The Void Devouring Flame, ranked second on the Heavenly Flame List, stood even above the Purifying Demonic Lotus Flame that Xiao Yan had painstakingly obtained in his previous life—evidence of its fearsome might. Born of the void, it possessed no fixed form and no discernible substance. It had the terrifying ability to devour all things and was reputed to be capable of swallowing the heavens and devouring the earth!
Where the Purifying Demonic Lotus Flame excelled in purification, the Void Devouring Flame specialized in devouring. On the entire Dou Qi continent, there were few who could stand against such a terrifying force. This was already evident in the effectiveness of Xiao Yan's Black Dragon Devours Spirit Hand—and that technique's devouring power paled in comparison to the true Void Devouring Flame.
Even without factoring in its bizarre devouring trait, its raw power alone was terrifying. Its strength far surpassed the Purifying Demonic Lotus Flame that Xiao Yan had encountered in the Heavenly Flame Realm during his past life. The latter was only around the level of a Six-Star Dou Sheng, while the Void Devouring Flame had reached the initial stage of Nine-Star Dou Sheng!
Of course, the disparity in strength was mainly due to the Lotus Flame having been subdued and sealed by the Demonic Lotus Saint, which hindered its cultivation. Without those constraints, even if it was still weaker than the Void Devouring Flame, it wouldn't lag behind by much.
With its Nine-Star Dou Sheng strength and its status as a Heavenly Flame's true body, there were few on the continent who could face it in combat—perhaps only those who had reached the peak of Dou Sheng. Even with Xiao Yan's current strength, he wouldn't dare to claim victory in a direct confrontation. And certainly not here in the Hun Clan's territory.
"Lord Void, the Clan Leader sent me. He says the plan can begin," Xiao Yan said respectfully, maintaining Hun Xuzi's usual sycophantic demeanor. Inwardly, though, he cursed Hun Xuzi for being so spineless. For a ninth-tier alchemist, he was basically a lapdog. Just looking at the way he acted made Xiao Yan suspect that the "Xuzi" in his name stood for "Void's son."
Of course, it wasn't entirely baseless. Hun Xuzi's Void Devouring Flame Sub-Flame had been gifted by the Void Devouring Flame itself. If it so wished, it could take that flame back at any time. No wonder Hun Xuzi was so deferential. If he had the chance to refine the main flame, he certainly wouldn't remain this humble.
"Didn't we say we still needed more time to prepare? Why the sudden rush?" The Void Devouring Flame frowned slightly. It naturally understood what plan Xiao Yan was referring to—an assault on the other ancient clans. Over the years, it had helped the Hun Clan wipe out several such tribes. According to their previous strategy, they had planned to prepare for another ten years before initiating this round of actions.
"Lord Void may not be aware, but recently, the other six clans seem to have caught wind of some of our movements. Not only have they formed an alliance, but they've also destroyed all of the Hall of Souls' branches in Central Plains. That's why the Clan Leader decided to strike first—take out one of the clans to sow mistrust and dismantle the alliance," Xiao Yan recited the pre-prepared story flawlessly.
"The Hall of Souls has been wiped out? Hmph, you people are getting more and more useless!" The Void Devouring Flame's expression darkened, and he snorted coldly. "Fine then. According to Hun Tiandi's plan… Which clan are we targeting first? The Shi Clan or the Ling Clan?"
"Reporting to Lord Void: per the Clan Leader's instruction, our first target will be the Yan Clan," Xiao Yan replied.
"The Yan Clan? What's Hun Tiandi thinking? Weren't we supposed to start with the weakest?" the Void Devouring Flame barked in surprise. Though the operation hadn't begun yet, the plan had been years in the making. According to their intel, the Gu Clan was the strongest among the ancient clans, with the Lei and Yan Clans close behind. The Ling and Shi Clans were considered the weakest. It only made sense to start with the weak ones.
"Clan Leader said that since this is our first operation, the other clans won't be on alert. Striking the Yan Clan now—when they're off guard—will be easier than attacking them later when they've tightened defenses. And the weaker clans like the Ling Clan? Even if they're ready for us, we can crush them with ease. Best to deal with them after," Xiao Yan explained fluently.
When it came to talking nonsense with a straight face, Xiao Yan could be considered a master. The plan was full of holes, but under his explanation, even the Void Devouring Flame found it surprisingly reasonable after thinking it through.
The original version of this plan had come from Hun Dai'er, who had targeted the Lei Clan. Xiao Yan, however, modified the plan to aim for the Yan Clan instead. His reasons were simple—besides the Void Devouring Flame, he also wanted the Heavenly Flames possessed by the Yan Clan. Although only the Nine Nether Gold Ancestral Flame had a high ranking, the others were still worth obtaining. If there was an opportunity, Xiao Yan had no reason to let it slip by.
"In that case, we'll proceed according to that guy's plan. When do we act?" the Void Devouring Flame asked.
"Half a month from now, the Yan Clan will host its once-a-decade Mystic Flame Gathering. Clan Leader Yan Jin will be traveling to the Mystic Flame Mountain Range to oversee it. We only need to lie in wait for the right moment," Xiao Yan responded.
"We're not infiltrating their ranks this time?" the Void Devouring Flame asked with some surprise. Usually, they would first plant operatives inside the target clan and then use the Void Devouring Flame's spatial seal to prevent any escape.
"Per the Clan Leader's new strategy, Yan Jin is the only truly formidable member in the Yan Clan. As long as he is eliminated, the rest will pose no threat. Besides, during his absence, our infiltrators will retrieve the ancient jade, making the operation a clean sweep," Xiao Yan explained.
"Hmph, always full of tricks. Fine, we'll follow that guy's plan," the Void Devouring Flame said coldly.
Meanwhile, deep in secluded cultivation, Hun Tiandi—blissfully unaware of the discussion—was unknowingly made responsible for a scheme entirely concocted by his greatest enemy, the last descendant of the Xiao Clan…
"Oh, right, Lord Void," Xiao Yan added, pulling out a few pills from his ring. They emanated an astonishing energy fluctuation. "The Clan Leader ordered me to deliver these ninth-tier pills to you personally."
"Now that's more like it." The Void Devouring Flame's eyes gleamed as he swept the pills into his sleeve. Seeing this, Xiao Yan smiled faintly to himself.
The pieces are all in place. It won't be long before the harvest begins.
(End of Chapter)
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