Just as Xiao Yan's eyes sparkled with excitement upon the emergence of the original flame of the three thousand Yan Fire, the Qinghua elder, who had been quietly observing from afar, suddenly materialized into a blurred figure and surged toward the original flame with lightning speed. Seeing the Qinghua elder's swift response, Xiao Yan's brow furrowed slightly. Though his gaze flickered, he did not immediately act—despite the appearance of the original flame, three senior deities from the Hún Palace remained vigilant, eyeing the flame with intent to claim it, making it difficult to secure. "Shh!" The Qinghua elder moved with remarkable speed, appearing instantly before the obsidian-colored fire dragon. A glow of intense heat flashed in his eyes, and a vast surge of combat energy erupted from his palms, coalescing into a palm of pure energy that he then reached out with, grasping the dragon firmly. "Hmph. You're dead. Just as Qinghua Elder's Qi-powered palm had summoned it and was about to make contact with the primordial fire, several sharp commands suddenly rang out, followed by a series of rustling iron chains. A cold gust of wind surged directly toward Qinghua Elder's back. Noticing the fierce and precise force, Qinghua Elder furrowed his brows, swiftly stepped back, and then stared coldly at the black-robed figure who had attacked him. "Heh, what the Soul Palace desires is not something others can lay claim to," the black-robed figure sneered, his body encircled by fifteen black chains that curled like venomous serpents, each emitting piercing cries of soul agony. "I'll hold him here. You go ahead and seize the primordial fire." Turning his gaze to the other two black-robed Elders, the attacker spoke firmly. "Hm." At his words, the two black-robed Elders nodded in agreement, then moved swiftly, charging straight toward the primordial fire. At the sight of these two's actions, the Qinghua Elder's face grew slightly pale. As his feet were about to step forward,十余 black chains sliced through the void, carrying with them a sharp, cold aura, completely encircling his vital points. "Damn it!" Facing the black chains surging toward him, the Qinghua Elder muttered under his breath, yet he dared not slacken his efforts. His internal qi surged forth in full force, and with bare hands, he engaged in a fierce struggle against the black-robed Master. While the Qinghua Elder was being restrained, the two black-robed Masters had already encircled the small black fire dragon—one in front, one behind. They exchanged glances, then with a flick of their fingers, ten slender black chains shot out from their sleeves, swiftly darting toward the core flame of the Three Thousand Scorching Flames. Though the small fire dragon was not large—only about one zhang in length—its current size was far smaller than it had been before. Yet the faint, lingering sense of destruction that still radiated from it made no one dare to look down upon it. Faced with the joint assault of the two black-robed elders, even the Three Thousand Yan Yan Flames flashed with fierce determination. After finally breaking free from the seals imposed by the three leading powers, it had hardly stepped out when it encountered these formidable beings from the Soul Pavilion—now being forced to separate from its true form. The two collided fiercely, sparks bursting forth, followed by a series of crisp metallic clinks. Though the massive chain-serpent seemed formidable, it ultimately shattered under the relentless assault of three thousand Yan Flame fires. "Such a strong beast!" Though he had been vigilant from the start, the sudden collapse upon first contact still exceeded his expectations. He immediately stepped back, shifting his stance. Yet as he began to retreat, the space before him subtly rippled, and the three thousand Yan Flame fires surged forth directly from the fabric of reality, carrying a wave of annihilating power, like arrows launched from a bow, aimed straight at the black-robed master’s chest and heart. This sudden, aggressive onslaught from the Yan Flame fires stirred a surge of fierce determination within the black-robed master—had he ever been pushed to such a pass in all the years since? A surge of fierce energy arose within him. The Black Robed Master suddenly clenched his right palm tightly, and vast waves of cold, dark mist erupted violently from within his body, then he delivered a powerful punch! "Boom!" The punch collided with the fire dragon, sending out a thunderous roar that resonated throughout the otherwise empty space. A wave of scorching heat surged forth like lightning. "Plush!" The impact sent the Black Robed Master's face pale. A thick stream of crimson blood erupted from his mouth. Only now, after this true confrontation, did he fully grasp the terrifying power of the Three Thousand Flames of Yan. Though the latter had endured numerous trials and was now quite weakened, the sheer destructive force still shattered his internal defenses with effortless, overwhelming force. Retreating step by step, the Black Robed Master finally steadied himself with some awkwardness. His face was now utterly stunned—indeed, it was no wonder that Master Mu Gu had failed to even parry the first blow. That force of destruction was simply beyond anything he could withstand. Yet though the Black Robed Sovereign had sustained serious injuries, the deep black flame upon the body of the Three Thousand Scorching Flames was now rapidly dimming—clearly, the earlier blow had also been a substantial drain on its current strength. "Let's move—its endurance is running out!" Wiping the blood from his lips, the Black Robed Sovereign, upon seeing the flame on the Three Thousand Scorching Flames suddenly fade, felt a surge of relief in his eyes and shouted to his companion. At the sound of his words, the other Sovereign of the Soul Palace nodded in agreement. However, having learned from past experience, he now moved with greater caution. With a sweep of his sleeve, countless souls previously veiled in black mist emerged and surged forth in overwhelming numbers, aiming to completely drain the remaining strength of the Three Thousand Scorching Flames through a wave of soul explosions. Though these tactics were somewhat ruthless, their effectiveness was undeniable. Under the relentless, suicidal surges of souls, the Three Thousand Yan Flame could only continually dodge, yet the deep black flames upon its body were gradually fading, showing clear signs of returning to its former purple-black hue. "Something's wrong. I never expected the people from the Soul Temple to be so ruthless—using such tactics to drain the strength of the Three Thousand Yan-Yan Fire... If this continues, the Three Thousand Yan-Yan Fire will surely fall into their hands." Qiongling, standing beside them, now had a serious expression, speaking in a steady tone. "Have the teachers not yet freed themselves?" Cao Ying asked, frowning. "This star region cannot sustain so many Dou-Zun-level强者. Originally, it was supposed to collapse shortly after their arrival. But judging by the current situation, it seems the three presidents are working to stabilize it. I believe they will soon be able to divert their attention to join us." Qiongling explained. "Then what do we do? It looks like the Three Thousand Yan-Yan Fire won't last much longer," Dan Chen said softly from beside them. "It's up to me," said the sudden, bright laugh, making Qiongling and the others pause, their eyes turning toward Xiao Yan, who now smiled warmly. "Senior Elder Qiu, could you please step in and hold off Master Mu Gu and the other injured Soul Palace Elder?" Xiao Yan glanced at the void, saying. "Both Master Mu Gu and that black-robed Elder are seriously wounded. Holding them won't be difficult," Qiu hesitated, then spoke steadily. "Heh, then it will be quite a task for Senior Elder Qiu. As for the final Soul Palace Elder and the three thousand Yan Yan Fires, I'll take care of them." Xiao Yan smiled. "You... you really think you can manage?" Qiu was momentarily stunned, then expressed some doubt. Though he had no reservations about Xiao Yan's alchemy skills, the current contest wasn't about alchemy—it was about direct combat. The Elder currently blocking the three thousand Yan Yan Fires clearly radiates the presence of a three-star Domain Sovereign. With Xiao Yan's strength, not only would he have to match this opponent, but also contend with the three thousand Yan Yan Fires—no easy feat at all. Regarding his doubts about the hilly terrain, Xiao Yan merely smiled, flexed his fingers, and with a flick, a beam of golden light suddenly shot out from his storage ring, then materialized into a golden humanoid figure beside him—none other than the Tian Yao Gui, evolved through countless Dan Lei strikes. Gazing at the Tian Yao Gui, whose entire body shimmered with a golden luster, Qiu Ling was momentarily stunned, then slowly nodded. He sensed a faint sense of danger emanating from the figure. "Since you're confident, then the Three Thousand Yan Fire and the Spirit Palace's Master shall be entrusted to you. If you're certain you can subdue the Three Thousand Yan Fire, that would be even better," Qiu Ling said, giving Xiao Yan a deep, thoughtful look—he knew well that Xiao Yan had a strong interest in the Three Thousand Yan Fire. Xiao Yan smiled, nodded without further words, then stomped his foot on the void, launching himself with lightning speed toward the location of the Spirit Palace's Master. Beside him, the Tian Yao Gui transformed into a golden arc of light, swiftly following. "The Three Thousand Yan Fire—yours now!" Gazing at the small black dragon of flame, a warm glow of fervor shimmered in Xiao Yan's eyes!