Chapter 851
Pure Lotus Demon Saint
At the very moment Xiao Ling ventured alone into the space of the demonic fire, above the vast starry sky of Zhongzhou, nine brilliant stars that had been dormant for thousands of years slowly shifted their trajectories under the watchful eyes of countless horrified figures in the world.
The stars shifted and their light pierced the sky, eventually forming a straight chain of light that stretched across the heavens.
Two moons appear simultaneously, nine stars unite, the tides of heaven and earth surge, and demonic fire descends upon the world!
The ancient prophecy echoed silently between heaven and earth, causing all the powerful figures on the entire Dou Qi Continent to tremble in their hearts.
The Pure Lotus Demon Flame, this supreme strange flame that ranks among the top three on the Strange Flame List, has finally descended upon the mortal realm once again after a thousand years!
Countless figures soared into the sky, their battle auras tearing through the heavens, surging wildly towards the direction where the Demon Flame Space had appeared, all for the chance to seize a sliver of heaven-defying opportunity to touch the Pure Lotus Demon Flame.
The entire Central Continent was plunged into unprecedented frenzy and clamor due to the arrival of the Pure Lotus Demon Flame.
……
After overcoming numerous obstacles and passing through a series of giant white doors, Xiao Ling finally stopped in the silence before the last ancient door.
He raised his hand and gently pushed, and the heavy stone door slowly opened, unleashing a scorching aura more violent and pure than any other place before.
The moment Xiao Ling stepped inside, his vision suddenly opened up.
What came into view was an endless, milky-white ocean of flames.
The Pure Lotus Demon Flame, as pure as a lotus and as blazing as the sun, surged and roared throughout the entire space, its heat waves rolling, even scorching the void and causing it to distort slightly.
In the very center of that vast sea of fire, a towering, milky-white pillar of fire shot straight into the sky, piercing through heaven and earth, its flames rising violently as if it would burn through the very heavens.
At the summit of that pillar of fire, where the flames were most intense, stood a figure silently.
It was a man dressed in a pure white robe, with a tall and handsome figure, but at this moment he was as tense as a stone and his face was extremely ugly.
His gaze was like a knife, fixed on Xiao Ling who had just stepped into this place. Deep in his eyes was suppressed anger, and a trace of panic and unease that he could not hide.
The man stared at Xiao Ling, his voice low and cold, carrying an intense, suppressed ferocity:
"Human... it was you who broke the seal on the Demon Flame Space ahead of schedule?"
Xiao Ling raised an eyebrow slightly, his expression calm and composed, his tone carrying a hint of nonchalant certainty as he replied frankly:
“You’re right. The premature appearance of the Demon Flame Space is indeed related to me. I won’t beat around the bush with you. My purpose in coming here is to subdue the Pure Lotus Demon Flame.”
His gaze fell directly on the white-robed figure atop the pillar of fire, his tone light yet sharp:
"I know that you are the true form of the Pure Lotus Demon Flame. Now, feel free to use whatever methods you have."
With Xiao Ling's current spiritual power at the half-step Divine Palace Realm, dealing with this Pure Lotus Demon Flame should have been an easy task.
Because of his absolute confidence, he was relaxed and not tense at all. Instead, he seemed to be taking a leisurely stroll, quietly waiting for the other party's reaction.
Seeing Xiao Ling's blatant contempt and complete disregard for him, the Pure Lotus Demon Flame's expression darkened, its killing intent surged, and it uttered a series of harsh words in a fierce tone.
"Your methods may be strange and unique, but your cultivation is ultimately only that of a three-star Dou Sheng, yet you dare to speak so arrogantly here! Since you insist on courting death, then don't blame me for being ruthless today and paying with my life!"
Before the shout had even finished, the Pure Lotus Demon Flame suddenly raised its arms, and the power of its flames surged wildly around its body.
The boundless, milky-white sea of fire below instantly boiled and surged, and more than ten raging fire pillars, each a hundred feet in size, shot into the sky at the same time, carrying terrifying power that could burn the heavens and boil the seas and tear the void. Like giant fire dragons, they swept towards Xiao Ling with overwhelming force!
The boundless heat swept across the entire space, scorching and distorting the void. The terrifying pressure rolled in like mountains and seas. If it were an ordinary Battle Saint, his mind would have already shattered under such power.
Xiao Ling remained calm and unmoved, his eyes showing no emotion whatsoever. With a thought, his vast spiritual power, wielded by a half-step Divine Palace Realm expert, surged forth like a tsunami.
In an instant, the biting cold spread wildly along with the spiritual power. Above the scorching sea of fire shrouded by the Pure Lotus Demon Flame, a crystal-clear, thousand-foot-tall ice lotus suddenly bloomed, its petals layered upon layered, its cold light sharp, holy and domineering.
More than ten raging pillars of fire crashed into the ice lotus, but only melted a tiny bit of its surface before being completely blocked and forced back by the extreme cold power originating from the soul level. The power of the flames was instantly suppressed.
The space of demonic fire that was originally scorching the heavens and earth was now quietly filled with a bone-chilling cold. Extreme cold and extreme fire collided and intertwined in the void, creating an incredibly shocking scene. Meanwhile, the thousand-foot-long ice lotus remained steadily suspended around Xiao Ling, without moving an inch.
Seeing that more than ten pillars of blazing fire were effortlessly blocked by a single ice lotus, and even suppressed by its extreme cold power within the demonic fire's exclusive space, the Pure Lotus Demonic Fire's pupils constricted, its face filled with disbelief, and it cried out in shock:
"How is this possible?! This is the Demon Flame Space! How could you possibly unleash such terrifying ice power?!"
An unprecedented sense of crisis surged into his mind like a cold, venomous snake, causing the flames surrounding his body to become somewhat disordered.
Xiao Ling stood atop the ice lotus, his expression as indifferent as ever, his voice calm yet carrying an undeniable and absolute dominance:
"Nothing is impossible; it's just a matter of vastly different strengths."
He paused slightly, then added calmly:
"However, the environment of this demonic fire space is indeed subtly suppressing the effectiveness of my ice power. I should finish this quickly as soon as possible."
As soon as he finished speaking, the chilling aura surrounding Xiao Ling slowly dissipated, and the thousand-foot-long ice lotus turned into specks of cold light and melted into the void.
The next second, the mental power of the half-step Divine Palace Realm directly tore through space, and the invisible spatial patterns suddenly twisted and fluctuated. His figure appeared as if by teleportation, appearing without warning a few feet in front of the Pure Lotus Demon Flame, right at arm's length!
Before the Pure Lotus Demon Flame could react, Xiao Ling's eyes turned cold. He slowly raised his right hand, and his spiritual power and the source of extreme cold condensed in his palm. Two halos of light, one black and one icy white, intertwined and transformed into a vast and boundless palm print, carrying the power of the Yellow Springs' annihilation.
Before the palm strike landed, the surrounding milky-white flames were forcibly extinguished, the space collapsed layer by layer, and the terrifying suppressive force locked onto the Pure Lotus Demon Flame, preventing him from even having the thought of dodging.
"Yellow Springs Palm!"
Xiao Ling uttered three words and unleashed a powerful palm strike!
With a single palm strike, this move, the Yellow Spring Palm, which Xiao Ling modified to suit his own situation, was like the Yellow Springs collapsing, its power of annihilation sweeping across the heavens and earth, directly and fiercely suppressing the Pure Lotus Demon Flame!
The oppressive feeling of annihilation crashed down on him, causing the Pure Lotus Demon Flame's expression to change drastically, and even its soul fire to shrink abruptly.
He was filled with shock and rage, and shouted angrily:
"Nightmare Mist—!"
As soon as he finished speaking, a strange and unpredictable power surged from the Pure Lotus Demon Flame, resonating strongly with the sea of fire throughout the entire Demon Flame Space. An invisible spiritual wave suddenly spread out, piercing straight into the depths of Xiao Ling's soul.
Under the influence of this nightmare power, Xiao Ling's eyes faltered slightly, and his expression became momentarily dazed.
However, he was, after all, a half-step Divine Palace Realm spiritual power, with an indestructible will. In just an instant, he completely broke free from the illusion and regained his clarity.
Even this brief moment of interference was enough.
Xiao Ling's Yellow Spring Palm, which could suppress heaven and earth, crashed down, but its power and accuracy were slightly off. It did not hit the target directly, but grazed the body of the Pure Lotus Demon Flame and slammed into the void.
With a single palm strike, space shattered, and terrifying annihilation shockwaves swept in all directions, forcefully creating a massive gap in the entire sea of fire.
However, even though it wasn't directly hit by the Yellow Spring Palm, the destructive aftershocks that swept in all directions still crashed down like an ancient mountain. The Pure Lotus Demon Flame was immediately shaken and staggered violently. The milky white flames around its body surged and dissipated wildly, and the whole person rolled around in the sea of fire like a kite with a broken string, looking extremely disheveled.
He exerted all his strength to activate the power of the demonic fire to maintain his figure. The flames beneath his feet were chaotic and swaying, and his aura fluctuated violently. He barely managed to stabilize his body, but his robes were already fluttering and ripped, and the flames were dim and chaotic. He looked extremely disheveled.
"Back then, the Pure Lotus Demon Saint was known as the peak expert who was closest to the Dou Di. Nightmare Heavenly Mist was his signature technique. When that Demon Saint used this technique, he could make a million people in a city spend hundreds of years in an illusion."
Xiao Ling, savoring the brief moment of disorientation, spoke softly, his tone tinged with a hint of感慨:
"Now that you've used this divine power, you've managed to barely dodge my casual attack... Pure Lotus Demon Saint, you truly live up to your reputation."
His gaze turned slightly cold as he slowly looked at the disheveled Pure Lotus Demon Flame, his voice calm yet carrying an undeniable pressure:
"Unfortunately, you've exhausted all your trump cards and have no more tricks up your sleeve. The difference in strength between us is ultimately vast, and you no longer have the right to resist."
Just as Xiao Ling was slowly approaching and victory seemed assured, the Pure Lotus Demon Flame suddenly revealed a ferocious smile, then let out a wild roar and shot into the sky!
Strands of condensed, milky-white fire, almost tangible, surged forth from his body, spreading across the entire demonic fire space and deeply penetrating the spatial barriers and the depths of the sea of fire.
"The Ancient Refining Heaven Formation, appear!"
The next moment, the heavens and earth shook violently, and the rumbling sound echoed endlessly. Xiao Ling looked up and saw that above the sky, a massive ancient fire array, nearly tens of thousands of feet in size, slowly condensed from the void. The array patterns flowed with the supreme Daoist charm of the Pure Lotus Demon Saint, exuding overwhelming power.
Rumble—!
As the Sky Fire Array appeared, the boundless milky-white sea of fire below also boiled and churned violently. Beneath the surface, another super fire array of similar size slowly emerged. The two arrays echoed each other, completely locking down the entire space.
The two great formations activated simultaneously, and terrifying fire laws surged wildly. The aura around the Pure Lotus Demon Flame surged, and its expression instantly became arrogant and haughty. It pointed at Xiao Ling and laughed loudly:
"Hahahaha! You never expected this! The sealing array that the Pure Lotus Demon Saint set up back then will eventually be used by me! After thousands of years of dormancy, I have already fully comprehended the secrets of this array! Within this Demon Flame Space, with the support of the Refining Heaven Ancient Array, I am an invincible being!"
"In that brief moment, I secretly activated the formation to its full completion! Now that the formation is fully activated, I want to see what other tricks you have up your sleeve to resist!"
Following the words of the Pure Lotus Demon Flame, Xiao Ling gazed at the two giant formations that echoed each other in the sky and the sea of fire, his eyes showing no panic, only indifference.
He could clearly sense that the power of this Refining Heaven Ancient Formation was terrifying beyond compare; even a trace of its residual power would be enough to easily annihilate a five- or six-star Dou Sheng.
Can you really contend with him with just this formation?
That's far too naive.
No matter how powerful the formation is, it ultimately depends on who controls it.
Even though the Pure Lotus Demon Flame borrowed the power of the formation, it was still no match for his spiritual power at the half-step Divine Palace Realm.
Xiao Ling immediately planned to unleash his full power to completely suppress the Pure Lotus Demon Flame in one fell swoop.
But just as he was about to make his move, the incomplete painting of the Pure Lotus Demon Flame that he always carried with him suddenly began to tremble slightly without warning.
A faint yet exceptionally clear strange fluctuation slowly emanated from the depths of the fragmented map, gently touching his consciousness.
Just then, a weary and helpless old voice gently echoed deep within Xiao Ling's mind:
"Young friend, may I borrow your body for a while? I assure you, I will return this little demon to you."
The voice carried an undeniable sense of powerlessness, for in the current incomplete state of the Pure Lotus Demon Saint, it was simply impossible for her to forcibly occupy the body of an Emperor-level soul.
The remnant soul of the Pure Lotus Demon Saint took the initiative to contact Xiao Ling, and the reason was all too clear: he intended to settle things with the Pure Lotus Demon Flame himself.
If Xiao Ling is allowed to continue his full-force attack, given the vast difference in strength between the two, the Pure Lotus Demon Flame will likely be completely suppressed and subdued in an instant. At that point, the outcome of the situation will be beyond his control.
Xiao Ling immediately recognized that the person he was talking to was the remnant soul of the Pure Lotus Demon Saint.
Before his spiritual power broke through to the Emperor Realm, he might have tried to ask this remnant soul for help in subduing the Pure Lotus Demon Flame.
Now that his spiritual power had reached the half-step Divine Palace realm, he was confident enough and no longer sought help. Unexpectedly, this remnant soul actually came to him on its own initiative.
After a moment's thought, Xiao Ling spoke calmly and evenly:
“Since it is your request, senior, I will certainly grant it. I suppose you have a very deep connection with this Pure Lotus Demon Flame, and it is time for you to settle things with me personally.”
The remnant soul of the Pure Lotus Demon Saint was taken aback by Xiao Ling's straightforwardness. After a moment of surprise, its tone softened, and it conveyed a hint of gratitude as it said:
"Thank you for your understanding, young friend. I will personally erase the little demon's original consciousness later, and then you can completely subdue and refine it. Afterwards, I will leave you my entire life's legacy as a reward."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Ling was secretly delighted, but remained calm on the surface, letting out a light laugh:
"Then I thank you very much for your generous gift, Senior Demon Saint."
Before his death, the Pure Lotus Demon Saint was the strongest expert in the Dou Qi Continent who was closest to becoming a Dou Di. The precious and terrifying legacy he accumulated throughout his life goes without saying.
Moreover, with him personally eradicating the Pure Lotus Demon Flame's independent consciousness, Xiao Ling no longer needs to worry about the flame backlash or future chaos when he subsequently subdues and refines it. For him, this is the safest possible outcome. (End of Chapter)