"Crash! Crash!" As the cold command from the old Mu Gu elder fell, countless black chains—crafted from an unknown material—burst forth from the black mist in a sweeping surge, intertwining and crossing each other before crashing down with force upon the massive form of San Qiyan Yanhuo. The chains trembled, instantly tightening and ensnaring San Qiyan Yanhuo in a dense web. "Roar!" Faced with this chain封锁, San Qiyan Yanhuo roared in fury, his colossal body writhing violently. Streams of deep purple and black flames surged continuously from within, searing the dark chains. As the purple-black flames wrapped around the chains, sharp cries of agony erupted from within the chains, and waves of black mist surged forth, desperately resisting the flames' incineration. "Crack—" "Under the vigorous struggles of the Three Thousand Yan Flame, some of the black chains were actually severed right there, the break points surging with black mist, and faint, grim faces subtly emerging—remarkably eerie." "Hmph…" Feeling the sudden surge of pressure, Master Mu Gu's expression slightly tightened. He had indeed underestimated the strength of the Three Thousand Yan Flame, yet for today's mission, their preparations had been thorough. With a sharp exhalation, he commanded coldly, "Soul Devour!" At his commanding cry, the other three black-robed figures nodded slightly, shifting their hand seals. Suddenly, thick, viscous black mist surged forth from their sleeves, transforming into countless soul-like figures with grim visages, wailing in凄惨, and crashing down in overwhelming numbers upon the vast form of the Three Thousand Yan Flame. "Thud! Thud! Thud!" "These grotesque souls, shrouded in black mist, were instantly incinerated into nothing upon touching the body of the Three Thousand Yan Fire Flame. Yet even so, their numbers were astonishing—thousands and tens of thousands of souls, controlled by the mist and losing their senses, surged toward the flame with a suicidal frenzy, like moths rushing toward the flame. Watching the countless souls, now wailing in agony and finally reduced to ashes by the Three Thousand Yan Fire Flame, Xiao Yan and his companions found their expressions somewhat grim. These soul palace members truly were ruthless, resorting to such a devastating tactic of using souls as expendable cannon fodder. "These damn fools..." Qiong Ling growled, his face stern, teeth clenched in anger. Xiao Yan also remained silent. Though the Huadeng's methods were cruel, their effectiveness was undeniable. Under the overwhelming, soul-suffocating wave of impact, the three thousand Yan-Yan Flames—already having expended immense energy in breaking free from the seals imposed by the three major powers earlier—were now seeing their vast bodies' deep purple and black flames gradually weaken. "Roar!" Noticing the weakening of the flames, the three thousand Yan-Yan Flames became clearly aware of the change. Crimson light surged within its dragon-like eyes, and a thunderous roar echoed through the void. Its massive body spun rapidly like a top, and instantly, a flame storm stretching a hundred zhang in width formed within the enveloping black mist. Crack! Crack! Crack! A storm of deep violet and black flames stood firm in the void. The dark chains entangled with the three thousand焱flames shattered entirely, and a terrifying surge of intense heat erupted from within the storm, violently drawing in the surrounding black mist and evaporating it into nothingness as the purple-black flames spiraled around. "Boom…" The sudden and fierce counterattack from the three thousand焱flames also caused the four elders—Mù Gǔ—to exchange startled glances. The overwhelming heat radiating through the chains struck directly against their palms, knocking them back several steps before they could steady themselves. When they raised their hands, they found their entire palms blackened and scorched. "Indeed, we underestimated this beast…" Seeing that even together, the four elders could not contain the three thousand焱flames, a sense of gravity settled upon Mù Gǔ's face. He took a deep breath, his eyes flashing with a gleam of fierce determination. "Let us summon my life essence to bind it!" At the sound of Mu Gu elder's command, the other three black-robed figures had their raised hands momentarily freeze, exchanging glances. After a careful look at the increasingly terrifying flame storm, they gritted their teeth and swiftly transformed their hand seals, then roared, "Presenting my life essence bond!" The chain was a deep black, appearing remarkably magnificent. Intricate, eerie runes adorned its surface, and faintly, countless faces etched with expressions of terror seemed frozen into the chain. As the chain emerged, a continuous, horrifying, piercing cry echoed forth, causing Xiao Yan and the others to furrow their brows. "They've even summoned their own life-soul chains—clearly, these people have been thoroughly overwhelmed by the Three Thousand Flames of Yan." With a smile of quiet satisfaction, Qiu Ling remarked. "What is this thing?" Xiao Yan asked, expressing his curiosity. "The Houmansion's tactics are mysterious and unpredictable. I'm not entirely clear about this so-called 'birth-soul bond,' but I do know that it is the ultimate reserve of their senior elders. This bond connects their souls; should it be damaged, it would inflict severe harm upon them. Therefore, they will only summon it when absolutely necessary. Though powerful, the risk involved is extremely high..." Qiong Ling glanced at the battlefield and added. Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan nodded slightly. Indeed, the Houmansion was quite unusual—capable of cultivating such extraordinary techniques. "Form the birth-soul bond array!" As soon as the birth-soul bond appeared, the elderly Mu Gu elder's eyes flashed with fierce determination. "Shriek!" With those words, four immense black chains erupted, tearing through the sky with a piercing, mournful cry. In an instant, they pierced through the space and materialized beyond the flames of the storm. Then, with a loud 'pfft,' they plunged straight through the very heart of the flaming storm! Crack! Crack! Crack! Massive chains pierced through the flame side, emerging from the opposite side, then sought another direction, and in just a few turns, four enormous chains had tightly ensnared the storm. "Crunch!" Facing the tight entanglement of four massive chains, the flame storm's frantic rotational speed was dramatically slowed, eventually coming to a complete halt. "Roar!" As the storm ceased, the three thousand Yan-Yan flames now came clearly into view in Xiang Yin and his companions' sight. The storm's vast body was now pierced by the four great chains, which extended from within, winding and coiling around it, completely securing its form. Witnessing Mu Gu elder and his three companions manage to pressure the three thousand Yan-Yan flames to this extent, Xiang Yin could only take a quiet breath, impressed—four Dao Resonance cultivators truly were formidable. "Hehe…" The Mu-Gu elder gazed at the thousand-thousand flames of Yan-Yan, now gradually calming under the chains, his pale face breaking into a strange, almost amused smile. He felt a quiet sense of relief—thankfully, the three thousand Yan-Yan flames had been severely drained during their fierce struggle to secure the three great seals. Otherwise, with such a tenacious, unruly beast, his party would have found it nearly impossible to fully subdue it today. "You hold it steady—I'll draw upon my life essence fire!" As the flames' struggles grew weaker, a spark of excitement flickered across the elder's face. "Hurry! The bond of our life essence souls is already strained—we won't be able to sustain this much longer…" A black-robed figure spoke, his voice now tinged with growing weariness. The difficulty of the Yan-Yan flames far exceeded their expectations. The Mu-Gu elder nodded, and a deep blue flame surged forth from within his body. With a single movement, he appeared instantly at the spot of the Three Thousand Yan-Yan Fire Dragon's head. Gazing at the latter, struggling fiercely, he grinned with grim determination, "If you don't drink the wine, this is your fate. You're a cursed beast—do you regret it now?" As he spoke, he did not pause. He stepped directly into the place where the dragon's scale had cracked on the forehead of the Three Thousand Yan-Yan Fire Dragon. There, a black hole about half a zhang in diameter now existed, and the dragon's primordial flame was hidden within it. Staring intently at the black hole, the Mu-Gu elder's gaze grew ever more greedy. Yet, just as he prepared to plunge in, the Three Thousand Yan-Yan Fire Dragon suddenly ceased his struggle. A fierce gleam flashed across the vast dragon's eyes. "Whoosh!" When the three thousand flames of Yan Yan ceased their struggle, a sense of unease stirred within Master Mu Gu's heart. Yet before he could ponder further, a purple-black dragon surged forth from the deep black chasm with lightning speed. As it surged, the purple-black flames continuously compressed into its body, and as this compression unfolded, the flames swiftly transformed into a chilling, deep black hue. A sense of destruction began to radiate from within the now-black dragon. "This beast has gone mad! It dares to draw forth its primal fire on its own!" Master Mu Gu's face paled at the sight. Before he could recover, the dark dragon materialized before him and struck him with a powerful impact. "Pfft!" The seemingly unimpressive impact instantly left the Mu Gu elder pale, spewing out a thick stream of crimson blood, and his body recoiled as if struck by a powerful blow. "Grab it!" Even as he was hurled backward, the elder roared with fierce determination. "Perfect timing!" As soon as his roar faded, Xiao Yan's eyes flashed sharply toward the dark, slender fire dragon, a surge of exhilaration sweeping across his gaze. His long-cherished Thirteen Thousand Yan Fire flames had finally come within reach!