The moment Han Feng defeated the Myriad Beast Spirit Flame, on another battlefield, some of the evil beasts that were originally attacking furiously suddenly had their auras decline.
The commanding general, seeing this, immediately organized the army to launch an attack.
The puppet troops held the front line, using their steel bodies to withstand the first wave of damage from the evil beasts.
The soldiers in the rear jointly used long-range weapons, shooting out energy arrows that pierced the evil beasts' cores. For a time, the Nanli military actually gained an advantage, pushing the evil beasts back several kilometers.
The general still didn't know what had happened, but he instinctively seized the opportunity to launch a powerful counterattack.
The tide of battle can turn in an instant. Sometimes, just a few minutes can decide the outcome of a war.
At this moment, the Empress, who was coordinating the battle from the rear, received intelligence on the changing situation on various battlefields. As she watched, a light shone in her phoenix eyes.
For the evil fire to disappear from so many battlefields all at once could not be an accident.
They had succeeded!
Even the Empress, who had always been calm and composed, couldn't help but clench her fists in excitement at this moment.
Thanks to the addition of Han Feng and Yao Tianhuo, she had resolved the evil fire crisis at almost no cost.
If Han Feng had not appeared, she might have had to dispatch another Dou Venerate expert, plus a sky-piercing puppet, to go deep into the hinterland to perform the mission.
But in that case, the pressure on the main battlefield would have doubled.
Now, the evil fire had been broken, and the main battlefield was gradually gaining the upper hand. Everything was changing for the better.
The dawn of victory seemed to have arrived.
——————————
Wenren Xuan's head was still a bit muddled.
He had been eroded just now, and the palm he had struck out was definitely with all his strength, even a bit stronger than usual. But in the end, Han Feng was completely fine.
Accidentally injuring a teammate made him feel very guilty, but his teammate's sympathetic gaze made him feel as if he had lost all face.
"Brother Han..."
Traces of tears remained on Wenren Xuan's face, and his eyes held a hint of unspeakable resentment.
A tough man crying. Han Feng didn't know what to say, so he patted Wenren Xuan on the shoulder.
"Don't be discouraged. Your potential is very strong. I have high hopes for you."
Wenren Xuan merely thought Han Feng was comforting him. He wiped his face and recovered.
"Brother Han, we have to leave this place as soon as possible. This evil fire has the ability to summon evil beasts."
If they were surrounded by the evil beasts of the Myriad Bone Cave, it would be difficult to escape.
Han Feng smiled, looked outside the cave, and said, "No hurry."
Yao Tianhuo limped over at this moment. "These old bones of mine really took a beating today. I almost didn't make it out."
The Myriad Beast Spirit Flame completely countered his techniques. Coupled with the contamination of the evil energy, it was already good that he wasn't defeated.
Fortunately, Han Feng had lent him the Fallen Heart Flame; otherwise, he really would have had no way to deal with the Myriad Beast Spirit Flame.
The three of them slowly walked out of the cave. At this time, the human puppet was still fighting with the seventh-tier evil beast.
This was the good thing about puppets: they were durable.
After fighting for so long, it hadn't been contaminated, because there was nothing to contaminate in the first place.
Han Feng snapped his fingers and personally controlled the human puppet. The puppet's pupils suddenly lit up, and it sent the seventh-tier evil beast flying with a charged punch.
"I don't see any evil beasts gathering, do you?" Yao Tianhuo looked around and said.
"Huh?" Wenren Xuan touched his head.
Logically, that shouldn't be the case. The source of the evil fire had been snatched away. The nearby evil beasts should have come over very quickly.
Han Feng clapped his hands. "If they didn't come, they didn't come. Maybe they were scared off by the commotion just now."
"Just now?" Wenren Xuan looked blank.
"Oh, right. You were unconscious just now."
Han Feng smiled and didn't explain further.
"Let's go. I have a more convenient way to go back."
Han Feng placed his hand on Wenren Xuan's shoulder. Yao Tianhuo also came over.
Together, the three of them passed through the spatial rift of the Void God Stele and appeared at the entrance of the Purple Shattered Ruins the next second.
"This..." Wenren Xuan was stunned again.
What a divine skill...
After passing through the entrance of the Purple Shattered Ruins, Han Feng and the others returned to the continent.
The soldiers who were strictly guarding the entrance immediately pointed their weapons at the three of them.
Wenren Xuan took out his token. Only after the soldiers had carefully inspected it did they let them pass.
"They're back so soon?"
The Empress was extremely surprised when she received the news.
They had just resolved the evil fire problem not long ago, and they were already out of the Purple Shattered Ruins. Could it be that the hiding place of the evil fire was near the entrance?
Han Feng and the others entered the military tent to wait. The Empress soon appeared.
Seeing the three of them looking calm and composed, a smile also appeared on the Empress's face.
"Congratulations on your triumphant return, you three."
Han Feng stood up and bowed, then took out the "evil fire."
"Your Majesty, this is the contaminated Heavenly Flame. Please use your means to purify it."
The Empress looked at the "evil fire source" Han Feng handed over and took it with a grave expression.
"What a rich and sinister energy."
The Empress estimated it for a moment and said to Han Feng, "It will probably take me ten days to purify it."
"Alright," Han Feng nodded.
"For the next few days, you all can rest well. The after-effects of entering the Purple Shattered Ruins are not small. Don't leave any hidden ailments," the Empress said.
She knew very well how dangerous it was to go deep into the Purple Shattered Ruins. The concentration of evil energy in the inner regions was much higher than in the outer perimeter.
Generally, soldiers who entered the Purple Shattered Ruins would come back and rest for a few days after experiencing a battle.
And that was indeed the case.
Even though Han Feng had helped Wenren Xuan force out the evil qi from his body, he still felt extremely tired.
The same was true for Yao Tianhuo. He had been severely injured in the battle with the Myriad Beast Spirit Flame.
Only Han Feng was in a slightly better condition.
But if he could rest, he would rest.
He would first adjust his state. Who knew what kind of changes would happen in the Purple Shattered Ruins in the next few days?
The three of them went to their respective tents to rest and meditate.
After experiencing the previous battle, the Dou Qi in Han Feng's body had improved further, and he already had the feeling of breaking through.
Han Feng seized the opportunity, concentrated on circulating the Flame Mantra, and condensed the Dou Qi in his body.
Five days passed in a flash.
In the tent, a faint cyan Dou Qi appeared on the surface of Han Feng's body. His meridians circulated for a full cycle. The surrounding energy suddenly gathered, then reached its limit and gently broke open.
Buzz!
The Dou Qi level on Han Feng's body successfully stepped into the next small level.
Six-star Dou Ancestor.
He had officially caught up with Wenren Xuan. The other party's last pitiful advantage had also been leveled by Han Feng, and he was completely left behind.
Han Feng was in a cheerful mood. He stood up and moved his muscles and joints.
Next, there was still the Myriad Beast Spirit Flame waiting for him.
After devouring this Heavenly Flame, his cultivation should be able to rise by a few more stars.
And the Flame Mantra could also evolve again.
The ability of the Myriad Beast Spirit Flame was very special, as he had preliminarily seen in the Purple Shattered Ruins.
Not only could it summon magical beasts, but it could also enslave their souls, extracting beast spirits for its own use.
Don't underestimate it just because it's ranked second to last on the Heavenly Flame Ranking.
That was only because the world didn't know its true power.
If used properly, one could become an army of one, equivalent to a first-class beast taming grandmaster.
Beast tamers were a relatively common, but not so popular, profession on the continent.
Han Feng also knew of a few famous beast taming sects, but the strength of their sect masters was mostly mediocre, mainly relying on the combat power of their magical beasts.
Some cultivators specialized in selling unhatched juvenile magical beasts. One could roughly deduce the potential of the magical beast based on its species and bloodline. After buying it, one could tame it from a young age, and when it grew up, one would have a powerful magical beast guardian.
But this process was extremely long, and the resources invested were even greater. One also had to guard against the risk of being devoured by the master.
Therefore, inventions such as beast taming rings and beast taming seals were created, which could improve the means of controlling magical beasts.
The "Soul-Controlling Needle" that Han Feng had used many times before was a similar move, but it had the disadvantage of not lasting long.
The Myriad Beast Spirit Flame was very powerful. Its ability could control magical beasts for a long time, and it was not a problem to control hundreds or even thousands of magical beasts at the same time.
If he had the Myriad Beast Spirit Flame, then his ability to explore the Beast Region would be greatly increased.
Because ordinary magical beasts would find it difficult to resist the burning of the Myriad Beast Spirit Flame. Of course, he also had to be careful not to be targeted by the magical beast families.
After a short period of seclusion, Han Feng came out of his tent. At this time, the barracks was much emptier, revealing a deserted atmosphere.
Han Feng found a soldier and asked for some news.
"Sir, a large number of evil beasts have suddenly appeared in the Purple Shattered Ruins. Most of the army has already been dispatched."
Han Feng nodded.
Even without the evil fire, the evil beasts in the Purple Shattered Ruins were still emerging in an endless stream, rushing towards the exit as if they didn't fear death.
Such a situation was not normal, unless there was a more powerful existence behind the scenes controlling everything.
Han Feng found Wenren Xuan. The other party had already recovered and had even started working.
"Brother Han, you're out."
"Mm."
Han Feng walked to Wenren Xuan's side and saw that he was dealing with military intelligence.
"How's the situation?"
"Not very optimistic. I only rested for two days, but when I came out, I found that the situation had completely changed."
Wenren Xuan's expression was slightly grave.
"When we came back, we still had the advantage. But after fighting for several days, the evil beasts have advanced instead of retreating. The empire's soldiers are almost unable to hold on."
Han Feng's expression was serious.
At this time, even if they couldn't hold on, they had to. Once they retreated, the evil beasts' attacks would only become crazier. In the end, it might even lead to the scene from the founding war, where the evil beasts reached Jade Pass City.
That would be a truly serious matter.
At least for now, the evil beasts had not yet broken through the entrance of the Purple Shattered Ruins.
"How is Her Majesty handling it?"
"She sent out the puppet troops, trying to launch a surprise attack on the high-tier evil beasts in the rear, but the effect was not significant."
Han Feng nodded.
The Empress wanted to find the enemy hidden deep in the Purple Shattered Ruins. Only by knowing their true face would they know who their target was.
Otherwise, it would be difficult to stop this war.
Han Feng had not originally wanted to get involved in too many battles, but in the current situation, he could no longer stand by and watch.
If he just took the Myriad Beast Spirit Flame and left, Han Feng himself would feel bad.
After learning the latest situation from Wenren Xuan, Han Feng sought out Yao Tianhuo.
The old man's face no longer had its usual liveliness; it was weighed down by the war.
In fact, they could just leave. No one would say anything.
Even the Empress would only be grateful for their merit in solving the evil fire incident.
"Elder Yao, I plan to stay and help."
Yao Tianhuo sighed.
"I knew you wouldn't stand by and watch."
Han Feng smiled. "What about you?"
"Of course I'll follow you. Didn't I promise you long ago?" Yao Tianhuo said straightforwardly.
"Alright then. Let's go all out this time," Han Feng said.
Yao Tianhuo stretched. A cold light flashed in his eyes.
"To be honest, I've never fought such a difficult battle. Do you have any idea how to win?"
Han Feng did not answer. In his heart, he really wasn't sure.
"There will always be a way to solve it. Don't worry. If there's really no other way, I'll take you and retreat. In short, we won't leave our lives here."
Yao Tianhuo thought of Han Feng's strange means of traversing space and nodded.
Han Feng's ability to escape was indeed first-class. Even he, a Dou Venerate, was far inferior.
"Speaking of which, have you prepared for devouring the Heavenly Flame? That Myriad Beast Spirit Flame is not like the Fallen Heart Flame. It's a real eighth-tier."
Han Feng's own cultivation hadn't even reached Dou Venerate, yet he wanted to devour a Dou Venerate-level Heavenly Flame. The danger involved was far higher than when he devoured the Dou Ancestor-level Fallen Heart Flame during his Dou Emperor stage.
"Naturally, I have made preparations."
The Myriad Beast Spirit Flame was a goal Han Feng had set when he came out of the Heavenly Mountain Blood Pool. After such a long time, how could Han Feng not be prepared?
It was just that he didn't know the true strength of the Myriad Beast Spirit Flame before, but now he did.
To refine a Myriad Beast Spirit Flame of this level, a seventh-grade high-level pill was the minimum, and an eighth-grade one would be even better.
During the time Han Feng was cultivating in seclusion in the Medicine Saint Valley, besides the Bone Generating and Blood Fusing Pill he refined for Yao Tianhuo, he also refined an auxiliary pill for himself.
The Nine Spirits Profound Scolding Pill.
It was an eighth-grade, four-colored Pill Lightning pill refined from nine different attributes of seventh-grade spirit medicines. Its effect was magical. It could assist the body in refining heterogeneous energy, allowing for perfect absorption and reducing the consumption from dissipation.
If taken with other spiritual objects when breaking through a level, there was a high probability of breaking through the checkpoint and going a step further.
This was a precious pill that was useful even to Dou Venerate experts. Han Feng planned to use it to help him refine the Myriad Beast Spirit Flame.
"That's good. Refining different Heavenly Flames is something only you can succeed at," Yao Tianhuo said with an envious tone.
Han Feng looked at the Flame Mantra Dou Qi that appeared in his palm and clenched his fist.
He would definitely succeed.
After aligning with Yao Tianhuo, Han Feng returned to his room and began to further cultivate the Dou Skill "Heaven Origin Finger."
He planned to use the last five days to complete the tempering of his fifth finger and reach the realm of five fingers as one.
If he could unleash the Universe Domain, Han Feng's room for manoeuvre would be much greater.
Within the Universe Domain, the enemy's strength would be greatly weakened. Given Han Feng's current six-star Dou Ancestor level, his advantage would be greatly increased when facing a Dou Venerate.
Five days passed in a flash.
The battle in the Purple Shattered Ruins became more and more intense. The puppet army was replaced batch after batch, and there were few left that could be used.
And the mastermind behind the Purple Shattered Ruins had yet to surface.
If this continued, the Nanli Empire would undoubtedly lose!
In the main tent, the phoenix-shaped flame in the Empress's hand continuously purified the evil qi in the Myriad Beast Spirit Flame.
The source of the Myriad Beast Spirit Flame became more and more translucent, and its color became more vivid.
Finally, the last trace of evil qi dissipated, and this Heavenly Flame returned to normal.
The Empress looked at the extremely precious Heavenly Flame in her hand, her eyes not wavering in the slightest.
She wrapped it in her Dou Qi, and then personally went to Han Feng's tent.
"Han Feng, may I come in?"
"Your Majesty?"
Han Feng was taken aback and stood up to greet her.
The Empress slowly walked into the tent, her demeanor gentle. She held the source of the Myriad Beast Spirit Flame in her hand and handed it to Han Feng.
"Han Feng, your request, I have fulfilled it."