Upon hearing this, a stir arose in Chen Ping’s heart. He asked, “Heavenly Fire Sword Venerable, could this chaotic origin fire exist in more than one place?”
Ling Yan looked at Chen Ping and nodded. “Since Dao Friend Chen bears the chaotic fire seed, there is no harm in telling you. According to what my eldest senior brother Li Jin said years ago, when heaven and earth first opened and the primordial chaos separated, there was a supreme mass of ‘chaotic origin fire’ that exploded. Its fragments scattered across the myriad heavens and realms, turning into countless flame origins.”
“My eldest senior brother said that a mere spark left here back then formed the core of this Departing Fire Secret Realm.”
“The true, complete chaotic origin fire perhaps… exists only in the legendary place of origin.”
A mere spark… had created the Departing Fire Secret Realm, containing such vast flame origins and laws. It had greatly increased his strength, allowing breakthrough to the ninth-grade peak of the Human Immortal realm and even condensing the prototype of a chaotic fire lotus!
Chen Ping was deeply shocked.
If he could truly find a larger fragment, or even… that legendary complete origin fire…
A strong desire for exploration and the craving to grow stronger quietly rose in his heart.
Though Ling Shuang was reluctant to part with her master, she understood this was his choice on the path of dao. With tears in her eyes, she heavily kowtowed three times to Ling Yan. “Master, take care! This disciple… this disciple will miss you! I wish Master soon finds opportunity and achieves the great dao!”
Ling Yan helped Ling Shuang up, glanced at Chen Ping again, nodded, and said no more. His figure turned into a crimson sword light, soaring into the sky. It directly tore through the secret realm space and vanished into the vast void, destination unknown.
Ling Shuang gazed in the direction her master disappeared, standing there for a long time.
Only after a while did she gather her emotions and say to Chen Ping, “Senior Chen, I should return to the sect now. For Senior’s grace in saving lives and protecting the sect, Ling Shuang will never forget. If Senior has leisure in the future, you are welcome anytime as a guest at the Xuantian Sword Sect.”
Chen Ping nodded. “Miss Ling, take care on your journey.”
Ling Shuang bid farewell to Lie Tian and the others, then led the Xuantian Sword Sect disciples away from the Departing Fire Secret Realm.
Soon, Lie Tian also organised the remnants of the Myriad Beasts Gate. He solemnly took leave of Chen Ping, full of hope and fighting spirit, setting out towards the Myriad Beasts Mountain Range.
In the blink of an eye, the Departing Fire Secret Realm, which had been lively for a time, was left with only Chen Ping.
He stood atop a crystal flame mountain, overlooking this world changed because of him.
The chaotic fire lotus slowly rotated in his dantian, faintly resonating with the remaining fire origins of the secret realm.
“Myriad Souls Demon Sect… Soul Devouring Venerable…”
A cold light flashed in Chen Ping’s eyes. “It is time to settle this once and for all.”
He did not choose to help Lie Tian reorganise the Myriad Beasts Gate, nor to visit the Xuantian Sword Sect as a guest.
His goal was clear and direct: strike at the heart, slay Soul Devouring Venerable, and completely eliminate this lingering threat that had entangled him since the Sixth Heaven!
At the same time, he wanted to see if the Myriad Souls Demon Sect, as a top demonic force in the Tenth Heaven, hid anything about chaotic origin fire or other valuable items in its lair.
Without further hesitation, Chen Ping moved. His figure became a chaotic streak, rushing out of the Departing Fire Secret Realm towards the deepest part of the Scarlet Blood Plains, the direction of the Myriad Souls Demon Sect’s main altar!
…
Deep in the Scarlet Blood Plains, the Myriad Souls Demon Sect’s main altar.
This place was even more sinister and terrifying than the rest of the Scarlet Blood Plains.
Dense black demonic qi, almost substantial, shrouded it year-round, forming a massive swirling vortex of demonic clouds that never ceased.
The ground was dark red, as if soaked in countless blood. Everywhere, pale white skeletons piled into mountains, some from demonic beasts, some humanoid, emitting thick death and resentment.
Hideous buildings constructed from skeletons, black stone, and demonic iron stood among them, twisted and bizarre in form, like clawing and fanged demonic creatures.
The air was filled with bloody stench, decay, and pure yet tainted demonic qi. Ordinary cultivators staying here long would have their temperament affected, even falling into deviation.
At this moment, in the deepest part of the sect’s main altar, inside the tallest “Myriad Souls Hall” entirely forged from some pitch-black “nether demonic iron,” the atmosphere was oppressively heavy.
Hun Sha knelt prostrate on the cold floor, trembling all over, tears and snot streaming as he cried out hoarsely.
“Venerable lord! You must uphold justice for me! That little beast Chen Ping somehow obtained some evil opportunity. His strength exploded. He is simply inhuman!”
“With one sword, he slew the supreme elder Ghost Bone! That was the seventh-grade peak of the Heavenly Immortal realm!”
“Our sect’s elite elders and disciples suffered countless deaths and injuries. Less than one in ten survived!”
“The Fused Beast Holy Sect was also crushed by him. Zheng Gu was captured, life or death unknown!”
“This scoundrel even uttered arrogant words, telling you… telling you to wash your neck clean and wait! Venerable lord, if this vengeance is not avenged, how can our Myriad Souls Demon Sect stand in the Tenth Heaven?”
“I… I am truly unwilling!”
Above, on the Myriad Souls Throne condensed from countless painfully twisted souls, a blurry figure sat quietly.
He was entirely shrouded in a wide black robe that seemed to swallow light. His face could not be seen clearly. Only two deep abyss-like red glows faintly flickered in the shadow of his hood.
It was none other than Soul Devouring Venerable, who had fled here from the Ninth Heaven, lurking to heal!
Listening to Hun Sha’s exaggerated, fear- and venom-filled wails, the two red glows of Soul Devouring Venerable fluctuated slightly.
Then, a low, hoarse voice, as if countless soul fragments scraping together, echoed faintly in the hall.
“Oh? Seventh-grade peak of the Heavenly Immortal realm, slain by him with one sword?”
The voice revealed no joy or anger, yet it sent a chill through Hun Sha’s very soul.
“Y-yes, venerable lord! Absolutely true! I saw it with my own eyes! That Chen Ping’s sword qi… incredibly strange, as if it could devour everything. Even the supreme elder’s nether bone shield and death laws could not block it!”
Hun Sha hurriedly replied.
Soul Devouring Venerable fell silent.
The two red glows flickered faintly, as if digesting this information and assessing something.
Starting from the Sixth Heaven, this boy named Chen Ping had been like a persistent plaster he could not shake off. Clearly low in cultivation, yet always causing him trouble.
In the Ninth Heaven, he had even ruined his plan to break free, forcing him to abandon part of his recovered power and flee in panic to this Tenth Heaven.
He had thought he could recover in peace here, slowly scheming with the Myriad Souls Demon Sect’s help. Unexpectedly, this kid was like a haunting ghost, chasing him here!
And his strength had risen so rapidly!
Seventh-grade peak Heavenly Immortal… Though in his view, someone like Old Man Ghost Bone, piled up through endless years with exhausted potential, was worthless at that peak, to slay him with one sword while only in the Human Immortal realm—this combat power indeed exceeded his expectations somewhat.
