Sky-piercing sword qi swept through the clouds, and boundless flames engulfed the vast city.
The thousands upon thousands of cultivators who had already fled into the mountains retreated farther, afraid of being caught in the aftershocks. But just as the towering flames were about to spread beyond the city, thousand-zhang Buddha light suddenly blazed within it.
"Namo ratna namo-"
Clear Brahma sounds seemed to ring out from a blazing purgatory, forming a visible golden barrier along the city's centerline that cut off the city-consuming karmic fire pressing toward the mountains.
Beneath the firelight stood a white-robed figure as tiny as a grain of rice, wrapped in a golden lotus and pushing desperately forward against the sea of fire. Compared with the Heaven-Connecting Dharma Form above the sea, he was like an ant or a speck of dust pitting mortal strength against the gods of heaven and earth!
The disparity in strength was too great. Before the white-robed figure had advanced far, the sea of fire swallowed him completely, leaving only faint golden light moving through the blazing purgatory.
Among the mountains, many cultivators sympathetic to the Righteous Path could tell from that contrast that Xie Jinhuan could not hold out, however meager their cultivation. But their abilities left them powerless to help.
Nangong Ye and Bu Yuehua, who had withdrawn into the mountains early, were equally powerless to lend a hand. In his anxiety, Nangong Ye could only search everywhere for reinforcements. But as he looked around, he spotted a little girl with braids planted headfirst in the bushes on a hillside-
"?"
Nangong Ye stared in astonishment, then swiftly darted over and pulled Junior Sister Xiao Biao out. After confirming she was unhurt, he quickly pressed beneath her nose and patted her cheeks. "Jiang Xian? Jiang Xian? Wake up!