"Stop pretending to be all mysterious! I don't believe it—how could you possibly complete a breakthrough in such a short time?!"
Even though Xiao Yan's current appearance made the Seat King faintly uneasy, he didn't falter. In fact, what he said wasn't without reason—barely a day had passed since Xiao Yan began refining the Xuan Yuan Pills. How could he have already broken through to the Ancestor Realm?
Yet despite his words, the Seat King and the others didn't dare to act rashly. Instead, they swiftly arranged themselves into a strange formation. The demonic energy within their bodies surged, converging into a massive black demonic blade that seemed large enough to pierce through the heavens themselves!
"Right now, none of you are my match."
Xiao Yan looked at the black demonic blade and chuckled softly. With a flick of his sleeve, a fire dragon tens of thousands of zhang long materialized, sweeping forth with a scorching gust. It incinerated all the demonic energy in the sky and, in a single instant, shattered the Seat King and the others' combined attack. Blood spewed from their mouths as they were knocked backward in rapid retreat.
Seeing this, Qing Tan and the others' faces lit up with joy. With the flick of a finger, Xiao Yan had easily crushed a group of experts who had each surpassed the third cycle of Reincarnation Tribulations. This level of strength… could only belong to one who had truly stepped into the Ancestor Realm. It was now clear—Xiao Yan had succeeded in breaking through!
Hope had returned to the continent!
"So this is the power of a Dou Di?" Xiao Yan murmured, glancing at his hand. The strike he had just unleashed hadn't even used one percent of his strength, yet it had effortlessly broken the combined force of the Seat Kings. This power—it indeed stood above the heavens and the earth.
At this moment, even if hundreds or thousands of peak Dou Shengs surrounded him, he could suppress them with a wave of his hand.
After defeating the Seat Kings, Xiao Yan didn't pursue them. Instead, he raised his head and calmly spoke toward the void above: "Since you're already here, why don't you show yourself? I'm guessing you're the so-called Yimo Emperor."
Though his tone was calm, Qing Tan and the others immediately became vigilant. Their gazes followed his, filled with shock and fear. The leader of the Yimo Clan—the one who had plunged the entire Tianxuan Continent into darkness—was actually hiding in the shadows?
Just then, the void began to ripple. Twisting waves of demonic light poured out, staining the world black once more. A tall, slender figure slowly emerged from the darkness.
And when everyone finally saw his face, their hearts shook violently.
"Lin Dong?!"
"That's impossible! He's definitely not my father!"
It was Lin Jing who cried out first. She couldn't believe it—couldn't accept that the father she had admired all her life was actually… the Yimo Emperor.
"He is Lin Dong… but he is also not Lin Dong."
Xiao Yan's gaze remained steady as he looked at the figure. He could sense it—this form truly was Lin Dong's body. No disguise, no illusion. But that didn't mean it was Lin Dong himself.
"If I'm not mistaken, you've taken over his body, haven't you?"
"Oh? Your senses are quite sharp. I thought I could fool you."
The Yimo Emperor's expression showed mild surprise. "You guessed right. Though the owner of this body lost his consciousness in the Road of Reincarnation, his physical body reached the true Ancestor Realm. So, I took it for my own. Tell me, how does it feel? That the enemy you hate most was once the savior you placed all your hopes in. Is that irony not delicious?"
"Seriously? How old are you and you're still using childish provocation tactics?" Xiao Yan sneered, "You really think such nonsense is going to affect me? I don't even know the guy whose body you stole, and even if I did, I'd still chop you down just the same."
"You really are different from the others."
The Yimo Emperor's gaze deepened slightly. "You… like that old man Fu Zu, you're not from this world, are you? In that case, why fight for it? Whether this world lives or dies has nothing to do with you, does it?"
"You're right. I wouldn't care if everyone in this world dropped dead," Xiao Yan said with a nod, shocking the people behind him. But then he added, "However, if I don't kill you, I can't go home. So, for the sake of my return… could you do me a favor and just die?"
"Hmph! Then stay here forever!"
The Yimo Emperor laughed coldly. With a clench of his fist, eight beams of light shot over from the horizon and formed a bizarre glowing ring around him.
"The Eight Ancestral Symbols?!"
Qing Tan's face changed dramatically as she recognized them.
"That's right. These are the Ancestral Symbols born from this world!"
As the Yimo Emperor's laughter echoed through the sky, more strange artifacts appeared alongside the symbols—stone Symbols, ancient monuments, jade disks, and grand formations. They were the Nine Divine Treasures, once created by Fu Zu himself!
The Eight Ancestral Symbols and the Nine Divine Treasures simultaneously let out a buzzing hum—yet that noble resonance was soon smothered by a surge of black mist. Xiao Yan narrowed his eyes, sensing deep humiliation and defiance within the divine items' faint glow.
Divine items had spirits. Their duty was to protect the people, to purge evil from the world. Yet now they had fallen into demonic hands, forced to serve the enemy. How could they not feel shame? But before that trace of resistance could grow, the surging black energy crushed it completely.
The Nine Divine Treasures fused in the Yimo Emperor's hands, transforming into a massive seven-colored demonic spear, exuding thick waves of malevolent power.
Seeing this, Xiao Yan summoned the Xuan Heavy Ruler—but when his eyes fell upon it, he couldn't help but frown. Though it had once been enhanced by the Blood Fiend Qi, enough to clash head-on with peak Dou Shengs, it was far from sufficient at this level of combat.
"Master, let me enhance it."
At that moment, a familiar voice rang out from within him—Xiao Yao.
"Alright."
Without hesitation, Xiao Yan agreed. He knew this mischievous little spirit wouldn't let him down at such a critical time.
A burst of dazzling flame exploded from within Xiao Yan and wrapped around the black ruler. As it burned furiously, the pitch-black surface turned crystalline and transparent. If not for the terrifying power it radiated, anyone would have mistaken it for a beautifully crafted art piece of colored glass.
This technique resembled the destructive fire body Xiao Yan had once used within the Road of Reincarnation, but this time, it was used to strengthen a weapon. Augmented by twenty-three types of unique Heavenly Flames, the enhanced Xuan Heavy Ruler now exuded terrifying power.
Its current form reminded Xiao Yan of the Ancient Heavenly Flame Ruler he had wielded against Hun Tiandi in the illusion realm. Although he hadn't used the amplification from the Heavenly Flame Plaza's array this time, the ruler's raw quality was enough to close that gap.
"In that case… I'll call you the Ancient Heavenly Flame Ruler."
"What a powerful weapon..." the Yimo Emperor murmured, his pupils slightly constricting as he stared at the ruler in Xiao Yan's hand. Even he felt a faint trace of dread from it—a rare occurrence. Clearly, the weapon was capable of posing a serious threat to him.
"But if you think that's enough to take me on… then you're far too naive!" With a thunderous stomp, the Yimo Emperor launched his demonic spear forward. Surging waves of black mist surged forth like a tsunami, engulfing the sky and crashing down toward Xiao Yan.
The Yimo Emperor's current strength had long since surpassed the ordinary Ancestor Realm. If he were to face the Symbol Ancestor of the past, he could likely finish the fight within just a few exchanges. Moreover, now that he had merged with Lin Dong's body, he could fully access all of Lin Dong's formidable abilities. In other words, Xiao Yan was effectively facing a Yimo Emperor equipped with Lin Dong's full arsenal. By contrast, Xiao Yan had just broken through to the Dou Di realm and likely hadn't even fully consolidated his power. No wonder the Yimo Emperor remained so calm.
Xiao Yan met the oncoming tide of demonic Qi head-on, swinging the Eternal Flame Ruler in a sweeping arc. Though he had previously fought Hun Tiandi in the Path of Reincarnation, that battle was against someone who had relied on pills to force a breakthrough. The Yimo Emperor was far stronger by comparison. But Xiao Yan feared nothing. He was confident that he could win.
When their weapons collided, an explosion of spatial fractures tore across the void, creating a web of pitch-black rifts that extended for tens of thousands of kilometers. Yet neither of them paid any mind to the destruction. Their bodies danced through the fractured space, launching ferocious strikes at each other with every blink of the eye. Each blow carried enough might to obliterate even the souls of peak Dou Shengs.
Below them, Qingtan and the others stared upward, their expressions grim. The level of this battle was far beyond anything they could reach or even understand. None of them dared to predict who might win. But as members of the human race, they naturally hoped that Xiao Yan would triumph and finally restore peace to this shattered world.
In the broken fragments of space, Xiao Yan and the Yimo Emperor's clash had reached a fever pitch. As Xiao Yan parried the opponent's strikes, he simultaneously released his soul power. He was confident in his speed, but even using his Demonic Lotus Life-Extermination Steps, he found himself struggling to keep up with the Yimo Emperor's movements. He could only rely on soul perception to gain a better grasp of his enemy's position.
However, to his surprise, his soul perception detected the Yimo Emperor's presence in every single piece of surrounding space. Before he could react, countless spear shadows emerged from all sides, targeting his vital points.
Instead of dodging, Xiao Yan made a hand seal. A brown-colored flame erupted from his body and rapidly condensed into the form of a massive tortoise that enveloped him completely. The spear shadows shattered one after another against the tortoise shell. Eventually, the flame tortoise itself dissipated—but it had done its job.
This was the Turtle Spirit Earth Flame, ranked thirteenth on the Heavenly Flame Ranking. Though it lacked offensive power, its defensive strength was unmatched. It was perfectly suited to blocking the Yimo Emperor's fierce assault. More importantly, it allowed Xiao Yan to clearly observe the technique being used.
"So that's it… It's not his speed. He's manipulating space itself." Xiao Yan's eyes gleamed with understanding. During the earlier exchange, he had noticed one of the Ancestral Symbols behind the Yimo Emperor glowing with silver light. It was this silver Symbol that allowed the opponent to launch such elusive attacks.
"So what if you figured it out?" the Yimo Emperor sneered. "You still can't stop it."
Xiao Yan didn't bother denying it. "Your mastery over spatial power is impressive, that's true. But I never intended to match you in it."
With a light snap of his fingers, a surge of golden flames erupted from his body, spreading outward in all directions. As soon as the flames touched the shattered spatial fragments, they were instantly incinerated into nothingness. When the last fragment vanished, the Yimo Emperor was forced to reappear.
"Try hiding again." Xiao Yan sneered, lifting his fire ruler and charging forward.
His spatial ability couldn't match the Yimo Emperor's, so he simply destroyed the space itself. Without space to hide in, even the most profound spatial technique became useless.
The golden flame was none other than the Golden Emperor Burning Heaven Flame, ranked fourth on the Heavenly Flame Ranking. At its peak, it could incinerate even space itself.
With the battlefield reset, Xiao Yan's palm suddenly pressed down. Tens of thousands of streams of violent wind condensed into a massive tornado, roaring toward the Yimo Emperor. Intense heat rippled within the twister.
Though Xiao Yan himself didn't command wind attributes, his Heavenly Flames could simulate them. The Wind Fury Dragon Flame, ranked eighteenth, was particularly adept at forming tornado-like structures. He even added the Soul Refining Gale and the Nine Nether Wind Flame, ranked tenth, to strengthen the assault.
"World-Ending Demon Spear!"
Faced with Xiao Yan's unrelenting pursuit, the Yimo Emperor bellowed as he clenched his spear tightly. An immense wave of black demonic Qi surged forth, coating his seven-colored spear. A terrifying aura erupted, instantly shattering the incoming firestorm. Dark spear shadows rained down like a torrential storm, tearing space apart wherever they passed.
"Solar Annihilation Slash!" Xiao Yan inhaled deeply and raised his radiant ruler high. With both hands gripping the weapon, he brought it crashing down. A blinding brilliance a thousand times brighter than the rising sun erupted from the ruler's surface, forming a massive beam of flame that streaked toward the Yimo Emperor.
This move was the only weapon-based technique in the Demon Wrath Nine Absolutes. Its power far surpassed most Heaven Rank Dou Skills, especially now that Xiao Yan had stepped into the Dou Di Realm. The momentum it carried even eclipsed the Yimo Emperor's World-Ending Demon Spear.
The fiery slash cut through countless spear shadows, cleaving a path through them all. Amidst countless astonished gazes, it crashed into the demonic spear. A tidal wave of energy exploded outward, and the Yimo Emperor's figure was violently blasted back tens of thousands of zhang.
Xiao Yan had gained the upper hand.
"You actually forced me back..." The Yimo Emperor looked at his dimmed weapon with a mixture of surprise and displeasure. "It seems your strength truly exceeds that of the Fu Zu from back then. But... it's a pity. I am no longer the same either."
As his voice fell, one of the eight ancestral Symbols circling him—black and white intertwined—suddenly radiated light. Streams of pure white energy surged into his body, rapidly healing his wounds. Simultaneously, waves of black Qi poured forth, transforming into a sea of death energy that swept toward Xiao Yan.
This was the Life and Death Ancestral Symbol, capable of both rejuvenating the body and unleashing deadly energy. The Yimo Emperor was using vitality to heal and death to strike.
Seeing the black tide roll toward him, Xiao Yan's face grew grave. He brought his hands together, and a deep yellow flame erupted, wrapping around his body. It was the twenty-third-ranked Profound Yellow Flame.
Though its offensive power was modest, it had exceptional defensive qualities. Formed from the primordial energies of heaven and earth, it could resist many types of energy-based attacks.
Still, one Heavenly Flame wasn't enough to hold off such a massive death energy wave. Within moments, his flame shield began to tremble. Just as the Yimo Emperor's eyes flashed with triumph, a new flame—vibrant green—spread outward from within the yellow flame, forming a wide sea of fire.
This was the fifth-ranked Life Spirit Flame—infused with the vitality of all life, the very bane of death Qi.
With the unique synergy of these two flames, Xiao Yan successfully repelled the attack. But he had never been one to merely defend. At his fingertip, a strand of black and white flame appeared.
He pointed toward the Yimo Emperor—and the latter suddenly groaned, his expression twisting. Somehow, the life energy he'd just absorbed now contained strands of death Qi that surged within, wreaking havoc in his body.
"Controlling life and death isn't your exclusive right," Xiao Yan said coldly.
This was Yin-Yang Twin Flame, ranked twenty-first. Though it couldn't overpower the Life and Death Ancestral Symbol outright, it was more than enough to disrupt the Yimo Emperor's control.
"You like playing with fire? Then let me send you to your death by your own flames!" After being tricked by Xiao Yan, a rare flicker of coldness appeared in the Yimo Emperor's usually indifferent eyes.
A red rune suddenly lit up around his body, and Xiao Yan immediately sensed an unusual fluctuation within his Heavenly Flame. It felt as though something was trying to wrest control over it.
At the same time, the Yimo Emperor clenched his palm, and a surge of blazing flames burst forth, rising like a tidal wave. In the skies above, they condensed into a colossal sun tens of thousands of zhang wide! While using the Flame Ancestral Symbol to interfere with Xiao Yan's Heavenly Flame, the Yimo Emperor flicked his finger, and that massive sun plummeted from the sky, crashing violently toward Xiao Yan.
"Competing with me in controlling fire? You're seriously courting death." Xiao Yan looked at the descending sun, a trace of ridicule flashing in his eyes. Competing in fire with the Flame Emperor himself was like brandishing a butcher's cleaver in front of Guan Yu—especially the 'Three Realms Demon-Suppressing Emperor Guan' version.
Thus, Xiao Yan outright ignored the interference caused by the Flame Ancestral Symbol. He opened his mouth, and a mass of blood-red flame surged forth. With a punch, that blood-colored flame shot out tens of thousands of beams. As the sea of fire roiled, it transformed into countless ferocious flame beasts, all roaring as they charged toward the massive blazing sun.
Ranked twenty-second on the Heavenly Flame Ranking, the Ten Thousand Beast Spirit Flame was formed from the souls of countless magical beasts. What Xiao Yan did now was channel his fire control skills to manifest those beast souls in the form of flame constructs. Such a scene was something even a peak Dou Sheng couldn't hope to replicate—yet for the current Xiao Yan, it was effortless.
Boom! The horde of flame beasts howled as they collided madly with the blazing sun. Under the relentless assault of the Ten Thousand Beast Flame, the enormous sun quickly shattered. Even after destroying it, the remaining fire beasts didn't lose momentum and surged forward to tear into the Yimo Emperor. Clearly, in this contest of flames, Xiao Yan had achieved overwhelming victory.
However, just as the horde of fire beasts was about to strike the Yimo Emperor, a terrifying wave of frigid air erupted from his body. It instantly froze the remaining beasts into ice sculptures. That freezing current, after sealing the fire beasts, swept toward Xiao Yan with frightening speed. The chill cut to the bone, capable of suppressing even the high temperatures brought by Heavenly Flames.
Realizing he was no match for Xiao Yan in controlling fire, the Yimo Emperor decisively invoked the Ice Ancestral Symbol—one of the Eight Great Ancestral Symbols—intending to suppress Xiao Yan with an elemental advantage. After all, the Ice Ancestral Symbol once belonged to the Ice Lord, one of the ancient Eight Masters, and its power was said to be able to freeze even the soul.
Facing the terrifying wave of cold, Xiao Yan spread his palm, and a bone-white flame shot forth rapidly. In an instant, it transformed into a vast white sea of fire, intercepting the frigid current head-on. As the two forces collided, a layer of pure white ice quickly spread through the sky, and from a distance, it looked as though the heavens themselves had been frozen over.
Seeing this, the Yimo Emperor's expression turned grim. His opponent was clearly using a fire-type ability—so why could it release such intense cold?
Naturally, Xiao Yan had no intention of explaining. The flame he had used was the Bone Spirit Cold Flame, ranked eleventh on the Heavenly Flame Ranking. It possessed both extreme heat and extreme cold properties. Although it manifested as a sheet of icy frost, it actually concealed a terrifyingly scorching temperature. It was precisely this contradictory nature that allowed it to block the power of the Ice Symbol.
Of course, relying on the Bone Spirit Cold Flame alone to stop the cold current was still somewhat strained. Thus, Xiao Yan had also simultaneously unleashed the Sea Heart Flame and the Flamecloud Water Flame, ranked fifteenth and sixteenth respectively. Both of these Heavenly Flames contained water attributes, and since water and ice were of the same origin, he had chosen them to counter the Ice Symbol's assault.
With the Ice Symbol's power successfully repelled, Xiao Yan immediately launched a counterattack. The Desolate World Annihilation Flame, Nine Nether Gold Ancestral Flame, and Red Lotus Flame—all Heavenly Flames of similar rank—emerged together. Under Xiao Yan's control, they converged into brilliant beams of fire and shot straight toward the Yimo Emperor. These three Heavenly Flames, each highly ranked, emitted an overwhelming sense of threat.
"I mustn't let them catch me!" Sensing the terrifying heat pulsing from those fire beams, the Yimo Emperor hastily retreated. His instincts screamed that if those things caught up to him, he would be in serious trouble. Yet, no matter how he maneuvered through the air, the three fire beams chased him relentlessly, as though they had grown eyes, locking onto his every move without fail.
Just as the Yimo Emperor was dodging the pursuit of the fire beams, countless scorching magma pillars suddenly erupted from beneath the previously calm Chaotic Demon Sea. The Yimo Emperor, passing through this region, had never expected such a surprise attack to be hidden within the sea itself. Although these magma pillars could not injure him, they greatly impeded his ability to dodge. At that moment, the pursuing fire beams caught up and locked tightly onto his body.
Beneath the Chaotic Demon Sea, there had always been countless dormant volcanoes. The Heavenly Flame ranked nineteenth, the Green Lotus Core Flame, happened to possess the ability to trigger volcanic eruptions. Meanwhile, the seventeenth-ranked Volcano Rock Flame was born from deep within volcanoes and could further enhance the power of these magma pillars. Working in tandem, the two flames produced a terrifying spectacle—thousands of volcanoes erupting simultaneously. Not only was the sight incomparably awe-inspiring, but even someone of the Yimo Emperor's level found himself overwhelmed.
As the Yimo Emperor's body became immobilized, a radiant flaming disc appeared in front of Xiao Yan. At its center flickered a strand of milky-white flame—none other than the third-ranked Heavenly Flame, the Purifying Demonic Lotus Flame. The intricate patterns etched on the surface of the flame disc closely resembled those of the Heaven Refining Ancient Array; upon closer inspection, they were nearly identical.
This technique was named Buddha's Wrath: Reincarnation. It was not created by the previous incarnation of the Wrathful Demon Saint, but by Xiao Yan himself—born from the memories he retained from the Road of Reincarnation. Though his former self had also experienced a hundred lifetimes within reincarnation, he never entered seclusion to comprehend its essence. That was why he never created such a technique.
In terms of sheer power, Buddha's Wrath: Reincarnation was not inferior to the Demon Wrath Nine Absolutes. Moreover, this time, Xiao Yan fused the Heaven Refining Ancient Array into the technique, amplifying its might to an even more terrifying level.
"Buddha's Wrath: Reincarnation!"
With a low shout from Xiao Yan, a beam of milky-white flame shot out from the very center of the blazing disk, streaking straight toward the Yimo Emperor. The Purifying Lotus Demon Flame possessed the unique power to cleanse all things, and the Yimo race itself was the very embodiment of evil in the world. If struck by this beam, the consequences would no doubt be dire.
However, just at that moment, a pitch-black vortex suddenly opened in front of the Yimo Emperor, directly devouring the beam of flame into its depths. Not only that, but even the three lines of Heavenly Flame that had previously bound the Yimo Emperor were also sucked into the black hole. Within that void, Xiao Yan could clearly sense an overwhelming devouring force.
After absorbing several strands of flame energy, the black vortex seemed to expand noticeably. Seeing this, a strange smile spread across the Yimo Emperor's face. With a flick of his finger, the vortex shot out like lightning, heading straight for Xiao Yan, as if it intended to devour him whole as well.
"Xiao Yan, let me give you a taste of the Devouring Symbol's power!"
"Devouring force, huh... You're not the only one who knows how to use that!" Xiao Yan took a deep breath as the approaching black vortex neared. A dark flame rapidly covered his hand, and with a sharp slap, a massive black dragon wreathed in black flames roared out. In the next instant, it too transformed into a massive black hole that collided head-on with the incoming vortex.
The Void Devouring Flame, like the Devouring Symbol, possessed the ability to consume all things. Xiao Yan's Black Dragon Devours Soul Hand also carried devouring properties. He had used this move to defeat many powerful foes before, but this was his first time using it empowered by the Void Devouring Flame—and the resulting power was overwhelming.
Both sides unleashed their devouring forces without reservation, each attempting to consume the other. But as the forces clashed, they resisted and neutralized each other due to their similar natures. In the end, neither side could gain the upper hand, and the two black holes collapsed simultaneously into nothingness.
Just as the void devoured both attacks, a wild bolt of lightning suddenly erupted from the place where the black holes vanished. The lightning surged and condensed into a colossal thunder dragon, tens of thousands of zhang in size. With a momentum fierce enough to tear the heavens apart, it charged straight at Xiao Yan—like the wrath of a celestial god, awe-inspiring and terrifying.
"The Thunder Symbol—Thunder Demon Dragon!"
"These eight Grand Symbols truly deserve their name as divine artifacts born of heaven and earth... their power is indeed formidable." Gazing at the colossal thunder dragon, Xiao Yan couldn't help but sigh inwardly. Then, he raised a finger and lightly pointed at the void. In the next instant, a golden bolt of lightning entwined with silver flame burst from his fingertip, shooting directly toward the Thunder Demon Dragon.
Though that golden lightning beam appeared small in size, the moment it struck the thunder dragon's body, the massive creature instantly collapsed. In the blink of an eye, it exploded into countless bolts of lightning that filled the sky above the Chaotic Demon Sea. The vast lightning energy formed a thunder sea that obscured the view of everyone present, swallowing even Xiao Yan and the Yimo Emperor within its bounds.
The Ninefold Mysterious Gold Lightning was one of the most formidable thunder-based forces on the Dou Qi Continent, and the Nine-Dragon Lightning Flame also contained intense lightning attributes. With the two perfectly fused together, the combination of Heavenly Flame and thunder produced a destructive force far beyond a simple additive effect. This was why it could so effortlessly obliterate the Thunder Demon Dragon.
However, just as the sea of lightning spread out, Xiao Yan's vision suddenly went pitch black. Though he was still clearly within the thunder sea, he couldn't hear a single crackle of thunder. When he released his soul power to probe his surroundings, even his Emperor-level soul strength could barely extend a thousand meters before being completely restrained. On top of that, he could feel his body movements becoming sluggish.
"My five senses are sealed... even my soul power is being restricted..." Xiao Yan floated quietly in the endless darkness. He understood—this was yet another wave of the Yimo Emperor's assault. And this particular offensive must have started being prepared the moment the Thunder Symbol was used to conjure the thunder dragon. Otherwise, it would never have been deployed so quickly.
This was precisely the power of the Dark Symbol—one of the Eight Grand Symbols. When fueled by the Yimo Emperor's demonic energy, the Dark Symbol could create a unique domain of darkness. Within this space, all of an enemy's five senses would be sealed, creating the most advantageous conditions for a decisive strike.
In that pitch-black realm, the Yimo Emperor's figure suddenly appeared with eerie stillness. Holding his demonic spear, he thrust it straight toward Xiao Yan's heart. From their previous clashes, he had come to understand just how troublesome Xiao Yan was. Thus, he had no intention of playing cat and mouse—he wanted to end this battle as swiftly as possible.
However, at that very moment, the brilliant fire ruler in Xiao Yan's hand suddenly acted like a shield, blocking the incoming spear. A violent blast of energy erupted within the black space, causing the entire dark domain to tremble slightly. While the Yimo Emperor was still stunned that his attack had been deflected, Xiao Yan had already swung his flaming ruler with both hands and slammed it hard in the direction of the Yimo Emperor.
The searing heat radiating from the ruler caused the Yimo Emperor's expression to change drastically. He quickly retreated, but before he could pull back far, Xiao Yan was already following close behind, brandishing the ruler in relentless pursuit. His movements didn't resemble someone who had lost all five senses in the Dark Domain at all. This discovery left the Yimo Emperor utterly shocked. He simply couldn't believe that the Dark Symbol had failed to take effect.
"Yellow Springs Heavens Fury!"
Just as the Yimo Emperor raised his demonic spear to block Xiao Yan's next strike, Xiao Yan suddenly opened his mouth wide, unleashing a powerful soul shockwave. The terrifying soul attack struck the Yimo Emperor squarely, causing blood to spurt from his mouth and nose while his mind was thrown into dizziness.
In the past, casting Yellow Springs Heavens Fury required condensing a thousand-foot-tall soul phantom behind him. But now, Xiao Yan's strength had far surpassed that of the former Netherworld Demon Saint. By relying on his immense soul power, he forcefully compressed that soul phantom into his body, allowing him to release the technique directly from his physical form.
As the Yimo Emperor was left dizzy and dazed by the impact of Yellow Springs Heaven's Fury, a brilliant light surged from the surface of Xiao Yan's fire ruler. Seizing the brief moment in which the Yimo Emperor couldn't dodge, Xiao Yan swung the ruler down hard. Though the blow didn't make a sound—likely due to the suppressive nature of the dark domain—when it exploded forth, the entire Dark Domain shattered with a thunderous crash. The Yimo Emperor's body was violently flung nearly ten thousand zhang away, and in the next moment, a terrifying sea of flames surged forth and engulfed his body.
This strike was none other than the Daylight Annihilation Slash—the same technique that had previously suppressed Doomsday Demon Spear. At the moment the Dark Domain collapsed, Xiao Yan's sealed senses also returned. It wasn't that the Dark Symbol had no effect on him—on the contrary, even Xiao Yan had found its suppression power a bit troublesome. But unfortunately for the Yimo Emperor, as long as he himself remained within the Dark Domain, Xiao Yan still had a way to pinpoint his location.
That method was the Falling Heart Flame, ranked fourteenth on the Heavenly Flame Ranking, which had the unique ability to generate "heartfire" within an opponent. Although Xiao Yan hadn't actively ignited it, the Yimo Emperor's body had long since been infiltrated. Even with his five senses sealed, Xiao Yan could still perceive the Yimo Emperor's position by tracking the heartfire.
Moreover, the Nether Poison Flame, ranked twentieth, had infiltrated alongside the heartfire. When Yellow Springs Heaven's Fury disoriented the Yimo Emperor, the poison erupted as well, causing a momentary stiffness in his body—that was the key opening that allowed Xiao Yan's attack to land so effectively.
"That strike should've been enough to take down the Yimo Emperor, right?" Xiao Yao whispered softly. She was familiar with the power of Daylight Annihilation Slash—even during the previous clash against Doomsday Demon Spear, it had completely overwhelmed the enemy and inflicted injuries. Now, with the Yimo Emperor caught off guard, it should have at least left him heavily wounded.
"It won't be that easy. The Symbol he carries… its power is no weaker than our Heavenly Flames," Xiao Yan replied, shaking his head. With a wave of his hand, the dazzling sea of fire dispersed, and as the flames cleared, a figure wrapped in pitch-black armor emerged.
That pitch-black armor made the Yimo Emperor's figure appear even more sinister and menacing. Xiao Yan could sense that despite the overwhelming power of his Daylight Annihilation Slash, the Yimo Emperor hadn't suffered any serious injuries—clearly, it was that armor which had absorbed most of the impact. However, Xiao Yan was also certain that there was no way such a powerful strike hadn't inflicted any damage at all.
Crack!
As if to confirm Xiao Yan's thoughts, countless fractures suddenly spread across the Yimo Emperor's black armor. Then, under the stunned gazes of all present, it completely shattered into pieces. Behind it, the Yimo Emperor's face twisted in darkness, blood trailing from the corner of his mouth, and his expression was incomparably grim. It was clear—he had never expected to suffer such a heavy loss at Xiao Yan's hands.
(End of Chapter)
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