Three figures slowly emerged from the black mist. Among them was a man clad in a black robe, with an unremarkable face that made him appear like any ordinary person. His hands, which slipped out of the sleeves, were slightly rough. Yet, such an unassuming figure held the entire audience in rapt silence, their eyes filled with gravity and fear. The Lord of the Soul Temple!
A simple four-word title, yet it wielded unequaled prestige in the Central Plains. Even though this renown was built on countless bloodstains, no power dared to openly show enmity toward them, save for the newly risen “Divine Alliance.” This was due not only to the might of the Koul race but also to the personal intimidation he possessed.
In ancient times, this Lord of the Soul Temple had once washed scores of sects in a single night’s bloodbath. That night, rivers of blood flowed, and corpses littered the ground. Even five peak experts who had reached the two-star Dou Sage level fell disgracefully under his hand. That single night carved his name in infamy, making the Soul Temple the undisputed ruler of the Central Plains. Even the Dan Tower dared not easily challenge them!
Now, this legendary figure floated quietly in the sky, his gaze as still as an ancient monk, unwavering regardless of the reverence or enmity in the onlookers’ eyes.
“Lord of the Soul Temple…” Xiao Yan’s eyes narrowed, gazing at the figure. The soul fluctuations within the latter matched the formidable spirit he had encountered a few days prior.
As Xiao Yan observed the Lord of the Soul Temple, the latter seemed to sense it, slowly turning his head. His ancient, expressionless eyes fixed on Xiao Yan, examining him from top to bottom before indifferently commenting, “It is quite a failure on our part that the declining Xiao Clan could still produce a talent of such caliber.”
“Temple Lord, this boy is too cunning. Although we have not taken him seriously before, the strong ones we dispatched were capable of defeating him. Yet, every time, he overcomes the danger and his strength surges again,” a voice respectfully said behind the Lord of the Soul Temple. Lifting his head slightly, revealing half of his face, it was the Deputy Temple Lord.
“Given time, this boy might well be another Xiao Xuan,” the Lord of the Soul Temple responded, his tone unchanged. His voice remained in a constant pitch, sounding strange and eerie.
Hearing the high praise of the Lord of the Soul Temple for Xiao Yan, the Deputy Temple Lord opened his mouth, then turned to the silent figure beside him, and laughed dryly, “No matter how strong that boy is, he cannot surpass the Young Clan Leader. Even if Xiao Yan is the next Xiao Xuan, Xiao Xuan’s end was not good.”
“Haha, who knows…” The Lord of the Soul Temple chuckled ambiguously, then slowly shook his head, speaking softly, “It’s hard to say…”
“He possesses five kinds of different flames: the Earth Heart Flame, the Fallen Heart Flame, the Sea Heart Flame, the Bone Spirit Cold Flame, and the Thousand Year Flame. These flames are too fierce, and contact would surely cause backlash, but he can handle it, likely due to his cultivation method.”
Under the scrutiny of the Lord of the Soul Temple, the shadowy figure lifted its head slowly. The light revealed a face around thirty years old, slightly youthful but completely devoid of expression, giving the impression that his features had become rigid. Most striking, however, were his eyes. They were a deep, pure black, without a hint of white. Looking from a distance, it seemed as though two black pearls had been forcibly implanted into his eye sockets. Gazing into those eyes sent a chill down one’s spine.
He turned his head slightly, staring at Xiao Yan with a cool, slow voice, “As I recall, back then, Yao Chen in the primordial ruins obtained a mystic cultivation method that could merge different flames. If my deduction is correct, he cultivated this very method. Such rapid advancement to this level is attributed to that. Of course, his own abilities should not be underestimated. An ordinary person, even if they had this cultivation method, might not do better than he has.”
By merely observing, he not only discerned the different flames within Xiao Yan but also accurately speculated on the cultivation method and its origin—a display truly breathtaking.
“He is a formidable opponent, but I believe I can kill him,” the man in the black robe spoke slowly.
“Of course, the Young Clan Leader, despite being only at the late second-star Dou Sage level, is unbeatable. Killing that initial second-star Dou Sage Xiao Yan would be a matter of stretching out his hand. It seems the position of Soul Clan leader will surely be his in the future,” the Deputy Temple Lord beamed.
The black-robed man’s lips curled slightly, casting a glance at the Soul Temple Lord, “That depends on the Temple Lord’s will.”
“The Young Clan Leader thinks too much. The Clan Leader has unmatched powers, controlling the Soul Clan for over a thousand years without showing any signs of fatigue. It’s too early to discuss this,” the Lord of the Soul Temple smiled, shaking his head.
The black-robed man raised his eyelids, diverting his gaze from the topic, looking away from Xiao Yan and towards the shattered space, “When do we strike?”
“Wait. The Demon Lotus Flame is breaking the seal, and it will expend a lot of energy. When it is about to break through, we will act,” the Lord of the Soul Temple replied, crossing his coarse hands.
The black-robed man nodded, his pure black eyes glancing at Xiao Yan one last time before closing them.
“That is the Lord of the Soul Temple? Truly terrifying,” Old Fire Cloud and the others commented, their faces tense.
Xiao Yan nodded slightly, now recognizing the vast horror of the latter. Even he felt no hope against such a power.
“This person is a formidable adversary. Be cautious,” Zi Yan, her smile gone, moved slightly, blocking half of Xiao Yan’s body. Among the group, only she could stand up to the Lord of the Soul Temple. She understood that even if she faced him, she would not prevail; the best outcome would be to retreat alone.
“Don’t worry. They won’t make a move before obtaining the Demon Lotus Flame,” Xiao Yan reassured, shaking his head and smiling.
“Xiao Yan, brother, you’ve come to join the fun here,” a cheerful voice suddenly broke in, followed by a rush of wind. Several figures appeared beside them in a flash.
Xiao Yan’s gaze followed the sound, recognition flashing in his eyes, quickly replaced by a warm smile, “Huo Zhu, brother, it’s been a while. How are you?”
Huo Zhu, a handsome man in white, led the newcomers. Beside him was the red-clad woman, and this time, a purple-clothed elder joined them.
“Xiao Yan, you are extraordinary. In just a few years, you’ve reached the Dou Sage level,” Huo Zhu bowed, praising Xiao Yan, clearly recognizing his new strength.
“Ha, Huo Zhu, you’ve also become a high-level quasi-sage,” Xiao Yan smiled, inwardly shocked by Huo Zhu’s rapid improvement. Without the Bodhi Heart, he might have been left behind.
“Hmm, you’ve refined different flames?” Xiao Yan’s eyes roved over Huo Zhu, surprised.
“With the help of the elders, I tamed the Eight Extremes Collapse, which boosted my strength immensely,” Huo Zhu smiled, not hiding anything.
“Eight Extremes Collapse, sixth on the Different Flames list?” Xiao Yan’s hand trembled. He knew the Flame Clan had four different flames, two of which were in the top ten, but he hadn’t known one was the Eight Extremes Collapse, apart from the Red Lotus Hellfire!
“No wonder the ancient clans have such a collection…” Xiao Yan marveled, feeling envious. His highest-ranked flame was the Nine Thousand Year Flame, ninth on the list, while Huo Zhu gained a more powerful flame.
“Xiao Yan, this is Elder Huoyao of the Flame Clan, who also possesses the Flame Cloud Water Flame, ranked sixteenth,” Huo Zhu introduced the purple-clothed elder.
“Another different flame,” Xiao Yan sighed. Altogether, three of the Flame Clan’s different flames were present here, and along with his, there were eight different flames.
“More than eight, Xiao Yan,” a tinkling, clear voice drifted to Xiao Yan’s ears, as if knowing his thoughts.
“Xun’er?” Recognizing the familiar voice, joy flooded Xiao Yan’s face.
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