Xiao Yan stared at the beam of light that enveloped him, his usually calm expression now betraying confusion. Unbeknownst to him, an odd fluctuation rippled through his Dou Qi, as though it had sensed a kindred presence.
“It’s the Flame’s Qi…” After a moment’s contemplation, realization swept across his expression. The Dou Qi flowing within his veins had long since been tempered and enhanced after the Burning Requisition Soul absorbed and refined countless strange flames, including several异火 — and this essence bore resemblances to that of the Ancient Emperor Tu She, whose very existence had been born from异火. It wasn’t all that unbelievable, after all.
“You seem to have been chosen, Xiao Yan,” muttered Gu Yuan solemnly. Observing the glowing pillar around Xiao Yan, an emotion between envy and resignation stirred within him. Before the legacy of the Ancient Emperor, even he himself couldn’t pretend to remain completely indifferent—after all, achieving such a divine stage had remained his lifelong, thousand-year pursuit. Yet he understood one undeniable truth—the inheritance of the Ancient Emperor would always select its destined heir. He, and many among them, had failed that test. Xiao Yan, at least, was practically family, and the outcome—while not necessarily desired—was certainly more bearable than most.
The crowd erupted into murmurs of admiration and applause, each paying their well-worded congratulations to Xiao Yan and conveying emotions laced with both jealousy and relief. Whoever received the Ancient Emperor’s legacy, at the very least, meant hope, the possibility that they stood a chance of resistance against Hou Tian Di.
“Fate never ceases to be confounding…” Chan Kun muttered through a heavy sigh, continuing, “Now that the legacy chose you alone, accept it. Complete your transformation into a Dou Emperor before Hou Tian Di claims it first, and this impending Cataclysm may yet be dispelled.”
Xiao Yan briefly hesitated before solemnly nodding. The situation left precious little room for hesitation. Once Hou Tian Di finalized the refinement of the final tier of the Imperial Pill, the Allied Forces would suffer the most brutal retribution—an inevitable and ruthless extinction ordered in sheer fury by the merciless Hou race.
“I must protect all I can protect!” Xiao Yan addressed the gathered warriors fiercely, bowing to them with both palms.
“Then we shall do likewise,” smiled Yan Jin. “We will buy you all the time needed and hold the Hou forces back until your emergence.”
A pause followed as Xiao Yan surveyed the grounds. “I wish to withdraw the entire plaza into the Tian Mu realm. There, I may claim a surplus of moments.”
Upon realizing this idea, Gu Yuan gave a solemn nod. “It is viable—one could indeed stretch the hours spent within. There, time drifts slower compared to the outside world… You may find more moments there to prepare and ascend fully.”
“We must act without delay,” Xiao Yan commanded, his decisive nature manifesting immediately. With a sweep of his robes, a vast and jagged tear tore the sky apart in an instant—swallowing the plaza and colossal statue whole in but a breath.
“Gu Eldering,” Xiao Yan addressed Gu Yuan with a quiet bow before flicking his fingers, conjuring a soul shard. Catching the relic mid-air, understanding swept over its receiver. Though unpleasant and dire, the scenario was disturbingly plausible.
“I shall inform Han’er and the others once the battle settles…” Gu Yuan accepted with firm finality, adding solemnly, watching Xiao Yan as though imparting something too delicate in language. “This burden… is now yours alone.”
Thunder echoed across the sky like war drums in solemnity as Lei Ying and his kind cast resolute bows toward Xiao Yan, knowing if he stood successful, the tide would shift impossibly—for if success elayed too much, none would be able to avoid the fate of total obliteration.
Surveying the solemn eyes of those gathered, Xiao Yan exhaled deeply. Fate continued to chain to this man, as barely moments after rescuing his father, he found once more the crushing yoke of destiny bearing upon his frame. Yet surrender wasn’t an option anymore—for failure would mean annihilation for all he stood for.
With a quiet gesture of his hands as a formality toward those present, Xiao Yan fixed a burning, determined gaze to the titanic radiated cauldron suspended above the Nine Heavens — and in the bloody miasm across its luminous epicENTER.
Seated there, cloaked vaguely by mist and the crimson waves, was the shadowy presence of a figure, locked in a lotus seat of power.
“You and I now race, Hou Tian Di…” Xiao Yan swore into those heavens; with that, pivoting fiercely, he strode once toward the healing wound in existence, then stepped swiftly inside.
He disappeared as though falling into a realm apart.
Gu Yuan’s eyes remained locked mournfully on the space Xiao Yan vanished through, even as instinct guided clenched fists at their respective sides. It became clearer with every breath that only now would come the true test of whether their strength would match the weight before them.
“Our only prayer is that he emerges with fortune on his side…”
A muttering from Gu Yuan’s lips was swallowed by falling shadows as he descended to the palace below without delay, command after command rippling throughout the assembled forces of the vast alliance. Mobilization erupted as battle cries echoed in the skies.
Many thousands of miles away within an ocean of crimson and death that spread across space as though painted by fate itself—the blood reek was intoxicating in its density and darkness. Inside this swirling vortex, energy poured ceaselessly from the world itself and was devoured with merciless efficiency into the still frame at that crimson heart; a massive, swirling lotus.
Its seated figure, cloaked in long tresses of black, pulled that endless maelstrom within himself as though feeding an infinite vortex, absorbing enough raw, crushing essence to turn any Dou Sage into dust.
Still, his vessel stood undeterred—undevoured even by the force that had long since ended others.
“Aghh?”
Blood swirling inside his gaze, the figure’s crimson eyes snapped open—piercing through the void as a whisper of intuition sent a chill through his aura.
“This vibration…” Hou Tian Di murmured. He could not deny it—the brief fluttering pulse of something unsettling disturbed his essence moments ago. When he focused on tracing it however, like mist in a windless sky, it vanished entirely into nothingness.
“A mistake of my mind?” His tone was casual, though edged with calculation.
Before he could settle deep within thought once more—a tear in the air opened behind Hou Tian Di. Black flames flickered and twisted, revealing an intruding form—an embodiment of absolute darkness.
“Back I am.”
Hou Yuan did not deign himself with an answer, instead continuing forward within his deep, meditative consumption before the intruder—who was now wholly recognizable as Xuyan Tongyan.
“You inquire how things flow? We have placed over a million captured citizens into the pool, yet to maintain the Grand Formation, more are required.”
Xuyan, who until recently had once stood alongside Hou Yan in equality before the power balances had begun—stared at the unmoving master of the red void, his black-flame optics subtly wavering, shifting.
“Our reserves have yet to reach sufficiency. So gather more from Ling Clan, Shi Clan, and Yao Clan, and begin drawing in Hou citizens as well, should it be required,” Hou commanded with detached indifference. “For the last, conclusive step of our ascension’s alchemy—absolute, unrestrained force flows my prerequisite.”
Shifting visibly at that last instruction, the dark waver whispered aloud the possible objections.
“Many among the Eldest of our own would oppose the sacrifice of our own race?”
Hou turned toward this now uncertain underling with a slow smile that sent tremors within the blood lotus swirling beneath.
“Such opposition?” His eyes flamed, the red depths swallowing light, expression chilling into unfiltered malice.
“Their will matters none when the threshold calls—and neither would they… if the cost of hesitation meant destruction in failure for our race.”
The air stilled, and in the presence of that terrible certainty, Xuyan slowly—reluctantly—nodded in acquiescence.
“Then you are resolved to act,” Xuyan stated neutrally.
“Resolve?” Hou smiled softly, lips curling like a serpent.
“If my transformation becomes success, my ascent as Dou Emperor is ensured… so naturally will be yours,” he promised casually, then paused.
“But until that moment, you too must complete every required duty.”
“Understood, all as commanded.” In agreement, the cloaked darkness turned and vanished as swiftly as it had emerged.
Observing the space he left in silence, Hou’s expression darkened briefly—murmuring inwardly the truth he kept well hidden from many within the race, and especially from its black-wreathed kin.
Only from this shadow’s assistance did the Hou lineage preserve all it had built into this very moment. He had known and tolerated their collective worship, had heard whispered praises of Hou Xuyan over himself within some halls and by lesser elders—praise once earned, certainly—because it had been the ancient truth… Hou had once, unquestionably… depended, and heavily so, upon the black flame’s strength to rise.
Those years would never return.
Holding dominion upon his future ascent… Hou would cast old leashes to ash and shadow. He would never be chained to another’s strength—not in the way the old way decreed… not after his rise beyond gods themselves.
He could already see those words—his words of dominion.
“I shall require a powerful mortal essence, a suitable ‘core’,” Hou mused in silent calculation, a chilling smirk forming as his mind drifted through the potential. A core to strengthen his final ascension, and later—should he wish—to shape or dispose entirely.
Blood flaring in his eyes, Hou fell once more into communion, his eyes shutting tightly.
The flow of energy intensified further as he consumed ceaselessly once more—pulling from the land far below him. As he turned his attention inward, an impossibly small black ember flickered briefly within that blood tide—then was quietly and suddenly extinguished beyond recognition.
Hollow, invisible… and silent.
Within Hou Jing, the returning wraith, Xuyan, emerged silently. Gazing below from skyward perches, countless silhouhettes twisted within the depths of red pools as yet more lives were fed—howls and cries of despair echoing without mercy, without end… but something within their torment shifted his usual unflinching presence.
A flick and ember in his fingers, the flickering glow within those eyes cooled… and the cold fire deep within them grew even harsher, darker…
A pulse passed through him—a still fury, hidden, and unseen—for now.
But it had been seen.
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