Chapter 356: Doesn't Respond to Kindness
Two days passed in the blink of an eye.
As the golden morning light poured gently over the horizon on the second day, the temporarily calm Sacred Pill City once again erupted with excitement. Countless people rushed toward the Pill Tower—today was the day when the top ten participants of the Pill Gathering would enter the Star Region to subdue the Three Thousand Burning Flame. Curiosity burned in the hearts of the masses: could this Heavenly Flame, sealed by the Pill Tower for so many years, really be subdued?
Outside the Pill Tower, crowds had already flooded the streets early in the morning. Waves of black figures surged through every alley and avenue.
When the sun reached its peak in the sky, three figures finally shot forth from the top of the Pill Tower, hovering high above the heavens.
"Those entering the Pill Domain, prepare yourselves!"
Suspended in the sky, Xuan Kongzi looked down at the crowd below. His deep voice echoed through the heavens.
Swish swish swish!
As soon as his words fell, figures flew in from all directions, halting in midair. It was the top ten participants—Xiao Yan among them.
The gazes of the three presidents swept over the ten, and they all nodded slightly in approval.
Then, exchanging glances, the three of them formed hand seals in a flash. Vast soul fluctuations radiated from their bodies. Everyone watched as the void of the sky began to ripple violently. In the next moment, a pale silver spatial gate materialized before their eyes.
"Xiao Yuan and the Grand Elder will accompany you into the Star Region. They will explain the rules to you once inside."
Xuan Kongzi's gaze sharpened as it passed over the silver portal.
"Enter now."
Just as he finished speaking, a white-robed figure suddenly appeared in front of everyone. His eyes swept over Xiao Yan and the others as he said indifferently, "I am Qiu Ling, Grand Elder of the Pill Tower. I'll be leading you into the Star Region. Just follow me. If anyone disobeys the rules, I have the authority to revoke their qualification to enter."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan and the others nodded slightly. Xiao Yuan didn't bother speaking. His goal in entering was to ensure nothing went wrong with the capture of the Heavenly Flame.
Even though Zi Yan had planted a dragon mark in Xiao Yan two days prior, getting the Three Thousand Burning Flame to submit was no easy feat.
If things went awry and Xiao Yan ended up being controlled by the flame instead, that would be disastrous.
As the group spoke, the silver space gate gradually stabilized.
"Let's go."
Qiu Ling exchanged glances with the three presidents. All nodded slightly. With a wave of his sleeve, Qiu Ling was the first to step into the gate, disappearing instantly. Xiao Yan and the others quickly followed, with Xiao Yuan bringing up the rear.
In the span of less than a minute, twelve figures vanished into the space gate under the watchful eyes of the crowd.
Once Xiao Yuan disappeared, the stern look on Xuan Kongzi's face finally eased. He surveyed the area from above and said solemnly, "We must be extra careful today. Nothing must go wrong."
"I've stationed all of the Pill Tower's top experts in Sacred Pill City, ready to move at any time if anything happens," Tian Leizi said with a nod.
"Some powerful allies of the Pill Tower are also in the city. I'll notify them to keep watch as well," Xuan Yi added softly.
Only then did Xuan Kongzi nod slightly. His gaze lingered on the space gate as he sighed, "Let's hope everything goes smoothly."
In the void, space suddenly rippled—and twelve figures appeared one after another.
Scorching heat hit them head-on. At the same time, the Heavenly Flames within Xiao Yuan and Xiao Yan suddenly stirred. This reaction only occurred in the presence of other Heavenly Flames.
But the two were unfazed. Having been here once before, the sensation wasn't unfamiliar.
The so-called Star Region was a space forcefully torn open by the three presidents. Naturally, it didn't compare to special realms like the Pill Realm or the Ancient Realm. It felt rather desolate. A faint, sweltering mist filled the air. Dim starlight filtered into the space, giving the surroundings a cold and eerie glow.
Xiao Yuan reached out to grasp one of the light threads. It felt cool to the touch. Narrowing his eyes, he looked at Qiu Ling and sent a voice transmission, "The starlight here is this dense already? You can practically see it with the naked eye."
"Mhm. The Star Region doesn't block starlight. During the day, starlight is weakest, so we can only enter now," Qiu Ling replied politely.
Xiao Yuan nodded. Even though he knew how special the Three Thousand Burning Flame was, he still felt amazed.
This flame, also called the Fire of the Stars, was born from the condensation of starlight. As long as starlight existed, it could never die. But in this world, starlight almost never disappeared completely—not even during the day.
The stronger Xiao Yuan became, the more he realized how terrifying that immortality was.
"Follow me closely. Don't get separated. The Star Region exists within space rifts. Some areas connect directly to the void. If you fall in, you know what that means," Qiu Ling warned as he darted forward.
Xiao Yan and the others followed at once.
While the Star Region was smaller than the Pill Realm, that was only relatively speaking. Judging by how they had flown for nearly ten minutes without seeing the edge, it was likely as large as Sacred Pill City.
Although the target had yet to appear, everyone clearly felt the rising heat. Eventually, even someone like Song Qing had to summon Dou Qi to resist the oppressive temperature.
Only Xiao Yan and Xiao Yuan were unaffected thanks to their Heavenly Flame protection and superior fire resistance.
They flew in silence through the void for another ten minutes.
By now, aside from Xiao Yuan, Xiao Yan, Qiu Ling, and Old Monster Qinghua, everyone else had to wrap themselves in Dou Qi. The heat had reached an unbearable level.
"We're almost there."
Suddenly, Xiao Yuan's heart stirred. His eyes snapped to a distant point ahead—his Heavenly Flame was churning violently. It was the first time he had ever felt such a reaction.
Xiao Yan's expression shifted with equal excitement—he felt it too.
The others, though lacking Heavenly Flames, also sensed the temperature spike. Clearly, they were approaching their destination.
As everyone grew more alert, a dazzling light erupted in the distance. The brightness rivaled the sun, making their eyes ache.
"We've arrived. Be careful from here on," Qiu Ling said as he halted midair, turning to face the group with a stern expression.
He then slowly descended, and the others followed.
As they neared the blazing glow, the figure hidden within finally came into view.
Gulp.
When they saw it clearly, everyone froze in place. Throats tightened as they swallowed hard, eyes full of shock.
Within the light lay an enormous dragon—its end unseen, eyes closed, body coiled. Strange purple-black flames curled around its massive form, distorting the space around it.
Suspended in the void, the dragon's body released a constant stream of purple-black fire. The sight was so grand and awe-inspiring that it shook them to their cores.
Though Xiao Yan had seen it briefly in his spirit form before, witnessing it up close now was a completely different experience. Before this colossus, they were like ants.
"This… this is the Three Thousand Burning Flame?" someone whispered shakily. Though the dragon's eyes were shut, its oppressive presence made their knees go weak. The sheer size alone was mind-numbing.
But the draconic pressure had no effect on Xiao Yuan, who possessed Dou Di blood.
As others gradually recovered, they exchanged shocked glances. This thing was simply terrifying.
Xiao Yan's eyes locked on the dragon. His palm grew warm—he looked down and saw the dragon mark Zi Yan had placed glowing faintly.
"So Zi Yan was right. The Three Thousand Burning Flame really has a dragon mark sealed inside…"
He nodded internally.
"This is the Three Thousand Burning Flame. It's currently sealed. Try to subdue it using gentle means. Do not, under any circumstances, wake it up," Qiu Ling warned, eyes cold.
If it awakened now, even the entire Pill Tower would suffer.
Qiu Ling looked at Xiao Yan and said softly, "Xiao Yan, you're the champion of this Pill Gathering. You go first."
All eyes turned to Xiao Yan.
Without hesitation, he nodded, took a deep breath, and slowly walked toward the sleeping dragon.
Soon, he hovered near its head. Compared to the enormous creature, he was barely the size of a single scale.
Facing this behemoth up close, Xiao Yan felt a renewed sense of awe. He was probably only as big as one of its scales.
Even though the dragon's eyes were closed, Xiao Yan had a strange feeling—as if he was being watched by an icy gaze. The sensation made his hair stand on end, but he quickly steadied himself.
"Xiao Yan, place your hand on the dragon's forehead. There's a scale not covered by flame. Focus your soul power there—if you're lucky, you might succeed," Qiu Ling's voice instructed from behind.
Xiao Yan gave a wry smile. Easy to say. Subduing this flame wasn't going to be easy.
Still, he obeyed, stepping forward to the massive scale—almost the size of a person. Indeed, no flames surrounded it.
Fine black lines, like spiderwebs, wound across it—forming complex, mystical runes. These were tightly affixed to the scale, forming a massive black net that enveloped the entire dragon.
This sealing technique far exceeded anything he'd seen at the Inner Academy.
As he pressed his hand to the scale, he felt a strange chill rather than heat. He didn't have time to wonder. Closing his eyes, he cautiously sent his soul force through his arm into the scale.
But moments later, Xiao Yan's eyes shot open. He jerked his hand back as if burned, heart pounding.
The Three Thousand Burning Flame had instantly incinerated the wisp of soul power he sent in.
Wiping cold sweat from his forehead, Xiao Yan looked toward Qiu Ling and the others and said, "It didn't work. That thing's too fierce!"
A flicker of disappointment crossed Qiu Ling's eyes, but he nodded and sighed, "Then, the next person."
(END CHAPTER)
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