The sky crumbles, the sky darkens, the constellations shift.
Dawn quietly streaks across the horizon, morning light pouring down from the heavens. After two days of relative calm, Shengdan City is once again ablaze with activity.
The "secret" that the top ten of the Dan Conference will enter the star region today has become widely known after days of passing from person to person.
Countless people are rushing towards the Dan Tower, all filled with curiosity: who will ultimately receive the Three Thousand Flames, sealed away by the Dan Tower for so many years?
Outside the Dan Tower, a bustle of activity erupts early in the morning, a sea of figures filling every street and alley.
Time slips by quietly, and as the blazing sun in the sky gradually reaches its zenith, three figures finally soar from the Dan Tower's summit, hovering high above the heavens.
"Those entering the Dan Region, prepare!"
Xuankongzi hovers in the sky, looking down from above, his deep voice echoing throughout the heavens.
Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh! As
Xuan Kongzi finished his words, figures swooped down from all directions, then settled in the sky.
They were the top ten—Chen Guan, Cao Ying, Dan Chen, Qing Hua, Cao Dan, and others.
Xuan Kongzi and his two companions' gazes slowly swept over the ten figures, each nodding in satisfaction.
This Alchemy Conference had surpassed their expectations.
If the hidden dangers of the Three Thousand Flames could also be resolved, it would be a complete success!
Without further ado, Xuan Kongzi and his two companions exchanged glances, then their hand seals shifted with lightning speed. Vast soul waves emanated from their bodies.
Immediately, everyone saw the azure sky suddenly and violently ripple, and a pale silver spatial portal slowly appeared before their gazes.
"I've already explained all the rules to you. Remember, act within your capabilities. Also, the Great Elder will enter the star field with you and lead you to the Three Thousand Flames."
Xuan Kongzi glanced at the silvery spatial portal, his eyes suddenly sharp.
"Now, enter! Star field, open!"
Within the sky, the previously empty space seemed to be torn apart by a crack, and a rich spatial vibration permeated the air.
The crack then widened until it became a vast, three-meter-wide spatial passage, as if connecting to another world.
"Everyone, follow me."
The Great Elder, clad in a white robe, bowed slightly to the three giants, then turned to face the crowd. As his gaze passed Chen Guan, he nodded with a hint of gratitude.
Over the past few days, he had also joined forces with the Song family to track down the murderer who had killed Song Qing, and easily learned the whole story from him.
It was exactly as he'd expected. Chen Guan bore no responsibility at all in the entire incident. In fact, the Great Elder even saw it as a selfless act of repaying a grievance with honesty.
The Great Elder asked himself, if he were in Chen Guan's shoes, not taking the opportunity to retaliate would have been the limit. Collecting the body was out of the question!
Because of this small incident, he implicitly owed Chen Guan a favor, and his attitude shifted accordingly when he saw him again.
After a brief exchange of glances, the Great Elder turned and soared towards the starry gate high in the sky.
Seeing Cao Ying and the others looking at him, Chen Guan smiled faintly and took off first, followed closely by the others, either stepping into the air or flapping their wings, quickly catching up.
"Did Yao Chen go back?"
Xuan Kongzi glanced sideways at Xuan Yi as he watched the group disappear into the starry gate.
"He left overnight, without even saying goodbye. The Soul Palace blockade of Xingyun Pavilion hasn't been lifted yet, and he was worried he'd be caught off guard by the Soul Palace if he returned too late," Xuan Yi replied expressionlessly, a hint of disappointment lingering in his eyes.
"Haha, this guy really leaves me... speechless. He didn't say it, but he does have some thoughts about the Three Thousand Flames. If no one can subdue him this time, his disciple, Xiao Yan, should be a sure thing for the next."
Xuan Yi and Tian Lei Zi nodded in agreement, then shook their heads slightly.
Guess there's no such thing as that!
A sudden ripple in the void, and a dozen or so figures slowly emerged.
Entering the star field, everyone turned their heads and looked around, discovering a vast, desolate space.
This was perfectly normal. The so-called star field was a space forcibly torn apart by the three giants of Danta. Naturally, it couldn't compare to the Dan Realm opened up by Dou Sheng powerhouses, and it looked quite desolate.
The surrounding space was filled with a faint, fiery mist. Faint rays of light seeped into the air, making the light seem slightly cooler.
But the overwhelming heat was the scorching heat, forcing everyone to mobilize their Dou Qi to resist. Even so, they couldn't completely isolate it. This moved several alchemists, who were experiencing "wild" strange fire for the first time.
Consequently, they were even more eager to subdue it!
But would they ever have the chance?
Everyone looked at Chen Guan, only to see his expression slightly disturbed. His aura was terrifyingly hot, like a furnace poised to explode at any moment.
"Are you alright?" Cao Ying asked, frowning beside him.
"No problem."
Chen Guan shook his head slightly. His reaction was simply the restlessness of the alien fire within him.
This only occurred when encountering other alien fires. This wasn't his first experience; he'd long since grown accustomed to it.
"Follow me. This dimension exists to seal the Three Thousand Flames. It's not a complete world, and there are numerous dangers. Do not wander around."
The Great Elder spoke, drawing the group's attention. He stepped forward to lead the way, briefly explaining.
"The Star Region, as the name suggests, is a space where the power of the stars is incredibly intense, especially at night. You're all alchemists, and you're more familiar with alien fires. Do you know another name for the Three Thousand Flames?"
"Three Thousand Starry Sky Flames?" Elder Qinghua took over, evidently having done his homework.
"That's about right. The name suggests something. The Three Thousand Flames were formed in the starry sky, absorbing the starlight and growing ever stronger. That's why we chose to enter this area at noon, when the Three Thousand Flames are relatively 'weak.'"
Upon hearing this, everyone suddenly understood.
Among the various fires, the Three Thousand Flames have one of the most common nicknames.
However, the most widely known are undoubtedly 'Starry Sky Fire' and 'Immortal Fire'!
This fire is born from the condensed power of the stars. As long as it possesses sufficient star power, it will be immortal.
In this world, star power rarely disappears completely. Even in daylight, it still exists, though relatively weaker.
"After so many years of accumulation, the Three Thousand Flames' power is now so powerful that not even you, let alone the three Guild Masters, dare to underestimate it. So, be careful not to provoke it. If it erupts fully, it is very likely that we will perish here before the Danta masters can arrive to rescue us."
As they spoke of the important matters, the dozen or so people flew for nearly ten minutes, yet they still could not see the edge of this space, demonstrating the vastness of the star field.
However, everyone could clearly feel the surrounding temperature rising, and the strange fire within Chen Guan's body becoming increasingly active. All signs indicated that they were flying in the right direction and were already very close to the Three Thousand Flames!
The rising temperature forced the group to draw on more Dou Qi to resist, and they no longer had time for idle chat.
They flew through the empty space in this silent and swift manner, and soon another ten minutes had passed.
The star field was now like a huge furnace. Aside from the Great Elder and Qinghua, only Chen Guan, with the help of the strange fire, was able to maintain his composure.
The others, even Cao Ying, were sweating profusely, enveloped in a thick layer of powerful Dou Qi...
Just as everyone's patience was growing, the Great Elder, who had been flying ahead, suddenly stopped, and a voice full of endless fear came from the front.
"We've arrived! Ahead lies the Three Thousand Flames!"
The group looked ahead, only to see a series of blazing rays of light emerging from the void ahead. The light was so intense, it resembled the blazing sun, stinging their eyes.
Holding their Dou Qi barriers steady, they gradually approached the blinding light, and the object within it finally came into view.
"Hiss!"
Upon gazing at the scene within, Cao Dan and the others froze in shock. They gasped, their throats rolling as they swallowed hard, their eyes filled with unbelievable shock. Even
Chen Guan, who had been prepared for this, was still moved.
Within the light, a majestic dragon stretched to its limit!
Its body coiled and undulated, rising and falling. A strange, purple-black flame swirled across its massive form. As the flames rose, the surrounding space seemed to distort.
The enormous dragon's eyes closed tightly, yet the unparalleled might of the dragon still overwhelmed them!
"Sister... Brother-in-law, no, Brother Guan, is this the Three Thousand Flames?!"
Cao Dan, who had been following Chen Guan's left side, enjoying the cool breeze, was filled with fear. His voice was dry and incoherent as he expressed everyone's thoughts at the moment.
Before seeing the Three Thousand Flames, each of them had imagined that if everyone else failed, they might be the one to subdue the strange fire and reach the pinnacle of their lives.
However, after seeing it in person...
they were stunned!
Absolutely stunned!
Such a huge thing!
Is it really possible to subdue it with human power?
Is it too late to give up now?
Standing before the giant dragon, the dozen or so people felt like ants, a deep sense of insignificance rising from the bottom of their hearts.
No one laughed at Cao Dan. Even the Great Elder and Elder Qinghua, two Dou Zun masters, could not help but feel a deep sense of fear.
This size was simply too shocking!
(End of Chapter)