Refining in Her Place

Xiao Yan appeared beside Huo Zhi in an instant and snatched away all the herbs.

A soul clone formed through the Three Thousand Lightning Phantom Body had already appeared silently before her. It raised a hand and gently pressed its palm against the wrists of her flame-wreathed hands.

Almost the instant it touched her, a surge of pure flame energy from the core of the Crimson Lotus Karma Flame flowed gently into her restrained meridians.

The Dou Qi that had been surging violently under Huo Zhi's forced exertion was washed by this sudden influx of pure energy from the same source. The string stretched taut inside her abruptly slackened! Exhaustion crashed over her like a long-gathering wave, swallowing her whole before she could brace herself. Far from harming her, the foreign power soothed the last strength she had wrung from herself, leaving her unable to remain conscious.

"Ah..." After a faint moan, Huo Zhi slipped into unconsciousness. She had exhausted herself too thoroughly. She had managed to hold on before, but the moment help arrived, she fell into a deep sleep.

Her graceful body went limp, as though every bone had been pulled from it, and toppled backward. She collapsed into Xiao Yan's arms. The last trace of color she had struggled to keep in her lovely face swiftly faded, leaving a heartbreaking pallor. She could no longer hide the exhaustion between her brows.

"Kid, what do you think you're doing?!"

"How dare you!"

"Let go of Sister Huo Zhi!"

Xiao Yan had moved too quickly. It had all happened in an instant, leaving no time to stop him. The Flame Clan members were furious at what he had done. Several auras immediately locked onto him and his clone.

Wary, hostile gazes converged on Xiao Yan. They had just suffered