Stepping out of the ancestral hall, Liu Xi wore a satisfied smile. The harvest from this trip was far beyond expectations—so vast it almost felt unreal.
With the Ancient Jade in hand, there was nothing left to fear.
Even if others discovered the location of the Ancient Emperor's Cave Mansion ahead of time, without this critical piece of jade, it would be impossible to open it.
This round—absolutely secure.
As long as Liu Xi advanced to 9-Star Dou Saint, even if Hun Tiandi and Gu Yuan joined forces, he had no reason to fear either of them.
Moreover, he still held hostages.
Even if Hun Tiandi cared little for Hun Feng, Gu Yuan would never disregard Gu Xun'er. Whether it meant joining hands with Gu Yuan to kill Hun Tiandi, or using deception until they entered the Ancient Emperor's Cave Mansion to strike down his "father-in-law's" enemy, Liu Xi was already standing at the peak—an invincible position.
It all came down to the Hun Clan's deep foundation. Aside from the Void Devouring Flame and three 8-Star Dou Saints, they had also spent a thousand years preparing the Soul-Devouring Life-Extinguishing Formation, a massive array spanning the entire continent. Once activated, the magnitude of power it could summon was unimaginable.
Liu Xi naturally didn't intend to risk his life in a head-on clash—otherwise, his foreknowledge of events would lose all advantage. It would be far better to eliminate the Hun Clan entirely before that, or let Gu Yuan take the hit instead.
Now that he roughly understood the Hun Clan's supposedly "flawless" plan, if he still ended up suffering a pyrrhic victory, it would hardly be worth it.
He had endured many hardships, but in the end, he'd taken shortcuts few could dream of. Now, standing so close to the summit, he might as well follow that shortcut all the way.
Zhu Bei's joyful smile was impossible to conceal. By their original plan, to obtain the Ancient Jade, they would have had to either go to war or form dangerous alliances with these ancient races.
But by following Liu Xi—and waiting—they had easily acquired a piece of the Ancient Jade. In Zhu Bei's heart, Liu Xi's luck bordered on the absurd.
The concept of fortune might seem intangible, but it undeniably existed.
Some lost their Dou Qi only to stumble upon a legendary master. Some fell from cliffs only to find hidden inheritances. Some faced death and emerged blessed by miracles, saved by benefactors at every turn.
Such stories were not mere legends—they were proof that an unseen power guided fate itself.
Though elusive, once grasped, that power could turn peril into prosperity, make dreams a reality.
Compared to Liu Xi and Zhu Bei, both exuding calm confidence, Elder Shen Nong had grown increasingly cautious—and increasingly envious.
He had watched everything. From start to finish, these two had rampaged through the Yao Clan's remnants, locating one vault after another, prying open their defenses, and stripping them bare.
And Liu Xi's practiced movements—swift, decisive, perfectly efficient—spoke of long experience. He took every valuable item first, then swept through the rest, seizing anything that shone or smelled of treasure.
He left the vaults so spotless that even rats would cry if they entered.
Shen Nong had been tempted, of course—but he dared not utter a word. He knew his position. Even as a 9th Tier Mysterious Pill Alchemist, a master capable of refining the 9th Tier Mysterious Pill, he was in no position to challenge someone backed by overwhelming might.
One slap from Zhu Bei or Liu Xi could erase him without consequence.
Still, deep inside, he nurtured a small ambition of his own. What was the Yao Clan's greatest treasure? Not their materials, not their pills—their alchemist inheritance.
That heritage, passed down from Emperor Yao himself—a 10th Tier Alchemist—was of such unparalleled value that any alchemist in the world would be awed to possess it.
Yet now it would fall into the hands of the Ancient Void Dragon Tribe—magical beasts who knew nothing of alchemy! It was simply a waste.
Once this chaos ended, he vowed, he would speak with the Ancient Void Dragon Tribe and persuade them to entrust the alchemical inheritance to him.
Only a true human Alchemist Sovereign like himself could properly carry on Emperor Yao's legacy and let it shine once more.
The thought filled Elder Shen Nong with a sense of sacred duty.
'What do magical beasts know of alchemy anyway?'
That very thought flashed plainly in his eyes—and Liu Xi saw it as clear as day. All Liu Xi could do was give a faint "heh."
'Once I obtain the Life Spirit Flame,' he thought, 'with the alchemist inheritance in my possession, this old man can spend the rest of his life working on Dragon Island. A good place to retire, peaceful and full of energy.'
Thus, each believed they could manipulate the other—and both wore faint, knowing smiles.
Above them, the sky was dim and the land yellowed and cracked.
In the distance, the once-mighty Medicine Mountain now lay in ruin, riddled with fissures. The grand plaza atop it was shattered, the heavens above torn apart.
The abyss of the underworld had opened its gaping maw. Across the sky, chaotic shockwaves spread outward like the jaws of a demon devouring both heaven and earth.
Seeing the devastation, Elder Shen Nong trembled uncontrollably. Of the three, his 6-Star Dou Saint strength was indeed the weakest.
"How could it come to this…" he muttered sadly.
The hundreds of elites brought by the Lei and Yan Clans had been reduced to only a handful. These were all powerhouses—most above the Dou Zun level, many even Dou Saints.
Such a force could have swept across the Central Plains, yet here they perished like insects. The Hun Clan, though grievously wounded, had inflicted destruction on an unimaginable scale.
If it had been the Yao Clan alone, they'd have been annihilated instantly.
The Lei and Yan Clans, however, were far stronger. Their thunder and flame were inherently destructive, and their combat prowess was in no way inferior to the Hun Clan's.
Now that the Death World Formation was broken, the only way the Hun Clan could still destroy them was by sacrificing countless lives.
Even so, the Void Devouring Flame—while maintaining the seal and still reeling from Emperor Yao's self-immolation—had beaten Yan Jin within an inch of death.
Meanwhile, Hun Tiansheng, Hun Yao, and Hun Feng took turns engaging Lei Ying in relentless battle, occasionally leading surviving Hun warriors in further slaughter.
Even without the Death World Formation, the three remaining Deathly Silence Gates still exuded terrifying might.
That was the true reason the Lei and Yan Clans could not escape.
"It's… too tragic," Liu Xi murmured, eyes narrowing, a gleam of predatory light flashing within. "And Yan Jin… looks close to death."
Now was the time.
Lei Ying and Yan Jin were both exhausted, while the Void Devouring Flame and the three Hun elders were wounded and spent.
This—this was the perfect moment Liu Xi had been waiting for.
"Elder Zhu, I want the Void Devouring Flame."
"No problem," Zhu Bei replied at once.
He had long suspected that Liu Xi's rapid growth bordered on unnaturalness. As a Late 8-Star Dou Saint realm expert, he wasn't easily fooled.
He knew Liu Xi was hunting Heavenly Flames—but there was something odd. Liu Xi always wielded only the Green Lotus Core Flame in battle, never revealing any others. That alone was enough for Zhu Bei to form his own conclusions.
"My friend," Elder Shen Nong said, his voice trembling, "you must be calm. That's the Void Devouring Flame! Elder Zhu, please persuade him—don't let him do something reckless!"
But Liu Xi and Zhu Bei ignored him entirely.
(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.