Darkness.
Endless darkness surrounded Xiao Tian.
His consciousness drifted through the void like a lost soul.
Fragments of memories flashed before him.
The betrayal of Gu Xuner.
The calm gaze of Xiao Yan.
And finally…
The tear-stained face of Medusa.
A deep regret filled his heart.
If he had noticed her earlier…
If he had not been blinded by love…
Perhaps everything would have been different.
Just as his consciousness was about to disappear completely—
A strange light appeared inside the darkness.
It was a lotus.
A blood-red lotus.
Each petal burned with terrifying demonic flames.
The flame radiated an ancient and destructive aura capable of burning even the heavens.
Xiao Tian stared at it in shock.
"That… flame…"
A forgotten memory suddenly awakened within his soul.
The third ranked Heavenly Flame.
The legendary flame feared by the entire Dou Qi Continent.
Purifying Demonic Lotus Flame.
A deep voice echoed inside his soul.
"You finally remember."
Xiao Tian's pupils shrank.
"Who's there?!"
The red lotus slowly expanded.
A phantom figure appeared above it.
A tall man wearing ancient robes.
His eyes glowed with terrifying crimson light.
His mere presence made space tremble.
Xiao Tian instantly recognized him.
The legendary ancient powerhouse who once shook the continent.
Demonic Lotus Saint.
The man smiled faintly.
"No…"
"You should say… yourself."
Xiao Tian froze.
"What do you mean?"
The phantom walked closer.
"Because you…"
"…are my reincarnation."
Those words exploded inside Xiao Tian's mind.
"Impossible!"
The Demonic Lotus Saint calmly waved his hand.
Countless memories flooded Xiao Tian's mind instantly.
Ancient battles.
Heavenly flames devouring worlds.
A terrifying cultivator who once attempted to refine the entire continent using the Purifying Demonic Lotus Flame.
That man…
Was the Demonic Lotus Saint.
And deep within those memories…
Xiao Tian saw something shocking.
His own soul.
The same soul.
The same consciousness.
His body trembled.
"So I…"
"…was the Demonic Lotus Saint?"
The phantom nodded slowly.
"Yes."
"After my fall ten thousand years ago, my soul split into fragments."
"One fragment reincarnated."
"That fragment became you."
Xiao Tian felt like his entire world had turned upside down.
The Demonic Lotus Saint continued calmly.
"However, your previous life was incomplete."
"You never awakened your true power."
"But now that you've died once…"
"The seal on your soul has finally broken."
The crimson lotus began rotating slowly.
The terrifying flame merged into Xiao Tian's soul.
Pain exploded through his consciousness.
But along with the pain…
An unimaginable power awakened.
The Demonic Lotus Saint's voice echoed one last time.
"This life…"
"You will inherit everything."
"My power."
"My flame."
"My legacy."
The phantom slowly faded away.
"And remember…"
"The Purifying Demonic Lotus Flame can burn not only bodies…"
"…but also karma and fate."
Silence returned to the void.
Then—
Light suddenly exploded.