Within the flame space, the vast sea of magma roiled endlessly. Clusters of blazing fire floated suspended in the air, and within each flame was a figure being refined by the Purifying Demonic Lotus Flame — the nascent Flame Slaves.
Of course, they were not yet complete. Their souls remained trapped within illusions, still struggling within those dreamscapes, much like Xiao Chen once had.
At the center of the magma sea lay a cocoon of azure and white flame, floating quietly as it was supported by the molten currents beneath. A faint halo pulsed rhythmically across its surface, brightening and dimming like a living heartbeat. With every pulse, endless fire-type energy surged in from every direction, greedily devoured by the cocoon as though by an eternal black hole swallowing all nearby matter.
Inside that cocoon was true terror — an aura faint yet unforgettable, vast and divine, like that of an ancient god or demon. It exuded unfathomable majesty and pressure that shook the very soul, a transcendent presence that looked down upon all beings.
That noble aura belonged to a soul — one so exalted that it seemed ready to be born as a god reigning over heaven and earth.
Time in this monotonous realm passed without meaning.
Liu Xi didn't know how long he had been asleep. He only knew that he had devoured not just the Purifying Demonic Lotus Flame but also the other five Heavenly Flames. Using their combined essence, he had drawn forth the vast spiritual foundation he once absorbed — and then, his being began to ascend.
His mind erupted like an explosion. His consciousness drifted as though a lone boat in an endless stormy ocean, defying tempests, lightning, and fire. He witnessed the destruction and rebirth of worlds. And when the cataclysm subsided, a new world lay before him — one born from his own awareness.
The shattered world became nourishment. His fragile consciousness absorbed it all, growing ever stronger, until he became the innate deity of that new creation — mighty, boundless, and infinite.
With a single thought, life was born.
With another, all perished.
The power was intoxicating. Even Liu Xi could not escape its allure.
But one day, a vine whip coalesced from the void and lashed across his body with blinding pain. The agony tore through his divine form, contorting even a god's face into one of suffering.
Then, a gentle current of clarity descended from above, cooling his soul. The pain ebbed away, and clarity returned to his consciousness.
Liu Xi… awakened.
Within the magma world of the flame space, the air trembled. Lava surged and hissed as a mighty presence spread across the domain, forming a twisted field of soul pressure that controlled everything within its reach.
The enormous cocoon trembled violently. The godlike being inside tore at its shell, yearning to emerge into the world.
Power erupted like a storm. The Dou Qi within the cocoon raged furiously. The shell that once protected also now constrained. And when the life inside grew strong enough, the cocoon's fate was sealed.
Crack!
Fine fissures spread across its surface, each one leaking immense power that shook the surrounding magma. The cocoon could no longer contain its occupant.
Boom!
With a thunderous explosion, the shell shattered completely, bursting into countless fragments that scattered into the molten sea.
From the brilliant radiance within, a figure sat cross-legged — indistinct, yet surrounded by endless energy. The heavens themselves trembled. All energy within this realm gathered around him, circling joyfully as though welcoming the birth of a god.
Waves rose high from the magma below, then fell calm under the weight of his power.
A voice resounded across the world, echoing like divine proclamation.
"This is the Emperor Realm Soul… Heaven and earth, all under my control. If I so will it — I am the only god!"
At that moment, Liu Xi understood why the Pure Lotus Demon Saint and the Yellow Spring Demon Saint, upon reaching the peak of the 9-Star Dou Saint realm and awakening an Emperor Realm Soul, were hailed as Half-Step Dou Di's — beings of unmatched might.
Against those of equal cultivation, possessing an Emperor Realm Soul granted absolute dominance.
"Heh, I should thank the Bodhisattva Ancient Tree," Liu Xi said softly, smiling. "Had it not awakened me early, I might've slumbered for who knows how many years before mastering this power."
Indeed, the presence that had awakened him was none other than the Bodhisattva Ancient Tree. A fragment of its spirit rested within him — a fragment still far beyond the strength of a 9-Star Dou Saint.
That was why it could rouse him from divine slumber.
After confirming his soul's transformation, Liu Xi turned his focus to his body — a body that had been reforged countless times by Heavenly Treasures and the blood of Magical Beasts, now perfected into an unmatched Dou Saint physique.
The Purifying Demonic Lotus Flame's cleansing had elevated his physical limits once again. The power of the Dragon Phoenix Origin Fruit had long been fully absorbed, granting him the Ancient Void Dragon's body and the Ancient Heaven Phoenix's wings — both now a part of him.
Even without outward transformation, his skin — pale and smooth — carried the defense of an Ancient Void Dragon's scales.
The phoenix wings, too, were fully integrated.
The five other Heavenly Flames — the Gold Emperor Incinerating Heavenly Flame, Red Lotus Karma Flame, Eight Wasteland Destruction Flame, Turtle Spirit Earthly Flame, and Flaming Cloud Water Flame — had furthered his attunement to the element of fire, perfecting both essence and form.
His Dou Qi realm had skyrocketed as a result. The six Heavenly Flames, combined with the endless energy absorbed during his metamorphosis, had propelled him to the realm of a 7-Star Dou Saint.
From Late 4-Star Dou Saint to Late 7-Star Dou Saint — such a leap was nothing short of miraculous.
It wasn't merely an increase of three stars; it was the crossing from Mid Level to High Level Dou Saint — a gap even greater than that between a Half Saint and a Dou Saint.
With an Emperor Realm Soul to aid him, Liu Xi believed he could now contend with an 8-Star Dou Saint. He stood on the verge of the continent's peak — his confidence against the Hun Clan greater than ever before.
He rose slowly. The space trembled around him. With a casual stretch, the energy of heaven and earth surged eagerly to his call, swirling loyally at his side.
"7-Star Dou Saint, Emperor Realm Soul… the day I ascend to Dou Di isn't far away," he murmured with a smile — then frowned slightly. The energy seemed almost too clingy.
Suppressing his Emperor Realm Soul, Liu Xi reigned in his vast Dou Qi. In his current state, he truly embodied the phrase returning to simplicity.
Now, he appeared no different from an ordinary man — save for being impossibly handsome. Standing effortlessly in midair, his presence felt as natural as breathing, as if the world itself had been made for him.
"Compared to this, I still prefer when you're unruly," he said with amusement. "Go on, return to how you were. I'll feel awkward otherwise."
At his command, the overenthusiastic heaven and earth energy abruptly grew aloof — scattering in all directions, pretending indifference while secretly lingering nearby, ever ready to answer his call.
The nature of these "flattering energies" was laid bare.
(End of Chapter)
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