Chapter 380: A Fight to the Death What Say You?
"What's wrong? Didn't eat enough? With such little strength, you think you can make me submit?"
Near the transmission array on Commerce Continent, Xiao Tiance's taunting words left the Fire Spirit Clan Patriarch's face darkened with rage. But the earlier brief exchange had forced him to abandon his initial underestimation.
At first, he thought Xiao Tiance was just an upstart from a lower realm who had luckily ascended to the Spirit Heaven Sovereign level. Even though they shared the same cultivation rank, he assumed Xiao Tiance's combat prowess wouldn't compare to his own.
However, that brief clash revealed an overwhelming physical strength. Despite using 80% of his power, the Patriarch hadn't gained an upper hand. In fact, he'd nearly been struck by Xiao Tiance's counter.
The Battle Escalates
"Hmph, arrogant fool!" the Patriarch scoffed and prepared to charge again. Yet, before he could close in, a flash of golden light streaked toward him, accompanied by a fearsome fist aimed directly at his head.
"A puppet?"
The Patriarch's eyes flickered with surprise. He raised his hand, blocking the punch from Qing Hou, the golden puppet.
"Strong! This puppet's physical strength is remarkable. Still, it's only at the Earth Sovereign Great Perfection level."
"Clang!"
Their clash reverberated as Qing Hou was sent retreating, the metallic clang ringing through the air.
Before the Patriarch could counterattack, a blazing, multicolored flame roared toward him. The intense heat emanating from the flame made even the Patriarch hesitate.
It was Xiao Yi Xian's Emperor Flame Blaze the Heavens!
The Patriarch clicked his tongue, quickly leaping back to escape the burning range. He had no time to celebrate his evasive maneuver, however. Just as he smirked at his quick reaction, a sharp pain tore through his mind an attack from the soul!
"Now!"
The cry came from Huang Jiuji, who had unleashed a soul attack that momentarily disrupted the Patriarch's defenses. In that split second, Xiao Xuan appeared in front of him, his palm smashing directly into the Patriarch's chest.
"Boom!"
The attack landed with a thunderous explosion. Xiao Xuan gave it his all, but his strike felt like hitting a wall of steel.
"Damn it!"
Both Xiao Xuan and the Patriarch cursed internally. The latter was humiliated by being overwhelmed by these "inferior" opponents, while the former lamented his inability to cause significant damage.
Before the Patriarch could retaliate, Qing Hou was back, his golden body moving at an imperceptible speed.
"Bang!"
A thunderous punch landed squarely on the Patriarch's back, sending him crashing to the ground like a meteor.
"Boom!"
The ground shook as he hit it, dust and debris flying everywhere. Yet, just before landing, the Patriarch released a surge of fire attribute spiritual energy. The resulting explosion not only scattered Xiao Yi Xian's Emperor Flame but also neutralized the force of Qing Hou's punch.
Turning the Tide
Though four Earth Sovereign Great Perfection cultivators Qing Hou, Xiao Xuan, Huang Jiuji, and Xiao Yi Xian worked together, they only managed to make the Patriarch look temporarily disheveled. The Fire Spirit Clan Patriarch, a Spirit Heaven Sovereign, was far from being seriously injured.
But Xiao Tiance wasn't idle. He smirked, realizing this was exactly the opening he needed. The Patriarch's attention was split, leaving the Fire Spirit Clan's Ancestor as his sole opponent.
"Old man, care to test my strength yourself?"
Xiao Tiance's words carried a faint amusement as his aura surged, exuding an overwhelming confidence.
"Hmph!"
The Ancestor narrowed his eyes. Xiao Tiance's demeanor, his complete lack of fear, left the elder uneasy. Did this junior truly believe he could contend against him?
Perhaps the Ancestor would have felt differently if he knew Xiao Tiance had already faced the Western Sky Battle Emperor, one of the strongest Spirit Heaven Sovereigns, and emerged unscathed.
"Arrogant brat! It seems I must teach you the difference between us."
Without further words, the Ancestor unleashed his full strength. The flames around his body erupted into an ethereal, all encompassing fire, painting him as a divine fire god descending from the heavens.
The terrifying flames distorted the surrounding space, their heat unbearable even at a distance.
Yet Xiao Tiance stood firm, unfazed. His calm demeanor and the faint smile on his lips only served to infuriate the Ancestor further.
"Seeking death! Let me grant your wish!"
The Ancestor roared, thrusting his palm forward. A majestic fire dragon materialized, its roar shaking the heavens. The dragon's scorching heat warped the air, leaving waves of distortion in its wake as it charged toward Xiao Tiance.
Xiao Tiance Strikes
As the fire dragon approached, Xiao Tiance sneered. Compared to the flames of his Golden Emperor Burning Heaven Flame, this attack was laughable.
"What? Already angry?" he taunted.
As the fire dragon neared, Xiao Tiance raised his hand. The faint flicker of golden flames danced on his fingertips. The moment he released them, the golden fire surged forth, devouring the oncoming dragon in an instant.
"Boom!"
The golden flames exploded outward, creating a shockwave that rippled through the battlefield.
The Ancestor's expression shifted drastically. "Impossible! Such pure fire energy…"
Before he could react, Xiao Tiance disappeared from sight, reappearing directly in front of him.
"Your turn."
With a cold smile, Xiao Tiance delivered a devastating punch enveloped in golden flames, aiming directly for the Ancestor's chest.
The Ancestor hastily crossed his arms to block, but the force of Xiao Tiance's punch sent him hurtling backward like a broken kite.
As the Ancestor staggered to his feet, his face filled with disbelief. "You… How can your strength rival a Spirit Heaven Sovereign?!"
Xiao Tiance chuckled, his voice laced with disdain. **"Didn't I tell you? You're not qualified to make me submit. Now, how about this a fight to the death? What say you?"
**"Seems like you've gotten used to being high and mighty, which is why you're so easily provoked.
Too bad for you, flames like yours are only fit to light birthday candles for me!
Golden Emperor Burning Heaven Flame, come out!"
Xiao Tiance chuckled, and under the astonished gaze of the Fire Spirit Clan Ancestor, a golden flame flickered to life in his hand.
In the next instant, what began as a small spark erupted into a towering inferno, stretching over a hundred feet high. Within the golden blaze, a majestic figure began to take shape a giant bird.
"Caw!"
The bird let out a cry, its sharp screech grating to the ears. Yet the moment the soundwaves rippled outwards, an incredible sight unfolded. Apart from the Emperor Flame in Xiao Yi Xian's hand, all other flames whether from Xiao Xuan, Huang Jiuji, or even the two Fire Spirit Clan Sovereigns seemed to freeze in place as if cowed into submission.
At this moment, the smile on Xiao Tiance's face widened.
The bird was unlike any ordinary creature. Its entire body was cloaked in black and golden feathers, exuding an aura of absolute majesty. Even just standing there, it seemed to demand awe and worship from anyone who saw it.
And what truly caught everyone's attention was its distinctive feature it had three legs.
"Three Legged Golden Crow!"
Xiao Tiance gazed at the fiery bird with satisfaction. This was the result of his meticulous cultivation after breaking through to the Spirit Heaven Sovereign level. Realizing the Golden Emperor Burning Heaven Flame was reaching its limits in assisting his growth, Xiao Tiance had experimented with its evolution.
Through a combination of his own ingenuity and rare resources found on White Night Island, he had successfully imbued the flame with sentience, manifesting it into the form of the legendary Three Legged Golden Crow.
"Go!"
With a wave of his hand, Xiao Tiance commanded the Three Legged Golden Crow forward. The majestic bird took flight, its massive wings stirring the air as it soared straight toward the fiery dragon summoned by the Fire Spirit Clan Ancestor.
In mere moments, the crow's golden flames collided with the dragon. With a single brush of the crow's wing, the dragon was devoured entirely, reduced to nothing by the overpowering blaze.
"Impossible!" The Ancestor's eyes widened in disbelief. "How can his flames be this extraordinary? Even my own fire trembles before them!"
The effortless destruction of his attack filled the Ancestor with both fury and shock. Although the fiery dragon had been a casual strike, it wasn't something that any ordinary Spirit Heaven Sovereign could counter. Yet Xiao Tiance's golden flames had obliterated it as if it were nothing.
What disturbed him even more was the reaction of his own flames. Deep within his body, the fire he had cultivated for centuries seemed to shrink back, as if encountering a natural predator.
On the opposite side, Xiao Tiance smiled calmly. With a flick of his wrist, the Three Legged Golden Crow shrank in size, returning to perch delicately in his hand.
"Caw, caw!"
The Golden Crow chirped happily, its cries resonating with Xiao Tiance.
"Haha, yes, yes, you're the best," Xiao Tiance laughed, gently stroking the crow's head. The bird's eyes shone with affection, clearly enjoying the attention.
In the original storyline, Xiao Yan had developed sentient flames like Xiao Yi after acquiring the Void Swallowing Flame. While Xiao Yan didn't obtain this flame due to Xiao Tiance's influence, the latter had succeeded in nurturing his own sentient flame the Three Legged Golden Crow.
With the evolution of the Golden Emperor Burning Heaven Flame, Xiao Tiance now possessed a fire spirit that rivaled even Xiao Yi Xian's Emperor Flame.
Meanwhile, the Fire Spirit Clan Ancestor's face darkened. A figure of his stature an exalted Immortal Heaven Sovereign was being humiliated by a mere upstart. To him, this was nothing short of a slap in the face.
"Xiao Tiance!" the Ancestor roared, his voice trembling with fury. "Don't think for a moment that gaining a slight edge means you've won. Even without my flames, I can crush you!"
In a flash, the Ancestor disappeared, his speed so incredible that he seemed to vanish entirely. Within the blink of an eye, he reappeared directly in front of Xiao Tiance, his palm glowing with immense power as he struck out with a devastating blow.
Yet Xiao Tiance remained calm. With his powerful soul force, he had already predicted the Ancestor's every move. Just as the palm strike was about to land, Xiao Tiance sidestepped effortlessly, countering with his own flaming fist.
"Boom!"
Their fists collided, the sheer force freezing the surrounding space momentarily. In the next instant, Xiao Tiance was sent flying backward, tumbling through the air for dozens of meters.
Yet, to the Ancestor's dismay, Xiao Tiance quickly regained his footing, landing gracefully as if nothing had happened.
"Is that it?" Xiao Tiance chuckled, his tone dripping with mockery. "You're stronger than that other guy, I'll give you that. But not by much."
The Ancestor's face twisted in frustration. He knew Xiao Tiance wasn't wrong. Without the assistance of his flames, his combat prowess was limited. But what truly shook him was the terrifying resilience of Xiao Tiance's body.
After scrutinizing him again, the Ancestor finally spoke. "Your physical strength… it far surpasses my expectations. Is this why you think you can oppose the Fire Spirit Clan?"
"Oppose your clan? Hah!" Xiao Tiance sneered. "Don't flatter yourselves. I've never even crossed paths with your Fire Spirit Clan before today. You're the ones who came sniffing around for our flames like scavengers. And now you want to twist the narrative and claim I'm the aggressor? You're ridiculous."
The Ancestor's expression darkened further. "Do you realize what you're saying?"
"I know exactly what I'm saying," Xiao Tiance retorted, his voice filled with disdain. "You barged in here uninvited, acting all high and mighty. But fine, let's make a deal: if you two can kill us today, then so be it. But if you fail… I'll dedicate my life to ruining your Fire Spirit Clan. What say you? A fight to the death how about it?"
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