Chapter 1505: Illusion and Reality
Xiao Yan’s eyes were stunned as he studied the clan tattoo on the forehead of the skinny figure. A great storm seemed to have risen within his heart. Under normal circumstances, he should be the only person within the current Xiao clan that possessed such a clan tattoo. Why had it suddenly appeared on this mysterious person?
“Xiao clan’s clan tattoo?”
Xun Er’s group had also discovered this tattoo. Their stunned eyes were thrown to Xiao Yan. All of them had seen Xiao Yan use the Xiao clan’s clan tattoo. Hence, they were extremely familiar with this thing.
“Could it be an ancestor of the Xiao clan?” Xun Er guessed.
Xiao Yan’s heart shook upon hearing this suggestion. This Purifying Demonic Lotus Flame had existed for a long period of time. If one were to trace its history, it had existed far longer than the Xiao clan had. It was not impossible for this flame to have captured an expert from the Xiao clan during that era. Some joy involuntarily rose within Xiao Yan’s heart, but this joy had just risen when it gradually sank. This skinny man seemed to have become a fire slave of the Purifying Demonic Lotus Flame…
“Bang!”
The skinny man, whose aura had soared, suddenly swung his axe forward while those thoughts were lingering in Xiao Yan’s heart. A frightening wind instantly tore through the air and hacked into Zi Yan and Gu Nanhai’s energy barrier.
“Crack!”
The energy barrier was like beancurd in front of this frightening attack that could slash through the sky and the land. The barrier was quickly shattered. Zi Yan and Gu Nanhai inside seemed to have suffered heavy blows. Their expressions turned paled as they staggered dozens of steps back. Each of their steps left behind a half-foot-deep footprint.
“Roar!”
That skinny man did not stop after forcing back Zi Yan and Gu Nanhai with his axe. His body moved, and he appeared above the two of them. That strange blood-colored axe emitted a sizzling sound as it cut through empty air. It was accompanied by a destructive force as it immediately hacked toward Zi Yan and Gu Nanhai!
While the large axe was slashing down, Xiao Yan’s eyes were rapidly flickering as he stood a short distance away. He suddenly clenched his teeth before his body flashed. His body then appeared in front of Zi Yan and Gu Nanhai. At the same time, a clan tattoo swiftly surfaced on his brow!
“Buzz!”
The enormous blood-colored axe rapidly magnified in Xiao Yan’s eyes, but when the blood-colored axe was half-a-foot from Xiao Yan, it suddenly stilled. The corpse-like face of the skinny man, with his unusually cold and indifferent expression, finally revealed a fluctuation.
Looking at the large blood-colored axe suspended above his head, Xiao Yan sighed in relief in his heart, appearing as though he had been relieved of a great burden. The fire lotus floating on his palm under his sleeve quietly scattered. He raised his head. His eyes stared at the face of the skinny man, who appeared at a loss. The skinny man appeared to be remembering something. Xiao Yan cupped his hands together and spoke in a deep voice, “May I know the name of this elder? I am Xiao Yan, a member of the Xiao clan!”
“Xiao clan…”
A ripple immediately rose within the skinny man’s lost eyes after hearing this term. He looked at Xiao Yan in front of him. Gradually, a mysterious connection slowly surfaced in his heart. This familiar feeling… was the taste of a bloodline.
“You… you are a member of the Xiao clan?” The skinny man opened his mouth. A hoarse voice was finally emitted from it.
Xiao Yan hurriedly nodded. From the looks of the situation, this mysterious person seemed to be related to the Xiao clan.
“Who am I?”
However, this joy had only surged onto his heart when he felt icy-cold because of the skinny man’s subsequent words. This elder did not appear to have a clear mind.
“You are Xiao Chen, blood-colored axe Xiao Chen!”
A voice was suddenly transmitted from behind Xiao Yan. That voice was filled with shock.
Xiao Yan turned his head. He looked at Gu Nanhai, who had a face filled with disbelief, and asked, “Xiao Chen?”
“Xiao Chen…” That skinny man also frowned and muttered to himself.
“Elder Gu, are you acquainted with this elder?” Xun Er rushed over and asked in surprise.
“I am unacquainted with him. However, I have seen this blood-colored axe in the ancient books.The Xiao clan had produced an outstanding person back then. The weapon that this person was known to use was an extremely large blood-colored axe. That person was called Xiao Chen!” Gu Manhai stared at the skinny man and said. “Xiao Chen possessed a shocking talent. He could be considered a cousin of Xiao Xuan. However, he did not like to be restrained by anything and was a rather temperamental person. An unknown number of experts perished to his axe before he became renowned. In the end, he disappeared without reason. The Xiao clan was unable to find anything about him regardless of how they searched… it is unexpected that he has actually appeared here.
“That’s right, news of the Purifying Demonic Lotus Flame had spread soon after he went missing…” Gu Nanhai suddenly exclaimed as he suddenly recalled something.
“Ancestor Xiao Xuan’s cousin…”
Xiao Yan was stunned as he frowned. Putting it this way, this person could also be considered his ancestor.
“However, he avoided the great calamity of the Xiao clan by being here. It cannot be clearly described as a blessing or a disaster.” Gu Nanhai walked to Xiao Yan’s side and sighed.
Xiao Yan was quiet. He looked at this Xiao Chen, who was an ancestor of the Xiao clan. At this moment, Xiao Chen revealed a struggle on his face. It appeared as though he was resisting something.
“He is resisting the control of the Purifying Demonic Lotus Flame…” Gu Nanhai cried out in a low startled voice after seeing Xiao Chen’s face.
Xiao Chen held his giant axe while his body continued to tremble. A faint cream-colored flame gradually escaped through his pores.
Xiao Yan’s expression was slightly astonished upon seeing this. The Purifying Demonic Lotus Flame was trying to use some method to get Xiao Chen to obey it once again, but Xiao Yan did not know how he could help at this moment. After all, that Demonic Flame had formed in Xiao Chen’s body.
Xiao Yan’s hand suddenly rubbed his forehead while he was feeling somewhat helpless. That light cluster within his head emitted a faint fluctuation at this moment.
That light cluster, which had suddenly moved caused Xiao Yan to be startled. He quietly sensed that slight fluctuation. His eyes suddenly flashed with joy a moment later.
“Xiao Yan ge-ge!”
Xun Er by the side saw Xiao Yan suddenly lift a leg to walk to the trembling Xiao Chen. She involuntarily cried out in a hurried voice.
Xiao Yan waved his hand when he heard her exclamation. He quickly walked to Xiao Chen’s side and suddenly slapped his hand against Xiao Chen’s shoulder. Xiao Chen’s trembling body strangely came to a halt after Xiao Yan’s hand touched him. The cream-white flame that had surfaced within his body slowly disappeared.
“Hu…”
Xiao Chen emitted a couple of rough breaths from his mouth. He lifted his head only a moment later and looked at the clan tattoo on Xiao Yan’s forehead with a somewhat complicated expression. His voice was hoarse as he asked, “How is the Xiao clan now?”
Xiao Yan was quiet. He softly replied, “The Xiao clan no longer exists…” He then gave a brief explanation about the current situation of the Xiao clan.
Xiao Chen did not open his mouth from the moment Xiao Yan started talking, but blood slowly rolled down his tightly clenched fist. He finally spoke in a trembling voice a long while later, “Even big brother Xiao Xuan died…”
Xiao Yan softly sighed as he looked at Xiao Chen, who was clenching his fist with his head lowered. He was aware that Xiao Chen’s heart was filled with a great hatred, but even if he had remained in the Xiao clan, the Xiao clan would not have been able to avoid disaster. The Hun clan was far too powerful.
“This place is the demonic flame realm. Ancestor Xiao Chen, please bring us to the Purifying Demonic Lotus Flame…” Xiao Yan softly requested.
“All of you are no match for the Purifying Demonic Lotus Flame…” Xiao Chen shook his head. His voice was still hoarse.
“There is no way to survive even if we continue remaining in this place…” Xiao Yan faintly smiled. His eyes flickered with a light.
“Follow me.”
Xiao Chen lifted his head. He exchanged a glance with Xiao Yan before he slowly stood up. After which, he turned around and headed to the final door.
“Let’s follow.”
Xiao Yan did not say much. He gently waved his hand and followed. Gu Nanhai opened his mouth but did not say anything. All he could do was follow.
“Creak!”
The entire group quietly followed behind Xiao Chen. They watched him slowly push open that door. Behind the large door was a flight of stairs that extended into the distance. At the other end of the stairs was a huge stone dais.
Xiao Yan faintly smiled as he glanced at the stone dais at the end. He took the lead to climb the stone stairs and slowly walked to the end. Xiao Chen, Xun Er, and the rest hesitated for a moment before quickly following behind.
Everyone was quiet as they climbed the stone stairs. Around ten minutes later, they finally began to approach the dais. Xiao Yan lifted his head. He could see a huge throne quietly sitting on that altar. A white-robed figure was seated at that spot. Wisps of a cream-white flames lingered around him, morphing into various shapes.
This white-robed figure quietly sat. Not the tiniest aura spread from the figure, but that figure appeared extremely strange to Xiao Yan’s group.
That white-robed figure finally opened his eyes when everyone stepped onto the dais. A smile that caused one to feel a little started appeared on his face.
“You will be able to obtain the essence of the Demon Flame if you defeat me. Otherwise, all of you shall remain here forever and become my fire slaves.” His voice was gentle and warm, but it seemed to cause space itself to tremble.
Gu Nanhai’s group revealed grave expressions as their hearts started to feel defeat. This person in front of them caused them to feel as though he was invincible!
“Hu…”
The silence continued for a moment before Xiao Yan finally exhaled for a long time. His face contained some fatigue while a low and deep voice slowly sounded.
“Purifying Demonic Lotus Flame… looks like you have obtained all of the inheritances of the Purifying Demonic Lotus Saint. Otherwise, you would not have been able to practice the Nightmare Heaven Fog to such a level. I must admit that the illusion that you have created is even more real than the Bodhisattva Ancient Tree’s illusion. However, regardless of how real an illusion is, it is ultimately an illusion…”
Xiao Yan’s low voice quietly reverberated across the dais. The warm smile on the handsome man’s face also gradually stiffened.