zhen transformed his soul power into fire patterns, channeling it into the fire spear, and unleashed a forbidden technique of his clan—

"Soul-Severing Life-Burning Spear!"

A single spear thrust shattered the fiery prison, directly striking [Candle Tribulation Nether Blaze]'s third pupil!

BOOM!

The entire "Candle Prison" trembled violently, and cracks even appeared in its three pupils!

But the price... Ming Zhen's arms were shattered, his sea of consciousness and soul pool were nearly depleted, and he staggered backward. Ming Ye quickly stepped forward to support him.

"I'm not dead yet," Ming Zhen grinned, blood trickling from the corner of his lips. "At least, I've extinguished that 'death' in my eyes..."

"The rest is up to you."

Ming Tong stepped forward, his expression solemn. "Now that the Candle Prison is open, then with the Fate Soul and will of my Nether Firmament Underworld Sect, I will seal the source of your divine fire."

He formed a hand seal, and within his sea of consciousness, a "Nether Firmament Soul Que" slowly emerged!

He was about to use a sect master-level secret technique:

"Nether Firmament Tribulation-Subduing Seal - Soul-Slaying Flame Suppression!"

--I brand the divine flames with my own soul, and seal the gates of the fiery hell with the pact of my life!

As soon as this technique was used, the gray-black divine fire space began to tremble violently, the prison gate slowly closed, and the body of [Candle Tribulation Nether Blaze] roared to the sky, its nine tails raging and struggling, but in that instant, the Ming Tong Soul Seal descended, finally pressing it into the prison!

Boom--!!

The fiery hell exploded, the nine tails fell, and a stream of light shot out—it was a beast source core burning with "Divine Flame Soul Bone," which was the key to enter the temple.

Ming Tong caught it with one hand, but her body staggered slightly, and a line of blood appeared at the corner of her mouth.

"Only now... have we truly entered the gates of its soul."

At this moment, only three people remained, their robes tattered and their souls unstable, yet their eyes blazed with determination.

After Ming Tong forcibly sealed the Divine Fire Prison Gate with the "Nether Firmament Tribulation-Subduing Seal," the entire Chaos Rift seemed to sink into a brief silence. The [Divine Flame Soul Bone] transformed into a guiding light, tearing open a golden soul gate in the void, which slowly opened.

Ming Tong wiped the blood from the corner of her lips and looked up at the slowly opening door. "That is... the Soul Hall of Candle Tribulation Nether Blaze."

Ming Kong said in a deep voice, "Since it is the Soul Hall, then this is where its core consciousness source is located... Once we go in, we may have no way out."

Ming Zhen stepped forward, his eyes fearless. "We never intended to back down."

The three stepped into the Soul Gate, and in the blink of an eye, the world changed dramatically.

They entered a gray-gold "Soulfire Dimension," with no ground, no sky, only a temple floating among countless burning fire wheels.

The temple's name is [Tribulation-Burning Divine Temple].

Above the temple, every pillar is inscribed with ancient soul fire incantations, and beneath every stone step, countless soul shadows rise and fall, groaning. These are the lingering thoughts of souls burned away by the "Candle Tribulation Nether Blaze" over thousands of years.

As they ascended the steps, the weight of their souls pressed down like a mountain, each step feeling like walking on a path scorched by countless souls.

Suddenly, a burning shadow spirit appeared from the palace gate.

It was in the form of a nine-tailed, three-eyed fire god, but not in its physical form; rather—

"The Divine Soul Image of the Candle Tribulation Nether Blaze!"

Ming Tong's expression darkened slightly. "This is its 'Shadow Guardian of the Hall of Consciousness,' possessing thirty percent of its original combat power."

The next moment, the image of the Fire Soul opened its three eyes!

--The third eye reappears. Although it had been destroyed once by Ming Zhen, the "soul image" can reshape memories. The Death Eye opens again, and black flames, like flowing blades, cut through in an instant!

Ming Zhen and Ming Ye were almost completely exhausted of their soul power and could only desperately mobilize the power of their remaining consciousness:

"Soul Fusion Array - Twin Stars: Soul-Burning Star Wheel!"

The two simultaneously unleashed their soul skills, connecting their seas of consciousness with the "Realm Consciousness Twin Wheels," giving Ming Tong a chance to break the deadlock!

And Ming Tong finally revealed her trump card.

--Nether Firmament Underworld Sect -Binding Secret Technique!

"Soul Offering Seal - Slaying Gods and Establishing New Realms!"

This technique burns away all "soul consciousness below the sect leader level" in exchange for a chance to forcibly upgrade the combat skill rank.

Nine Soul Seal appeared in his sea of consciousness, and the Netherworld Sun Reversal Wheel rose behind him, upgrading the [Nether Firmament Tribulation-Subduing Seal] to its second form!

"The Divine Flame of Calamity? Then I will slay it with my divine seal."

Ming Tong poured his last wisp of soul power into the Soul Seal, sealing it in one go!

Boom--!!!

The entire Tribulation-Burning Divine Temple trembled violently, the fiery soul image let out a shrill roar, its three eyes shattered, and its soul wheel crumbled!

The gray-gold divine soul fire poured down like a waterfall, exploding into a radiant abyss before the three of them. Within that abyss, a beast core burning with gray-gold moonfire slowly rose.

[Candle Tribulation Nether Blaze - Core Soul]!

Ming Ye and Ming Zhen were on the verge of collapse, while Ming Tong knelt on both knees, her eyes burning with determination.

"Next... is the real test of the soul essence."

The moment the gray-gold soul core rose, the entire Tribulation-Burning Divine Temple suddenly collapsed!

Before the three could catch their breath, the soul core automatically activated its soul consciousness trial domain.

[The Ash Tribulation Refining Soul Realm].

This is the Soul Refining Ground set up by the Candle Tribulation Nether Blaze. Only those who truly withstand the cleansing of its "Tribulation Soul Origin Fire" are qualified to enter the "Soul Contract Stage".

The world changes again.

The three fell into an endless abyss of ash flames, with a sky of soul fire above them and a path of bones paved with countless charred corpses of the dead beneath their feet.

A "Ash Soul Projection" appeared before each person.

That is the deepest reflection of their own Fate Soul, and also the most painful past that their souls cannot face!

-

What Ming Ye saw was the scene from when he was young, in the forbidden area of the sect, where he was forcibly subjected to a soul-infusion trial. That night, his body and mind were shattered, and his soul was on the verge of extinction. He collapsed in agony before the ashes, muttering to himself, "So... I haven't escaped it yet..."

-

Ming Zhen then saw the scene of his former brother, who was willing to sacrifice himself for the sect's survival. He had previously closed his eyes to avoid seeing it, but now it was forcibly projected before him, and from the burning soul flames emerged his brother's mournful cry, "... Have you ever repented?"

-

Ming Tong then saw that woman... she was the "daughter of the former sect leader" whom he had once wholeheartedly wanted to protect, but who he had to personally kill on the night a great enemy arrived...

That night, she wept silently. "If you can protect the sect, then personally send me into the 'Soulfire Sacrifice Pool'..."

-

The gray flames were silent, yet seemed even sharper than the true form of the "Candle Tribulation Nether Blaze"—

It does not burn the physical body, but only burns obsession, regret, shame, and sorrow.

The creature wailed and collapsed in the Ming Ye, its ashes seeping into its bones, its Fate Soul dissipating.

Ming Zhen roared several times, struggling to maintain the "Shattering Sea of Consciousness" technique, but still couldn't sever the voice of his brother.

Ming Tong, deep within the soul fire, suddenly closed her eyes and memorized "her" voice word by word.

You once asked me, what is the Underworld Sect?

"Is it severing ties? No, it's protecting the Dao with one's blood and soul, even at the cost of self-destruction."

He murmured softly, then suddenly opened his eyes. Within the soul fire, the Nine Nether Wheel spun once more!

He did not avoid the topic.

Instead, he willingly walked into his own "Ash Soul Projection"!

At that very moment, the entire sky of the [Ash Tribulation Refining Soul Realm] shattered, and a Soul Pact ring appeared in Ming Tong's soul consciousness!

--[First Seal: Soul's Tribulation] Passed!

Following closely behind, Ming Zhen gritted his teeth and broke through his brothers' soul sounds, shattering the "Soul Shadow Fire" with a single palm strike, revealing the Soul Seal!

Ming Ye was nearly annihilated, only managing to awaken amidst the ashes when Ming Tong forcibly pulled him out of the Illusory Abyss using "half-soul transmission."

All three were covered in soul wounds and their auras were extremely chaotic, but the [Ash Tribulation Refining Soul Realm] had completely collapsed.

Just then, the gray-gold soul core trembled slightly, and a drop of flowing fire soul blood dripped from it.

It was a miniature soul flame seed, containing the true essence of the "Candle Tribulation Nether Blaze"—

Soul Pact Core!

But just as the three were about to step forward, the earth trembled, and an increasingly terrifying figure slowly rose from the bottom of the abyss—

The Candle Tribulation Nether Blaze finally revealed its original form.

At that moment, the entire Chaos Rift fell into deathly silence. Layers of void descended, the rules of heaven and earth were ignited, and the veins of law scattered and broke like sparks, constructing a true realm of incineration.

This domain name says:

[The Realm of Tribulation - The Land of Burning Souls]

--Once this realm appears, if a cultivator's soul is unstable, they will be eroded by the soul fire within three breaths, along with their Fate Soul foundation.

Ming Tong and the other two were already in disarray, but at this moment, facing the primal battle intent of this ultimate divine beast, none of them retreated.

They knew:

If it cannot be completely suppressed, the entire Nether Firmament Underworld Sect will have no future!

-

The Candle Tribulation Nether Blaze's three eyes ignited with purple-gray Netherflames, and with a roar like a dragon's cry, its tail flame swept down like a whip of starlight!

The first strike is aimed at the Ming Ye!

"Ming Ye, be careful!" Ming Zhen shouted angrily, unleashing the [Soul Rend Vortex Wheel] with his palm to try and block the flame tail.

But that strike, though it didn't pierce the physical body, went straight to the soul core!

Ming Ye's expression changed drastically. He spat out soul blood and staggered backward, his soul wheel exploding behind him.

"The Calamity Fire... can actually scorch through the structure of the sea of consciousness..." Ming Ye was shocked, but he forcibly stabilized his soul consciousness and continued to fight!

-

Ming Zhen swiftly cut to the flank, unleashing his Second Soul technique, [Silent Flow Consciousness Slash], which transformed into nine beams of soul light that pierced through the void, forcibly disrupting the trajectory of the Candle Tribulation Nether Blaze.

But the divine beast remained unmoved, merely shifting its body slightly before responding with "Tribulation Fire Heavenly Descent"!

One by one, the Fallen Flame Soul Stones fell from the sky, each one seemingly sealing a fallen soul, exploding above everyone's heads.

Boom boom boom--!

The soul space was forcibly torn apart!

Ming Zhen efforts to construct a nine-layered soul shield, he was still blasted away, his shoulder burned through, his flesh charred black, and his sea of consciousness trembled.

-

At that very moment, Ming Tong finally moved!

He slowly emerged from the soul-burning aura, clad in the "Underworld Sect Master Soul Armor," with five dark purple blood seals appearing on his soul wheel!

That was the seal he forcibly broke through his limits during the Ash Tribulation Soul Refining, at the cost of burning decades of his lifespan.

He whispered:

"The fire of the end? Then I will... burn away the end."

Netherworld Technique - [Nether Obsession Realm Burning]!

With a single palm strike, his consciousness and Fate Soul merged, and his entire being seemed like a burning torch of the Silent Origin, directly striking the chest of the Candle Tribulation Nether Blaze's true form!

Boom--!!

That strike sent the heavens and earth swirling in a vortex of soul fire!

Candle Tribulation Nether Blaze took a step back, his three pupils slightly narrowed.

Ming Tong was severely injured and coughed up blood, but he smiled.

"It... can be hurt..."

-

The next moment, Ming Ye and Ming Zhen gritted their teeth and forcefully formed the array once more!

[Ghostly Dome: Three Souls Joint Kill Formation] Rebooted!

The three souls merged into one, transforming into three soul shadows that slashed down from the left wing of the void, forcefully tearing open the Soul Burning Seal!

At this moment, Ming Tong roared again and unleashed his ultimate soul skill:

[Soul Master's Decree - Annihilation]!!

That was the "Soul Final Judgment Technique" that the Nether Firmament Underworld Sect never passed on lightly; once used, it required sacrificing a soul to end one's life.

"Lord Mingxu said, the Spirit Firmament cannot be broken..."

"Then I will exchange this line!"

He imprinted the "Soul-Severing Flame Seal" between the three eyes of the Candle Tribulation Nether Blaze.

The entire Burning Realm froze for a moment.

The next second.

The heavens collapsed, the earth cracked, and the void condensed into a colossal Soul-Exploding Star, its core centered on the Candle Tribulation Nether Blaze, before suddenly exploding!

Boom!!!

Outside the Chaos Rift, the Void Realm Envoys watching from afar were all shaken to their core, exclaiming in shock. "This... is the self-destruction of the Silent Origin?!"

Smoke and dust filled the air.

A quarter of an hour, a quarter of an hour...

As the dust settled, the three-eyed dragon-shaped divine beast finally broke apart, and a wisp of calamity flame slowly descended...

--And Ming Tong, kneeling on the ground, his soul light dissipating, his soul wheel shattering... He left only one sentence:

"Qin Ning... we paved the way for you in the first battle..."

The smoke and dust had not yet cleared, and the flames of calamity had not yet been extinguished.

But deep within the Chaos Rift, the eternally indestructible Lord of the End Soul Flame finally collapsed at the bottom of the Chaotic Abyss. His Soul Wheel shattered, his three pupils dimmed, and his nine-tailed flames plummeted—the "Heart of Calamity Flame," representing the essence of his existence, floated gently in the void, as if still retaining a trace of struggle against fate.

At this moment, Ming Zhen and Ming Ye, severely injured and with their souls riddled with holes, knelt before the Heart of Calamity Flame.

"It's our turn..." Ming Ye coughed up blood and laughed, condensing the last bit of his soul light at his fingertips.

Ming Zhen closed his eyes and slowly recited the Soul Seal Incantation, a technique never before seen in the ages by the Nether Firmament Underworld Sect: "Netherworld, with its darkness, the soul that returns to its source, eternally guards the Netherworld, burning to forge a pact..."

The two pressed down with their palms simultaneously, unleashing a surge of spiritual light!

[Silent Origin Soul Pact: Final Seal Burning Spirit]!

Three ancient patterns appeared on the Soul Seal, reflecting the afterimages of the soul wheels of Ming Hong, Ming Xiao, and Ming Tong respectively—they had exchanged their lives for a chance to obtain the qualification for the soul contract. Now, with the three imprints returning to their souls, they finally possessed all the conditions to complete the soul contract.

Deep within the chaos, the soul heart of calamity trembled violently.

Round after round of dark flames surged with soaring soul energy. The originally terrifying destructive power now subsided like a tide, slowly swirling into the palms of Ming Zhen and Ming Ye, and merging into the core of the Soul Seal.

Boom!

In an instant, a dark golden covenant wheel appeared on the entire rift in the sky, like a silent, blazing sun rising in the heavens, proclaiming:

[The divine beast, Candle Tribulation Nether Blaze, has been permanently Nether Firmament Underworld Sect.]

Its power will no longer burn for destruction, but will burn as the "Guardian of the Burning Realm," for the lineage of the Soul Guardians of the Netherworld!

-

The moment the soul contract was completed.

Ming Zhen forced himself to look up, gazing towards the distant direction where the first rays of dawn were appearing, and murmured:

"Ming Tong Brother Mingtong, Ming Hong, Ming Xiao, Ming Kong... we did it!"

"You did not die a worthy death, but we... will not let you die in vain."

-

A few breaths later, the Nether Firmament Underworld Sect's teleportation array activated.

With Ming Ye carrying Ming Zhen on his back, both of them bearing wounds, they slowly stepped into the dark purple cracked light.

As the gate to the Nether Firmament Underworld Sect was slowly pushed open, broken runes appeared on the Dark Gold Soul Array. Before the teleportation light had completely dissipated, the sound of blood and soul energy intertwining filled the void.

Ming Ye carried Ming Zhen slowly, their bodies stained with blood, their robes torn, their figures like afterimages emerging from ruins.

--But their eyes were clear, their Soul Sea were not yet extinguished, and their steps were steady and unwavering.

Above the main hall, the Xuancang Shenying stood motionless, his eyes trembling slightly for a moment, while the Grand Venerable Mingxu stepped forward.

His gaze swept across the area, but he did not see any trace of Ming Tong, Ming Hong, Ming Xiao, or Ming Kong.

He didn't ask, but stood silently in front of the two of them, gently reaching out to catch a wisp of blood that had slipped from Ming Zhen's shoulder.

Those were the soul threads of Ming Hong.

Ming Zhen whispered, "Sect Master Ming Tong died in the flames of calamity... for us to break through the Soul Prison Bridge; Ming Xiao, Ming Hong, and Ming Kong... used the Soul Flame to activate the array, giving us the opportunity."

Ming Ye knelt heavily, bowing his head and wailing, "This disciple failed to uphold justice... I beg for forgiveness."

"You are without sin; you are the light of salvation for the Spirit Firmament." Mingxu's voice was soft, but it resonated throughout the hall.

He raised his eyes to the sky and spoke softly, "--You, for my Nether Firmament Underworld Sect, have obtained the eternally suppressing Flame Soul, engraving a fierce seal upon the Chaos Realm Splitting... This is an indestructible achievement!"

The words had barely left his mouth.

Just as Ming Zhen and Ming Ye simultaneously channeled the power of their Soul Seal through the heavens—

Suddenly, the wind and clouds swept across the sky above the Nether Firmament Underworld Sect, and the heavens trembled violently!

A colossal shadow was projected from the void, seemingly descending upon the mortal realm once more with the force of burning the world!

Boom--!

It was a dragon-shaped divine beast with three pupils and nine flames, ten thousand feet long, its entire body composed of gray-black nether flames, its soul bones as large as mountains, and its fiery mane like shooting stars streaking across the sky!

Its appearance did not bring destruction, but rather, like a divine might descending, it shook the entire Nether Firmament Underworld Sect Soul Realm like the first tolling of a sacred bell.

Candle Tribulation Nether Blaze: Soul Contract Body

It is no longer in the form of a chaotic beast, but rather the eternally suppressing flame soul, adorned with the Netherworld Gold Soul Seal and its body pattern engraved with the Ancient Covenant of the Netherworld!

The Nine Flame Soul Wings behind it slowly unfurled, and amidst the surging gray flames, it seemed to burn the heavens without destroying the Dao, and scorch karma without harming the alliance—such pressure directly approached the peak of the Silent Origin!

It raised its head, its three pupils looking down upon the entire sect, but without any arrogance. Instead, it lowered its head deeply and let out a low groan towards Ming Zhen and Ming Ye.

This sound was not a roar, but the echo of a vow.

Xuancang Shenying's eyes burned fiercely, his voice deep and resonant like the gentle tapping of an ancient bell. "This is a Soul Contract miracle unseen in ten thousand years in my Spirit Firmament."

He slowly raised his hand. "With this divine power, the soul lock of the star field can be broken, and the annihilation of the Silent Origin Calamity can be severed."

The Grand Venerable Mingxu also gazed solemnly at the heavens, and sighed, uttering a single word:

"This flame no longer burns the realm, but... guards the soul."