Within a small cave of just over ten square meters, silver light flickered, and at the center was a peculiar stone platform.
The stone platform was octagonal, built from a strange jet-black rock. At its center stood a white crystal, roughly the size of a washbasin, shaped like a vertical eye. In the middle of this eye-shaped crystal, a bright silver flame flickered unsteadily.
The rest of the cave was filled with countless bones and flesh of undead creatures. These bones and flesh were arranged into various bizarre shapes—some humanoid, some resembling beasts, and others of forms even Huo Yuhao couldn't recognize.
"Is it trying to piece together a body to contain its soul?" Huo Yuhao exclaimed in surprise.
"Haha, indeed, you are quite a clever human." Suddenly, a somewhat eerie voice echoed in the cave, startling Huo Yuhao.
When he directed his gaze towards the sound, he discovered that it emanated from the crystal on the stone platform. The bright silver flame in the center of the eye-shaped crystal had transformed into an old, sinister face with eyes that stared fixedly at Huo Yuhao.
"You possess consciousness?" Huo Yuhao's eyes narrowed as he spoke solemnly.
"I control the power of souls, so my intelligence awakened much faster than my kin. Take, for example, the flame within you; it's like an undeveloped child compared to me." The silver flame cackled darkly.
The small flame within Huo Yuhao, known as Xiaohan, immediately became furious, extending its tiny paw and continuously making "yoo yoo" sounds, which Huo Yuhao could tell were quite foul-mouthed.
"After all this time, you've devoured countless soul fires of undead creatures and evolved to this extent," Huo Yuhao mused.
Electrolux, borrowing power from his sealed state within Tianmeng, stepped out from Huo Yuhao's spiritual sea, appearing within the narrow cave.
"It's you, that damned old man! If it weren't for you chasing me back then, I wouldn't have fled to this wretched place." The silver flame roared angrily, but Huo Yuhao could sense a hint of fear in its tone towards Electrolux.
However, the silver flame quickly let out a joyous exclamation: "Old man, your body has been destroyed, and you've become a pure spiritual entity? This is perfect! Now, it's your power that will be suppressed by me. Once I devour you, I'll become the ruler of this small plane!"
"Devouring your consciousness, then the flame within this boy's body, I'll control all the undead in this plane. Using this boy's body, I'll venture into the outside world, unleash an undead plague, and wash the world in blood. With the souls of all beings, I'll achieve godhood! Hahahahaha!"
"Clap, clap, clap."
Huo Yuhao laughed and clapped his hands a few times. The silver flame, sensing something amiss, asked in confusion, "Boy, aren't you afraid I'll devour your soul?"
"You might have some power, but today, you'll find it hard to survive after encountering me!" Huo Yuhao said with a mocking smile. "Have you heard this phrase? May the force be with you."
"What?"
The silver flame, having never attended school or learned foreign languages, was utterly confused. Having stayed in this small plane for thousands of years, it was vicious but naive, wanting to argue with Huo Yuhao instead of attacking immediately.
"'May the force be with you' means," Huo Yuhao said calmly, "don't be too arrogant, it's useless!"
In the darkness, a vast energy lightly pulsed. After a moment of silence, it erupted from the abyss.
Huo Yuhao closed his eyes, his eyelids trembling slightly. Then, his eyes snapped open, their ocean-blue color turning white. Upon closer inspection, one eye was bone-white, while the other resembled a snowflake.
Powerful energy waves surged through the small cave, causing the silver flame in the crystal eye to tremble.
"I truly underestimated you. I didn't expect you to hide such terrifying power within you. No wonder you've been so confident. But this power doesn't truly belong to you, does it?" the silver flame said, now on high alert.
However, "Huo Yuhao" smiled coldly and replied indifferently, "It doesn't matter whose power it is, as long as I can use it at will."
"Hmph, relying on external forces is only a temporary measure. I don't believe you can maintain this power for long," the silver flame said stubbornly.
Yet, at this moment, the voice shifted back to Huo Yuhao's youthful, mocking tone.
"I don't need to maintain it for long. Against a turtle hiding in a cave like you, one grenade is enough to blow you sky-high!"
Huo Yuhao's figure flashed and vanished from the cave. Electrolux also looked at the crystal eye with a hint of pity before disappearing.
"What's going on? Did I scare them off?" The silver flame, bewildered by the scene, forgot to use its power to block them.
"Fire in the hole!"
Suddenly, a shout came from outside the cave, followed by a terrifying surge of violent energy.
A small, exquisite white lotus flew into the cave. The silver flame sensed two different flames within, both highly unstable and on the verge of exploding.
The Buddha's Wrath Fire Lotus, formed by merging the Profound Ice Flame and the Bone Spirit Cold Flame, was tossed into the small cave by Huo Yuhao like a grenade. If Electrolux had not been nourished by the Soul Nurturing Elixir, this dual-flame lotus would have drained his soul power completely.
The silver flame was stunned. Though it, as a flame, couldn't be destroyed by the explosion, its consciousness couldn't withstand such a blast. If the lotus exploded in this confined space, its consciousness would be torn to shreds, akin to death.
This young man played dirty, attacking an old being like me sneakily!
The silver flame shot out from the crystal eye, attempting to escape through the cave entrance. However, Electrolux had already set up multiple soul power barriers at the entrance, preventing the silver flame from escaping.
No matter how powerful the silver flame was in burning soul power, it couldn't deplete Electrolux's constant replenishment. The two were at a stalemate.
It's endless, it's absolutely endless!
"Brat! Let me out!"
"You old scoundrel, how ruthless! I curse you to die a miserable death!"
"If you have the guts, come find me. Open the door if you dare! Don't hide outside silently; I know you're there!"
After a breath's time, the cave echoed with the silver flame's wails.
"Ancestor, please, spare me. I really don't want to die!"
Huo Yuhao chuckled: "I preferred your defiant attitude. Why don't you try restoring it?"
"Restore, my..."
"Boom!"
A terrifying explosion resounded, white energy waves and volcanic heat waves engulfing the entire cave. Even Electrolux's soul power barriers were instantly shattered.
Huo Yuhao barely evaded the scorching heat and energy by fully activating the Heaven Skyfall Technique. When the dust settled, the cave where the silver flame had been residing was completely leveled.
"See, I told you," Huo Yuhao shrugged, "don't be too arrogant, it's useless!"