Chapter 23: A Warning
Within the void realm, black flames roared.
Suddenly, a strange, low laughter echoed.
"Jie jie~"
At the center of the void realm sat Hun Xuzi's true body, cross-legged and wrapped in ghostly black flames. A trace of excitement curled on his lips—something he could no longer suppress. The more he observed Yao Yan, the more he anticipated his future. He was truly curious: if all eight Dou Emperor bloodlines were fused into one body, could it be enough to shatter the bottleneck of the Dou Emperor realm?
The bloodline of a Dou Emperor was an extraordinary thing—it was the foundation inherited through countless generations by the emperor clans, and the source of their unmatched strength.
The boost it gave to cultivation talent was something outsiders couldn't even fathom.
To the rest of the world, reaching Dou King or Dou Emperor might mean becoming a regional overlord. But in the eyes of Dou Emperor clans, Dou King was just the beginning—just reaching "adulthood."
For core members with rich Dou Emperor blood, reaching Dou Venerate was essentially guaranteed. And for those with extremely pure bloodlines, as long as resources weren't lacking, Dou Saint wasn't a dream. In many cases, the path was smooth, with no bottlenecks.
Whoosh—
Suddenly, the endless black flames within the void surged violently, distorting and tearing at the space itself. But the chaos lasted only a moment. As a black-flame-shrouded figure emerged, everything calmed. Even the wild flames became docile.
It was none other than the true form of Void Devouring Flame. His abyssal eyes, capable of devouring all, locked coldly onto Hun Xuzi.
"You've been stirring too much trouble lately."
Void Devouring Flame was well aware of everything Hun Xuzi had done. After all, this void space was part of his Heavenly Flame, and the Soul Clan used it to travel across realms. That was how Hun Xuzi could use his communication jade to move between the Medicinal Realm and other territories.
And not just to the Medicinal Realm—the realms of every Dou Emperor clan were accessible through this place.
The Void Devouring Flame, born of the void, was not only known for its terrifying devouring power but also its mastery of space. It moved through dimensions like a fish through water. If not for this gift, it would never have escaped from the Tuo She Ancient Emperor's tomb.
And yet, few in the world even knew this secret—because Void Devouring Flame itself was already a Dou Saint.
Dou Sect experts could control space.
Dou Venerates could tear space and open passageways.
But Dou Saints could create realms of their own.
Of course, that level of mastery required centuries of preparation.
"Lord Void?!"
Hun Xuzi's expression shifted, his grin vanishing. He immediately rose and greeted him with respect.
Void Devouring Flame's gaze remained icy, his tone sharp and cold:
"Put your plans on hold. The Stone and Spirit Clans are already suspicious. If another clan gets involved, it'll draw too much attention. Don't let a minor matter ruin the bigger picture."
Previously, Hun Xuzi had only targeted minor branch family members—those with low bloodline density. None of the clans paid attention when those people went missing. After thousands of years of expansion, most clans had millions of descendants. Losing a few meant nothing.
But that didn't include core members, especially the ones with exceptionally pure blood.
And now? Hun Xuzi had kidnapped a genius from the Stone Clan, and worse, had silently refined an eight-star Dou Venerate from the Spirit Tribe. The consequences were serious—especially since the Spirit Tribe valued every Dou Venerate they had.
In today's world, where Dou Saints rarely appeared, Dou Venerates were absolute rulers. Killing one in secret? That would normally require a Dou Saint-level expert.
And even then, among Dou Saints, there was an unwritten rule: do not target the weak.
Hun Xuzi had clearly broken that taboo.
"I handled it cleanly," Hun Xuzi muttered, voice low and eyes shifty.
Void Devouring Flame's black flames grew denser. An invisible pressure crushed the flames of the void into submission. Staring coldly, he warned:
"Suspicions don't require evidence. Especially not now. I don't want any accidents. That comes directly from Soul Heavenly Emperor."
"I understand, Lord Void," Hun Xuzi replied, now drenched in cold sweat from the oppressive aura.
Void Devouring Flame eased the pressure and continued:
"I know what you're trying. You want to recreate Xiao Xuan's path through that boy. But that road is doomed to fail. Breaking through to Dou Emperor isn't something you can do with bloodlines. If it were, don't you think Soul Heavenly Emperor would have succeeded by now?"
A rare flicker of sarcasm crossed his cold face—mocking the fantasy of relying on bloodlines alone.
After all, Soul Heavenly Emperor had already tried it—with Void Devouring Flame's help, no less. He had devoured massive amounts of pure bloodline power, including that of all eight ancient clans. Yet in the end, it still wasn't enough.
That's why Soul Heavenly Emperor didn't stop Xiao Xuan from attempting the same thing. He watched calmly, even with amusement.
Letting your strongest rival drag their entire clan down a dead-end road—what could be better?
Only when the Xiao Clan, once the strongest, was wiped out did the Soul Clan truly rise to dominance.
Had the Xiao Clan remained, the Soul Clan wouldn't have dared act so brazenly—plotting against other clans or creating Soul Hall to harvest soul essence across the continent.
"…"
Hun Xuzi fell silent, as if doused with cold water. His obsession with Yao Yan had clouded his judgment.
Void Devouring Flame said flatly, "Give it up. That path doesn't work. Soul Heavenly Emperor has tried it all. The only hope left lies in the Tuo She Ancient Emperor's Tomb."
At the mention of that place, Void Devouring Flame's black fire flared violently. A strange rage burned in his chest—a reaction he still didn't understand. Every time he heard the name Tuo She Ancient Emperor, his emotions spiraled out of control.
Ever since he escaped that tomb, he'd felt like something was missing—an unfillable void inside.
Maybe that's why he kept urging Soul Heavenly Emperor to open the tomb.
Not just for the inheritance—
But to reclaim what he had lost.
Hun Xuzi nodded slowly. "Understood. I'll put the plan on hold for now. But the boy's talent is remarkable—especially in alchemy. He may reach Tier 9. He's worth cultivating. We may need him later."
"That's your problem."
Void Devouring Flame tossed the words casually, then dissolved into a wisp of black flame and vanished into the void.
Clearly, this peak-level powerhouse wasn't interested. A Tier 9 alchemist wouldn't change the grand scheme of their thousand-year plan. Everything was already nearing completion.
"Tuo She Ancient Emperor's Tomb…"
Hun Xuzi's eyes flickered. After a moment, he slowly closed them. But the name lingered in his mind.
He knew what lay within that tomb—a chance to become a Dou Emperor.
He even knew about the Emperor Grade Infant Pill inside.
But there was only one. No way to replicate it.
And who could resist the lure of becoming an Emperor?
…
Elsewhere—
Yao Yan knew none of this.
At that moment, he was cheerfully strolling out of Shennong City.
(END CHAPTER)
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