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**
As the three—master and disciples—departed, the area gradually fell into silence.
Only the lingering traces of energy fluctuations in the air and the devastated land below remained as proof of the fierce battle that had taken place. That silence lasted for several minutes before it was suddenly broken by the sound of the wind being torn apart.
Swish! Swish! Swish!
More than a dozen figures shot over from afar, finally halting midair. Their gazes widened in shock as they looked down upon the shattered mountains and ruined terrain beneath them.
"What terrifying destruction… and such overwhelming residual energy! Who could have fought here? An entire mountain range was shattered!"
"I can faintly sense traces of Dou Sheng-level pressure within these lingering waves. Could it be that Dou Sheng-level existences fought here?"
"A battle between Dou Sheng powerhouses?!"
Exclamations filled the air, one after another, each voice laced with disbelief. But while these people were still stunned, Wei Yang and his group had already fled far, far away.
Thousands of li away from the battlefield, atop a lush green peak, the sound of rushing wind echoed once again. Three dark figures flashed into view, landing lightly on the mountaintop—it was none other than Wei Yang, Yao Lao, and Xiao Yan.
"It's quiet here, and no powerful lifeforms are nearby. I've also erased our traces along the way. Even a Dou Sheng expert would find it hard to track us," Yao Lao said with a smile, his feet gently touching the soft grass.
"Mm." Wei Yang and Xiao Yan both nodded with smiles of their own. The three exchanged glances, each face carrying satisfaction.
This harvest was going to be bountiful. Setting aside the ancient map fragments for the moment, those three old demons had lived in wicked luxury for years; their wealth must have been considerable. It was only fitting that such treasures had fallen into their hands.
Their effort had definitely been worth it.
"Master," Xiao Yan said eagerly, rubbing his hands together with a grin full of anticipation.
"Here." Yao Lao smiled and turned his hand, producing the final fragment of the map. "Let's see what happens when we piece all four fragments together. I'm rather curious myself."
As he spoke, he waved his other hand, distorting the surrounding space slightly and sealing it off completely—just in case something unexpected occurred.
Xiao Yan nodded, then took the fragment from Yao Lao. With a flick of his finger across his storage ring, several ancient, tattered pieces of parchment floated out, slowly suspending themselves in midair.
Wei Yang, too, watched curiously.
As Xiao Yan gazed at the timeworn, weathered fragments, excitement once again surged in his eyes. He couldn't help but rub his hands together nervously.
"Hurry up already, stop fidgeting," Wei Yang said, rolling his eyes and giving Xiao Yan a light kick on the backside with a smirk.
"Hehe, can't rush something like this—gotta have a little ceremony." Xiao Yan grinned widely. Then, with careful precision, he began aligning the fragments, slowly matching the patterns along their edges.
The process was painstakingly slow, but as time passed, the pieces gradually formed into a single, complete ancient map before their eyes. When the final piece fit perfectly into place, Xiao Yan finally exhaled in relief.
Then, with excitement brimming once more, he turned his gaze toward the ancient map—only to freeze slightly. The fully assembled map depicted a simple mountain-and-river scene. The patterns looked plain—ordinary, even—with no discernible symbols, markings, or paths.
It looked… just like a casual painting of mountains and rivers.
"This…"
Xiao Yan stared blankly at the simple lines, a sinking feeling creeping into his chest.
Could it be that the map he'd searched for all these years—was nothing but this meaningless picture?
He looked at Wei Yang and Yao Lao, at a loss for words.
"Don't panic," Wei Yang said thoughtfully. "It's definitely not that simple."
"Indeed," Yao Lao agreed calmly. "This ancient map is far too old to be a joke. There must be some hidden mystery within it."
"Hu~"
Hearing this, Xiao Yan took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down.
The three of them then slowly scanned the map, carefully examining every detail, hoping to find something out of the ordinary.
But no matter how they looked, aside from one peculiar Lotus Flame emblem and a faint ripple of strange energy emanating from it, there was nothing else suspicious.
"Try dripping a bit of your blood on it," Yao Lao said after pondering for a moment.
Xiao Yan hesitated briefly, then nodded. He pricked his finger, letting a drop of fresh blood fall onto one corner of the ancient map. The crimson slowly spread out, seeping into the parchment.
The three waited quietly.
But even after a long moment, the map showed no reaction whatsoever. Aside from the faint bloodstain where Xiao Yan's drop had fallen, there was nothing—no glow, no movement, no change.
Seeing this, Yao Lao sighed softly, shaking his head as silence fell once more between them. Xiao Yan stared blankly at the ancient scroll floating before him, a trace of undisguisable disappointment flickering in his eyes.
He had poured so much effort and expectation into the Purifying Demonic Lotus Flame. Now, after finally collecting all the fragments and piecing together the complete map, this was the result. For him, it was quite a heavy blow.
A heavy silence enveloped the three of them — master and disciples alike.
In this somewhat oppressive and wordless atmosphere, Wei Yang tried his best to recall the plot from the original story. It had been so long that many details were already buried deep in his memory.
After a moment, he finally spoke, "Since it's related to a Heavenly Flame, Xiao Yan, why don't you try burning it with a Heavenly Flame?"
"Burn it with a Heavenly Flame?" Hearing that, both Yao Lao and Xiao Yan were stunned.
"Uh… that doesn't sound very safe," Xiao Yan said hesitantly.
What if it gets burned to ashes?
"Come on, it's already like this — might as well try and see what happens." Wei Yang said casually.
Yao Lao stroked his beard in silence, his expression thoughtful.
After hesitating for a moment, Xiao Yan finally let out a long sigh. Looking at the ancient scroll in front of him, he gave a slight nod and accepted the suggestion. "Alright, let's give it a try. Either way, if it's like this, keeping it serves no purpose."
As his voice fell, a purple-brown flame suddenly rose from his palm, instantly engulfing the entire ancient scroll. Seeing this, Yao Lao frowned slightly and was about to speak — to tell him not to be too impulsive — when…
"Something's not right!" Wei Yang suddenly said.
Yao Lao froze, then turned his gaze toward the scroll within the flames. His pupils shrank sharply as he exclaimed in surprise, "Why isn't it burning?!"
Xiao Yan's mouth opened slightly in shock.
With his current strength as a One-Change Dou Zun, and the power of his Heavenly Flame, even if the scroll's material was extraordinary, it should've been incinerated in an instant.
The three of them stared intently at the ancient scroll within the flames. No matter how the purple-brown fire burned, that seemingly tattered scroll remained completely intact — not even the slightest sign of being scorched or turning to ash.
"Try increasing the firepower!" Wei Yang said in a deep voice.
Yao Lao nodded slightly, his eyes fixed on the scroll that remained unscathed within the flames. Xiao Yan's Heavenly Flame was a fusion of five different Heavenly Flames — its power could boil seas and melt mountains. There was no reason it couldn't burn through a piece of parchment.
Something about this was definitely off.
Hearing that, Xiao Yan nodded, and immediately pushed the Heavenly Flame to its limit.
Fwoosh!
The purple-brown flames blazed even more fiercely, their heat so intense that the surrounding space began to twist and collapse. However, no matter how much Xiao Yan increased the temperature, the ancient scroll still showed no sign of being destroyed.
But as the flames grew more intense, the patterns on the scroll began to glow faintly, as though something within was about to emerge.
Wei Yang narrowed his eyes slightly.
Could it be… the remnant consciousness of the Purifying Demonic Lotus Saint was about to appear?
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