The gaze of the Li Fire Demon Lord, Li Jin, finally shifted away from Ling Yan and landed on Chen Ping.
When his divine sense swept through Chen Ping’s body, those indifferent eyes suddenly sharpened like blades, and a chilling wave of anger and killing intent erupted fiercely.
“Chaos Fire Seed?!”
Li Jin’s voice was like ten-thousand-year-old ice, locking dead onto Chen Ping. “Boy! Why is there the aura of the Chaos Fire Seed in your body?!”
“Moreover… this aura shares the same origin as the fragment of source fire I left in the Li Fire Secret Realm! Speak! Did you enter the Li Fire Secret Realm and absorb the Chaos Source Fire there?!”
The terrifying pressure of the Demon Lord bore down on Chen Ping like a mountain, nearly shattering his already severely injured body and making even breathing difficult.
Seeing this, Ling Yan felt a pang in his heart. He quickly stepped forward and braced himself to explain. “Eldest Senior Brother, calm your anger! This matter… this matter is my fault as your junior brother. It was I… I saw that he possessed an extraordinary affinity with fire and had helped our Sword Sect resist the demonic calamity, so I… so I allowed him to enter the Li Fire Secret Realm to heal and seek refuge.”
“I never expected that he would actually be able to trigger and absorb the Chaos Source Fire fragment at the core of the secret realm…”
“Nonsense!”
Li Jin interrupted harshly, his gaze shooting towards Ling Yan like lightning. “Do you realise that Chaos Source Fire fragment was obtained by me through countless life-and-death trials in my early years? I left it in the secret realm to nourish the land, to suppress the earth’s veins, and as proof of my own Dao path!”
“You dared to let an outsider enter without permission and even allowed him to absorb the source fire?! Ling Yan, you have truly disappointed me!”
Ling Yan lowered his head, not daring to argue.
Li Jin turned back to Chen Ping, the killing intent in his eyes almost solidifying into substance. “A mere ant in the Human Immortal realm dares to covet this lord’s possession!”
“Hand over the essence of the Chaos Fire Seed, and this lord might spare your corpse! Otherwise, I will ensure your soul scatters and you never reincarnate!”
With those words, he reached out directly. A flaming demonic claw burning with pitch-black demonic flames, seemingly capable of seizing stars, shot towards Chen Ping, intending to rip him open on the spot and extract the Chaos Fire Seed!
“Li Jin! Stop!”
At that moment, the Fire Spirit Star Lord, Huo Ling, who had remained silent until now, suddenly spoke.
He stepped forward, placing himself between Li Jin and Chen Ping. Gentle white flames rose around his body, forming a stark contrast with Li Jin’s pitch-black demonic flames, yet equally vast and boundless.
“Although this person absorbed the source fire fragment, being able to trigger and refine the Chaos Fire Seed is his own opportunity and fortune.”
“The Chaos Source Fire originally belongs to no one. It goes to those who are fated. Since you left it in the secret realm without setting any prohibition against inheritance, you implicitly acknowledged the existence of such fortune.”
“Now forcibly seizing it, is that the conduct of people like us?” Huo Ling’s voice was calm, yet carried an undeniable truth.
Li Jin frowned, a flash of impatience and anger crossing his crimson eyes. “Huo Ling! You are opposing this lord again? This boy absorbed my source fire fragment. This lord is simply reclaiming what belongs to him. It is perfectly justified!”
“Where is the talk of forcible seizure coming from? Step aside quickly, or do not blame this lord for disregarding our sect brotherhood!”
“Sect brotherhood?”
Huo Ling shook his head lightly, a trace of disappointment in his eyes. “Li Jin, your heart only holds your demonic path and your domineering ways. When have you ever truly cared about sect brotherhood?”
“This boy bears the Chaos Fire Seed. Perhaps he is connected to the ‘Chaos Fire Dao’ that our master once sought. For your own selfish reasons, you would cut off such a rare opportunity. How could I stand by and watch?”
“Hmph! Those on different paths cannot walk together! Since that is the case, let us settle it with strength!”
“Let this lord see whether, after all these years, your ‘Fire Spirit Immortal Art’ can still withstand this lord’s ‘Li Fire Demonic Technique’!”
Li Jin’s anger burned even fiercer, demonic flames surging around him!
The Fire Spirit Star Lord also sighed, his pure white sacred flames blazing brightly. “Since that is your wish, so be it. This place is not suitable for battle, lest it affects the living beings of this realm.”
“Li Jin, do you dare to follow me to the ‘Endless Fire Domain’ for a contest?”
“Why would I not dare! Let’s go!” Li Jin showed no weakness.
The two exchanged a glance, then tore open space at the same time. They transformed into a black and a white streak of dazzling flame light, vanishing instantly into the void rift.
Only the lingering, terrifying fire Dao resonance that disrupted even the laws of heaven and earth remained, proving the descent of these two supreme beings moments ago.
They had actually… gone to fight in another world?
Leaving the mess here completely behind!
This sudden turn of events left everyone present stunned.
The Soul Devourer first appeared shocked, then his face broke into a wild, triumphant, and utterly smug smile!
The two greatest variables and threats had left this realm directly!
It was truly heaven helping him!
He slowly turned his head, looking once more at Chen Ping, who was bound by chains, gravely injured and on the verge of death, his face still showing a trace of bewilderment and astonishment. The mocking cruelty in those two red glows almost overflowed.
“Tsk tsk tsk, boy, did you see that?”
The Soul Devourer’s voice was filled with schadenfreude and the superiority of a victor. “Even the Li Fire Demon Lord wanted to kill you and take the fire. The Fire Spirit Star Lord merely used you as an excuse to oppose his senior brother.”
“Now, they have fled. Who else can save you?”
His gaze swept towards the nearby Heavenly Fire Sword Venerable Ling Yan, whose expression was grim and who remained silent.
“Heavenly Fire Sword Venerable, your eldest senior brother told you not to interfere in idle matters, and your second senior brother has also left. Are you still going to get involved?”
The Soul Devourer’s tone was full of provocation.
Ling Yan gripped his crimson long sword tightly, his knuckles turning white from the force.
He looked at the gravely injured and dying Chen Ping, then recalled his eldest senior brother Li Jin’s cold and merciless command, as well as the subtle glance from his second senior brother Huo Ling before departing, which left the decision to him. His heart was filled with struggle and bitterness.
Finally, under the Soul Devourer’s oppressive gaze, Ling Yan slowly loosened his grip on the sword. The struggle in his eyes turned into a deep sigh of helplessness.
Towards Chen Ping, he gave an extremely slight, almost imperceptible shake of the head.
Then, he no longer looked at Chen Ping, nor at the Soul Devourer. His figure turned into a streak of crimson sword light, soaring into the sky and disappearing into the horizon in the blink of an eye.
He… had also left.
The final hope was utterly extinguished.
