79: Chapter 79 The Period of Emperor Realm

Hun Tiandi's hand, holding a teacup, paused in mid-air. Void Swallowing Flame, who had been leaning to the side, sat up slightly straighter. Even Hun Qinger, who had been playing with an ice crystal in the corner, stopped her movements.

The simple, ancient jade slip lay quietly on the table, its golden glimmer flowing slowly through the cracks, as if it were breathing.

Hun Feng reached out and picked up the jade slip. The moment his fingertips touched it, an extremely ancient aura surged into his consciousness along his meridians.

It was not Dou Qi, nor was it soul power, but the residue of a more primal force—similar to the remnant soul of the Pure Lotus Demon Saint he had felt in the Demon Flame Space, yet purer and more vast.

The content within the jade slip was sparse, consisting only of a few lines of ancient text, written in a hurried, scrawled hand, as if it were a final testament left in haste.

He gently placed the jade slip back on the table, traced his fingertip along the deepest crack on its surface for a moment, and then spoke after a silence, his voice hoarse yet every word clear: "Father-in-law, to be honest, the words I spoke in the main hall back then—about the fragments of the Tuoshe Ancient Emperor's notes, about records in the Scripture Pavilion—were indeed made up by me."

"The existence of the Great Thousand World, the depletion of Source Qi, the ten-thousand-year cycle of the loosening of the plane barriers—none of these were seen in any ancient books; they were things I deduced from clues left behind by the ancient era. Now, with these Dou Di notes as evidence, at least it proves that my deductions were not wrong. The path to the Emperor Realm is viable."

Gu Yuan raised his eyebrows slightly. He had not expected Hun Feng to admit his deception so frankly, nor had he expected the excitement surging in this young man's eyes to be even more intense than the verification of the ancient prophecy itself.

Hun Tiandi set down his teacup, a faint smile appearing at the corner of his mouth. There was no sign of blame, but rather a sense of expected realization—he had known all along that the boy had made it up, and so flawlessly that even he and Void Swallowing Flame had almost believed it.

Void Swallowing Flame took the jade slip from Gu Yuan, his black-flame-burning eyes slowly scanning the ancient text. A moment later, his deep voice resonated in the hall, slow and powerful, like flames scorching bone: "The era of these notes is even earlier than my birth. I have never met the Dou Di who left them, but I can feel his aura—it is very pure, without any of the mixed origins common in later generations. What he said about the ten-thousand-year cycle of the plane barriers is true."

Gu Yuan re-examined Hun Feng. The young man was still wearing those blood-stained dark robes, with fresh bloodstains remaining on his chest. His face was pale, his aura weak, and although the fluctuations of the Heavenly Flames within him had stabilized somewhat, they were still unstable—clearly, he had just struggled back from the edge of life and death.

But when he spoke of the path to the Emperor Realm, the plane barriers, and the Great Thousand World, the light in his eyes was completely different from before—it was not greed, nor ambition, but the most primal instinct of a hunter catching the scent of prey.

"Nephew, these notes are the legacy left by the ancestors of the Ancient Eight Clans, and they represent the entirety of our clan's understanding of the Emperor Realm. I brought them here today not to validate how correct your path to the Emperor Realm is, but because the time has come."

"Since the Council of Elders voted to support your plan, the Ancient Eight Clans have undergone a reorganization. The differences between the factions of Gu Dao and Elder Gu Qian remain, but a consensus has been formed—regardless of whether you succeed or fail, the Ancient Eight Clans must not miss this opportunity of the plane barriers loosening. Therefore, I have come personally to discuss a matter with you."

Hun Feng placed the jade slip back on the table and poured a cup of tea for Gu Yuan, pushing it toward him with a gesture of even more sincere respect than before: "Please speak, Father-in-law."

"Among the Ancient Eight Clans, the Spirit Clan and the Stone Clan have already been destroyed by the Hun Clan, the Medicine Clan was destroyed by your hand, the Yan Clan and the Lei Clan are occupied with their own affairs, and the Heavenly Demon Phoenix Clan has always been at odds with the Hun Clan. Now, apart from the Hun Clan and the Ancient Eight Clans, the only remaining top-tier forces on the continent are the Void Ancient Dragon and a few reclusive old monsters."

"You are the Young Clan Leader of the Hun Clan, and also the son-in-law of the Ancient Eight Clans—Xun'er is already your legitimate fiancée, and she has lived in the Soul Realm for some time. I want you to promise that when you charge toward the Emperor Realm, the Ancient Eight Clans will accompany you. Not following behind the Hun Clan to get a share of the spoils, but walking side-by-side. Your path to the Emperor Realm requires the bloodline of the Ancient Eight Clans, and the future of our clan also requires your Emperor position. These notes are the sincerity of the Ancient Eight Clans."

Gu Yuan's words carried immense weight. Hun Feng understood, and naturally, Hun Tiandi understood as well. The patriarch of the Ancient Eight Clans had come in person with the ancient Dou Di notes, not just to validate his path to the Emperor Realm, but to position the Ancient Eight Clans correctly before the battle for the Emperor Realm officially began—the Ancient Eight Clans would not fight the Hun Clan for the Emperor position, but they would participate in the process, on equal footing.

"I understand your meaning, Father-in-law. Xun'er is in the Soul Realm, and her bloodline is an indispensable part of my path to the Emperor Realm. Once my Burning Technique is completely consolidated and the seven Heavenly Flames are perfectly balanced, on the day I officially charge toward the Emperor Realm, Xun'er will certainly walk by my side."

He picked up his teacup, raised it to Gu Yuan in a toast, "From this moment on, the Ancient Eight Clans and the Hun Clan will advance and retreat together. On the path to the Emperor Realm, there shall be no distinction of first or last."

The wrinkles on Gu Yuan's face relaxed slightly, and he raised his teacup in return. The atmosphere in the hall eased. Hun Tiandi resumed his lazy posture, Void Swallowing Flame continued to play with the black flames at his fingertips, and Hun Qinger began to rotate the small ice crystal lotus again.

After Gu Yuan left, it was already late at night when Hun Feng returned to the East Courtyard alone.

Medusa was leaning on a chaise longue, flipping through a letter regarding tribal affairs sent by the Snake-People Tribe. Yao Yao was sitting cross-legged on the edge of the bed, using a fine cloth to wipe the newly replaced skulls on her bone whip. Hun Muxiao was already asleep, and the side room was quiet.

His footsteps were very light when he pushed the door open, but Yao Yao still lifted her head immediately. Her peach-blossom eyes swept over his face, then she put down the bone whip and walked over to unfasten his outer robe—the bloodstains on the robe had already dried and darkened, and the fabric felt stiff when her fingers touched it.

"What did Gu Yuan want? Did something go wrong with Xun'er?"

"It's not about Xun'er." Hun Feng sat down on the edge of the chaise longue, took a large gulp of the warm water Medusa handed him, and briefly recounted the news Gu Yuan had brought.

After hearing this, the bone whip in Yao Yao's hand almost fell to the ground. She was someone who had seen the world, having followed Hun Feng all the way from the Demon Flame Space to the Medicine World—what hadn't she seen? But Dou Di notes, the loosening of plane barriers, becoming an Emperor within a hundred years—these terms piled together still left her stunned for several breaths: "Wait, wait. You mean, if no one breaks the barrier within a hundred years, we have to wait another ten thousand years?"

"Correct."

"Then you must become an Emperor." Yao Yao's voice suddenly became extremely serious, all the playfulness in her peach-blossom eyes vanishing in an instant. She grabbed Hun Feng's wrist, her grip so tight it was as if she feared he might suddenly disappear, "No matter what method you use, you must become an Emperor. This is a once-in-ten-thousand-year opportunity; if you miss it, it's gone. I don't want to wait until my next life to stand at the peak of the Emperor Realm with you."

"She is right." Medusa closed the letter, her purple eyes looking calmly at Hun Feng, "Your path to the Emperor Realm was meant to break the plane barriers. Now that there is the prophecy of the Ancient Eight Clans' ancestors to support it, every step you take will attract more followers. But before that, you need to heal your injuries as soon as possible. Your Burning Technique has just entered the threshold, and the balance of the seven Heavenly Flames is still fragile. You need to go into seclusion to stabilize it for a while."

"I have already decided." Hun Feng placed the teacup on the small table, reached out to hold Medusa's hand, then took Yao Yao's hand, stacking both hands in his palm, "Once the Burning Technique is completely consolidated and the seven Heavenly Flames are perfectly balanced, I will officially begin my charge toward the Emperor Realm. Before that, I need to integrate all the forces on the continent that can be integrated."

"The Ancient Eight Clans have already agreed, the Void Ancient Dragon side can be negotiated through the connection with Zi Yan, the Snake-People Tribe is Cai Lin's maternal tribe, and the Hun Clan is my foundation—as long as these forces are twisted into a single rope, even if Xiao Yan pulls all the remaining ancient tribes to his side, he won't be able to stop my path to the Emperor Realm."

Medusa looked at his eyes, which were slightly tired from his unhealed injuries but still burning, was silent for a moment, and said softly: "Heal your injuries first. We can talk about other things when you can stand up." Her tone was still calm, but Hun Feng noticed that the strength with which she gripped his palm was a few points tighter than usual.

Three days later, the bruising in Hun Feng's meridians had recovered by seventy percent under the care of Medusa's ointment and Yao Ling's daily soul-cleansing. The balance of the seven Heavenly Flames of the Burning Technique had also gradually stabilized over these few days, and the web in his Dantian, which was originally fragile, had now become much thicker.

That evening, Hun Feng managed to climb out of bed and sat under the corridor of the East Courtyard, draped in an outer robe. Hun Muxiao was lying on his lap, chattering about the fresh news in the courtyard these past few days, talking about how Aunt Yaoyao had a fight with Sister Cai Lin yesterday over a piece of honey cake, and was finally subdued by a single look from her mother.

Hun Feng smiled and rubbed her head. When he looked up, he saw Gu Xun'er walking over from the direction of the side courtyard, carrying two freshly brewed cups of tea.

She was wearing a light cyan loungewear dress today, and her long hair was loosely pinned up with a single jade hairpin, making her look more casual than before. She sat down on the stone stool opposite Hun Feng and pushed one of the cups of tea toward him, her voice cold but not distant: "Are your injuries better?"

"It's not bad just to be able to sit up." Hun Feng picked up the tea and took a sip; the temperature was just right, and the amount of tea leaves was also just right, "Why haven't you come over to sit for the past few days?"

"I was afraid of disturbing your recovery." Gu Xun'er lowered her eyes to look at the teacup in her hand, was silent for a moment, and then suddenly spoke, "Father said some things to me before he left. He said the notes of the ancestors of the Ancient Eight Clans mentioned that the plane barriers change every ten thousand years, and that this era happens to coincide with that ten-thousand-year cycle. He said you are the most likely person among the young generation he has ever seen to charge toward the Emperor Realm."

She lifted those eyes, as clear as an ancient well, and a faint smile appeared at the corner of her lips, "Do you know? I have never heard him praise anyone like this before, except for Brother Xiao Yan."

Hun Feng's hand holding the teacup paused. He naturally knew why Gu Xun'er had suddenly brought up Xiao Yan—she was not comparing; she was saying goodbye.

"Xun'er, do you have something you want to tell me?"

Gu Xun'er was silent for a while, then gently placed the teacup on the stone table, lifted her eyes, and looked straight at him. There was no evasion or hesitation in that gaze, only a kind of composure that had been worn thin by time: "I want to tell you that I am willing to charge toward the Emperor Realm by your side. Not for the sake of the Ancient Eight Clans, not for the sake of my father's instructions, but because it is my own decision."

"I have been stuck at the peak of the Four-Star Dou Sheng for a long time, and the origin power of the Golden Emperor Sky Burning Flame has been sleeping deep in my Dantian. Perhaps your path to the Emperor Realm is also the opportunity for my breakthrough. Just like Yao Yao and Cai Lin—only by following you can I become stronger."

Hun Feng looked at her eyes, which were still clear but had gained a bit more firmness. He suddenly remembered how she had glared at him when he first detained her in the Soul Realm, remembered her stubbornness when she said "I am not willing" with red eyes at the Ancient Emperor Hall, and remembered the trembling fingers that had clenched her skirt when she took the initiative to suggest staying. From Xiao Yan to the Ancient Eight Clans, from the Ancient Emperor Hall to the East Courtyard, from disgust to acceptance, it had taken her nearly two years.

"Good." Hun Feng didn't say too many sentimental words; he simply responded, then picked up his teacup and tapped the edge of the cup she had placed on the table, making a crisp sound, "On the path to the Emperor Realm, we walk side-by-side."

Gu Xun'er lowered her head to look at the two teacups touching each other, and the corners of her lips curved slightly. The smile was faint, but more real than ever before.

After the Burning Technique was completely consolidated, Hun Feng began to integrate all the forces on the continent that could be won over. The Ancient Eight Clans had officially formed an alliance with the Hun Clan, Gu Xun'er remained in the East Courtyard to cultivate, and Gu Yuan began to mobilize the secret lines of the Ancient Eight Clans to assist in searching for the whereabouts of other Heavenly Flames.

Yan Jin arrived at the Soul Realm in person, bringing the Red Lotus Karma Fire and the Nine Nether Golden Ancestor Flame. The Red Lotus Karma Fire was lotus-shaped and entirely crimson, with extremely high temperatures surging at the edges of its petals; the Nine Nether Golden Ancestor Flame was a mass of dark blue liquid flame, with a luster like ancient metal flowing on its surface. Hun Feng temporarily sealed the two Heavenly Flames into the heaven swallowing mirror, intending to refine them formally when the Burning Technique advanced further.

The Sky Mansion Alliance fell into an unprecedented low point after the news of the Ancient Eight Clans officially forming an alliance with the Hun Clan spread. Lei Ying took the initiative to write a letter to Hun Feng, with wording that was polite and restrained, the gist of which was that the Lei Clan wished to maintain a friendly neutrality.

The new Great Elder of the Heavenly Demon Phoenix Clan, Feng Tianyu, only sent an ambiguous "The Heavenly Demon Phoenix Clan never takes sides" through secret lines, but Feng Qing'er privately sent a pair of seven-colored phoenix feathers to Yao Yao through an envoy. After receiving them, Yao Yao looked at them over and over again, then finally pinned them in her braid and preened in front of the mirror for an entire afternoon.

Xiao Yan was in seclusion at the Starfall Pavilion, deaf to all movements in the outside world. The White-haired Little Girl lay at the entrance of the cultivation room, her purple eyes gazing in the direction of the Soul Realm, holding the nine-colored bell in her arms. She didn't know what had happened between the adults; she only knew that after returning from the Soul Realm, Xiao Yan had become much quieter, and the time he spent with her was even less than before.

After the news of Hun Feng's Burning Technique being initially successful and the Heavenly Flames being temporarily balanced spread, the atmosphere in the East Courtyard changed quietly. The first one to come looking for him was Yao Yao. She didn't stick to him with her usual playful attitude; instead, she sat upright opposite him, her hands on her knees, her peach-blossom eyes looking straight at him.

"Husband, now that your Burning Technique has reached the entry level and the energy of the nine Heavenly Flames is temporarily balanced within you, no longer repelling each other, can you help us improve our cultivation? Xun'er has been stuck at the Four-Star Peak for a long time, Xiao Yi Xian is only at Three-Star, and Big Sister Cai Lin is at Five-Star Peak—if you could use the Heavenly Flame Source to help us temper our Dou Qi, perhaps we could all break through along with you."

Hun Feng fell silent. It was not that he hadn't thought about helping them improve their cultivation—his Emperor Road required gathering enough wives possessing top-tier bloodlines, fusing their bloodline sources with his own, and simultaneously nourishing them with the Heavenly Flame Source during the fusion process. Yao Yao was right; the Ancient Clan's prophecy was clear: the loosening of the plane barrier would occur within this century. The Emperor Road was not something he could walk alone; he needed the strength of everyone around him. And the most direct and purest way to improve their cultivation was through the dual fusion of body and soul—letting parts of the seven Heavenly Flames flow back and forth between the two bodies, stimulating each other's bloodline sources during the fusion.

"Call Cai Lin, Xun'er, and Xiao Yi Xian over."

That night, in the main hall of the East Courtyard. Medusa, Yao Yao, Gu Xun'er, and Xiao Yi Xian sat around a round table. Hun Feng briefly explained the method. Before he had even finished speaking, Yao Yao's face turned red first, Gu Xun'er's hand holding the teacup froze in mid-air, and Xiao Yi Xian lowered her head to look at her fingertips, her ears tinged with a faint pink. Medusa's expression remained normal, but her fingers holding the teacup tightened slightly.

Medusa was the first to speak, her voice still maintaining that cold tone, but there was a subtle fluctuation in her tone: "Yin-Yang fusion, using Heavenly Flames as the catalyst—you alone can withstand the impact of nine Heavenly Flames, but if you add four more people, will it cause a backlash again?"

"Not at the same time, one by one." Hun Feng explained, being uncharacteristically serious, though a trace of imperceptible embarrassment was hidden within his seriousness, "Each time, I will take the lead, letting parts of the seven Heavenly Flames flow back and forth between the two bodies. The key lies in controlling the flow rate and intensity of the Heavenly Flames—too fast will hurt you, too slow will not achieve the tempering effect. The Purification Lotus Demon Flame and the Sea Heart Flame are Yin and Yang, making them the most suitable primary flames for harmonization; the Eight Desolation Destruction Flame and the Nine Nether Wind Flame are too overbearing and can only be extracted in small amounts to impact bottlenecks; the Turtle Spirit Earth Flame is used to stabilize the foundation. I will adjust the ratio of the Heavenly Flames according to your respective bloodline characteristics. After each fusion is completed, I need at least three days to restore the balance of the Heavenly Flames."

When Yao Yao heard "one by one," a flicker of mischief flashed in her peach-blossom eyes, but it was quickly replaced by seriousness. Gu Xun'er lowered her eyes and remained silent for a moment, then looked up and stared directly into Hun Feng's eyes. She didn't speak, just gently placed her hand on the table, palm facing up—that gesture was trust. Xiao Yi Xian was the last to express her stance, her voice light but steady: "You may proceed."

Over the next few days, the lights in the East Courtyard's main hall burned longer than ever before.

The first was Medusa. Her Nine-Colored Sky Swallowing Python bloodline resonated violently with the seven Heavenly Flames within Hun Feng's body. The balancing power of the Purification Lotus Demon Flame and the Sea Heart Flame repeatedly tempered her meridians, forcefully breaking through the bottleneck that had kept her trapped at the Five-Star Peak for so long. The moment she broke through to Six-Star, the entire East Courtyard was enveloped in a nine-colored beam of light. The elders in the Holy City of the Snake-People sensed the Queen's aura and prostrated themselves on the ground one after another. Medusa sat up from the bed, her long hair disheveled, her face slightly pale, but the light in her purple eyes was more dazzling than ever.

The second was Xiao Yi Xian. Her Calamity Poison Body resonated subtly with the Turtle Spirit Earth Flame and the Void Devouring Flame Sub-flame. During the fusion process, the Turtle Spirit Earth Flame slowly seeped into her Dantian, helping her stabilize the gray poison source unique to the Calamity Poison Body; the Void Devouring Flame Sub-flame devoured and refined the accumulated toxic impurities in her meridians, making her Dou Qi flow more smoothly. The moment she broke through to Four-Star, the poisonous mist surrounding her was evaporated by the residual energy of the Heavenly Flames into a faint seven-colored mist. The dark-leaf osmanthus trees in the entire East Courtyard were contaminated by this poisonous mist, and extremely fine silver patterns appeared on the edges of the leaves. Xiao Yi Xian sat up from the bed, looked down at the gray poisonous flame dancing in her palm, then glanced at the sweat-drenched Hun Feng beside her, and suddenly leaned over to gently kiss his lips. This was the first time she had taken the initiative to kiss him.

Gu Xun'er was the last one. In the dead of night, the lights in the East Courtyard extinguished one by one, leaving only the faint light in the cultivation room deep within the main hall. This cultivation room had been specially expanded by Hun Feng; the four walls were inlaid with soul-devouring iron capable of withstanding the high temperatures of the Heavenly Flames, the floor was paved with very thick cold jade, and the cold jade was covered with a layer of soft bedding. Gu Xun'er sat on the edge of the soft bedding, the hem of her light cyan dress falling neatly to her ankles, her hands folded on her lap, her posture still maintaining the dignified and reserved manner customary of a young lady from the Ancient Clan. But Hun Feng noticed that her folded fingers were trembling slightly, the knuckles turning slightly white from the force.

He walked up to her, not rushing to speak, and just watched her quietly for a while. The candlelight cast a faint shadow on her face, making her elegant, lotus-like countenance appear even softer. Her eyelashes were long, casting a small fan-shaped shadow under her eyelids when she lowered her eyes, and a trace of extremely fine moisture still clung to the tips of her eyelashes—that was what she had quietly wiped away with her sleeve when she heard the specific method at the round table earlier.

"Are you afraid?" Hun Feng sat down beside her, not wearing his usual playful smile, his voice very soft.

Gu Xun'er raised her eyes to look at him, then shook her head very lightly: "It's not fear. It's just..." She paused, seemingly searching for the right wording, "I just didn't expect it to be today. From the Ancient Emperor Hall until now, I never imagined that one day I would be sitting here, willingly waiting for you."

"It's not too late to regret it." Hun Feng's tone was uncharacteristically serious, "I can wait."

"I won't wait anymore." Gu Xun'er's voice was very light, but the determination in her tone was firmer than ever, "I have waited for too long. From Wutan City to the Ancient World, from the Ancient Emperor Hall to the East Courtyard, I have always been waiting—waiting for Brother Xiao Yan to become stronger, waiting for the Ancient Clan to make decisions, waiting for the situation to change. This time, I don't want to wait anymore."

After she finished speaking, she raised her hand, her slender fingers gently resting on her sash. A very faint rustling sound was heard as the sash of her light cyan dress loosened under her fingertips, and the dress slipped silently from her shoulders, piling up at her waist. Beneath it, she wore only a very thin, plain white undergarment, and the candlelight shone through the thin fabric, outlining her slender shoulder lines and delicate collarbones. Her skin glowed with a warm, ivory-like luster in the warm light, her shoulders tensed slightly from nervousness, and the tiny cinnabar mole beneath her collarbone rose and fell gently with her rapid breathing.

Hun Feng reached out and gently gathered the black hair scattered on her shoulders behind her back. When his fingertips grazed her smooth shoulders, she trembled slightly, but did not pull away. He lowered his head and planted a very light kiss on her brow, then slowly moved down along the bridge of her nose, kissed the tip of her nose, and finally stopped on her lips. Her lips were soft, carrying a very faint scent of tea, and were slightly cool.

Gu Xun'er closed her eyes, her hands involuntarily gripping the soft bedding beneath her. She could feel his warm breath spraying on her cheeks, feel the scorching marks left by his fingertips as they slid across her collarbones, and feel her heartbeat in her chest getting faster and faster. The moment his hand reached into her undergarment and his palm pressed against her lower back, she shuddered slightly, a very soft murmur escaping her throat, only to be blocked by a deeper kiss from him.

The Golden Emperor Sky Burning Flame leaped out automatically the moment their lips and tongues intertwined, and the golden flame resonated violently with the Purification Lotus Demon Flame within Hun Feng's body. The two Heavenly Flames of similar ranking flowed autonomously between the two, the gold and pink intertwining into a brilliant and scorching firelight, illuminating the entire cultivation room with flickering light. Hun Feng guided parts of the seven Heavenly Flames to flow slowly between the two bodies—the Purification Lotus Demon Flame and the Sea Heart Flame, one Yin and one Yang, started from the Dantian, flowed along the meridians into their clasped palms, then flowed from her palm into her meridians, and after completing the tempering within her body, flowed back into his body along their touching skin. Only two extremely fine wisps of the Eight Desolation Destruction Flame and the Nine Nether Wind Flame were extracted to impact her Four-Star Peak bottleneck; the Turtle Spirit Earth Flame steadily protected her Dantian to prevent the Golden Emperor Sky Burning Flame from losing control during the resonance.

The fusion process was more intense than she had expected. The Heavenly Flame source circulated back and forth within their bodies, and every circulation felt like a fire being lit in her meridians, scorching and surging. Gu Xun'er's body trembled slightly, a layer of fine, thin sweat seeping out on her skin, soaking her undergarment until it was semi-transparent, clinging to her body and outlining her slender waist. Her fingers gripped the fabric on Hun Feng's shoulders tightly, her knuckles turning white, her nails almost digging into his skin.

Hun Feng stopped and looked down at her. Her eyes were closed tightly, and a few tiny droplets of water clung to her eyelashes. He gently called out "Xun'er," and she didn't open her eyes, just nodded very lightly. He kissed the water droplets on her eyelashes, then slowly laid her down on the soft bedding. The plain white undergarment slipped from her shoulders, piling up on the cold jade floor, stacking together with the light cyan dress.

The golden flame and the seven-colored Heavenly Flames intertwined around them, forming a magnificent curtain of fire. Within the fire curtain, the sources of two God-Grade Bloodlines stimulated and tempered each other during the fusion. Gu Xun'er's cultivation bottleneck was completely broken through this night—the source power of the Golden Emperor Sky Burning Flame fully awakened from the depths of her Dantian, resonating with Hun Feng's Purification Lotus Demon Flame like never before, absorbing and refining all the Heavenly Flame source he had channeled into her body, pushing her from the Four-Star Peak to the Five-Star Late Stage in one go.

When the last trace of the Heavenly Flame's residual energy slowly dissipated into the morning light, Gu Xun'er lay on the soft bedding, her long hair disheveled, her face slightly flushed, with faint red marks still remaining at the corners of her eyes. She raised her hand and gently placed her palm on Hun Feng's chest, feeling the steady circulation of the seven Heavenly Flames within his body—that was the balance after the initial success of the Burning Technique, and also the result of her having just personally participated in the tempering. Her fingers lightly grazed the Heavenly Flame burn scar on his chest that was still slowly healing, the touch feeling slightly cool.

"What are you thinking about?" Hun Feng held her fingers and looked down at her. He discovered that her gaze at this moment was different from before—it was not the calmness of accepting fate, nor the determination of burning bridges, but a gentleness he had never seen before.

"I was thinking, so this is how it is." Gu Xun'er's voice was very light, but every word was steady, "I used to always feel that this kind of thing was very distant, so distant that it had nothing to do with me. Now I know, it's not that it's distant, it's that I hadn't met the right person yet." She raised those clear eyes to look at him, a faint smile appearing on the corners of her lips, "Brother Xiao Yan waited for me for so many years and never had me. Yet you have."

When Hun Feng heard the two words "Xiao Yan" spoken from her mouth, not only did he not feel the slightest displeasure in his heart, but instead, an extremely strong sense of satisfaction welled up. He looked down at the cinnabar mole beneath her collarbone, at her slightly swollen lips and the undried red marks at the corners of her eyes—this woman had stayed by Xiao Yan's side since Wutan City, childhood sweethearts, innocent and pure, she was Xiao Yan's most beloved woman, and also the person whom Xiao Yan had been unable to truly possess after waiting for more than a decade. And now she was lying in his arms, the first time was his. Oh Xiao Yan, Xiao Yan, Xun'er followed you for so many years, and you never even touched her once. Whether you are a true gentleman or truly useless—now she is mine, from head to toe, from inside to out, every inch is mine.

He leaned over and planted a kiss on her brow, the smile on the corners of his mouth unable to be suppressed no matter what. Gu Xun'er looked at his triumphant expression and couldn't help but reach out and gently pinch his face: "What bad things are you thinking about?"

"I'm thinking about how good my life is." Hun Feng held her hand and, as a matter of course, kissed it again.

When the last wave of the Heavenly Flame's residual energy slowly dissipated in the morning light, the auras of the four had all been renewed. Medusa stepped into the realm of Six-Star Dou Sheng, the pressure of the Snake-People Tribe Queen becoming even heavier, and the Nine-Colored Sky Swallowing Python bloodline further purified; Gu Xun'er broke through to the Five-Star Late Stage, the Golden Emperor Sky Burning Flame truly awakened within her body, the golden flame shining several times more brilliantly than before; Xiao Yi Xian promoted to Four-Star Dou Sheng, the gray poison source of the Calamity Poison Body being tempered by the Heavenly Flames to be even purer; Yao Yao remained at the Seven-Star Early Stage, but the residual Heavenly Flame energy accumulated in her body was enough for her to easily break through during her next seclusion.

Hun Feng walked out of the main hall, supporting himself on the door frame. The balance of the seven Heavenly Flames within his body was more stable than before, and his cultivation at the Seven-Star Mid-Stage also showed signs of loosening after this series of continuous fusions. The four of them sat or leaned, each wearing thin clothing, with the residual warmth of the Heavenly Flames still lingering on their faces. He walked to the stone table, picked up the teapot, and drank half a pot of cold tea in one breath, then leaned against the pillar and looked at the morning light gradually brightening on the horizon. The Emperor Road was still ahead, but he was no longer alone.