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The intense battles within the Ancient Emperor's Cave suddenly fell silent. Everyone stood frozen, staring in disbelief at the sudden betrayal—Void Swallowing Flame had unexpectedly turned against Qian Renhan, reaching out and striking him.
Outside the Ancient Emperor's Cave, even if Void Swallowing Flame had reached the late peak of Nine-Star Dou Saint, he would not have had the ability to successfully ambush Qian Renhan. After all, Void Swallowing Flame only possessed a soul at the Great Perfection of the Heavenly Realm. However, due to the cave's severe suppression on soul power, and because Qian Renhan was entirely focused on unleashing the Emperor-Grade Pseudo-Pill, channeling all his sword domain intent into the Shura Sword, Void Swallowing Flame took advantage of the perfect moment to ambush him—catching him completely off guard.
"Qian Renhan, you are strong—truly strong. I never intended to become your enemy. All I ever wanted was the inheritance of Tuoshe Ancient Emperor. But unfortunately, he did not acknowledge me. Rather than helping you become a Dou Emperor and hoping you'd help me afterward, I'd rather seize the opportunity myself. That Emperor-Grade Pseudo-Pill is mine now!"
Void Swallowing Flame spoke in a deep voice. Black flames surged from his hand—which had pierced through Qian Renhan's body—flooding his entire being. That body, already beyond the peak of Nine-Star Dou Saint and nearing Half-Emperor level, began to burn and disintegrate.
"Void Swallowing Flame!"
Zi Yan roared in fury, unleashing a dragon's roar. Her golden body shimmered as she transformed into a colossal, ten-thousand-foot golden dragon. With a blast of dragon flame, she repelled the Soul Race's Demon Saint she had been battling and charged toward the scene.
"Heh, little girl, don't forget—your Taixu Ancient Dragon clan is only able to resist the Soul Race army because of the help from my subordinates." Void Swallowing Flame's black-flamed eyes flashed, and several Soul Race Six-Star Dou Saints under his control immediately blocked Zi Yan's path and engaged her.
"Oh, Void Swallowing Flame, without that brat's help, do you really think you could take me on?" the Emperor-Grade Pseudo-Pill sneered, casting a mocking glance at the distant trio—Zhu Kun, Hun Tiandi, and Gu Yuan—who moments ago had been locked in deadly combat but now seemed united against him. He scoffed in disdain.
"Heh, of course I can. My millennium-long plan won't tolerate any errors," Void Swallowing Flame replied coldly, holding tightly onto the jade token of Tuoshe Ancient Emperor. Suddenly, he bit his tongue and spat a mouthful of black-flamed blood onto the jade. His hands rapidly formed a series of mysterious, eerie seals.
"These seals… no, it can't be!" The Emperor-Grade Pseudo-Pill's expression changed drastically, a painful memory surfacing in his mind.
Buzz... buzz...
As Void Swallowing Flame's hand seals accelerated, the jade of Tuoshe Ancient Emperor began to tremble and hum. A gentle radiance pulsed outward as the jade transformed into a dazzling, multi-colored ring of light.
The ring shimmered with countless hues, as if flames danced along its edge—mysterious and otherworldly.
"The Pill Transformation Ring! How can you possibly know Tuoshe Ancient Emperor's Divine Pill Refining Art?!"
Void Swallowing Flame gave a cold laugh, offering no explanation. With a wave of his hand, the brilliant ring of light shot out toward the Emperor-Grade Pseudo-Pill.
As the ring approached, the Emperor-Grade Pseudo-Pill, whose expression had been cold and calm, suddenly looked panicked. His voice turned shrill as he swung the Tuoshe Heavenly Flame Ruler, sending a golden blade of light slicing toward the ring. Wherever the golden blade passed, even the spatial fabric of the cave trembled faintly.
But when the blade clashed with the light ring, there was no explosion—no energy ripple. The golden blade was instantly enveloped by the ring, as powerless as a mouse in a trap. The ring then flew above the Emperor-Grade Pseudo-Pill's head, wrapping him in brilliant, flame-like energy.
"Ahhh!"
As ring after ring of fire wrapped around him, wisps of white smoke began to rise from the Emperor-Grade Pseudo-Pill's body. A shrill, agonized scream echoed through the cave.
Seeing this, a flash of delight passed through Void Swallowing Flame's eyes—he hadn't expected the Pill Transformation Ring to be so effective. Without hesitation, he spat another mouthful of black-flamed blood onto the ring, intensifying its fire. The Emperor-Grade Pseudo-Pill's body began to shrink—he was actually starting to revert into a pill form.
Watching the once-dominant Emperor-Grade Pseudo-Pill fall into such a miserable state in mere seconds, everyone was shocked. Hun Tiandi, Gu Yuan, and Zhu Kun's expressions darkened. A flicker of killing intent passed through their eyes as they shot toward Void Swallowing Flame—they now suspected the Pill Transformation Ring was empowered by the jade of Tuoshe Ancient Emperor!
"Hmph!"
Seeing their attack, Void Swallowing Flame, already prepared, snorted coldly. The Soul Race Six-Star Dou Saints battling Zi Yan suddenly exploded with thunderous force!
"Ahhh!"
Hun Tiandi and Gu Yuan quickly retreated. Zi Yan let out a blood-curdling scream. Zhu Kun, face twisted with rage, charged into the explosion to shield her. Even with her Dragon Phoenix body, Zi Yan was left drenched in blood, her flesh mangled beyond recognition—her scales scattered, barely clinging to life after the self-detonation of four Six-Star Dou Saints.
"Hahahaha! My millennium-long plan—how could it go wrong? Hun Tiandi, Gu Yuan, Zhu Kun… the information gap between us is the reason for your defeat. Qian Renhan, thank you for your cooperation and for helping me reach the mid-stage of Nine-Star Dou Saint. With the ancient races wiped out, they shall serve as nourishment for my rise to Dou Emperor. The final victor… is me, Void Swallowing Flame!"
Void Swallowing Flame laughed wildly. With a flick of his hand, the Pill Transformation Ring shot back toward him like lightning.
"Not necessarily."
Qian Renhan, holding his chest, spoke. His body still burned with searing black flames.
"What? Qian Renhan, your body is already heavily damaged by my black flames. Suppressing them should already push you to the limit—do you think you still have strength left to oppose me?" Void Swallowing Flame mocked as he reached for the pill-like, head-sized form of the Emperor-Grade Pseudo-Pill within the ring.
As he spoke, Void Swallowing Flame's gleeful expression suddenly froze. An immense soul force descended upon his mind. His consciousness—and even bodily movement—became paralyzed, as though he were reverting to a primordial state, stripped of all intelligence.
"What… what is this?! This isn't a Dou Skill—it's pure soul force. What kind of technique is this?!" he screamed hoarsely, using Dou Qi to project his voice.
Qian Renhan didn't answer. He merely muttered, "So many heroes in this world… The original script was only a script. Reality must be experienced firsthand."
He reached out, took the Emperor-Grade Pseudo-Pill from Void Swallowing Flame's hand, and—to the astonishment of all—swallowed the brilliant ring whole right before their eyes.
"This guy… is insane," Gu Yuan murmured. Even though it was only a pseudo-pill, the energy it contained was unimaginably vast. A single misstep could cause one's body and soul to explode. Especially now—Qian Renhan was still gravely wounded by Void Swallowing Flame's black fire.
(End of Chapter)