The Devil's Tribulation

Southern Continent, Sacred Flame Island, entrance to the Sacred Flame Realm.

on the square.

An elderly man with a full head of white hair and a ruddy complexion walked up to Guang Demao with a powerful stride.

When Guang Demao saw this person, his legs went weak involuntarily, and he stammered, "Sect Master, Sect Master, what brings you here?"

The old man sneered, "If our sect hadn't come soon, we might have been destroyed by you!"

The newcomer was none other than Yan Yan, the sect leader of the Overturning Sea Sect, who possessed the cultivation level of the Great Perfection of the Integration Realm.

Yan Yan bypassed Guang Demao and strode towards the high platform. He bowed and cupped his hands towards Ying Chengxu, saying, "Junior Yan Yan, Sect Master of the Fanhai Sect, pays respects to Palace Master Ying."

Ying Chengxu chuckled and said, "Old Yan, I didn't expect you to be here too. It's quite a lively day!"

Yan Yan, over 30,000 years old, was a contemporary of Ying Chengxu.

But Ying Chengxu was better off than him. He was born into the Ying family and even had the Great Emperor as his master. His cultivation level was far superior to his.

Yan Yan was the fourth sect leader of the Fanhai Sect, and there were three more sect leaders after him: the fifth, the sixth, and the seventh.

Unfortunately, the Sea-Turning Sect was unlucky; three of its sect leaders died tragically.

With no one capable of succeeding as sect leader, the patriarch of the Overturning Sea Sect spoke up.

Let Yan Yan, who has been retired for over 20,000 years, step out and take over for a while.

Once the sect has cultivated a suitable successor to the sect leader, then let him retire.

Yan Yan had just survived his third great tribulation. Although it went relatively smoothly, he still suffered some injuries.

While he was healing, he suddenly received a decree from the patriarch.

Yan Yan had no choice but to bite the bullet and go for it.

Although he succeeded to the position of sect leader, most of the sect's affairs were actually managed by the elders below.

If it weren't for this major event today, Yan Yan would never have come all the way to Holy Flame Island.

Hearing Ying Chengxu's half-joking words, Yan Yan wasn't angry. After all, Ying Chengxu was now a late-stage Mahayana cultivator, much stronger than him.

Yan Yan said with a wry smile, "It's a misfortune for the sect. I'm already an old man, and I still have to come all this way to clean up their mess!"

After saying that, Yan Yan's eyes flashed with a sharp light as he stared straight at Guang Demao and said coldly, "You just wanted to gamble the fate of the sect on that vague and illusory 'possibility'?!"

Guang Demao trembled with fear.

Although Yan Yan's cultivation was only one minor realm higher than his, his aura as a sect leader was so overwhelming that Guang Demao couldn't utter a single word.

"I'm asking you a question!"

With a low shout, Guang Demao's legs went weak and he knelt down.

He said in a trembling voice, "Sect Master, I...I only wanted to try and salvage some of the sect's losses..."

"Haha, recovering losses?"

Guang Demao, Guang Demao, even now you're still trying to justify yourself. I originally intended to spare your life..."

Before he could finish speaking, Yan Yan suddenly sprang up and struck Guang Demao on the head with a palm strike, who had not yet reacted!

He then roared, "You have committed an unforgivable crime! This sect will now expel you from the sect!!"

Yan Yan unleashed a surge of magical power, and a powerful wave of magical energy rapidly spread outwards from Yan Yan as the center.

The vast majority of cultivators around were blown off their feet by this fluctuation.

In just a breath, Guang Demao, a peak Nascent Soul cultivator, collapsed to the ground, powerless.

Pan Chengfeng secretly scanned the area with his spiritual sense and discovered that Guang Demao's soul had been completely scattered and he was beyond dead.

"Five million spirit stones!!" Pan Chengfeng gritted his teeth and muttered, "Old bastard! What ruthless methods, what deep scheming!!"

"Guang Demao is dead. Are you satisfied, young friend?" Yan Yan suddenly looked at Pan Chengfeng and asked indifferently.

"Satisfied my ass! My five million high-grade spirit stones!!"

Pan Chengfeng gritted his teeth, and finally cupped his hands and said, "This junior is very satisfied. Sect Master Yan is indeed selfless."

Yan Yan chuckled and looked at Shangguan Yun, saying, "Young Yun, I heard that your Eastern Continent has obtained two Demon-Companion Grasses. How about we make a deal?"

Shangguan Yun chuckled and said, "Senior Yan may not know this, but the Purple Gold Mansion obtained a Demon-Companion Grass in this Holy Flame Realm Treasure Hunt. Why go to such lengths for something so close by?"

Yan Yan's eyes lit up upon hearing this, and he looked at Nangong Xing excitedly, "Nangong Xing, is what Shangguan Yun said true?!"

Nangong Xing frowned, thinking to himself that Shangguan Yun was despicable.

However, he replied with a slight smile, "That's right, the Demon-Companion Grass is with me."

But now is not the time to discuss this; let's go back and talk about it later.

How could Yan Yan be willing to wait? He's been waiting for so many years already.

Yan Yan was eager to press for more information, but Ying Chengxu stood up and announced, "Alright, you can discuss this privately yourselves. I have other matters to attend to here."

Upon hearing Ying Chengxu's voice, everyone quieted down and looked towards the high platform.

Ying Chengxu announced calmly, "The winner of this Holy Flame Realm Treasure Hunt is the Eastern Continent Thunder Control Sect."

The second place went to the Jade Maiden Sect of the Northern Continent, and the third place went to the Purple Gold Mansion of the Southern Continent.

The top three sects can each have one seeded spot.

Alright, everyone except those three can leave now.

The Jade Maiden Sect's overall gains were greater than those of the Purple Gold Mansion. Apart from the Demon-Companion Grass, the Purple Gold Mansion's other gains could only be considered average to above average.

As the crowd dispersed, only three sects and about ten thousand people remained in the square.

Ying Chengxu smiled and said, "Good, very good. This year's disciples are much better than those of previous years..."

Ying Chengxu first praised them, and then announced: "You can all stay on Holy Flame Island to cultivate for three years. This is a benefit for the winners."

And Pan Chengfeng was the captain of the team that won first place.

Pan Chengfeng strode forward, cupped his hands, and said, "This junior is here."

Ying Chengxu stroked his beard, and with a gentle wave of his hand, a jade box flew to Pan Chengfeng's front.

Pan Chengfeng reached out and took the jade box, looking puzzled. "What's this??"

Ying Chengxu smiled slightly and said, "This is an extra reward from Emperor Yan. Please accept it."

Pan Chengfeng was secretly delighted, thinking to himself, "Wasn't it said that Emperor Yan was very stingy? How come there's an extra reward?"

Pan Chengfeng hurriedly opened the jade box, wanting to see what extra reward Emperor Yan had given him.

With a click, the box opened.

Pan Chengfeng said with some disappointment, "'Heavenly Rhyme Divine Mushroom'?!"

"Excellent, this is a miraculous healing medicine, why don't you quickly put it away?"

Ying Chengxu said with some envy, "This herb was cultivated by Master for fifty thousand years; it's of much better quality than the one you obtained in the Holy Flame Realm!"

Upon hearing Ying Chengxu's words, Pan Chengfeng was overjoyed and hurriedly cupped his hands in gratitude, saying, "Thank you, Emperor Yan, thank you, Palace Master Ying!"

With this even better-quality 'Heavenly Rhyme Divine Mushroom', Yan Baifeng is more confident in healing her injuries!

Pan Chengfeng happily put away the sacred medicine, while in Emperor Yan's study, Emperor Yan's cheeks twitched with pain.

The Evil Emperor, standing to the side, grinned wickedly and said, "It's rare to see you so generous. Do you still have any 'Heavenly Rhyme Divine Mushroom'? Give me one too!"

"Get lost! Do you really think this medicine is so easy to cultivate?!"

Emperor Yan had previously said that if Pan Chengfeng and Xue You were able to kill an eighth-tier magical beast, he would give them another one.

Although the one in the Emperor Soul Beast's cave has matured, it has not yet met the requirements of the Flame Emperor.

The one we just gave you was cultivated for a full 50,000 years!

If it weren't for the Evil Emperor watching over him the whole time, the Flame Emperor would have truly been reluctant to part with that sacred herb.