37: Strange Fire Mutation, Shadow of Nothingness

Above the volcanic zone, the black-and-white pillar of flame pierced through the clouds like a sword of divine punishment. Lin Chen's Shadow Erosion Dou Qi frantically circulated within his body, resisting the terrifying high temperature that assailed him. His gaze was fixed on the eerie black wisp at the center of the pillar of flame—that was absolutely no ordinary shadow, but a Void Swallowing Flame sub-flame capable of devouring all things!

"Form a formation!" Grand Elder Su Qian roared, quickly forming a triangular formation with two other Elders. Their powerful Dou Qi transformed into a light blue barrier, protecting everyone within it.

Xiao Yan had already summoned the Green Lotus Core Flame, forming armor of green flames on his body; Gu Xun'er was enveloped in golden flames, and the dazzling golden light contained power that made space tremble; even Zi Yan had revealed some characteristics of the Ancient Void Dragon, with fine purple scales covering half of her face.

Lin Chen quietly retreated a few steps, and the brand on his left wrist suddenly felt an unprecedented burning pain. He looked down, only to see that the ink-jade skull brand had turned blood-red, as if it was about to drip blood!

"This is... the Hall of Souls's emergency summoning mark?" Lin Chen was greatly alarmed. This change meant that there was a Heaven-Grade Protector of the Hall of Souls nearby, or perhaps even... an Elder Zun-level existence!

Before he could think further, the pillar of flame crashed down a hundred zhang in front of everyone. The blazing white flames spread out like a tide, instantly melting the rocks in their path, forming a boiling lake of lava.

And in the center of the lava lake, a humanoid figure condensed from flames slowly stood up. Its entire body was translucent white, with only a cluster of ink-black flames pulsating at its heart, emitting a terrifying devouring force.

"This isn't an ordinary Fallen Heart Flame..." Yao Chen's voice came from the ring, uncharacteristically carrying a hint of solemnity, "It has been contaminated by the Void Swallowing Flame's sub-flame!"

The Silver Masked Man's face changed drastically upon hearing this: "How is that possible?! We clearly only..."

He suddenly stopped speaking, but Lin Chen had already caught the key information—the Hall of Souls had indeed tampered with the Fallen Heart Flame, but apparently, events had unfolded beyond their expectations.

"Be careful! It's going to attack!" Zi Yan suddenly shouted.

The flame humanoid suddenly looked up, and two beams of white light shot out from its eyes. They were incredibly fast, almost instantly hitting the black-robed man from the Hall of Souls.

"Ah—!" Amidst a horrifying scream, the black-robed man's body crystallized at a visible speed, turning into a white statue in the blink of an eye. Even more terrifying, a blurry Soul phantom was forcibly pulled out of his body and swallowed by the flame humanoid!

"Devouring Souls... it truly is a characteristic of the Void Swallowing Flame!" Yao Chen's voice was filled with shock, "Everyone, don't let its attacks touch you!"

The flame humanoid seemed to have had a taste of sweetness, and it turned its target towards the crowd. It spread its arms, and countless white fire snakes shot out from the lava lake, lunging at everyone from all directions.

"Golden Emperor Burning Heavens!" Gu Xun'er was the first to act, her golden flames transforming into a sky full of fire rain, colliding with the white fire snakes. Where the two flames intertwined, fine black cracks appeared in space.

Xiao Yan was not to be outdone, condensing the Green Lotus Core Flame into a huge ruler shadow, sweeping out with a "Flame Splitting Tsunami Ruler." Su Qian and the other Elders, meanwhile, formed hand Seals and unleashed water-element Dou Techniques, attempting to cool the surrounding lava.

Lin Chen did not act rashly, but instead, using the chaos, quietly approached the Silver Masked Man: "What exactly did you do to the Fallen Heart Flame?"

The Silver Masked Man's expression was uncertain, but he finally whispered: "We just followed the Elder Zun's orders and planted a 'Soul Devouring Lure' within it... Logically, it should only make it more aggressive, it shouldn't have turned out like this!"

Soul Devouring Lure? Lin Chen's heart stirred. This was a secret technique of the Hall of Souls used to control Soul bodies, but if combined with the Void Swallowing Flame...

A terrifying conjecture formed in his mind: among the high-ranking members of the Hall of Souls, it was very likely that someone had secretly defected to the Soul Clan, and even obtained a sub-flame of the Void Swallowing Flame! They deliberately contaminated the Fallen Heart Flame to create a monster capable of devouring Souls on a large scale!

"Watch out below!" Zi Yan's warning sounded again.

Lin Chen instinctively leaped, and a white pillar of flame shot up from where he had just been standing. The flame humanoid seemed to have sensed his uniqueness, and it abandoned everyone else, rushing straight towards him!

"Damn it!" Lin Chen cursed under his breath, his Shadow Erosion Dou Qi erupting fully. Three Shadow Clones appeared simultaneously, fleeing in different directions.

However, the flame humanoid merely opened its mouth and sucked, and the terrifying suction force directly tore the three Clones to shreds. Lin Chen's main body was also pulled backward by this force, about to fall into the lava lake!

"Lin Chen!" Xiao Yan suddenly appeared beside him, grabbing his arm. The Green Lotus Core Flame passed through his arm, temporarily neutralizing the suction force.

"Thank you." Lin Chen used the momentum to stabilize himself, a hint of complexity flashing in his eyes.

"Don't get distracted!" Xiao Yan stared intently at the approaching flame humanoid, "Elder Zun Yao said its core is that black flame, and it must be suppressed by two different flames simultaneously!"

Lin Chen quickly analyzed the situation. Xiao Yan had the Green Lotus Core Flame, and Gu Xun'er had the Golden Emperor Burning Heavens Flame, so theoretically, they could indeed team up against the enemy. But the problem was...

"It won't give us that chance." Lin Chen pointed behind the flame humanoid. In the lava lake, three smaller flame humanoids had risen, rushing towards Gu Xun'er, Su Qian, and Zi Yan respectively.

"Split up!" Xiao Yan made a decisive decision, "I'll tie down the main body, you guys deal with the Clones!"

Before Lin Chen could respond, he had already charged towards the largest flame humanoid. The green flames on the xuan heavy ruler surged, colliding fiercely with the white flame waves.

Lin Chen did not immediately follow, but instead turned to the Silver Masked Man: "The trouble you Hall of Souls caused, it's time to contribute."

The Silver Masked Man's face was gloomy, but he still nodded. He exchanged a glance with the Red Robed Old Man, and simultaneously formed a strange hand Seal. Immediately, similar brands appeared on their chests, only their color was silver.

"Hall of Souls Secret Technique · Soul Devouring Lock!"

Two silver chains shot out from the Void Realm, coiling around one of the flame Clones. The runes on the chains flickered with an eerie light, temporarily immobilizing the Clone.

Lin Chen seized the opportunity, condensing Shadow Erosion Dou Qi into a pitch-black long spear in his palm. He took a deep breath, and the Origin of the Fallen Heart Flame within his body was mobilized, forming a white glow at the tip of the spear.

"Shadow Calamity Finger · Piercing Heart!"

The black long spear shot out like lightning, accurately hitting the flame Clone's chest. The white glow collided with the black flame within it, causing a violent explosion!

"Boom!"

The flame Clone was blown to pieces, but it quickly tried to reassemble. How could Lin Chen give it a chance? He rapidly formed hand Seals, and Shadow Erosion Dou Qi transformed into countless fine threads, forcibly dividing and wrapping the scattered flames.

"Devour!"

With a low shout, those divided flames were actually devoured bit by bit by the black threads! This was Lin Chen's newly comprehended ability—using Shadow Erosion Dou Qi to reverse-devour the energy of different flames. Although the efficiency was extremely low, it was enough to deal with this kind of Clone.

On the other side, Gu Xun'er had also dealt with her opponent. The tyranny of the Golden Emperor Burning Heavens Flame far exceeded expectations, directly burning the flame Clone into nothingness.

Zi Yan was even more violent, her Ancient Void Dragon Physical Body strength forcibly tearing the flame Clone into fragments. Only Su Qian's side was engaged in a bitter struggle; his water-element Dou Techniques were countered by the flames, and he could only barely maintain a stalemate.

The biggest threat was still the main body that Xiao Yan was facing. Even with the Green Lotus Core Flame protecting him, Xiao Yan was forced to retreat step by step. Every attack from the flame humanoid carried a terrifying devouring force, capable of even absorbing Dou Qi.

"Teacher, lend me a hand!" Xiao Yan suddenly shouted.

A powerful Soul Power erupted from the ring, and the bone-white Bone Spirit Cold Flame intertwined with the Green Lotus Core Flame, forming a unique cyan-green flame. The flame humanoid seemed to be wary of this mixed flame, and its offensive slowed slightly.

"Now!" Yao Chen's voice sounded.

Xiao Yan seized the opportunity, and the flames on the xuan heavy ruler surged threefold. He struck the flame humanoid's chest with a powerful "Eight Extremities Collapse." This blow finally shook the black flame, and the flame humanoid let out a silent roar, staggering backward.

Seeing this, Lin Chen immediately thought of a daring plan. He quickly approached the Silver Masked Man: "Listen, if you want to live, do as I say!"

The Silver Masked Man was about to refuse, but then he saw Lin Chen reveal the blood-red brand on his wrist: "I am also a member of the Hall of Souls, just on a special mission. The situation is out of control now, we must work together!"

This lie was unexpectedly effective. The Silver Masked Man was very familiar with the Hall of Souls's brand System and knew that a blood-colored mark signified the highest level of infiltration mission. He hesitated for a moment, then nodded.

"Use the Soul Devouring Lock to trap it for three seconds, leave the rest to me!" Lin Chen said quickly.

The Silver Masked Man gritted his teeth, and along with the Red Robed Old Man, formed hand Seals again. This time, they even bit their tongues, spitting out a mouthful of vital blood. The silver chains, empowered by the vital blood, were several times thicker than before, coiling around the flame humanoid like two giant pythons.

"Hurry! We can't hold on for long!" Veins bulged on the Silver Masked Man's forehead.

Lin Chen didn't hesitate, forming a strange hand Seal in front of his chest—it was precisely the starting stance of the "Dark Shadow Soul Binding Art" that he had comprehended from the brand. But this time, he incorporated his own understanding.

"Shadow Devour · Soul Binding!"

Pitch-black Dou Qi surged from his body, condensing into seven spiked chains in mid-air. These chains were different from the Hall of Souls's silver chains; each link had fine barbs, and the tips of the chains were sharp spearheads.

"Go!"

The seven chains shot out like venomous snakes, piercing into the flame humanoid's body from different angles. Six of them locked its limbs and torso, while the last one went straight for the black flame at its heart!

The flame humanoid struggled wildly, and the white flames collided with the black chains, emitting a piercing "sizzling" sound. Lin Chen's face was pale; this move had consumed nearly eighty percent of his Dou Qi, but the effect was significant—the spearhead had already touched the black flame!

"Xiao Yan! Now!" Lin Chen roared.

Xiao Yan, who was already prepared, instantly erupted. With Yao Chen's assistance, the cyan and white flames intertwined into a spiral, fiercely stabbing into the flame humanoid's chest with the xuan heavy ruler!

"Boom—!"

Amidst a deafening explosion, the flame humanoid burst apart. The black flame was forcibly expelled from its body, emitting a piercing shriek. It seemed to want to escape, but it was firmly entangled by Lin Chen's chains.

"Collect!" Lin Chen suddenly pulled his hands.

The black flame was forcibly dragged towards the Origin Core Container he had already prepared. Just as he was about to succeed, an unexpected change occurred!

A pitch-black spatial rift suddenly appeared beside Lin Chen, and a pale hand reached out from within, casually intercepting the black flame.

"A good performance, but unfortunately... this is as far as it goes."

A chilling voice sounded, and the spatial rift expanded, revealing a figure completely shrouded in a black robe. He wore a bronze mask, revealing only a pair of emotionless eyes.

"Elder Zun... Elder Zun?!" The Silver Masked Man knelt on the ground in terror.

Lin Chen's heart trembled. A Hall of Souls Elder Zun was at least a Five-Star Dou Zong or above! How could someone of this level appear in person?

The black-robed man ignored the Silver Masked Man and looked at Lin Chen: "Traitor, the Hall Master is very disappointed."

He waved his hand, and Lin Chen was struck as if by lightning; his seven chains instantly shattered, and he flew backward, crashing heavily against the rock wall, spitting out a large mouthful of blood.

"Lin Chen!" Xiao Yan wanted to rescue him, but he was restrained by an invisible force.

The black-robed man toyed with the black flame in his hand, his tone indifferent: "Is the Void Realm's sub-flame something you can covet?"

This sentence confirmed Lin Chen's conjecture—the Hall of Souls had indeed colluded with the Soul Clan! What it meant for a sub-flame of the Void Swallowing Flame, the Soul Clan's treasured possession, to appear here was self-evident.

"The game is over." The black-robed man raised his other hand, pointing it at Xiao Yan, "The Hall Master has been looking forward to Yao Chen's Soul for a long time."

Just at this critical moment, a golden light suddenly descended from the sky, accurately striking the black-robed man's arm!

"Ah!" The black-robed man retreated in pain, and the black flame slipped from his grasp.

Gu Xun'er held a golden longsword, with dazzling golden flames dancing on its blade. Her aura was several times stronger than before, having temporarily reached the Dou Zong level!

"A girl from the Gu Clan?" The black-robed man's tone finally fluctuated, "You actually broke the Seal?!"

Xun'er didn't answer, pointing her golden longsword at the black-robed man: "Get back to your rat hole!"

The black-robed man sneered, and just as he was about to move, his face suddenly changed slightly. The black flame in his hand had somehow lost a small wisp, and in Lin Chen's hand in the distance, the Origin Core Container was flickering with an eerie black light.

"Seeking death!" The black-robed man was enraged, raising his hand to obliterate Lin Chen.

"Your opponent is me!" Xun'er swung her sword to meet him, and the Golden Emperor Burning Heavens Flame fully erupted, engaging in battle with the black-robed man.

Lin Chen seized the opportunity to get up, wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth. Although he had only intercepted a small wisp of the Void Swallowing Flame's sub-flame, it was already enough. He looked at Xun'er and the black-robed man locked in battle, then at Xiao Yan who was recuperating, and a daring plan formed in his mind.

"Xiao Yan!" He endured the pain and rushed to Xiao Yan's side, "Now, go and subdue the Origin of the Fallen Heart Flame!"

Xiao Yan was stunned: "What?"

"That white flame!" Lin Chen pointed to a cluster of pure white light suspended in the center of the lava lake, "After the black-robed man appeared, the Void Swallowing Flame's sub-flame was stripped away, and now is its weakest moment!"

Yao Chen's voice came from the ring: "He's right! Hurry, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!"

Xiao Yan no longer hesitated, swallowing a handful of Qi-restoring pills, and charged towards the white light with the xuan heavy ruler. Lin Chen followed closely behind, holding the container with the Void sub-flame in his hand.

The two arrived in front of the white light, one after the other. Xiao Yan took a deep breath, and the Green Lotus Core Flame fully erupted, enveloping the white light.

"Lin Chen, help me stabilize it!"

Lin Chen nodded, drawing out a wisp of black flame from the container. Surprisingly, sensing the aura of the Void Swallowing Flame, the white light actually moved towards Xiao Yan on its own, seemingly seeking protection!

"Now!" Yao Chen shouted.

Xiao Yan formed hand Seals, and the cyan and white flames formed a vortex, slowly drawing the white light into his body. The intense energy fluctuations caused blood beads to seep from all his pores, but he gritted his teeth and persevered.

Lin Chen stood guard nearby, vigilantly observing his surroundings. The black-robed man was entangled with Xun'er, the Silver Masked Man and the Red Robed Old Man had long disappeared, and Su Qian and the others were recuperating. Temporarily, there was no danger...

Suddenly, an unprecedented sharp pain came from the brand on his left wrist! Lin Chen looked down, only to see the blood-red skull slowly wriggling, as if it wanted to detach from his skin!

"Not good!" Lin Chen immediately realized what this was—the Hall of Souls's remote Soul snatching technique! An Elder Zun-level existence was forcibly extracting his Soul through the brand!

He made a decisive decision, taking out the mixed different flames Xiao Yan had given him earlier, and pouring all of it onto the brand. Amidst a "sizzling" burning sound, the brand was temporarily suppressed, but Lin Chen knew this was only a temporary measure.

"I must resolve this trouble as soon as possible..." He looked at Xiao Yan, who was absorbing the different flames, a determined glint flashing in his eyes.

The moment Xiao Yan successfully subdued the Fallen Heart Flame would be the moment he completely broke with the Hall of Souls. And before that, he needed to make full preparations...

Lin Chen's gaze turned to the distant battlefield. The battle between the black-robed man and Xun'er had entered a fierce stage, and space itself was shattered. Further away, dark clouds had gathered above the volcanic cluster at some unknown time, with faint flashes of lightning.

A storm was brewing. The real storm had just begun.