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Inside the massive black cauldron, countless black chains extended outward, binding both the Soul Heaven Emperor and his Demon Emperor Blood Blade. Two slender black chains then pierced through his arms, forcing the Demon Emperor Blood Blade to slip from his grasp.
Having fought Qian Renhan for so long, the Soul Heaven Emperor had already expended most of his strength. The Blood Emperor's body, which contained immense energy, had already been consumed as fuel for the Blood Sacrifice Spirit Devouring Array of the Central Continent. In addition, he had spat out two mouthfuls of vital blood onto the Demon Emperor Blood Blade. Now, utterly exhausted, and with his weapon lost, he had no chance of escaping Qian Renhan's Heaven-Transforming Emperor Refining Array, empowered by the combined resentment of all the continent's living beings.
"Refine!"
Qian Renhan unleashed streams of Origin Qi from his hands, channeling them into the black cauldron. More black chains emerged, and the Demon Emperor Blood Blade transformed into a stream of pure blood that enveloped the Soul Heaven Emperor. The black chains wound around him and the blood, sealing it so tightly that not even a drop could escape.
"I won't accept this… I won't accept this… I WON'T ACCEPT THIS…"
The chains coiled tighter and tighter, eventually forming a massive black cocoon. The Soul Heaven Emperor's voice could no longer be heard.
Half a year passed in a flash. Inside the black cauldron, the cocoon shattered, revealing a blood-colored pill the size of a boulder, emanating a thick, bloody aura. On the pill's surface appeared a ferocious, ghostly human face—the very face of the Soul Heaven Emperor.
"Since this pill was refined from the Soul Heaven Emperor, let's call it the Soul Emperor Pill."
Qian Renhan placed the blood-colored pill into his storage ring. In terms of value, this pill was far superior to an Emperor-grade Nascent Pill. While the latter supplied Origin Qi to help peak Nine-Star Dou Saints break through, the Soul Emperor Pill contained the full cultivation essence of the Soul Heaven Emperor's lifetime. Consuming it would not only dramatically boost one's cultivation but also strengthen the soul, making it even more convenient than Qian Renhan's Devouring Power.
Of course, such an evil formation capable of refining a Dou Di into a pill was bound to have drawbacks. For ordinary cultivators, consuming this pill meant facing the intense resentment and hatred it contained. If one couldn't withstand it, they would explode from being unable to refine the pill's power in time.
Even if someone could endure it, consuming too many of these pills would almost certainly lead to a twisted personality or even inner demon-induced insanity.
This was exactly how the Ancient Bodhi Tree had fallen from the Dou Di realm to the Half-Emperor realm—due to the dying resentment of a black-robed Dou Di invading its body. The logic here was the same.
However, to Qian Renhan, such mere resentment and hatred were nothing more than minor inconveniences. His cultivation path was already rooted in extreme evil, and his Dao Heart was strong enough to easily see through the Ancient Bodhi Tree's illusions. The allure of rapid power gain through cycles of reincarnation couldn't shake him—so what could the petty resentment of the Soul Heaven Emperor possibly do to him?
"Gu Yuan, it's your turn now. The remaining power in this cauldron is enough to refine you."
Qian Renhan raised the black cauldron with one hand and brought it down toward Gu Yuan, who had been fighting Zhu Kun for months and was now in a pitiful state.
In a battle between cultivators of equal realms, magical beasts were naturally stronger than humans without external aid. However, even so, Zhu Kun alone wasn't strong enough to kill Gu Yuan.
The black cauldron engulfed Gu Yuan, and just like before, countless black chains emerged, wrapping him tightly until he was encased in a blood-red cocoon.
At that moment, from several million kilometers away, a violent and scorching aura suddenly erupted. In the void, dazzling flames burst forth layer after layer, gradually unfurling like wings.
A fiery comet streaked across the sky, and in just a single breath, it traveled from the Northwestern Continent to the Central Continent. Like a massive meteor, it crashed violently into the black cauldron.
"Ssssss!"
As flame clashed with black energy, sizzling sounds rang out continuously—just like water meeting fire. The two opposing attributes—flames and darkness—were natural enemies.
One-fifth of the black cauldron was destroyed. A figure cloaked entirely in radiant flame charged into the cauldron, shattered the black cocoon, and hoisted Gu Yuan onto his shoulder, rescuing him.
The newcomer was Xiao Yan.
Brilliant flames, like a sky ablaze, surged outward from the void, radiating a terrifying heat that evaporated the dark clouds overhead at an alarming rate.
"Big Brother, Uncle Zhu Kun, please give me, Xiao Yan, some face and spare my father-in-law's life," Xiao Yan said earnestly, supporting a severely weakened Gu Yuan.
Zhu Kun glanced at Xiao Yan, surprised. "You've inherited the legacy of the Ancient Emperor Tuoshe?"
"Yes, Uncle Zhu Kun."
During the years when Zhu Kun, Soul Heaven Emperor, and Gu Yuan were secluded in their breakthroughs to the Dou Di realm, Xiao Yan had ceaselessly hunted down Heavenly Flames and consumed them, causing his strength to soar. After Gu Yuan's breakthrough, with the power to command the world as a Dou Di, Gu Xun'er recovered her memories.
According to Gu Xun'er's account, she and Xiao Yan returned to the Gu Realm and reentered the Heavenly Tomb with Xiao Xuan to seize the soul of the Heavenly Tomb's master.
Perhaps deliberately, Gu Xun'er gave her Golden Emperor Burning Flame to Xiao Yan, allowing him to refine it. During this process, the two consummated their relationship.
Due to the time flow in the Heavenly Tomb being five times faster than the outside world, the entire process—refining the soul to reach Emperor-level spirit and consummating with Gu Xun'er—took four months internally, only one month outside. By then, Xiao Yan had reached the peak of Eight-Star Dou Saint. Acting on information Gu Yuan had previously given him, he rushed to the Ancient Emperor's Cave, gained recognition from the Ancient Emperor Tuoshe's statue, inherited the legacy, and broke through to Dou Di.
Then, he came to rescue Gu Yuan.
Qian Renhan narrowed his eyes. "Heh… Xiao Yan, if we had lost, do you think Gu Yuan would have spared us?"
Xiao Yan fell silent. He knew better than anyone how deep the hatred between the Gu Clan and Qian Renhan ran. The Soul Heaven Emperor had destroyed the Gu Clan's fighting power, while Qian Renhan had blood-sacrificed millions of Gu Clan members, severing their legacy entirely.
"If you want to save Gu Yuan, you'll have to defeat me. Otherwise, not only will Gu Yuan die, but I'll take your life too."
Qian Renhan believed he had already shown enough tolerance toward Xiao Yan, his fellow clansman. This time, he would show no mercy.
High in the sky, Qian Renhan and Xiao Yan faced off—one cloaked in black, the other in crimson. Two polar-opposite, terrifying forces collided.
"Father, Qian Renhan… he's not really going to kill Xiao Yan, is he?" Zi Yan asked nervously. She was close with Xiao Yan, Little Doctor Fairy, and the Heavenly Flame Sovereign. She had stayed in the Falling Star Pavilion for nearly two years, and Xiao Yan had often refined pills for her.
Zhu Kun sighed softly. "Just watch. This is an unsolvable dilemma. That kid Xiao Yan is too sentimental… and frankly, he can't keep his pants on either."
(End of Chapter)