Chapter 624: The Time Is Now (8,000 Characters)

In that instant, Xiao Yan swept his hand and cried inwardly: "Seal!"

Boom! In that same moment, the twelve Demon Fires all transformed into Spirit Flames! With Xiao Yan's current strength and his cultivation of the Emperor Soul Scripture, making the Demon Fires take form and gain sentience was no difficulty.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Each Demon Fire, under Xiao Yan's control, became streaks of light racing toward the Pure Lotus Demon Fire.

Descending from the heavens, the twelve Demon Fires formed a colossal pyramid of Demon Fire, completely sealing the Pure Lotus Demon Fire within its massive structure.

Although the Golden Emperor Burning Heaven Flame was not Xiao Yan's own Demon Fire, Xiao Yan and Xun Er had long been in perfect sync, their Spiritual Souls intertwined; thus, the Golden Emperor Burning Heaven Flame could also be commanded by Xiao Yan.

This was not a Dou Technique—even not a Technique at all. Xiao Yan had used the cultivation pathways of the Burning Scripture, now evolved to Heavenly Rank Advanced Grade, treating heaven and earth as meridians, applying the same circulation routes he once used when refining Demon Fires, now trapping the Pure Lotus Demon Fire.

In short, he used the instinct of the Demon Fires to suppress the Pure Lotus Demon Fire—it was a battle of who was fiercer!

As the twelve Demon Fires surged forth, sealing the Pure Lotus Demon Fire inside, a faint anomaly rippled across the entire Dou Qi Continent.

Since "that event" thousands of years ago, there had never been so many Demon Fires appearing in one place simultaneously.

At this moment, the Pure Lotus Demon Fire finally showed a flicker of seriousness and panic, for from the movement patterns of these Demon Fires, it sensed a trace of fear.

Not dread, not surprise—just inexplicably, the Pure Lotus Demon Fire instinctively felt fear, as if some terrifying event had once occurred, and for no reason, images flashed through its mind.

Those images were extremely blurred, yet deeply imprinted upon its Origin.

"Get out!" The Pure Lotus Demon Fire snarled in a low, menacing voice, sounding fierce on the outside but weak within.

The Pure Lotus Demon Fire was wrapped in milky-white flame, a milky-white lotus with pink veins spinning at blinding speed around its body. Boom! It swung its hand and unleashed a tidal wave of Demon Fire, intent on annihilating everything.

As the rolling Pure Lotus Demon Fire poured down, even the Yan Clan's Elder Huoyao was startled, for the Pure Lotus Demon Fire's full-power eruption was terrifying! Others, especially the half-Dou Sheng, were utterly terrified, some even losing control of their bowels.

"My god—" A half-Dou Sheng from the Dou Qi Continent screamed, trying to flee the Demon Fire Space; under such terrifying Pure Lotus Demon Fire, even Dou Sheng below Three-Star would be reduced to ashes.

Xiao Yan unleashed his Heaven Realm Great Perfection Soul Force to its limit, aided by Xun Er and Xiao Yixian; the twelve Demon Fires linked together, instantly sealing all space. Amidst a thunderous boom-boom-boom, the Demon Fires blocked the cascading Pure Lotus Demon Fire.

But even this single assault from the Pure Lotus Demon Fire turned Xiao Yan's three faces pale; Xun Er and Xiao Yixian's lips bled as they desperately held on—it was clear they couldn't hold back, merely enduring, for the gap in cultivation was not of the same level.

With Xun Er's Golden Emperor Burning Heaven Flame, the Burning Scripture could potentially evolve to quasi-Emperor rank; the twelve Demon Fires should surpass the Pure Lotus Demon Fire—but the cultivation gap was still too vast. If Xiao Yan reached Six-Star Dou Sheng, he alone could suppress the Pure Lotus Demon Fire.

Cai Lin narrowed her eyes, a Nine-Colored Thunder Sword appearing in her hand; without hesitation, she charged straight in, battling the Pure Lotus Demon Fire. Immediately afterward, Xiao Chen's Ancestor gripped a massive axe and followed.

Two warriors at Five-Star Dou Sheng level charged forward; combined with Xiao Yan's three-man Demon Fire Pyramid suppressing the Pure Lotus Demon Fire's purification power, victory was not impossible.

Hun Mo Lao Ren and Hun Mie Sheng exchanged glances, both nodding silently; then they transformed into two black streaks and plunged inside.

Hun Mie Sheng's strength was nearly Five-Star Dou Sheng, while Hun Mo Lao Ren was a true Five-Star Late Dou Sheng, even slightly stronger than Xiao Chen; with these two joining, the Pure Lotus Demon Fire struggled momentarily, for it had forcibly boosted its power and was draining heavily.

"All of you die! Pure World Palm!"

The Pure Lotus Demon Fire roared, then sneered coldly, slamming out a palm; instantly, a palm as massive as a mountain materialized, crashing down toward Cai Lin, Xiao Chen, and the others. The moment the palm struck, a thousands-zhang-wide magma vortex erupted on the surface of the Magma Sea far below, spinning wildly.

Facing this palm brimming with destruction, Gu Nanhai and the others paled involuntarily; this palm's power rivaled a Heavenly Rank Advanced Dou Technique—anyone here who tried to block it alone would be reduced to ashes in an instant!

The Pure Lotus Demon Fire had inherited the legacy of the Pure Lotus Demon Saint, who was called the one closest to a Dou Emperor; it was impossible he lacked Heavenly Rank Advanced Dou Techniques—he likely carried dozens of them.

"Join forces to block it, or we all die!" Seeing this attack coming, even Hun Mo Lao Ren, the strongest in cultivation, turned pale with fear; if he faced it alone, he'd be dead or crippled.

Xiao Chen's face darkened; though he hated allying with the Soul Sovereign, if they didn't join forces now, the Pure Lotus Demon Fire would escape—and recapturing it would become infinitely harder.

"Heaven-Splitting Three Axes!"

"Devouring Soul Mirror."

"Nine Souls Nether Palm."

The three attacks collided with the Pure Lotus Demon Fire's strike; the impact erupted with terrifying force, weakening the flame palm.

Nine-Colored Light shimmered across Cai Lin's body; hiss-hiss-hiss! Countless Lei Dian exploded in that instant, her Nine-Colored Swallowing Sky Python Bloodline fully activated; a colossal serpent eye emerged from Space, and even that single serpent eye dwarfed Cai Lin's own body.

"Nine-Colored Swallowing Sky!"

Sssssss! The colossal serpent eye unleashed a beam of Nine-Colored Light toward the Pure Lotus Demon Fire; everything along its path was erased as if repainted, piercing straight through the fractured flame palm—everything seemed swallowed whole.

The Nine-Colored Light surged forward; facing Cai Lin's full-bloodline assault, even the Pure Lotus Demon Fire showed shock—but before it could dodge or defend, a green glow appeared behind it.

Qi San Hua Tong!

Even if Qing Lin couldn't affect the Pure Lotus Demon Fire, in a battle of this level, a single moment of distraction was a fatal flaw.

"Huangquan Heavenly Rage!"

In the instant the Qi San Hua Tong caused the Pure Lotus Demon Fire to falter, Zi Yan stepped forth from Space, her eyes cold; she stomped forward, violet-gold light surging from her body, coalescing into a colossal golden dragon with wings, roaring from behind at the Pure Lotus Demon Fire.

Remember, Xiao Yan's first cultivated sound-based Dou Technique was inspired by the Ancient Dragon's roar; among all Magical Beast Families, the Ancient Dragons were unquestionably the masters of sound-based techniques.

Otherwise, Zi Yan could never have learned Huangquan Heavenly Rage so quickly.

Roar! Roar! Roar! Roar! Roar! Roar! Roar! Roar!

The Nine-Colored Light combined with Zi Yan's Huangquan Heavenly Rage—even though her Soul Force was weak, she roared loudly enough!

Zi Yan's Huangquan Heavenly Rage resembled traditional sound-based Dou Techniques: not destroying the Spiritual Soul, but annihilating everything in the surroundings.

"Aaaaaa!!"

Under this dual assault, even the Pure Lotus Demon Fire could barely withstand it—even its Demon Fire armor failed.

"Xiao Yan!"

"Brother Xiao Yan, now!"

Xiao Yan's eyes hardened; he focused his mind, and the twelve Spirit Flames erupted simultaneously, overwhelming the Pure Lotus Demon Fire with terrifying flame—even the third-ranked Pure Lotus Demon Fire could not resist twelve Demon Fires, especially with the fourth-ranked Golden Emperor Burning Heaven Flame among them!

Twelve different-colored Demon Fire threads shot out, moving faster than light, instantly piercing into the Pure Lotus Demon Fire's body.

Puff! Puff! Puff! Invaded by the twelve Demon Fires, the Pure Lotus Demon Fire could barely maintain its form, its body turning translucent, revealing its inner Origin Flame Seed.

"It's the Origin Flame Seed!!"

The Pure Lotus Demon Fire's Origin Flame Seed was naturally a milky-white lotus, its veins threaded with blood-red lines—vividly crimson, eerily flowing like blood, utterly unlike the Pure Lotus Demon Fire's pure white, as if corrupted.

This was why the Pure Lotus Demon Saint had sealed the Pure Lotus Demon Fire: it was not merely "Pure," it carried the word "Demon"—neither wholly good nor evil, a uniquely strange Demon Fire, tied to its origin.

The Pure Lotus Demon Fire and the Void Devouring Flame each existed only once on the Dou Qi Continent because their birth signified destruction and reincarnation.

"Seal!" Xiao Yan cried; the twelve Demon Fire threads shot out like silk threads, wrapping around the Pure Lotus Demon Fire's Origin Flame Seed to seal it.

Yet, Xiao Yan obtaining the Pure Lotus Demon Fire did not suit many people's interests.

"Huoyao, if this continues, the Pure Lotus Demon Fire will be captured. Whether it ends up with the Soul Sovereign, the Gu Clan, or Xiao Yan, it benefits none of us," whispered the Stone Clan Elder.

The Stone Clan's position is now awkward; if Xiao Yan's Xiao Clan truly rises, the weakest faction—the Stone Clan—will naturally be the first to fall, and the secret realms seized a thousand years ago from the Xiao Clan must unquestionably be returned, even all consumed resources must be spat back out.

As for the Soul Sovereign and Gu Clan, it goes without saying—if they obtain it, the consequences will leave the other four clans teetering on the brink; otherwise, did these ancient four clans truly plan to rely on a Four-Star Sage Emperor to seize the Demon Fire?

Upon hearing this, Huo Yao's eyes flashed with cruelty; this had nothing to do with personal grudges, but the Yan Clan's policy was clear: if they couldn't have the Pure Lotus Demon Fire, no one else could obtain it either—they must not disrupt the existing balance.

Huo Yao glanced at Huo Xuan and Huo Zhi, narrowed his eyes, and nodded to both of them.

Infernal Flames possess one trait: when their origin flame seeds come into contact, they trigger a cataclysmic explosion—even the top-ranked and bottom-ranked will detonate; this is the principle behind the Buddha Fury Lotus.

And in this world, only Infernal Flames behave this way.

Just like the Void Thunder Pool's Nine Mystical Golden Thunder, where Black Demon Thunder and ordinary Heavenly Thunder surround it without causing explosions—thus, on the Dou Qi Continent, only Infernal Flames exist; there are no "Infernal Thunder" or "Infernal Water"—only fire is special.

To stop Xiao Yan, they must force the Infernal Flames to collide and trigger a violent explosion, setting off a chain reaction that detonates the entire Demon Fire Space—everyone walks away empty-handed.

Huo Xuan glanced at Xiao Yan, then sighed; he deeply admired Xiao Yan—a young clan leader from a fallen family who had reached this point was nothing short of a myth.

But their paths diverged.

Huo Zhi said nothing; she felt no emotion whatsoever toward Xiao Yan.

Both raised their hand seals and summoned the origin flame seeds of Eight Wilderness Annihilating Flame and Crimson Lotus Karma Fire; then Huo Yao summoned his own origin flame seed of Fire Cloud Water Flame—the three Infernal Flames perfectly formed a triangle.

"Three-Phase Flame Array," Huo Yao cried.

This was the Yan Clan's hidden move: the three Infernal Flame origins forming an array, then colliding with the entire Demon Fire Space to trigger its detonation.

"Damn it! The Yan Clan is going to detonate—run!"

The Yao Clan, Lei Clan, and others were startled, frantically retreating backward.

Yet, the instant the three Infernal Flame origins appeared, one person smiled.

"Rare opportunity to gather so many Infernal Flames—don't miss it, Mao Wu!" Xiao Yan's lips curled upward; he deliberately kept Mao Wu hidden not because he feared exposure of his Xu Wu Tong Yan Tian Zi Huo—Xu Wu Tong Yan was so well-hidden by the Soul Sovereign that perhaps only a handful of people in the world even knew it resided within them.

And half of those few were the ones Xiao Yan himself had revealed it to.

The instant the Three-Phase Flame Array appeared, space before Huo Yao twisted violently; strands of Black Flame coiled into a vortex, and from within emerged a black cat with a distinctly human-like sly grin.

Before anyone could react—who could have imagined that at this moment, Xiao Yan still had a hidden countermeasure to thwart the Yan Clan's sabotage!

"Meow!" A cat's cry rang out, and before everyone's stunned gazes, the strange black cat suddenly sucked in violently—regardless of whether it was an Infernal Flame or whether it would explode—it simply devoured everything into its belly.

Yes, Infernal Flame origin seeds do explode upon collision—but Mao Wu is Xu Wu Tong Yan Tian Zi Huo, linked to Xiao Yan's Na Ling; as long as the origin seed is swallowed directly into the Na Ling and crushed by the Qi of the Burning Scripture, it can be neutralized.

A terrifying suction force erupted; Huo Yao and the other two had formidable Cultivation Realms and frantically struggled to control their Infernal Flames, preventing the strange black cat from swallowing them whole.

"What the hell is this thing?!"

"The suction comes from Space—its entire body is pitch-black like void—is it Xu Wu Tong Yan?!"

After all, Mao Wu had evolved into Tian Zi Huo, the closest sub-flame to Xu Wu Tong Yan; it was no surprise that those who had never seen Xu Wu Tong Yan mistook it for the real thing. On the entire Dou Qi Continent, apart from Xiao Yan, Hun Tian Di, and other Soul Clan High Ranks, perhaps no one had ever seen the true Xu Wu Tong Yan.

Huo Yao, with the highest Cultivation Realm, could withstand it—but Huo Xuan and Huo Zhi were only Half-Sages; even with the mighty Eight Wilderness Annihilating Flame and Crimson Lotus Karma Fire, they might not be able to resist the power of Xu Wu Tong Yan Tian Zi Huo.

Mao Wu's eyes gleamed with triumph; with a hum, a surge of Soul Force emerged from its body, and two spiritual seals floated forth—naturally, the seals left behind by Xiao Xuan.

(End of Chapter)