Xiao Yan gazed at the column of light enveloping him, his face filled with bewilderment. For some reason, he sensed an unusual ripple within his qi—something akin to encountering a kindred force, a relative from the same lineage. "It's heterogenous fire qi," he murmured after a moment of contemplation, his expression gradually clearing. His qi had been refined through the absorption and integration of numerous heterogenous fires by the Burned Decree, and this quality bore a subtle resemblance to that of the ancient emperor Tuo She. Given that the latter himself was composed of heterogenous fire, this sensation was far from implausible. "Xiao Yan," Ancient Yuan said, gazing at the luminous column surrounding him, his heart stirred with a sense of quiet melancholy. Before the legacy of the ancient emperor, even he could no longer remain composed. After all, he too had pursued this level for a millennium. Yet he also understood that it could not be forced—the ancient emperor’s legacy would choose its own heir, and clearly, they had been filtered out during that radiant selection process. Moreover, Xiao Yan was also his son-in-law; should he become a Supreme Battle Emperor, Ancient Yuan would not find it difficult to accept. Upon hearing this, the others expressed admiration, bowing respectfully to Xiao Yan and offering congratulations. While they expressed envy, their tone was predominantly filled with joy—regardless of who ultimately received the ancient emperor’s legacy, at least now they had the chance to stand alongside Hún Tian Emperor. Xiao Yan hesitated slightly, then nodded silently. Now he was more than clear about the situation—once the Heavenly Emperor successfully completed the final step of the Imperial-grade seed pill, the allied forces would face the most severe retaliation. Given the Hún clan's nature, they would not hesitate at all to slaughter the entire race. "Rest assured, I will do my utmost!" Xiao Yan bowed deeply to the group and spoke with solemnity. "Heh, as for the Hún clan and the Heavenly Emperor, we'll do our best to hold them off and hope to last until you break through the barrier." Yan Jin smiled. "I'd like to incorporate this plaza into the Heavenly Tomb. There, I might be able to gain a bit more time." After a moment of contemplation, Xiao Yan glanced around, then said. "The Heavenly Tomb, you say? Hmm, that's feasible—the time there flows more slowly than outside, which will certainly give you additional time." Gu Yuan nodded in agreement. "The sooner, the better. Let's act now. Xiao Yan was equally decisive and efficient. Once he had a plan, he merely swept his sleeve, and instantly a vast spatial rift appeared in the sky, spreading out and engulfing the entire plaza and the stone statues at once. "Uncle Gu, if our allied forces are defeated and we can no longer hold the battle, please crush this jade. I will immediately break through the defenses." Xiao Yan flicked his finger, and a soul jade fragment soared toward Gu Yuan. Receiving the jade fragment, Gu Yuan nodded. Such a scenario, though not unprecedented, was certainly possible. "I'll inform Xun'er and the others of what's happening..." Gu Yuan tucked the jade fragment away, then fixed his gaze on Xiao Yan, speaking softly, "Everything... depends on you." Lei Ying and the others also adopted a solemn demeanor, bowing respectfully to Xiao Yan. Should Xiao Yan succeed, the situation would reverse; but should he fail, every single one of them would face certain extinction. Gazing at the solemn faces before him, Xiao Yan took a deep breath. Indeed, he was a man of misfortune—only just rescued his father, and now another weight as immense as a mountain had settled upon his shoulders. Yet this time, he could not fail… With a quiet bow to the gathered crowd, Xiao Yan raised his gaze toward the vast luminous tripod soaring high in the heavens. At its center, a sea of blood surged, and faintly, the image of a figure seated in meditation seemed to shimmer within it. "Lord Hu, now it is up to us to see who will reach that threshold first!" Fixing his eyes on the blood sea, Xiao Yan suddenly turned and took a single step into the slowly healing spatial rift. Both his figure and the rift vanished instantly. Gu Yuan and the others watched as Xiao Yan's figure faded into the distance, their hands unconsciously tightening. Now, it was truly time to test their capabilities... "I hope we can hold on until Xiao Yan awakens," Gu Yuan murmured, then swiftly descended back into the hall. The others followed quickly, and soon, a series of well-ordered commands began to flow out, reactivating the vast allied army. Yet facing that boundless, endless energy, the figure's body seemed like an ever-deepening abyss, absorbing the vast surges—so powerful that even a Supreme Combatant could be obliterated—without a single sign of overflow. "Hmm?" The figure atop the Blood Lotus, whose eyes had been closed, suddenly opened them with a subtle awareness. The eyes now brimmed with blood, casting a chilling impression. "This surge…" The Soul Emperor's brow furrowed slightly. Just moments before, he had sensed a faint tremor in his heart, but when he tried to focus on it, the sensation had vanished. "Just a illusion? "The Spirit Emperor murmured to himself, the grand array enveloping the entire Central Province. Though he had already begun to integrate with the nascent Imperial-grade Dan, he still felt considerable pressure. Without the sustained efforts of the Qinghun Clan, the array would likely have shattered long ago. In this state of full concentration, he simply could not spare much of his mental focus to attend to subtle changes unfolding across the Central Province." "The orphans taken from the Spirit, Stone, and Herb clans will all be thrown into the Blood Pool. If that still isn't enough, even the orphans of our own clan will be thrown in. I need sufficient energy to complete the final step of the elixir's formation," the Spirit Emperor said indifferently. "Even our own clan's orphans?" Xin Wu Ti was startled. "That will surely draw strong opposition from the elders." "You should know how to handle the opposition," the Spirit Emperor smiled gently, as the Blood Lotus spun. His blood-colored eyes then settled on Xin Wu Ti, and he spoke softly, "You must understand that to successfully reach that level, I will make every sacrifice—every single one. Remember, it will be every sacrifice!" "If I fail, the Spirit Clan will inevitably be destroyed, and then you will find yourself in the same predicament." The black flames in Xin Wu Ti's eyes flickered, and he finally nodded. "Rest assured," he said, "as long as I succeed in reaching that level, I will do everything in my power to ensure you also achieve a breakthrough." The Huati Emperor smiled slightly, saying, "But you must also prepare for what came before." "Understood. Everything as you've said," replied Xuwu Tunyan, who then moved swiftly and vanished from the blood sea. Watching where Xuwu Tunyan had disappeared, the Huati Emperor finally smiled contentedly, a faint, eerie hue passing through his eyes. Xuwu Tunyan had been the very reason the Huan clan had endured thus far—this was of paramount importance to the entire clan. Indeed, many elders now regarded Xuwu Tunyan as the most vital figure within the Huan lineage. For as long as he remained, the clan would not falter due to issues of bloodline. In many hearts, even the Huati Emperor himself might not be considered as significant as Xuwu Tunyan. The Heavenly Spirit Emperor naturally noticed this situation, yet he had never spoken much about it—because he understood that, in the past, the Spirit Clan truly had relied on Void Devouring Flame. However... this reliance might soon vanish, and when that happened, Void Devouring Flame would no longer hold any value. "If I become a Battle Emperor, then I shall certainly need to refine a strong, essential inner flame," the Heavenly Spirit Emperor smiled gently. In his eyes, filled with blood, a coldness radiated. Then, the blood lotus spun, and his eyes slowly closed once more, beginning to absorb the vast energy forcibly drawn from the central plains. As the Heavenly Spirit Emperor turned around, a subtle black glimmer suddenly flickered across the blood sea—a small black flame that quietly extinguished within it. Such a scene—accomplished within less than a breath, amplified further by the concealed vast energy swirling in the sea of blood—would even elude the perception of the Spirit Emperor. ... In the Spirit Realm, the formless, nameless Void Devourer of Flame emerged from the space around, his expression cold as he gazed upon a massive pool of blood stretching some tens of thousands of li across the ground. Around the pool, figures were being continuously cast into it, their piercing, agonized cries filling the heavens and the earth. With a calm, detached gaze, the Void Devourer of Flame suddenly had his black flame flicker at his fingertip. Instantly, his body stiffened slightly, his fists gradually clenched, and a cold glint passed through his eyes.