Chapter 42: A Battle of Souls!
As Jiang Yun's words fell, silence reclaimed the surroundings!
The space seemed to solidify. An oppressive atmosphere enveloped the underground chamber. Qing Ming's expression was unprecedentedly grim. He stared fixedly at Jiang Yun, observing his every move, terrified that something might go wrong.
Time slipped by, minute by minute!
The silence persisted for roughly several minutes. Then, without warning, the Saint Demon Flame within Jiang Yun's body surged out of its own accord. The flames danced gently, and on their surface, ripples began to spread. At the same time, a light chuckle drifted out.
"Little one, how did you discover me?"
The instant this voice rang out, Qing Ming's entire body went rigid. The Qing Ming Tower involuntarily began to stir. The already scant power it possessed surged like a flood. At the slightest hint of movement, an onslaught akin to a torrential storm would erupt instantly!
Even if it meant complete shattering, even if the Saint Demon Flame suppressed beneath the tower could no longer be contained and the entire Black-Corner Region were burned to scorched earth — Qing Ming would not hesitate!
"Saint Demon Emperor!!!" No matter how mentally prepared he had been, the moment he truly laid eyes on the other, Qing Ming's heart still tremored uncontrollably with dread.
At this moment, the Saint Demon Emperor had not the slightest inclination to pay Qing Ming any mind. Instead, he studied Jiang Yun with keen interest, as though trying to see right through him, to understand how the other had managed to detect him.
One had to know, even Jiang Ya had not discovered him. How had Jiang Yun, a mere Dou Ling, managed it? He simply could not figure it out.
Unlike Qing Ming, Jiang Yun showed no trace of tension. He even met the Saint Demon Emperor's gaze directly. After a moment of silence, he spoke flatly: "Perhaps it's just talent!"
"It was the last time — when you first laid eyes on the Fallen Heart Flame. The slip you revealed planted the answer in my heart!"
The answer was absurd. To speak of talent before the Saint Demon Emperor?
Yet the Saint Demon Emperor actually nodded in acknowledgment. "You are indeed a person of great talent. It's just a pity..." At this, his voice suddenly turned bone-chillingly cold. "Those who betray my clan — all deserve death—"
"Lord Saint Heaven need not bluff. I suspect your current strength is no greater than my own?"
The Saint Demon Emperor's sudden shift had instantly put Qing Ming on high alert. Yet Jiang Yun remained as calm as ever, speaking words that even made the Saint Demon Emperor lose his composure for an instant.
"You truly are clever!" the Saint Demon Emperor remarked, his tone somber.
"You have already answered my question. I wonder if Lord Saint Heaven could, in turn, answer mine?"
Under Qing Ming's bewildered watch, Jiang Yun and the Saint Demon Emperor had actually begun a dialogue as "equals"!
Humans truly were complex!
The Saint Demon Emperor now felt considerable interest in this peculiar member of the Xie Ling Clan. He nodded in assent.
"Chieftain Jiang Ya and Senior Qing Ming clearly extinguished your will within this sub-flame. Why, then, is it still like this?"
"Heh—" Jiang Yun's question drew a scornful smile from the Saint Demon Emperor. "How could Jiang Ya and that insignificant little tower comprehend my methods? Your greatest mistake was leaving behind that cluster of sub-flame. As long as the flame remains unextinguished, I remain unextinguished!"
Hearing this answer, Qing Ming, standing off to the side, felt somewhat embarrassed. They had thought they had handled things so well. As it turned out, everything had been carried out right under the other's nose.
"However, Senior, you must have suffered considerable damage as well, haven't you?" Jiang Yun spoke up at this point, salvaging some face for Jiang Ya and Qing Ming. "Otherwise, why would it be only upon encountering the Fallen Heart Flame that you recovered even a trace of consciousness!"
"Annoying brat!" the Saint Demon Emperor said icily, but he did not refute it.
"Second question: what exactly is the Fallen Heart Flame?" Now Jiang Yun's expression grew considerably more serious. This question, he suspected, was about to lift the veil on the Dou Qi Continent's mysteries.
The Saint Demon Emperor looked at him thoughtfully, then chuckled lightly. "It's nothing much. Merely the essence of a vanquished member of my clan, transformed."
A flash of sharp light shot through Jiang Yun's eyes at these words. He blurted out, "It was the previous bearer of the Myriad Flames Imperishable Body!"
"Correct. The Great Thousand World originally possessed ten Primordial Dharma Bodies, each holding the potential to transcend all limits. Pity — five of them were destroyed by my clan fifty thousand years ago. Among them was the Myriad Flames Imperishable Body!"
The Saint Demon Emperor spoke in a tone of utter indifference, as though the destruction of five Primordial Dharma Bodies were something utterly commonplace.
"It's just that I never imagined, after so many years since his fall, he would actually precipitate the birth of these peculiar flames across this continent!"
Having obtained his answer, Jiang Yun felt relief settle over him. A rough plan had now taken shape in his mind — but that would have to wait until after he had weathered this current crisis.
"My questions are finished. Now, Lord Demon Emperor, I invite you to meet your death!"
The atmosphere abruptly turned murderous. The Saint Demon Emperor asked with curiosity, "Since you know so many secrets, you can certainly deduce that during the process of absorbing the Saint Demon Flame, your soul has already been tainted with my aura. My death — means your death."
Jiang Yun's entanglement with the Saint Demon Flame ran too deep. It was by absorbing the Saint Demon Flame that he had been able to advance so quickly. And because of that, his soul had been stained with no small amount of the Saint Demon Emperor's aura.
If this continued, once the Saint Demon Emperor's strength accumulated to a certain degree, he would be fully capable of refining Jiang Yun into his Fire Slave.
This, too, was precisely why Jiang Yun, upon discovering him, had immediately resolved to eliminate him.
"That is exactly why I came here." Jiang Yun smiled mysteriously. The time for unveiling his true aim had come.
He slowly rose and walked to the edge of the azure protective barrier. Outside, a small, lithe fire python was staring at him coldly. It was the Fallen Heart Flame's core flame — its very origin.
To thoroughly eradicate the other's will within the Saint Demon Flame in his body, Jiang Yun intended to call upon the Fallen Heart Flame — which could directly attack the soul — to assist, and to scour his own body and soul clean.
"You must understand that the ultimate outcome of this method hinges on whose willpower is more resolute. A single misstep means the total annihilation of the soul. Are you confident you can surpass me?" The Saint Demon Emperor's eyes now held a strange expression. The look of appreciation from moments ago was replaced by one as if he were staring at a simpleton.
A contest of willpower against an old monster who has lived for tens of thousands of years?
Jiang Yun acted as if he hadn't detected the sarcasm in the Saint Demon Emperor's words. Instead, he extended a palm and spoke evenly: "Life itself is a miracle. Compared to my body — you, after all, are merely an outsider."
"Even an ant struggles to survive. Lord Demon Emperor, do not underestimate any living being's thirst for life!"
"Should you grow careless..."
"Even a giant dragon can be devoured by ants, bite by bite!"
As his voice faded, Jiang Yun waved his hand lightly. The azure light barrier shattered with a sound. Seeing this, a fierce and vicious light erupted in the Fallen Heart Flame's serpentine eyes. Wave after wave of terrifying invisible flame slowly rose from within its body, and it hurtled toward Jiang Yun with a savage roar.
"Evil Spirit Binding!"
Accompanied by a great shout, a vertical eye suddenly split open at the center of Jiang Yun's brow. Infinite violet light surged forth, transforming into a violet chain of soul that lashed out toward the fire python.
Chirp!
A sharp, ear-piercing shriek, brimming with fury, rang out. The invisible fire python formed by the Fallen Heart Flame showed a flash of terror in its eyes. It now sensed an extreme threat.
The flames around its body suddenly swelled massively. The crimson magma outside abruptly began to seethe as well. Countless bubbles roiled without cease before bursting one after another.
"Futile efforts!"
Jiang Yun sneered coldly. The Evil Spirit Binding was one of the Xie Ling Clan's innate divine abilities. It directly assailed the soul and could forcibly drag the opponent into a contest of souls.
This type of attack was exceedingly dangerous. A single misstep could mean the total annihilation of the soul. For this reason, even members of the Xie Ling Clan rarely employed it.
An attack that directly targeted the soul, however, also meant it was all the more difficult to defend against!
The violet chain shot forth like a swimming dragon, piercing through the Fallen Heart Flame's defenses in an instant. Within that world of crimson, the Fallen Heart Flame began to slowly turn translucent.
A palm-sized flame serpent, its hue leaning slightly toward a milky white, flickered continuously. Within the little serpent's eyes surged invisible flame, and as its eyes revolved, it appeared quite nimble and full of life.
At this moment, its serpentine gaze was fixed on Jiang Yun with savage ferocity. Waves of terrifying invisible flame slowly rose from within its body.
"Come here!"
Jiang Yun's eyes lit up. With a soft laugh, the seal in his hand changed. Instantly, amidst the opponent's horrified expression, several violet soul chains wrapped it up so tightly not a single gap remained.
Chirp!
Sharp, piercing hisses rang out incessantly. Within the violet fluorescence, a little flame serpent was madly thrashing about in every direction.
"Come, whether success or failure — all hinges on this moment!" Jiang Yun cast a glance at the Saint Demon Emperor, who was now being watched over by Qing Ming off to the side.
His face had once more returned to a state of utter calm, like a still, unrippled well. Yet within his eyes blazed an unprecedented resolution. Vast spiritual soul power coalesced beneath him, forming an illusory violet lotus pedestal.
As Jiang Yun slowly sat down cross-legged, the invisible fire python, encased in violet fluorescence, slowly drifted toward Jiang Yun's brow.
"Heh— Interesting. Truly interesting. Jiang Yun, I must say — when it comes to sheer nerve, no one in the Great Thousand World surpasses you." Faced with Jiang Yun's declaration of war, the Saint Demon Emperor instead revealed a smile of genuine amusement.
Then, with a light chuckle, he said: "Let this seat see just how much you amount to!"
With those words, his figure slowly dispersed, transforming into a black-and-white intertwined Saint Demon Flame and drifting toward Jiang Yun's brow.
"Yun'er..." Watching the Saint Demon Emperor vanish, Qing Ming stared anxiously at Jiang Yun, whose eyes were now shut. Even now, he still felt the world had gone mad — that someone would dare engage in a battle of will against the Saint Demon Emperor. And that someone was just a child!
Without time for further worry, Qing Ming took out the Bodhi Tree remains that Jiang Yun had pulled out before sinking into slumber and placed them behind Jiang Yun's back. In an instant, wisp after wisp of pure, clear air descended, slowly merging into Jiang Yun's violet vertical eye.
Having rendered this final assistance, Qing Ming fixed his gaze tightly on Jiang Yun and murmured in a low voice: "You must succeed!"
Regardless of how Qing Ming fretted outside, Jiang Yun's soul space had already transformed into a battlefield.
Roar—
A colossal invisible fire python let out a furious roar. At this moment, it stared uneasily at the black-and-white flame that had just appeared. It could sense in it both the ultimate threat and the ultimate temptation.
And under this roar of its own, formless flames surged wildly and skyrocketed within this space.
"A long-missed scent!" The Saint Demon Flame coalesced into human form. A trace of reminiscent nostalgia surfaced on its face, as if it were lost in old memories.
"How do you wish to compete?" The Saint Demon Emperor turned his head toward the tiny soul figure nearby — that figure was none other than Jiang Yun.
At this moment, he shone in a noble, mysterious violet. He stared icily at the Fallen Heart Flame and the Saint Demon Emperor.
"In my domain..."
"Of course — all of you shall be suppressed!"
Accompanied by Jiang Yun's overbearingly domineering words, the formless soul space instantly transformed to violet. Observing closely, one would find that faint black-and-white streaks ran through the violet space.
A violet Soul Flame emerged and surged toward the two others with overwhelming force. Such posturing — did he mean to take on both at once?
"Hahaha— Good! I shall play with you, whelp!" Seeing this, the Saint Demon Emperor let out a great, delighted roar of laughter. In a flash, his entire form transformed into a black-and-white Saint Demon Flame and simultaneously hurtled toward both the Fallen Heart Flame and Jiang Yun's violet Soul Flame.
Roar— Now under assault from both parties at once, the Fallen Heart Flame released a furious, enraged roar. The flames around its body exploded outward, and it attacked both of them in turn.
The instant the battle began, Jiang Yun felt an excruciating, extreme pain, as though his very soul was being torn to shreds. Just as his soul was convulsing, a cooling sensation arose from the depths of his soul, restoring his stability.
The entire soul space transformed into a sea of fire. Violet, black-and-white, and formless — three distinct flames intertwined and battled here.
Yet on closer observation, one could discern subtle differences among the three parties.
The Fallen Heart Flame was the strongest, occupying more than half the space. The Saint Demon Flame, with the Saint Demon Emperor personally directing it, occupied the second-largest territory. Only Jiang Yun...
held a tiny foothold, roughly one-tenth of the entire space!
But in the face of the other two's storm-like, indiscriminate attacks, the violet flame remained utterly immovable, as steadfast as a mountain.
Though all three attacked without distinguishing targets, the strongest of them — the Fallen Heart Flame — seemed to instinctively direct more of its assault toward the Saint Demon Emperor.
As a result, the Saint Demon Flame was ceaselessly forced to draw black-and-white filaments from the violet barrier. And under this process, Jiang Yun gradually began to shake off the Saint Demon Emperor's influence.
Within the violet sea of fire, Jiang Yun's soul figure's eyes cracked open slightly, before sinking back into stillness.
As time wore on, Jiang Yun consistently held onto that one-tenth-sized foothold, while the black-and-white streaks along the surrounding barrier slowly dissipated. Neither the Fallen Heart Flame nor the Saint Demon Emperor, locked in their bitter entanglement, noticed that at the edges, countless faint violet sparks were slowly beginning to bloom.
In the underground space, Qing Ming stared ahead, his face etched with tension. There, Jiang Yun sat cross-legged in silence, eyes shut, utterly still. Before him hovered a massive invisible fire python. At this moment, this originally ferociously savage creature had also sunk into an eerie, trance-like stillness.
By now, Qing Ming had noticed that Jiang Yun's body would shudder violently at regular intervals.
The Fallen Heart Flame was, after all, a flame capable of directly attacking the soul. Jiang Yun had even brought it straight into his sea of soul. Now, three parties were waging an all-out war within — that Jiang Yun hadn't simply collapsed outright was already a miracle.
Every collision was equivalent to burning Jiang Yun's soul. The agony within was something ordinary people could scarcely imagine.
Qing Ming didn't even know how Jiang Yun was managing to endure it — maintaining, on one hand, focused concentration to sustain the battle against the Fallen Heart Flame and the Saint Demon Flame, while on the other, suffering the excruciating pain of his soul being seared.
"Jiang Ya, I can now answer you with certainty. This child is indeed the hope of the Xie Ling Clan..."
"Yun'er — he will certainly lead the Xie Ling Clan to glory!"
A low, soft murmur drifted forth. Qing Ming gazed at Jiang Yun, whose body had long since been soaked through with sweat, his expression an unreadable mix of emotions. At this moment, it was as if he could see a vast and boundless future shining upon the other's figure.