Chapter 11: Changing the Guard
The figure seated in the fiery palace appeared human, yet there was an ever present sensation that he was perpetually burning.
"This is…" Xiao Yan's pupils contracted in surprise.
"Young Master," Xiao Wen began with a strained voice, "this is none other than Lord Void Swallowing Flame, ranked second on the Heavenly Flame list."
"Void Swallowing Flame!" Xiao Yan's eyes narrowed sharply. If things were as he suspected, this figure's strength was likely at the peak of Nine Star Dou Sheng.
The man in black, who had been sitting motionless, suddenly turned to face them, revealing a pale and strikingly handsome face. However, his features were marred by sinister markings that made him appear both terrifying and eerie.
Most disturbing were his eyes, as dark and bottomless as black holes. A single glance left Xiao Yan feeling as though his very soul was being sucked out and burned.
Even the two Half Saints accompanying him, Xiao Wen and Xiao Wu, turned deathly pale under the oppressive aura.
For a Nine Star Dou Sheng, killing a Half Saint was no more difficult than swatting a fly.
"Lord Void Swallowing Flame, this is the newly appointed Emperor's Successor of the Xiao Clan, decreed by the Patriarch himself to pay respects to you," Xiao Wen said, struggling to maintain composure under the immense pressure.
"Oh?" Void Swallowing Flame's dark gaze settled on Xiao Yan, the malevolence in his expression deepening. His eyes seemed to pierce into Xiao Yan's soul, as though ready to devour him whole.
"Damn it!" Xiao Yan thought as his face twisted, even rolling his eyes involuntarily. His soul felt as though it were being pulled from his body and set aflame.
"Hehe…"
With a soft chuckle, the suffocating pressure suddenly dissipated, allowing Xiao Yan and his companions to breathe again.
"So, even a mere Dou Huang can now be made Emperor's Successor? Is Xiao Xuan nearing his deathbed?" Void Swallowing Flame sneered.
A thousand years ago, during the battle between the Xiao Clan and the Soul Clan, Xiao Xuan had ascended to Dou Di at a critical moment, crushing Hun Tiandi's plans and taking his life.
As Hun Tiandi's chief accomplice, Void Swallowing Flame had been captured and imprisoned in the Valley of Heavenly Flames.
Though he had survived, he harbored no gratitude toward the Xiao Clan.
Instead, he despised them, for Xiao Xuan had reduced him to nothing more than a tool, a laborer confined to the valley. Void Swallowing Flame's attitude toward the Xiao Clan members reflected this resentment disdainful and uncooperative.
However, while he could show contempt, he dared not kill anyone favored by Xiao Xuan, lest his own consciousness be erased.
"A mere Dou Huang, you say? But you, ranked second among Heavenly Flames, have also become nothing more than a prisoner," Xiao Yan retorted, his youthful voice cutting through the air.
Void Swallowing Flame's mocking grin vanished as his expression twisted in fury.
"What are you looking at? You can't kill me, can you?" Xiao Yan sneered.
Though Void Swallowing Flame's earlier attack had left him in agony, it had also ignited his temper. What was a Nine Star Dou Sheng to him? Xiao Yan could meet Xiao Xuan, a Dou Di, eye to eye.
Still, Xiao Yan wasn't just being brash. He wanted to gauge whether Void Swallowing Flame could be subdued or persuaded.
"Hehe, boy, you've got guts. No one has dared speak to me like this in a thousand years, except for Xiao Xuan," Void Swallowing Flame said with a sinister grin. As he spoke, his invisible aura surged once more, sweeping over the room.
"Quit the act it's time to change shifts."
A calm, indifferent voice echoed through the fiery palace.
A figure in white suddenly appeared within the hall. The moment the white robed man arrived, Void Swallowing Flame's menacing smile froze.
The newcomer was strikingly handsome, exuding an aura of otherworldly charm. His devilishly attractive appearance alone could captivate countless women.
"This is… the Purifying Lotus Flame!" Xiao Wen said solemnly, his expression tinged with reverence and unease.
"The Purifying Lotus Flame? Is this what the Purifying Lotus Demon Sage looked like?" Xiao Yan's pupils shrank as he recalled the scandalous "Romantic Tales of the Purifying Lotus Demon Sage" he had browsed earlier.
Unexpectedly, even the Purifying Lotus Flame had been captured by Xiao Xuan.
For Xiao Yan, this revelation brought both surprise and relief. It seemed he wouldn't have to search tirelessly for this legendary Heavenly Flame it was already here in the Xiao Clan's hands.
Xiao Yan was utterly shocked. The two most powerful Heavenly Flames on the continent, Void Swallowing Flame and Purifying Lotus Flame, were both imprisoned in the Xiao Clan's territory by Xiao Xuan.
For a fleeting moment, a ridiculous thought crossed his mind:
"Should I suggest to Xiao Xuan that he capture Tuoshe Ancient Emperor next?"
"I'm not doing this anymore! I refuse to guard this place I won't do it for the rest of my life!"
The once imposing demeanor of the Void Swallowing Flame vanished the moment the Purifying Lotus Flame appeared. His tone turned shameless and petulant.
"You don't want to guard the place? Fine! Go tell Xiao Xuan yourself!" Purifying Lotus Flame sneered. "Do you think I enjoy being here? You've been slacking off every chance you get! I've had enough of covering for you!
"You're always late for your shifts. If you're truly brave, just stop showing up altogether! Let's see how you like it when our consciousness is wiped out! If I'm going down, I'll make sure to take you with me!"
"You dare talk about being late? You're the king of double standards!" Void Swallowing Flame retorted, his pitch black eyes narrowing menacingly. "It seems you're itching for a fight. I'll gladly fix that for you!"
"Come at me! See if I care!"
Before Xiao Yan and the two elders, who were utterly stunned, the two most powerful Heavenly Flames in existence started wrestling on the floor of the fiery palace.
A black clad man and a white clad man grappled with each other like children, their elegant faces contorted with rage. Had this scene been witnessed by someone with a certain peculiar taste, they would have undoubtedly been ecstatic.
At the same time, the sky transitioned from day to night. The creamy white sun collided fiercely with the jet black moon, as if mirroring the conflict between the two flames.
"Wait… could it be?"
As Xiao Yan watched the celestial battle and the brawling flames, an absurd theory began to form in his mind.
"Boom! Boom!"
Fiery sparks rained down from the sky as the sun and moon clashed. Wherever the sparks landed, blazing infernos erupted on the ground.
"Hmph!"
A cold snort echoed throughout the Xiao Clan's realm. The flames on the ground were instantly extinguished, and both Void Swallowing Flame and Purifying Lotus Flame froze mid fight.
"Do you two want your consciousness erased?"
The icy voice reverberated through the Valley of Heavenly Flames. Xiao Yan immediately recognized it as Xiao Xuan's.
"Fine, fine! I'll take my shift!" Void Swallowing Flame grumbled. He paused for a moment, then shook his head in frustration before disappearing from the valley.
The creamy white sun in the sky vanished abruptly, leaving the black moon to preside over the night.
"Ah, finally done for the day," Purifying Lotus Flame said with a satisfied stretch.
With a casual flick of his hand, a stream of molten lava shot up from the ground and landed in a flame formed cup in his grasp. Taking a sip, his face lit up with pure contentment.
Only after finishing his drink did he turn to Xiao Yan.
"So, you're the new Emperor's Successor that Xiao Xuan appointed?"
Still dazed, Xiao Yan nodded. Watching two legendary Heavenly Flames bicker and fight over a work shift was beyond anything even his Earthly imagination could conjure.
"Oh, it's our first meeting, isn't it? Here, a little gift for you," Purifying Lotus Flame said with a warm smile. With a casual wave, a glowing orb of light shot from his hand and into Xiao Yan's.
"Huh, he's surprisingly polite," Xiao Yan thought, his opinion of Purifying Lotus Flame improving. But as his eyes fell on the contents of the glowing orb, his smile froze.
The "gift" was none other than "The Romantic Tales of the Purifying Lotus Demon Sage."
The author… was standing right before him.
"Well, now that you've received your gift, off you go. Xiao Xuan specifically told me to let you know that while this valley has many Heavenly Flames, you won't be getting a single one.
"He wants you to hone yourself by seeking flames on your own." Purifying Lotus Flame chuckled as he sipped another mouthful of molten lava tea.
"Thank you for the guidance, Senior Flame," Xiao Yan replied, forcing a polite tone.
Though the gift was… questionable, the Purifying Lotus Flame's attitude was far better than that of the Void Swallowing Flame. As they said, you don't hit someone who greets you with a smile.
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