At Crimson Flame Mountain's base, the cave entrance blocked by ancient vines and stone pillars inscribed with flame talismans was like a giant's mouth ready to devour prey, spewing suffocating, bizarre energy outward. Chief Lie Shan and Yan Lie stopped at the cave entrance, their faces showing undisguised wariness and pain.
"Little brother, here it is. Be careful with everything. If the situation becomes untenable, retreat immediately!" Chief Lie Shan earnestly instructed, his tiger-like eyes fixed on the dark cave.
Xiao Qi nodded. He exchanged a grave glance with Third Senior Sister Liu Yun. Drawing a deep breath, he took the lead, stepping into the cave.
Initially entering the cave, one could still sense the residual pure-yang, scorching aura belonging to the Vermillion Bird Holy Lord on the surrounding rock walls, along with the pious wishes and dedication left by Fire Crow Village's generations of sacrifices. But after advancing merely a dozen zhang, the surrounding light rapidly dimmed. Temperature did not rise but fell instead. An icy, bone-piercing sensation seeped through pores, forming a bizarre contrast with the Southern Frontier's muggy heat outside.
A pungent smell of char and sulfur began pervading the air. From deeper within, faintly came a low, mournful keening as if countless wronged souls wailed—piercing directly to the divine soul.
Further ahead, the vision suddenly opened up. It was a massive natural stone cavern. At the cavern's center, where the most ancient, complete Vermillion Bird totem should have been enshrined, along with a possible sacrifice platform, now presented a terrifying sight.
Surging upward was not the anticipated crimson sacred fire, but a viscous, profound mass of ink-black flames that seemed capable of devouring all light!
This demonic fire burned silently. Its form shifted unpredictably—sometimes like a giant beast baring fangs and claws, sometimes like a rolling sea of pitch. What it radiated was not high temperature, but extreme cold. Where the flames passed, even the hard crimson rock walls were eroded into pockmarks, covered in icy white frost. At the flames' core, the blackness was like the void itself, faintly flickering with twisted demonic patterns.
Most heart-chilling was the aura this demonic fire emanated—ruthless, greedy, eroding, chaotic! It shared the exact same source as the Shadow Snake Pavilion demonic cultivators and that demonic entity's distributed soul Xiao Qi and Third Senior Sister had battled before—but purer, more ancient, closer to the very essence of evil! As if drawn from the deepest ninth abyss—a fire of destruction.
"Undoubtedly them!" Third Senior Sister Liu Yun gripped her sword hilt tightly, voice cold. "This demonic fire's aura matches exactly what we sensed at the secret realm's core, outside Qingxu Temple—even stronger! They've actually found this place, and want to corrupt the Vermillion Bird sacred land!"
Xiao Qi said nothing. His entire spirit was attracted by the violent reaction in his chest.
That jade pendant containing three fused soul crystals was vibrating with unprecedented frequency and intensity, scalding hot as a branding iron! An incomparably strong, incomparably clear "longing" emotion surged forth like a flood, transmitting to the depths of Xiao Qi's spirit—Purify it! Devour it!
This longing wasn't aimed at the demonic fire itself, but at the pure, sacred thread of Vermillion Bird origin essence trapped and suppressed within the demonic fire! The jade pendant longed to devour this demonic fire to strengthen itself, and even more desperately longed to rescue the Vermillion Bird sacred power being imprisoned and eroded by the demonic fire!
Simultaneously, Xiao Qi could clearly sense that the ink-black demonic fire also seemed to "notice" his arrival—specifically, to sense the jade pendant at his chest. The demonic fire churned more violently. That yin-evil, wicked will surged toward him like a tide, carrying greedy covetousness and violent hostility. It too seemed to view the jade pendant as a great tonic, or perhaps a threat that must be eliminated.
"This demonic fire... has intelligence? Or rather, a thread of the demonic entity's will is attached to it?" Xiao Qi's heart grew cold. This was by no means ordinary fire, but a living energy entity possessing evil will.
He attempted to step forward.
"Sizzle—"
Like water drops hitting boiling oil, the originally "calm" demonic fire instantly erupted! A tongue of ink-black fire, like a venomous snake, fiercely lunged toward Xiao Qi's face!
Its speed far exceeded ordinary techniques!
Xiao Qi had been on guard. His form shimmered as he executed the "Swimming Dragon Nine Turns" at maximum speed, nimbly dodging the main force. As the demonic fire grazed his clothing, he felt an icy chill invade. His protective spiritual light showed signs of freezing and eroding. His clothing's edge instantly turned charred and brittle, crumbling to ash at the slightest touch.
"Such terrifying power!" Third Senior Sister watched in horror. Afierce sword energy chopped toward the retreating demonic fire, attempting to sever it. But the sword energy sank into the demonic fire like a clay ox entering the sea—just causing a bit of churning. Instead, it had a thread of spiritual power stripped away and devoured.
"Physical and conventional spell attacks are largely ineffective. It can even devour spiritual power to grow stronger!" Third Senior Sister's expression turned ugly.
Chief Lie Shan and Yan Lie at the cave entrance watched anxiously, yet dared not approach. Their previous attempts had even worse results. The village's warriors' flame techniques not only proved useless, but would be manipulated by the demonic fire to turn against their masters.
Xiao Qi's gaze grew grave. This demonic fire's troublesome nature exceeded expectations. He tried again—this time summoning the Azure Dragon Soul Crystal's power. A clear, water-blue radiance formed a barrier before him.
The demonic fire collided with the water-blue barrier, producing sizzling sounds. The erosion rate truly slowed somewhat. Water conquers fire—even this bizarre demonic fire seemed somewhat restrained. But only a moment later, the demonic fire seemed angered, surging even more violently. The icy-cold qi penetrated the barrier. The water-blue radiance visibly dimmed at a rate visible to the naked eye.
The Azure Dragon Soul Crystal's water spiritual power alone could only delay, not cure!
The jade pendant at his chest vibrated even more intensely. That longing for purification and devouring nearly burst forth.
Xiao Qi knew he couldn't keep testing. Drawing a deep breath, his eyes flashed with resolve. Stepping back several paces, temporarily leaving the demonic fire's most violent area, he formed seals with both hands. No longer suppressing the jade pendant.
Hum—
A clear, melodious hum rang from his chest. Soft, pure white light, like the rising morning sun, suddenly bloomed! The light wasn't dazzling, but carried an indescribable sacredness, uprightness, harmony, and... absolute rejection of all evil and filth!
The Purification Source, actively summoned by Xiao Qi, displayed for the first time so clearly, so utterly without reservation, before Lie Shan and Yan Lie.
Where white light passed, the irritating keening in the air seemed smoothed away. The pervasive icy-cold aura melted like snow dissolving. That churning demonic fire, as if meeting its natural nemesis, abruptly stalled. Then it emitted a sharp, pained, and furious silent scream!
It wildly twisted and contracted, attempting to resist the white light's illumination. Where white light and demonic fire met, violent energy conflicts erupted. Black qi constantly evaporated and purified, turning into wisps of green smoke and dissipating. The demonic fire's range actually shrank at a rate visible to the naked eye!
"It's working!" Yan Lie couldn't help exclaiming at the cave entrance, joy breaking across his face.
Chief Lie Shan also tightly gripped his fists, eyes filled with hope.
However, the demonic fire was unwilling to accept being purified. Its core blackness deepened sharply. Countless twisted demonic patterns lit up. A more pure, more terrifying demonic will burst forth, temporarily holding back the white light's advance. Even worse, from within the demonic fire's depths, several more condensed black fire serpents split off, bypassing the front. Like living beings, they darted toward Xiao Qi from different angles withcunning trajectories, speed startling!
This demonic fire indeed contained the demonic entity's partial will. It understood tactics!
Xiao Qi concentrated fully. While maintaining the Purification Light's output, he also activated swimming dragon footwork, his form weaving within a small area. Simultaneously, his palm condensed purification power. By striking and tapping, he demolished those attacking black fire serpents one by one.
But his spiritual power consumption was extremely heavy. Maintaining such intensity purification light, confronting this bizarre demonic fire comparable to a Nascent Soul stage cultivator—even with his deep foundation, he felt somewhat overwhelmed. Sweat beaded on his forehead. His face gradually turned pale.
"Xiao Qi, I'll assist you!" Third Senior Sister, seeing the situation, cried out. Her sword incantation guided not to attack the demonic fire itself, but to execute precise ice-attribute sword techniques—"Mystic Ice Sword Domain"! Countless fine ice crystal sword energies pervaded the area. Not to freeze the demonic fire (that was nearly impossible), but to interfere with and delay those split-attacking black fire serpents' speed,share the pressure for Xiao Qi.
With Third Senior Sister's assistance, Xiao Qi's pressure lessened somewhat. Gritting his teeth, he invested more spirit into controlling the Purification Source. He sensed the jade pendant's longing growing stronger. That thread of weak but unyielding Vermillion Bird sacred power trapped in the core of the demonic fire also seemed to respond to him, transmitting an anxious and pleading intention.
"Break... for me!"
Xiao Qi low growled, pushing the Purification Source's force he could currently mobilize to the extreme! The white light suddenly blazed, like a small white sun, fiercely advancing!
"Sizzle-crackle—!"
Purification and demonic erosion's forcesfierce confrontation, producing ear-grating sounds. The demonic fire's range was compressed further. The demonic patterns at its core began flickering unstably.
However, just as Xiao Qi thought he was about to achieve a breakthrough, from the demonic fire's core, an extremely subtle yet supremely authoritative and malicious icy will, like a poisoned needle, abruptly reversed course along the Purification Light's connection, stabbing toward Xiao Qi's sea of consciousness!
This was the demonic entity's will contained within the demonic fire, launching a desperate counterattack! It wanted to corrupt Xiao Qi's divine soul!