No one had expected the last Hall of Souls Dou Zun to act with such grim resolve — seeing no chance of survival, he chose to self-destruct and drag everyone down with him.
The power unleashed when a Dou Zun sacrificed his very soul, Dou Qi, and body was terrifying beyond words. Even Liu Xi felt a chill run down his spine.
The violent shockwaves raged like countless giant serpents, rampaging without pattern or restraint. Wherever they passed, the fabric of space tore apart, revealing endless void beyond.
There was no time to hesitate. Liu Xi immediately fled, commanding his two Heavenly Demon Puppets to retreat with him — taking the fallen Dou Zun corpses along as well.
As for the little dragon and Qiu Ling, they were on their own. But one was the Origin Flame of the Three Thousand Burning Flame, and the other the Pill Tower's First Elder — they wouldn't die so easily from a single Dou Zun's self-detonation.
The greater concern was that the entire Star Region trembled under the explosion's force. This was never a stable small world to begin with.
A Half Saint and two 9th Revolution Dou Zuns had created this temporary world merely to suppress the Three Thousand Burning Flame — its stability was tenuous at best.
Liu Xi could only pray that the three giants outside would hold it together. Otherwise, the entire Star Region might collapse.
In the distance, Qing Hua sighed in relief as he watched the battered Liu Xi flee and the surging shockwaves engulf Qiu Ling. He muttered quietly, "Thankfully, I ran fast… otherwise this old body would've been left behind."
Farther away, Cao Ying, Dan Chen, Song Qing, and Xiao Yan stood frozen in shock. Who could've predicted such an ending?
The Hall of Souls had come in full force — and now, they were completely annihilated. Four Dou Zuns, all dead. Even the Hall of Souls would feel that loss deeply.
That thought arose in everyone's heart, and a few even felt a touch of gloating satisfaction. After all, no matter one's standing in the Pill Tower, opposing the Hall of Souls was always politically correct.
Any alchemist who showed sympathy toward the Hall of Souls might as well say farewell to their future. The Pill Tower would see to that — and likely erase their name completely.
The conflict between the Pill Tower and the Hall of Souls was irreconcilable. The fragile peace that existed now was only born of mutual fear.
The Pill Tower feared the Hun Clan behind the Hall of Souls, while the Hun Clan feared the response of the other Six Ancient Imperial Clans. If the Hun Clan ever showed intent to unify the continent, the remaining six would inevitably unite against them.
And once that happened, even the long-prepared Hun Clan would face a nightmare. Thus, all of their schemes were carried out in the shadows.
Among the onlookers, Xiao Yan felt the greatest satisfaction. To him, the Hall of Souls' loss of four Dou Zuns was karmic justice. His hatred for them ran bone-deep — his clan, his father, his teacher… every memory was a wound that burned afresh. Compared to that, his past conflict with Liu Xi was trivial.
'Power… it's still all about power. If I had Liu Xi's strength, maybe I couldn't destroy the Hall of Souls — but I could at least save Father and Teacher. How can I convince Liu Xi and the Pill Tower to stand with me against them…? I'm still too weak.'
Maturity had tempered Xiao Yan. He no longer rushed headlong into danger. He clenched his fists, burying his vengeance deep within.
Now, stripped of his Heavenly Flame and without the Flame Mantra, he was only a High-Level Dou Huang. Against the Hall of Souls, even a Protector could crush him with ease.
Just then, a tattered black figure shot out of the towering mushroom cloud. His robes were shredded, his appearance pitiful — but alive. It could only be Qiu Ling.
As the Pill Tower's First Elder and one of the continent's few 8th Tier Alchemists, he had no shortage of protective treasures or secret techniques. Even so, he was coughing violently as he flew toward Liu Xi, hastily retrieving jade bottles from his storage ring and swallowing pills one after another.
As Liu Xi approached, he noticed Qiu Ling's body faintly glowing with a thin layer of golden light — fragile yet resilient, barely holding together.
Whether it was a secret technique or medicinal effect, Liu Xi didn't pry. It wasn't his business. Instead, he asked evenly, "First Elder, are you still holding up? That Hall of Souls Dou Zun was quite decisive — didn't even give us a chance to gang up on him before blowing himself apart."
After downing a few pills and regaining some color, Qiu Ling exhaled a long breath. His soot-stained face carried deep worry.
"I'll live," he rasped. "That Hall of Souls Dou Zun is gone, but I'm worried about the Origin Flame. If it's been destroyed, that would be a pity — though it would end things cleanly. But if it's still intact, we must stop it at all costs. If it escapes, Holy Pill City will face catastrophe."
Liu Xi nodded slightly. Through his Spiritual Perception, he could sense the Origin Flame's presence — weakened by the explosion, but still alive. As expected of an undying Heavenly Flame.
Whoosh!
A shadow burst from the other side of the mushroom cloud, streaking downward — directly toward the enormous dragon body of the Three Thousand Burning Flame whose Soul Locks had been broken.
"Not good! Stop it, now!" Qiu Ling shouted sharply. The Four Hall of Souls Dou Zuns had used their Life Soul Locks to suppress the Heavenly Flame. Now that they were dead, if the Origin Flame rejoined its body, it could truly devastate the entire Star Region.
"Understood."
Liu Xi replied calmly, and the two shot forward together.
Sensing their approach, the little black dragon turned back, releasing a wave of savage, oppressive intent.
Liu Xi remained unmoved, while Qiu Ling's face darkened — in terms of Spiritual Strength, Liu Xi far surpassed him, and thus bore the pressure far more easily.
Just as they were about to close in, the little dragon suddenly spun around and hurled itself toward Qiu Ling with tremendous force.
Even the flame knows to pick the weaker target.
Already injured from the earlier explosion, Qiu Ling couldn't defend in time. Though his Dou Qi flared to protect him, the collision still sent him hurtling backward.
He spat a mouthful of blood — his already-wounded body worsening even further.
The little dragon and Liu Xi exchanged a knowing glance.
"Come on!" roared the Three Thousand Burning Flame.
"On my way," Liu Xi answered.
The dragon dove toward its true body — toward the only shattered scale upon its massive head, where the black void-like pit awaited.
Liu Xi turned briefly toward Qiu Ling, his voice solemn and righteous. "First Elder, please take the others and retreat at once. I have a Heavenly Flame protecting me. Even weakened, the Three Thousand Burning Flame cannot harm me in the short term."
With that, his figure blurred into motion. Man and flame became streaks of light — one chasing the other — plunging into the black void together.
'A perfect chance to look heroic and earn favor? How could I waste that? Waste is a sin!'
Clutching his chest, Qiu Ling's eyes brimmed with emotion. He tried to chase after Liu Xi, but his body screamed in pain. Realizing he could barely move, he clenched his teeth and turned back toward Cao Ying and the others.
'Master Liu, hold on. I'll alert the Association Head — just hold on!'
(End of Chapter)
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