Beneath the Burning Heaven Mountain Range, rivers of molten magma churned endlessly. The fiery liquid was so scalding that even an Earth Sovereign's body would turn to ash within moments—yet in its depths, a handsome young man sat cross-legged, calmly cultivating.
For Liu Xi, this magma was no threat—it was nourishment. The violent Fire-Attribute Spiritual Energy that filled the depths of the Burning Heaven Continent was the best resource he could ask for.
Since the end of the demonic calamity, some time had passed. After Liu Xi repaired the barrier between worlds, no Demonic Calamity would occur again for the foreseeable future.
Once stability returned, Qin Tian led the Great Thousand Palace's forces away from the Burning Heaven Continent, disbanding the coalition army of the Northern Desolation.
Because Liu Xi had defeated Maha Tian, he had inevitably offended the Ancient Maha Clan. There was a high chance they would seek vengeance.
Qin Tian, who had witnessed everything Liu Xi did, naturally couldn't bear to see him suffer under their retaliation. He repeatedly invited Liu Xi to join the Great Thousand Palace. Within the Palace's protection, even the Ancient Maha Clan would have to restrain itself.
After all, the Great Thousand Palace had been founded by the Immortal Emperor himself. Though it acted as a loose alliance during peacetime, once war broke out, it could mobilize the full might of the Great Thousand World.
To oppose the Palace was to oppose the entire Great Thousand World—and not even the Ancient Maha Clan would dare to make such a foolish move.
But if Liu Xi remained outside their walls, then even with his fame, the Maha Clan might one day cast aside all decorum and strike.
Still, Liu Xi politely declined Qin Tian's invitation. He had always walked his own path, and the threats of the Maha Clan didn't frighten him. Even if a Saint Grade Heavenly Sovereign carrying an Peerless Saint Artifact were to appear, he could always disappear from sight ahead of time.
Bodhisattva had gone on his own journey of tempering, and Xuan Pao had been dismissed for now—Liu Xi had given him several pills and instructed him to cultivate on his own.
Thus, alone, he returned beneath the magma, where the Burning Heaven Spirit Flame slumbered. If fully absorbed, that flame could help him break through to the Saint Grade Heavenly Sovereign Realm.
Yet Liu Xi had no intention of refining it for now. Compared to the time he had first set foot on the Burning Heaven Continent, his current strength had grown far too quickly.
"Too much progress too soon leads to instability," he murmured.
He intended to settle his foundation first, then refine the Burning Heaven Spirit Flame later—only then would his future breakthrough to Saint Grade be solid and unshakable.
For now, he had returned to stabilize his realm—and to test whether he could draw near to the Spirit Flame's core.
By borrowing the Fire Spirit Clan's divine fire, he advanced to Mid Immortal Grade, and during his Celestial Body's metamorphosis, he advanced again to Late Immortal Grade.
It was, however, a path that skipped many steps. Here, in this endless ocean of Fire-Attribute Spiritual Energy, he could temper his strength and stabilize his realm once more.
The Burning Heaven Spirit Flame had existed here for tens of thousands of years, yet none had ever been able to claim it. Now, only Liu Xi could approach its depths and gaze upon its true form.
Below him, on the interwoven veins of the earth, burned a crimson-gold flame, radiating boundless heat—it was like a miniature sun, pulsing with the world's fiery breath.
The searing Fire-Attribute Spiritual Energy surged outward in waves, yet Liu Xi absorbed it all effortlessly, his body like a bottomless black hole.
A thin layer of azure flame covered his skin—like a robe of fire—that refined the rampaging energy into pure essence.
After a long period of stillness, Liu Xi suddenly opened his eyes. Within them danced a faint azure fire, which soon faded, revealing a pair of eyes as deep as the starry sky.
"Late Immortal Grade Heavenly Sovereign… only a thin barrier separates me from the Saint Grade. I suppose I can be called a Pseudo-Saint Grade Heavenly Sovereign now."
"For me, stepping into the Saint Grade isn't difficult. With my foundation, the so-called barrier that others see as a chasm barely exists at all…"
"All this accumulation is for the day I advance without hesitation—perhaps even to challenge the realms beyond Saint Grade once my strength ripens."
He rose slowly and glanced toward the Spirit Flame at the core of the earth. That he could stand so close without harm was due partly to his immense Spiritual Energy, and partly to his extraordinary affinity with flame.
The Divine Ability he had gained upon stepping into the Heavenly Sovereign Realm already allowed him to control fire—and this heaven-born Spirit Flame had yet to develop consciousness.
It was, essentially, his to command.
"It's time to leave. If a Saint Grade powerhouse truly comes looking for trouble, it'll be troublesome to explain."
Even if he didn't fear them, there was no reason to provoke a pointless fight.
"The next time I come here," he said quietly, "it will be to ascend as a Saint Grade Heavenly Sovereign."
With that, his body blurred into motion—like a bolt of lightning flashing through the molten sea.
Moments later, the cavern fell silent once more. No life could exist under such heat. Apart from Liu Xi, even a Heavenly Sovereign could not approach this place.
That was why he felt at ease leaving the Burning Heaven Spirit Flame behind.
"Now then," he mused as he soared away, "where should I go next? The Great Thousand Palace lies in the west… perhaps I'll visit the northwestern territories first."
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Meanwhile, within the Buddha Clan.
The clan's leader had reached the end of his lifespan. Once he passed, the clan's strength would inevitably wane.
The Buddha Clan was divided into three branches—the Qing Lineage, Mo Lineage, and Xuan Lineage. The current Clan Leader came from the Qing Lineage, but the other two factions were already watching hungrily, waiting for their chance to seize control.
Internal strife loomed on the horizon.
At this turbulent moment, envoys from the Ancient Maha Clan arrived—bearing a proposal of marriage. Maha Tian, their current Clan Leader, sought to wed Qing Yanjing, daughter of the Buddha Clan's Clan Leader.
The two had once been betrothed long ago, a marriage pact arranged between their elders. Maha Tian had never been a wastrel—his prodigious talent had manifested since youth, his cultivation rising swiftly with each year.
Qing Yanjing, as the Clan Leader's daughter, also possessed exceptional aptitude—particularly in the arts of Spiritual Arrays, where her comprehension bordered on genius.
Thus, the elders of both clans had "agreed" (to put it mildly) to unite their noble bloodlines, caring little for the will of those directly involved.
Now, the Maha Clan's envoys came to renew that marriage pact. Their official excuse was to strengthen the alliance between their clans and dispel the negative rumors surrounding Maha Tian's defeat by Liu Xi.
But the true purpose—known only to Maha Tian and his brother Maha You—was far darker.
Among the Buddha Clan's elders, few dared refuse. Even after Maha Tian's humiliation, they still regarded him with reverence. In their eyes, his "noble lineage" and near-Saint Grade cultivation would soon allow him to crush Liu Xi with ease.
These self-proclaimed nobles were always drunk on their own arrogance.
To them, the union between Maha Tian and Qing Yanjing represented not only a merging of bloodlines but also a powerful alliance between two great clans—an arrangement that benefited everyone… except the bride herself.
For the Buddha Clan, weakened as they were, the Maha Clan's backing promised security.
For the Mo and Xuan Lineages, Qing Yanjing's marriage meant she would lose her right to compete for the Clan Leader's seat.
And for the Qing Lineage, if she became the Maha Clan's matriarch, that too would elevate their standing.
In the end, the only person sacrificed—was Qing Yanjing herself.
And no one… had ever bothered to ask her opinion.
(End of Chapter)
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