Chapter 235 - Do You Have a Choice?

At this moment, Yun Yi's consciousness seemed to merge with this new world. Wherever his mind directed, he could easily traverse countless mountains, rivers, and plains. They flashed in his mind and then faded into nothingness...

His consciousness was extremely domineering. Despite the space around him intensely rejecting him, he forcibly broke through certain barriers.

At a particular moment, his consciousness seemed to become hazy, spreading into the void, reflecting the entire world within his mind.

His consciousness overlooked the heavens and earth, with a light of chaos appearing within the void.

"Meeting you was really not easy!" Yun Yi sighed softly as he gazed at the being of the plane ahead.

The being of the plane was shrouded in chaotic light, with dark demonic patterns covering it. These patterns were formed by Yun Yi's pollution of the Dou Qi Continent's lands.

"Buzz—"

Sensing Yun Yi's arrival, the spirit of the plane trembled violently. The entire space transmitted a sense of extreme rejection, as if trying to expel him in the next second.

Yun Yi noticed this and turned his gaze towards a familiar figure in the depths of the chaotic sea, chuckling lightly, "Is this your choice?"

Above Xiao Yan's head, the chaotic light transformed into a palm-sized spiritual fetus. The vague consciousness within emerged, "Outsider, leave here. The world does not welcome you."

"Heh—" Yun Yi sneered, "If you had chosen me from the start, why would we be in this mess today? I won't leave so easily now that I'm here!"

As Yun Yi spoke, his palm swiftly reached out towards the spiritual fetus. The moment he touched it, a dazzling spiritual light swept through the world.

In a haze, Yun Yi's spiritual consciousness seemed to touch the world's origin. All the geography and creatures of the Dou Qi Continent quickly flashed through his mind, giving him a powerful feeling of controlling everything.

However, this feeling came as quickly as it went. As the spiritual light faded, the spiritual fetus vanished in front of him, leaving his hand grasping at nothing.

"Boom—"

Sitting cross-legged, Xiao Yan slowly opened his eyes, slapping Yun Yi's hand away.

"Yun Yi, leave the Dou Qi Continent; this is not a place for you!" Xiao Yan roared angrily. Thinking of the countless lives lost under the billowing demonic Qi, a fury ignited within him.

"Ridiculous, there's no place in this universe I can't go!" Yun Yi retorted with a cold laugh, his domineering voice echoing through the space and stirring waves.

"Countless lives have been massacred on the Dou Qi Continent. Aren't you afraid of retribution?" Xiao Yan questioned, barely containing his anger.

"Retribution?" Yun Yi laughed mockingly, "In this world, the strong are the retribution. If they died, it means they weren't strong enough. The weak live under the strong's rules. When I become the strongest, who can bring retribution to me?"

"Bastard—"

"Face the Dou Qi Continent's wrath!"

Xiao Yan's fury erupted completely at Yun Yi's words. He clasped his hands together, forming an ancient seal. As the seal was completed, the space hummed.

"Whoosh, whoosh!"

Beams of chaotic light shot in from all directions, enveloping Xiao Yan. Under this light, ancient patterns appeared on his skin—patterns that were magical and natural, like the lines of the heavens and earth.

With a grasp of his hand, a giant, chaos-colored heavy ruler appeared. Xiao Yan swung it down, unleashing a massive wave of strange fire, transforming into a ten-thousand-foot blade slicing forth.

"Futile struggle!"

Yun Yi scoffed at the incoming attack. Boundless demonic Qi surged from his palm and shot out.

"Devouring Demon Beast!"

The demonic Qi surged and grew rapidly, transforming into a colossal dark beast with a sharp roar. The beast's body emitted an aura of evil, its eyes filled with violence and slaughter, aiming to devour everything.

"Roar—"

The dark beast opened its abyss-like mouth wide and swallowed the blade in one gulp.

"Swallowing Hand of World Annihilation!" Yun Yi continued his assault, stomping his foot heavily.

Boom!

The surrounding space cracked layer by layer. Endless demonic Qi soared into the sky. Within the raging demonic Qi, a massive, indescribable black hand emerged from the earth.

The black hand emitted an aura of boundless evil. A single palm could destroy an imperial dynasty. Even the towering blood emperor form of Hun Tian Di appeared insignificant under this demonic hand.

Embedded in the palm was a massive black mouth, resembling a black hole. It devoured everything, reducing even a nine-star Dou Saint-level expert to nothing.

Xiao Yan faced the incoming demonic hand with calm eyes. He raised his hand, summoning a brilliant flame that coalesced into a dazzling fireball.

This flame ball was chaotic-colored, containing countless hues. Yet beneath its beauty lay a terrifying power.

This flame's might rivaled that of the number one-ranked Emperor Flame on the Heavenly Flames List. If it landed on the Dou Qi Continent, it would turn its surrounding tens of thousands of miles into a sea of fire, annihilating all life.

The brilliant flames roared, causing space to collapse with each burst. Xiao Yan compressed the flame, transforming it into a delicate fire lotus.

It was his famed technique: Buddha's Fury Lotus!

Holding the fire lotus, Xiao Yan smiled coldly at Yun Yi and flicked his finger. The fire lotus floated out, aiming straight for Yun Yi.

Boom!

The fire lotus rotated, leaving a trail of fire in its wake. It collided with the demonic hand without hesitation, transforming into a firestorm, filling the space with endless flames.

"Xiao Yan, you are still lacking!"

In the sea of flames, Yun Yi spoke coldly. He grasped, summoning boundless demonic light, forming a fierce black halberd.

Swoosh!

Yun Yi wielded the halberd, charging forth. Demonic Qi rippled as the halberd's blade danced like a dragon, threatening Xiao Yan's vital points.

"Eternal Flame Ruler!"

Xiao Yan surged forth from the flames, his voice booming. Flames gathered before him, forming a massive fire ruler ablaze with terrifying flames.

"Slash!" The ruler descended, seemingly cleaving the heavens. Heat permeated the world.

Clang!

The clash rang out, followed by a storm-like impact. Space shattered visibly, fragments disintegrating in the ensuing chaos.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

In mere minutes, the two figures battled thousands of times in the space.

Bang—

A flash of black streaked through the void, and the two figures paused. Deep within the space, a silhouette appeared, impaled by a black halberd.

It was Xiao Yan. His body was covered in cracks, resembling a shattered porcelain doll from afar.

"Still so tenacious," Yun Yi remarked, watching the shattered Xiao Yan. Threads of chaotic energy seeped into him, healing his broken body.

"But this is the end!"

With those words, a dark light grew in Xiao Yan's eyes, his vision fading to black.

Outside.

In a mountain range of Zhongzhou, Xiao Yan sat cross-legged. Chaotic light around him grew more intense, making the entire world tremble.

Suddenly, his body trembled violently. Black demonic patterns flickered briefly in the sky.

Pft—

Xiao Yan's eyes snapped open, spitting a mouthful of blood. His face pale, he collapsed. The state of merging with the world had been forcibly disrupted by an overwhelmingly terrifying force.

He knew what that power was. Staring at the blood-red array in the sky, he muttered, "Defeated. Everything failed."

Despite his weakness, he struggled to rise, heading towards the ancient clan's army. Even if he were to die, he wanted to be with the ones he cherished most.

While Yun Yi and Xiao Yan battled in the plane space, a mysterious space heard a soft laugh.

"Looks like you lost!"

In a sea of fire, a black-robed youth named Jiang Yun sat quietly, opening his star-like eyes to gaze ahead.

Surrounding him was a sea of different flames from the Dou Qi Continent, vibrant and mesmerizing. Flames clustered around him, wanting to be closer yet avoiding him due to another reason.

In the fire's depths, the flames formed a giant flower bud. Inside sat an elderly figure in dark robes.

Jiang Yun, having entered the Gu Emperor's legacy space, faced the last Dou Emperor, Tuoshe Ancient Emperor.

The ancient emperor sighed, "One misstep. It seems you ultimately best me."

Jiang Yun remained calm, "I could have been a Dou Emperor long ago. If not for the rapid breakthrough to Heaven Supreme, I wouldn't have gone through such lengths. I prepared diligently. If I lost, how could I achieve my ultimate goal?"

The ancient emperor looked complexly at Jiang Yun, "How I wish you weren't from that world."

Jiang Yun stood silent. His birth was beyond his control. He only wished to free the Evil Spirit race from the outer-realm fiends, to let them live freely in the universe.

"How would you treat the Dou Qi Continent's beings if you succeeded?" the ancient emperor asked, accepting his fate.

Jiang Yun didn't answer, staring silently at the emperor with deep eyes, revealing nothing.

The ancient emperor sighed again, "So be it. I'm but a lingering consciousness, unable to protect myself. The fate of Dou Qi Continent's beings lies in their hands."

"Upon becoming an emperor using the Burning Formula, I discovered its origin. Who would've thought it would fall into my 'enemy's' hands after eons?"

"But I believe you aren't that kind. Giving you this legacy isn't against my original intent."

With that, the ancient emperor flicked his finger, making the dazzling fire sea churn. Flame dragons coalesced into a fist-sized flame lotus, its surface alight with flames.

"My legacy requires unyielding resolve, where belief remains, it does not perish!"

The ancient emperor gazed at Jiang Yun and smiled faintly. A flick of his finger sent the flame lotus floating to Jiang Yun's head.

"Heh—"

Jiang Yun smirked, staring at the radiant flame lotus. Black and white flames surged within him, forming dragons that devoured the lotus.

Seeing the dazed ancient emperor, Jiang Yun laughed coldly, "Old man, what are you pretending for? Do you have a choice?" (Chapter end)