Phoenix Flame Burning Heart Domain · Dragon Domain Shaking the Abyss Ruins

On the road, Little Ma Xiaotao asked nervously, "That fairy sister... will you stay with me forever?"

"I will."

Long Jinyu's answer held not a hint of hesitation as he tightened his grip on her hand.

"I will stay with you until the day you no longer need me to."

He pointed toward the light of the exit growing brighter ahead: "Look, we are almost there. Outside, there are not only sweet red bean cakes and warm sunshine, but also many, many people who will truly love you."

Little Ma Xiaotao looked where he pointed, a glimmer of anticipation lighting up her eyes, and her footsteps unconsciously grew lighter.

Hope was right before them; warmth was within reach.

But just as his heart relaxed for a fleeting moment—

"BOOM!"

The entire spiritual world shuddered violently! The warm white light ahead seemed to be splashed with thick ink, instantly dimming and twisting! The scorched earth beneath their feet cracked crazily.

The dark red Evil Fire was no longer mere scattered embers; it erupted like a volcano, surging into the sky while carrying a sickening, profound aura of corruption and despair!

"Ah—!" Little Ma Xiaotao shrieked in terror, clutching Long Jinyu's arm tightly, her small body trembling like a leaf in the wind.

Long Jinyu's pupils constricted. He instantly shielded Little Ma Xiaotao behind him, his heterochromatic eyes filled with gravity. This turn of events was far from ordinary!

This was no simple inner demon; a colder, more evil power that did not belong to Ma Xiaotao's origin was driving it.

"Domain: Ten Thousand Ravine Dragon Walls!"

He let out a low shout, and a thick, earthy-yellow radiance unfolded from him as the center. Countless barriers rose from the ground, firmly protecting him and Little Ma Xiaotao in the middle. The dark red flames slammed into the walls with a dull roar, causing them to shake violently until they began to slowly melt.

"This isn't right! The level of this power... it far exceeds a Titled Douluo! Is it carrying divine pollution?!"

This is definitely not a method that Dark Thunder Douluo could have left behind!

"Hee hee... Hahahaha—!"

A shrill, manic female laugh rang out from within the flames, and a figure slowly stepped out from the towering inferno.

Her fiery red hair danced wildly. Her exquisite face, similar to Little Ma Xiaotao's, was covered in strange black markings, and her phoenix eyes were now pure, pitch-black voids, burning with flames that sought to destroy everything.

The fire burning around her was no longer the scorching Phoenix Flame, but a viscous, gloomy Fallen Fire that seemed capable of devouring all light!

It was the adult Ma Xiaotao, yet a completely corrupted, malicious version.

"Another one... another one here to die?" She tilted her head, her voice layered with a dual tone—both Ma Xiaotao's original timbre and an inhuman, raspy quality. "You want to take her away? On what grounds? That world outside... that world full of disgust and fear—what is there to go back to!"

"Domain: Dragon Bathing in Spring Rain!"

Without the slightest hesitation, Long Jinyu launched his power of healing and purification first.

Emerald radiance, brimming with vitality, fell like spring rain, attempting to nourish the scorched earth and dispel the darkness.

Yet, when the green light touched the Fallen Fire, it was like pouring clear water into boiling oil. While it could resist momentarily, it could not purify the flames; instead, it provoked the dark fire to become even more violent!

"It's useless..." Darkened Tao sneered. "Your life will only serve as fuel for my Fallen Fire!"

Long Jinyu's brows locked tight, his thoughts racing. If life force wouldn't work, he would try freezing it!

"Domain: Eternal Dragon Frost!"

Extreme cold erupted, and an ice-blue dragon shadow roared forth. Everywhere it passed, even space itself seemed to freeze! A layer of white frost instantly covered the surface of the dark red flames, stalling their momentum.

Was it effective? No!

He watched as Darkened Tao merely swayed her body, and the frost covering her was rapidly melted and devoured from within by the deeper black flames!

"Cold? Despair is far colder than this!"

She raised her hand, and a condensed thread of black fire shot out like a venomous snake! Its speed far exceeded Long Jinyu's expectations!

"Domain: Carefree Dragon Gale!"

A gentle breeze swirled, attempting to deflect the attack.

But unlike in reality, the black fire thread seemed to carry a "guaranteed hit" law-like property. The breeze only caused its trajectory to shift slightly, and it ultimately grazed Long Jinyu's shoulder with brutal force!

"Sss—!"

An indescribable pain, one that burned the soul directly, surged through him! The soul body at Long Jinyu's shoulder actually became somewhat translucent! This fire could directly damage one's origin!

"Big Brother!"

Little Ma Xiaotao was pale with fright.

"I'm fine!" Long Jinyu gritted his teeth, his gaze sharpening. Wind wouldn't work either! Then he would use light to purify!

"Domain: Sacred Imperial Dragon Domain!"

Brilliant, ultimate light erupted, as if the sun had descended into this dark world! Sacred, majestic radiance shone down, attempting to dispel all evil.

Darkened Tao let out a painful hiss. The Fallen Fire around her dimmed significantly under the holy light, as if encountering a natural predator. She curled her body up, appearing to be in great agony.

"It's working! Forgive me!"

Long Jinyu felt a surge of joy and poured his full strength into the Sacred Imperial Dragon Domain, attempting to purify her completely.

But the next moment, the situation changed once again!

"Pain... fear... disgust... these are all the sources of my power!"

Long Jinyu: "!!!"

Darkened Tao suddenly raised her head, and from those pitch-black eyes, tears of black blood actually flowed! The Fallen Fire on her body was not only failing to be purified, but under the "scorching" of the holy light, it was becoming even deeper and more venomous!

"The more you purify, the clearer the pain of being treated like a monster in her memories becomes! And the stronger my power grows! Hahahaha!"

Long Jinyu's heart sank.

Even the Ultimate Light cannot purify it? Instead, it stimulates the very root of it?

What kind of hellish thing is this!

Refusing to accept this, he switched his Domain once more.

"Domain: World-Burning Dragon Flame!"

The Ultimate Fire soared into the sky, transforming into a majestic dragon shape, attempting to fight fire with fire, forcibly refining and sublimating that Fallen Fire.

The two flames collided and devoured each other frantically, emitting deafening roars; for a moment, they were locked in a stalemate.

Long Jinyu could feel that although his Ultimate Fire was of a higher quality, that Fallen Fire was like a maggot on a tarsal bone, extremely difficult to deal with, and carried a bizarre power that corroded the mind. After fighting for so long, even his own soul began to feel weary and irritable.

"It's useless... it's useless! I am her, and she is me! Within 'our' domain, no one is a match for me! Hahahaha--!"

The voice of Darkened Tao was filled with bewitchment and madness.

Almost every method had been exhausted! Life, frost, gale, holy light, flames... none of them could truly resolve this monster born from the combination of Ma Xiaotao's inner demons and external fallen power!

Long Jinyu's aura became slightly disordered, and the illusory sensation of his soul body intensified.

He tightly shielded the shivering little Xiaotao behind him, his brain racing.

Just as he prepared to make one final stand, a mechanical voice that had been silent (playing dead✓) for a long time rang out in his mind, sounding slightly urgent:

[Ding! High-concentration abnormal rule contamination energy detected, analyzing...]