Evil Venerable of the Sword Dao Chapter 1554 - 78: Purple Flame Monarch

With Feng Zishuang's utterance, the fabric of the void seemed to ripple. A peculiar spatial tear materialized at Zhou Yan’s brow.

In its wake, Mu Qingyan, Yanyan, and Hua Qiudao materialized as well.

Mu Qingyan appeared to grasp Zhou Yan’s awareness of certain matters, yet she paid it no heed, instead gazing into the distance and making her move.

A wave of obliterating cold ice surged forth with her action, coalescing into myriad singularities.

These singularities wove together, forging a celestial bridge bathed in a crimson light.

Within that bloody luminescence, Hou Chen's severed arm and limb lay exposed, a testament to his wretched state.

He teetered on the precipice of death, dark blood ebbing from his form in unending rivulets.

"Chen!"

Witnessing this grim tableau, Zhou Yan's heart plummeted, a powerful urge to rush forward seizing him.

Yet, he suppressed the impulse, recognizing the blood-hued celestial bridge as an insurmountable barrier for him.

After all, he had not yet attained the King realm; the final step eluded him.

In that moment, Zhou Yan felt a profound sense of inadequacy.

Perhaps the Reincarnation Domain was intrinsically linked to his ascension, but instead of rising, he hadn't even reached the King stage.

A wave of despair washed over Zhou Yan, though he kept it carefully concealed.

He silently observed Hou Chen’s dire situation, his heart aching with anguish.

Just then, Zhou Sisi emerged from the spatial fissure. Upon seeing Hou Chen's state, her delicate body shuddered, a torrent of pain threatening to choke her.

Zhou Sisi’s hand instinctively found Zhou Yan’s arm, tears silently tracing paths down her cheeks.

It was then that Mu Qingyan dissolved the blood-colored singularity, and Hou Chen suddenly reappeared before them all.

Mu Qingyan unleashed her chilling ice power once more, encasing Hou Chen in frost before guiding him into the fissure within Zhou Yan’s brow, interring him within the Life Ancient Tree.

This placement allowed Zhou Yan to perpetually monitor Hou Chen’s condition.

Hou Chen’s state was dire, his injuries so grievous that Zhou Yan struggled to comprehend their nature, yet he instinctively grasped the extreme severity of the trauma.

Concurrently, Zhou Yan perceived that Hou Chen’s wounds within the Life Ancient Tree were mending with remarkable speed. While the balance between recovery and the depth of the injury remained precarious, his overall condition was showing gradual improvement.

This realization brought a measure of relief to Zhou Yan.

Zhou Yan opened his mouth to speak, but the space around them warped once more.

Then, amidst an expanse of golden singularities, a luminescent golden leaf appeared.

Within the confines of this golden leaf, a figure strikingly familiar to Zhou Yan materialized.

This woman was none other than Zhou Lingyi.

Yet, she now possessed an ethereal beauty that surpassed all her previous appearances.

Her gaze swept over Zhou Yan before settling upon Feng Zishuang.

"Sister."

Zhou Lingyi uttered the word softly.

Feng Zishuang’s frame trembled, her eyes momentarily clouding with sorrow and profound apology. "Sister, I am sorry. I wronged you in the past. Over the years, if not for you, I would have long since..."

"Let the past remain in the past," Zhou Lingyi interrupted gently. "Many Holy Spirits have suffered grievous wounds this time, and I fear the Ten Thousand Immortals and Ten Thousand Buddhas of the Human Clan can no longer be protected."

Zhou Lingyi sighed, then gestured, scattering countless golden leaves across the heavens and earth.

Each leaf held within it a distinct image of a Holy Spirit.

Within these spectral forms, Zhou Yan recognized the Emperor, Bai Ying, the Immortal Phoenix Peacock, Pangu, Nuwa, and other ancient progenitors of the Human Clan.

As the golden leaves multiplied, obscuring the sky, Zhou Yan discerned the Moral King, Hong Jun Ancestor, the White Tiger Saint Spirit, Emperor Fuxi, and even Lee Jidao and Lee Xinyu.

Each depicted figure bore an expression of profound tragedy and bleakness.

These potent ancestors, once manifested, drifted silently toward Zhou Yan, their gazes fixed upon him.

After a period of silent observation, though their visages remained unchanged, Zhou Yan sensed their overwhelming despair.

Zhou Lingyi then fell into contemplation before speaking, "We face two paths now. The first: to forge another reincarnation wheel, marking the final cycle. The second: to sacrifice two avatars, relinquishing a portion of our power to hasten Zhou Yan's progress."

Zhou Lingyi’s proposal cast a heavy silence over the assembly.

A protracted moment passed, yet no one voiced a response to her suggestion.

Another interval elapsed before the Emperor stepped forward, his voice tinged with concern. "The Soul Poison of the Emperor Soul Clan has already infiltrated the final Reincarnation Land; its efficacy may be diminished."

"Indeed, we must choose the second path."

Hong Jun Ancestor, Pangu, and Nuwa stepped forward as well, their pronouncements nearly simultaneous.

A renewed silence descended upon the scene.

In that moment, Zhou Yan understood the inevitable outcome.

Yet, he possessed no right to speak, for he felt he had not yet achieved enough.

Even with such immense resources, he ultimately failed to enter the King Realm.

In that instant, Zhou Yan was overwhelmed by an unprecedented sense of failure.

Yet, he remained silent, quietly awaiting the verdict on his destiny.

Suddenly, Zhou Yan felt a unique space begin to crack open on his brow, from which Ji Wu and Hua Qiudao calmly emerged.

Concurrently, a similar fissure appeared on Pangu’s brow, and from it, Pan Honghuang, whose presence was intensely familiar to Zhou Yan, materialized.

And within Nuwa’s brow, another fissure split open, revealing Yi Xueyao, a figure who had deeply moved Zhou Yan.

At this juncture, Pan Honghuang, Yi Xueyao, Ji Wu, and Hua Qiudao stood gathered together.

Then, Pangu and Nuwa simultaneously acted, refining the four into a singular entity and deriving four King’s Marks, which they directly embedded into Zhou Yan’s being.

An profound sense of restoration washed over Zhou Yan at that moment.

He felt the intense sensation of 'Pangu’s Heaven Creation' and 'Nuwa’s Restoration of Heaven' as if he himself were the very Heaven brought into existence by Pangu and mended by Nuwa.

This restoration felt akin to solidifying Pan Honghuang into the Five-colored Divine Stone.

"Nuwa’s Restoration of Heaven?"

Zhou Yan offered a bitter smile in his heart.

Under these circumstances, he did not dare to resist, nor did he wish to.

He had endured immense sacrifice, but for what purpose?

Solely to ensure that the inheritance would not be severed.

Merely to allow life to continue in its perfect form.

Zhou Yan settled himself quietly, consolidating all within him, preparing to take the final step.

However, due to the sheer magnitude and intricacy of the King’s Mark, even with the support of Pangu, Nuwa, and the ultimate energy from the Four Avatars, he still did not achieve the breakthrough.

Around this time, the Human Emperor, Immortal Phoenix Peacock, Ancestor Hong Jun, White Tiger Saint Spirit, and all other formidable figures began to unleash their origins, forcefully aiding Zhou Yan.

The surging torrents of origin finally shattered Zhou Yan’s last barrier to the Realm in an instant.

"Boom——"

A near world-shattering upheaval erupted at that moment, and the Half-Sacred Spirit instantly transformed into a True Holy Spirit.

Zhou Yan immediately ascended to the King Realm, and empowered by the Ninth Layer King Immortal Principle, he explosively reached the pinnacle of the King Realm. Simultaneously, by possessing thirteen independent King’s Marks, he directly mastered the Endless Evil Spirit Power.

Meanwhile, the unique Evil Spirit Cultivation Technique from Hou Chen, the Emperor Blood Dragon Soul Devouring Evil Spirit Technique, was suddenly imparted to him. At this moment, Zhou Yan seemed to have consolidated the combat prowess of countless mighty beings.

Zhou Yan trembled uncontrollably, finally undergoing a complete Nirvana and achieving rebirth.

At that moment, Zhou Yan truly attained the King Realm, and the endless fog clouding his heart dissipated entirely.

Zhou Yan immediately grasped the goals of the Emperor Soul Clan, understood the dire predicament of the Emperor Ancient Clan, and the helplessness of the Emperor Demon Clan.

Furthermore, he perceived the insignificance of the Human Clan and their feeble struggles.

The endless sighs and regrets within Zhou Yan’s heart at that moment converged into a new form of strength—a strength to fight, to do battle.

Empowered by this strength, Zhou Yan’s entire being became clad in his self-derived Purple Flame Battle Armor. Within the Purple Flame Void, a stable Space Domain formed, giving rise to King City and the King Domain Sea.

The Elf Domain, within this creation, received its ultimate evolution.

"All of you, rest well. Leave the rest to me."

Zhou Yan softly sighed as he spoke.

At that very moment, he observed tears of pain falling from Yanyan’s eyes.

She, in the end, harbored feelings for Hua Qiudao.

In Zhou Yan’s recollection, Yanyan held affections for a few individuals—one was Zhou Gucheng, another was Hou Chen, and a third was Hua Qiudao.

However, Zhou Gucheng possessed no understanding of emotions, or rather, he never considered them.

As for Hou Chen... his complete devotion was to Zhou Sisi, and due to the burdens he carried, he had almost no experience with emotions.

And Hua Qiudao...

Hua Qiudao, perhaps, was the most sorrowful of them all, for he had always been merely an avatar, a substitute in a grander plan.

Perhaps, it was precisely due to this identity as an avatar that Yanyan developed unique feelings for him.

This was, in essence, an indirect attachment to her father.

Now, Hua Qiudao had just been refined by Pangu and Nuwa, providing Zhou Yan with the most direct origin to break through his current Realm.

Consequently, Hua Qiudao’s mission had reached its conclusion.

This was true not only for Hua Qiudao but also for Ji Wu, Yi Xueyao, and Pan Honghuang.

Zhou Yan had not anticipated this outcome, yet he was powerless to prevent it.

Perhaps, the moment the Reincarnation Domain was established, this very outcome was already predetermined.

Zhou Yan sighed inwardly but uttered words of even greater resolve.

"We were merely projections, and besides, I believe you require some time to recover. There's no need to exert too much pressure on yourself."

Pangu, his chest bare, showcased bulging muscles, and the formidable axe he carried imposed an immense pressure upon Zhou Yan.

He spoke with a steady, even tone.

At this moment, Nuwa gently swept a stray strand of hair from her forehead and spoke with warmth, "Yi Xueyao is merely a projection; her true form is one of my subordinates. Furthermore, Bai Ying, Gu Xi, and the other members of the Jade Fox Clan are all bloodline descendants of our Emperor Demon Clan’s Nine-tailed Heavenly Fox. Yi Xueyao is perfectly fine; you needn't worry."

"As for Ji Wu, he was left behind by Lee Ran, so naturally, there's no issue. And Pan Honghuang? It was merely an avatar of Pangu. Its loss means nothing."

"Hua Qiudao, Yanyan, if you hold onto hope, he will return. After all, the Ten Thousand Immortals and Ten Thousand Buddhas have not been entirely annihilated. Even if they were fully wiped out, figures like Randeng and Subhuti, those Holy Spirits, would ultimately preserve something. Since Hua Qiudao carries the true inheritance, he will not face eternal annihilation."

Nuwa's words were exceptionally comforting, warming the heart with their sincerity.

Zhou Yan let out a sigh of relief.

This outcome was precisely what he had most fervently hoped for.

Though certain matters remained somewhat unclear to Zhou Yan, he now understood that events had reached their most critical juncture.

The ongoing conflict against the Emperor Soul Clan had been relentless, and upon regaining his combat prowess, he would undoubtedly rejoin the fray.

"Thank you, Nuwa."

"There's no need for thanks; we are all simply struggling together. The Emperor Soul Clan is overwhelmingly powerful, and it is only the weakness of the Human Clan that prevents them from acting with greater apprehension. Presently, the Emperor Demon Clan is on the brink of destruction, the Emperor Spirit Clan finds itself in dire straits, and the Emperor Ancient Clan... is terribly fractured."

Nuwa sighed softly as she spoke.

Zhou Yan remained quiet, recognizing that the reality was indeed as harsh as his memories suggested, gaining a more profound grasp of the brutal truths.