Daqin Zhentiansi

Led by Lieyan's complex and heavy demeanor, they moved like two streaks of light merging into the shadows, stealthily making their way to a secluded spot near the massive obsidian altar.

The scene unfolded before them.

The wounded Qiongqi, dragging their weary bodies, tossed the enormous, still-bleeding carcasses of the monsters they had hunted into the huge pool of blood churning in the center of the altar, like trash.

The blood pool seemed to writhe as if it were alive, greedily devouring flesh and blood essence.

Above the altar, a cold, emotionless phantom of a celestial messenger floated, like a deity looking down upon ants.

When the sacrificial blood energy accumulated to a certain limit, the phantom condescended to flick its finger—a single drop!
A single drop of nearly transparent liquid, emitting a faint cool scent, fell as if as a gift into a stone bowl held by an old Qiongqi below!

The old Qiongqi's scales were dull and broken, and demonic flames faintly emanated a ferocious red light from beneath its skin, clearly indicating that it had reached its limit.

Without hesitation, it carefully fed this precious drop of clear and turbid spring water, which emitted a faint glow, to the mouth of the cub in its arms, which was barely breathing and whose skin was torn and bleeding from being burned by tiny magical flames.

The cub's painful convulsions subsided instantly, the demonic flames on its body receded slightly for a moment, and it let out a weak, almost relieved whimper.

After doing all this, the light in Old Qiongqi's eyes quickly dimmed. Unable to hold on any longer, his massive body crashed down and was completely engulfed by the demonic flames, turning into a pile of charred bones in front of everyone.

"Bastard!"

Flames suddenly erupted around the Vermilion Bird, its golden-red eyes burning with a furious rage, and its terrifying divine beast aura was almost uncontrollably about to burst forth.

Zhang Yuan's eyes gleamed.

The Heavenly Palace's plan is even more vicious than the Demon Flame itself!
Zhang Yuan made a move.

He no longer looked at the cold, illusory image of the Heavenly Palace, nor did he pay attention to the churning of the blood pool.

His figure appeared at the edge of the altar as if by teleportation, right in front of the Qiongqi cub who had just been fed the Clear and Turbid Spring, temporarily freed from pain but still weak and with a blank look in his eyes.

Under the gaze of countless astonished, puzzled, and even slightly offended and angry eyes, Zhang Yuan slowly extended his right index finger.

At the fingertips was neither the magnificent and eternal true flame of the Vermilion Bird, nor the all-destroying Immortal-Trapping Sword Qi.

It was a tiny but incredibly tenacious flame.

Its color is chaotic, as if it encompasses the underlying color of all things, which comes from the affinity between the chaotic god-demon body and the primordial world.

Its form is dynamic, containing an indomitable will to fight, a testament to the condensation of humanity and the will of the Qin Dynasty.

Its light is warm, and its core is a golden-red color that is eternally inextinguishable; this is the true meaning of flame.

Three colors intertwine, symbolizing endless life.

This is the "Flame of Life" that Zhang Yuan ignited by taking chaos as the foundation, integrating the resilience of the human way and the eternity of the Vermilion Bird True Flame!
Under the bewildered gaze of the Qiongqi cub, amidst its mother's terrified and fearful roars, and under the breathless stares of Jinran, Lieyan, and all the other Qiongqi, Zhang Yuan's finger, carrying an irresistible will, gently touched the cub's forehead, which was most severely burned by the demonic flames and almost ulcerated.

"Om-"

The moment the fingertips touched the forehead, that faint spark of life, like a star finding its way home, instantly entered the cub's body!
"Aww...woo?"

The cub let out a low whimper filled with surprise and bewilderment.

Then, a scene that shocked and haunted all the Qiongqi beings for life unfolded.

On the spot on the cub's forehead where it was struck, a small patch of skin, about the size of a palm, which had been charred, ulcerated, and mangled by the dark red demonic flames, now seemed to have met its nemesis. It emitted a hissing wail, violently twisting, contracting, and being forcibly pushed back!

The charred dead skin peeled off, and the ulcerated flesh healed and regenerated at a speed visible to the naked eye!
What's even more breathtaking is that beneath that new, pink skin, a faint yet pure, pale golden flame mark, imbued with an ancient and noble aura, slowly emerges and burns steadily!
Although it was weak, it was incredibly tenacious, radiating a warm and vibrant aura that was completely different from the demonic flames!

It was as if the pure flame belonging to Zhu Yan, which had been contaminated and imprisoned for countless generations, was finally forcibly awakened and ignited by this foreign "fire igniter" from the depths of the bloodline that had been dormant!
This pure, pale golden flame, on the cub's body covered in demonic flames, was like a star suddenly shining in the boundless darkness!
Faint, yet enough to pierce through three hundred years of despair and illuminate the path of hope that had long been extinguished in the hearts of all Qiongqi!
The entire Burning Bone Wasteland seemed to fall into absolute silence at this moment.

Only the faint yet incredibly clear crackling sound of the pure flame burning on the cub's forehead resounded like thunder in the hearts of all the Qiongqi!

Zhang Yuan withdrew his fingers, stood with his hands behind his back, and his cold yet powerful voice, like a thunderclap from the heavens, resounded across the desolate wasteland, clearly reaching the perception of every Qiongqi, and even the illusory figure of the Heavenly Palace envoy that had not yet dissipated.

"This fire is the life force that has been suppressed deep within your bloodlines!"

"The Demonic Flame is the poison of the Heavenly Palace's shackles! I, Zhang Yuan, can help you today burn away these shackles and regain control of your own fire!"

"Are you willing to follow me and reclaim your right to be born free?!"

His declaration, each word like a knife, shattered the last shred of illusion in Qiongqi's heart regarding the "blessing" of the Heavenly Palace, and ignited the raging fire that had been suppressed for three hundred years!

Lieyan was the first to recover from the immense shock and ecstasy.

It took a sudden step forward, its huge claws sinking deep into the scorching rock, while the remaining demonic flames on its body surged wildly due to intense emotional fluctuations.

But in those enormous amber beast eyes, an unprecedented flame called "hope" and "determination" ignited, locking onto the illusory palace in the sky above the altar!
It roared to the heavens, a roar that tore through the sky and was filled with endless pent-up emotions and new life:

"I am willing to follow you, sir—to burn down the patrol guards!!!"

That roar was like a spark that ignited a prairie fire!

"Roar—!!!"

"Burn the patrol guards!!"

"Take back control of my own fire!!!"

In an instant, across the Burning Bone Wasteland, all beasts roared in unison!
The humiliation, pain, and despair that had been suppressed for three hundred years, combined with the furious hope that was ignited at this moment, transformed into a roar that shook the heavens and the earth!

Countless gazes filled with murderous intent, like tangible swords, pierced towards the lofty celestial palace phantom!
The enslaved beasts, illuminated by the flames of life, finally bared their fangs in rebellion!

"I am willing to follow you, sir—to burn down the patrol guards!!!"

The roar of the raging flames was like igniting a volcano that had been dormant for ten thousand years, instantly detonating the raging fire that had been suppressed in the Burning Bone Wasteland for three hundred years! All the beasts roared in unison, their voices shaking the universe, converging into a destructive torrent that rushed straight towards the cold, high and mighty celestial palace phantom above the altar!

That phantom was not a simple message-transmitting light or shadow.

It is a projection of the will of the "Sky Patrol Mirror," a precious artifact of the Patrol Guard Division that monitors the primordial world and carries out divine punishment!
At this moment, the blurry face of the phantom seemed to be covered with ancient ice, radiating a terrifying pressure that could freeze space.

"Insects! How dare you blaspheme the divine might of the Heavenly Palace!"

The phantom's voice was no longer ruthless, but filled with extreme rage at being provoked by ants, like thunder from the heavens exploding on the wasteland!

"Invoke the heavenly thunder and punishment to vanquish this rebellious one!"

"Order the 'Black Prison' Patrol Division and the 'Cliff' Garrison to immediately dispatch troops to raze the Burning Bone Wasteland to the ground, leaving no one alive!"

Before the words were even finished, the leaden-gray sky suddenly tore apart!
A bolt of purplish-black lightning, as thick as a mountain and wrapped with countless destructive runes, carrying the merciless will of the Heavenly Dao's judgment, tore through space, ignoring distance, and fiercely struck down towards Zhang Yuan, Lie Yan, and the boiling Qiongqi clan below!

Before the lightning even arrived, the overwhelming pressure that annihilated everything had already caused countless Qiongqi with low cultivation levels to collapse to the ground, their bones on the verge of cracking!

Facing this world-destroying lightning punishment that represented the will of the Heavenly Palace and contained the power of the Heavenly Dao, Zhang Yuan stood with his hands behind his back, his eyes as cold as an ancient abyss. Chaotic runes flowed around his body, yet he did not raise even a trace of magical power fluctuation, as if the lightning that was enough to annihilate ordinary saint realms was nothing more than a gentle breeze.

However, someone was faster than him!

It's a raging inferno!
The deep-seated hatred accumulated over three hundred years, the ecstatic joy of witnessing the birth of the cub, and the hatred etched into its very bones for the Heavenly Palace, all ignited the last madness and determination in its bloodline at this moment!
"Roar—You lackeys of the Heavenly Palace! Three hundred years of debt, today we pay in blood!"

Lieyan's eyes were instantly filled with the flames of revenge, and his amber pupils turned crimson gold!

Its massive body suddenly leaped into the air, no longer pouncing, but transforming itself into a vengeful arrow burning with world-burning demonic flames!
It burned its source recklessly, and the dark red demonic flames surging on its body were more violent than ever before, condensing in its sharp horns and claws to form a giant fiery spear that tore through the sky!

Just as Lieyan transformed into an arrow, about to collide with the destructive lightning—

The Vermilion Bird moved!

She did not directly confront the lightning punishment; however, the eternally undying true flame flickered slightly in her golden-red phoenix eyes.

A pure, golden-red light stream, containing the dual meanings of "creation" and "purification," silently merged into the raging demonic flames on Lieyan's body, like a blessing that transcends time and space!
Demonic flames and divine fire, these powers that should be mutually exclusive, have undergone an incredible fusion under the Vermilion Bird's control that transcends realms and his will to destroy both the flames and the jade!
"boom--!!!"

The dark red flames of destruction were instantly coated with a layer of dazzling golden light!

An unprecedented, terrifying energy, both violent and imbued with divine purifying power, suddenly erupted!
The giant spear of fire transformed from Lieyan instantly increased in power more than tenfold, transforming into a red, black and gold pillar of fire that pierced through the heavens and earth. With the resolute momentum of burning all laws and judging gods and demons, it crashed into the judgment lightning!
"Snap—!!!"

There was no earth-shattering explosion, only a crisp, heart-stopping cracking sound!

The purplish-black lightning, representing the oppressive power of the Heavenly Dao, crumbled and annihilated like fragile glass the moment it came into contact with the pillar of flame that combined the true flame of the divine beast, the demonic flame of Qiongqi, and boundless hatred!
The pillar of flame continued its momentum, crashing into the core of the illusory "Sky Mirror" above the altar with a speed beyond comprehension!

"Do not--!!!"

The phantom let out an incredulous shriek, filled with shock, anger, and fear.

The next instant, the phantom was like ice and snow thrown into lava, twisting and expanding violently, and finally shattered with a silent wail!
Countless tiny specks of light scattered like meteors, only to be completely swallowed up by the raging energy currents across the wasteland.

The projection of the Celestial Mirror shattered!
The pool of blood churning in the center of the altar also trembled violently under this impact, splattering blood everywhere, and the cold sacrificial aura instantly dissipated.

The wasteland was silent for a moment, then erupted into an even more deafening roar, filled with ecstasy and liberation!
The Celestial Mirror is shattered!
They themselves tore a hole in the oppressive aura of the Heavenly Palace!
Zhang Yuan's gaze did not linger on the shattered afterimage.

His gaze cut through the noise and landed on Lie Yan.

At this moment, Lieyan's aura was like a candle flickering in the wind. It forcibly fused with power far exceeding its own limits and then clashed with the Heavenly Dao Thunder Punishment and the projection of the Sky Patrol Mirror. Its massive body was covered with cracks, and its dark red demonic flames were as dim as embers.

The Vermilion Bird True Flame, mixed with pale gold, slowly extinguished, its life essence almost completely burned away, and it fell heavily from the sky.

"Raging Flames!"

Chieftain Jinran roared in anguish as he rushed forward and caught its massive body.

Zhang Yuan took a step forward and was already beside Lie Yan.

He flicked his finger, and a wisp of chaotic true essence containing boundless vitality, mixed with a trace of the warmth of "the flame of life," flowed into Lieyan's nearly exhausted body, forcibly keeping it alive for the last breath.

"Take, take the master to, the Ancestral Ruins..."

Lieyan struggled, using its last strength to utter a few words, its huge beast eyes fixed on Zhang Yuan, filled with endless pleading and entrustment.

Suppressing his grief, Chieftain Jinran entrusted the critically injured and dying Lieyan to the care of the elders. The massive beast head turned towards the deepest part of the wasteland, where the area was shrouded in an intensely dense, dark red demonic flame.

That place is an absolute forbidden zone, the source of suffering, and also the only place of hope.

"My lord, Venerable Vermilion Bird, please follow me! There... is the Ruins of the Vermilion Bird Ancestral Temple, which has been completely corrupted and swallowed by the demonic flames!"

As you traverse the heart of the wasteland and get closer to the ancestral ruins, the sulfurous and bloody stench in the air fades, replaced by a purer, more soul-chilling heat.

Before their eyes, an endless dark red "fire cloud" shrouded the earth. It was not a real cloud, but a soul-devouring fire miasma formed from the purest and most violent "heart-burning demonic flames"!
The fiery miasma churned and writhed, like viscous blood plasma imbued with life, emitting a nauseatingly sweet, burnt smell.

Within the miasma, countless twisted and tormented faces appeared and disappeared, emitting silent shrieks. Merely approaching them was enough to make even a Saint Realm cultivator's soul unstable and their Dao heart clouded.

This is the manifestation of the resentment accumulated by the Qiongqi clan over three hundred years, the fragments of souls devoured by demonic flames, and the corruption of the Zhu Yan's essence. It is a true forbidden zone for life!
“The Ancestral Ruins… are located at the deepest part of this fiery miasma…” Jinran’s voice was filled with deep fear and sorrow. “For three hundred years, no one of our clansmen has dared to enter. Those who have entered… have all turned into vengeful spirits in the miasma.”

Zhang Yuan's eyes shimmered with a chaotic divine light, like two ancient lamps piercing through the mist.

He stared at the terrifying soul-devouring miasma, his chaotic divine body instinctively emitting a buzzing sound that was a mixture of desire and vigilance.

This miasma is both highly poisonous and a chaotic fire element refined to its extreme! (End of Chapter)