Emperor's Domination

The display of reverence was crucial since it could end up saving his life. Although he was known as the first to be able to control the madness, he didn’t have a permanent plan.

The madness of the flame remained. As long as he chose it as his cultivation, it would always be there. Moreover, it also grew with his strength.

He couldn’t be sure that he could keep it under control in the future. Although he had experience suppressing it for generations now, going mad might be inevitable.

This was a mental affliction since no one else could help him on this quest until now - someone who has knowledge of the maddened flames.

“You have been accumulating the madness for so long now, what do you think it would take to resolve it?” Li Qiye said.

“...” Coldflame had no response since he had no solution either.

“Burying the madness with the fire imbued with the ice affinity seems to be working on the surface. However, it is still essentially fire so you are unable to remove the madness within. It is looming and waiting for the inevitable eruption.” Li Qiye said.

“You are right, Young Noble.” Coldflame agreed with the assessment.

“The world believes that you’re the only one who won’t go mad. In reality, your end won’t be different from your predecessors since you have no way of dealing with the temporarily contained madness.” He went on.

“Please guide me, Young Noble.” Coldflame got chills while thinking about the grim future.

“Release the madness and destroy your maddened flames, start over.” Li Qiye smiled.

“...” Coldflame pondered in silence.

“This is the only way, you have no other option.” Li Qiye continued: “It is virtually suicidal but the other option is to wait for the madness to take over and you will descend down to the same abyss.”

Coldflame smiled wryly since he was aware of all of this. As for the other scenario, if he were to release the madness, he would go crazy before being able to destroy his own cultivation.

“When you release the madness, you must maintain your sanity long enough to destroy the maddened flame. When the madness runs its course, your flame will experience rebirth - a maddened flame without the madness.” Li Qiye added.

“It is impossible.” Coldflame responded with haste regarding this suicidal scenario. Breaking the fire cultivation after releasing the madness meant that he would have the ability to control the madness in the first place.

“Someone will need to lend you a hand.” Li Qiye said.

Coldflame couldn’t think of anyone willing to do so. Releasing his madness meant a world-destroying event. Not even someone like Sword Queen would be able to escape unscathed.

As he stood there in a daze, Sword Queen’s pleasant voice sounded: “You don’t have to search far.”

This woke him up and he immediately asked: “Young Noble, please help me.”

“I’m not a firefighter.” Li Qiye smiled and shook his head.

Coldflame couldn’t ask again due to his pride as an apex cultivator. An awkward silence ensued.

Li Qiye stared at him and said: “Fine, fine, I suppose there is fate involved here in our meeting. Since you have done so well with the grand dao, let’s break your flame so that you can be the master of your future.”

“Thank you, Young Noble. Your kindness will be forever engraved in my heart.” Coldflame was ecstatic after hearing this.

“Start, let’s see your madness.” Li Qiye waved his hand.

“Please assist me, Young Noble.” Coldflame took a deep breath and released his fire.

“Retreat!” The old servant shouted and retreated.

True Bear and Li Zhitian followed right behind him, the same for Sword Queen.

“Aaa!” He roared and released all of his icy flames and evaporated the entire ocean instead of freezing it this time around. This was the true essence of the maddened flame.