The azure-white flame lotus shimmered like jade, crystal-clear and resplendent. Yet beneath its breathtaking beauty lay a power so potent that even a strong warrior of Su Qian's caliber could not help but feel wary. The lotus hovered at a distance of half an inch from Xiao Yan's palm, rotating slowly. As he gazed upon this exquisite, almost artisan-perfect flame lotus, the gentle flush on his face gradually faded. The grand Buddha's raging lotus—Xiao Yan's final reserve. He would never draw upon this card unless it was a matter of life and death. Yet this time, facing the "elder brother" who had once inflicted endless harm upon Yao Lou, Xiao Yan's resolve to strike was no less fierce than his own determination to secure victory. Usually calm and compassionate, Yao Lou grew profoundly silent and cold each time he heard that name. Even Xiao Yan could sense the turbulent emotions brewing within Yao Lou during their earlier confrontation—despite his typically composed demeanor, Yao Lou had ultimately been unable to contain himself, choosing even to reveal his presence and fully channeling all his strength into Xiao Yan. The significance of this was clear to Xiao Yan. Yao Lou wished for him to exhaust himself in a decisive, final confrontation—against the very former devourer of his mentor. Over the years, Xiao Yan has reached his current standing—had it not been for Yao Lou's protection, he likely would have perished long ago in some remote corner. To strengthen himself, Yao Lou has indeed poured every ounce of his heart and soul into the endeavor. This elderly man, once deeply scarred by emotional trauma, has truly regarded Xiao Yan as his disciple. Yao Lou's unwavering dedication has earned Xiao Yan an exceptionally high place in his heart. The saying "a teacher is like a father" seems utterly fitting when describing Xiao Yan's feelings toward Yao Lou. If Yao Lou must now fully commit to slaying this teacher-destroying adversary, then Xiao Yan will naturally give his very best to fulfill that wish. As the Qingbai Fire Lotus slowly rotates, Han Feng, far off, grows increasingly serious. He too can faintly sense the terrifying power contained within the lotus. A faint sheen of sweat had begun to appear on his forehead. Han Feng hadn't expected that, even with the aid of the Elder's power, someone whose strength had only just managed to match his, could conceal such a formidable reserve. When two unique flames were fused together, the destructive power... As a pharmacist, Han Feng knew that when two flames were combined, their strength would multiply exponentially. Yet flames were inherently wild and difficult to control, each possessing its own temperament and preferences, making fusion extremely challenging. If forced to merge them, the very first one likely to be overwhelmed and perish would be himself. Back when he had first attempted it out of mere curiosity, he had experimented several times, but flame fusion was no simple task. After repeated failures, even with his own tenacity, he had eventually had to give up. For ordinary flames, this was already a significant challenge—let alone these unique flames, which were so volatile that they often exploded upon contact. For anyone still holding onto rationality, the idea of attempting to fuse two such unique flames would likely seem far too risky. Yet, back then, Xiao Yan had, at a moment when he was nearly losing his senses, forcibly fused the two distinct flames, and by sheer luck had discovered a rare balance point, thus creating something truly formidable—the Buddha's Wrath Flame Lotus. "This madman!" murmured Han Feng, just as he was about to enhance his defenses, when the black-robed young man suddenly moved, prompting him to immediately shift all his focus to the other side. Xiao Yan's azure flame wings trembled gently behind him. Though at the very moment the Buddha's Wrath Flame Lotus took shape, he clearly sensed a subtle weakness stirring within his body, fortunately, he was no longer the young novice he once was—just a mere Battle Master. After nearly a year of training, his mastery over flame had grown increasingly refined. On his very first attempt at summoning the Buddha's Wrath Flame Lotus, he had remained unconscious for nearly half a month, even causing the old medicine master's spirit to wither and enter a prolonged sleep. His second attempt, performed at Yunlan Sect, was better, yet still left him as frail as an elderly man on the verge of passing. This time, although he felt a sense of weakness, he could still maintain a sufficient combat strength. Three attempts, each occurring under vastly different circumstances, vividly illustrated Xiao Yan's rapid growth. Perhaps in the not-so-distant future, he would be able to unleash the true Buddha's Wrath Flame Lotus with mere gestures—and then, across the continent, his name would undoubtedly resonate with unparalleled fame. Xiao Yan slowly raised his hand, offering a crackling smile to Han Feng, who stood at a distance with a serious expression, revealing bright, white teeth. "Senior, today, let me take care of things here." Han Feng's eyes grew cold as he gradually clenched the massive flame-triad pike he was holding, his voice hoarse. "A young fool! Your confidence is quite bold—what scenes haven't I witnessed over the years?" Xiao Yan smiled, a cold gleam passing through his dark eyes. With a gentle flick of his fingers, the jade-white lotus hovering in his palm burst forth with a sharp hiss. As the lotus shot out, the entire space trembled like a lake disturbed by a sudden wave. "Young man, go die alongside that old fool!" "Sea Flame Pike!" Gazing at the surge of azure-white flame lotus hurtling toward him, Han Feng roared and thrust his palm forward with great force. Instantly, the massive flame trident spanning the sky erupted violently, transforming into a blazing dragon-like streak of fire that struck the azure-white lotus head-on. Suddenly hearing Su Qian's thunderous shout, although the senior monks were somewhat puzzled, they all immediately moved, abandoning their opponents and darting downward like lightning across the ground. As they watched the Inner Court elder's sudden retreat, the stronger figures from Black Angle were momentarily stunned, still unable to ask questions when, just a short distance above their heads, the lotus of fire and the massive trident collided with a force akin to a meteor impact! At the moment of impact, the energy drifting freely throughout the heavens came to a sudden, instantaneous stillness, and the clear sky grew slightly dim. "Boom!" The stillness lasted only a moment before two powerful energies erupted violently into the sky, distorting the entire space so profoundly that it appeared as though a towel had been tightly twisted—deep creases now clearly visible. An energy collision unleashed a storm of flame, blending three distinct hetero-flames, surging outward from the center at an astonishing speed. This flame storm moved so swiftly that within the span of a single blink, it reached the heads of the black-angled domain's stronger cultivators, who were still momentarily bewildered. Above, where the flame storm swept, the stronger cultivators fled in disarray, their rear ends smoldering with black smoke, much like birds whose butts had been ignited. Those inner-courtyard cultivators who had managed to escape swiftly, witnessing the sudden, massive losses suffered by Black Angle Domain, were now utterly stunned. The flame storm had merely been the energy ripple from the initial collision—yet it had already left these strong warriors so disheveled. One could scarcely imagine what would happen if the actual point of impact were subjected to such forces. "This is indeed the true strength of Xiao Yan. Truly astonishing," murmured several elders who had previously shared some acquaintance with him. He had always been unassuming, yet when he truly unleashed his power, his strength was nothing short of terrifying. The flame storm surged wildly, yet amidst the chaos, no one noticed that the original heart-flame of the fallen star, hovering motionless in the sky, behaved like a living being, silently absorbing all the divergent flames sweeping in. As it consumed these residual flames, its form—previously intangible—gradually became slightly more tangible. As Han Feng spoke softly to himself, Xiao Yan, far away, slowly lifted a cold, composed curve at the corner of his mouth: "Really expect to withstand the Buddha's Wrath Fire Lotus? That's far too easy." As the words settled, the space where the energies collided suddenly released like a taut rope snapping back into place, regaining its original form. And as the space restored, a flash of pale green-white light burst forth, shooting out with lightning speed—within a few swift movements, it appeared before Han Feng's stunned gaze. "Explosion!" A subtle shift in his hand seal, and with a calm, quiet tone, Xiao Yan softly uttered the words. As the syllables fell, the Buddha's Wrath Fire Lotus—already shrunk several times during its collision with the Sea Flame Spear—expanded and contracted once more, finally bursting like a fully ignited bomb, exploding under Han Feng's utterly astonished eyes!