A faint mist enveloped this peculiar realm, rendering the entire space hazy and veiled. The realm was utterly silent, as if it had remained so for tens of thousands of years. Within this boundless expanse, a land floated freely, suspended without any apparent support, much like a palace in the sky. At Xiang Yin's side, Xun'er and Cai Lin, along with others, swiftly materialized, their eyes alert as they gazed upon this strange space. As one after another figures appeared, the stronger members of both sides quickly separated and positioned themselves, maintaining vigilance, ready to fend off any sudden attacks. "Don't hesitate—move!" Vu Niu Tan glanced at Gu Yuan and the others before shifting his gaze to the space, his eyes displaying subtle fluctuations. Then, in a low voice, he urged, and immediately took the lead, streaking toward the distance. Behind him, the Huan Tian Emperor and the Huan clan's elite hurried to follow. "Vu Niu Tan actually knows the way?" Gu Yuan was surprised to see this. Even he, who had arrived here, had been somewhat restrained, unable to pinpoint the location of the Imperial-grade embryonic pills at first. Yet here was Vu Niu Tan, acting as if he were a seasoned traveler, fully aware of the path. "Vu Niu Tan?" Zhu Kun was momentarily stunned, then nodded thoughtfully. "If he knows, it's no surprise. Let's follow them!" As soon as the words were out, Zhu Kun said nothing further and immediately took the lead, charging forward. After a brief hesitation, Gu Yuan and the others quickly followed suit. The two groups surged across the vast, boundless land, moving like a streak of meteor rain, swiftly slicing through the sky. This relentless pace continued for nearly a dozen minutes until the vanguard—Wu Wu Tunyan and the others—gradually began to slow down. At that moment, Gu Yuan, Xiao Yan, and the others swiftly closed the distance and came to a halt before an ancient stone pavilion rising prominently on the expansive plain. In their eyes, a warm glow shimmered. The stone pavilion stood still and serene upon the endless plain, radiating an ancient aura that rippled through the heavens and echoed throughout the realm. Before the Stone Hall stood an immense plaza. On either side of the plaza rose towering pillars, each stretching thousands of paces into the sky, exuding a majestic and overwhelming presence. Xiao Yan and his companions carefully descended upon the plaza, their footsteps on the stone making a soft, quiet rustling sound. The two groups maintained a distance, taking up positions on either side and advancing cautiously along the plaza. The plaza was extraordinarily vast; as they walked, they moved through it like ants traversing a desert, unable to see the horizon. Yet, nearly all present were among the very elite of the Qi Continent, possessing the requisite composure and resilience. Thus, no one stirred or spoke, each person filled with a sense of reverence in this place that seemed like a divine marvel. "Hm?" As Xiang Yan walked, his steps suddenly halted. He turned his head and looked at a stone pillar not far ahead. There, a deep yellow flame was rising—something he recognized instantly. This was indeed an unusual fire, and if his judgment was correct, it was the twenty-third-ranked flame on the Unusual Fire List: the Xuan Huang Fire. "How could this unusual fire be so weak?" However, just as he voiced his thought, his brows furrowed. Though it was indeed the Xuan Huang Fire, it appeared remarkably feeble—so weak that it seemed as though all the strength inherent in the original unusual fire had been completely drained. "Shh!" As Xiang Yan remained puzzled, a flame suddenly coalesced on his shoulder, and Xiao Yi materialized before him. Gazing at the quiet plaza, she suddenly displayed a look of bewilderment. "This place... feels so familiar." "Hearing Xiao Yi's soft words, Xiao Yan's steps suddenly halted. He turned his head, eyes wide with astonishment, gazing at her—familiar? Here was the Ancient Emperor's abode; who could possibly feel familiar with it? 'What's going on?' Xiao Yan's eyes flashed rapidly as he mentally sent the question directly into Xiao Yi's mind. 'I don't know... I just feel that something about this place is familiar, as if... I've been here before.' Xiao Yi replied, looking puzzled. Xiao Yan's expression shifted constantly. How could he have come here? It was impossible! The Ancient Emperor's abode had never been opened before—no one had ever heard of its opening prior to this. When he heard Xiao Yi say she felt as though she had been here before, his first thought was that it seemed absurd. Yet, then he recalled that, due to their shared spiritual connection, Xiao Yi could not possibly be lying to him." Thus, what the young Yi said was very likely true—though he himself did not understand why Yi felt so familiar with this place. Xiang Yan furrowed his brows, stepping in step with the others. The rest had also noticed the unusual flames on the stone pillars, but since the flames ranked relatively low on the list, no one paid them much attention. However, just as they advanced less than a hundred paces, another towering stone pillar appeared, bearing a flame rising from its surface! "Ten-Thousand-Beast Spirit Flame, ranked twenty-second on the Unusual Flame List," Xiang Yan murmured, gazing at the red flame that subtly took on the form of a thousand beasts as it rose. He exhaled slowly, his eyes flashing, then turned his gaze toward the ahead, quickening his pace significantly. Seeing this, Gu Yuan and the others promptly followed suit. After advancing another hundred paces, the stone pillars continued to emerge, each bearing a distinct type of unusual flame. However, these flames were not particularly powerful, appearing merely decorative. Yet, Xiao Yan, who was well-versed in unusual flames, understood that these flames were no mere illusions—they were genuine, authentic unusual flames. Xiao Yan urged forward, then swiftly quickened his pace, and the group hurried to keep up. As their steps grew faster, towering stone pillars emerged one after another, each bearing the unique flames ranked on the Unusual Fire List. Among these flames, Xiao Yan recognized several he was familiar with—Qinglian Earth Heart Flame, Fallen Heart Flame, Hai Heart Flame, Bone Spirit Cold Flame, and others. "Indeed, I didn't expect the Tu She Ancient Emperor to have such a deep passion for collecting unusual flames," Ancient Yuan remarked, his voice filled with admiration, upon seeing the Eighth-Wide Annihilation Flame, ranked sixth on the list. "But I wonder whether the legendary flames ranked among the top three on the Unusual Fire List are also present here?" "In fact, Inji also nodded, suddenly turning his gaze to Xiao Yan's small Yi on his shoulder and to the distant, formless Yin-Devouring Flame. Though rare, celestial flames were not unique to this one; however, the top three ranked flames on the Celestial Flame List did not belong to this category. Generally speaking, once the Pure Lotus Demon Flame and the Yin-Devouring Flame existed in the world, no second one could ever emerge. Now, the Pure Lotus Demon Flame and the Yin-Devouring Flame—one in Xiao Yan's hands, the other having taken human form to assist the Huan Clan—were both present. So, he found himself wondering: could the Tuoshe Ancient Emperor possibly secure another Pure Lotus Demon Flame and another Yin-Devouring Flame? 'Let's go!' The sentiment shared by Inji was clearly not unique to him; even the Huan Clan, after exchanging glances, swiftly accelerated their pace. The two groups swiftly raced across the vast plaza. After a while, all of them suddenly came to a complete halt." At this moment, the square was gradually reaching its end. After the fourth-ranked Jin Di Burn-Heaven Flame appeared, two towering stone pillars suddenly came into view. Gazing at these particularly massive pillars, everyone immediately turned their attention to the tops of the pillars. Yet this time, no flames rose from them. Unusually, the tops of the pillars remained completely empty—neither the envisioned pure lotus spirit flame nor the ethereal flame that devours fire appeared. This meant that among the treasures of the Tuoshe Ancient Emperor's collection, neither of these two rare flames seemed to exist! Upon seeing this, the crowd sighed lightly, as though a little disappointed. "These are the final two pillars," Ancient Yuan said, gazing toward the far end of the square beyond them. "It seems that even the legendary first-ranked flame on the Heterogeneous Flame Ranking, which the Tuoshe Ancient Emperor is said to have possessed, has eluded him." Xiao Yan didn't speak. His gaze was fixed steadily on the two empty stone pillars, his hands slowly caressing Little Yi on his shoulder. Suddenly, he recalled Little Yi's sense of familiarity she had mentioned—her feeling of something intangible, as if the old horse named Lao Ma knew the way through the void. He touched the pure lotus divine flame on his palm and then looked at the one who seemed to be absorbing the void, only to find that Lao Ma was equally puzzled, staring at the final stone pillar, his expression oddly strange. Observing Lao Ma's peculiar demeanor, a thought that sent a slight chill down Xiao Yan's spine slowly emerged in his mind.