Chapter 1 Soaring Flames

"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh~~~"

Countless flames splashed, and scorching meteorites flew. Looking from afar, the vast and dazzling domain stretched out before him, each star a giant fireball.

"The Eight Source Domains. First, I'll visit that Sith Clan Venerable trapped here, and then I'll explore the region."

This was the Blazing Sun Domain, one of the Eight Source Domains. In the Primal Universe, immense energies gathered to form treasured lands, and the eight most miraculous areas were clustered closest to the source. The Blazing Sun Domain, in particular, accumulated countless flames.

The Eight Domains represented the most supreme echelon of treasured lands in the entire Primal Universe, attracting countless strange beings, Source Walkers, and even the occasional Chaos Source Beast.

The eight Domain Lords, the highest-level Source Walkers, possessed innate power. Countless ages had passed, and now they were second only to the Supreme, even comparable to Sith Clan Venerables.

Of course, the eight Domain Lords were not yet at the Supreme level, and their understanding of the Dao was far inferior to the Sith Clan Venerables. Though they could temporarily resist with their innate talents, they were more often than not suppressed by the Venerables.

However, within the Blazing Sun Domain, ordinary Dominators dared not act recklessly. One wrong step could lead to their demise. Chaos Source Beasts and Source Walkers, the most formidable creatures in the Primal Universe, were also numerous here.

This was Jiang Xuan's first stop after arriving at the Eight Domains. It was a domain he remembered quite well. Moreover, only beings of his level dared to wander freely within the Blazing Sun Domain. Ordinary beings, even Lords of Other Universes, had to tread carefully here.

Of course, the Blazing Sun Domain also contained natural forces capable of threatening even Supreme beings. Some naturally formed dangers were far more terrifying than cultivators imagined. Some forbidden areas, even the eight Domain Lords had never reached their true core.

Jiang Xuan came to the Eight Source Domains, firstly, to see the Venerables imprisoned here, and secondly, to venture into those forbidden areas.

In the vast emptiness, Jiang Xuan traversed space-time. Within the Blazing Sun Domain, incredibly potent flames converged, making it almost impossible for ordinary beings to survive. Furthermore, because the Blazing Sun Domain was far larger and more stable than ordinary domains, it possessed its own rules.

Besides flames, it also contained stones, water, earth, and other elements. Many empty voids might have high temperatures, but even ordinary Celestials could survive there.

The more stable the area, the better the living environment. Of course, the Blazing Sun Domain also had extremely dangerous places, where even Dominators might face certain death.

It was extremely vast, a single Source Domain comparable in size to dozens of ordinary domains. The weak beings living within it could not traverse even a fraction of a percent of its distance in their entire lives.

Decades later, Jiang Xuan finally reached his destination. This was only because he had visited some perilous places along the way to comprehend their rules. Otherwise, he could have arrived in just a year or two.

Before him in the void was a vast continent, its expanse immeasurable. Jiang Xuan soared into the sky above this continent, constantly approaching his destination.

"Boom, boom, boom!!!"

Though still far away, Jiang Xuan could vaguely hear rumbles, and even see a faint glow in the distant reaches. This glow extended over a hundred billion miles, like a divine punishment, ferociously suppressing a vague figure at its center. The figure sat in a meditative posture, radiating its own pressure, resisting the endless flames.

Looking from afar, within the hundred-billion-mile range shrouded by the fiery domain, there were also numerous cultivators, some sitting cross-legged, others in wooden houses or small buildings.

They were scattered around the Sith Clan Venerable, the closest of them still tens of millions of miles away.

"Whoosh~"

Just then, under the gaze of some cultivators, Jiang Xuan landed on this vast land. He was enveloped by the surrounding fiery domain, but the pressure was not too strong. Only at the core, where the Sith Clan Venerable was, was the suppression the most intense.

"Who is this great being?"

"Such terrifying aura! I've only been in seclusion for tens of thousands of Chaos Cycles, and such an expert has appeared outside?"

Those scattered cultivators all looked at Jiang Xuan. They could see him, but they could also sense the countless layers of space-time separating them, making it impossible to reach him.

Just then, a figure traversed the space. He had originally been very close to the Sith Clan Venerable, but after Jiang Xuan appeared, he immediately moved away, arriving before Jiang Xuan.

"Could you be Emperor Lord Tai Xuan?"

The being asked respectfully. He was a Lord of Another Universe. Jiang Xuan could tell that he had not simply reached this level by relying on his universe, but had comprehended two Dominator-level Daos himself, making him a rare expert in this Primal Universe.

The other powerful cultivators also revealed puzzled expressions. They naturally recognized this being. He was quite famous here, the most powerful cultivator in this area. Even the Lords of Other Universes usually did not dare to provoke him.

But now, he was bowing to that being, his attitude extremely respectful. Even if the person was a Domain Lord from the Eight Domains, he wouldn't act like this, which they found incomprehensible.

"You recognize me?"

Jiang Xuan was somewhat puzzled. Although he knew that news of him would spread outwards from the Yan Dragon Domain, the boundless Primal Chaos was too vast. It had only been a few hundred years since he merged with the Dao, making it almost impossible for news to reach the Eight Source Domains.

Especially not the place within the Eight Source Domains where the Sith Clan Venerable was being suppressed.

After all, except for the special communication methods between Supremes that could ignore space-time distance, it would take at least hundreds of millions of years for other beings to transmit information across the entire Primal Chaos. Otherwise, it was simply impossible.

"Reporting to Emperor Lord, this junior is Tian Que. A friend of mine is a direct disciple of a Supreme. I learned some things about you from him."

The being before him was known as God Emperor Tian Que in the outside world, and had a considerable reputation in the boundless Primal Chaos. After all, he was extremely powerful, and many beings knew that he had a close friend who was a direct disciple of a Supreme.

"I see." Jiang Xuan nodded, no wonder God Emperor Tian Que knew his identity. He also smiled and said, "You must have been cultivating here for a long time, right?"

God Emperor Tian Que nodded and said with a faint smile, "The Earthfire Continent is quite famous, and many cultivators come here. Moreover, that imprisoned Sith Clan Venerable occasionally gives guidance to cultivators. This junior came here hoping to gain something."

"For the third Dominator Dao?" Jiang Xuan asked with a smile.

"Exactly!" God Emperor Tian Que nodded. "That Venerable has been imprisoned and tormented for a long time. Perhaps interacting with cultivators is a brief respite for him. He points out some flaws in their Daos. It is said that quite a few cultivators have received guidance, allowing them to perfect their Daos. This junior is also here to try his luck."

"Mm." Jiang Xuan responded, looking at the vague figure at the center of the flames, and smiling. "It seems he has sensed my presence as well. You continue your cultivation. I will go meet this Sith Clan Venerable."

After saying that, Jiang Xuan no longer lingered and directly moved towards the center of the flame suppression.

…

"Boom, boom, boom!!!"

At the core of the Earthfire Continent, a being roared, his body detonating again and again. The power of the entire fiery domain converged here, attacking him repeatedly.

These attacks seemed ferocious, but in reality, they were all vastly different. Some felt like countless needles piercing his body, piercing his soul and true spirit, causing excruciating pain that tore at his soul.

Others felt like knives cutting his skin, but without leaving a single scar, yet causing unbearable pain. Some attacks even brought with them illusions…

Various attacks, inflicting extreme torment. And this being, though wearing gray armor, had strange array diagrams visible on the exposed skin of his arms, neck, face, and other areas outside the armor.

At his feet, there was also an identical, enormous array diagram spanning a full ten thousand miles, its patterns branded onto every part of his body, keeping him permanently under suppression and torture.

"Ah!" He let out a low, panting roar. He had three curved horns on his head, and a pair of cyan eyes stared into the distance.

"Roar…"

"He has appeared. He has also appeared in this Primal Universe… What to do? Should I drag him down to die with me?"

He muttered instinctively. It had been too long. Ever since he was defeated in that battle and imprisoned here, the Supremes had used all means to cast array diagram seals, eternally inflicting countless terrible methods of torture upon him. He was even unable to kill himself because he was being suppressed and sealed by the array diagrams.

He stared into the distance, his cyan eyes full of baleful aura, reflecting Jiang Xuan's figure. From Jiang Xuan's body, he could sense an extremely familiar aura, a supreme, ultimate aura. In his homeland, those who could reach that stage were destined to become supreme experts.

"An Ultimate Emperor Lord who has successfully merged with the Dao, damn him! Damn him!"

The Sith Clan Venerable gnashed his teeth. The appearance of such a being meant that this Primal Universe would also have the guidance of the Eternal Ultimate Dao. In the future, more and more Emperor Lords who successfully merged with the Dao using the Ultimate Dao would emerge, and then they would have no hope left.

On the other side, Jiang Xuan was gradually approaching. He saw an extremely complex array diagram within a ten-thousand-mile radius around the cross-legged Sith Clan Venerable, which was the core of the entire fiery domain.

He continued forward, the distance between them growing ever closer. Eight million miles, five million miles, three million miles, two million miles, one million miles…

At one million miles, he had already entered the Sith Clan Venerable's attack range, but Jiang Xuan continued walking without hesitation. The Sith Clan Venerable could attack within a million-mile range, but he did not care at all.

Even in his prime, the Sith Clan Venerable could not threaten Jiang Xuan, let alone now that he was imprisoned and restricted.

"Roar…"

When Jiang Xuan was only a few miles away, the cross-legged Sith Clan Venerable, who had been lowering his head, finally roared. He raised his head, his three curved horns still menacing, and his pair of cyan eyes stared intently at Jiang Xuan.

"Nothing to say?" Jiang Xuan looked at this Sith Clan Venerable. His eyes were filled with unwillingness and even killing intent, as if he wanted to give it his all, dragging Jiang Xuan down to die with him.

But he also knew that having merged with the Dao to become an Ultimate Emperor Lord meant being an invincible being. Even if he was in his home, he would not be a match for such a being.

Moreover, the one before him was likely the first Ultimate Emperor Lord of this Primal Universe, with a high possibility of becoming the Primal Universe Controller!

That kind of magnificent existence transcended everything, stood at the pinnacle of the cultivation path, and was immeasurable!

After a moment of silence, the Sith Clan Venerable uttered a deep voice from his throat: "What is your purpose in coming here?"

"I wanted to meet you. After all, you have been trapped for such a long time, unable to live, unable to die. I imagine you must be very lonely and in pain," Jiang Xuan teased. After all, it was a restriction placed by a Supreme, and not just anyone could break it.

"Ah!" The Sith Clan Venerable let out a low, short cry of pain, appearing very distressed, then suppressed the pain and continued, "Yes, it is indeed very painful. I want to die at any moment. Do you think I can drag you down with me?!"

Jiang Xuan was very calm, a faint smile on his face: "You are welcome to try."

Even a Supreme would find it difficult to drag him down to die with them. These Venerables were essentially Supremes, but in this Primal Universe, they could not mobilize the power of the Dao, so they were naturally not comparable to Supremes, their strength greatly reduced. Even a Domain Lord from the Eight Domains could contend with them to some extent.

The Sith Clan Venerable fell silent. Indeed, in his current state, he might have a chance of dragging a Domain Lord from the Eight Source Domains down to die with him, but facing Jiang Xuan, who possessed Supreme-level battle power, it was impossible.

"Actually, I am very curious. Are you Venerables really willing to work for 'Him'? What is the point of fighting to the death? Even if you succeed, the one who becomes the Controller will not be you," Jiang Xuan said to himself, but the expression on the Sith Clan's face changed drastically.

"You… What do you know?!" The Sith Clan Venerable questioned, his body also struggling. The appearance of the Ultimate Emperor Lord, although it made him fearful, their leader was a being who had surpassed the Ultimate Emperor Lord. If their home Primal Universe did not already have a Controller, that one would not have invaded this Primal Universe.

However, this matter was extremely secret. During the ancient war, "He" never appeared. Even the Supremes in the cultivator civilization did not know of that one's existence.

But now, listening to Jiang Xuan's words, it was clear that he knew something.

"Is there a problem with your leader, that Ultimate Supreme of the Light Dao?" Jiang Xuan said with a smile, but to this Sith Clan Venerable, it was like a bolt from the blue. He guessed a very terrible thing. The cultivator Supremes did not not know of that one's existence, but had been hiding it all along, plotting in the dark!

"Great Iyar, you have underestimated the Supremes of this Primal Universe!" His heart began to worry, but he was now imprisoned by the Supremes' means, and even unable to mobilize the power of the Dao, making it impossible to transmit the message.

"You want to send the message out?" Jiang Xuan seemed to see through his heart, "I know that some of you Venerables do not want to start this war. Unfortunately, this war is unavoidable."

Shaking his head, Jiang Xuan continued, "Duobo'e, in this war, you are destined to lose…"

Across from him, the Sith Clan Venerable Duobo'e fell silent, his eyes filled with a look of reminiscence, as if he saw extremely distant memories. If he could choose, he would not want to start the war. If that were the case, they could still live peacefully in their original Primal Universe, still be Supreme beings, carefree and at ease.

"What if we lose? I will be imprisoned like this forever, forever being tortured…" Duobo'e raised his head, his pair of cyan eyes looking at the endless flames above, filled with hatred, and then let out a weary whisper, "When will this end? I really don't want to endure any longer…"