Chapter 853
Plans and Arrangements
“Your temperament is extremely violent, and now you have inherited my legacy. If you were to break free from your seal, it would surely cause a catastrophe. This calamity was caused by me, and it is only right that I end it with my own hands.”
The illusory figure of the Pure Lotus Demon Saint shook its head slightly, saying nothing more. Its hand seals suddenly changed, and the thousands of fire lines within the fire curtain instantly pierced into the Demon Lotus's body, intertwining and entwining.
"what--!"
Thick streams of blood mist surged wildly from the demonic lotus, rapidly condensing on the lotus's heart to form a blood-red human figure—the very humanoid origin of the Pure Lotus Demonic Flame.
Forced to reveal its true form, the Pure Lotus Demon Flame immediately plummeted downwards, attempting to retreat back into the lotus body.
But the Pure Lotus Demon Saint would not give him a chance. With a gentle clench of her hand, the huge cage suddenly shrank, eventually transforming into a fire prison about ten feet in size, firmly imprisoning him.
Master, master, please forgive me this time! I will definitely change my ways in the future!
Its body struggled frantically, but it could not break through the impenetrable fire prison. The Pure Lotus Demon Flame was finally completely shrouded in fear.
After separating from his original body, his power was less than one-tenth of what it used to be, and he was completely powerless to contend with the Pure Lotus Demon Saint.
Faced with the threat of having his personality eroded, he hurriedly knelt down and begged for mercy from the former.
Looking at the pleading Pure Lotus Demon Flame, the illusory figure transformed from the Pure Lotus Demon Saint sighed softly, flicked his sleeves, and the illusory figure slowly floated out from Xiao Ling's body, falling directly into the fire prison and stopping in front of the Pure Lotus Demon Flame.
“Little demon, I have never hated you. Even when you turned against me back then, I never harbored any resentment. I have no disciples or children in my life, and from beginning to end, you have always been the closest person to me.”
The Pure Lotus Demon Saint gently stroked the head of the Pure Lotus Demon Flame, and a kind and gentle smile slowly appeared on its slightly illusory face.
"But I hate you!"
The Pure Lotus Demon Flame suddenly raised its head, its blood-red pupils locking onto the Pure Lotus Demon Saint. A violent blood mist exploded around it, like a mad beast, instantly engulfing the illusory figure.
Strands of blood-red mist, filled with resentment and madness, surged and writhed like poisonous vines, relentlessly encroaching upon the remnant soul of the demon saint.
This scene is strikingly similar to the backlash that occurred years ago.
Faced with this sudden and fierce attack, the Pure Lotus Demon Saint showed no shock or anger, only an overwhelming sense of sorrow and helplessness. He had long anticipated this outcome, and with a soft sigh, he slowly closed his hands.
"Since that's the case... let us both vanish into nothingness between heaven and earth forever."
The moment the words fell, the vast fire array that enveloped the entire space suddenly collapsed, and the boundless power of the flames surged out, condensing into two extremely dazzling holy pillars of light, carrying an aura of annihilation, and crashed down on the cage!
"boom--!"
A terrifying energy storm swept across the heavens and the earth, tearing open a massive, ferocious rift hundreds of thousands of feet wide in the boundless sea of magma below.
Such a vast crack stretches across the void, and even the surging torrent of magma cannot completely fill it in a short time.
At the edge of the sky, the violent energy storm gradually dissipated, leaving only Xiao Ling's quiet figure standing in the empty space of demonic fire, witnessing the earth-shattering end of the previous event.
Of course, there were two other auras lurking in the shadows, which Xiao Ling could recognize as Xiao Xuan and Xiao Chen.
Xiao Ling had already keenly sensed the presence of the two, and he could see through their general plan at a glance. He simply watched silently without revealing anything, letting the two hide in the shadows.
"The Pure Lotus Demon Saint is indeed an extraordinary figure."
Looking at the spot where the battle had just ended, Xiao Ling sighed softly.
The Demon Saint's complex feelings for the Pure Lotus Demon Flame were no lie.
Unfortunately, the Pure Lotus Demon Flame was inherently violent and unruly. Moreover, it had already developed intelligence back in the Strange Flame Plaza. Later, it encountered an accident during its escape and completely lost its memory. Like the Void Devouring Flame, it embarked on a different path from the beginning.
Even if one loses all memory and has no trace of the past, no matter how hard the Pure Lotus Demon Saint tries to guide and patiently teach, it will ultimately be useless.
His tyrannical nature was etched deep within him and could not be changed.
In other words, such beings are inherently evil.
Now that the Pure Lotus Demon Saint has personally extinguished the violent consciousness of the Pure Lotus Demon Flame for Xiao Ling, it's equivalent to clearing away the biggest obstacle for him and saving him countless troubles. For Xiao Ling, this is already the most perfect ending.
Feel the ball of light that floats quietly in my mind, recording the vast information of inheritance.
It contained the original secrets of the Pure Lotus Demon Flame, as well as the Pure Lotus Demon Saint's lifelong cultivation experience, techniques, and fighting skills. Xiao Ling's lips unconsciously curled up slightly.
Next, it was time for him to truly reap the rewards.
Pulling himself back to reality, Xiao Ling slowly turned his gaze downwards.
Above the boundless sea of lava, a pure white fire lotus, covered with pale pink veins, slowly rises and falls.
As it swayed gently, the fiery energy of the entire sea seemed to be drawn by an invisible force, surging madly toward the heart of the lotus.
Just then, a subtle spatial fluctuation suddenly appeared beside Xiao Ling, and two figures slowly materialized, namely Xiao Xuan and Xiao Chen, who had been hiding in the shadows.
"Tsk tsk, is this the original form of the Pure Lotus Demon Flame? It is truly fantastic and magnificent, beautiful to the extreme."
Xiao Xuan's gaze fell upon the pure fire lotus, and he couldn't help but marvel at it. He then turned to look at Xiao Ling, and smiled with a mixture of helplessness and emotion:
"But you brat, you actually managed to grasp the inheritance of a peak expert like the Pure Lotus Demon Saint... I really don't know how to describe your luck; it truly matches your usual fortune."
Xiao Ling nodded slightly and replied calmly, "Ancestor is too kind. The inheritance of the Pure Lotus Demon Saint was obtained by chance. I managed to collect four fragments of the Demon Flame Map in various parts of the continent, which was a stroke of luck."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Xuan simply shook his head and said nothing more. Such an unbelievable, heaven-defying opportunity would have astonished anyone else. But since it happened to Xiao Ling, he was already used to it.
The countless unimaginable encounters had long since made this well-traveled and powerful expert accustomed to the endless miracles that this young man possessed.
Then, Xiao Xuan turned to the imposing figure beside him and slowly introduced him to Xiao Ling.
"This is Xiao Chen, whom I mentioned to you before. I successfully rescued him from the control of the Pure Lotus Demon Flame earlier."
Having said that, Xiao Xuan tilted his head slightly, a soft sigh escaping his throat, his expression filled with a complex and unfathomable melancholy.
"Alas, whether this encounter is a blessing or a curse, I still cannot say for sure. Although he was trapped in this demonic fire space and suffered loneliness and confinement, he also escaped the Soul Clan's extermination of my Xiao Clan by a twist of fate... Truly, life is unpredictable and fate is unpredictable."
Xiao Chen looked up at Xiao Ling, nodded slightly in greeting, and said in a deep and resonant voice, with a hint of vicissitude: "I am Xiao Chen, and in terms of seniority, I can be considered your ancestor."
As he finished speaking, his gaze lingered on Xiao Ling for a moment, a hint of undisguised admiration and satisfaction flashing in his eyes.
"Although I was saddened to hear the clan chief speak of the current state of the Xiao clan, it is truly a great fortune for the Xiao clan to have such a brilliant and talented descendant as you! Your talent, demeanor, and courage are in no way inferior to that of the former clan chief Xiao Xuan!"
Xiao Ling quickly bowed to Xiao Chen, his tone respectful and sincere: "Junior Xiao Ling greets Ancestor Xiao Chen. Now that Ancestor has broken free from the seal and regained his freedom, our Xiao Clan will still need Ancestor's strong support and guidance on the road to future revival."
"Haha, rest assured! In the future, if there is anything you can do to help me, just ask, and I will do my best to help you restore the glory of the Xiao clan!"
Upon hearing this, Xiao Chen laughed heartily, his expression bold and exclaiming as he patted his chest.
"Xiao Ling, you must have noticed it too, right? A lot of people are heading towards the Demon Flame Space, including many powerful figures from other ancient races. The Demon Flame Space is about to get quite lively."
At this moment, Xiao Xuan glanced slightly outwards, looking into the space beyond, and slowly spoke.
Xiao Ling nodded slightly, his expression calm: "Our ancestor's senses are indeed sharp; I have also noticed them. They must have all been attracted by the earth-shattering commotion in the demonic fire space just now."
He paused, then continued, "The commotion caused by the appearance of the Pure Lotus Demon Flame is too great to be concealed. It is likely that all the top forces on the entire Dou Qi Continent are on their way here."
"Even those ancient races that live in seclusion will never let go of the opportunity to compete for the supreme exotic fire, the Pure Lotus Demon Flame."
Upon hearing the two speak like this, Xiao Chen frowned slightly, looked in the direction from which the external auras were coming, and said in a deep voice, "So, those guys came here specifically to cause trouble?"
He turned to look at Xiao Ling, his tone calm and resolute: "Xiao Ling, you just need to focus on absorbing the essence of the Pure Lotus Demon Flame. Don't worry about anything else. Leave those bastards who have come to us to me and the clan leader. We will handle them properly."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Xuan nodded slowly, a hint of approval flashing in his eyes, clearly agreeing with Xiao Chen's suggestion.
Seeing that Xiao Xuan and Xiao Chen had both volunteered, Xiao Ling was about to agree, but then, as if remembering something, a glint flashed in his eyes, and he spoke.
"I appreciate the kindness of our two ancestors. However, I have an even better method."
Xiao Xuan and Xiao Chen both raised their eyebrows slightly, their gazes falling on Xiao Ling as they waited for him to continue.
Xiao Ling smiled slightly and said calmly:
"As far as I know, many powerful figures among those ancient races have subdued strange flames. Among those who have come to the Demon Flame Space this time, there must be someone who possesses a strange flame."
He paused, his tone calm, yet carrying an undeniable sharpness:
The cultivation techniques practiced by the younger generation happen to require the absorption of strange flames for advancement... Letting them in will provide an opportunity to seize the strange flames from their bodies, killing two birds with one stone.
Upon hearing Xiao Ling's words, Xiao Xuan and Xiao Chen instantly understood his plan. They exchanged a glance, a hint of surprise flashing in their eyes.
Xiao Chen looked Xiao Ling up and down, then chuckled, his tone tinged with surprise: "Heh, you kid... could it be that you're planning to take over those ancient races? You've got some nerve."
Xiao Xuan nodded slowly from the side and said in a deep voice, "Although this plan is quite risky, upon closer examination, it is extremely feasible. To be able to so easily seize the strange fires that those ancient races have painstakingly collected is a rare opportunity. It would be a real pity to miss it."
Seeing that his two ancestors not only did not object, but were quite supportive of his plan, Xiao Ling breathed a sigh of relief.
He was initially worried that Xiao Xuan and Xiao Chen would be mindful of the relationships between the ancient races and would be unwilling to easily take action against the powerful members of other races.
But now it seems that the situation is quite different.
If this had happened back then, when the Xiao clan was at its peak, Xiao Xuan and Xiao Chen might have considered the bigger picture and maintained relations with other ancient races, and wouldn't have taken such a radical step.
But now, the Xiao clan has long been destroyed, and the world is unaware of the situation within this demonic fire space, so naturally there are no more concerns.
In their hearts, there is nothing they cannot do as long as it can help Xiao Ling become stronger quickly and accumulate strength for the revival of the Xiao clan.
Seeing this, Xiao Ling said in a deep voice,
“Since both ancestors agree with my plan, I will now explain the arrangements. I will immediately go into seclusion to focus on absorbing and refining the essence of the Pure Lotus Demon Flame. During this time, I would like to trouble both ancestors to stop and control anyone who enters the Demon Flame Space, so as not to let them interfere with my refining process.”
He paused, then continued, "Once I have completely absorbed and refined the essence of the Pure Lotus Demon Flame, I will personally deal with those people and seize the strange flames from their bodies."
"That's a good idea. Let's proceed according to your plan." Xiao Chen laughed heartily, his tone relaxed. "Although I've been dormant for many years, my cultivation is still there. Stopping and controlling those guys is just a piece of cake. You can focus on absorbing and refining the demonic fire's essence; don't worry about anything else."
After saying that, he looked at Xiao Xuan beside him, his heart filled with even greater certainty.
If it were just him alone, he wouldn't dare to make such a guarantee, but standing beside him was Xiao Xuan, a peak nine-star Dou Sheng. With this great expert in charge, he only needed to assist from the side and had no need to worry at all.
Unless top experts like Soul Emperor or Gu Yuan, who are on the same level as Xiao Xuan, are present in person, there will be no surprises.
He also didn't believe that the mere appearance of the Pure Lotus Demon Flame could alarm such a figure. After all, the ancient races had long had rules that experts above the five-star Dou Sheng level were not allowed to make moves in the Central Continent at will.
Xiao Xuan nodded slightly, his gaze calm: "Not bad. You can focus on refining it now. Leave this to us."
After discussing a suitable countermeasure, Xiao Ling didn't delay any longer. Under the watchful eyes of Xiao Xuan and Xiao Chen, he moved and slowly drifted down towards the source of the Pure Lotus Demon Flame deep within the sea of fire below.
When Xiao Ling arrived several feet in front of the fire lotus that alternated between milky white and pink, he slowly stopped.
The Pure Lotus Demon Flame at this moment is completely different from its previous violent and rampant state.
The strange fire, which was normally raging, was now unusually quiet and gentle, showing no intention of attacking even with Xiao Ling so close. (End of Chapter)