"Bzz—!"
The space around her suddenly twisted, not under the control of any external force, but because her own aura had crushed it beyond endurance, making it tremble with a mournful wail.
That was the mark of surpassing a Dou Zong.
That was...
A Dou Venerate!
Liu Bai's pupils contracted slightly.
One-star Dou Venerate!
Two-star Dou Venerate!
Three-star Dou Venerate!
That pressure was like the collapse of heaven and earth, like a tsunami roaring across the sea, like a god descending into the world.
Even gods were probably no more than this!
Sitting beside her, Liu Bai could actually feel the Dou Qi within his body trembling faintly. It was the instinctive awe brought by the suppression of a higher level of life.
He had spent untold effort, opportunities, and arduous cultivation to reach this point.
And she—she had merely absorbed a Heavenly Flame that had belonged to her from the start.
Liu Bai stared at the hazy figure within the medicinal mist and remained silent for a long while.
Then he gave a soft laugh.
"Really amazing..."
His voice carried a little emotion, a little relief, and a pride he simply could not hide.
"My Xian'er."
Xiao Yi Xian's aura finally stabilized at seven-star Dou Venerate.
She sat quietly in the medicinal bath as the world-destroying pressure around her slowly receded like a tide and returned to silence.
The misty vapor blurred her features as she opened her eyes.
Deep within those usually gentle eyes, dark green flames hung upside down like a river of stars—brilliant and tranquil.
She looked toward Liu Bai.
Liu Bai sat beside the tub, one hand supporting his chin as he watched her with a smiling gaze.
His face was still somewhat weary, but his eyes curved warmly, his expression as gentle as a