"Stop!"
As the beam of light approached, the silhouette of the Demon Saint slowly raised his finger and lightly tapped it. Instantly, the beam halted in its tracks.
"As expected, Brother Gu Fei's judgment was correct!"
Seeing this, Zi Yan finally let out a sigh of relief, dispersing the vast energy she had gathered in her palm.
"The Refining Sky Ancient Formation was my creation. In terms of understanding it, you can't compare to me," the Demon Saint's projection smiled faintly, gazing at the darkened face of the Purifying Demonic Lotus Flame in the sky.
"Curse you!"
"You think you're still the same Demon Saint from before?"
The Purifying Demonic Lotus Flame raged, but soon realized something horrifying- its control over the formation was gradually slipping away.
"Purifying Demonic Lotus Saint, I'll fight you to the death!"
"Flame of Annihilation!"
The Demonic Flame's body rapidly swelled, and with a loud *boom*, it erupted into a sea of overwhelming flames that spread across the heavens and earth.
"Ahhh!"
A half-saint level expert let out a shrill scream as his Dou Qi ignited. His very flesh, bones, and soul were consumed by the flames.
Those nearby felt a cold fear wash over them. The energy in this realm was being evaporated by the intense heat, leaving them unable to replenish their Dou Qi. If they stayed any longer, they would surely burn alive.
Just as the onlookers trembled in terror, the Demon Saint's projection waved his sleeve. Two massive arrays spanning tens of thousands of feet suddenly emitted a radiant glow. The light twisted in midair, forming a portal.
"Hurry and leave. If the flame fully explodes, none of you will survive..."
"Run!"
Seeing the portal, most people fled frantically, not daring to waste a single second.
"Elder Nanhai, Brother Gu Fei will be fine. We should leave as well," Zi Yan turned her gaze back to Gu Nanhai and Xun'er, who hadn't left yet.
"Yes," Gu Nanhai didn't doubt her words, as he knew the close relationship between Gu Fei and Zi Yan. If Gu Fei were in danger, Zi Yan wouldn't leave so easily.
"Brother Gu Fei, please be safe..." Xun'er glanced back with every step, her heart filled with worry for Gu Fei. But soon, Gu Nanhai forcibly pulled her into the portal.
Zi Yan, though worried about Gu Fei, trusted his plans. She knew staying behind would only cause him trouble.
Before long, the vast space was deserted, with only Gu Fei remaining. The entire area was engulfed in a sea of milky white demonic flames. The heat was so intense that even a Five-Star Dou Saint wouldn't last long, as even their Dou Qi would ignite.
At the center of the fiery space, a fire lotus spun slowly. Not far below it, Gu Fei stood with his hands behind his back, while the Demon Saint's projection radiated an aura of boundless majesty.
"When we first met, you were as pure as a newborn. I bestowed you with wisdom, but your path diverged from what I had hoped," the Demon Saint sighed softly as he gazed at the eerie fire lotus above.
"Treacherous bastard, how I grow is my own business. You're overstepping your bounds!" the Purifying Demonic Lotus Flame roared angrily.
"I simply didn't want you to spiral into self-destruction. Since I made you this way, let me be the one to end it."
The Demon Saint's projection shifted his hand, and the colossal formations in the sky swiftly converged. A massive wall of flames shot out from the center of the formation, forming a square prison of fire that encased the lotus within.
"The wisdom and memories I gave you, I will now take back. You will return to the purity you had when I first discovered you."
"Purifying Demonic Lotus Saint, you heartless scum! I won't let you have your way!"
The lotus spun faster and faster as the flame resisted, unwilling to accept defeat.
"Thousands of years of sealing have only deepened your hatred. In that case..."
The Demon Saint gazed at the struggling lotus and sighed. The vast formation began collapsing from the outside in, but the fire prison around the lotus grew denser.
"Refining Sky Ancient Formation, separate!"
The Demon Saint's phantom hand moved, and countless fire lines burst out from the fire prison. Threads of blood-red mist were gradually drawn out from the lotus.
"Ahhh!"
The Demonic Flame let out an agonizing scream, unable to escape the process.
"The memories are mine to give, and now, I will take them back."
"Without memories, I'll be nothing! Your actions are no different from killing me!"
The flame, feeling its mind going blank, was gripped by terror. Without its memories and wisdom, it would essentially die.
"Your violent nature, coupled with my legacy, would wreak havoc if you break free. Since I created this disaster, I must be the one to end it."
The Demon Saint shook his head and intensified the refining process.
"Ahhh!"
Thick, crimson mist surged out from the flame lotus, coalescing into a blood-red figure above it. The Purifying Demonic Lotus Flame desperately tried to dive back into its body, but the Demon Saint gave it no chance.
With a grasp of his hand, the fire prison shrank, trapping the flame inside.
"Master! Please spare me this once! I'll change, I promise!"
Now genuinely afraid, the Demonic Flame knelt and begged for mercy.
The Demon Saint's phantom form sighed, and with a wave of his sleeve, the projection reentered Gu Fei's body, then floated into the fire prison, standing before the flame.
"Sigh... even the mighty fall eventually..."
At last, Gu Fei regained control of his body. His consciousness had been aware of everything happening outside. Gazing at the Demon Saint's phantom inside the fire prison, Gu Fei couldn't help but feel a sense of melancholy.
"Little flame, you once turned against me, but in the end, I bear no hatred."
"My life was without students or heirs. From beginning to end, you were the closest to me."
The Demon Saint gently stroked the Purifying Demonic Lotus Flame's head, his ethereal face softening into a smile.
"But I hate you!"
The blood-red figure suddenly looked up, its eyes glaring at the Demon Saint. Tendrils of blood mist swiftly enveloped the phantom.
"This moment feels just like that day..."
Even as the demonic flame attacked, the Demon Saint's face was tinged with sadness.
"Let us vanish together into the vastness of the world."
As the Demon Saint's voice faded, the enormous flame array shattered entirely.