Chapter 682 681: Give Him Some Hope

'Damn it! Damn that brat! To have such a strange ability—that's cheating! How dare he, how dare he use such a cheap trick to enter my Forbidden Fire Domain!'

Just as Yang Xiao effortlessly broke through two stages and stepped into the Yellow Flame Domain.

Purple Flame Area.

A terrifying will.

It was roaring in fury.

This will was the core consciousness of the Flame Domain Divine King.

At this moment, the consciousness manifested a humanoid incarnation. Aside from being somewhat transparent and suffused with a purple glow, it was not much different from a real human form.

And in the very center of this humanoid incarnation's abdomen was a ball of flame emitting a seven-colored light.

It was just like the eternally burning Heaven and Earth Origin Flame within Yang Xiao's Qi Sea.

'Hmph, a power so Supreme Yin and Cold dares to challenge my Forbidden Fire Domain. I absolutely cannot let him reach me alive!'

He roared in anger.

As if he had suffered an endless insult.

Suddenly, the incarnation split off another body.

It was identical to its current self.

But it was green.

'Given that brat's abilities, one probably won't be enough. Just in case, I'll make two more.'

Instantly, the purple incarnation split off two more.

One was cyan, and the other was blue.

The original purple incarnation of his core consciousness, however, had dimmed slightly.

But he paid it no mind.

Instead, he began to laugh.

'Now, I'd like to see how that brat can possibly reach me, how he'll use that damn power to set foot in my domain!'

As his voice fell.

The three incarnations scattered and flew away.

The green incarnation went to the region of green flame, the cyan incarnation to the region of cyan flame, and the final blue incarnation to the blue flame domain, the one closest to the Purple Fire Area.

「At this moment.」

Yang Xiao had just shattered the yellow flame clone—a being still at the Quasi True God level, but whose true combat strength could barely contend with a Tier Two True God.

His gaze turned toward the region of green flame.

He was a little puzzled.

'Is this all there is? If so, this is rather disappointing.'

Yang Xiao shook his head, somewhat disappointed.

Seeing his expression and hearing his words, the core consciousness of the Flame Domain Divine King in the Purple Fire Area went mad with rage. Logically, he wouldn't have been like this in his prime.

But ever since he had fallen, leaving only his core consciousness behind—and after using considerable means to force the Great Emperor who killed him, along with several other Great Emperors who had come in secret, to retreat empty-handed and even learn a few lessons—

...his Origin Power and his core consciousness had been continuously diminishing.

He had grown much weaker.

At the same time, his mental fortitude was also deteriorating.

It had reached the point where he was now irritable and impatient, seeking to destroy and annihilate anything he disliked by any means necessary.

Of course.

This was also a characteristic of a Spiritual Life form.

The Flame Domain Divine King, much like Yang Xiao in his first life, was a being born from flames. The difference was that Yang Xiao's first life had ended by his own hand, and he had reincarnated into the Human Race.

Although it was for less than a brief hundred years, he learned about emotions, wisdom, and humanity among the Human Race.

Otherwise,

even if his first life had been of a higher level than the Flame Domain Divine King, he likely would not have been able to maintain his mental fortitude in the Void Dark Realm all the way until his third reincarnation.

The Flame Domain Divine King, however, was clearly not so lucky.

Although the Divine Fire he had achieved was of a high grade—one could even say it was the noblest flame between heaven and earth, known as the Origin Divine Fire.

That's right.

Origin Divine Fire.

A terrifying flame second only to the Heaven and Earth Origin Divine Fire within Yang Xiao.

It was an existence on the same level as the Gold Element Origin Power within the first-generation Human Emperor.

Moreover, because it was born from heaven and earth, it was, in theory, half a level higher than the Gold Element Origin Power within the first-generation Human Emperor, the Golden Emperor Saint Mother.

It was the noblest flame between heaven and earth.

Of course, that was assuming a world where the Heaven and Earth Origin Flame inside Yang Xiao did not exist.

Logically speaking,

it could be called the King of Ten Thousand Flames.

But even the King of Ten Thousand Flames was, in the end, just a ball of fire.

The being born from it could not compare in disposition to creatures of flesh and blood, let alone the humans favored by heaven and earth. Likewise, it could not compare to Yang Xiao in his first life.

Therefore, compared to Yang Xiao's first life, he was a whole level lower in both power and disposition.

Although both ultimately achieved the rank of Divine King, and both were Supreme Divine Kings,

one was a Tier Seventeen Supreme Divine King who could contend with even Top-tier Emperors.

The other was merely a Tier Ten Supreme Divine King who, relying on a few tricks, managed only to heavily injure a Peak Emperor and force his retreat.

The gap between the two...

...was actually enormous.

A seven-tier difference.

It was like comparing a newly ascended being in the True God Realm to a Divine Venerable standing at Tier Eight.

Furthermore, after the Flame Domain Divine King's death, he had remained here for hundreds of thousands of years. And although he had desperately tried to keep his core consciousness from dissipating, and this place wasn't as dangerous as the Void Dark Realm,

his core consciousness had still been constantly consumed, until now, it was merely at the level of a Peak Divine King.

Not to mention, he had just split off three incarnations,

which had consumed even more of his power.

The core consciousness of his true self had almost dropped below the level of a Peak Divine King.

His disposition,

naturally could not be maintained.

One could even say it had completely collapsed.

So, upon seeing the look of disappointment on Yang Xiao's face,

he wished for nothing more than to strike directly and annihilate Yang Xiao himself.

'Damn it! How dare he look down on me, this Divine King! But fine, I'd like to see how you pass the next stage. With my will empowering it, even a Tier One True God will have the strength of no less than a Tier Three True God!'

The core consciousness of the Flame Domain Divine King roared.

Its ethereal eyes stared fiercely into the void before it.

He could easily see...

...Yang Xiao in the Green Flame Fire Domain.

「At this time.」

The Flame Incarnation of the Green Flame Fire Domain had also coalesced.

Seeing this Green Flame Incarnation,

Yang Xiao smiled.

Because his plan...

...had succeeded.

'This idiot. He really did send out his core consciousness. And he's foolish enough to stick to his old rules instead of just creating a Tier Three God King, or an even stronger form, to annihilate me in one go. I suppose he probably wants to test me? Choose me as his host body?'

Yang Xiao laughed.

Whether this guy was just stupid or genuinely had such ideas,

it was a good thing for Yang Xiao.

If this fellow had really disregarded his own rules and decided to act against him directly,

that would have been truly troublesome.

'Perhaps I should give him a little hope?'

A thought crossed Yang Xiao's mind.

He smiled.

In that instant, endless flames ignited all over his body.

But the aura of the flames...

...was still frigid, Supreme Yin and Cold.

But the moment these flames appeared,

the Flame Domain Divine King in the Purple Fire Area, who just moments ago had wished for Yang Xiao's immediate death,

at this moment,

suddenly revealed an expression of wild joy.