"I will definitely return."
A wisp of black smoke rose as the remnant soul of the evil spirit master, which had been lurking in the Soul Devouring Blade for thousands of years, dissipated into ashes.
After all, the silver variant flame had a strong suppressive effect on spiritual power. Even though the remnant soul of the evil spirit master had practiced many secret techniques from the Holy Spirit Sect and was highly skilled in controlling spiritual power, it could not overcome the natural restraint imposed by the flame's sheer force.
This was also why both Elder Yao and Elder Yi refrained from using their soul or spiritual power to help Huo Yuhao absorb the silver flame. Despite their strength far surpassing the unfortunate evil spirit master's, directly opposing the silver flame would still be too risky, potentially leaving them gravely injured.
However, because the remnant soul of the evil spirit master delayed the process for quite some time, Huo Yuhao managed to regain control of the area between his brows, causing the previously manifested silver vertical eye to disappear.
At the same time, he used his Profound Ice Cold Flame to devour a significant portion of the silver flame's power, reducing its size by half.
The remnant soul of the evil spirit master, continuously eroded by dark power, had already driven the silver flame's intelligence to the brink of collapse. Adding to this, Huo Yuhao seized the opportunity, greatly weakening the silver flame's strength.
"As expected of an evil spirit master—ruthless enough to die without hesitation," Huo Yuhao remarked with a playful smile. "Since that's the case, it's my turn now!"
A blue pill appeared in the palm of his hand—it was a sixth-grade Earth Spirit Pill, personally refined by Elder Yao. The blue pill had a droplet-like shape, indicating that it had been crafted using a ten-thousand-year-old water-attribute soul bone, which would also grant Huo Yuhao a substantial water-attribute boost.
With a flick of his hand, Huo Yuhao swallowed the Earth Spirit Pill. The blue pill dissolved instantly in his mouth, transforming into a gentle blue energy that surged throughout his body, protecting all his meridians.
Under Huo Yuhao's control, most of the pill's energy gathered in the meridians around his head. When the silver flame came into contact with this blue energy, its glow dimmed slightly.
All things exist in opposition. Even though the silver flame was a spiritual entity formed from the natural energies of heaven and earth, it still belonged to the fire attribute, and thus could not escape the countering force of the water attribute.
If Huo Yuhao's Ice God Spirit were fully developed, he might even be able to suppress the silver flame using his own power. But with the assistance of the Earth Spirit Pill and the fact that the silver flame was already severely weakened, its fiery aura was quickly subdued.
The power of the Earth Spirit Pill acted like a prison, tightly sealing the silver flame within. No matter how much it struggled, it could not escape for the time being.
At that moment, Huo Yuhao began to control his Profound Ice Cold Flame to erode and devour the silver flame's power, erasing its consciousness to create an opportunity for him to absorb it.
Time passed slowly in this monotonous process of erosion, and Huo Yuhao remained as still as a meditating monk, fully focused, immersing all his mind and spirit into the silver flame.
The ice-white flames surged like waves, assaulting the silver flame's intelligence. Initially, the silver flame had violently resisted, but now it had become calm and docile, indicating that its consciousness was gradually fading away.
Sizzle
With that sound, Huo Yuhao's previously tranquil mind jolted, and his gaze shifted to the silver flame, which was now heavily surrounded by the ice-white flames.
Once filled with malice and hostility, the silver flame had now lost its consciousness entirely after prolonged erosion. It was now no more threatening than when it had first formed in this undead demiplane.
"Has it finally succeeded?"
As the silver flame's intelligence completely vanished, Huo Yuhao's mind slowly emerged from its meditative state.
With a single thought, the ice-white flames surrounding the silver flame quickly dissipated, leaving the silver flame to float quietly in midair.
"Next, it's time for refinement…"
...
"Senior Wang, how is Senior Sister Ling?"
Wang Yan and several other Shrek Academy students stood by a sickbed, where the pale-faced Ling Luochen lay with her beautiful eyes tightly shut, still unconscious.
Standing before them was an elderly woman with a deeply wrinkled face and white hair, her age impossible to determine.
At this moment, she raised her right hand, and a faint green light formed a barrier around Ling Luochen on the bed.
"Senior Sister Ling… she won't..." Xiao Xiao, her eyes red with tears, wiped the corners of her eyes as she spoke.
Back at Shrek Academy, they had been the elites among their peers, feeling as if they were invincible.
However, during this competition, Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao began to feel their own weakness and helplessness. Among the soul masters present, ranging from Soul Elders, Soul Kings, and even Soul Emperors, their cultivation levels simply did not measure up.
"Don't worry, she'll be fine." Bei Bei shook his head, lowering his voice to comfort Xiao Xiao. "The one treating Senior Sister Ling is the Deputy Hall Master of the Royal Conferred Hall of the Star Luo Empire, a Super Douluo-level healing master. As long as there's a breath of life left, she can revive the dead and heal bones. You may have heard of her—she is Senior Wang Xian'er."
Upon hearing the name Wang Xian'er, Xu Sanshi was the first to react, his body shaking with surprise. His eyes lit up with excitement as he asked Bei Bei, "Bei Bei, is this Senior Wang Xian'er the Medical Immortal Douluo?"
Bei Bei motioned for silence with a finger to his lips, then gently nodded.
Xu Sanshi immediately breathed a sigh of relief and told the others, "Senior Wang Xian'er is known as the top healing soul master of our time. Even Elder Zhuang from the Sea God Pavilion ranks below her. Elder Zhuang once praised her as the most powerful healing soul master alive. Her spirit is the exceedingly rare Healing Angel."
The Medical Immortal Douluo Wang Xian'er was an exceptionally rare healing-type Super Douluo, one of the most important figures in the Star Luo Empire, and the Deputy Hall Master of the Royal Conferred Hall, second only to the empire's top-ranked Super Douluo.
If even the Medical Immortal Douluo couldn't save Ling Luochen, her fate would be sealed. Hearing that Senior Wang Xian'er was personally attending to her, Xu Sanshi felt immense relief. With such a powerful healer present, even dying would be difficult.
This also demonstrated how much the Star Luo Empire valued Shrek Academy. Even for an injured inner court disciple, they had sent someone as prestigious as Wang Xian'er for treatment.
The green light in Wang Xian'er's hand gradually dimmed as her brows furrowed, deepening the wrinkles on her face.
"This girl's injuries are quite peculiar. Her meridians were damaged from forcibly amplifying her cultivation and using power beyond her control, even her spirit was slightly harmed."
"However, these are not the main issues. I can heal her meridians, spirit, and the injuries caused by her soul power exhaustion. But there is one problem, even I cannot solve…"