In the western part of the Central Plains lies the Flame Plain.
Vast stretches of yellow sand blanketed the land. This place had once been a mountain range, a region of lush forests and rivers, until the emergence of the Purifying Demonic Lotus Flame. The terrifying heat it released had reduced what was once a land of verdant beauty into a desolate sea of sand.
Suddenly, the sky rippled and twisted. A blurred silhouette slipped out from the distortion, flashing across the heavens like lightning before vanishing into the void.
With a single thought, space bent at his will. The energy of heaven and earth acted like loyal ministers before their emperor, willingly concealing his presence.
Liu Xi stood in the void, hands clasped behind his back. His aura was calm, peaceful, and perfectly in tune with the world around him—yet at the same time, he exuded an unapproachable majesty, a divine pressure that brooked no defiance.
His eyes were gentle, his expression composed, but the vastness of his Emperor Realm Spiritual Perception quietly spread out. No fluctuation or anomaly could escape its grasp.
As expected.
Within a radius of a thousand miles, the entire region was under heavy surveillance. And it made sense—aside from the Lei Clan, every other ancient clan's younger elites were trapped inside the flame space.
Who wouldn't be anxious?
Especially Gu Yuan—he was practically losing his mind.
He'd finally corrected the foolish ideas his daughter had held since childhood—only for her to vanish altogether.
"Judging from their auras, these must be from the Gu, Yan, and Yao Clans. The Hun Clan hasn't sent anyone? Or have they already gone to war? All of them are below Half Saint… not a single Dou Saint among them. Is the situation that dire?"
Liu Xi frowned, puzzled. Having spent so long absorbing the Heavenly Flames, he had no idea what had happened in the outside world.
"Ancient Clans… best not to startle them. I'll scout the situation first."
The moment his words fell, Liu Xi's body flickered and disappeared, the surrounding elemental energy surging to aid him—particularly wind and lightning energy, which gently wrapped around him before he vanished completely.
After refining the Heaven Demon Phoenix's wings, Liu Xi had gained mastery over the wind and lightning attributes. His innate talent for them was extraordinary. Even though he didn't specialize in either, with a little contemplation, he could easily create a Tian Class movement Dou Technique.
For him, wind and lightning were now instinct—almost like a Magical Beast's innate ability, a divine gift. If someone used Liu Xi's control as a model, they could effortlessly craft a Di Class movement Dou Technique.
It was merely a matter of how one understood and wielded wind and lightning.
…
Three days later.
Liu Xi quietly departed from Tiandong City, a mid-sized city crowded with mercenaries—a perfect place to gather information.
After leaving, the space behind him warped and twisted. His figure gradually faded within that distortion until all traces of him vanished completely.
As if Liu Xi had never existed.
Walking through the void, Liu Xi's expression was tranquil, a faint look of understanding in his eyes. Everything outside had unfolded just as he had predicted.
The day the flame space closed, all major experts had been trapped inside. Only a few weaklings—those unable to even overcome the first illusion—had survived and escaped.
Rumor had it that an overwhelming powerhouse had descended that day. The storm of their aura had swept across the land, making everyone within ten thousand miles feel as though the sky itself had fallen. The pressure was suffocating—many nearly knelt in fear.
Space had collapsed and reformed, and the sky had turned from bright to dark in an instant. The memory of that apocalyptic scene still sent shivers down people's spines.
Liu Xi reasoned that it must have been Gu Yuan, followed by the Yan, Yao, and Lei Clans. The Hun Clan had likely been there too.
But the space created by the Pure Lotus Demon Saint was impenetrable once its time ended. Not even a 9-Star Dou Saint could breach it. That had given Liu Xi the time he needed to refine the Heavenly Flames in peace.
Soon after, news spread across the Central Plains.
It was said that on that day, the Hun Clan's emissary Hun Miesheng—a 5-Star Dou Saint—had entered the flame space, along with the Late 5-Star Dou Saint, Hun Mo.
Some even swore they saw a colossal black flame sweeping through the desert, devouring everything—Dou Qi, bloodlines, even souls.
At first, the Gu, Lei, Yan, and Yao Clans dismissed these tales. But as more and more witnesses swore on their lives that they had seen it, suspicion toward the Hun Clan grew stronger.
The Hun Clan's history stretched back even further than the other ancient clans. In strength, they ranked second only to the Gu Clan—but in cunning and mystery, they were unmatched. The Hun Clan was a deep abyss, and anyone who stared too long into it could feel their heart grow cold. No one knew what kind of monstrous power hid within that darkness.
The clans began investigating survivors from the flame space, cross-examining each account. Every one of them swore the same thing—that the devouring black flame was real.
The tide of suspicion turned fully against the Hun Clan. Why had they sent multiple Dou Saints above 5-Star into the flame space? What was the truth behind that devouring black flame? Everyone came to the same conclusion—it had to be the Void Devouring Flame.
As for why the other clans hadn't attacked earlier, it was because the soul tokens they carried—crafted from traces of their clansmen's souls—remained intact. That meant their people were trapped, not dead, giving them hope.
But once the news of the Void Devouring Flame spread, everything pointed toward the Hun Clan.
Yet the Hun Clan stayed silent, cold, and indifferent—refusing to answer any accusation.
Then came the shock: following the destruction of the Ling Clan, the Shi Clan had vanished without a trace.
Teams of experts entered the Shi Realm to investigate, only to find emptiness. Millions of clansmen—gone without a single survivor.
The Shi Clan was far from weak. None of the ancient clans were. Even the Gu Clan could have annihilated them, but not so utterly, not without leaving a single life behind.
Those who saw the empty Shi Realm felt an icy dread creeping up their spines. The thought of such total annihilation spread panic like wildfire.
And when that terror was tied to the Void Devouring Flame, the conclusion was clear. The Hun Clan was behind it.
Led by the Gu Clan, the four remaining clans united to impose sanctions on the Hun Clan.
But when they turned their fury upon the Hall of Souls, they found its branches abandoned—deserted, silent. That only confirmed their fears.
The war began.
It was no minor skirmish but an all-out war. The old rule forbidding those above 5-Star to intervene was forgotten.
Dou Zongs became soldiers, Dou Zuns became generals, and Dou Saints commanded armies. The Central Plains turned into a battlefield—sect after sect crumbled into ash.
Compared to the ancient clans' war, the previous struggles among the Central Plains sects had been mere child's play. The casualties of a single battle could have formed a top-tier sect of their own.
The remaining sects hid like frightened turtles, never daring to leave their gates, praying only that the calamity would pass.
But reality was merciless. The Hun Clan, fighting alone against four ancient clans, showed no weakness. Their number and quality of experts rivaled—perhaps even surpassed—their enemies'.
The four clans grew increasingly fearful. They had never imagined the Hun Clan's hidden strength to be this immense—not even the Gu Clan could compare.
And every one of them understood that if they didn't destroy the Hun Clan now, they would one day be destroyed by it.
Even Gu Yuan and Hun Tiandi had personally taken the field.
Only the Void Devouring Flame had not appeared.
But at this point, who cared? The four clans no longer needed a reason. Even without the Void Devouring Flame, the Hun Clan had to be annihilated.
Liu Xi had his own suspicion.
It wasn't that the Void Devouring Flame refused to act—it couldn't.
After devouring the Ling Clan and the Shi Clan, even that Heavenly Flame must now be occupied, refining the bloodlines of millions.
(End of Chapter)
---
This Fanfiction Has Been Completed on Patreon, There is 2 Chapters Ahead of Release for Free Members on my Patreon.
Support me if you like this Fanfiction.
Patreon,com/Fallen_Archangel_
(Remove comma for dot.)
Leave a 5 star Review and a Power Stone.