"This Void Devouring Flame… it has actually developed a Spirit of the Heavenly Flame and reached the cultivation level of a Nine-Star Dou Saint!"
Gu Yuan's expression darkened in shock as he assessed the formidable power of Void Devouring Flame.
"How terrifying!"
Ancestor Huoyun, Huang Tian, Fenghuang (Phoenix), and several other Dou Saints couldn't discern the precise cultivation level of Void Devouring Flame, but they could feel the overwhelming presence emanating from the towering, demonic figure before them. Their hearts pounded violently in their chests.
Too terrifying.
Too powerful.
If this was the strength of the second-ranked Heavenly Flame, then what kind of existence would the number one-ranked flame be?
Under countless stunned gazes, the colossal figure, akin to a demonic deity, slowly lowered its gaze toward Zhou Yi. With a flick of his sleeve, the boundless black flames above his head surged violently, transforming into an endless rain of inky fire that descended upon Zhou Yi like a tidal wave.
"Universe Ring!"
Zhou Yi did not hesitate. Divine power surged from within him as the Universe Ring shot forward in a streak of golden light.
The black flames, capable of devouring all, were split apart as though cleaved by an invisible sword. The Universe Ring sped directly toward Void Devouring Flame, aiming straight for its head.
Void Devouring Flame instinctively dodged, but the Universe Ring was relentless—its speed was unfathomable, and it carried a suppressive force that seemed to defy all resistance.
Buzz!
The Universe Ring vibrated violently before suddenly locking onto Void Devouring Flame's head.
"ROAR!"
A shrill, terror-stricken howl erupted from Void Devouring Flame. In an instant, its entire body exploded into a chaotic storm of black flames, attempting to disperse and break free.
But how could the Universe Ring—an innate divine treasure—be so easily escaped?
Even as Void Devouring Flame dissolved into countless flames, the Universe Ring remained firmly locked onto its essence, making escape impossible.
The ring tightened continuously, its terrifying power crushing down, threatening to obliterate its soul completely.
"Spare me…!"
As a Heavenly Flame, Void Devouring Flame had no sense of dignity or honor. Without hesitation, it cried out for mercy.
With its power sealed by the Universe Ring, the once-all-consuming black flames in the sky rapidly faded away.
The entire battlefield fell silent.
The Soul Clan elders, Hun You, and Hun Qianmo—who had already been beaten to the brink of despair—stood frozen, unable to believe their eyes.
The revered Void Devouring Flame, their so-called invincible deity, had been defeated.
And worse—he had actually begged for mercy.
"If you want to live, serve me from now on."
Zhou Yi looked down at Void Devouring Flame, showing no intention of killing it.
He was in dire need of powerful subordinates.
Currently, his only strong ally was Yao Chen, who was merely a Half-Saint—far from enough in the grand scheme of things.
But Void Devouring Flame, as a Nine-Star Dou Saint, was more than capable of handling ninety-nine percent of the matters in the Dou Qi Continent.
"This humble one greets the master! I vow to serve faithfully, through fire and death, without hesitation!"
Void Devouring Flame was overjoyed, immediately pledging loyalty.
It had struggled for countless years to develop intelligence and cultivate to the Nine-Star Dou Saint level—how could it possibly be willing to perish now?
Zhou Yi took out a Restricting Headband and placed it on Void Devouring Flame's head.
This was one of the many rewards he had accumulated.
Though his personal cultivation level was not particularly high, he had amassed countless rare treasures through various rewards.
Every woman he conquered brought a reward.
Every child he fathered brought a reward.
There were even full-package rewards for milestones.
With such vast accumulations, Zhou Yi's foundation far surpassed even ancient clans with Dou Emperor legacies.
And this Restricting Headband was an immortal artifact.
There was no way Void Devouring Flame could remove it.
Nor could anyone in the Dou Qi Continent unravel its bindings.
Thus, Zhou Yi had no fear of betrayal.
"Om Mani Padme Hum…"
Zhou Yi chanted the incantation.
"AHHHH—!"
A piercing, agonized wail tore through the air as Void Devouring Flame convulsed violently.
The Restricting Headband was not as overwhelmingly powerful as the Universe Ring, but its ability to torment was unmatched.
The pain was excruciating.
Even the legendary Great Sage Equal to Heaven, Sun Wukong, had struggled to endure it.
What chance did a mere flame spirit have?
"Master, please spare me…!"
"I beg you, stop reciting!"
"No more… no more…"
"I am eternally loyal! Never will I betray you!"
As they watched the writhing, tortured mass of black flames, Gu Yuan, Huang Tian, Fenghuang (Phoenix), Fire Cloud (Huoyun) Ancestor, Pill Tower Ancestor, and the other powerhouses felt an overwhelming chill run down their spines.
They looked at Zhou Yi with newfound fear and reverence.
This man was utterly terrifying.
"AHHH!"
"AHHH!"
"AHHH!"
Three more agonized screams followed.
The remaining Soul Clan elders, having lost all will to fight, were obliterated by the ever-ferocious Rolling Thunder, leaving no remains.
With that…
Of the Soul Clan forces that had come to hunt Zhou Yi, only Void Devouring Flame remained.
"Alright. As long as you remain obedient, the Restricting Headband will never be activated again."
Zhou Yi warned, his tone calm but commanding.
"Master, I will obey!"
Void Devouring Flame knelt on one knee, his soul trembling in submission.
"Where is Soul Realm?"
Zhou Yi asked.
A true gentleman never leaves a grudge unsettled.
Though he had expended immense energy wielding the Universe Ring and the Huntian Ribbon, the Soul Clan had dared to target his bride.
They had to pay.
"Soul Realm…"
Void Devouring Flame transmitted the exact coordinates to Zhou Yi.
The Soul Realm was an independent space carved out by a Dou God.
Without precise coordinates, it was nearly impossible to locate.
Furthermore, Soul Realm contained the legacy of past Soul Clan Dou God. With Zhou Yi's current strength as a mere One-Star Dou Saint, he couldn't afford to charge in recklessly.
Despite possessing supreme treasures, their activation consumed enormous energy.
Zhou Yi swallowed a restorative pill. His gaze pierced through the void as he locked onto Soul Realm.
"Universe Ring—go!"
He channeled his divine power, and the Universe Ring transformed into a streak of golden light, tearing through space toward Soul Realm.
From afar, Gu Yuan and the other Dou Saints watched in silent horror as the Universe Ring shattered space itself, expanding into a mountain-sized divine artifact.
Its radiance was blinding.
Its power was apocalyptic.
Wherever it passed…
Space collapsed into chaos.
...
Soul Realm.
The Soul Clan's stronghold, home to countless elite warriors.
Among them, the Four Great Elders (Heavenly Venerates) were all Eight-Star Dou Saints, and the Four Demon Saints were Seven-Star Dou Saints.
Above them, numerous Seven-Star Dou Saints and other powerful warriors filled the ranks.
And at the peak stood Hun Tiandi—a Nine-Star Dou Saint at the very threshold of Emperorhood.
Dressed in plain gray-white robes, Hun Tiandi appeared to be in his thirties. Tall, handsome, with piercing eyes that seemed to see through all things, he exuded an air of refined elegance.
Had he been holding a book, he would have seemed no different from a scholar.
Who would have thought that this man was the greatest villain of the era?
Lost in contemplation over his path to the realm of Dou God, he barely regarded Zhou Yi as a matter of concern.
But then—
A sudden, bone-chilling sense of impending doom struck him.
The instincts of a peak Nine-Star Dou Saint screamed at him—something terrifying was descending upon them.
Without a moment's hesitation, Hun Tiandi tore open the fabric of space and fled the Soul Realm.
And in the next instant—
He saw it.
A golden ring, radiating divine brilliance, shattered through the void and barreled toward the Soul Realm.
The protective barriers of the realm, once thought impregnable, crumbled before it as if they were nothing more than brittle tofu.
"What in the world is that?!"
For the first time in eons, Hun Tiandi was utterly horrified.
Even with his vast knowledge and experience, he couldn't comprehend the existence of something so nightmarishly powerful.
Could this be the work of a Dou God?
"Who… did this?!"
Rage and despair twisted his features as he watched, powerless, while the very foundation of the Soul Clan—the sanctuary their ancestors had built over millennia—was obliterated before his eyes.
The proud legacy of the first Soul Clan Dou God, reduced to nothing.
Where the nest is destroyed, no egg remains intact.
The Soul Clan was all but annihilated.
Zhou Yi had nearly drained every last drop of divine power within him, but in doing so, he had finally unleashed a mere sliver of the true might of the Universe Ring—a primordial treasure of immeasurable destruction.
A force akin to the end of days.
From a distance, Gu Yuan, Huang Tian, and the other Dou Saints watched in sheer awe as the Universe Ring tore through the very core of the Soul Clan's dominion, their hearts trembling in unison.
This power… was beyond terrifying.
Feng Qing'er, nestled in Zhou Yi's arms, gazed up at him, her eyes clouded with a dazed intensity.
Her legs tensed, a poetic thought surfacing within her heart, setting it aflutter.
"A man, driven to fury, would shatter the heavens for his beloved."
Too powerful. Too domineering.
I want him.
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