Chapter 655: Heavenly Emperor vs Ancestor Huo Ling

No matter what, Huo Mo was still the young master of a main branch and one of the most talented individuals in the Fire Spirit Clan, representing the face of the clan. Ancestor Huo Ling certainly couldn't just abandon him.

In the sky, Ancestor Huo Ling shot a fierce glance at Huo Mo, ignoring his current state. He then turned his head and stared at Xiao Ming with a grave expression, forcing a gentle smile.

"This matter is indeed our clan's fault. However, the Heavenly Emperor has already punished these juniors. How about giving our Fire Spirit Clan some face and letting this matter rest?"

Ancestor Huo Ling spoke with great confidence. Even though the Fire Spirit Clan had seen better days, it still held significant prestige from its long-standing heritage.

Compared to other superpowers such as the Northern Profound Palace and the Zi Qi Spiritual Cave, which were somewhat secluded, the reputation of the Fire Spirit Clan resonated throughout the Great Thousand World.

In addition to his formidable strength, Ancestor Huo Ling was also known for his extensive network of friends. Hence, most people would give him some face when they saw him.

Unfortunately, he didn't know that Xiao Ming had only recently arrived in the Great Thousand World and had little concept of the Fire Spirit Clan's influence. Xiao Ming was even planning to make a move against Skylaw Continent, which boasted more than ten Heavenly Sovereigns.

If Xiao Ming wasn't afraid of offending so many Heavenly Sovereigns, why would he care about giving face to a mere Ancestor Huo Ling?

"What if this Emperor decides...not to give you this face?"

It was evident that Xiao Ming had no intention of giving any face now. His calm words sent a jolt through the hearts of countless strong individuals in the area.

Xiao Ming's voice echoed through the air, drenching the backs of countless experts with cold sweat and instilling in them an overwhelming urge to flee the scene.

Ancestor Huo Ling had been a Heavenly Sovereign for ten thousand years, and the imposing aura of the Heavenly Emperor was no less formidable. A clash between them would undoubtedly result in a cataclysmic battle, and everyone nearby would be caught in the crossfire.

Clashes at such a level inherently carried the potential for devastation.

Unfortunately, the oppressive aura of the Heavenly Sovereigns was so overwhelming that these people could not even straighten their backs. The idea of escaping was nothing more than a fantasy.

Ancestor Huo Ling's eyes narrowed slightly when he heard Xiao Ming's reply. He had not expected the young man to be so unwilling to give face, and he suddenly found himself in a difficult position.

"What do you intend to do?"

"This Emperor has encountered no less than thirty waves of robbers since ascending from the lower planes to the Great Thousand World. Every single one of these evildoers, along with their backing forces, has been annihilated by this Emperor."

Xiao Ming said this with a smile, but the underlying message and the exceptionally strong scent of blood made Ancestor Huo Ling's frown deepen.

He hadn't expected Xiao Ming to be someone from the lower planes.

If another Heavenly Sovereign had appeared today, perhaps they might have given some face. However, since it was someone from the lower realms, it was unlikely that he would back down easily.

Those who ascended from the lower realms were always the strongest in their own plane, and as long as they were there, others would give them face rather than them giving it.

Moreover, as newcomers to the Great Thousand World, they often lacked knowledge of its power structures. It was likely that this Heavenly Emperor had never even heard of his name.

If the other party didn't know his name, his earlier mention of giving a face was as good as saying nothing.

Of course, by now Ancestor Huo Ling's patience had worn thin due to Xiao Ming's words. His eyes sharpened like an eagle's as he fixed his gaze on Xiao Ming.

"Are you implying you want to annihilate my Fire Spirit Clan?"

"Not to that extent. The Fire Spirit Clan is not an evil force, and it's normal to have a few bad apples among tens of thousands. As long as you cripple the cultivation of Huo Mo and his protector and compensate this Emperor with twenty billion Sovereign Spirit Liquids and five Divine Flames ranked in the Divine Flame Ranking, this Emperor can let bygones be bygones."

Ancestor Huo Ling almost laughed in anger. Twenty billion Sovereign Spirit Liquid was nothing to him, but ranked Divine Flames were incredibly hard to find. Even within the Fire Spirit Clan, their number was limited.

Many of these Divine Flames had accompanied the predecessors of the Fire Spirit Clan in countless battles over the years. Their spiritual essence had long been intermingled with the clan, making them akin to the Avatars of those ancient powerhouses. They were the true foundation of the Fire Spirit Clan.

Even the clan's most outstanding disciples couldn't easily gain recognition to wield them. Yet, Xiao Ming casually demanded five of them as if they were cabbages?

Ancestor Huo Ling decisively refused, "Impossible! There is no way I can accept such conditions!"

"I have long heard that the supreme experts who ascend from the lower planes are all exceptionally gifted and talented. Unfortunately, I have never had the opportunity to cross paths with one. Today, however, it seems that we are destined for a rare encounter, and I would like to see your skills for myself."

As he spoke, a flurry of multicolored flames suddenly rose from his body and converged in the palm of his hand.

Crap, they're really going to fight!

Countless experts stared in horror at the multicolored flames. They could sense that once the flames were unleashed, everything within hundreds of thousands of miles would be instantly engulfed in a sea of fire, sparing no living creature.

"Oh? You should have said so earlier."

Xiao Ming rose to the sky and looked at the multicolored flames with great interest. He could sense that these flames were of a higher quality than the Greenstone Azure Flame he had obtained earlier.

"I have long heard that the Fire Spirit Clan excels in the way of fire. Today, I shall experience it firsthand."

"As you wish."

Ancestor Huo Ling muttered to himself, not daring to be the slightest bit careless. His hands swiftly formed seals, and the multicolored flames in front of him surged with immense firelight, rising like blazing suns, each one radiating waves of pure destruction.

Buzz!

The blazing suns trembled as a vast Spiritual Energy rippled out, shaking the land.

Sage Zi Yun and the others stared intently at the blazing suns, their faces contorted in shock. Even a single wave of that red Spiritual Energy could easily annihilate them.

This Ancestor Huo Ling was worthy of a powerhouse who had stepped into the Heavenly Sovereign ten thousand years ago. Even a mere Avatar of his was this powerful.

While Sage Zi Yun and the others were in shock, the blazing suns coalesced into a massive fiery red bronze bell, its surface engraved with countless strange runes.

"Fire Spirit Bell!"

With a low cry from Ancestor Huo Ling, the bronze bell rapidly descended and swallowed Xiao Ming in one swift motion.

The giant bell then floated motionlessly in the sky, with faint sounds of burning flames emanating from within.

"This Fire Spirit Bell is formed from my life essence flame, further catalyzed by the essence of countless flames from my clan. It gathers the power of ten thousand fires. Even a Heavenly Sovereign would be refined if caught inside." Ancestor Huo Ling's deep, slightly proud voice resounded inside the bell.

"Extraordinary indeed."

Xiao Ming agreed, nodding as if he were not the one being roasted by the flames.

"However, this Emperor also has a flame for you to witness!"

As soon as Xiao Ming's words fell, countless fire runes on the surface of the bell began to crack at a visible speed.

Strands of delicate and brilliant flames began to climb out, and wherever these flames spread, the blazing red light melted away like snow in the sun.

Ancestor Huo Ling's pupils contracted slightly at the sight.

Crackle!

The brilliant flames continued to surge out and engulfed the entire red bell in a matter of moments.

As the flames rose, the bell that was originally made of fire began to melt into a liquid state and flowed away.

Clamor!

A wave of astonished murmurs erupted throughout the area. Countless experts were secretly terrified. No one had expected the clash between these two Heavenly Sovereigns to reveal a clear winner so quickly.

Even they could tell that the Heavenly Emperor's flame was far more domineering.

Ancestor Huo Ling, an expert in fire manipulation, had been defeated by a younger generation in his own domain.

Even though this wasn't Ancestor Huo Ling's true form, it was still a loss!

Ancestor Huo Ling stared dazedly at the scene for a moment. Then he looked at the unharmed Xiao Ming with a complex expression and said in a low voice, "What is the name of that flame of yours?"

"Emperor Flame."