# Chapter 919: Qiongqi's Breakthrough
"Gone?"
The crowd's eyes all froze stiff. That ball of flames had vanished with the demonic youth in an instant, at a speed so fast even their eyes couldn't keep up, utterly inconceivable. All they could see was a trail of fiery light lingering in the void.
"Boom!" The palm strike landed on the mountain peak, producing a thunderous roar as rocks shattered and split. But the Carefree Sect Leader's gaze remained frozen in place. Vanished?
That ball of flames had truly devoured the Yexu Flame, and right before their eyes, it disappeared without a trace. They had thought that with their overwhelming strength, they could easily intercept and kill the target. Yet they never imagined that while they hesitated, the other party would escape right in front of them.
"After them!"
Snapping back to reality, the Carefree Sect Leader activated the Carefree Step Art, his body moving like lightning as he chased after the ball of flames. But how could he catch up? The other party's figure had long since vanished without a trace, and that trail of fire had been cut off mid-way by a burst of cold energy, disappearing completely.
The Martial Emperor's Disciples, including Tianlin Gongzi, all wore ugly expressions. One man had fought all four of them, standing like a lone fortress. Those Martial Emperor's Disciples whose cultivation was higher than his couldn't even get close to him, thoroughly slapped in the face by that demonic youth. Geniuses? What were geniuses?
Moreover, right in front of all those powerful experts, he had seized the Yexu Flame and left openly and honestly, vanishing from this place. It made them feel like they were going mad.
Soon, the Carefree Sect Leader returned. Tianlin Gongzi looked at him and the other experts, his face dark as he said angrily, "Good... very good..."
The Carefree Sect Leader and the other experts also had grim expressions. Weren't they equally humiliated? The other party had intimidated them with a few words, then escaped.
"Who was it?!" At this moment, the Carefree Sect Leader roared, his gaze sweeping coldly through the crowd. Who had interfered, using powerful essence force to freeze space and cut off their path?
No one spoke. The terrifying might that had frozen heaven and earth was long gone, and there was no way to identify the culprit.
"Does it matter who it was now?" Tianlin Gongzi said coldly, as if venting his anger on the Carefree Sect Leader. He felt a stifling pressure all over his body, extremely uncomfortable.
Martial Emperor's Disciples, having come to the Qian Domain, were suffering such humiliation. The Yexu Flame had been taken right before their eyes.
"It must be someone from Heavenly Lake mixed in among us, causing trouble. The experts of Heavenly Lake are most skilled in ice soul power," the Carefree Sect Leader said coldly.
"Exactly, it's very likely someone from Heavenly Lake stirring up trouble," the Emotion Severing Palace Master of the Divine Palace agreed, nodding. He harbored deep hatred for Heavenly Lake, and now that he had a chance to pin this debt on them, he naturally wouldn't let it go.
"Heavenly Lake."
Tianlin Gongzi's gaze turned cold as he swept his eyes over the crowd, saying icily, "Is Heavenly Lake very strong in the Qian Domain?"
"Extremely strong. Otherwise, we wouldn't have convened this Ten Thousand Sects Assembly to deal with them. The Divine Palace was also a formidable force in the Qian Domain, but it was destroyed by a sneak attack from Heavenly Lake," the Carefree Sect Leader replied.
"Good. This Ten Thousand Sects Assembly will convene again in seven days. I will invite my senior brother to come here and preside over it, erasing Heavenly Lake from the Qian Domain," Tianlin Gongzi declared coldly. This seemed to be an attempt to salvage some face, while also destroying Heavenly Lake and perhaps finding an opportunity to catch the one who stole the Yexu Flame.
The crowd's hearts trembled at his words. The Ten Thousand Sects Assembly would convene again in seven days, and he was going to invite his own senior brother to come personally?
Tianlin Gongzi was a Martial Emperor's Disciple. His senior brother would naturally also be a Martial Emperor's Disciple—and one of terrifying strength.
"Seven days from now, at the same location, the Ten Thousand Sects Assembly will convene." Tianlin Gongzi flicked his sleeves, then stepped forward and vanished.
The other Martial Emperor's Disciples exchanged glances, seemingly lost in thought, before also departing one after another.
"Everyone, please stay at this Carefree Mountain Villa. We'll gather again in seven days. At the Ten Thousand Sects Assembly, extremely powerful Martial Emperor's Disciples will join. Heavenly Lake is doomed without a doubt," the Carefree Sect Leader said coldly, though inwardly he was gloating. This worked out perfectly for him. Those Martial Emperor's Disciples would surely be from the Carefree Divine Sect. Once Heavenly Lake was destroyed, his Carefree Sect, as an affiliated force of the Carefree Divine Sect, would reap the greatest benefits.
Among the crowd, Snow Venerable's expression was unpleasant. These little bastards, unable to handle things themselves, were now mobilizing the power of Martial Emperor's Disciples. This made Heavenly Lake even more dangerous.
"I wonder how Xiao Feng is doing after seizing the Yexu Flame," Snow Venerable thought to himself. Of course, it was he who had helped Lin Feng earlier. Lin Feng had appeared as the demonic youth, displaying astonishing combat power and laughing proudly in the sky. Even Snow Venerable was left speechless, stunned. He never imagined his disciple had such terrifying trump cards, hidden all along. Otherwise, dealing with Tianlin Gongzi would have been effortless.
None of the crowd knew that after escaping, Lin Feng had transformed back into the sickly youth and quietly returned. The killing sacred marks beneath the high platform had not yet been triggered. If the Ten Thousand Sects Assembly continued, he wouldn't mind killing again. But upon returning, he learned that the assembly had been postponed to seven days later. So he quietly made his way back to the continuous Flame Mountain Range.
Now, this mountain range that had once existed in the void had become a real mountain range. Many flame cultivators were cultivating within it. Lin Feng found a cave dwelling, sealed it with sealing power to block all aura, and released Qiongqi. The beast lay motionless on the ground, flames wildly swirling around its body, emitting an intensely scorching heat that Lin Feng could feel.
"This fellow, possessing a profound demon body, can actually devour the Yexu Flame that even venerable ones dare not touch. Truly heaven-defying means. This time, I have to make him give me some benefits," Lin Feng calculated inwardly. After all, he had helped this guy a great deal this time.
Sitting cross-legged, Lin Feng closed his eyes and began cultivating in the cave dwelling. No one would likely imagine that the one who stole the Yexu Flame was right here in this Flame Mountain Range, openly cultivating in a cave.
Flames swirled around Qiongqi's body, gradually weakening, as if being absorbed and devoured. Qiongqi's own aura, however, continued to grow stronger.
Unlike cultivators like Lin Feng, Qiongqi had a beast's body but a great emperor's spirit. Therefore, in terms of realm, he faced no obstacles. Any method that could enhance his cultivation was not a problem. He could use the fastest means to improve himself, and his cultivation speed was destined to be terrifying.
Three days later, inside the cave dwelling, a terrifying wave of heat startled Lin Feng awake. He looked at Qiongqi. The flames covering his body seemed much weaker, but his aura had become extremely formidable, infinitely close to Heavenly Martial Realm.
"This guy, is he going to break through to become a Heavenly Demon just like that?" Lin Feng's gaze froze. The gap was too great. He was both delighted and frustrated. For him to raise his realm required painstaking effort, with each major realm being a huge hurdle that required steady progress. Yet Qiongqi, by simply devouring the Yexu Flame, was leaping over several major realms.
But thinking of this fellow's great emperor identity and the terrifying Yexu Flame, Lin Feng understood. The Yexu Flame was something even venerable ones feared. Since Qiongqi could swallow and refine it, he naturally had a way to elevate his cultivation.
The Flame Emperor—how could he not be skilled in flames? This guy was probably an ancestor of fire-play in the past.
"He really is breaking through." Lin Feng's gaze stiffened. Feeling the still-increasing aura, he stepped back, leaving space for Qiongqi.
At this moment, Qiongqi's body became much more solid. A terrifying demonic aura and flame aura erupted wildly. His body began to grow larger. As demonic beasts grew, their bodies also grew.
"Boom!" A scorching flame shot upward, extremely terrifying, making Lin Feng feel suffocated. Fortunately, he had sealed the cave dwelling, or this aura would surely be sensed by powerful experts.
Yang fire true essence swirled around Lin Feng's body, enveloping him, making him feel a bit better.
"Boom!" Another flame shot up, forming a beam of fire. Two flame beams floated in the void.
"Boom, boom, boom..." One terrifying aura after another erupted. Flame beams burst forth wildly. On Qiongqi's body, nine flame beams appeared, rushing toward the top of the cave dwelling, branding the cave with terrifying flames, utterly fearsome.