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Because of the sudden appearance of the rune, the Three Thousand Burning Flame froze momentarily in a daze—only to quickly regain its senses. At that instant, it seemed to realize something. A cold, savage light burst from its dragon eyes as it glared intently at Qian Renhan. Meanwhile, the rune on its forehead grew increasingly radiant.
"Roar!"
The Three Thousand Burning Flame let out a thunderous dragon roar, and the rune on its forehead suddenly erupted with golden light, dazzling like a brilliant golden sun rising slowly in the void.
As the rune's glow became increasingly brilliant, Qian Renhan's vision blurred, his consciousness shaken. The next moment, he found himself in a completely unfamiliar space—surrounded on all sides by thick, rolling purple-black flames. He stood alone in the center of this endless sea of fire.
"Despicable human! It wasn't enough that you imprisoned me for so long—now you dare attempt to tame me?"
A furious dragon's voice rang out from within the flames. As gales swept through the realm, a colossal dragon slowly rose from the inferno, coiling in the sky above. Its gaze, locked onto Qian Renhan, was filled with bottomless rage and icy disdain.
"I don't have time for your nonsense. Bow before me."
Qian Renhan's late-Heaven Realm spiritual power erupted in full force, pressing down hard on the Three Thousand Burning Flame's soul.
Three breaths later, the aftershocks of the Blood Angel Asura technique dissipated. In front of Hun Moqian, Qian Renhan stood tall, his foot planted atop the subdued Three Thousand Burning Flame. Holding the Asura Sword with icy calm, he stared down his foe. Even the majestic flame dragon beneath him mirrored his cold, indifferent expression—man and beast appeared almost identical.
"You actually… tamed the Three Thousand Burning Flame? In just a few breaths?! That's impossible!"
Hun Moqian demanded in disbelief. To subdue the Three Thousand Burning Flame—and in peak condition—within only three breaths? That completely defied logic.
It was common knowledge that taming a Heavenly Flame required finding its origin, then merging that origin into one's own body while using immense Dou Qi to resist the scorching heat. At the same time, one had to engage in a prolonged battle of will with the flame's consciousness using powerful soul force. Only then could the flame be fully tamed.
Every step of this process consumed enormous time and energy. Even when the flame stood no chance of winning, it would resist with all its might. This was especially true for the Three Thousand Burning Flame, which had already evolved into a near-sentient being. The flame that formed its massive dragon body should have been completely consumed in the struggle.
Yet in Qian Renhan's case, apart from a slight fluctuation in soul force, the Three Thousand Burning Flame showed no signs of being drained!
In the original tale, even Xiao Yan—using early Spirit Realm-level soul power—had to spend massive effort to weaken and finally tame the flame's origin. But Qian Renhan's soul strength had reached the late-Heaven Realm. Their clash was like a Dou Saint crushing a Dou Zun—a dimensional disparity that allowed him to subdue the flame instantly.
After recovering from the shock, Hun Moqian coldly spat, "Hmph. So what if you've tamed it? A mere Dou Zun-ranked Three Thousand Burning Flame—how much help can it actually provide?"
"You'll find out soon enough."
Qian Renhan, wielding the Asura Sword and backed by the Three Thousand Burning Flame, charged forward. Man and dragon surged together toward Hun Moqian and the Soul Gu Toad. With the reluctant but effective assistance of the flame, the tide of battle turned. Together, Qian Renhan and the flame pushed their enemies back, ascending to higher layers of the star domain to minimize the impact on Sacred Pill City.
Qian Renhan was someone who repaid kindness. The Pill Tower's Grand Elder had revealed critical information about the Soul Gu Toad and had protected the Three Thousand Burning Flame. These were blessings in disguise.
Though Zi Yan had claimed that the Three Thousand Burning Flame was once reared by her clan, in truth, it belonged to the Pill Tower. The star domain it resided in had been torn open by the Tower's three leaders. The flame had grown by absorbing starlight from that very space. It was the Pill Tower who had nurtured it into what it was today. The ancient Taixu Dragon Clan had merely planted the seed, but did not tend the tree.
Back in Sacred Pill City, everyone watched the starry sky with awe, protected by the Grand Elder. Above them, the spatial layers of the star domain were continuously shattered by the terrifying battle. Meanwhile, Xiao Yan and his group, aided by a Half-Saint Elder of the Pill Tower, safely withdrew—avoiding being reduced to ashes by the aftermath.
Another fierce clash of Dou Qi erupted in the sky. Within the star domain, the Three Thousand Burning Flame was now riddled with wounds. Its massive, energy-formed dragon body was covered in deep gashes. Within those cracks, its core—an elusive black dragon formed from pure flame origin—flickered faintly.
On the other side, things weren't going much better. The Soul Gu Toad's rear leg had been blown off—an injury caused when Qian Renhan tore through its thigh with a blade strike, followed by a devastating Frostburst Art. To withstand that internal explosion, Hun Moqian had already consumed several high-grade pills—each one rare enough to make even the Pill Tower turn green with envy.
"It's time."
Qian Renhan controlled the Three Thousand Burning Flame, which no longer had time to hide its origin flame. Letting out a mournful cry, the dragon glanced at him with deep resentment before charging forward. But this time, its target wasn't the Soul Gu Toad.
It was Hun Moqian.
"You court death! If you don't treasure the Three Thousand Burning Flame, then the Soul Palace will take it!"
Hun Moqian's palm flicked, unleashing a wave of black mist. Chains cloaked in darkness slithered out, producing a chilling clatter as they shot toward the origin flame that the Three Thousand Burning Flame was desperately trying to conceal.
Just as the chains were about to strike, a surge of violet-black light erupted, dyeing the entire void in its ominous hue.
"Boom!"
In the endless space, the massive body of the Three Thousand Burning Flame began to rapidly expand. From beneath its dragon scales, torrents of purple-black fire exploded forth, overwhelming the skies. In the blink of an eye, the inferno devoured an area spanning hundreds of thousands of meters. Hun Moqian and the Soul Gu Toad were sent flying by the shockwave, their bodies engulfed in the apocalyptic blaze.
"The Three Thousand Burning Flame… self-destructed?! That senior was truly willing to go that far…" The Grand Elder of the Little Pill Tower let out a sigh as he watched the starry domain now flooded with violet-black flames. Seeing one blazing fireball after another falling toward Sacred Pill City, he shouted:
"All elders, to me! Seal the star domain! Protect Sacred Pill City!"
With that command, dozens of Dou Zun-level experts soared into the sky. Led by the Grand Elder, they worked to contain the fallout. If even a fraction of the Three Thousand Burning Flame's self-destruction reached Sacred Pill City, the entire place would be renamed Blazing Ashes City.
Back in the battlefield, Hun Moqian's robes had long since been reduced to cinders. His outer skin was scorched raw by the explosion, his eyes now dark and murderous. He hadn't expected that Qian Renhan would actually make the Three Thousand Burning Flame—ranked ninth on the Heavenly Flame List and famous for its powerful regenerative abilities—detonate on command. That flame was known as the Undying Fire.
And yet… there was a flicker of delight in his eyes.
Because nestled within his hand was the flame's Origin Fire. What Qian Renhan had detonated was only the energy that the flame had stored up over millennia. Its true essence remained intact.
Just as he was about to absorb the weakened origin flame, Hun Moqian's pupils suddenly shrank. A chilling sensation swept over him—he could feel the aura of the Soul Gu Toad rapidly fading.
(End of Chapter)