The Steward Demonic Emperor

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Golden flame refining, Decimating Dragon Scale Armor!

Eyes squinting, Ye Lin watched the familiar spectacle for a long time. It was the same way he was saved back then. "Master, you're using your reverse scale again and Decimating Golden Flame to refine his body. Won't that mean he'll be just like me?"

"Why, jealous?" Never once considering his disciple's opinion, the fire dragon nodded.

Ye Lin's face twitched and sighed, "That'll give him a seventh peak inheritance. The Decimating Golden Flame that only I had now he has it while I don't have what he has. It's hard to feel at ease, master."

"Humph, rotten brat, what's there to be unsettled about?"

The fire dragon smirked, "Can you even do what I told you to do alone? Ha-ha, I know how improbable that is. Since such a perfect and rare specimen came, a kindred spirit as well, I'll be sure to use everything to save him, to strengthen him so he could finish my work."

Ye Lin's brow twitched, "Kindred?"

"Yes, kindred." Fire dragon's eyes flashed and revealed a nasty grin. Those huge eyes never left the ball of fire below…

…

[Nine Serenities…]

In a hazy area, a lonely shadow floated around perplexed, "Who is it? What are you calling?"

His questions went unanswered, the voices coming and going, showting Nine Serenities' name on and on…

The shadow questioned some more, but no answer was provided. He chose to ignore them, just floating there in this desolate place…

Suddenly, an aged figure stood before him, with clothes as black as night.

The old man faced away from him. The shadow had a peculiar look as he asked, "Who… are you?"

The old man was ever silent, ignoring him just as the voices did. It just floated forward.

"Wait!"

Then the old man spoke, "Forward is the great beyond. If you step any further, there'll be no going back."

Frowning, the shadow asked, "What's this great beyond?"

"A place where your spirit fades." The old man replied.

Looking around, he saw nothing but mist, with no paths around. But when he looked in front, there was pitch-black darkness. "Where should I go?"

The old man paused, left speechless. He finally sighed, "Wait here."

"Oh." The shadow nodded, standing there like a good child. In front there was pitch-blackness and behind, darkness. Around him there was nothingness swirling, with only he and the old man standing here.

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"Nine Serenities… we've waited your return…"

The drawn out calls came once again. The old man shook. The shadow asked, "Are they calling… for you?"

"Yeah."

"Why don't you answer them?"

"They can't hear me, nor would they dare to talk back." The old man's back shook a bit and sighed, "I have promised something I failed to do and can't return."

The shadow looked around, at the endless haze without any path in sight. "Yeah, there's no return without a path. Unless…"

The shadow point at the pitch-blackness in front, "You go there."

"But once I do, I'll never come out, never coming back." The old man sighed, "I still want to return. I can't ever go forward."

The shadow nodded after a pause then floated forward. As he went, pitch-blackness crept behind him, cutting his retreat.

The old man shouted, "What are you doing? Didn't I told you not to go?"

"But this is the only way." Shaking, the shadow looked at the old man, puzzled.

The old man shivered, as if afraid.

The shadow just kept going forward.

"Hold on a minute!"

The old man cried, "Before you go, mind answering a question of mine?"

"What question?"

"Who are you?"

Startled, the shadow frowned for a long time then shook his head, "I don't know. Who am I?"

"Promise me this, before you can answer my question, you can't go forward." The old man spoke solemnly.

The shadow scratched his head and nodded. But then he was perplexed again as he took another step forward unconsciously. "Who am I? Who am I?"

"I have let you all down. I can't go back…" The old man sighed and shook all over. "My spirit is barely holding on. It's so weak I can't even remember my name, ha-ha. I… want to go with him…"

"Who am I…"

The shadow passed by the old man and failed to noticed that the old man was walking by his side, deeper into the abyss.

Then, in this hazy world, a blinding light flashed. A huge ball of golden fire shone.

It cast its light upon the shadow, revealing a very familiar face.

As if by agreement, an azure flame ignited on his forehead, soon covering his entire body and turning him into a human-shaped azure fire.

"Who am I…"

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The shadow's eyes were hazy as it muttered. But as the azure flame spread to his eyes, he woke up shouting, "I-I'm Zhuo Fan! Demonic Emperor Zhuo Fan!"

Like a vow, the shout dispelled the abyss, making the ever encroaching pitch-blackness fade away.

The darkness faded and gave way to glorious and vibrant light.

Zhuo Fan floated now towards the golden flames, but before he melded with them, he turned to look at the old man fading away from the light.

"Who are you?" Zhuo Fan shouted.

The old man was no longer visible, but just as Zhuo Fan was entering the golden flame, the old man's voice reached him, "We will meet again. On the edge of death, or when we achieve Dao, ha-ha-ha…"

Boom!

With a huge explosion, fire motes flew all over and Zhuo Fan came out of it with golden shining in his eyes, filled with flames. His body was covered in golden scales releasing blistering heat, capable of melting anything.

"You're finally back, child!"

Zhuo Fan was still out of all that was happening when he heard a rumbling voice.

He turned his head with a start and saw a huge dragon head staring right at him with an eerie look. The golden flames burned so hot it warped the space around it.

Zhuo Fan cried out, "One of the five great sacred beasts, Decimating Dragon Ancestor? Am I in Infernal Gorge?"

"He-he-he, right you are. This is my domain, welcome!"

The dragon ancestor let out a wave of scorching air, forcing Zhuo Fan back.

Zhuo Fan was perplexed.

[What am I doing here?]

Ye Lin read his mind, "I brought you. When you were fighting the Universal Righteous Sect's siege, you were at the end of your life, your soul and body about to go cold. Only my master could save you. That's why I brought you here."

"Ye Lin?" Zhuo Fan's brow shook. Zhuo Fan pondered then shouted, "What about the girls? How are they?"

Ye Lin raised an eyebrow, "Since when did you care about someone else?"

"Just tell me, are they alright?"

"They're fine. When I arrived, only you were fighting, blocking hundreds of men from Universal Righteous Sect. I did you a favor and killed them all. There should be no pursuers."

"Good, that's good." Easing a breath he'd been holding, Zhuo Fan was relieved. In his persistent determination to hold on for three days, his consciousness had faded at some point. One might have even ruled him dead. But he went on, hanging on to that last breath. That was what kept him fighting for so long, while he knew nothing of what was happening nor if the girls got away.

The Decimating Dragon Ancestor asked curiously, "Child, are those people related to you?"

"Uhm, Dragon Ancestor, my wife is with them." Zhuo Fan bowed, knowing how to clean up his act before such an almighty existance.

His answer made the dragon snort, flaring its nostrils. "Heed my warning. Break all ties with them. You're not even aware you sunk so deep because of them? If you really do care about your wife, stay away from her."

"What?!"

Zhuo Fan stood there dumbstruck…