Fighting: Practice makes it real, start with a poisonous body.

Deep within the dark tomb, only a wisp of strange fire flickering at Xiao Yan's fingertips could barely tear through the thick, inky darkness.

The cool air from the stone walls spread through the air, carrying with it the decay and vicissitudes of time, making the space feel even more oppressive.

Xiao Yan's gaze was firmly drawn to the ancient characters at the top of the stone wall, as if drawn by a magnet.

The characters are powerful and vigorous, carrying a magnificent momentum that transcends time. Even after a thousand years of erosion, they are still clearly visible.

"I am the Pure Lotus Demon Saint. By the time you see these words, I will already be dead!"

"Could this be... the tomb of the Pure Lotus Demon Saint?!"

Xiao Yan murmured in a low voice.

Xiao Xuan, standing beside him, had also abandoned his usual composure, his expression so solemn it was almost palpable.

"Pure Lotus Demon Saint... a former half-Emperor powerhouse, only one step away from the supreme Emperor realm."

According to the historical records of the Xiao clan, this person single-handedly defeated the current patriarch of the Soul Clan!

Xiao Yan took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the shock in his heart, and said in a deep voice: "It seems that Gu Yuan's purpose in sending us here is related to the Pure Lotus Demon Saint, especially the writing on this stone wall."

The words on this stone wall must be the last words of the Pure Lotus Demon Saint before her death!

As soon as he finished speaking, Xiao Yan felt a strong premonition.

Gu Yuan could never have simply shown them the last words of the Pure Lotus Demon Saint.

The contents of this stone wall must contain a great secret that could affect the entire Dou Qi Continent, and this secret may be Gu Yuan's true purpose!
"In any case, let's finish studying these contents first."

Xiao Xuan's voice pulled Xiao Yan back to reality. He nodded, and the two exchanged a glance. Then, without prior arrangement, they focused their attention and stared intently at the stone wall, carefully studying each word.

The light of the strange fire flickered slightly in front of the two, making the writing on the stone wall even clearer.

As they delved deeper into the study, the expressions on their faces gradually shifted from initial shock to disbelief, and finally, to profound awe!

"So that's how it is... No wonder Gu Yuan said those things at the Pill Tower before!"

Xiao Yan's eyes were filled with realization: "We all misunderstood the true purpose of the ancient map left behind by the Pure Lotus Demon Saint!"

That thing wasn't used to subdue the Pure Lotus Demon Flame, but to revive the Pure Lotus Demon Saint!

Xiao Xuan, standing to the side, frowned deeply, his gaze sweeping over the empty tomb.
The tomb is grand in scale, with intricate patterns carved on the surrounding stone walls, clearly indicating that it was meticulously arranged.

According to the inscription on the stone wall, the body of the Pure Lotus Demon Saint should be sealed in a ten-thousand-year-old ice coffin and placed in the very center of this tomb.

But at this moment, the center of the tomb was empty; there was not a trace of the ice coffin, let alone any other one.

"According to the Pure Lotus Demon Saint, his body should have been sealed in an ice coffin and placed here, but now it has disappeared... It seems that Gu Yuan has already taken away the Pure Lotus Demon Saint's body."

He wanted to resurrect the Pure Lotus Demon Saint and save humanity from its dire straits… Was he really that kind-hearted?

Xiao Xuan's eyes were full of doubt.

Xiao Yan nodded in agreement with Xiao Xuan's opinion. Gu Yuan was despicable and shameless; he could never be so kind.

"Xiao Xuan, people always change."

Just as the two were filled with doubts, a sinister laugh suddenly rang out in the empty tomb, breaking the silence.

Xiao Xuan and Xiao Yan were immediately startled, their expressions turning wary. They turned around almost simultaneously, their eyes flashing like lightning as they looked towards the entrance of the tomb.

The next moment, a familiar figure slowly emerged from the shadows.

Gu Yuan was slightly hunched over, wearing a simple black robe. Most strikingly, his left arm and right leg were missing, leaving only his right hand, which was leaning on a black cane. The cane made a dull "thud, thud" sound when it touched the ground, which sounded particularly jarring in the silent tomb.

"stop!"

Xiao Xuan shouted in a deep voice, and his fighting spirit surged instantly, forming a solid fighting spirit barrier that protected him and Xiao Yan behind him.

Why be so nervous?

Gu Yuan stopped about ten feet away from the two. He raised his head, his gaze sweeping over Xiao Xuan and Xiao Yan, a barely perceptible cold glint appearing in his eyes.

"Since I brought you here and let you see the last words of the Pure Lotus Demon Saint, I had no intention of attacking you."

"What on earth do you want to do?"

Xiao Xuan asked coldly, not letting his guard down in the slightest. Gu Yuan couldn't possibly be so kind as to let them know such a huge secret and then do nothing.

Gu Yuan's lips curled into a cold smile as he slowly said, "Since you have already seen the last words of the Pure Lotus Demon Saint, then you know the true purpose of the Pure Lotus Demon Flame Remnant Map..."

It should also be understood that, given the current state of the Dou Qi Continent, resurrecting the Pure Lotus Demon Saint is the only way to fight against the Dragon-Phoenix Child!

"But to revive the Pure Lotus Demon Saint, besides collecting all four fragments of the Pure Lotus Demon Flame Diagram, we also need to..."

Xiao Yan paused for a moment after saying this.

"We also need an Emperor-level soul and a ninth-grade Golden Core!"

Gu Yuan picked up where Xiao Yan left off and gave a cold laugh.

Xiao Yan subconsciously looked at Xiao Xuan, then turned to Gu Yuan, and said coldly, "What exactly is your purpose?"

Gu Yuan snorted coldly: "Don't worry, I won't do anything to you. On the contrary, if you want to revive the Pure Lotus Demon Saint, you and I will need to join forces."

"Join forces?"

Xiao Xuan and Xiao Yan were both taken aback, clearly not expecting Gu Yuan to make such a request.

They had a deep-seated hatred for Gu Yuan, especially Xiao Xuan, whose demise was largely due to Gu Yuan.

"There are no eternal enemies in this world, only eternal interests!"

Gu Yuan's voice carried a hint of seduction: "The son of the dragon and phoenix slaughtered the imperial clan, and he has been relentlessly attacking me."

Otherwise, do you think I'm willing to cooperate with you?

Whether it's my ancient race or the entire human race, we've reached a dead end.

The son of the dragon and phoenix continues his conquests everywhere. If this continues, it won't be long before the entire Dou Qi Continent falls into his hands.

Now that things have come to this, our only chance of survival is to put aside our past differences and join forces!

"For the sake of profit, you can even shake hands and make peace with your most hated enemy. That really suits your personality."

Xiao Xuan said coldly, his tone full of sarcasm.

In his view, Gu Yuan only proposed the alliance because the ancient clan was now in dire straits and needed their help. Once the crisis was over, Gu Yuan would surely turn his back on them.

Gu Yuan seemed unconcerned by Xiao Xuan's sarcasm. He simply said, "Think what you want. Now, you only have two paths before you: either join forces with me to revive the Pure Lotus Demon Saint."

"Either you reject my proposal and watch the Dragon-Phoenix Son unify the Dou Qi Continent step by step, only to be wiped out by him in the end!"

At this point, Gu Yuan's gaze sharpened as he stared intently at Xiao Xuan and Xiao Yan: "So, what is your answer?"
Or perhaps, you, Xiao Xuan… are afraid?! (End of Chapter)