Wherever the Flame Tornado passed, the Black Flame vanished. Even the scars left on the ground by the black fire were thoroughly cleansed, and the polluted air grew fresh and clean.
The group of Fallen Mages guarding the formation had been cleansed as well!
These Fallen Ones, who had given themselves to the Dark Dimension, lost all their magical power after being thoroughly purified by Vatoum's Wind.
Then the Holy Flame in the wind ignited them. They were completely burned away before they could even scream, not a trace of ash left behind!
The next moment, the massive Flame Tornado that had shot from the barren surface of the Death Star into Deep Space was torn apart by an even more overwhelming Dark Power, dissolving into wisps of luminous mist.
Inside the formation, Kaecilius let go of the ritual he had been maintaining, his expression darkening as he stepped down from the altar.
"I have to admit, I underestimated you, Master Huo."
Kaecilius was clearly seething with anger. But the people guarding the formation were all dead, and he hadn't even had time to come to their aid. Under the circumstances, continuing to maintain the formation was clearly impossible.
He walked toward Huo Yuhao, his hoarse, low voice carrying an evil, dark allure that threatened to make reason slip away. "Master Huo, let's talk... Perhaps we can make peace."
Huo Yuhao silently formed a Hand Seal. "I have nothing to discuss with a madman like you, someone who conspires with a Dimensional Demon God and wants to destroy the world."
"Stop." Kaecilius waved to the Fallen Mages.
The Fallen Mages inside the formation, who had been keeping it running, exchanged glances. Still, they obeyed Kaecilius's order.
Without its Maintainer and leader, the sinister formation on the ground quickly lost its dazzling colors and faded into darkness.
"Can we talk now?" Kaecilius asked, turning to him.
Huo Yuhao still held the Hand Seal, but the power surging through him had calmed considerably. Frowning, he asked, "What do you want to talk about?"
Kaecilius smiled. His eyes, glowing a faint dark red within the panda-like rings of blackened skin around them, fixed on Huo Yuhao. "Master Huo, do you remember why you joined the Sacred Hall?"
"Of course." Huo Yuhao furrowed his brows. "I wanted to undo the tragedy of the past."
"Then have you found a way?" Kaecilius asked.
Huo Yuhao fell silent.
A stiff smile crossed Kaecilius's hard features. "You should know by now why all of us who came to the Sacred Hall at such great lengths are here."
Before Huo Yuhao could reply, Kaecilius continued:
"We didn't come to the Sacred Hall to be enlightened, to gain power, or to find so-called Inner Peace! We came only to undo our regrets, to heal our lives!"
Huo Yuhao's expression shifted, but he still said nothing.
"But what did the Ancient One, that Supreme Mage who always held himself above everyone else, ever teach us?"
Kaecilius sneered. "He taught us a few paltry tricks! Then he kept the magic that could truly change our fate to himself, so no one else could explore it!"
Huo Yuhao raised an eyebrow. "So that's what you wanted to say?"
Kaecilius calmly retorted, "Am I wrong?"
"Of course you are!" Huo Yuhao stared into Kaecilius's eyes. "Master Gu Yi isn't aloof, and he's never been stingy with his teachings. Besides, he's the Guardian of the Universe! Under his protection, the Universe has been spared invasions from Alien Dimensions for countless years!"
"If he were truly selfish, he wouldn't have spent all those years fighting on the front lines against the Dimensional Demon Gods!"
"Never been stingy?" Kaecilius sneered. "Then do you know how he's lived for so long? As far as I know, he was already the Supreme Mage ten thousand years ago!"
"Ordinary Guardian Mages rarely live past a hundred. Even if they cultivate their magic to the Profound Realm and avoid spells that demand a price, they can live at most a thousand years! Yet the Ancient One has lived for at least ten thousand!"
"There's no end in sight to his life, while you've never seen the slightest hope of getting even a little power from him to undo your regrets!"
At that moment, almost without thinking, Huo Yuhao murmured a name: "The Eye of Agamotto?"
Kaecilius frowned. "What did you say?"
Huo Yuhao shook his head. "Nothing."
Kaecilius didn't press him. Instead, he looked at Huo Yuhao with a curious expression, the corner of his mouth lifting in an evil smile. "Do you know why I went down this path?"
"Greed? Or stupidity?" Huo Yuhao shot back.
The smile on Kaecilius's lips widened. Staring at Huo Yuhao, he whispered like a demon, "No. It was because I once happened to see the Dark Dimension Mark on the Ancient One's forehead."
"The very Dark Dimension that he told every Sacred Hall Mage never to approach, never to draw power from!"
"Impossible!" Huo Yuhao blurted out.
"Anything is possible. That's something the Ancient One often says." Kaecilius laughed maliciously, enjoying Huo Yuhao's reaction as his face twisted with laughter.
"That's right! The Ancient One whom you and every other Mage revere, the Guardian God of the Universe, is just like me! He, too, gave himself to the great Dormammu!"
"He forbade Mages from contacting the Dark Dimension, yet drew power from it himself, keeping his life going for more than ten thousand years!"
But Kaecilius was soon disappointed. After a moment of surprise, Huo Yuhao quickly returned to his earlier, unruffled demeanor.
Huo Yuhao sneered. "Even I know a way to extend my life, let alone the learned Venerable Gu Yi. You almost fooled me!"
Now it was Kaecilius's turn to lose his composure. "You don't believe me? It's true! The Ancient One really is using the power of the Dark Dimension to prolong his life! Believe me!"
"Then tell me! Why are your eye sockets so dark? Why is your skin as pale as a corpse?"
"You say the Venerable Gu Yi gave himself to the Dark Dimension just like you did. So why didn't he turn out like you? Answer me, you dog who slanders the Venerable Gu Yi!"
"It's true!!!" Kaecilius flew into a rage at Huo Yuhao's insults. His pallid face flushed red, and he looked as though he'd been unjustly accused.
Dark Energy surged violently from Kaecilius. He looked ready to attack Huo Yuhao at any moment.
But after the dark red mark on Kaecilius's forehead flickered several times, he finally forced down his anger. He took a few deep breaths, then changed his tone.
"Fine. I have no intention of arguing with you. Let's leave that aside for now..."
"Next, I'd like to introduce you to our Heavenly Father and Savior—Dormammu!"