Gazing at the gradually blazing milky-white flames rising upon the Elder's body, Xiao Yan was filled with sheer astonishment. He naturally understood how difficult it was to expel the inner妖fire—without the five unique fires, he would have sustained severe injuries even earlier when the妖fire first surged. Though the Elder was a formidable Battle Saint, he now had no unique fires protecting his body. Should the妖fire seize the opportunity to invade, he would surely suffer serious harm. "Huff... huff..." After opening his eyes, the herbal elder glanced at Xiao Yan beside him, still breathing heavily. After a moment, he wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and said, "That Pure Lotus Demon Fire was truly terrifying—it deliberately created illusions to stir emotional fluctuations, then set itself on fire. If you hadn't awakened me earlier, I'd have been in serious trouble by now." Xiao Yan chuckled softly, then scanned the surroundings and added, "The mist here feels unusual. We should leave this area first." "Where are the elders from the Fire Cloud Sect?" the herbal elder frowned, expressing concern. The atmosphere of this Demon Fire realm was so strange, filled with constant, life-threatening dangers. Even the strongest among the Battle Saint-level cultivators found it perilous upon entering. "I've already looked around—there's no trace of their forms, and I can't see Xun'er or anyone else...," Xiao Yan shook his head, pausing briefly before saying, "They're likely with Xun'er and Zǐ Yán. Their strength there is formidable, so breaking free from this illusion should be quite manageable." "Agreed," the Elder of the Herbs nodded slightly. Deep in this eerie place, even attempting to rescue others would be nearly impossible. Their greatest relief was that they hadn't brought their entire army—otherwise, by now, most of them would have perished. "Let's go," Xiao Yan waved his hand, glanced at the others still trapped in the illusion, and swiftly took off toward the outer edge of the mist. He didn't intend to be overly generous and rescue every single person. After all, most of them came here specifically for the Pure Lotus Demon Flame—considering them rivals, he didn't want his current kindness to inadvertently bring him any complications. Xiao Yan and Yao Lao broke free from the illusion, and no longer remained still in place. Within just a few minutes of swift flight, they surged out of the range covered by the mist. As their bodies emerged from the mist, both felt a subtle lightness and ease. Turning their heads to gaze at the ethereal, milky-white fog enveloping the space, they both exhaled in quiet relief. At first sight of Xun'er and the others, Xiao Yan slowly lowered himself, meeting the gaze of Yao Lao. A sudden surge of flame erupted in his eyes, yet the scene before him remained unchanged. "It's not a vision..." Seeing this, Xiao Yan finally exhaled in relief and smiled, asking, "You're all alright?" "We're fine," Xun'er and the others quickly approached, shaking their heads with a smile, then expressed amazement, "We didn't expect the Jinglian Demon Fire to now be capable of releasing the Nightmare Mist. It seems its strength has greatly advanced over the past thousand years." "Nightmare Mist?" Xiao Yan was momentarily surprised. "That's the mist which can immerse people in perpetual illusions. It was originally the exclusive technique of the Jinglian Demon. Legend has it that the Jinglian Demon Saint once employed this skill, enveloping an entire city so completely that the people within felt as though they had lived for several centuries. Only when the mist finally dispersed did they realize that those hundred years had been nothing but a dream." "The ancient South Sea smiled faintly, then sighed, "It's said that a thousand years ago, this Pure Lotus demon fire couldn't yet master this technique. Unbelievable—this time, it seems... clearly, this journey is indeed perilous." "Pure Lotus Demon Saint..." Hearing this name, Xiao Yan recalled the glowing orb in his mind. That orb should have been created by the Pure Lotus Demon Saint. What puzzled him, however, was that the orb—which had previously reacted strongly to the Pure Lotus Demon Fire—had grown remarkably calm once they entered this place. "It was deliberately designed to bring us together. The space here is extraordinarily eerie. I've already tested this—should we force our way through, even I would likely suffer severe backlash. This is a remarkably solid prison. It's impossible to tear through!" Guan Naihai shook his head, his gaze fixed on the massive, closed gate. "According to our ancestors, the last time this occurred, travelers who followed the path behind the gate naturally encountered the Pure Lotus Demon Fire. However, behind the gate, there would always be numerous obstacles. To witness the Pure Lotus Demon Fire, one had to overcome them." "The ancient South Sea smiled faintly, just about to say something more, when suddenly the space around them surged violently, and a terrifying heat began to radiate gently from all around. 'Be careful!' Seeing this, the ancient South Sea furrowed his brows and said. Of course, without his warning, everyone else—including Xiao Yan—had already tensed up, their eyes alertly scanning the increasingly distorted space. This realm of the demonic fire was truly strange, and they had to proceed with utmost caution. 'Boom! Boom!' As the space continued to twist and warp, cracks began to appear suddenly. From these cracks, waves of creamy-white flames surged forth like tsunamis. Then, one after another, figures enveloped in creamy-white flames poured out from the cracks, flooding the sky above the plaza like a tide. In a matter of moments, the sky was completely filled with these flame-clad figures. These figures were enveloped in flames, wielding long spears of fire, their eyes emotionless, fixed upon Xiao Yan and his companions. Xiao Yan stared in astonishment at these numerous flame figures and was struck by the realization that they possessed tangible, solid forms—each radiating a strong aura. "Be careful," Ancient Nai Hai said solemnly, "these are Fire Servants—strong warriors transformed by Qinglian's pure flame. They are a kind of unique form of puppetry." As soon as Ancient Nai Hai's words fell, the thousands of flame figures roared in unison, then surged forward simultaneously, sweeping across the sky in a thunderous wave, their momentum truly awe-inspiring. Faced with such a powerful surge of crowd attacks, Xiao Yan's brow furrowed slightly. With a firm grasp of his hands, a terrifying surge of energy radiated out, instantly crushing nearly a hundred flame figures into oblivion. As Xiao Yan launched his assault, Xun'er and the others also initiated their attacks. All present were Supreme Battle Saints, and their strikes carried considerable force, causing the flame figures to vanish in waves. Yet, no matter how fierce the attacks from Xiao Yan and his companions, a continuous flow of fire servants kept emerging from the cracks, never ceasing! "As the words fell, he lightly touched the ground with his foot, and in an instant, surged forward. The fire spirits blocking his path automatically burst into flames when they reached ten zhang from his body, clearing the way like a rushing tide. One by one, the group broke through the crowd of flames, each delivering a powerful palm strike directly onto the massive gate. 'Boom!' Faced with the combined force of so many strong warriors, the great gate shattered instantly. At the very moment the gate exploded, the endless ranks of fire spirits behind it halted their advance, hovering in dense formation above. 'Move!' Ancient Naihai commanded. The elders and others immediately turned their gaze to Xiao Yan. Xiao Yan frowned, gazing first at the endless stream of fire spirits behind him, then at the scene beyond the gate. After a brief pause, he nodded. 'Let's go!' he said. Upon seeing Xiao Yan nod, the ancient Naihai also nodded slightly, then moved his body forward, stepping first into the vast gate. Behind him, Xun'er and the others swiftly followed.