That purple-black flame—Aether couldn't identify what it was.
But he could feel it.
That thing… could burn his soul to ashes.
Lisa appeared, and against her, Dvalin was nothing but a lamb before a lion. With the Lord of the Tower bound to him, it still didn't matter—the two combined weren't remotely Lisa's match.
Since that was the case, Lumine would be fine. Better to slip away quickly.
Jean and the others, however, stood there dumbstruck, staring at the firecloud above that blotted out the sky. For a moment, words failed them.
The playful witch who usually toyed with lightning… was now wielding fire? That alone was bizarre.
But this fire—this fire that wasn't even elemental energy, and could even consume elemental energy whole—
What in the world was it?
It felt… utterly sinister.
From the blazing clouds, countless twisted, tormented souls thrust out their faces, wailing. The whole mass of fireclouds felt darker than even the Abyss.
Diluc felt out his own Vision, the flame within his body.
No matter how he compared it, his fire was utterly insignificant beside the boundless fire Lisa now commanded.
"Mount Shu…"
Diluc clenched his fists tight, eyes burning as he gazed at her.
Dvalin grew increasingly agitated, roaring, thrashing through the river of swords. Now he finally realized—he needed to escape.
But Lisa had no intention of letting him.
With a thought, the blazing Hellfire surged into a tornado that swallowed him whole.
A vortex of purple-black flame, even greater than the earlier storm of black wind, tore across the Stormterror's Lair.
Everything it touched—whether stone, steel, or living flesh—vanished in less than a breath.
The wails of souls grew louder, shrieking right by everyone's ears.
Jean looked up at Lisa, worry flickering in her eyes.
Bathed in the reflection of that purple-black fire, Lisa's face seemed almost demonic—her gaze cold, detached, like a fiend delighting in destruction.
The Hellfire clung to Dvalin's body.
In an instant, every ounce of his defense was gone. He plummeted to the ground, rolling, writhing, crying out in pain.
But the Hellfire still burned bright, growing only more eerie in hue.
Though it was fire, everyone felt a chill seep into their bones, like they had been dropped into Dragonspine itself.
"Lisa…"
Jean's voice trembled with concern. Lisa was strong now—terrifyingly so. But this strength… It felt wrong.
"Lisa, spare Dvalin! He's being controlled by the Lord of the Tower!"
Lisa dipped her head slightly, her voice soft.
"Relax. I only need the Lord of the Tower's soul."
Need… a soul?
Jean's heart tightened. Could it be… Lisa had truly taken up some sort of forbidden art?
Dvalin struggled for a while longer before finally collapsing, motionless. The venom at his neck burned away into nothing.
And then—from his body—rose a black, ghastly soul.
The Hellfire chased after it, gnawing at the Lord of the Tower's spirit.
"Spare me! Don't! Let me go!"
"Mercy! Have mercy!!"
The Lord of the Tower flailed wildly at the flames consuming him, but could only watch helplessly as his soul thinned, burned, and became transparent.
Lisa paid him no mind. She even half-closed her eyes in contentment.
The remnant soul of the Lord of the Tower—a being once at the late-stage Refining Void and Unity realm of demon gods—
It was a tonic beyond price.
As the Hellfire devoured it, Lisa could feel her true essence, even her very soul, being fed and growing stronger from its feedback.
This feeling…
It was better than sitting with a spirit stone for a whole year.
The bottleneck at her mid-stage Foundation Establishment realm eased slightly. She could sense her breakthrough was not far away.
But then her heart gave a jolt, and she quickly suppressed the intoxicating rush.
Now she understood why so many who practiced Soul Burning Hellfire strayed into the demonic path.
The sensation of strengthening oneself by slaughtering and consuming souls…
It was far too sweet.
If her will had been any less firm, she would already have become the first disciple Mount Shu itself would hunt down.
"No! Curse you!"
The Lord of the Tower's fading remnant soul glared at her in fury, knowing there was no escape.
"You dare wield such vile fire! To devour souls and fortify yourself!"
"Retribution will come for you! Retribution will come!!"
Lisa only sneered, lifted her hand, and with a casual slap of flame, shattered what was left of him.
Only a crystalline bead remained.
Lisa beckoned, and it flew into her grasp.
This would be a fine treasure to refine later, strengthening her divine sense.
For Lisa, this fragment of a top-tier demon god's soul was the most sumptuous feast she had yet consumed since mastering Soul Burning Hellfire.
"Pathetic."
She gave a disdainful snort, sweeping away the fireclouds and sword river.
Stepping on her flying sword, she descended in a stream of light beside Jean and the others.
But the chill of the Soul Burning Hellfire still lingered faintly on her.
Jean's worry deepened.
"Lisa, you…"
Lisa blinked, then smiled sweetly at her.
"What is it? Is Jean afraid of me now? That would make me ever so sad, you know."
"Honestly, I thought you'd at least thank me for running all this way to save you."
Jean bit her lip, then, seeing that Lisa seemed no different from the past, finally softened.
"…Thank you, Lisa."
"Oh my! You really did say thank you!"
Lisa feigned exaggerated shock, sighing in mock dismay.
"Looks like I've been gone just one week, and Jean's already gone all distant on me. How heartbreaking."
The familiar teasing melted Jean's last shred of worry. She gave a helpless smile.
"You really are…"
But before she could finish, a fit of weak coughing interrupted her.
Lisa's gaze gentled with concern. She quickly pulled out a jade vial, shook out a few pills, and handed them over.
"Quickly, take these and heal. Freshly traded from Mount Shu—the Rejuvenation Pill. Very effective for injuries."
Jean and the others froze.
The verdant pills, just held in their palms, already sent a soothing warmth through their wounds.
"An immortal's elixir?"
Lumine's eyes lit with curiosity as she studied the pill. Lisa nodded with a smile.
"Even mortals can take it. It's only a first-grade healing pill, nothing too special."
"This…"
Jean hesitated.
"Can we really? After all, you traded for these at Mount Shu… Wouldn't the sect master mind if—"
"Don't worry."
Lisa chuckled reassuringly.
"The sect master said it himself: whatever pills we trade for, how we use them is up to us."
"They're not cultivation manuals or secret arts. Nothing forbidden. He's quite open-minded."
Hearing this, Jean and the others no longer held back. They downed the pills at once.
The Rejuvenation Pill melted on their tongues, turning into a warm current that coursed through their bodies.
Their grievous wounds lit up with radiance, healing in an instant.
The gaping wound in Diluc's chest closed before their very eyes, leaving not even a scar.
More astonishing still—
Diluc clenched his fist, astonished.
Even his long-accumulated hidden injuries… were gone.
His condition now was better than ever, as if he'd just been reborn.
"This pill… it's miraculous!"
Jean stared at her hands in disbelief.
The calluses she had built up from years of sword practice had vanished. Every flaw, every weakness in her body had been erased.
This was healing that defied all reason.
"Incredible!"
Lumine leapt a few times, swinging her fists in excitement.
"I feel amazing! And my strength's come back too!"
"This is even more incredible than how novels describe cultivators' elixirs!"
Paimon hovered beside her, wide-eyed.
"Lumine! What's it taste like? Tell Paimon!"
Lumine blinked, then grinned.
"It's really, really sweet—but not cloying. Just… delicious!"
At that, Paimon immediately grew envious, fluttering to Lisa's side with pleading eyes.
"Lisaaa~ Paimon wants one too!"
Lisa flicked her forehead.
"You're not hurt. No pills for you."
"I am hurt!"
Paimon raised her hand solemnly.
"When I was helping Lumine earlier, my hand cramped up! I need a Rejuvenation Pill!"
Lisa laughed, brushed her arm lightly, sending a stream of true essence into her. Paimon instantly felt refreshed.
"A cramp, and you want a pill? You little glutton, you're just greedy."
"Lisaaa~ just one! Or Paimon will die unfulfilled!"
She clung to Lisa shamelessly, who could only pinch her cheeks in amusement.
"Eat, eat, eat! That's all you think about! Do you even know how precious a Rejuvenation Pill is?"
At those words, Paimon froze, glanced at Lumine, then whispered nervously:
"…Paimon's got a stash of five hundred thousand Mora. Will that do?"
"What?! You had a stash?! Outrageous!"
Lumine stormed over, grabbing her in indignation.
"You use my things, eat my food, and you're hiding your own hoard?! Paimon!!"
"Paimon needs emergency funds too! And you, Lumine, don't you hide your own stash of Mora?!"
"That's for our journey! Wait—how do you even know?! Did you steal my Mora?!"
"…Just a little."
"PAIMON!!!"
The two bickered noisily, and the matter of elixirs was dropped.
Jean, however, looked at Lisa again, her tone serious.
"These pills… they're expensive, aren't they? How much Mora do you need? I'll repay you."
Lisa sighed helplessly.
"Jean, do you really think our relationship is something to measure in Mora?"
"Besides—how could Mora ever be exchanged for a Rejuvenation Pill?"
She shook her head.
"Yes, they're the cheapest pills in Mount Shu's Hall of Merits. Only five hundred contribution points per bottle."
"But that's for cultivators. For mortals, one Rejuvenation Pill cures every illness, heals mortal wounds, and even restores those on the brink of death."
"Even a Vision-bearer benefits the same."
"According to the sect master, if one were auctioned in a mortal kingdom, it would fetch tens of thousands of taels of gold."
"In Mora… let's see… probably several billion each?"
Lisa teased, casting Jean a sidelong smile.
"If you really want to give me a few dozen billion, I suppose I wouldn't refuse."
Jean gave a wry laugh, shaking her head.
"Sorry… I couldn't possibly raise that much Mora right now."
"Honestly! I was teasing you. You're still as stiff and humorless as ever."
Lisa waved it off, then looked at the group.
"Anyway, didn't you say Dvalin would need to slumber for a long while? No need to rush back to fight him again."
Jean smiled bitterly, shaking her head.
"I just… don't want to rely on you for everything. But in the end…"
Lisa pressed her lips together, said nothing more, and instead turned her eyes toward Dvalin in the distance.
The dragon lay there peacefully, no longer wreathed in rage, but once more like the gentle East Wind Dragon of old.
It seemed the matter was settled. He only needed time to recover.
After some hesitation, Jean asked quietly:
"Lisa… that fire you just used…"
Lisa paused, her back still turned. Then, lightly, she replied:
"Soul Burning Hellfire. A demonic cultivation art."
"Demonic cultivation?!"
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