208: Chapter 208: Killing Heaven Realm

The Burning Heaven Mountain Range lay stretched across the southernmost end of the Great Thousand World like a crouching ancient beast, its volcanic chain extending for tens of thousands of miles, spewing dark red magma year-round. The air was thick with the pungent smell of sulfur; every breath felt like swallowing glowing hot charcoal embers. Among nearly a thousand volcanoes, over three hundred were active, with scalding rivers of magma winding down from the peaks to pool into dark red lava lakes at the base. The fire-attribute spiritual energy here was so dense it resembled solidified amber, and with every breath, one could feel that scorching energy drilling along their meridians into their dantian. For fire cultivators, this place was paradise; for ordinary cultivators, it was hell.

Hun Feng stood in the air above the main peak of the Burning Heaven Mountain Range, the Heaven-Slaying Flame unfurling behind him into nine blood-colored wings that blotted out the sun. He looked down upon the mountain range, spreading his Emperor Realm Soul to take in the geography of the surrounding tens of thousands of miles. Deep underground, several sleeping large-scale spiritual veins rose and fell like the spine of a giant dragon, and the fire-attribute spiritual energy spewing from over three hundred active volcanoes formed a natural fire barrier in the sky above. In his past life, he had read the description of the Endless Fire Territory in the original novel—the place Xiao Yan chose to settle down after ascending to the Great Thousand World was precisely this Burning Heaven Mountain Range. However, back then, Xiao Yan had already run the place for countless years, transforming it from a desolate volcanic chain into one of the top factions in the Great Thousand World. Now, this land was still an undeveloped wilderness. There was no Endless Fire Territory, no Flame Emperor, only him, Hun Feng.

"Outer Perimeter Commander Lei Meng," Hun Feng turned his head to look at the muscular, scarred bald man beside him, "where is the territory of the Fire Swallowing Clan?"

Outer Perimeter Commander Lei Meng hurriedly pointed toward the relatively gentle dormant volcanic area on the northern side of the mountain range and said, "Right over there! The Fire Swallowing Clan only has tens of thousands of people in total, and their strongest member, the patriarch, is merely a Lower Earth Supreme. They aren't even qualified to be vassals of the Three Saints Sect. However, these people are quite resilient. Having lived in the volcanic chain for over ten thousand years, they adapted to this environment long ago." He paused, then lowered his voice and added, "But they haven't had it easy lately—the Evil Race scouts from the south come to raid them several times every year, and the Fire Swallowing Clan has lost many people. I inquired before coming here; their patriarch was severely injured by a Evil Race scout just last month and is probably still bedridden."

Hun Feng nodded, and with a flicker of his body, he swept toward the northern side of the mountain range, with everyone following closely behind.

The Fire Swallowing Clan's settlement was built at the foot of a dormant volcano. Tens of thousands of clansmen had lived here for generations. Their houses, constructed from volcanic stone, were simple yet sturdy, with the stone walls covered in dark red patterns left behind by cooled magma. There was no decent defensive array around the village, only a few crude fire-attribute barriers barely blocking the volcanic ash and occasional splashes of magma. A few Fire Swallowing Clan children were squatting at the village entrance, drawing on the ground with volcanic stones. Suddenly sensing the unimaginably vast pressure overhead, they were so frightened that they dropped their drawing stones, scrambled up, and ran back into the village, shouting that outsiders had arrived. From the largest stone house in the center of the village emerged a stooped old man. His face was gaunt, his eyes deeply sunken, and his chest was wrapped in blood-soaked bandages. Every step he took was accompanied by violent coughing. This was precisely the Fire Swallowing Clan patriarch, Chief Yan Shi, whom Outer Perimeter Commander Lei Meng had mentioned was severely injured by the Evil Race scouts. Several clan elders tried to support him, but he waved them off. Having lived for over a thousand years, he had seen many Heavenly Supreme experts, but he had never seen so many Heavenly Supremes descend at the same time.

Hun Feng landed before him, the Heaven-Slaying Flame silently swirling around his body, its nine-colored fire casting flickering shadows across the old man's gaunt face. He went straight to the point: "This Venerable One is Hun Feng. From this day forth, the Burning Heaven Mountain Range belongs to me. Your Fire Swallowing Clan has two choices—submit, or leave."

Chief Yan Shi looked up at the young man before him. He was the fifth patriarch of the Fire Swallowing Clan. Since his great-great-grandfather's generation, the Fire Swallowing Clan had guarded this volcanic chain. They farmed, hunted, and multiplied on this scorching land, barely surviving by relying on the wisp of Ancestral Fire deep underground that they had worshiped for generations. Having lived for over a thousand years, he had seen countless experts—the sect master of the Three Saints Sect, passing rogue Heavenly Supremes, and he had even once seen the Green-Shirt Sword Saint of the Sword Domain from afar. But none of those people had ever deigned to look at the Fire Swallowing Clan. In the eyes of those grand figures, the Fire Swallowing Clan was nothing more than savages in the volcanoes, not even worth recruiting. He opened his mouth and asked hoarsely, "If Milord takes over this mountain range, what about the Evil Race scouts—"

"Before I arrived, the Evil Race scouts were your trouble. After my arrival, the Evil Race scouts are my prey," Hun Feng interrupted him, his tone as flat as if he were stating today's weather, yet every word was as firm as iron. "Submit to me, and the Fire Swallowing Clan will no longer need to worry about the Evil Race's raids. My Shitian Domain will take root in this mountain range, and your Fire Swallowing Clan will be the first vassal force to submit to the Shitian Domain. Of course, if you are unwilling—you may take your clansmen and leave right now. I will not stop you."

Chief Yan Shi's fingers trembled violently inside his sleeves. In his thousand-year life, this was the first time he had heard someone say "the Evil Race scouts are my prey" in such a tone. Those Evil Race scouts, who raided several times a year and slaughtered countless clansmen of the Fire Swallowing Clan, were spoken of like lambs to the slaughter by this young man. He fell silent for a few breaths, then slowly bowed his waist, his old voice trembling but exceptionally firm: "The Fire Swallowing Clan is willing to submit to the Shitian Domain." Behind him, several clan elders exchanged glances and also bowed. They all knew this was the Fire Swallowing Clan's only chance. If they missed it, even without the Evil Race scouts coming to raid, the increasingly violent Fire Spirits in this volcanic chain alone would be enough to wipe out their tribe.

Hun Feng nodded, raised his hand to separate a tiny thread of blood-colored flame from the Heaven-Slaying Flame, and flicked his finger to send it into Chief Yan Shi's chest. Upon entering his body, the blood-colored flame transformed into a gentle yet majestic life force, slowly spreading along Chief Yan Shi's meridians, purifying and repairing the wound on his chest that had been corroded by the Evil Race's fiendish qi for an entire month, thread by thread. Chief Yan Shi's eyes widened. He could clearly feel the agonizing fiendish qi being devoured inch by inch by the blood-colored flame, and the charred flesh at the edges of his wound turned healthy and red once more. In less than half a cup of tea's time, most of the injuries on his chest had healed. He pressed his chest in disbelief, then suddenly looked up at Hun Feng, asking in a trembling voice, "Milord, this... what kind of method is this?"

"The Heaven-Slaying Flame. Born from the fusion of nine flames, its purifying power can counter the Evil Race's fiendish qi." Hun Feng withdrew his finger, and the Heaven-Slaying Flame merged back into the blood-colored light barrier surrounding him. "My faction needs to take root in the volcanic chain. Your Fire Swallowing Clan has lived here for generations and knows every volcano and spiritual vein in this mountain range like the back of your hand. This experience is far more valuable than your cultivation. By following me, you will no longer be savages at the mercy of others, but a part of the Shitian Domain."

Chief Yan Shi's eyes grew hot, and he almost shed tears. In his youth, he also had grand ambitions to make the Fire Swallowing Clan flourish, but an Earth Supreme's cultivation was simply not enough to get by in the Great Thousand World. Forget the Three Saints Sect, even passing rogue cultivators looking for easy pickings dared to trample on the Fire Swallowing Clan. Now, this lord had not only healed his injuries but also personally said that the Fire Swallowing Clan's experience was more valuable than cultivation. He bowed his waist once more, his voice even firmer than before: "The entire Fire Swallowing Clan is willing to go through fire and water for Milord!"

"There is no need to go through fire and water. Help me compile the terrain of this mountain range, the distribution of spiritual veins, the volcanic eruption cycles, and the movement patterns of the Evil Race scouts. In addition, take me to see that wisp of Ancestral Fire you have worshiped for generations," Hun Feng said. Chief Yan Shi was startled, then nodded vigorously.

The Ancestral Fire of the Fire Swallowing Clan was enshrined in an ancient stone temple in the deepest part of the settlement. The temple's outer walls were covered in dark red patterns left behind by solidified magma, and there were no extra decorations inside, save for a very thin and faint pale-golden flame burning on a simple stone platform in the very center. Hun Feng stood before the stone platform and looked down at the flame, the Heaven-Slaying Flame in his dantian twitching slightly. Although this Ancestral Fire was weak, it contained a trace of an extremely ancient Emperor Flame source—a fragment of flame left behind after the fall of some Emperor Realm expert in ancient times. For some reason, it had ended up in this volcanic chain, where the ancestors of the Fire Swallowing Clan accidentally discovered it and had enshrined it ever since.

"This wisp of Ancestral Fire is merely a spiritual sustenance for you, but in my hands, it can unleash its true value. I do not use power to oppress others—I will trade an Emperor Grade Pill and a Heaven Class fire-cultivation technique for this wisp of Ancestral Fire. The Emperor Grade Pill can allow your cultivation to break through to the Upper Earth Sovereign stage, and the Heaven Class technique can raise the overall strength of your clansmen by a level. Will you trade?"

Chief Yan Shi froze for a long moment before snapping out of it, hurriedly agreeing to the trade, his voice trembling. An Emperor Grade Pill, a Heaven Class technique—these things had never appeared in the history of the Fire Swallowing Clan. Forget trading a wisp of Ancestral Fire, even putting his old life on the line would be worth it.

Hun Feng took out a Ninth Grade Pill and a scroll of a Heaven Class fire-cultivation technique from his storage ring and handed them to Chief Yan Shi. Chief Yan Shi's fingers trembled slightly as he accepted them with both hands; he knew that from this day on, the destiny of the Fire Swallowing Clan would be completely transformed. Hun Feng walked to the stone platform, separated a thread of blood-colored flame from the Heaven-Slaying Flame, and gently wrapped it around the pale-golden Ancestral Fire. Under the wrapping of the Heaven-Slaying Flame, the Ancestral Fire began to slowly melt and decompose, and the trace of the Emperor Flame source contained within was absorbed and fused by the Heaven-Slaying Flame thread by thread.

A few days later, the main peak of the Burning Heaven Mountain Range.

Scarlet Flame Peak was originally the most spectacular active volcano in this volcanic chain, its peak spewing scalding magma year-round. At this moment, half of the peak had been sliced flat by Hun Feng using the Law of Space, and a black palace constructed entirely from volcanic obsidian rose from the ground. On the plaque above the main entrance of the grand hall, three blood-red characters were carved—Shitian Domain. The handwriting was as sharp as a blade, and every stroke contained the Emperor Realm Soul imprint left behind by Hun Feng. Any cultivator below the Heavenly Supreme level who attempted to pry into the interior of the hall would suffer a backlash from this imprint.

The square in front of the hall was densely packed with tens of thousands of people. The Hun Clan phalanx stood in the center, while the Gu Clan phalanx and the Taixu Ancient Dragon Clan phalanx flanked them on the left and right, their three-colored battle flags fluttering in the scorching wind. The tens of thousands of members of the Fire Swallowing Clan stood slightly further away, with their patriarch, Chief Yan Shi, leading several clan elders at the very front, every face filled with excitement and awe. Outer Perimeter Commander Lei Meng stood next to the Fire Swallowing Clan with over a thousand brothers from his stronghold, those burly men who had once made a living by highway robbery in the Chaotic Demon Sea now standing with their backs straight as rods.

Hun Feng walked slowly out of the grand hall, his dark, black-patterned battle robe fluttering in the wind, and the Heaven-Slaying Flame unfurled behind him into nine blood-colored wings that blotted out the sun. Behind him, nine Heavenly Supremes lined up in a row—Hun Tiandi, Void Swallowing Flame, Hun Qinger, Gu Yuan, Zi Yan, Medusa, Yao Yao, Gu Xun'er, and Xiao Yi Xian. The pressure of nine Heavenly Supreme-level experts interwoven together caused the wind above the entire Burning Heaven Mountain Range to freeze.

He stood still, spreading his Emperor Realm Soul, his voice not loud but clearly reaching the ears of everyone present: "From this day forth, the Shitian Domain is officially established. The Shitian Domain will have the Hun Clan, Gu Clan, and Taixu Ancient Dragon Clan as its core, with the Hun Clan as the leader. The Fire Swallowing Clan and Outer Perimeter Commander Lei Meng's division will be the first vassal forces to submit to the Shitian Domain. There are only three rules in the Shitian Domain—first, all clans within the territory are equal; origin does not matter, only contributions do. Second, private fighting is prohibited within the territory; all disputes will be adjudicated by the Punishment Hall. Third—" He paused slightly, a blood-red light from the Heaven-Slaying Flame flashing across his eyes, "the Shitian Domain will not actively provoke any faction, but if anyone dares to humiliate the people of the Shitian Domain, regardless of whether they are an Immortal Grade Heavenly Supreme or a Saint-Rank Heavenly Sovereign—the Shitian Domain will repay them tenfold."

A thunderous cheer erupted across the square. Chief Yan Shi knelt on the ground, holding a volcanic obsidian token passed down through generations of the Fire Swallowing Clan high above his head, his old voice echoing throughout the square: "The Fire Swallowing Clan offers up the ancestor stone and is willing to pledge loyalty to the Shitian Domain for generations!" Outer Perimeter Commander Lei Meng also knelt down, placing his battle-axe horizontally in front of him, roaring at the top of his lungs, "Outer Perimeter Commander Lei Meng is willing to pledge loyalty to the Shitian Domain!" Behind him, over a thousand former bandit-strongmen knelt in unison, their roars shaking the sky.

Hun Feng took the ancestor stone and the battle-axe, holding them in his hands for a brief moment, and then raised both tokens high. His blood-colored Emperor's might and Emperor Realm Soul spread out simultaneously, enveloping the entire Burning Heaven Mountain Range. At that moment, the three characters of 'Shitian Domain' were branded into the laws of this world like an imprint. From today onward, the Burning Heaven Mountain Range was no longer a desolate wilderness that nobody cared about; from this point on, a new name was added to the power map of the Great Thousand World.