Nuclear Deterrence

Xiao Yan looked around, trying to find the light circle he had entered through, but found that the light circle had disappeared, and all he could see was milky white Purifying Lotus Demon Flame.

"Buzz..."

A pair of dark wings suddenly sprang out from Xiao Yan's back, unfurling as if he had complete control over the Space Power.

However, Xiao Yan still couldn't find the opening created by the Purifying Lotus Demon Flame.

The Demon Flame Space opens once every thousand years. It does not open voluntarily, but rather when the Space Barrier weakens at a specific point in time, the Purifying Lotus Demon Flame actively consumes its power to forcibly open it.

Although the Demon Flame Space is quite miraculous, capable of autonomously absorbing the World Energy to recover, this process still takes at least several hours.

It's absolutely impossible to complete everything as soon as you enter the game.

Unless this is Illusion Realm.

Xiao Yan couldn't help but look at Xun'er beside him.

Is this real or fake?

Although they entered hand in hand, if they were under the Illusion Realm...

Almost the instant Xiao Yan had this thought, three people suddenly entered the range of his Soul Power's perception.

That familiar aura clearly belonged to the contestants sent by the Soul Clan to compete for the Purifying Lotus Demon Flame —a young prodigy with Divine Bloodline, a Soul Hall Master, and a powerful guarantor whose entire body was hidden in a black robe.

"This couldn't be more timely?" Xiao Yan frowned. He had just begun to doubt the authenticity of the story when he encountered his nemesis, which made him even more suspicious.

Without giving the three time to waste words, Xiao Yan flapped his wings, grabbed Xun'er, and retreated thousands of miles away, shaking off the three members of the Soul Clan in the blink of an eye.

As a result, Xiao Yan ran into another group of people.

The members of the Yao Clan were inwardly cursing the Gu Clan for stealing their Heavenly Flames, and they were also cursing Xiao Yan, while simultaneously condemning Yao Chen as a "traitor to the Yao Clan" for nurturing Xiao Yan.

"Hey, any more?" Xiao Yan sneered, his figure disappearing once more, drifting far away.

Just then, Xiao Yan suddenly felt a pain in his chest.

"Brother Xiao Yan, I'm sorry, I need your fire to revitalize the Gu Clan..."

Xun'er's heart-wrenching voice echoed in my ears; she seemed unwilling to do it, yet had no choice.

But Xiao Yan had already seen through it all. The scene in front of him had changed drastically, and he was back at the place where he had just entered the Demon Flame Space, still holding Xun'er's hand.

However, at this moment, Xun'er was in pain, her brows were furrowed, and some milky white flames were faintly emerging from the surface of her body. She had been invaded by the Purifying Lotus Demon Flame!

Xiao Yan raised his hand to his chest, first calming his mind. After confirming that the Purifying Lotus Demon Flame would not find an opening, he guided the Heavenly Flames into Xun'er's Body to protect her meridians.

"Hmm? This Purifying Lotus Demon Flame seems to be uncontrolled?" Xiao Yan sensed the Milky White Flame within Xun'er's Body that had been instantly suppressed and suddenly realized that the Purifying Lotus Demon Flame didn't seem to be that strong.

The Soul Power transformed into a sharp spike, gently touching Xun'er's forehead. The intense stimulation caused Xun'er to break free from its control.

After regaining her senses, Xun'er immediately threw herself into Xiao Yan, as if she had seen Xiao Yan being killed in the Illusion Realm.

Xiao Yan gently stroked Xun'er's back, comforting her as Xun'er trembled slightly. Meanwhile, his Dragon Phoenix wings extended once more from his back, sensing the location of the exit from the Demon Flame Space.

Still haven't found it.

Fortunately, Xun'er didn't stab me this time.

With a thought, the Heavenly Flames within Xiao Yan trembled slightly, and a dazzling flame ignited in his eyes, causing the world before him to undergo a dramatic transformation.

The endless sea of milky white fire disappeared, replaced by a milky white mist covering an area of about several tens of feet.

At this moment, within the mist, there were dozens of figures, each with a different expression, struggling against the air in place, unable to move an inch no matter how hard they tried.

Some people's bodies were even engulfed in milky white flames, turning into ashes without any resistance.

"This is the Nightmare Heavenly Mist? Fortunately, the Heavenly Flames is still effective." Xiao Yan tightened his grip on Xun'er's waist. In order to refine the Purifying Lotus Demon Flame, this girl no longer had the Golden Emperor Burning Heaven Flame, and her resistance was much weaker.

With a tremor of his Dragon Phoenix Heavenly Wing, Xiao Yan soared into the sky, breaking free from the shackles of this strange mist.

Not far away, a huge platform was suspended in mid-air, and at the end of the platform was a giant white gate. On the platform, the elder who had come with them was already standing.

Judging from his appearance, the old man has been through a lot and has a very strong mind; he hasn't been greatly affected.

Xun'er has recovered a lot. She has always believed that Xiao Yan is invincible. It's just that Xiao Yan's life-and-death struggle in the Illusion Realm was too challenging for her nerves, which caused Xun'er to lose her composure.

"Young Master, Miss," the elder greeted them, then said with a wry smile, "I didn't expect the Purifying Lotus Demon Flame to be able to release Nightmare Heavenly Mist. It seems its strength has greatly improved in the past thousand years..."

Xiao Yan ignored what he was saying, and instead flicked his finger, sending a dazzling ball of Heavenly Flames landing on the boulder.

Xiao Yan was very interested in this stone that could withstand the high temperature of the legendary Purifying Lotus Demon Flame.

How can this Illusion Realm be resolved?

The terrifying flames, fused with nine Heavenly Flames, burned silently on the boulder, seemingly unaffected by each other, as if the two were like water flowing in different directions.

"This is..." Xun'er's gaze narrowed slightly. After being tempered by Xiao Yan's Heavenly Flames, she had some understanding of the power of Xiao Yan's Heavenly Flames, so she also had doubts about everything in front of her.

"The single-player dungeon has become a multiplayer dungeon, and even though we know it's Illusion Realm, we still can't break through it." Xiao Yan shrugged, feeling the troublesome nature of the Purifying Lotus Demon Flame.

This is a very troublesome thing. It's like the brain has figured it out, but the body can't keep up. Even though they guessed that everything in front of them was the environment, they couldn't break free.

"Why don't we try to break through the stone gate?" the elder suggested.

"Are you perhaps a spy sent by the Purifying Lotus Demon Flame?" Xiao Yan asked the elder, glancing at him sideways.

"Um... staying here isn't a solution, is it? We might as well follow the Illusion Realm." The elder looked distressed.

"Do you know anything more about Nightmare Heavenly Mist?" Xiao Yan was also at a loss.

Xun'er and the elder exchanged a glance, and in the end could only shake their heads helplessly. The era of the Nether Flame Demon Saint was too ancient, and he was a loner. The major Ancient Race were not familiar with him at all, and they had only heard that the Nightmare Heavenly Mist had once trapped an entire city in a dream for a hundred years.

"If there's no other way, then we'll just have to blow it up."

Xiao Yan shrugged, and the Heavenly Flames within his body surged forth, splitting into nine, transforming into nine balls of different colors. Under Xiao Yan's control, they slowly approached each other.

"Uh..." The elder's right eyelid twitched wildly, and he really wanted to say that no matter how much you bombard us, you still haven't escaped the Illusion Realm.

But sensing that destructive aura, the elder decided to remain silent.

Xiao Yan had no idea what would happen when the nine Heavenly Flames merged.

The only thing Xiao Yan knew was that if he forcibly combined the Heavenly Flames while preserving each one, their power would increase exponentially.

In reality, if the nine Heavenly Flames were to merge, Xiao Yan was confident that he could make Gu Yuan take notice, and even the Black Annihilation King, with his cultivation at the Eight-star Dou Sheng Initial Stage, might not be able to withstand it without taking any damage.

As the Heavenly Flames continued to merge, even the space itself began to tremble, as if it could not withstand this destructive power.

"Boom!" The giant gate suddenly opened, and countless figures emerged from it, each of them surrounded by Milky White Flame, as if they had completely fallen into oblivion.

The moment they appeared, they were about to attack Xiao Yan, seemingly trying to stop him from Fusion Heavenly Flame.

"It works!" The elder's spirits lifted, and he instinctively wanted to step forward to stop him.

"Ignore them." Xiao Yan's calm voice rang out, causing the elder to stiffen and Xun'er to look puzzled.

"This is Illusion Realm," Xiao Yan replied.

"But..." Xun'er looked worried and wanted to say something, but Xiao Yan interrupted her.

"What is fake can never become real, and what is real can never become fake. No matter how many Flame Slave there are in the Illusion Realm, they are nothing. In reality, we cannot stop even one Flame Slave."

Xiao Yan remained calm. The nine flames in front of him had now overlapped, hovering on the edge of either exploding completely or maintaining the status quo under Xiao Yan's control.

It seemed that Xiao Yan didn't take the densely packed Flame Slave seriously at all.

In reality, Xiao Yan was indeed very calm, which had nothing to do with Gu Yuan secretly following nearby. This was a kind of extraordinary confidence.

Seeing Xiao Yan's confidence, the two could only remain still and let the Flame Slave's attacks engulf Xiao Yan.

"Boom boom boom!"

After a dazzling special effect faded, Xiao Yan's figure reappeared in their eyes.

At this moment, Xiao Yan still maintained the same calm and composed demeanor as before. Not only were there no extra wrinkles in his clothes, but even his hairstyle was perfectly intact.

"As expected of Young Master/ Brother Xiao Yan!"

Both of them expressed their heartfelt feelings.

After charging for a while, the Flame Slave seemed to realize that the effect was minimal and retreated one after another.

After they left, a handsome figure dressed in white slowly walked out of the giant gate.

This figure seemed to have no energy fluctuations, just an ordinary person who had not cultivated, yet he also seemed to be an unparalleled powerhouse, with every move he made exuding an irresistible pressure.

"Interesting. Do you want to help me escape?" The white-clad figure said with a slight upturn of his lips.

"The Nihility Devouring Flame is already Nine-star Dou Sheng." Xiao Yan didn't even look up.

"..." The figure in white seemed to choke.

"He also has an Ancient Race as an ally, Patriarch is Peak of Nine-Star Dou Sheng," Xiao Yan added.

"... What does that have to do with me?" The figure in white seemed a little anxious, no longer displaying the pretentious air he had when he first appeared.

In reality, the white-clad figure could not ignore Xiao Yan. When he released the Flame Slave to block them, the initiative was already out of his hands.

At this moment, Xiao Yan finally completely merged the nine Heavenly Flames together, forming Light Sphere of flame that flickered and shone. The pressure it emitted caused the surrounding temperature to rise several times over.

"Do you think my trick can help you get out of trouble?" Xiao Yan asked, raising his eyes.

The white-clad figure seemed to still be thinking about the Nihility Devouring Flame. He coveted Xiao Yan's Heavenly Flames, Nihility Devouring Flame naturally coveted his Purifying Lotus Demon Flame as well.

Although the Purifying Lotus Demon Flame is also incredibly powerful, in terms of its strangeness, it is actually slightly inferior to the Nihility Devouring Flame.

From a spatial perspective, if the Nihility Devouring Flame were sealed, it could escape as soon as it could open a hole. Unlike the Purifying Lotus Demon Flame, which has been trapped for ten thousand years and still can't get away.

"Actually, I'm also very curious about the explosive power that would be produced if the nine Exotic Flame Fusion, but unfortunately this is just Illusion Realm..."

Xiao Yan's face was not pale. His Soul Power and Dou Qi seemed inexhaustible. However, if Xiao Yan were to immerse himself in this powerful force, he would also be controlled by the Illusion Realm and eventually become Flame Slave.

Just then, Xiao Yan felt a sharp pain in his head.

Everything before them vanished like a mirage, and the surrounding environment changed drastically once again, revealing the true Demon Flame Space.

The white-clad figure still possessed a handsome face, but at this moment, his eyes were filled with Xiao Yan's reflection. The other powerful figures fell out of the Illusion Realm, but the Purifying Lotus Demon Flame showed no interest whatsoever.

"Having swallowed your words, I am confident that I can surpass the Nether Flame Demon Saint ..." The Purifying Lotus Demon Flame curled a wicked smile at the corner of its mouth, and seemed to swallow a mouthful of saliva.

Xiao Yan raised an eyebrow, and the Heavenly Flames within his body dispersed again, this time splitting into three from nine.

Golden Emperor Burning Heaven Flame, One Fallen Heart Flame, One Green Lotus Core Flame; Life Spirit Flame, Nine Dragon Thunder Gang Fire, One Turtle Spirit Earth Fire; Eight Desolations Destruction Flame, Three Thousand Burning Flame, One Nine Nether Wind Flame.

Each of these Heavenly Flames possesses considerable power, not far inferior to the Purifying Lotus Demon Flame, and requires considerable effort to refine.

Almost instantly, everyone's eyes turned to Xiao Yan. Even those who were gloating over the Purifying Lotus Demon Flame's words were now serious because they sensed a world-destroying aura.

The Purifying Lotus Demon Flame seemed to sense the violent aura within Xiao Yan's body, an aura so intense it seemed capable of destroying everything, and the smile on its face vanished.

"Swallow me, do you dare?" A provocative voice came from Xiao Yan's mouth, making the Purifying Lotus Demon Flame's expression even uglier.

However, Xiao Yan's actions were not merely provocation. The Dragon Phoenix Heavenly Wing extended from his back, trembled slightly, and he directly rushed to the opposite side of the Purifying Lotus Demon Flame. At a distance of several meters, the three Heavenly Flames within his body also overflowed at the same time, as if they might explode at any moment.

The Purifying Lotus Demon Flame seemed to have been scalded, and it was ejected and blasted away, its expression gradually becoming solemn.

"I delivered myself to your door, why are you turning it back?" Xiao Yan's lips curled up slightly, as if the smile of the Purifying Lotus Demon Flame had transferred to his face.

"Cough cough, Xiao Yan, if you want to die, don't drag us down with you!" The Soul Hall Master was the first to lose his composure. He never expected that the Gu Clan's son-in-law would be such a complete madman!

"Brother Xiao Yan ..." Xun'er was also very worried. She wasn't worried that Xiao Yan would self-destruct, but she was afraid that Xiao Yan would go too far and anger the Purifying Lotus Demon Flame, which would then target him.

Xiao Yan, however, ignored everything and looked at the milky white halo in the distance. That was the spatial passage that the Purifying Lotus Demon Flame had painstakingly opened, and it was also the only exit from the Demon Flame Space.

"What if I close the exit?" Xiao Yan's smile grew even more unrestrained, and a Space Power spread out from the dark Dragon Phoenix Heavenly Wing on his back, then surged towards the milky white halo.

"Not good!" The Purifying Lotus Demon Flame finally couldn't hold back any longer and cried out in alarm, its color changing drastically.