A piercing roar pierced the soul. Under the heavy pressure, the massive fire dragon thrashed violently like a loach in a hot pot, sending ripples through the soul.
Watching this scene, Chen Guan remained impassive.
A soul battle was a life-or-death struggle; there was no third way. If Three Thousand Flames Flame emerged victorious, his fate would be even more horrific.
"Now, become my strength!"
After a moment's observation, Chen Guan clasped his hands together and delivered a fatal blow. A surge of strange fire, combined with the soul attack, struck Three Thousand Flames Flame's brow.
This move was intended to obliterate his spiritual consciousness!
As the strange fire and soul attack grew in size before his eyes, fear finally shone in Three Thousand Flames Flame's enormous pupils.
His massive body struggled fiercely, but he could not free himself from the entwined vines of souls. All his efforts were in vain.
Fear gradually gave way to despair. Suddenly, his entire body trembled as if struck by lightning. His eyes quickly lost their focus, leaving only a dazed and bewildered state.
This battle, it had ultimately lost!
"Break!"
Chen Guan shouted softly, his all-pervasive spiritual power suddenly expanding. In an instant, a dimly lit spiritual space shattered like a mirror, rapidly exploding.
...
Inside the star field.
The ten people, led by the Great Elder, had been waiting for nearly two weeks. The day-to-day, tedious hours had almost accustomed them to the atmosphere.
"Fourteen days! Mr. Chen Guan's soul strength is truly incredible. It's unimaginable that he could hold on for so long. I'm afraid he and the Three Thousand Flames are relying solely on willpower to hold on."
Elder Qinghua, who loved to imagine things, sighed, and his address to Chen Guan became respectful. There
is no order of learning; the master is the one who has achieved the most!
"I believe in Brother Guan. Back in the Alchemy Realm, even Elder Mu Gu, a Dou Zun, suffered a crushing defeat at his hands
. How could a mere beast possibly rise up against the world!" Cao Dan took over, expressing his potential as a lackey.
Upon hearing this, the others fell silent.
Cao Ying and Dan Chen, close friends with Chen Guan, were inevitably worried and reluctant to speak.
As for the alchemists ranked lower, while they longed for the chance to encounter the Three Thousand Flames, who dared to speak now?
Silence fell again. Suddenly, a puffing sound drew everyone's attention.
The giant dragon encircling the star field trembled violently, and then, the swirling purple-black flames on its surface blinked and waned.
This display instantly brought a smile to Cao Ying's face.
"He succeeded!"
He glanced hurriedly at Chen Guan standing before the giant. As expected, Chen Guan slowly opened his eyes.
Through the scales unwrapped in flame, one could clearly sense the primordial flame within Three Thousand Flames Flame drifting about like a lost boat at sea, completely lost.
Thus, this journey to the star region was halfway to success!
"Great Elder, I have already obliterated Three Thousand Flames Flame's consciousness. From now on, it may take quite some time to devour and refine it. Please
inform Master," Chen Guan said with a slight nod to the group.
Though he didn't say it directly, the implication was clear to everyone. "
The most dangerous step is over. I'm almost there. Don't waste time here. You can leave now.
" "Hahaha, good! We've finally resolved this hidden danger. Just focus on refining it. I'll handle the rest!"
The Great Elder responded with a hearty laugh, casting aside his prejudice against Chen Guan. This was a good thing, both publicly and privately.
"Junior Brother, come out soon,"
Cao Ying, her worries at ease, replied with a smile. Aside from the more carefree Cao Dan, she was probably the happiest person in the room for Chen Guan.
"Alas, after decades of searching for the strange fire, I still haven't found this fate."
Elder Qinghua sighed softly, shook his head, and turned away, a man who could easily accept and let go.
With Qinghua leading the way, the group left without further delay. Each of them bowed slightly to Chen Guan and followed the Great Elder out.
The star field, which had been bustling for half a month, was once again empty.
Turning back to the giant dragon before him, Chen Guan's gaze flashed as he quickly locked onto the Three Thousand Flames' source flame. Without hesitation, he enveloped his right hand in the strange fire and decisively reached into its core.
When he withdrew, he was clutching a ball of purple-black flame.
"The fourth one!"
he muttered softly, then opened his mouth and swallowed the purple-black flame into his stomach.
Instantly, the dragon's massive body collapsed, dispersing into streams of purple-black flame that surged towards Chen Guan, gradually clinging to him.
Seeing this, Chen Guan remained unfazed. With a flick of his hand, he tossed a few pills into his mouth. Then, a jade bottle flashed, and he uncorked it and gulped down a few gulps.
The Ice Spirit Cold Spring, which he had painstakingly sought after in the past, was now being used with considerable abandon
. These things weren't particularly effective in refining the Three Thousand Flames, but they could alleviate some of the pain of the strange fire burning him. For Chen Guan, that was enough.
After all, even if he could grit his teeth and endure it, it might be easier, so why not?
A stinging, burning sensation rippled through every inch of his skin, yet Chen Guan seemed oblivious, even a faint smile on his face.
What a familiar feeling!
...
Outside.
When the Great Elder and his group emerged, the three great Danta leaders were the first to notice and rush over.
Xuan Kongzi glanced around, but didn't see Chen Guan. Seeing Cao Ying's smile, he had already guessed the outcome.
A brief inquiry revealed that it was indeed true. This old man is still as wise as ever!
"Hahaha, Qinghua, don't be discouraged. While there may not be many strange fires in this world, there are still many. You're only halfway to the ground, so there's still a chance you can find other ownerless strange fires."
Glancing at the melancholy-looking Elder Qinghua, Xuan Kongzi offered solace.
However, the effect didn't seem particularly good. Even Xuan Yi felt like rubbing his forehead at the thought.
Elder Qinghua stared at Xuan Kongzi for a long moment, desperate to know if he had done it on purpose or accidentally, but he couldn't see a flaw.
Not wanting to stay any longer, he bowed slightly.
"Goodbye!"
Following Qinghua, the Great Elder, Cao Dan, Danchen, and the others also left one after another. Only Cao Ying lingered a little longer.
"Teacher, what about Junior Brother..."
"Don't worry, I'll be watching after the star field closes. Nothing will go wrong. You can go tell his friends."
Hearing this, Cao Ying felt completely relieved and nodded as she left.
Only the three giants remained, gazing at the star field from afar. Xuankongzi's face was filled with anticipation.
"According to Yaochen, every time Chen Guan refines a strange fire, he undergoes a transformation. The Three Thousand Flames rank ninth on the Strange Fire List, more powerful than his previous ones. I wonder if he can reach Dou Zun!"
"Perhaps. If he does reach Dou Zun, according to Danta tradition, your abdication won't be far off." Tianleizi chuckled in response, his impatience gone, completely unlike the demeanor he usually displayed in front of others.
Xuanyi, however, had another thought in mind, and cast a vague glance towards the Danta behind him.
"Once the Three Thousand Flames are refined, the people in the Small Danta will surely take an interest in him. Yao Chen and them had a rough time back then. Let's hope that doesn't happen again."
Upon hearing this, Xuan Kongzi's gaze grew fierce.
"Chen Guan's situation is different from Yao Chen's. He's now a member of Danta. If the elders don't even understand this, then there's no need for them to hold their positions. I've stepped down and gone into seclusion for ten years. If they can take on the eldership, so can I!"
Tian Leizi and Xuan Yi didn't respond, but instead glanced at Xuan Kongzi, realizing he valued Chen Guan far more than he let on!
...
Within the star field.
The collapse of the Three Thousand Flames dragon's body caused the purple-black flames to spread everywhere, transforming into a sea of flame.
And at the center of this sea of flame, Chen Guan sat quietly, his body enveloped in purple-black gunpowder, swirling layer upon layer, forming an egg-like shape, obscuring the true nature within.
But each surge of flames caused the boundless purple-black sea of fire outside to ripple violently, and the aura emanating from Chen Guan's position grew even more powerful.
Unaware of the fluctuations in the surrounding sea of fire, Chen Guan was pleasantly surprised to discover that refining the Three Thousand Flames' essence this time was surprisingly easier than before!
This seemed to be due to his integration with a Void Devouring Flame Element!
If the previous attempts at refining the strange fire were like two armies battling each other, with the enemy forced to gradually close in and suppress them,
today's attempt was a coordinated attack from within! For
example, Chen Guan was quietly eroding the enemy's ranks, recruiting his own forces.
Though their numbers were small, a single ant hole could easily breach a thousand-mile dam. With these loyal forces working together, he could swiftly breach the city gates and achieve a resounding victory!
This trait delighted Chen Guan immensely.
He had originally prepared himself to spend six months and eight months within the star region, but now it seemed that such a long time wouldn't be necessary!
Casting aside distractions, Chen Guan immersed himself completely, his sense of time beginning to blur.
After an unknown amount of time, he finally and completely breached the enemy's defenses, taking one step closer to success!
From this moment on, the raging sea of fire ceased to ripple, and the swirling purple-black flames gradually retreated from the surface into his body.
From the outside, his body remained motionless, even his breathing was barely audible. If it weren't for the lingering trace of life lingering within him, anyone would have mistaken him for a lifeless corpse.
But upon inspection, one could see faint green flames quietly seeping out from the pores of his skin. Like tiny vines, they coiled around his body, tempering his skin, muscles, and even bones in a strange way.
Under this training, Chen Guan's skin gradually took on a bronze hue, a look that didn't seem out of place, but rather imbued with a sense of full strength.
In this state, it seemed as if the entire star field was fused with his breathing. Every time his breathing grew heavier, the sea of fire within the star field would stir up waves of flames. When his breathing steadied, the waves of fire would quietly subside, and the star field would return to silence.
With these breaths, Chen Guan's spiritual power and the aura he exuded grew stronger day by day!
Six-star Dou Zong...
Seven-star Dou Zong...
Eight-star Dou Zong...
Unlike the sudden rises of the previous times, this time Chen Guan's rise was more like a natural process, maintaining a steady rhythm, constantly improving!
This situation continued until he reached the nine-star Dou Zong level, where it was briefly stopped, like water encountering a dam. But the water had not yet stopped, and the accumulation would only increase. Breaking through the dam was only a matter of time!
(End of this chapter)