Time turned back to when Xie Yue and Yan were locked in battle with the giant ape.
It was called a battle, but in truth, Yan was deliberately taking blows to protect Xie Yue. Fortunately, although Xiao Yan had only just begun studying the art of pill refining, the pills he made were potent enough. With the strengthening and healing effects of the pills, and Demon Charm weakening the giant ape, Yan had been beaten badly, but he had performed his role as a meat shield to perfection.
Outside Demon Charm's range, in the thicket where the four had discussed their strategy, Xiao Yan sat quietly cross-legged. Three clusters of Heavenly Flame rose and spun around him: the three flames he had unsealed with his first three rings, green lotus core flame, fallen heart flame, and netherworld poison flame.
Xiao Yan's plan was to use the powerful move he had unleashed by accident during his arena battle with Yan years ago to inflict severe damage on the magma giant ape. But the explosive power of three Heavenly Flames was clearly more than Xiao Yan could withstand at his current stage.
"Your current strength is only equivalent to that of a Da Dou Shi on the Dou Qi Continent." As the seals were undone layer by layer, Yan Xiao had recovered quite a few of his memories. "At the strength of a Da Dou Shi, even a Buddha's Fury Fire Lotus made from two Heavenly Flames would kill you. Three Heavenly Flames? That's suicide! I absolutely refuse to agree."
"But I still have you, don't I?" Xiao Yan smiled, his face pale. Controlling the gradual fusion of the three Heavenly Flames had exhausted all his Soul Power. He was barely holding on, and the slightest mistake would mean death and the destruction of his soul.
Yan Xiao was the spiritual power split off from the former Xiao Yan, and all of that Xiao Yan's soul power was sealed within him. But Yan Xiao could not use that power; only Xiao Yan, who possessed the former Xiao Yan's body, could bring this power from another world to bear on the Douluo Continent. To draw an analogy, Yan Xiao was like a powerful battery, but only Xiao Yan could channel its electricity.
"...So you mean to use soul power?" Yan Xiao mused. In truth, although Yan Xiao still existed within Xiao Yan, some great power of this world had restricted them to being two separate existences. That was also why Xiao Yan's pill-refining skills had improved slowly: his body could no longer cultivate soul power, while his original soul power was confined within Yan Xiao. Even though several layers of the seal had already been undone, he could connect to only a small portion of it at a time. Fortunately, the soul power he connected to became a power shared by Xiao Yan and Yan Xiao. Thus, ever since gaining his second ring, Xiao Yan had studied pill refining under Yan Xiao while continually trying to connect to more soul power.
"That's right. As I am now, I really can't withstand the power of a Buddha's Fury Fire Lotus made from three Heavenly Flames, but you can." Propping up his weakened body, Xiao Yan panted, "Within you lies all the soul power of that mighty expert from another world, Xiao Yan. It's unimaginably powerful, probably far beyond that of every expert in this world."
"The impact of a Buddha's Fury Fire Lotus like this probably can't hurt you, and with your memories of the past, you're better at controlling fire than I am, too." Having said that, Xiao Yan collapsed onto the ground, his strength spent. "I'm counting on you, Yan Xiao."
By the time Xiao Yan exhausted all his strength, the three Heavenly Flames had mostly fused, with only the final step remaining. To make sure Yan could withstand the giant ape's attacks, Xiao Yan had not kept a single Qi Recovery Pill for himself. He had now inevitably fallen unconscious, but because of that, Yan Xiao felt an unprecedented surge of power. With Xiao Yan's consciousness absent, Yan Xiao could now barely control his body. Although there were still many restrictions, he was capable of launching a single attack.
Yan Xiao sighed. Clearly, he had not expected Xiao Yan to be so ruthless with himself. Xiao Yan had plainly squeezed every last bit of power from his body just now. Otherwise, his soul power would not have been so depleted that he could not even maintain consciousness. And it was precisely because Xiao Yan's consciousness was absent that Yan Xiao could briefly become the master of this body and wield the supreme power of an Emperor Realm Soul.
"This power is actually so great... But never mind. Since the other me exhausted all his strength just to unleash this move, I'll grant his wish." With that, "Xiao Yan's" soul power erupted, sending Xie Yue and Yan out of the battlefield in an instant and shielding their bodies. Then, a beautiful Fire Lotus drifted lightly toward the giant ape before bursting violently apart.
For a moment, it seemed that all things in heaven and earth had been burned to nothing by the lotus fire, leaving nothing behind.
It purified all things and shook the heavens!
Beneath the Fire Lotus, Gui Mei was nowhere to be found.