Gazing at the white-robed man who suddenly appeared on the pillar of magma, the entire space instantly fell silent. Every gaze present was ravenous and fiery, focused on the former. With the perceptiveness of those here, they could naturally see at a glance that this man’s true form was none other than the Fiery Lotus Demon Flame!
“Fiery Lotus Demon Flame, I never expected that in a thousand years, you would actually cultivate the Nightmare Heavenly Mist of the Demon Saint to such an extent, truly worthy of admiration,” said the robed figure of the Soul Hall Master, perched upon a rock, as he raised his head, his face slightly ungracious as he stared at the Fiery Lotus Demon Flame. He too had been trapped in the illusory realm just now, and if not for the sudden and automatic shattering of the illusion at the last moment, even he would have remained unaware that he was still in it.
“This demon flame is becoming increasingly bizarre. This time, no matter what, we must not let it escape again. If it manages to flee, the lives of the people in the Central Plains will surely be in dire straits.” The elder Wan Gui from the Medicine Clan, gazed at the Fiery Lotus Demon Flame with extreme heat, greed continuously spreading from within his heart. He had never heard of any anomaly fire in his long years of cultivation that could construct such a bizarre illusionary realm, undetectable even by him. The experience just now had made him distinctly aware of the terror of the Fiery Lotus Demon Flame, but because of this, the greed in his heart grew exponentially.
Hearing the elder Wan Gui’s words, many people around nodded, their faces showing some fear as they looked at the Fiery Lotus Demon Flame. The ability exhibited by the latter was simply too terrifying.
The white-robed man standing on the pillar of magma cast a cold, emotionless glance at the Hall Master of the Soul Hall and the others, but ignored them, choosing to fix his gaze on Xiao Yan, who remained silent. After a moment, a icy voice slowly drifted out, “How did you break my Nightmare Illusion?”
“Blind cat meets dead rat,” Xiao Yan shrugged. He naturally wouldn’t disclose the truth, for this demon flame space was brimming with peculiarity, and it was clear that the Fiery Lotus Demon Flame was extraordinarily tricky. He had no confidence now that he could subdue it, and the strange light cluster in his mind was his only hope — one which he naturally wasn’t going to reveal.
“Could it have been this kid who tore apart the illusion?” Hearing the Fiery Lotus Demon Flame’s question, the figures hovering in the surrounding sky all directed surprised gazes toward Xiao Yan, clearly not expecting that someone with only Two-Star Dou Sheng strength would be the first to break through the illusion cultivated by the Fiery Lotus Demon Flame for a thousand years.
“Xiao Yan, brother, you indeed have a remarkable ability. Haha, looks like we all owe you a favor,” Fire Xuan, who wasn’t far away, laughed at this moment.
Hearing his laughter, the Hall Master of the Soul Palace and those from the Pharmacist Clan merely smiled disdainfully; naturally, they wouldn’t accept Xiao Yan’s generosity, as he was merely trying to save his own life.
The white-robed man’s cold eyes bored into Xiao Yan; he certainly wouldn’t believe this reason. If luck alone was enough to break the illusion, wouldn’t his years spent cultivating the Nightmare Heavenly Mist become a laughing stock?
“Nevermind, once I turn you into my fire slave, you will tell me in detail. It’s unexpected that you managed to escape the illusion, but the ultimate outcome will still be the same,” said the white-robed man as he waved his hand, causing an invisible wave to spread out. The milky-white glow circle in the distant sky dissipated slowly, disappearing.
Seeing this, everyone was shocked. To think the Fiery Lotus Demon Flame had already covered up the spatial passage, indicating a clear intention to annihilate without mercy!
“Refine the Sky with Demon Flame.”
As the spatial passage vanished, brilliant, milky-white flames suddenly erupted from within the body of the white-robed man, swiftly sweeping out until, in a twinkling, they encompassed the entire world, akin to a fiery prison ensnaring Xiao Yan and the rest completely within.
Four immense, milky-white fire curtains poured down from the sky, finally connecting to the magma ocean below, appearing from a distance like a four-cornered prison linked heaven and earth.
Xiao Yan and the others clustered together, their faces grave as they watched their surroundings. They could feel a terrifying temperature, which even turned their own countenance pale, rapidly spreading at the moment this cage formed.
“He wants to refine us all,” Pharmacist Elder, solemnly stated.
“The Fiery Lotus Demon Flame is incredibly powerful. At this point, it likely equals a Peak Fifth Rank Dou Sheng, and coupled with the unique abilities of the demon flame, it can even challenge a Sixth Rank Dou Sheng. There isn’t a single person here whose power can surpass its own,” declared Xiao Chen, who had hitherto remained silent, well-versed in the prowess of the Fiery Lotus Demon Flame, fully aware of its current strength.
“Peak Fifth Rank…”
Everyone’s expression changed slightly at this, as each level among Dou Shengs marked a huge difference, especially considering that the original form of the entity in front of them was the Fiery Lotus Demon Flame, ranked third among the anomaly fires and extremely difficult to deal with.
“Boom, boom.”
Amidst the wary thoughts of all, dull explosion sounds suddenly arose from not far behind them. Turning hurriedly, they saw several silhouettes self-destructing into clouds of blood vapor, which then evaporated immediately due to the horrific high temperature.
This abrupt self-destruction caused unease among quite a few individuals. They had not seen any direct attack, yet these people…
However, as panic grew, more and more bodies inexplicably exploded, the dull popping sounds causing hair to rise, this method of eliminating being both invisible and formless.
“Beware, the Fiery Lotus Demon Flame is extremely cunning. It uses human emotions to incite fatal explosions. Those who don’t wish to die should not let their minds wander!” A well-informed individual shouted in the midst of this chaos.
Upon hearing this, the remaining people hastened to rein in their fluctuating moods, doing their best to maintain calmness. Thus, the frequency of self-explosions gradually decreased.
“Many of you do not even qualify to become my fire slaves.”
The white-robed man raised an indifferent eye, his voice cold and eerie. “Below Dou Sheng, perish by fire!”
In the instant his last word dropped, the whole sky sank into chaos. Over eighty percent of the Battle Sects present experienced a bizarre disintegration, as if they had dynamite planted in their innards long ago.
“What a terrifying move,” Xiao Yan remarked, feeling a chill as he observed the number of individuals reduced by half within an instant. It was fortunate they hadn’t led the elite team of the Heavenly Mansion Alliance inside, or perhaps half their forces would have met swift doom beneath the command of the white-robed man.
“Ah, the remnants alone possess the worthiness to become fire slaves.”
Surveying the greatly emptied sky, a smile appeared on the handsome face of the white-robed man as he flicked his hand. Ten lava columns shot out from the magma sea below, exploding to unveil ten silhouettes dressed in milky-white fire armor around the white-robed man.
“Surprisingly, all Dou Shengs…!”
At the sight of the vacant-eyed figures, Xiao Yan gasped lightly. Evidently, all ten shadows were fire slaves, yet to Xiao Yan’s surprise, these creatures uniformly achieved Dou Sheng status. The strongest of the group bore late Third Rank Dou Sheng strength!
Confronted with the vast reach of the Fiery Lotus Demon Flame, everyone was slightly dumbfounded. Even the Hall Master of the Soul Hall creased his brows.
“Every time my seal cracks, there are overconfident beings rushing in, sadly to be transformed into my most obedient fire slaves in the end.”
Fixing his smiling gaze on the crowd, the white-robed man softly intoned, “My collection this time, will grow bountifully.”
*Phew* …
The Hall Master of the Soul Hall riveted his attention on the opposing lineup, noting a Dou Sheng of near Sixth rank, ten others ranking between One and Three Star, a formation that even the Soul Hall couldn’t produce!
“Gentlemen, regardless of our grievances, if we aim to survive and defeat the Fiery Lotus Demon Flame, cooperation is necessary.”
The Hall Master directed his look towards Xiao Yan and company, particularly focusing on Zi Yan and Ancient South Sea who were the mightiest among those present. Their unwillingness to cooperate would lead to significant challenges.
Listening to the Hall Master, many great beings’ eyes flickered. Given the sinister reputation of the Soul Hall, partnering seemed impossible…
Spotting the collective hesitation, the Soul Hall Master was unsurprised. In a nonchalant tone, he suggested, “Consider well, of course, anyone confident in facing the Fiery Lotus Demon Flame solo may try, and I pledge zero interference …”
“Despite the odious fame of the Soul Hall, your viewpoint is reasonable. The Fiery Lotus Demon Flame seems reluctant to let us leave easily,” Elder Yao Fei of the Fire Clan reluctantly admitted, taking the lead for the necessity of the situation.
Noticing the agreement of the Fire Clan, following moments of contemplation, Elders of the Medicine Clan, the Thunder Clan, and Stone Clan nodded as well.
“What about us?” murmured Xuner, seeing the Hall Master’s gaze still locked on them. Partnering with the Soul Hall equaled courting danger.
Raising his head, locking eyes for a beat with the Master, Xiao Yan mildly smiled responding, “Just as proposed, temporary collaboration to take down the Fiery Lotus Demon Flame.”
All agreed under the covetous desire to possess the Flaming Lotus. But defeating this menace took precedence since only after vanquishing it, survival — and the chance to seize the Anomalous Flame Origin itself — would dawn. Trust ran thin among collaborators, ambitions high.
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