Start from a baby to become a Taoist

Chapter 457

465 enormous altars
Finally, the dim star became clearer and clearer in Xu Ran's eyes. It was not a real star, but a broken planet that had been largely eroded by the power of nothingness, its surface pitted, covered with huge cracks and charred marks.

However, deep within this planet, there is a faint but tenacious flame of life, like a lighthouse in the darkness, guiding Senior Brother Xu Ran in his direction.

He plunged into the planet's atmosphere, the intense friction causing his body to radiate golden light, dispelling the ethereal forces that tried to entangle him.

"Roar!"

The Pioneer followed closely behind, its massive body crashing directly into the planet's atmosphere, tearing it apart with a deafening roar. Countless Void Hunters and Fallen Ones surged in like a tidal wave, instantly engulfing the ravaged planet.

Senior Brother Xu Ran had no time to deal with them; he headed straight for the source of the lingering fire energy deep within the planet.

The interior of this planet is a twisted and bizarre scene. The earth is collapsing, lava is flowing, and the power of nothingness intertwines with the remaining primal power of the universe, forming deadly energy storms.

Senior Brother Xu Ran navigated the intricate underground passages using his connection to the Flame. He could sense that the deeper he went, the stronger the Flame's aura became, accompanied by an ancient and powerful force of nothingness.

He knew that this planet was once a place protected by the Flame, but it was eventually breached by the Lord of Nothingness, the Flame was suppressed, and even corrupted by the Nothingness.

Finally, he arrived at a huge underground space.

Here lies an ancient ruin, utterly eroded by the power of nothingness. Broken stone pillars, collapsed palaces—everything is shrouded in a gray, deathly silence. Yet, in the very center of this desolation, stands a colossal altar, upon which a faint golden flame flickers tenaciously.

This flame was even weaker than the ancient god's smoldering flame that Xu Qinghan had previously fused with, almost extinguished. Around it swirled an extremely dense power of nothingness, as if it could completely devour it at any moment.

"Another spark of hope!" A hint of surprise flashed in Senior Brother Xu Ran's eyes. He knew that this spark of hope was the last hope on this planet.

However, just as he was about to approach the altar, a pitch-black, void barrier suddenly rose up from around the altar, completely enveloping the flame.

"Foolish kindler! Do you think the Lord of Nothingness will let you succeed so easily?!" The Pioneer's voice came from behind, its massive body blocking the only exit, its cold eyes fixed on Senior Brother Xu Ran.

"This flame has been completely suppressed by the Lord of Nothingness. It will become a part of Nothingness, nourishment for the Lord of Nothingness's power!" The Pioneer grinned maliciously, raising its giant claw and pointing at the flame on the altar. "And you will follow in its footsteps!"

Senior Brother Xu Ran's expression was solemn. He could sense that the void barrier was exceptionally powerful, and even with his current strength, it would be difficult to break through it in a short time.

"Get out of my way!" he roared, charging towards the Pioneer. The power of the Flame erupted around him, transforming into golden blades of light that slashed towards the Pioneer.

He knew he had to hold off the pioneers to buy himself time.

The Pioneer let out a disdainful snort, raised its giant claws, and engaged in fierce combat with Senior Brother Xu Ran. The two powerful beings launched a fierce battle in this ancient underground space.

Although Senior Brother Xu Ran was powerful, the Pioneer was, after all, a top-tier combatant under the Void Lord, and moreover, it had received the blessing of the Void Lord's will, making its power far beyond ordinary. Each of its attacks carried the Void Power that corroded all things, attempting to completely devour Senior Brother Xu Ran.

While fighting, Senior Brother Xu Ran also used his mind to sense the flame on the altar. He discovered that the flame was becoming weaker under the suppression of the void barrier, as if it would be extinguished at any moment.

"We can't let it go out!" he thought anxiously.

Just then, Xu Qinghan, who was in his arms, let out a weak groan.

Senior Brother Xu Ran felt a tremor in his heart. He looked down and saw that the mark of the ancient god's fire between Xu Qinghan's eyebrows was flickering slightly, emitting a faint golden light.

Although faint, this light resonated with the fire on the altar!

"Resonance of the Flame!" A glint flashed in Senior Brother Xu Ran's eyes. He recalled the secret technique Xu Qinghan had used earlier, one of the most profound mysteries in the Guardian's inheritance.

He knew that although Xu Qinghan was unconscious, the ancient divine flame within her body was autonomously resonating with the surrounding flames.

He suddenly lifted Xu Qinghan to the altar, bringing her close to the void barrier.

"What are you doing?!" the Pioneer roared in surprise. It sensed the faint but ancient aura between Xu Qinghan's brows, a power it feared.

Senior Brother Xu Ran ignored it. He gently placed Xu Qinghan in front of the altar, then suddenly reached out and pressed his hand against Xu Qinghan's forehead, continuously pouring the power of the fire within his body into her.

He knew that the divine flame within Xu Qinghan had been greatly depleted and needed replenishment. At the same time, he hoped that through the nourishment of the divine flame, the ancient divine flame within Xu Qinghan could be fully revived, thereby igniting the flame on the altar.

As Senior Brother Xu Ran infused his flame, the golden light between Xu Qinghan's brows grew brighter and brighter, pulsating like a living thing and radiating an ancient and powerful aura.

"Om-"

That aura pierced through the void barrier and resonated fiercely with the fire on the altar!

The fire on the altar, resonating with Xu Qinghan's ancient divine fire, suddenly burst forth with a dazzling light! It was no longer faint, but became blazing, instantly dispelling the surrounding void power!
"No! This is impossible!" the pioneer roared in terror, unable to believe what it was seeing. It charged toward the altar, trying to stop the rekindling of the fire.

"Don't even think about it!" Senior Brother Xu Ran roared. He turned around abruptly and used his body to block the altar. The power of the primordial fire erupted around him, transforming into a golden barrier that kept the pioneers out.

He knew this was the final moment, and he had to buy time for the resurgence of the flame!

The fire on the altar, resonating with the ancient god's fire, grew stronger and stronger. It began to backfire on the void barrier, making a crackling sound, and cracks began to appear on the void barrier.

"boom!"

The barrier of nothingness suddenly exploded, turning into countless gray fragments!
The flame suddenly shot into the sky, transforming into a golden pillar of light that broke through the planet's constraints and soared into the vast starry sky! "Another flame... has been revived!" A hint of wild joy flashed in Senior Brother Xu Ran's eyes.

However, this euphoria did not last long.

"You ant...you have angered me!"

The cold and majestic voice of the Lord of Nothingness resounded once more in the souls of all living beings. That voice carried an irresistible will to destroy, and a trace of unprecedented rage.

In the depths of the vast starry sky, the pitch-black rift suddenly expanded, and a huge hand formed from the power of nothingness stretched out from it!
That palm blotted out the sky, as if it could hold the entire star field in its palm. It carried a void power capable of corroding all things, and directly grabbed at the golden pillar of light that shot into the sky!
"The Lord of Nothingness... His true form has descended?!" Senior Brother Xu Ran's expression changed drastically. He felt that terrifying pressure, a power that surpassed everything, the ultimate enemy of the universe!
He knew that the Lord of Nothingness was enraged; it was no longer merely sending down its will, but rather projecting a portion of its own power into him in some way!
"The flame... will never be extinguished!" Senior Brother Xu Ran roared defiantly. He suddenly soared into the sky, and the power of the flame erupted around him, transforming into a golden stream of light that rushed directly toward the enormous, sky-covering palm!

He knew that even if he were to be shattered to pieces, he would fight for a sliver of hope for that rekindled flame!
However, the Void Lord's giant hand was too powerful. It completely ignored Senior Brother Xu Ran's attack, directly pierced through his Flame Barrier, and fiercely grabbed the golden pillar of light!

"No!" Senior Brother Xu Ran roared in anguish. He watched helplessly as the newly revived flame trembled violently under the grasp of the giant, empty hand, its light dimming as if it would be extinguished at any moment.

"The flame...returns to its rightful place!"

At this critical moment, an ancient and majestic voice suddenly came from the depths of the starry sky!

That voice carried a sense of timelessness that transcended eternity, an undeniable will, as if it could penetrate the barriers of the universe and reach the very depths of the soul of every living being.

Immediately afterwards, dazzling lights shone from the depths of the starry sky!

That is not the light of stars, but the light of a torch!
One, two, three... countless golden beams of light, like sharp swords slicing through the darkness, shot into the sky from every corner of the universe, from those forgotten ancient lands, from the depths of those forbidden zones eroded by the Lord of Nothingness, and shot straight toward that giant palm of nothingness!

Each golden beam of light represents a flame, a guardian of that flame, and an indomitable will!

"This is... the Flame Network!" A look of wild joy flashed in Senior Brother Xu Ran's eyes. He knew that all the ignited flames in the universe had been activated by some ancient power at this moment, forming the Flame Network to fight against the Lord of Nothingness!

The gigantic, ethereal hand trembled violently under the impact of countless pillars of firelight. Though powerful, it could no longer maintain absolute suppression in the face of the entire network of firelight.

"The flame...will never be extinguished!"

Under the impact of countless pillars of light, the flame that was grasped by the giant hand of nothingness suddenly burst out with a dazzling light. It broke free from the giant hand of nothingness, transformed into a stream of light, and rushed directly into the depths of the starry sky!

The gigantic, ethereal hand roared in fury as it attempted to pursue, but the onslaught of countless pillars of firelight rendered it unable to pay attention.

"Damn it... damn it!" The voice of the Void Lord echoed through the void, filled with boundless rage. It hadn't expected that the Flame Network would be activated after the appearance of the Flame Ignitioner, and even break free from its constraints!

The gigantic, ethereal hand began to tremble violently under the impact of countless pillars of firelight. Finally, it shattered with a deafening roar, transforming into a vast expanse of ethereal power that dissipated into the starry sky.

However, the network of torches did not dissipate. The golden pillars of light intertwined in the air, forming a vast golden network that enveloped the entire ancient battlefield in the starry sky.

Within this network of torches, blurry figures began to emerge. They were either ancient beings or former guardians, using the torches as a medium to project their will here, uniting to fight against the Lord of Nothingness!
"The Flame...Guardians!" Senior Brother Xu Ran looked at the blurry figures, his eyes filled with excitement. He knew he wasn't fighting alone; throughout the universe, countless Flame Guardians were silently protecting hope!

"You... have finally appeared!" The Lord of Nothingness's voice carried a hint of coldness and mockery. "But so what? You are nothing but ants clinging to life!"

It knew that these Flame Guardians were merely projections of will and could not truly descend. But the activation of the Flame Network made it feel threatened.

"Flame Ignitioners... Flame Guardians... Do you think this will stop the coming of nothingness?!" The voice of the Lord of Nothingness echoed, carrying with it endless depths.

Instead of attacking directly, it turned its attention to the ancient battlefield in the starry sky.

"This ancient battlefield... will become your burial ground!"

"Boom!"

The entire ancient battlefield in the starry sky trembled violently. Countless broken star fragments and floating starship debris began to tremble and collapse under the power of the Lord of Nothingness!
The Lord of Nothingness is actually using his own power to transform this ancient battlefield into a giant meat grinder, aiming to completely obliterate the will of Senior Brother Xu Ran and the Guardians of the Flame!

"Oh no! It's about to detonate the ancient battlefield!" Senior Brother Xu Ran's expression changed drastically. He knew that this ancient battlefield contained endless fragments of the universe's origin and the power of nothingness. Once it was completely detonated, its power would be enough to destroy a galaxy and even affect the entire universe!

He rushed towards Xu Qinghan and hugged her tightly in his arms.

"Qinghan, we must leave here!"

However, at this moment, Xinhuo Network suddenly burst forth with dazzling light!

"The flame... is eternal!"

The wills of countless guardians of the flame intertwined within the flame network, unleashing unprecedented power in an attempt to suppress the disturbances on the ancient battlefield.

"With my flame... I will suppress the void!"

An ancient and majestic voice came from the depths of the Flame Network, a voice carrying an immortal will and an eternal belief.

Immediately afterwards, the Fire Network contracted sharply, transforming into a golden pillar of light that shot directly into the depths of the ancient battlefield, confronting the force that had ignited it!

"This is... the Suppression of the Flame!" Senior Brother Xu Ran's heart trembled violently. He knew that the Flame Guardians were burning their own will, even their very essence, to suppress the anomaly on the ancient battlefield!
However, the power of the Lord of Nothingness was too great, and the suppression by the Fire Network could only temporarily delay the explosion of the ancient battlefield, but could not completely stop it.

(End of this chapter)