Chapter 266: Each Their Own Choice
In the void space surrounded by black flames, the figure of the Heavenly Flame of Nothingness silently appeared. Moments after his arrival, the figure of Hun Venerable also emerged in the space. With interest, he inquired, "So, what do you think? Has he caught the eye of the Heavenly Flame of Nothingness?"
"Not bad... I have already gifted him the Heavenly Flame of the Emperor. How far he can grow now depends on him," said the Heavenly Flame of Nothingness in a neutral tone, as if it were just a casual action.
"The Heavenly Flame of the Emperor?!" Hun Venerable's eyes widened in shock. He hadn't expected the Heavenly Flame of Nothingness to directly give Yao Yan the Heavenly Flame of the Emperor. That flame was the core of the Blood Sacrifice World, and if it were to vanish, the Blood Sacrifice World would slowly crumble as well.
After a brief silence, his tone grew slightly heavy as he asked, "Has the Heavenly Flame of Nothingness truly taken that step?"
"The hardest step has already been taken. It will take just a few years to stabilize, and then the final step of the plan can be executed... But before that, your Hun Clan still needs to find the whereabouts of the Xiao Clan and determine the location of the last piece of the Tuo She Gu Emperor Jade!" The Heavenly Flame of Nothingness cast a glance at Hun Venerable, his voice deep.
At the mention of the Tuo She Gu Emperor, a slight dark glimmer passed through his eyes, as if recalling some unpleasant past events.
"This matter does not concern the Heavenly Flame of Nothingness. The clues regarding the Xiao Clan have already been mostly confirmed. A few years ago, the Dark Agent of the Gu Clan urged the Gu Clan to acquire the Xiao Clan's Tuo She Gu Emperor Jade, and it has already shown results... The Gu Yuan sent his own daughter to the Xiao Clan. We just need to wait a little longer, and we will have the most accurate information!" Hun Venerable spoke confidently, his lips curling into a slight smile.
"Gu Yuan..." A trace of wariness flashed in the Heavenly Flame of Nothingness's eyes. He paused, then slowly spoke, "Make sure to confirm it quickly!"
"Yes!" Hun Venerable cupped his hands in response.
The Heavenly Flame of Nothingness looked at Hun Venerable and continued, "I will support him becoming the young clan leader."
Hun Venerable's gaze brightened, and the smile on his face deepened. "He won't disappoint the Heavenly Flame of Nothingness's expectations!"
"Grow quickly... the time for his growth is limited," the Heavenly Flame of Nothingness said lightly, his form transforming into a thread of black flame as he merged into the black flame world.
Hun Venerable bowed slightly to the Heavenly Flame of Nothingness before disappearing from the spot.
...
The power of the Heavenly Flame of Nothingness was truly terrifying. As expected from a flame with the strength of a Three-Star Dou Sheng, it easily suppressed the chaotic power within Yao Yan's body, allowing him to absorb the full strength of the Hun Devouring Clan's warrior in the most comfortable state. The immense bloodline power flowed into his body, nourishing and continuously growing his bloodline strength.
In the consciousness space, Yao Yan sat cross-legged in the void, surrounded by purple-blue fused heavenly flames. He was digesting the Hun power he had devoured earlier. The increasingly tangible Hun body revealed how rapidly his Hun power was growing. His Hun power, already in the middle stage of the Heaven Realm, was advancing at a terrifying speed toward the late stage.
The terrifying Hun aura spread continuously, causing the space to stagnate, and the energy of heaven and earth to come to a halt.
"This kid's talent is truly terrifying..." The Heavenly Flame of Nothingness's eyes glowed with black flames as it felt Yao Yan's progress and murmured softly. Having controlled the Blood Sacrifice World for nearly a thousand years, it had seen many geniuses, but none had reached Yao Yan's level. His body seemed endless, constantly absorbing the surrounding energy to fuel his growth.
His growth rate didn't seem human but more akin to that of a heavenly flame or a Hun Devouring Clan member!
But unlike the insane Hun Devouring Clan, Yao Yan remained calm. He wouldn't be controlled by the power and remained too rational, even more so than many talented prodigies. Not everyone could remain calm when facing power growth.
The Heavenly Flame of Nothingness watched Yao Yan, seemingly admiring the perfect body. According to its master's will, this body might very well become its future vessel!
It was quite pleased with this!
Let's not discuss anything else.
Simply put, the five types of heavenly flames within Yao Yan made it extremely tempted. If it could devour them, it might be able to take another step forward and become an independent entity, completely breaking free from the control of the Heavenly Flame of Nothingness!
This was the dream of every secondary flame!
"Grow well, the day won't be too far away!" The Heavenly Flame of Nothingness cackled, its form merging into Yao Yan's body to help him sort through the chaotic energy within, allowing him to progress toward higher levels in the most perfect way.
Outside, as Yao Yan immersed himself in cultivation, the Five-Ring Heavenly Flame Great Formation had dissipated, but the terrifying fire sea hadn't dispersed. It continued to burn fiercely, using the body of the Hun Devouring Clan warrior as fuel to transform the entire Dead Silence Plain into a sea of flames. The overwhelming temperature scorched every inch of space.
At the very center of this, a golden-red "giant egg" more than ten feet in size stood. It continuously emanated terrifying vitality and aura, as if nurturing a god-beast that defied the heavens!
Even those at the edge of the Dead Silence Plain could feel the immense energy emanating from it.
An indescribable oppressive feeling.
"...He succeeded?" Hun Dan stood at the edge of the Dead Silence Plain, feeling the terrifying aura emanating from within. His expression was complex as he spoke.
"No failure means success!" Hun Venerable coldly analyzed, feeling the ever-growing aura. He could tell that Yao Yan was in seclusion, and this time his seclusion would result in a further transformation.
Upon thinking of this, his gaze changed slightly, a mix of emotion and realization.
Personal cultivation talents cannot be compared. What one considers a limit might simply be the starting point for someone else. The gap between the two is so vast that only the person experiencing it can truly feel it. It's beyond what the word "despair" can describe.
Or to put it another way: No matter how hard you try, you won't match the effortless cultivation of the other.
This is the feeling Yao Yan gives to Hun Venerable. He had never seen someone so strong, even turning the entire Dead Silence Plain into nourishment for his transformation. Even the previously terrifying monster had become his nourishment. One could imagine that once Yao Yan's transformation was complete, his strength would become even more terrifying!
But for Hun Venerable, this was a good thing. He had always hoped to follow a young supreme expert, and Yao Yan undoubtedly had the potential to reach the pinnacle!
As for Hun Feng ... such an arrogant person clearly wasn't fit to follow, and besides, he didn't lack followers.
But the final decision would come after meeting Yao Yan.
Before that, it was still necessary to get along with Yao Yan, at least to ensure no one disturbed his transformation. Especially Hun Feng . Upon thinking of this, Hun Venerable's eyes shifted. He decided to cause some trouble for that "madman" from the Hun Clan and see this madman's talents and abilities.
"Let's go. This place is completely covered by the heavenly flames. With our strength, if we step in, we will become targets of the flames' attacks." Hun Venerable glanced at Hun Dan, calmly saying.
"Go?" Hun Dan looked at Hun Venerable in surprise. He didn't know where to go. After witnessing so much, he suddenly didn't have the drive to continue. After all, no matter how hard he tried, he could never reach Yao Yan's level.
He once thought that a little effort could get him to the highest seat, but now, comparing himself to Yao Yan, he felt like an ant by the roadside.
The gap was too large, making one despair.
"Gather some people for our future young clan leader, and take care of some problems along the way." Hun Venerable looked at several figures in the distance, the corner of his mouth curling slightly. Since the future young clan leader hadn't paid attention to them, as "subordinates," they should be more considerate.
Hun Dan followed Hun Venerable's words and looked at the figures in the distance, understanding his intent.
"But Hun Feng is not easy to deal with!" Hun Dan said in a deep voice.
"If you want, you can choose to stand by his side and continue to be his enemy." Hun Venerable threw a calm remark and, with his bodyguards, flew off toward the distance. In his view, this choice no longer needed to be made. The correct answer was already clear!
If that "madman" from the Hun Clan could surpass him, then he would accept it... but Hun Venerable didn't believe he would lose!
...
More than a year had passed since the incident in the Holy Pill City, and everyone had still not recovered from that upheaval. No one had expected that the youngest prodigy and 8th-grade alchemist in history was actually from the Hun Palace. This person had entered the Pill Tower just to obtain the Three Thousand Flame of the Star Region and had already succeeded.
This incident had caused an uproar across the entire Central Region, and nearly all major forces had heard of it.
Just as this news hadn't completely subsided, the Pill Tower released another major news: The position of the Pill Tower Master, which had been vacant for hundreds of years, had finally been taken, and the person who took it was a familiar face to many in Central Region: the renowned Medic Elder, Yao Chen!
This Medic Elder, who was supposed to have died in a pill refining accident, had not only survived but had also successfully broken through to the Dou Sheng level!
This news instantly exploded in Holy Pill City, including Starfall Pavilion.
...
Small Pill Tower.
Wind Elder looked at the rejuvenated Yao Chen with a hint of joy and helplessness in his eyes. He asked, "Old man, are you alright?"
His tone held some concern. After a period of seclusion, the world had changed. The once prodigious nephew had now become an enemy, turned into a member of the Hun Clan. The once free-spirited Yao Chen had now transformed into the Pill Tower Master!
Compared to these changes, the growth of strength became secondary.
He knew Yao Chen well and understood that he didn't accept the Pill Tower Master position for himself. Yao Chen never had an ambition for power. If he had any, he wouldn't have abandoned Starfall Pavilion after its creation for hundreds of years.
"Well, I didn't die, and I've broken through to one-star Dou Sheng. A blessing in disguise," Yao Chen smiled at Wind Elder, seemingly unaffected by the changes in Yao Yan. But those who knew him well would understand how significant this change was.
"How did he become a member of the Hun Clan? Didn't you say he was from the Medic Clan?" Heavenly Fire Elder frowned and stared at Yao Chen, asking in a deep voice.
He had always remembered the favor from Yao Yan, who had helped him a lot in the past, but he had never repaid him. After a period of seclusion, Yao Yan seemed to have become his enemy, which was hard for him to accept.
"...I misjudged him," Yao Chen paused, then slowly said.
"If he's no longer in the Pill Tower, then I'll leave as well. I want to return to the Black Corner Region." Heavenly Fire Elder looked at Yao Chen calmly and said. He didn't want to be enemies with Yao Yan, nor did he want to get involved in the conflict between the Pill Tower and the Hun Palace.
"Alright, but the Pill Tower is always welcome to you," Yao Chen replied solemnly.
"I'm not interested in these power struggles. I'm leaving," Heavenly Fire Elder lightly shook his head, then waved at Yao Chen. He didn't ask about the reasons, nor did he inquire about Yao Chen's thoughts. He turned and left.
At his level, many things were clear. Since Yao Yan was from the Pill Tower's enemy side, everything was already destined.
Rather than facing an awkward reunion in the future, it would be better to return to the Heavenly Court. After all, it was Yao Yan's faction, and perhaps he could ask him later why he chose this path. Additionally, he needed to deliver a message to Cai Lin and the others.
At this moment, Heavenly Fire Elder understood Yao Yan a bit more. He probably had already anticipated this day, which was why he hadn't brought Cai Lin and the others along.
Yao Chen didn't stop Heavenly Fire Elder from leaving, nor did he say anything. He had already thought of what the other would do. Letting him return to the Black Corner Region might be better. In the future, he might learn some information about Yao Yan from him.
"You old man, what are you thinking? Don't you want to pull him back?" Wind Elder continued to ask, looking at Yao Chen.
"Sort of... But besides that, I've also realized something... My strength is still too weak. Becoming the Pill Tower Master will allow my strength to increase rapidly. Perhaps I'll have a chance to meet Yao Yan again in the future. There are some things I've always been unclear about, and I want an answer." Yao Chen paused for a moment before slowly giving his answer.
He wanted to know Yao Yan's future plans. Would he be aligned with the Hun Palace or did he have other intentions?
Even if Yao Yan had become a member of the Hun Clan, Yao Chen didn't believe he would become like those people from the Hun Palace. He trusted his instincts, even if his judgment had often been "poor"!
"Why bother... It only adds to the trouble. The Hun Palace and Hun Clan are not easy to deal with. You were born in the Medic Clan, you should know more about these things than me. Those imperial families never take outsiders seriously. Even if you meet again in the future, you'll likely get no satisfactory answer..." Wind Elder sighed, feeling helpless toward his old friend. His personality had always been like this and probably couldn't be changed.
"I just want to give myself an explanation." Yao Chen said calmly. Everyone lives for something, even if those things may seem meaningless to others. As long as they matter to oneself, that's enough.
"Straightforward old man," Wind Elder laughed helplessly. What could he do? He could only support his old friend.
In life, one good friend is enough. (END CHAPTER)
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