Marvel: Beginning with the Collection of Shinra Tensei

A faint chuckle sounded behind Hu Liena and her group as they ran. Turning back, they saw a young man in black standing calmly behind them. With his hands clasped behind his back, he gazed nonchalantly at the dozen or so rapidly approaching "water arrows."

The young man wore a lazy smile, his demeanor utterly unremarkable—no soul rings were displayed. Yet, just standing there, he exuded an inexplicable sense of security that put everyone at ease.

In the next moment, vibrant flames rose from Xiao Yan's body, quickly transforming into a massive flaming hand that reached fearlessly toward the incoming water arrows.

Under the stunned gazes of Hu Liena's group, the seemingly unstoppable water arrows evaporated instantly, leaving no trace of moisture behind.

"Wow, so this is Emperor Flame. It's my first time seeing it," Han Yu remarked as he clicked his tongue in awe. The dazzling column of fire was mesmerizing. If not for his extraordinarily strong spiritual power, just staring at it might have set his blood or spiritual energy ablaze. Truly, it was worthy of being the king of all flames, formed from devouring countless others.

"I need to get myself a heavenly flame someday," Han Yu mused. "If I had one, I wouldn't need a planetary propulsion device to forge items anymore."

Making a mental note to visit Xiao Yan's Flame Continent when he had the chance, Han Yu thought it would be great if he could obtain a heavenly flame of his own.

Meanwhile, the Azure Water Dragon Serpent, watching Xiao Yan from afar, was filled with dread. Against the previously formidable Hun Ling, it had a chance at an even match. But facing Xiao Yan, the serpent had only one thought in its mind:

Run!Run now!

Don't even look back to take a picture!

Just as the Azure Water Dragon Serpent turned to flee, four towering columns of vibrant fire rose around it, sealing off its escape. Even the water beneath was blocked by the fiery barrier, leaving the serpent trapped with no way out.

The serpent struggled, but its every move was met with the relentless flames, which vaporized its efforts into nothingness.

"Eriya, it's your turn. Throw this at it to end its life painlessly," Han Yu said, tossing a small flame-formed sword to her.

Since the final blow had to be delivered by Eriya, Xiao Yan left her the chance to finish the Azure Water Dragon Serpent. The small sword was the key to triggering the four flaming pillars.

Looking down at the delicate flaming sword in her hand, Eriya noticed the flickering, vibrant fire within it. Clearly, it was made of the same flame as the towering fire pillars that trapped the serpent.

Yet despite the sword being forged of such intensely high-temperature flames, it felt neither hot nor searing to the touch. Instead, it was warm and comforting, like holding a pocket warmer.

Eriya knew this was due to Xiao Yan controlling the flame's temperature. Otherwise, based on what she had just witnessed, she wouldn't have even had the chance to cry out before being reduced to ashes.

"This is the path I've chosen. To become stronger, I have to face moments like this. Han Yu has taken such good care of me—if I can't even take this step, he'd surely be disappointed," Eriya thought to herself.

She glanced at Han Yu beside her. His expression remained kind and encouraging, his smile unwavering as he watched her. It was a smile that seemed to say, No matter what you decide, I'll support you.

Seeing his smile, Eriya finally let go of her last bit of hesitation. Following the method Han Yu had taught her, she channeled her soul power into her arm and hurled the flaming sword with all her might.

As the small sword—barely larger than her hand—flew through the air, it grew rapidly. In less than a hundred meters, it transformed into a giant sword tens of meters long.

The enormous flaming sword pierced through the Azure Water Dragon Serpent, unleashing a torrent of fire that consumed its body and reduced it to charred remains as it fell into the water.

With the serpent's death, a deep purple soul ring slowly floated from where it had been.

Seeing the soul ring appear, Han Yu beckoned it over with a wave of his hand, using green energy to carry it forward until it hovered in midair like a floating hula hoop.

"Here, absorb it using the method I taught you earlier," Han Yu said to Eriya.

With the soul ring now before her, Eriya wasted no time. She sat cross-legged and began to absorb the ring into her body using her soul power.

Meanwhile, Han Yu released a significant amount of green energy to monitor the changes in her soul power. After all, the soul ring of a 5,000-year-old soul beast was far beyond what Eriya could handle alone; she needed someone to help distribute the overwhelming energy.

As Eriya focused on absorbing the soul ring, Han Yu, Xiao Yan, and Ace stood by the lakeside, silently staring at the charred remains of the Azure Water Dragon Serpent.

"This... I should've controlled the fire's temperature better. I shouldn't have let it burn to a crisp," Xiao Yan said.

"What a waste of such fine ingredients," Han Yu lamented. "When I first saw its body, I thought we could preserve it and make a delicious dish."

"Aaaah! It's all your fault, Yan! Why didn't you control the fire's temperature better? Always showing off instead of being practical!" Ace groaned.

The three of them clutched their heads in frustration. Only now did they realize that the Azure Water Dragon Serpent's meat, infused with immense soul power, could have been an incredible boost if made into a dish.

Unfortunately, the mighty Emperor Flame had burned away every trace of soul power in the flesh. What remained of the serpent's body floating on the lake was nothing more than useless, charred remains, devoid of any value.

Xiao Yan didn't argue against the others' complaints. Instead, he seemed to share their regret. If they had handed the serpent's body over to Eriya or Han Yu to prepare, it could have been transformed into a gourmet dish. Instead, his recklessness had ruined it.

"What... what are they talking about?"

"It sounds like they're regretting burning the Azure Water Dragon Serpent to ashes. Something about it being a good ingredient?"

"Are these really the same people who just effortlessly obliterated a 5,000-year-old soul beast?"

Han Yu and the others made no effort to lower their voices, so Hu Liena and her group overheard everything clearly. Watching these "experts" express deep regret over the ruined meat of a soul beast left them utterly speechless, their worldview completely overturned.

This was a soul beast over 5,000 years old! For most people, obtaining its soul ring alone would be cause for celebration. Who would care about the leftover flesh?

But what happened next shattered their understanding even further.

From a distance, Eriya, who was in the process of absorbing the soul ring, suddenly radiated a burst of golden light. Behind her, a sacred figure began to form from the radiant energy.

Upon seeing the figure, no one was more shocked than Hu Liena from the Spirit Hall group.

"That's... a Six-Winged Angel?!" she exclaimed.

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