The Flame King soared into the sky, his entire body engulfed in golden flames, like a phoenix reborn from the ashes, exuding an overwhelming aura.
As he ascended, countless chains of law appeared in the sky, accompanied by dark clouds, lightning, and thunder!
"Stop him!"
Ye Lingshuang pointed downward with her right hand. Instantly, the power of the twilight gathered, forming a vast sky that descended to suppress him.
"Go!"
"Suppress him!"
Jin Zhi, the Sun Devouring Emperor, King of Burial Grounds, and Chu Zhongtian all made their moves, sending four massive skies crashing down on him.
"Break it!"
The Flame King's eyes shot out a sharp light. He stretched out his right hand and pressed it forward fiercely.
"Boom!"
The first sky shattered instantly, but then the other four fell down upon him, pressing his body downward rapidly.
"Flame King, we'll help you!"
At this moment, eight elders from the Phoenix Clan rushed over, their powerful auras surging as they charged at Qin Chuan's group of six.
"Brother Qin, what do we do?"
Ye Lingshuang asked anxiously. If the eight old monsters managed to hold them off, Qin Zi would be doomed.
"You all protect Zi'er, leave these eight old monsters to me," Qin Chuan said with a slight smile before stepping forward.
"Boom!"
As he stepped forward, infinite light burst out from beneath his feet. It was as if he stood on the wind itself, his clothes and hair fluttering upward, and a boundless, overwhelming aura spread out around him.
"This aura!"
"So powerful!!"
Everyone was stunned. The aura Qin Chuan was releasing was far too strong, even surpassing that of the Human King by a few degrees!
"This, this is impossible!!"
The eight elders of the Phoenix Clan cried out in horror. As they rushed forward, they suddenly stopped in midair, their momentum faltering.
"Don't be afraid. Even the strongest man can't fight eight at once!"
The black-robed elder said coldly. The eight quickly steadied their minds and resumed their charge toward Qin Chuan.
"Kill!"
"Boom, boom, boom!"
All eight were supreme powerhouses, their strength capable of shaking the heavens and the earth. As they attacked in unison, it was like a force that could annihilate even gods.
Their power was so immense that the space in front of them instantly shattered, turning into a dark void, and the violent energy surged through the void, spreading out to destroy everything in its path.
"Crack!"
The space around Qin Chuan shattered, and his body fell into the dark void. Yet, he remained composed, floating quietly there as if the broken space was just a change of background for him.
"World-Destroying Finger!"
"Heaven-Shattering Fist!"
"Flame God's Calamity!"
The eight attacked as if their strikes traversed time and space, landing on Qin Chuan almost simultaneously.
But in the next moment, a terrifying scene unfolded. Each of the attacks that landed on Qin Chuan could not harm him in the slightest. They merely produced a series of "clang, clang" sounds, as if striking indestructible steel.
"This is impossible!"
"How can your body be this strong? There is no physique in existence that can withstand the power of a supreme powerhouse!"
The eight elders of the Phoenix Clan were horrified. As supreme powerhouses, they were the pinnacle manifestation of the heavens and the laws of the universe. Their strength came from the Dao, making their bodies insignificant compared to their power.
In other words, their cultivation could ascend to the heavens, while their physical bodies were mere dispensable vessels.
How could someone's body withstand the full-force attacks of the Dao from supreme powerhouses?
It defied all logic!
"How ignorant."
Qin Chuan smirked. Suddenly, his body swelled, transforming into a towering giant. With a swift motion of his right hand, he swung at the eight of them.
"Boom!"
His massive white sleeve swept over them like dust being brushed off a table, slamming into their bodies.
"Bang, bang, bang, bang!"
"Ah!!"
The eight were instantly struck, their bodies covered in cracks as they spat out blood, thrown backward in utter defeat.
But they were still supreme powerhouses. After being hurled back a great distance, they steadied themselves. Chains of multi-colored laws appeared behind them, like a spider's web, catching them. Endless energy surged toward them, quickly healing their injuries.
"Who the hell are you?! No supreme powerhouse should have such a powerful body. This is forbidden by the heavens!" one of the Phoenix Clan elders shouted in disbelief.
Qin Chuan's lips curled into a cryptic smile as he said, "Have you ever heard of... the Calabash Brothers?"
"Hmm??"
Everyone furrowed their brows, confused. Even the supreme powerhouses of Xuanhuang Tian were puzzled.
Qin Chuan silently observed the confusion on their faces, confirming that none of the Xuanhuang Tian powerhouses knew about the calabash vine.
Perhaps that seven-colored calabash seed had never appeared before, or at least, no one had ever grown seven strange calabashes from it.
"If you don't know, never mind."
Qin Chuan glanced at the eight confused elders, then looked into the distance and said with a smile, "You all should stop trying to kill my son. If you don't return now, your Phoenix Clan might be wiped out."
"What?!"
At the sound of these words, the eight elders were struck by a sudden sense of dread, as if their intuition had been triggered.
Supreme powerhouses had a sense of intuition that could foretell calamity or fortune. This sense could be obscured but could also be stirred by external forces.
"Something's wrong in the clan!"
The elders quickly tried to calculate what was happening but came up with nothing. For supreme powerhouses, however, being unable to divine something was the biggest sign of danger!
Someone was clearly obscuring the heavenly secrets!
"Let's go!"
For these eight, nothing was more important than the survival of their clan. Without hesitation, they decided to leave.
But Qin Chuan blocked their path.
"What do you mean by this?"
One of the elders gritted his teeth and asked.
Qin Chuan replied calmly, "You came here, all high and mighty, intending to kill my son. And now you think you can leave just like that?"
"What do you want?"
The eight's faces twitched in frustration, their impatience growing as they glared at Qin Chuan, ready to negotiate.
Qin Chuan said evenly, "I understand why you want to kill my son, and I sympathize with your concerns for your clan. But from my perspective, if you intend to harm my son, you'll have to pay a price!"
"You know?" The eight elders' expressions shifted, unsure whether to believe him.
"I know."
Qin Chuan's tone remained steady.
The eight stared at him for a moment, their expressions becoming more serious. One of them finally asked, "What price must we pay?"
Qin Chuan smiled. "It's simple. Promise never to hunt my son again, and give him an opportunity. Then I will let you go... If you refuse, your Phoenix Clan will be wiped out today."
The eight exchanged pained glances before finally gritting their teeth and nodding.
Each elder separated a glowing orb from their bodies and sent it into Qin Zi's body, after which their forms quickly faded and disappeared.
"Father, what was that?!" Qin Zi asked excitedly.
"That was the essence of supreme powerhouses. Although it wasn't much, the insights and power within will greatly benefit you. If you're lucky, you might even comprehend their Dao and pave the way to becoming a supreme powerhouse yourself."
Qin Chuan smiled as he explained.
"Whoa!"
Qin Zi gasped, inhaling sharply.
Meanwhile, fierce combat was still ongoing on the other side. Jin Zhi and Chu Zhongtian were attacking the Flame King together, their terrifying power shaking the heavens and shattering the laws of the universe.
"Boom! Boom!"
All three were powerhouses of the same level. However, two against one quickly overwhelmed the Flame King, and he was preparing to flee.
At this moment, Qin Chuan made his move.
"Whoosh!"
With a sweep of his sleeve, his snow-white robe surged like a river of stars, enveloping the Flame King and pulling him in.
"Break free!!"
The Flame King roared, unleashing a terrifying amount of energy, but it was clear that he couldn't escape.
In the end, he gave up.
"Hmph, I've lost today. You've won. Do as you please—kill me or whatever!" the Flame King snorted and turned his head, holding onto the last shreds of his pride. After all, once a person has been humiliated, even a powerful figure is reduced to a mere mortal.
"I won't kill you," Qin Chuan said calmly.
"What??"
The Flame King looked at Qin Chuan in disbelief, then sneered. "Don't pretend to be a saint! Your son humiliated me. This is an irreconcilable grudge! I'm not the type to grovel for mercy. Either kill me, or I will definitely kill him one day!"
Qin Chuan wasn't angered. Instead, he said calmly, "I think there's been some misunderstanding between you and my son."
"What misunderstanding?"
The Flame King scoffed.
Qin Chuan calmly took out the Flame Mirror and held it up before the Flame King, asking, "Do you recognize this?"
"My Flame Mirror!!"
The Flame King's breathing quickened, and instinctively, he reached out to grab it. But then he pulled his hand back, coldly laughing, "The Flame Mirror is already in your hands, and you still dare to talk about a misunderstanding? It was your son who took my Flame Mirror and humiliated me! I'd recognize him even if he turned to ashes!"
Qin Chuan shook his head and explained, "This item was not taken by my son. I actually obtained it from another individual."
"What?"
The Flame King furrowed his brows, staring intensely at Qin Chuan.
Qin Chuan continued, "I once encountered someone impersonating my son. We fought, and during the battle, he used this Flame Mirror against me. In the end, I killed him and took the mirror from him."
"Is that so!!"
Qin Zi suddenly let out a surprised exclamation from the side. He had been wondering where his father had gotten the Flame Mirror from when he used it earlier against the Phoenix Clan's supreme powerhouse. Upon hearing the Flame King's words earlier, Qin Zi had even started to doubt the truth. But now, it all made sense—someone had stolen it, and his father had retrieved it in battle. It was just a piece of war loot!
Qin Chuan handed the Flame Mirror back to the Flame King with a sincere expression, "This whole situation has been a misunderstanding. It's better to resolve a grudge than to hold onto it. I'll return the Flame Mirror to you now, and from here on out, we're even."
The Flame King stared at Qin Chuan in disbelief. After a long pause, he clenched his teeth and took the Flame Mirror back, preparing to leave.
But after a few steps, he stopped. There was a brief silence before he turned around and said, "No, it's not even. I owe you a favor."
With that, his figure slowly faded and disappeared into the distance.