Emperor Realm.
Fang Yang sat cross-legged, slowly closing his eyes.
His breathing gradually became long and rhythmic, and his consciousness slowly sank into his body.
Faint Dou Qi fluctuations rippled around him, causing even the air to tremble.
The next moment, his consciousness instantly sank into the internal space of the Heavenly Flame Bead.
The world before his eyes began to twist and morph. When Fang Yang opened his eyes again, the familiar Heavenly Flame Square was already standing before him.
Twenty-three massive pillars reaching the sky stood majestically. Each was entwined with flames of a different color, emitting terrifying energy fluctuations that made one's heart palpitate.
"It's time..."
Fang Yang walked slowly across the Heavenly Flame Square, his gaze sweeping over four of the pillars.
This time, he was going to devour all the remaining Heavenly Flames.
Fang Yang's gaze first fell upon a pillar wrapped in a yellowish-brown flame.
As soon as the flame appeared, it caused the surrounding airflow to spin, forming countless small tornadoes. Amidst the intertwining wind and fire, the faint sound of a dragon's roar could be heard.
"18th on the Heavenly Flame Ranking: Wind and Thunder Fury Flame."
The Wind and Thunder Fury Flame was born within the eye of a fire tornado in ancient deserts.
Unlike other Heavenly Flames, it had no fixed location, instead appearing randomly anywhere in the desert during the hottest few days of the year, making it extremely rare.
When deployed, it took the form of a tornado, combining wind and fire. The flames could reach hundreds of meters high, roaring and spinning forward like a giant fire dragon.
It possessed extremely destructive power, turning everywhere it passed into a sea of fire.
Next, his gaze shifted to another pillar.
A dark-red flame billowed upward, and magma, substantial as a physical object, slowly flowed within the fire. The scorching aura caused the surrounding space to slightly distort.
"17th on the Heavenly Flame Ranking: Volcanic Stone Flame."
(Wiki name: Fire Mountain Rock Flame)
Born deep within volcanoes, the Volcanic Stone Flame took the shape of a stone and possessed an extremely high temperature along with powerful explosive force.
Once released, it could deliver a devastating flame strike.
Then, Fang Yang's gaze drifted to a pillar entwined with a brown flame.
The flame had condensed into the shape of a giant turtle. Sharp fire spikes covered its shell, and when it opened its mouth, it revealed blade-like fangs, exuding a ferocious aura that made one's blood run cold.
"13th on the Heavenly Flame Ranking: Turtle Spiritual Earth Flame."
The Turtle Spiritual Earth Flame took the shape of a giant turtle. Its body was covered in sharp fire spikes, and its hideous giant mouth was full of blade-like fangs. It was a brown, bizarre flame.
Finally, he looked at a pillar of silver flame.
The silver fire billowed upward, and faintly, nine silver fire dragons could be seen shuttling within the flames.
"12th on the Heavenly Flame Ranking: Nine Dragon Lightning Flame."
The Nine Dragon Lightning Flame was a silver fire that burned gracefully, with nine tiny fire dragons darting about within it as if they possessed intelligence.
The will of a dragon was condensed within the Heavenly Flame, giving it the miraculous effect of stunning the soul. Furthermore, a faint dragon might seep out from it, making one's soul power feel somewhat suppressed.
Fang Yang sat cross-legged before the towering pillars.
As his thoughts shifted, the Heavenly Flame Bead within his body began to tremble violently.
The ancient runes engraved on the bead's surface seemed to come alive, emitting a profound, mysterious light.
"Unseal!"
A low shout echoed across the square.
Crack... Crack...
The ancient sealing runes binding the Heavenly Flames on the four massive pillars shattered inch by inch, issuing crisp cracking sounds.
The moment the seals broke, the four confined Heavenly Flames violently rebelled!
The Wind and Thunder Fury Flame turned into a yellowish-brown tornado connecting heaven and earth, howling as it swept across the entire square.
The Volcanic Stone Flame erupted with a dark-red torrent of magma, its scorching aura causing the space to distort and fracture.
The Turtle Spiritual Earth Flame condensed into a giant turtle the size of a mountain, letting out a deafening roar.
The Nine Dragon Lightning Flame transformed into nine hundred-foot silver dragons, circling in the sky and crying out.
The four terrifying energies intertwined yet repelled each other, whipping up sky-high waves of fire on the Heavenly Flame Square.
Scorching air rushed toward his face, and even the space itself slightly distorted under the high temperature. Fang Yang's expression remained calm as his majestic black Dou Qi surged out.
"Flame Mantra, devour!"
A massive black vortex formed, exuding a terrifying devouring power that directly swallowed all four rampaging Heavenly Flames.
The four Heavenly Flames struggled frantically, trying to break free.
Intertwining wind and fire, erupting magma, roaring turtles, and crying thunder dragons—these four different energies violently collided within the vortex, erupting with terrifying energy fluctuations.
"Refine!"
The figures of the yellowish-brown tornado, the dark-red magma, the brown giant turtle, and the nine silver dragons began to blur.
Ultimately, they transformed into four torrents of pure energy, completely devoured by him.
"Phew..."
Fang Yang let out a long breath and slowly opened his eyes.
A four-colored light flashed and disappeared in his pupils, and his aura was several times stronger than before.
"Three-star Dou Sheng. One step closer to the peak of the Nine-star Dou Sheng."
Fang Yang felt the surging power within him, a hint of a smile appearing on his lips.
The violence of the Wind and Thunder Fury Flame, the explosive power of the Volcanic Stone Flame, the defense of the Turtle Spiritual Earth Flame, and the soul-suppressing might of the Nine Dragon Lightning Flame—all four characteristics harmoniously fused into one.
Just then, the ethereal voice of the Artifact Spirit rang out in the space.
"Not bad. Excluding the Emperor Flame, out of the twenty-two Heavenly Flames, you have now devoured twenty."
Hearing this, Fang Yang gave a slight nod.
"Go. Devour the final Nihility Devouring Flame and Purifying Demonic Lotus Flame."
The Artifact Spirit's voice carried a trace of anticipation.
"Alright."
Fang Yang nodded slightly.
The Artifact Spirit said no more, activating the source power of the Heavenly Flame Bead.
"Seals, open!"
In an instant, the entire Heavenly Flame Square shook violently.
A flame black as ink and a milky-white flame tinged with pink shot into the sky simultaneously.
These terrifying energy fluctuations even caused Fang Yang's expression to turn solemn.
The Nihility Devouring Flame and the Purifying Demonic Lotus Flame—these two peerless Heavenly Flames ranked in the top three of the Heavenly Flame Ranking—had finally descended upon the world at this moment!
"2nd on the Heavenly Flame Ranking: Nihility Devouring Flame."
Born from the void, this was a pitch-black flame that radiated a bizarre devouring power.
It had no form to seek and no shape to grasp; it was a rather peculiar existence.
The Nihility Devouring Flame, known as a creature that could swallow the heavens and devour the earth, possessed the ability to devour all things—even space itself could be swallowed.
Between heaven and earth, only a handful of things could contend with that devouring ability.
"3rd on the Heavenly Flame Ranking: Purifying Demonic Lotus Flame."
Twin moons appear together, nine stars become one, heaven and earth form tides, the demonic fire descends.
It possessed the ability to purify all things. Anything that was touched by even the slightest bit of it would be purified into nothingness.
Its flames could even use a person's emotions as a guide to enter their body, purifying their flesh, soul, and Dou Qi into nothingness. Its power was extremely terrifying.
Within Fang Yang's solemn gaze, the two Heavenly Flames slowly condensed into human forms.
The Nihility Devouring Flame morphed into a middle-aged man clad entirely in black. Black flames enveloped his body, and bizarre black runes covered his entire form.
His pair of pupils were like black holes, permeated with a terrifying devouring power. Merely meeting his gaze would give one the illusion that their soul was about to be swallowed.
The Purifying Demonic Lotus Flame, on the other hand, transformed into an incomparably handsome man in white robes, exuding an inviolable majesty between his brows.
A cluster of light slowly fluctuated at the center of his forehead—that was where its true body resided.
Not only could it turn enemies into puppet-like Fire Slaves, but it could also cast the Nightmare Sky Fog, causing people to sink into illusions.
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