Crossing to Douqi Continent and walking sideways

The moment the seven-colored fire lotus bloomed, the entire Endless Fire Region seemed to have been frozen. The erupting magma solidified in mid-air, the roiling fire demons maintained their attacking posture, and even the giant hand raised by the ancestor of the fire demons was frozen at the last inch. Only the people wrapped in the fire lotus could still move in this still space and time.

"Is this... the law of time?" Chu Li looked around in shock, the white flames beating restlessly at his fingertips.

Mysterious runes flowed in Xiao Muchen's golden pupils: "No, it is the last resort left by Emperor Yan - Eternal Moment. We only have ten breaths of time."

Yan Yu quickly pointed at the black fire on the forehead of the Fire Demon Ancestor: "We must destroy it before it is completely fused!"

"How to destroy it?" Ye Feng swung the mace, "That thing looks evil!"

Xiao Muchen suddenly groaned, and a trickle of golden blood flowed from the corner of his mouth. The light of the fire lotus dimmed a little: "I can't hold on for much longer... Wait!" He raised his head suddenly and looked at the void behind the Fire Demon Ancestor, "There is something calling me..."

Lin Wan'er crossed her two blades: "We will cover you!"

The seven people turned into streams of light and rushed towards the Fire Demon Ancestor. Just as they were approaching the mountain-like body, Xiao Muchen suddenly turned around and reached out to grab the distorted space behind him.

“Zheng!”

A clear sound resounded through the heavens and the earth, and a huge ruler with a black body and simple shape was pulled out from the void by Xiao Muchen. The ruler had no edge, but it exuded a suffocating sense of heaviness, and the surface was engraved with flame patterns, which were gradually lighting up with Xiao Muchen's heartbeat.

"This is...Xuan Zhong Chi?!" Chu Li exclaimed, "Emperor Yan's natal weapon!"

Xiao Muchen held the ruler in both hands, and felt a will as vast as the sea flowing into his body along the ruler. Countless fragments of memory flashed back in his mind - Emperor Yan holding the ruler and fighting against the demons alone, the ruler breaking the sky, and the fire burning the world... Finally, it was fixed on a scene: Emperor Yan personally inserted the Xuanzhong ruler into the void, turning it into a seal to suppress the passage to the Fire Demon Realm.

"So that's how it is..." Xiao Muchen murmured, "The Xuanzhong Ruler is the real core of the seal!"

The still time suddenly resumed its flow. The Fire Demon Ancestor roared, and the black fire finally completely merged into his forehead: "Ants, feel the despair!"

The terrifying pressure came like a landslide and tsunami. Except for Xiao Muchen, everyone was forced to kneel on one knee. The fire wings behind Yan Yu were broken into pieces, but he still raised his head stubbornly: "Brother Xiao... I'm counting on you..."

Xiao Muchen took a deep breath and held the Xuanzhong Ruler across his chest. Seven kinds of strange fire surged out of his body and flowed along the lines on the ruler. When the last flame line was lit, the entire giant ruler suddenly became as light as a feather, yet as heavy as a mountain - this contradictory texture made Xiao Muchen instantly understand the true meaning of "lifting heavy things as if they were light".

"The inheritance of Emperor Yan..." He took a step forward, and the Xuanzhong Ruler chopped forward simply and directly, "The first move: Flame Devouring Waves!"

There were no fancy techniques, only pure strength. Wherever the ruler passed, space was torn apart like cloth, and a wave of fire that spanned the sky and earth rushed out. The Fire Demon Ancestor hastily blocked it, but was forced back three steps by the ruler, and a large piece of the black flame on his arm was cut off!

"Xuan Zhong Chi?!" The voice of the Fire Demon Ancestor fluctuated for the first time, "Impossible! It is clearly sealed in..."

"The second move: Eight Extreme Collapse!" Xiao Muchen didn't give it any time to think. He appeared in front of the giant's chest like a ghost and smashed it down heavily. It seemed like a simple attack, but at the moment of contact, eight layers of superimposed dark power burst out, hitting the Fire Demon's chest so that it dented and the black fire was shaking!

The Fire Demon Ancestor was furious and slapped Xiao Muchen with both palms together: "You are looking for death!"

At the critical moment, six figures suddenly rushed from different directions. Chu Li's white flame turned into a chain to entangle the giant's left wrist, Lin Wan'er's golden blade pierced into the joint of his right arm, Ling Shuang's ice flame froze his knees, Ye Feng's green vines bound his feet, and Yan Yu led the tribesmen to form a formation to suppress the black flame. Although it could only delay it for a moment, it was enough for Xiao Muchen!

He leaped up, holding the Xuanzhong Ruler high above his head, and the seven-colored flames condensed into a dazzling ball of light on the ruler: "Third move..."

The Fire Demon Ancestor finally showed a look of fear, and the black fire on his forehead was beating violently: "No! You can't--"

"Flame Meteorite·Heavenly Ruler!"

With a roar, the Xuanzhong Ruler slammed heavily on the black fire with the power of destroying the world. A blinding light burst out, and everyone was temporarily blinded. All they could hear was the unwilling wail of the Fire Demon Ancestor and the crisp sound of the black fire shattering...

When the light faded, everyone saw Xiao Muchen kneeling on one knee, with the Xuanzhong Ruler deeply inserted into the ground. In front of him, the body of the Fire Demon Ancestor was crumbling, and countless black air was escaping from the cracks.

"Win...win?" Ye Feng asked, panting.

Xiao Muchen's face suddenly changed: "No!" He suddenly looked up at the sky, "The passage to the Fire Demon Realm is about to collapse!"

Sure enough, without the support of the black fire, the space crack that was forcibly opened began to twist and deform. What's more terrifying is that it is forming a space vortex that is about to swallow up the entire Endless Fire Region!

"It must be sealed again!" Yan Yu said anxiously, "But the Xuanzhong Ruler has already..."

Xiao Muchen looked at the dimly lit giant ruler in his hand, and suddenly showed a resolute look. He turned to Chu Li and said, "Do you still remember the ultimate secret of the Yan Emperor's inheritance?"

Chu Li was stunned at first, then he understood and his face turned pale: "Are you going to..."

Xiao Muchen was already sitting cross-legged, with the Xuanzhong ruler placed horizontally on his knees. Seven kinds of strange fire surged out of his body, but they did not attack, but began to burn his own life source!

"Use your body as a ruler, and your soul as a flame..." His voice became softer and softer, "This is... the true inheritance of Emperor Yan..."

"No!" Chu Li wanted to move forward, but was forced back by the sudden burst of flames. In the desperate eyes of the crowd, Xiao Muchen's figure gradually merged with the Xuanzhong ruler. The giant ruler soared into the air, turned into a stream of light and shot towards the space crack. The moment it came into contact, it suddenly expanded into a giant ruler of thousands of feet, forcibly sealing the crack!

The Endless Fire Region gradually calmed down, but everyone's hearts sank to the bottom. Chu Li knelt on the ground, and the tears were evaporated by the high temperature before they could flow out.

At this moment, a golden light suddenly shone through the sealed space crack. Then, a faint flame floated down from the Xuanzhong Ruler and condensed into a vague shadow of Xiao Muchen in front of everyone.

"Don't cry..." the shadow whispered, "It's not that easy for me to die..."

Yan Yu suddenly pointed to the distance excitedly: "Look!"

On the ruins of the Burning Heaven Gate, a white lotus is slowly blooming. In the center of the lotus, a small figure can be vaguely seen curled up inside...