After the demon tribulation came the fire tribulation.
The flames were Qiantian true fire, each blossom the size of a fist, drifting down like snowflakes. Any vegetation they touched instantly turned to ash, while sand, soil, and rock melted into lava.
Demons feared flames of this kind most of all. Had the Nine Demons spent those last three months controlling their mother's body to slaughter people in great numbers and devour fresh flesh and souls, they would still have had some strength to fight the Heavenly Fire. Now, however, they could not even struggle. They hid in Shi Longgu's belly, trembling and crying for help. "Mother, save me! Mother, please save me..."
They also kept sending thoughts to Shi Feiyang. "We beg our master to shelter and protect us... if we survive this tribulation, we will gladly serve you unto death..."
Although Shi Feiyang could control them, demons were unruly and difficult to tame. He forced them to swear a deadly oath of unwavering loyalty upon the Nine Heavens Primordial Yang Ruler before waving the Jade Ruler and releasing vast amounts of primordial purple qi to envelop all of Granny Ridge.
He had to protect not only the Nine Demon Heads but Granny Ridge as well. Otherwise, the entire ridge would melt away in the Heavenly Fire, and its countless creatures and plants, whether flying, swimming, or moving upon the earth, would turn to ash.
Primordial purple qi alone could not withstand the Heavenly Fire for long. It could defend against it briefly, but after the time it took to drink a cup of tea, it would begin to suffer damage.
Shi Feiyang used that interval to discern the Heavenly Fire's properties, then spat out his Dragon Pearl.
The Primordial Chaos Dragon Pearl flew into the air above Granny Ridge,