Deathmatch in a Sea of Fire

The flames roared and quickly ignited the wooden floor, the animal specimens, and even... the air.

After all, this was not ordinary combustion, but a flame produced by the ignition of "Alchemy Energy".

The "Universal Creation Energy, one of the Supreme Alchemy of the Fusion Spectrum mastered by the Solence Family, allows one to extract and create Alchemy Energy out of thin air without extracting from any Alchemical Materials.

Furthermore... this Alchemy Energy is special, pure Alchemy Energy that "has no inherent properties".

Once this energy is "ignited," it will react with all the Alchemy Energy around it.

Ironically, within this sealed-off space, enclosed by metal plates raised by the "highest level of Security System," Alchemy Energy is present everywhere!

The alchemical facility was already in continuous operation, and the animal specimens were being injected with a large amount of energy for alchemy... Because the space was sealed, almost all of the Alchemy Energy they emitted was stored within this space, with almost no dissipation.

Among them... there are also a large amount of "Alchemy Waste Vapor" released spontaneously by the Xiao Nian, which exists in the air in the form of a faint smoke.

These "Alchemy Waste Vapor" were once "rejected" from the body due to the effect of the [Exclusive item: Theseus’s Self], but [Theseus’s Self] can also be... used in reverse!

Now, Xiao Nian has reversed the effects of [Theseus’s Self]—she has once again accepted the Alchemy Waste Vapor that had been expelled from her body, making it a part of herself.

This is why the reaction can explode almost simultaneously in every corner of the room.

Because...

Every inch of air in this room seems to extend from the "Xiao Nian".

The Alchemy Energy that were once again considered part of Xiao Nian and could be interfered with and influenced by her will naturally accelerated their combustion and explosion under Xiao Nian's influence!

Now...

The wooden planks were burning, crackling and popping.

The air was distorted by the heat wave, and alchemical fumes rose up.

One after another, burning animal specimens collapsed, and the air was filled with the acrid smell of burning hair.

At this moment, in order to avoid the explosions and flames surrounding Xiao Nian, Nightless Sky Fire Apricot has been forced to distance herself from Xiao Nian again.

Because the current environment is too extreme, the Raccoon of the Nightless Sky Fire Apricot have been forced to evacuate.

Through the burning wall of fire, Nightless Sky Fire Apricot looked at Xiao Nian and spoke softly.

"I've seen 'Universal Creation Energy' before, but this is the first time I've seen it used like this."

Xiao Nian nodded. "There's nothing I can do. After all, I wasn't taught by a proper teacher, and no one taught me practical application skills... Just make do with it, Miss Darcy."

"You created this extreme alchemical environment to compete with me on who can withstand this disaster the longest?" Nightless Sky Fire Apricot said.

"This 'mutual destruction' tactic... is not a good choice."

Xiao Nian looked at Nightless Sky Fire Apricot and said calmly, "But I'm betting that you're more afraid of death than I am."

"Is that so... But don't forget, you have a companion who's in a coma, and a Royal Nobles friend," Nightless Sky Fire Apricot said, pointing to Good Night on the ground and Joe Solence in the distance. "Regardless of who can hold on longer, I think they'll both be ahead of us."

"It's like a warning or a threat," said Nightless Sky Fire Apricot.

But she was right...

Although the first explosion of the Xiao Nian avoided the locations of Good Night and Joe Solence as much as possible, the subsequent chain of alchemical reactions had already plunged the entire space into a raging inferno of intense alchemical flames.

This is a classic case of "when the nest is overturned, no egg remains unbroken."

Needless to say, Good Night was unconscious; he hadn't even woken up yet, how could he possibly have any ability to protect himself?

Meanwhile, Joe Solence was awake, but her condition wasn't much better—her extreme fighting style had determined that her Alchemy Energy reserves were almost exhausted, and even the most basic Alchemy Shield might not be able to hold up.

Staying in this inferno where every second required an "Alchemy Shield," Joe Solence naturally couldn't last long.

But Xiao Nian didn't panic.

"If you can get your 'helpers' to retreat, I certainly have ways to keep my Partner safe."

As he spoke, Xiao Nian took out... a pitch-black scroll.

Nightless Sky Fire Apricot, sensing the unfamiliar and powerful abnormal energy surging from the dark scroll, immediately realized what was happening.

This is not a creation of this world.

Although she didn't know its function, Butorian Nightless Sky Fire Apricot immediately realized...

Xiao Nian will most likely require some method he's never seen before to protect Joe Solence and Good Night!

Driven by her fighting instincts, Nightless Sky Fire Apricot subconsciously wanted to overload her "Alchemy Shield," cross the wall of fire in front of her, and stop Xiao Nian.

But just before she could move, Nightless Sky Fire Apricot suddenly realized something.

"Wait, no... I don't think I really need to kill or seriously injure Joe Solence and this man lying on the ground... especially the one lying there—what if he and Arthur are on good terms?"

Thinking of this, Nightless Sky Fire Apricot abruptly stopped in her tracks, watching Xiao Nian open the scroll and use the flames beside her to ignite it until it burned to ashes.

As the scroll burned to ashes and fell to the ground, billowing black smoke rose from the ashes.

Black smoke dissipated and disappeared beneath the floor, and then...

Beneath Good Night Ye and at Joe Solence's feet, black shadows Vortex, and countless dark, Wraith arms crawled up their bodies.

"Joe—don't resist."

Xiao Nian reminded him, and Qiao on the other end said helplessly.

"Miss Huang, even if I wanted to resist... I don't know how."

As Qiao finished speaking, more and more ghostly hands engulfed her and Good Night's figures, as if dragging them into some other dimension to devour them.

Xiao Nian watched the two figures disappear, then her gaze returned to Nightless Sky Fire Apricot.

"You didn't even try to stop me?"

She had already prepared herself for the possibility that if Nightless Sky Fire Apricot obstructed her actions, she would turn the tables and fight her again.

Nightless Sky Fire Apricot shrugged. "I've already said... I don't want to hurt innocent people—I didn't even start this fire, and I never intended to kill those two people from the beginning."

"Furthermore, your ability to move them both out is a good thing for me... It means that you should be able to fight me without any reservations or scruples from now on... right?"

Nightless Sky Fire Apricot spoke, she loosened the sash of her plain white robe.

"Splash--!"

Her long Japanese-style robe slipped off her body and landed right in the flames behind her, where it was set ablaze.

At the same time that robe was burning...

Wearing only a black, form-fitting Combat Suit, Nightless Sky Fire Apricot charged through the wall of alchemical flames and lunged towards Xiao Nian's position!