"Boom!" When the nine brilliant stars in the sky aligned in a straight line, a powerful surge of energy rippled through the entire realm, and instantly, countless strange mist began to spread from the void—faintly, as if waves were rolling across the heavens. "The celestial tides... indeed match the ancient map's prophecy exactly," Xiao Yan murmured, slowly rising from the tree's summit and gazing upward at the ethereal mist now enveloping the heavens. Xiao Yan nodded. It was likely that from tomorrow on, countless strong contenders would rush to the site where the Pure Lotus Demon Flame had manifested, even though many knew they wouldn't be able to tame the flame. Yet everyone still held out hope—after all, who wouldn't want to secure the Pure Lotus Demon Flame and refine it within themselves? With such a transformation, their strength would soar, enabling them to defeat opponents far superior in rank, simply by prevailing in battle. The potential rewards were truly immense. "When shall we set out?" asked the Elder of the Herbs. Hearing this, Xiao Yan hesitated slightly, just as he was about to speak, his expression suddenly changed, and he abruptly lifted his head, his gaze fixed on the northwest sky in the darkness. There, in the distant heavens, a powerful glow burst forth—radiating not only brilliant light but also an intensely terrifying heat. The ripples spreading outward were vast, extending over an unknown expanse, and even at the Star-Perishing Pavilion, people felt a rising sense of warmth emanating from within their hearts. "This... the Pure-Lotus Demon Fire has emerged!" The elderly pharmacist also sensed this extraordinary celestial phenomenon, taking a deep, refreshing breath. He hadn't expected the Demon Fire to break free of its seal so eagerly. "Puff! Puff!" Xiao Yan gently pressed his palms against his forehead, and at that moment, the strange luminous orb floating within his mind surged once again with intense ripples and waves. "Heh…" Exhaling deeply, Xiao Yan mentally focused, gradually calming the disturbances within the luminous sphere. Though with his currently perfected soul strength, he still couldn't penetrate the sphere itself, suppressing its fluctuations was no great challenge. "We should set out now. Regardless of what happens, we must first go and assess the situation there." As the sphere's disturbances settled, Xiao Yan's gaze flickered slightly, then he spoke firmly. The emergence of the妖fire had been far faster than he'd anticipated. It was likely that other powerful figures were already en route. They too had to reach the scene swiftly—whether to act first or not, they needed to arrive as quickly as possible to fully understand the situation. Yao Li was momentarily stunned, then said little more, and instantly emitted a long, resonant roar. The roar echoed through the brightly lit Star Realm, and soon figures began rushing from various parts of the realm, finally hovering in the sky above. At the forefront stood none other than the Senior Elder of Xiao Dan Tower, Huo Yun Elder, and Qing Hua, the two immortals of Huazong Sect. "This mission is of great significance. I invited all of them two days ago," Yao Li smiled at Xiao Yan. Xiao Yan nodded slightly. With each additional person, their strength grew, and thus their chances of successfully seizing Jinglian Demon Fire improved. "Ladies and gentlemen, the journey will be fraught with peril. Should any danger arise that cannot be overcome, simply retreat—our primary objective must be to preserve our strength." "Xiao Yan spoke solemnly. The strong warriors here essentially constitute the elite forces of the Alliance. If too many were lost, the Alliance would suffer a significant blow. While securing the Pure Lotus Demon Flame is indeed crucial, it would be unreasonable to make unnecessary sacrifices for it." "Agreed!" Upon hearing this, the figures in the sky responded in unison. With Xiao Yan's current strength and reputation, he stood on par with Yao Lao within the Alliance—his words carried unquestioned authority. "Move!" Seeing this, Xiao Yan said no further, raised his hand, and instantly transformed into a streak of light, swiftly departing the Star Realm and racing toward the location where the Demon Flame had descended. Behind him, vast formations of troops surged across the sky, pressing forward in close pursuit. As the Starfall Pavilion began its large-scale mobilization, across the Central Plains, numerous major sects and powerful factions saw waves of figures swiftly soaring through the skies, trailing gusts of wind with a continuous, rushing sound—batch after batch passing overhead—each group heading with a strikingly unified destination: the northwest of the Central Plains. In the span of just one night, the entire Central Plains was stirred into activity. "Indeed, the purity of the Lotus Demon's flame is no mere exaggeration—merely the residual heat it emits is enough to make even the six-star Domain Masters we've encountered find it nearly impossible to resist..." Xiang Yan's gaze swept over the figures behind him, his brows furrowing slightly. Six-star Domain Masters were already among the elite on the continent, yet even their strength could only withstand the lingering warmth of the Lotus Demon's flame. This clearly demonstrated just how formidable the Lotus Demon's flame truly was. "Xiang Yan, along this journey we've encountered no fewer than ten waves of teams, all with the same objective—clearly, this is going to be a truly epic contest for the Lotus Demon's flame," Zi Yan remarked, her eyes gliding across the surroundings. Xiang Yan nodded in agreement. Indeed, he had seen many teams with the same goal, but he hadn't found it particularly compelling—though their strength was commendable, they still fell short of being capable of truly claiming the Lotus Demon's flame. "I wonder if the Spirit Temple and other ancient races have already arrived..." Xiang Yan gazed toward the distant horizon, a thought passing through his mind, then raised his hand again and commanded firmly, "Move faster..." "The Net-Lotus Demon Fire is truly terrifying—it has even reduced such a vast mountain range to a desert... Watching this vast desert materialize before my eyes, Master Yao can't help but take a deep breath, his face filled with astonishment. "Still warmth..." Hearing this, even with Ziyan's formidable strength, her cheeks couldn't help but change slightly. A mere trace of warmth was enough to incinerate the Mountain Range and turn it into a desert—what would it be like if they truly entered that space? How terrifying must it be? "Whoosh! Whoosh!" Not long after Xiao Yan and his companions appeared above the desert, gusts of wind began to rise from all around. Figures stopped at a distance from the ruptured space, their eyes filled with awe, gazing at the milky-white desert. They all knew that, until tonight, this land had once been a lush, thriving mountain range. "From the look of it, it seems one must enter that space in order to obtain the Pure Lotus Demon Fire," the Herbalist observed, gazing at the space for a long time. "This isn't an urgent matter. Within that space, the dangers must be overwhelming—this sacrificial lamb, we simply aren't yet worthy of taking on..." Xiao Yan shook his head, feeling a strong sense of urgency himself. If their group ventured in prematurely, it would likely be only a few who managed to escape. Yao Lao nodded. As a pharmacist, he naturally sensed the terrifying nature of the space that was cracking apart. "Shh..." While Xiao Yan and the others waited in silence, the space suddenly began to ripple. Then, thick black mist poured out from within, spreading across the heavens, gradually radiating an awe-inspiring and terrifying presence that immediately drew the attention of every being in the surrounding realm. Under the collective gaze of everyone present, their eyes were all fixed on the spot where the mist emerged. After a moment, the mist slowly dispersed, revealing several figures who gradually came into view. "That's... the Master of the Soul Palace?" Gazing at the dark-robed figure at the head of the group, radiating an aura of terrifying power, the elders of the medicine sect and others suddenly narrowed their eyes, and their internal qi began to flow smoothly and subtly.