Across the vast expanse of space, an unearthly white demon fire permeated every corner, filling the air with an indescribable, terrifying heat. Even a strong Dou Zun at the fourth or fifth star level would not last long here, for the temperature was so high that even Dou Qi could ignite. Xuner hung in the sky, golden flames continuously gushing from her body. Despite the protection of the Golden Emperor Sky Fire, she was still drenched in sweat. Fortunately, the Dou Qi inside her did not self-ignite. It seemed that the reason Golden Emperor Sky Fire ranked so highly was not without cause.
Xuner’s gaze fixed on the far distance, where at the heart of this fiery domain, a slowly rotating fire lotus radiated an eerie aura. With each rotation, its color shifted between dark red and white.
Below the fire lotus, Xiao Yan stood with his hands behind his back, exuding a faint but formidable aura. Of course, Xuner knew that this unfamiliar authority originated from the spectral figure enveloping him.
“Poison!” The rotating fire lotus finally coalesced into white, but all its petals bore fine crimson veins, appearing like human blood vessels, occasionally flashing red, imbuing the beautiful lotus with an eerie and sinister feel.
“When I first met you, your form was as pure as a baby. I bestowed upon you intellect, allowing you to possess human thoughts, yet the path you chose strayed far from what I intended,” the spectral figure lamented, gazing at the eerie fire lotus in the sky.
“Saint Lotus Demon, how I grow is my own affair; you meddled too much!” The fire lotus emitted a soft glow, and the roar of Saint Lotus Demon Flame echoed.
“I merely did not wish for you to ultimately destroy yourself. I made you what you are, and it is fitting that I end this.”
The spectral figure focused on the demon lotus, changing hand seals. Instantly, two massive formations covering the earth and sky suddenly rushed forth, launching a colossal wall of fire from their centers, swiftly forming a quadrangular flame prison that entrapped the demon lotus.
“The intellect and memory I gave you, if taken away, will restore the purity you possessed when I discovered you…”
“You heartless bastard, Saint Lotus Demon, I won’t let you have your way.” The demon lotus roared angrily, then began to spin rapidly, spurting streams of terrifying crimson flames. The fire barrier, formed by the great formation, violently twisted under the onslaught of these strange crimson fires.
“When my time was near, I had considered erasing your memory but could not bring myself to do it. Therefore, I sealed you, hoping your violent rage and killing intent would fade. But it seems thousands of years of sealment only deepened your hatred. If so…”
The Saint Lotus Demon gazed at the wildly struggling Saint Lotus Demon Flame, sighing softly. Changing hand seals again, the enormous formation covering tens of thousands of yards began collapsing inward, but as the outer edges of the formation crumbled, the fire column sealing the demon flame grew more solid.
*Boom, boom, boom.*
Facing the formation’s movement, the Saint Lotus Demon Flame furiously attacked the fire barrier, causing deafening crashes that dimmed the golden flames surrounding Xuner.
“Ancestral Formation of Heaven Refinement, strip away.”
The Saint Lotus Demon’s phantom hand gently waved, and thick, dense lines of fire burst from the barrier, weaving a blazing net deeply embedded within the demon lotus, gradually pulling threads of crimson mist from the demon lotus’s core.
“Ahh…”
As the crimson mist rose, the demon flame let out terrible, wailing screams, spinning madly. Regardless of the immense energy it released, it could not break through the fire curtain.
“The Ancestral Formation of Heaven Refinement absorbed millennia of energy. This complete eruption is beyond you, little demon. Come with me…”
The Saint Lotus Demon manipulated the fire lines, gradually forcing the crimson mist, representative of the demon flame’s memory and intellect, from its body. A calm voice rang out.
“Liar, without memory and intellect, the Saint Lotus Demon Flame will be devoid of consciousness. What you do is no different from killing me! You say you don’t wish to take my life, but your actions seek to do just that. You are a hypocrite!”
Feeling the void in its mind expanding, the Saint Lotus Demon Flame panicked, roaring. Once its memory and intellect were completely extracted, it would truly “die.”
“Your nature is extremely violent. Now, you have inherited my power. If left unchecked, breaking the seal would lead to catastrophe. As the originator of this calamity, it is my duty to end it.”
The shadow that was the Saint Lotus Demon shook its head, then without further ado, changed seals. The numerous fire lines inside the barrier crisscrossed the demon lotus’s core.
“Ahh!”
Thick crimson mist surged from the demon lotus, quickly forming a bloody figure above it—the human form of the Saint Lotus Demon Flame.
Ejected from its main body, the demon flame tried to re-enter, but the Saint Lotus Demon did not give it the chance. Clenching a hand, the fire barrier shrank, transforming into a fire-prison around it.
“Master, master, spare me this once, and I will surely change!”
Struggling wildly, yet unable to escape the fire prison, the demon flame was terrified. Separated from its main body, its strength fell to less than a tenth of its full power, making it impossible to resist the Saint Lotus Demon. It knelt, begging for mercy.
Gazing at the pleading demon flame, the saintly shade sighed and, waving his sleeve, emerged from Xiao Yan, floating into the fire prison, landing before the demon flame.
“Brother Xiao Yan…”
Seeing the Saint Lotus Demon leave Xiao Yan’s body, Xuner hurried over, grabbing hold of him.
“Why didn’t you go?”
Xiao Yan was not unconscious; he was only restrained by the Saint Lotus Demon. Now freed, he reproached Xuner, remembering how she had been left behind after Gu Nanhai knocked them both away.
Seeing Xiao Yan unharmed, Xuner was overjoyed, ignoring the scolding. She clasped his hand, then looked towards the fire enclosure. Seeing this, Xiao Yan sighed, gripping her smooth, slender hand.
“Little demon, I do not hate you. Even when you turned against me, I harbored no grudge. In my life, I had neither disciple nor child. From start to finish, you were the closest to me.”
The Saint Lotus Demon tenderly patted the demon flame’s head, a touch of warmth appearing on his ethereal face.
“But I hate you!”
The demon flame raised its head, glaring at the saint with blood-red eyes. Crimson mists instantly exploded, engulfing the Saint Lotus Demon, and crazily invading his body.
Seeing this, Xiao Yan and Xuner were shocked. The demon flame was indeed exceedingly violent.
“This scene… it’s just like that day…”
Facing the demon flame’s invasion, a sorrowful look crossed the Saint Lotus Demon’s face, and he sighed, slowly clenching his hand.
“Let us both vanish forever in this world…”
As the Saint Lotus Demon’s words echoed, the massive fire formation ruptured, transforming into two brilliant beams, shooting towards the fire barrier!
*Boom.*
Witnessing the cataclysmic explosion, Xiao Yan embraced Xuner, unfurling bone wings behind him, and hastily retreated.
A storm swept across the landscape, and a vast molten sea fissured, creating a massive crack tens of thousands of feet long. Such a fissure, even the magma could not fill it at once…
At the horizon, as the furious energy storm dissipated, Xiao Yan and Xuner reappeared, exchanging glances, then rushed towards the epicenter of the blast.
In the sky, the light flickered, and the pair halted, looking at the empty surroundings. The Saint Lotus Demon and the Saint Lotus Demon Flame had vanished, seemingly reduced to nothing in that titanic collision.
“Where is the source of the demon flame…” Gazing at the empty sky, Xiao Yan muttered, wondering if the demon flame’s source was also destroyed in the explosion. If so, had this hunt for the flame been for naught?
“Damn it.”
Frustrated, Xiao Yan cursed. For the Saint Lotus Demon Flame, he had collected ancient maps for over a decade and waited three years. Was this the result he was fated to receive?
“Brother Xiao Yan, look!”
Just as Xiao Yan felt disheartened, Xuner, pointing at the molten sea below, cried out excitedly.
Xiao Yan’s gaze followed her finger, his heart nearly stopping at the sight.
On the endless sea of lava, a white lotus covered in pink veins floated, and as it moved, it seemed all the energy in the sea continuously flowed towards it…
“Source of the demon flame…”
Looking at the milky white lotus, tinged with a pale pink, Xiao Yan’s body trembled uncontrollably with excitement.
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