"Sigh, so you're not planning to hand her over after all?" Just as Lu Heng prepared to negotiate further, he heard a sigh from the white mist-shrouded figure. "I had assumed the Flame Emperor of the Sacred Demon Palace was a reasonable man, but it seems you're just another fool blinded by arrogance. Since you refuse to surrender the person, then I, this old bastard, will act myself. If you dare to stop me, I'll reduce your Sacred Demon Palace to ash!"
Lu Heng froze momentarily at those words. He hadn't refused anything, had he? But before he could respond further, fury welled up in his chest. Even a clay Buddha has a temper—he was a dominant figure of the Southern Region, and though he had spoken politely to deescalate the situation, he hadn't expected to be so brazenly insulted. Anyone would find that unbearable.
"Very well! I'd like to see how a mere Earth Sovereign thinks he can destroy my Sacred Demon Palace!" Lu Heng's face darkened with rage. "I showed you some courtesy earlier, but now you've mistaken me for an easy target. Today, you won't leave this place alive!"
"All elders—form the array!"
With Lu Heng's command, beams of light erupted from within the Sacred Demon Palace, revealing one figure after another. These were the true foundations of the Sacred Demon Palace—forces that had allowed it to dominate the Southern Region for so long.
"Hmph, so the mighty Flame Emperor also resorts to ganging up on others. Heh, don't think you're the only one with reinforcements! The next time we meet will be the day your entire palace is annihilated!" The white mist figure barked one last line before spinning around and fleeing into the distance.
"You think you can just come and go as you please? You take our Sacred Demon Palace for some back-alley brothel? After him!" Lu Heng roared, his fury boiling over. Being insulted in public had already cost him face—if he let this old freak escape, he would be mocked across the entire Southern Region.
But before their pursuit could even gain momentum, more than a dozen chilling auras rushed toward them from another direction. Sensing this, Lu Heng narrowed his eyes and sneered. "So that's how it is. I knew he wouldn't have dared come alone—turns out he had backup waiting. Well then, let's see who has the stronger hand. Kill them all!"
On the other side, the Ice Spirit Clan members had already grown puzzled. After chasing the mysterious attacker for some time, they'd suddenly lost track of him. Just as the Earth Sovereign elder considered returning to regroup, a surge of killing intent erupted from the distance—heading straight toward them. Leading the charge was a figure cloaked in jet-black flames.
"So he was luring us here all along!" the elder muttered, brow furrowed. "He even had reinforcements ready? Hah, does he really think so little of our Ice Spirit Clan?"
Though he spoke arrogantly, a sliver of unease prickled in his heart. Before he could analyze further, the incoming force collided head-on with them, launching a vicious assault.
"Old bastard, die!" Lu Heng charged at the Ice Spirit elder with bloodshot eyes. Being mocked and lured into this mess had ignited his fury, and now he didn't want explanations—he wanted blood.
The elder's expression darkened. Though the voice was slightly different, the rage behind it left no doubt—this was the same flame-cloaked attacker from earlier.
Neither side wasted words. Both had been provoked to their limits and launched into a chaotic clash. Blasts of spiritual energy rocked the region as the two factions collided.
Meanwhile, Xiao Yan—wrapped in a thin veil of illusion—had long since slunk off to one side. Watching the full-blown battle erupt below, he grinned in satisfaction. 'Perfect...'
The black flames he'd used earlier were none other than a blend of the Void Devouring Flame and the Destruction Flame of the Eight Wastelands. And the chilling aura he unleashed at the Sacred Demon Palace? That was the power of the Ice Ancestral Symbol.
Though Xiao Yan rarely used the ancestral symbols since arriving in the Great Thousand World, over time his body had gradually assimilated with their power. His spiritual energy now carried hints of their elemental attributes, even if he seldom employed them.
"You really pulled this off. How the hell did you get them to fight?" Mandala had followed Xiao Yan's markers along with Qing Tan and now watched the chaotic battle with wide eyes.
"Shhh, don't ask too much. Just enjoy the show," Xiao Yan whispered, pulling out a pouch of spirit melon seeds. "Want some?"
"You're seriously snacking now?" Mandala was speechless.
Yet when she turned, she saw Qing Tan already popping seeds into her mouth with delight, seemingly forgetting about her injuries. Mandala sighed and reached for a handful as well. Thanks to Xiao Yan's soul power masking the area, they didn't need to worry about being overheard.
Mandala understood clearly—even if she wanted to play the fisherman in this situation, her strength wasn't enough to intervene. All she could do was wait for the dust to settle... and maybe scavenge some spoils.
After all, this was a battle between two dominant powers. A clash between two Earth Sovereigns. Watching closely might even help her comprehend the intricacies of that grade for her own breakthrough someday.
Lu Heng and the Ice Spirit Clan elder were both at the Earth Sovereign level, with Lu Heng being a recent breakthrough and slightly less refined. However, his physical body was that of a divine beast, giving him a natural edge. The Ice Spirit Clan's chilling spiritual energy, though, was nothing to scoff at, and so the two sides were deadlocked.
As the fight dragged on, both men grew more cautious. The strength the other displayed was clearly higher than expected. 'So he was holding back before…'
Realizing this, they both ramped up their efforts, pulling no punches. Neither knew who the other truly was, but they were now convinced that the opponent had come specifically to target them.
The Ice Spirit elder, having previously clashed with Xiao Yan and then pursued him across a long distance, was no longer at his peak. Lu Heng, too, had been abruptly interrupted during seclusion—his spiritual energy in turmoil. Both sides now aimed to end things swiftly.
This, of course, was exactly what Xiao Yan wanted.
If the battle dragged out, tempers might cool, and the two might begin to question things. Worse, they could realize they'd been manipulated and make peace. But now? If they fought to the brink of mutual injury, then enmity would be etched into their bones.
Though Xiao Yan no longer used such schemes as often, he had once been known as the Wrath Saint—master of manipulation, deception, and psychological warfare. Tricks like sowing discord and redirecting disasters were his bread and butter. And this? This was only the beginning.
Xiao Yan's plan wasn't to win a battle—it was to ignite a war.
(End of Chapter)
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