"The Pure Lotus Demon Flame..." High above, Xiao Yan managed to suppress his excitement after a moment, glanced at Xun'er, and then carefully descended his body, coming to a gentle halt several zhang away from the lotus of alternating milky-white and soft-pink hues. The current manifestation of the Pure Lotus Demon Flame was clearly different from what it had been earlier—once fierce and unruly, now calm and serene, neither reacting with attack as Xiao Yan and Xun'er approached. "The Pure Lotus Demon Flame seems to have changed since then," Xun'er remarked, slightly surprised by the tranquil, flowing flames. "The Pure Lotus Demon Saint had even erased its past memories and spiritual intelligence. Now, the Pure Lotus Demon Flame appears as though just born—like a newborn infant." Xiao Yan's face was glowing with warmth. After witnessing the fierce and unruly nature of Jinglian's divine flame, even though he had successfully obtained it, he truly dared not attempt to refine or assimilate it—after all, even the mightiest of beings, such as the Jinglian Divine Saint, had ultimately perished due to the flame's counter-effects. How could he, a mere two-star Battle Saint, possibly withstand such a challenge? However, his current concerns have now vanished entirely. Both the fading image of the Jinglian Divine Saint and the Jinglian divine flame have been completely absorbed into the heavens and earth. What remains is the pure, infant-like essence of the flame—now calm, serene, and devoid of any agitation. "Doesn't this compromise the spirit of the Jinglian divine flame?" Xun'er furrowed her brows, saying. The very reason celestial flames stand out so uniquely is precisely because they possess a spiritual essence that ordinary flames lack. Should such spirit be lost, then the extraordinary charm of these divine flames would be entirely gone. "With the means of the Pure Lotus Demon Saint, how could she have made such a foolish move? The Pure Lotus Demon Flame still retains its spiritual vitality, though certain elements that were never originally part of it have been reclaimed by the Demon Saint once again...” Xiao Yan shook his head. “Now it is as pure as when it first emerged into the world—free from any human influence or contamination.” “It seems the Pure Lotus Demon Saint has indeed proven to be a great help to us.” Xun'er smiled lightly, covering her mouth. Originally, their mission was expected to end in failure, but just as things were looking bleak, the Pure Lotus Demon Saint had stepped in, forcibly removing the negative emotions from within the Pure Lotus Demon Flame, thus restoring their hopes. “What should we do now?” The spatial channels here have dissipated. I just tried, and it seems that with our current capabilities, we may not be able to tear through this space... Xin'er hesitated, then suddenly added. Though both of them are two-star Stellar Saints, this space was established by the Pure Lotus Demon Saint, and there still remain traces of seals within—it would be no easy task to effortlessly rupture it. Xiao Yan stroked his chin, his gaze fixed steadily on the flame lotus floating above the molten lava, smiling, "Then, since we can't make it out for now, let's refine the Pure Lotus Demon Fire right here." "You're certain?" Xin'er furrowed her delicate brows. Although the Pure Lotus Demon Fire has stopped its random attacks, it remains a formidable presence—ranked third on the Unusual Fire List—and refining it will certainly not be a simple task. "Not quite half..." Xiao Yan smiled calmly, not concealing anything. After witnessing the formidable power of Jinglian's divine flame, he was deeply cautious about the latter. In fact, among the world's inhabitants, there might not be more than a handful who could absolutely guarantee the complete fusion of Jinglian's divine flame—so how could he confidently assure anyone? Hearing this modest level of confidence, Xun'er's eyes briefly flickered with concern. "This is unavoidable. If we carry the original essence of the divine flame with us, countless people will surely covet it. Even if we go with you to the ancient clan for refuge, the Tianfu Alliance will face significant complications. This divine flame realm was personally established by Jinglian's divine sage. I'm certain even your father would find it difficult to enter easily—otherwise, they would have already seized the flame essence long ago. Therefore, this place will be ideal. Only here can I fully concentrate and successfully refine Jinglian's divine flame!" Xiao Yan smiled and said, "Since we've been staying put for so long, others might think we've encountered some misfortune. That way, we'd avoid countless complications. As for our teachers, Zi Yan and I are connected by the Dragon Seal, so we don't need to worry too much about them." Hearing Xiao Yan's explanation, Xun'er paused thoughtfully and finally nodded. There was indeed merit in what he said. With so many people in the Central Region now turning their attention toward the Spirit Fire Realm, if anyone discovered that they were carrying the original Spirit Fire out, even with the ancient clans' influence, some would surely be driven by greed and launch aggressive actions. Even if they managed to handle the situation, they'd still be caught in endless troubles. Not to mention the Hún Clan watching closely. In that case, they'd hardly have any quiet time to refine the Spirit Fire. "Then, when do you plan to act?" Xun'er asked softly, her eyes glinting. "Hehe, we don't need to rush now. We still have plenty of time. Refining the Pure Lotus Demon Fire isn't something simple at all—I still need to prepare a few things..." Xiang Yan smiled and shook his head, his gaze fervent upon the floating lotus of demon fire hovering above the molten rock. He had originally thought that once he reached the Battle Saint stage, refining the Pure Lotus Demon Fire would be a sure thing. But the current reality had made him realize that, without further preparations, it was still anyone's guess whether anyone would succeed at all. ... Beyond the Yāo Huǒ space, the distorted spatial fabric had already dissipated, and the terrifying high temperatures that once enveloped the heavens and earth were gradually diminishing. The molten desert below had ceased its turbulent surges, slowly solidifying into blocks of white rock. Hovering in the surrounding skies, figures stood motionless, their eyes filled with resentment, gazing at the space. Once the spatial passage had vanished, they lost all sense of connection to it—no matter what techniques they employed, the space would not reappear. "Where are Xiao Xian and the others?" asked the Fire Cloud Elder, his expression grave. Since their escape, there had been not a single sign of movement from that area. "Miss..." Ancient Naihai stared blankly at the space, beads of sweat forming on his forehead. While Xun'er held an exceptional status within the Ancient Clan, he had now completely lost her—what kind of reprimand would he face upon returning to the clan? "Senior, don't worry about yourself. Xun insisted on staying with Xiao Yan, and even if she had realized it in time, it wouldn't have made a difference." Gu Qingyang sighed lightly. He hadn't expected Xun to risk such a great danger to stay within that space for Xiao Yan's sake. "Xiao Yan is fortunate—lucky, really—and Xun will be fine too." "What if not?" Ancient Naihai gritted his teeth. That phoenix-fire realm was already unbearable for even him, a strong elder like himself—how could Xiao Yan and his companion possibly survive it? "Just wait a little longer..." The elderly herbalist also sighed. At this point, no words could do much good. The phoenix-fire realm had sealed itself shut, and they could no longer enter. All they could do now was remain patient and wait quietly. Hearing the herbalist's words, the others could only nod in silence. "Hey, it seems the Guzhu clan has suffered a major blow. Xun'er possesses an exceptionally remarkable talent—given enough time, her achievements could be truly astonishing. Though she didn't secure the Qinglian Demon Fire this time, she's managed to eliminate two of her core concerns." At a distance, the Deputy Grand Master of the Hún Palace observed the worried expressions of the medicine elder and others, and murmured a low, strange chuckle. "Xiao Yan carries the residual image of the Qinglian Demon Saint—perhaps something unforeseen might happen..." The Grand Master of the Hún Palace furrowed his brows and said. "Xiao Yan is a master of strategy; he certainly doesn't seem like someone with a short lifespan." The Hún Fēng also spoke slowly. "I'll stay here for a few days. I'd like to see just what tricks these two young ones can come up with!" The Hún Mó elder's gaze flickered slightly, then his voice settled into a low tone. Upon hearing this, the other three nodded slowly and fell silent. … After the closure of the yao-fire realm, the vast majority of people did not leave but chose to remain here. Of course, most of them were not willing to simply make a wasted trip, so they kept waiting, hoping for some unexpected developments. As the crowd waited, seven days passed swiftly. Throughout those seven days, the realm remained utterly still—no signs of movement, no unusual temperature changes at all. This outcome left many feeling disappointed, and eventually, some began to depart, carrying with them a deep sense of dissatisfaction. By the side, the Elder of the Medicine Sect also appeared weary. As he was about to speak, the space before him gently trembled, and Ziyan suddenly materialized. Upon her appearance, she shook her head and said, "I can't locate the Fiery Spirit Realm—the space is sealed, and I'm unable to sense its location." Hearing this, the expressions of the Elder and the others darkened. "However, Xiao Yan should be fine. If anything were to happen to him, the Dragon Seal would vanish." Zi Yan extended her jade hands, and upon her palm, there was a faint golden dragon seal. She turned her head toward Guo Naihai, smiling, "Guo Elder need not worry. Xiao Yan and Xun'er are together. Given his nature, he would certainly never allow Xun'er to be in danger. If anything were to happen to her, he would go mad—then the dragon seal would no longer be so calm..." Hearing this, Guo Naihai's expression slightly grew stern. He looked at Yao Lao, then sighed, "No matter what, the matter has already occurred. I must return to my ancient clan to report it." "Rest assured," Yao Lao said firmly, "I will send people to monitor this place continuously. As soon as any change occurs, they will immediately relay the news to the ancient clan." "Then thank you very much," Guo Naihai said, forcing himself to regain some composure. He bowed slightly to Yao Lao, then gazed deeply at the distant space before turning and soaring toward the northern sky. Soon after, Guo Qingyang hurried to follow. Gazing at the two figures retreating in the distance, the elders exchanged a glance and once again silently sighed... As the aura of the spirit realm gradually faded beyond its boundaries, within the space itself, Xiao Yan, who had been preparing for seven days, slowly opened his eyes. Now, at last, he would begin to refine the pure lotus spirit fire. This day had been waiting for him for over a decade!