"They say that Blood Axe Xiao Chen was incredibly gifted back in the day. He was the cousin of Xiao Xuan, the patriarch of the Xiao clan. However, Xiao Chen hated being restrained and was unpredictable in nature. Before he gained his fame, countless powerful figures perished under his axe!"
"But later on, Xiao Chen mysteriously disappeared. No one could find him... And now, he's shown up here."
"In a way, Xiao Chen managed to avoid the great calamity that befell the Xiao clan…"
As the group discussed Xiao Chen, there was a sense of mixed emotions and regret on their faces.
Xiao Chen escaped the Xiao clan's disaster years ago.
To most people, it might seem like luck.
However, given Xiao Chen's personality, he would never want to just survive aimlessly.
He would rather die fighting for his clan than live like a walking corpse.
In the center of the hall, a hint of struggle appeared on Xiao Chen's face, as if he were fighting against something.
A faint, milky-white flame slowly began to emerge from his body.
"Let me help you!" Gu Fei said. The light cluster left by the Demon Saint in his brow gave him some insight.
In the next moment, Gu Fei's figure flashed, swiftly appearing beside Xiao Chen. His hand quickly rested on Xiao Chen's shoulder.
Xiao Chen's trembling body stilled, and the white flame threatening to burst from his body slowly dissipated.
"Huff…"
Xiao Chen exhaled a few deep breaths.
"Thank you, young friend, for your help!" Xiao Chen gratefully said once he calmed down.
"This is the Demonic Flame's domain. If you really want to thank me, then take us to where the Demonic Flame resides so we can defeat it," Gu Fei replied casually.
"The Purifying Demonic Lotus Flame... Even with your strength, you're no match for it," Xiao Chen shook his head.
"Staying here means death anyway. Is the once mighty Blood Axe Xiao Chen really so lost that you lack the courage to fight?" Gu Fei challenged.
"Follow me," Xiao Chen decided quickly. He wasn't one to fear death, and he began walking toward the grand hall doors.
"Creak!"
The group silently followed Xiao Chen as he slowly pushed open the massive door. Beyond it, a colossal altar could be seen.
Gu Fei smiled faintly as he stepped onto the stone steps leading to the altar.
As they neared the altar, they saw a giant throne standing in silence at its center. On the throne sat a figure in white robes, calmly seated, surrounded by swirling wisps of milky-white flames that constantly shifted and changed.
"Defeat me, and you will obtain my source flame. Fail, and you will remain here forever, becoming my flame slaves," the voice of the white-robed man was soft and gentle, yet as it echoed, it felt like it shook the very space they stood in.
Gu Nanhai, Huo Yao, and the others felt their faces grow heavy, sensing an overwhelming, unbeatable pressure from this figure.
"The Purifying Demonic Lotus Flame... I must admit, your illusions are even more realistic than those of the ancient Bodhi tree. But no matter how real they seem, illusions are still just illusions," Gu Fei said, showing no trace of fear.
As his words fell, the soft smile on the handsome face of the man on the throne slowly stiffened.
Gu Fei hadn't received any notification of emotional fluctuations, further confirming to him that the figure before them was just an illusion created by the Demonic Flame.
"Illusion?" Huo Xuan exclaimed, startled. "Young Lord, are you saying we're still in an illusion?"
"That can't be right! I feel real enough!" Huo Xuan began patting himself.
"We are real," Gu Fei explained. "The illusion isn't targeting any individual; it's a wide-range illusion."
"Why are you so knowledgeable about the Nightmare Heavenly Fog?" The white-robed figure finally spoke coldly, his voice filled with menace.
"You want to know? After I refine you, you'll naturally understand," Gu Fei replied with a calm smile.
Thanks to the system tracking emotions, no illusion could deceive him.
"How dare you!" the white-robed man roared, his eyes growing cold and merciless. Threads of milky-white fire began to spill from his body.
In an instant, an oppressive heat of destruction enveloped the space.
Seeing this imposing aura, Gu Nanhai and Huo Yao's faces grew even more grave.
"Everyone, in this space, his strength is tied to our perception! As long as we treat him like he doesn't exist, he can't harm us!" Gu Fei spoke in a low tone.
"You seek death!" The white-robed man's handsome face twisted in fury. He clenched his fist, and the milky-white flames coalesced into a massive fiery spear.
The spear radiated an aura of destruction as it shot toward Gu Fei.
Yet Gu Fei made no attempt to defend himself.
"Young Lord wouldn't risk himself for no reason. I trust his judgment!" one of the others said with confidence, choosing not to defend either.
"Boom!"
The enormous flaming spear descended, crashing into their bodies. But just as they thought they were about to be gravely injured, the spear abruptly vanished into thin air!
"Nothing happened!" Huo Zhi said, her face lighting up with joy.
She looked at Gu Fei with admiration. Compared to him, they were far behind in both strength and intelligence.
"Damn it!" The white-robed man above was furious, his body starting to flicker like a mirage.
"Break the Nightmare Illusion!" Gu Fei pressed two fingers together, shooting out a drop of blood that formed a strange blood seal.
"The Breaking Nightmare Seal?" The Purifying Demonic Lotus Flame's expression darkened.
"Go!" Gu Fei ignored him and flicked the blood seal into the air, sticking it firmly onto the illusion.
The space exploded, and the illusion shattered. They found themselves standing in a sea of magma, with massive floating rocks above them.
"We're finally out!" Relief washed over everyone's faces as they realized they had survived another deadly encounter.