"Xiao Yan, it's been many days since we've seen each other, and your strength has grown quite a bit—a lot stronger than I had imagined. I thought that after you went to the Soul Hall, you would be slapped to death by someone from there. I didn't expect that you would actually directly connect with the Hun Clan."
Xu Ran was also somewhat surprised. Xiao Yan's luck really wasn't bad. But in the original story, Xiao Yan was bound to meet beautiful women whenever he was injured and would always encounter various beauties while clearing copies, and he could encounter some magical treasures to help him become stronger wherever he went.
Although Xu Ran had the System, if it weren't for the System, he felt that his own luck definitely wasn't as good as Xiao Yan's. He was able to encounter various major events because the System's little sister told him the time and place, so he could just happen to encounter those people and things.
Otherwise, even if he knew the plot of the original story, how could he possibly have managed to appear just when Yun Yun and the Purple Crystal Winged Lion King were dueling?
So, his luck certainly wasn't as good as those pure protagonists like Xiao Yan. He could only say that he knew the plot and was able to go ahead to stake out and walk through those plots in advance.
Those who purely transcended couldn't play past those who transcended with a system!
This was the crushing power of "equipment."
"Lord Xu Ran, why have you come?"
Yun Shan trembled violently, terribly frightened.
"I knew you were no good from the start. I only spared your life because I didn't want to put Yun'er in a difficult position," Xu Ran glanced at Yun Shan and casually pointed a finger. A large hole was pierced through Yun Shan's forehead, and even his soul was extinguished in that instant.
Yun Shan's figure fell backward, and everyone's hearts chilled.
As the Sect Master of Yunlan Sect and a renowned fighter of the Jia Ma Empire, Yun Shan had died so easily.
Xiao Yan's pupils shrank even more. Even with the aid of the Void-swallowing Flame that led to a rapid increase in strength that allowed him to be called a first-rate fighter among the Continent's younger generation, he still couldn't understand Xu Ran's move.
Back when he was a Dou Zhe, he couldn't see through Xu Ran, and now, to his alarm, he found that he was just as ignorant about Xu Ran as he had been when he was weak.
"Xu Ran, I know I'm no match for you, but with the boundless strength of the Void-swallowing Flame, you are definitely going to die this time," Xiao Yan looked at the Void-swallowing Flame and felt greatly relieved.
If it had been anyone else, he would have been somewhat worried. The Void-swallowing Flame was one of the strongest individuals in the world, and it was also the second-ranked Strange Fire.
"Xiao Yan, you really do have a destiny with Strange Fire," Xu Ran raised an eyebrow as he spoke. In the original story, Xiao Yan could find news about Strange Fire wherever he went, which was simply marvelous. Eventually, he even obtained the approval of the Tuo She Ancient Emperor, and the Void-swallowing Flame was willing to obey his commands.
Xiao Yan truly... had been connected with fire since his youth.
"But the Void-swallowing Flame... is still not enough!" Xu Ran looked at the Black Robe expert not far away. That person was surrounded by swirling black flames, his body was covered with strange black runes, and his eyes were like black holes, exuding a terrifying power of devouring, his whole being radiated an extremely ancient and peculiar aura.
Even a single glance seemed to be sucked in by a strong devouring force.
The Void-swallowing Flame could devour all things and indeed possessed some abilities.
Aside from the Tuo She Ancient Emperor, only the Void-swallowing Flame could pique his interest.
He even wanted to devour the Void-swallowing Flame now. As long as he provided enough Dou Di Origin for the Void-swallowing Flame to devour, it could rapidly become an Emperor, and then being devoured by him would achieve the best effect.
Even as a Dou Di, absorbing the Void-swallowing Flame would bring many benefits to him.
Burning Decision might be exquisite, but that was a cultivation technique tailored for flames. He wanted a devouring method that had no limitations. And the Void-swallowing Flame could give him those abilities.
"You're not him? But then who are you? Could it be that you intentionally changed your aura?"
The Void-swallowing Flame had been contemplating ever since Xiao Yan appeared. Initially, the Pure Lotus Demon Fire, along with the Emperor Grade Young Pill, were all located in the cave dwelling of the Tuo She Ancient Emperor, and he was more than familiar with the scent of the Emperor Grade Young Pill.
"Hmph, even better if it's not him. Even if it was, I wouldn't be afraid of you!"
Although the Void-swallowing Flame had just reached the early stages of a Nine-Star Dou Sheng, when exerting its full strength, it wasn't much inferior to those at the pinnacle of power. Plus, it considered itself well acquainted with the Emperor Grade Young Pill, and in the end, despite twisting in the character for "Emperor," it was still just an elixir!
When the Void-swallowing Flame became enraged, the whole sky dimmed at that moment.
The terrifying pressure enveloped the entire Jia Ma Empire and even the surrounding Snake-People Tribe, causing countless creatures to be immersed in fear.
Mysterious runes covered its entire body; the Void-swallowing Flame took no chances, preparing thoroughly. If it indeed encountered the Emperor Grade Young Pill, it was somewhat confident in its ability to devour it.
As long as it used the Elixir Transforming Divine Decree to transform it into a sealed pill, the formidable power of the Emperor Grade Young Pill wouldn't be able to come forth, leaving it vulnerable to being devoured.
"I've never devoured anything of this caliber before; I'm actually quite looking forward to it." Greed filled its crimson eyes, knowing that devouring the Emperor Grade Young Pill would surely allow it to become a Dou Di.
"Such formidable strength!"
"What kind of monster is this?"
"Is this... a Demon God?"
Frightening demonic patterns covered its body, and with a gesture, it changed the color of the heavens and the earth. In a hundred li radius, an appalling pressure cloaked all creatures, leaving them terrified out of their wits at that moment.
Who knew what level of a beast this was?
Not just the Yun Lan Sect but all forces within the Jia Ma Empire were affected by this breath, their faces changing dramatically, and even some weak cultivators and ordinary people fainted outright.
As an exceptional expert, the Void-swallowing Flame's presence was truly terrifying. In Zhongzhou, perhaps not, but in such a barren place of power, even a Dou Zun could sweep through all experts here, let alone a monstrous creature like the Void-swallowing Flame.
Even Hun Tiandi only had a partnership with it and dared not harbor any thoughts of subjugation.
"Xu Ran, what should we do?"
Nalan Yanran's pretty face was also pale with fright.
The Xiao Yan they'd encountered earlier was strong but only in a physical sense. But the expert before them was like a god or demon, shadowing the skies with a wave of a hand, leaving them as if they'd been severely wounded in an instant.
This level of momentum was far beyond their imagination.
Even Yun Yun, now the strongest in the Jia Ma Empire, had never witnessed such a spectacle.
In their eyes, this was beyond the reach of human capability.
It wasn't their fault; after all, the gap between each significant level of cultivators on the Fighting Spirit Continent was vast. To Yun Yun and the others, the Void-swallowing Flame's "Cultivation Level" was almost like that of a Dou Zong Expert compared to a Dou Zhe.
In that moment, witnessing such a sight, they lost even the confidence to fight.
The appearance of such an expert truly drove people to despair.
It wasn't as bad for Yun Yun and Nalan Yanran; they inexplicably had faith in Xu Ran, feeling safe by his side. But the other Yun Lan Sect disciples and even the powerful figures from the Jia Ma Empire didn't share that sentiment.