That icy, venomous will was like a poisoned ice pick, ignoring physical and energy defenses, stabbing directly into the depths of Xiao Qi's sea of consciousness! In an instant, Xiao Qi felt darkness before his eyes. Countless chaotic, violent thoughts filled with destructive desire surged like a tide, attempting to swallow and assimilate his own consciousness. Countless demonic creatures' screams and seductive whispers seemed to echo in his ears, urging him to abandon resistance and throw himself into eternal darkness and chaos.
This was a will attack originating from the demonic entity'strue body, far more dangerous than the demonic fire's erosion alone!
"Xiao Qi!" Third Senior Sister Liu Yun sensed Xiao Qi's form violently shudder, his aura instantly chaotic. She couldn't help crying out in alarm, wanting to rush forward but forced back by the sudden counterattack of the demonic fire.
At the cave entrance, Chief Lie Shan and Yan Lie's hearts leaped to their throats.
However, at this critical moment, the jade pendant at Xiao Qi's chest blazed with scalding light again! Notoutward purifying, but inwardly guarding. A cool, pure force containing the Four Symbols' balancing intent, like the most resilient barrier, firmly protected the core of his sea of consciousness. Simultaneously, his firm dao heart tempered through trials and worldly refinement—that uncorruptable "protection" belief, stood like a stabilising pillar beneath the sea, unmoving in the storm within his consciousness!
"Get out!"
Xiao Qi roared within his heart, gathering all his spiritual strength, coordinating with the jade pendant's guardian force, and fiercely colliding with that invading demonic entity's will!
"Hum!"
A violent tremor only Xiao Qi himself could hear exploded within his sea of consciousness. Though that demonic entity's will was pure and vicious, it was ultimately rootless—a single distributed thought. Against Xiao Qi's firm dao heart and the Four Symbols jade pendant's origin protection, it was like waves crashing against a reef, instantly scattering. It turned into wisps of black qi, completely annihilated by the following purification force.
The demonic fire's counterattack had failed!
But Xiao Qi's face also turned pale from this momentary clash of spirits, a strand of blood flowing from the corner of his mouth. Yet his eyes grew even sharper and brighter, like a sword polished of dust.
He realized this demonic fire wasn't invincible. Its core relied precisely on that thread of demonic entity's will for control. Destroy that will, and the demonic fire would become water without a source, a tree without roots!
He could no longer delay! His spiritual power consumption was enormous. He had to achieve victory quickly!
"Senior Sister, help me stabilize the perimeter!" Xiao Qi low shouted. Then he made an action that shocked everyone—he didn't retreat, but instead actively removed part of his forward defense. His form turned into flowing light, resolutely charging into the churning,raginging ink-black demonic fire!
"Xiao Qi! Don't!" Third Senior Sister Liu Yun was horrified, unable to stop him in time.
Chief Lie Shan and Yan Lie were so startled their eyes nearly popped out. Charging into the demonic fire's center? Wasn't that seeking death?
However, the next moment, they witnessed a scene they would remember for life.
The moment Xiao Qi charged into the demonic fire, he was instantly engulfed by endless darkness and cold. That demonic fire sufficient to freeze souls and incinerate everything violently surged toward him, attempting to assimilate and annihilate him. Xiao Qi's protective spiritual light flickered violently under the demonic fire's erosion. His skin surface began showing terrifying marks of charring intermingled with frost. Intense pain made all his muscles tense, his features contorting.
But he didn't stop. He wasn't assimilated.
The instant he burst into the demonic fire's core, he completely released his suppression of the Purification Source! No longer the earlier guided release, but... a comprehensive eruption!
"BOOM—!"
With his body as the center, a wave of purification white light far more magnificent, pure, and sacred than before, like a volcano suppressed for ten million years, erupted with a thunderous roar! The light was no longer gentle, but becameblazing, like a true sun descending into this dark cavern!
Xiao Qi himself seemed to transform into a being of light, becoming the only source of illumination in this world of darkness!
"Sizzle-sizzle-sizzle-sizzle—!"
Purification white light and ink-black demonic fire engaged in the most direct, most intense confrontation! Like a hot blade cutting into solidified grease, where demonic fire touched white light, dense, earsplitting dissolving sounds erupted. Large patches of black qi evaporated and purified. The suffocating icy-cold aura rapidly receded like spring snow under the sun.
The demonic fire wildly twisted and contracted, emitting silent screams filled with fear and unwillingness. It attempted to gather strength, extinguishing that "source of light" that had invaded its core. But at this moment, Xiao Qi had transformed himself into a vessel for purification power. Light was everywhere, penetrating every gap!
He endured the dual torment of the demonic fire's burning and freezing, but his divine sense firmly locked onto the demonic fire's most core area—where a deeper, constantly flickering, twisting black flame with demonic patterns wrapped around a thread of weak yet unyielding crimson-gold light. That crimson-gold light emanated a pure, sacred, warm fire aura. It was precisely the Vermillion Bird sacred power being imprisoned and eroded by the demonic fire!
And that black flame flickering with demonic patterns was the demonic entity's will's core manifestation!
"Found you!"
Xiao Qi's eyes flashed with sharpness. He gathered all the erupted purification light, forcibly condensing it within his right palm! The highly concentrated purification force made his entire right hand appear like white jade carved, light restrained yet emanating terrifying might that made the demonic fire's core violently shudder.
He ignored the residual demonic fire still burning his body, took a step forward. His white jade-like right hand, as if piercing through void, directly thrust into that mass of demonic-patterned black flames!
He ignored the residual demonic fire still burning his body, took a step forward. His white jade-like right hand, as if piercing through void, directly thrust into that mass of demonic-patterned black flames!
"Awooo—!"
A howl filled with extreme pain and venomous hatred, as if from the ninthhell abyss, not transmitted through air but exploding directly in every being's divine soul! Lie Shan, Yan Lie, even Third Senior Sister felt dizzy.
That mass of demonic-patterned black flames, grabbed by Xiao Qi's purification hand, twisted wildly like a fiend thrown into hell. The demonic patterns flickered to extremes, attempting to erode Xiao Qi's arm, but rapidly dimmed and disintegrated under that supremely pure white light!
Frost and char marks rapidly spread across Xiao Qi's arm, then were repaired by the endless purification force flowing from within his body. The process repeated, causing unimaginable agony. But he gritted his teeth, his gaze unwavering. Purification power continuously erupted from his palm!
"Purify... for me!"
With this dao shout, the white light in his palm erupted completely!
"BOOM!"
That stubborn demonic-patterned black flame, unable to endure this source-level suppression, violently exploded! Countless fine black streams scattered in all directions, then turned to nothingness in the omnipresent purification white light.
The demonic entity's will core was completely destroyed!
With its controlling will core gone, the remaining ink-black demonic fire, like headless flies, greatly diminished in power. Unable to form effective resistance, under the purification white light's illumination, they dissolved at an even faster rate.
In several breaths' time, that originally filling the entire stone cavern, radiating terrifying aura ink-black demonic fire had completely dissipated. Only the not-yet-fully-calmed energy aftershocks in the air, and the pockmarks and frost on the ground and walls, proved its former existence.
The demonic fire was purified!
The light around Xiao Qi's body slowlysuppress. He staggered, face pale as paper, his auraweak. Obviously the consumption was enormous. Third Senior Sister hastily stepped forward to support him, transmitting a pure spiritual power stream to help stabilize his injuries.
And at the center where the demonic fire had completely dissipated, that thread of crimson-gold Vermillion Bird sacred power, freed from its bonds, was like a wanderer returning home. It emitted a joyous clear cry (on the spiritual level) and transformed into flowing light, eagerly sinking into the jade pendant at Xiao Qi's chest!
The jade pendant blazed brilliantly. Crimson, white, azure, gold—four-colored flowing light alternated and flickered. It became more warm and translucent, the interior seeming to contain nebula currents. Its aura grew more profound and vast. Though the fourth soul crystal hadn't fully returned to position, this sacred power's return was undoubtedly a crucial signal, and greatly strengthened the pendant's power.
Within the stone cavern, the original appearance was restored. At the center, that weathered, primitive yet grand Vermillion Bird stone carving totem was fully revealed. On the totem, the black marks left by demonic fire erosion were slowly fading under the purification light's afterglow. Sacred, majestic crimson luster reemerged.
Silence, deathly silence.
At the cave entrance, Chief Lie Shan and Yan Lie stared with wide eyes, mouths agape, as if petrified. They looked at the pale-faced youth supported by Third Senior Sister, then at the cleansed sacred land entrance with the radiant totem, their minds blank.
The terrifying demonic fire that had plagued Fire Crow Village for months, that had killed several village warriors, that even Elder Wumeng was helpless against... was just... purified?
After a long moment, Chief Lie Shan suddenly snapped back to reality. He rushed forward, not looking at the totem first but coming to Xiao Qi. This iron tower of a man was so excited he was somewhat incoherent. "Little brother... no! Benefactor! You... you are the benefactor for all generations of Fire Crow Village!" As he spoke, he seemed about to bow deeply again.
Xiao Qi hastily helped him up. "Chief, you're too kind. This was merely my duty." His voice carried exhaustion but was full of satisfaction. Purifying the demonic fire not only solved Fire Crow Village's crisis, but also retrieved the crucial Vermillion Bird sacred power. Taking another step toward gathering the Four Symbols Soul Crystals!
Yan Lie also stepped forward, clasping his fists in a deep bow to Xiao Qi. Actions spoke louder than words.
Elder Wumeng had somehow also arrived at the cave entrance. Looking at the restored sacred land, at the Vermillion Bird totem regaining its radiance, this old man's eyes actually filled with turbid tears. Leaning on his staff, he deeply bowed toward the totem, and toward Xiao Qi.
"The Holy Lord manifests... guiding the true guardian's return..." he murmured, voice hoarse yet filled with excitement.
The sacred land's demonic fire was eliminated. Fire Crow Village's greatest crisis was resolved. And Xiao Qi, with his actions, thoroughly won this ancient witch village's unreserved trust and gratitude. Next, regarding the Molten Fire Heart, regarding the Vermillion Bird Soul Crystal, Fire Crow Village would surely spare no effort to assist.