The smile on the white-robed man's handsome face gradually faded, replaced by an eerie coldness. His eyes were locked firmly on Xiao Yan, though he remained silent—yet the space around him trembled violently, as if rippling like water. "Is this a illusion?" The others by his side, including Xun'er, were startled by Xiao Yan's words, then suddenly realized: "You're saying we're still within an illusion?" "I am real!" Zǐ Yán insisted. In her senses, she was absolutely real—there was no illusion at all! "We are all real..." Xiang Yin's gaze remained fixed on the white-robed man, as he spoke softly, "yet we have indeed fallen into a realm of illusion. This is the most terrifying aspect of the Dream-Plague Mist. If we continue to follow the arrangement of Jinglian's divine flame, we will only grow deeper and deeper into this illusion, until ultimately, we become its flame servants—complete slaves. Even if we engage in fierce battles here and defeat it, we will still remain within this realm of illusion." Xiao Yan shook his head and looked at Xiao Chen, speaking softly, "In fact, his consciousness has been largely controlled by the Pure Lotus Demon Fire..." Xun'er and the others exchanged puzzled glances, then carefully scanned the surroundings, but no matter how thoroughly they investigated, they could not detect a single ripple of the illusion. "Back then, the Pure Lotus Demon Saint was renowned as the strongest being closest to the peak of the Battle Emperor rank. Yet ultimately, he was consumed by his own Pure Lotus Demon Fire, leading to his demise. After his passing, the Demon Fire inherited his legacy, and the Dream-Weaving Heavenly Mist—his signature technique—enabled the Saint to immerse hundreds of thousands, even millions of people in a city within an illusion that lasted for centuries. Such a profound and enduring illusion is far beyond what ordinary people could imagine." Xiao Yan sighed, his voice tinged with wonder. Such an illusion, merely to contemplate it, was already deeply intimidating. Indeed, the Pure Lotus Demon Saint truly deserved his title. "The previous pure lotus demon flames never possessed such capabilities..." Ancient Nuanghai said, as no one had encountered such a troublesome situation after the several times the demon flames had emerged. "Over a thousand years, countless things can change, and the pure lotus demon flame has gradually learned the techniques of the Pure Lotus Demon Saint. In a sense, he now can be considered a unique kind of 'Pure Lotus Demon Saint'..." Xiao Yan's gaze remained firmly fixed on the increasingly cold-robed man, speaking softly. "Why do you know so much about the Nightmare Sky Mist?" The white-robed man on the throne finally spoke, his voice growing steadily colder. Xiao Yan smiled, his hand gently brushing his forehead without leaving a trace, yet he did not answer the question. It was precisely the guidance from the luminous orb within his mind that had suddenly illuminated his understanding and made him aware of the strangeness of this place. Without that subtle cue, even he would have perished here today. Prior to receiving that revelation, he had never imagined that even after breaking free from the dream-like mist, they remained still within the realm of illusion. "Over these thousand years, it seems you've been crafting this illusion. Of course, if nothing goes awry, this time you'll surely prevail. I believe no one will ever notice the subtle clues here..." Xiao Yan smiled gently, his heart equally filled with relief. The pure lotus demon fire, nurtured over a millennium, wasn't something easily breached. Without the peculiar luminous orbs obtained from the ancient scroll, the travelers entering the demon fire realm would have perished—no exceptions, even the members of the Soul Palace! "Yet, it's a pity..." The robed man stared at Xiao Yan with cold, unyielding eyes. Gradually, a steady stream of milky-white flames spread from within him, and within moments, a searing, destructive heat began to envelop the entire space. Witnessing this display, Xun'er and the others grew uneasy, quickly gathering close, their expressions tinged with alertness. "Since it's an illusion—how should we break it?" "This guy feels incredibly genuine," the herbal elder murmured. Now he was gradually coming to believe what Xiao Yan had said—their situation was indeed a realm of illusion. Yet the flames surrounding the white-robed figure conveyed a clear message: if they were killed here, they would die completely. "No matter how realistic the illusion, it remains an illusion. As long as you hold a strong belief in his strength, he will never be defeated. Here, his strength depends entirely on the strength of your conviction." Xiao Yan spoke in a low, steady tone. "You're all going to die!" As soon as Xiao Yan finished speaking, the white-robed man's handsome face transformed dramatically. With a sharp cry of rage, he moved swiftly, appearing directly above Xiao Yan and the others. He clenched his hands, and the milky-white flames coalesced into a massive flaming spear. With a sweeping motion of his arm, the spear tore through space, radiating a sense of utter destruction, and surged forward with devastating force, aimed directly at Xiao Yan and his companions. Under this devastating force, everyone's faces turned pale. "Don't rely on your qi defense—mentally treat him like a useless dog! Otherwise, all of you will die!" Seeing this, Xiao Yan roared with thunderous voice, suddenly shouting out. The thunderous roar that reached their ears shook their hearts fiercely, and without even pausing to listen to Xiao Yan's amusing comparison, they quickly suppressed their fear, bracing themselves and drawing all their qi inward—now, they could only trust Xiao Yan. "Boom!" The massive flame spear descended from the sky, striking the group with a force that seemed destined to cause severe injuries. Yet, just as they expected their bodies to be severely damaged, the flame spear suddenly vanished! "What a fool!" In the sky, the handsome face of the man in white robe flushed with anger. His body itself had begun to take on a shimmering, ethereal quality—something he hadn't expected, given how swiftly Xiao Yan had discovered a method to weaken his power. "Dream-enshrouding realm, shattered!" With a serious expression, Xiao Yan raised his fingers and pressed a point. A drop of pure blood shot from his fingertip, swiftly tracing a strange, flowing symbol across the tip. "The Shattering Dream Seal? How do you know about it?" The man in white robe's face darkened immediately. "Go!" Xiao Yan didn't bother with him. With a simple finger gesture, the blood seal shot forth and struck firmly upon the space ahead. Instantly, the area surged with intense vibrations, and finally, under the astonished gaze of Xiao Yan and his companions, it exploded with a thunderous "boom!" ... As the space erupted, Xiao Yan and his companions suddenly felt a dizzying sensation deep within their minds. They quickly opened their eyes. With both eyes open, what met the gaze was a vast expanse of molten sea. From time to time, creamy flames burst upward within the molten streams, spreading continuously until they reached the horizon, as if this entire space were nothing but a sea of lava. Suspended above the molten sea were immense blocks of stone. Xiao Yan and the others were nestled within these stone formations, and not far behind them, a massive silver circular glow was slowly rotating. "The pure lotus demon flame doesn't possess that kind of ability..." Xiao Yan smiled, his mind finally at ease as he broke free from that dreadful illusion. The sensation of lightness—almost as if his very soul had grown lighter—was overwhelming. The Dream-Plaguing Heavenly Mist, indeed, was the signature technique of the Pure Lotus Demon Saint, and it was truly terrifying. "Roar!" Just as Xiao Yan exhaled in relief, Xiao Chen suddenly roared again, his face showing signs of struggle. His voice was hoarse and urgent. "The pure lotus demon flame is once again controlling me!" Seeing this, Xiao Yan's expression slightly tightened. Though Xiao Chen was considered a servant of the pure lotus demon flame, he had consistently resisted its control thanks to his exceptional strength. If they could find a way to free him from that control, it would be an immense asset. Right now, what they lacked most was a peerless, independent powerhouse capable of standing on his own. Yet, thinking is one thing; actually achieving it is another. The terrifying power of the Jinglian Demon Flame that Xiao Yin had already experienced—how difficult it would be to completely eliminate its control over Xiao Chen! Just as Xiao Yin was at a loss, the peculiar luminous orb within his mind suddenly emitted a subtle ripple. "This is…" Receiving the ripple, Xiao Yin was momentarily startled. After a brief sense of it, a look of delight spread across his face. He then swiftly pressed his fingers firmly onto Xiao Chen's forehead, channeling a surge of spiritual energy that rapidly traced an invisible incantation pattern across the latter's brow. As the lines formed, the struggle visible on Xiao Chen's face gradually faded. "This can only temporarily sever the control of the Jinglian Demon Flame. To fully eradicate it, the Flame itself must first be addressed." With Xiao Chen now restored, Xiao Yin gently withdrew his fingers and spoke softly. "Whoosh! Whoosh!" As Xiao Yan finished speaking, sudden figures surged from the floating stones around, hovering in the sky and gasping for breath, their faces filled with fear. "It seems your rupture of the illusion has triggered a chain reaction, bringing these people out as well," remarked the Yeold. "Well, it's better they're here—we won't be able to subdue the Qinglian Demon Flame on our own," Xiao Yan smiled slightly, his gaze instead fixed on the molten sea in the distance. There, the molten rock gently rose, forming a towering column about a hundred zhang in height, which eventually rose steadily until it reached parallel with the others, then paused, and then inverted, revealing a handsome man dressed in a white robe, now clearly visible to all.