On the way, Little Ma Xiaotao asked nervously again, "Fairy big sister... will you stay with me forever?"
"I will."
Long Jinyu answered without a moment's hesitation and tightened his grip on her hand.
"I'll stay with you until the day you no longer need me by your side."
He pointed to the bright exit drawing closer ahead. "Look, we're almost there. Outside, there'll be sweet red bean cakes, warm sunlight, and so many... people who'll truly love you."
Little Ma Xiaotao followed his finger with her gaze. A light of anticipation shone in her eyes, and her steps grew a little lighter.
Hope was right before them, warmth within reach.
But just as his mind began to ease—
"BOOM—!"
The entire spiritual world shook violently! The warm white light ahead seemed to be splashed with thick ink, dimming and twisting in an instant! The scorched earth beneath their feet cracked apart wildly.
The dark red Evil Fire was no longer a handful of scattered embers. It erupted like a volcano, carrying a nauseating aura of deep corruption and despair as it soared into the sky!
"Ah—!" Little Ma Xiaotao screamed in fright and clung tightly to Long Jinyu's arm, her tiny body trembling like a leaf in the wind.
Long Jinyu's pupils contracted. He immediately shielded Little Ma Xiaotao behind him, his mismatched eyes filled with grim concern. This was no ordinary change!
This wasn't a simple inner demon. A colder, more sinister force, one that did not belong to Ma Xiaotao's nature, was driving it.
"Domain: Ten Thousand Ravine Dragon Walls!"
He gave a low shout. Thick, earthy-yellow light spread out from him, and countless barriers rose from the ground, protecting him and Little Ma Xiaotao at their center. The dark red flames slammed into the barriers with a muffled roar. They shook violently and began to melt, little by little.
"This isn't right! This level of power... it far surpasses a Soul Emperor! Is it tainted with divinity?!"
'There's no way Dark Thunder Douluo could have left behind a technique like this!'
"Ehee... Hahahahaha—!"
A piercing, maniacal woman's laughter rang out from the flames. A figure slowly emerged from the towering blaze.
Her long, fiery-red hair whipped wildly. Her delicate features resembled Little Ma Xiaotao's, but strange black patterns covered her face. Her phoenix eyes were now purely black, burning with flames that could destroy everything.
The fire burning around her was no longer the scorching Phoenix Flame. It was the Fallen Fire: viscous and shadowy, as if it could swallow all light!
It was Ma Xiaotao in her adult form, but utterly corrupted and filled with malice.
"Another one... another fool coming here to die?" She tilted her head. Her voice had a doubled quality, blending Ma Xiaotao's own voice with an inhuman rasp. "You want to take her away? What for? What's so great about that world outside... a world full of disgust and fear? Why go back?"
"Domain: Dragon Bathing in Spring Rain!"
Without the slightest hesitation, Long Jinyu unleashed his healing and purifying power first.
An emerald radiance brimming with life fell like spring rain, trying to nourish the scorched earth and drive away the darkness.
But when the green light touched the Fallen Fire, it was like clear water poured into boiling oil. It could hold the flames back for a moment, but it couldn't purify them. Instead, it only drove the dark flames into a greater frenzy!
"Useless..." Darkened Tao sneered. "Your life will only serve as fuel for my Fallen Fire!"
Long Jinyu's brow furrowed as his thoughts raced. If life didn't work, he'd try ice!
"Domain: Eternal Dragon Frost!"
Extreme cold burst forth. An ice-blue dragon shadow roared out, freezing even the space in its path! A layer of frost instantly covered the surface of the dark red flames, slowing their advance.
It worked? No!
Darkened Tao's body merely swayed a little. The deeper black flames quickly melted the frost from within and swallowed it!
"Cold? Despair is much colder than this!"
She raised her hand, and a condensed black line of flame shot toward him like a venomous snake! It moved far faster than Long Jinyu had expected!
"Domain: Carefree Dragon Gale!"
A gentle breeze swirled, trying to deflect the attack.
But unlike in the real world, the black line of flame seemed to possess some kind of "unerring" law. The wind barely altered its trajectory, and in the end, it still grazed Long Jinyu's shoulder with brutal force!
"Sss—!"
An indescribable pain, one that directly scorched his soul, surged through him! The spirit form around Long Jinyu's shoulder turned somewhat indistinct! This flame could directly harm one's very essence!
"Big sister!"
Little Ma Xiaotao's face went deathly pale with fright.
"I'm fine!" Long Jinyu gritted his teeth, his gaze growing sharper. The wind wouldn't work either! Then he'd use light to purify it!
"Domain: Sacred Imperial Dragon Domain!"
Dazzling Ultimate Light erupted, as if the sun had descended into this dark world! A holy, majestic radiance bathed everything, trying to drive away all evil.
Darkened Tao let out a pained cry. The Fallen Fire around her dimmed noticeably beneath the holy light, as if it had encountered its natural enemy. She curled up, writhing in pain.
It worked! I'm sorry!
Long Jinyu was overjoyed and poured all his strength into the Sacred Imperial Dragon Domain, trying to purify her completely.
But in the next instant, another change occurred!
"Pain... fear... disgust... those are the wellspring of my power!"
Long Jinyu: "!!!"
Darkened Tao abruptly raised her head. Black tears of blood streamed from her pitch-black eyes! Far from being purified, the Fallen Fire on her body grew even darker and more venomous under the "burning" holy light!
"The more you purify her, the clearer the pain of being treated like a monster becomes in her memories! And the stronger I become! Hahahahaha!"
Long Jinyu's heart sank.
Even Ultimate Light couldn't purify it? It only provoked the source of its power?
What in the world was this thing?!
He refused to believe it and switched "Domains" again.
"Domain: World-Burning Dragon Flame!"
Ultimate Fire shot into the sky, taking the form of a majestic dragon. He tried to fight fire with fire, forcibly refining and sublimating the Fallen Fire.
The two flames collided and devoured each other in a deafening series of blasts. For a time, neither could gain the upper hand.
Long Jinyu could feel that although his Ultimate Fire was of a higher grade, the Fallen Fire clung to its target like a festering bone-deep wound, making it incredibly difficult to deal with. Worse, it carried a strange power that corroded the mind. As the battle dragged on, even his divine soul began to feel tired and irritable.
"Useless... useless! I am her, and she is me! Within 'our' Domain, no one can defeat me! Hahahahaha—!"
Darkened Tao's voice was full of bewitching madness.
He had nearly exhausted every method! Life, frost, gale, holy light, fire... None of them could truly defeat this monster born from Ma Xiaotao's inner demon fused with an external force of corruption!
Long Jinyu's breathing grew slightly ragged, and the indistinctness of his spirit form worsened.
He held the trembling Little Ma Xiaotao tightly behind him, his mind racing.
Just as he prepared to make one final attempt, a mechanical voice that had been silent for ages (playing dead ✓) rang urgently in his mind:
[Beep! High-concentration anomalous law-pollution energy detected. Analyzing...]
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