Battle Through the Heavens

“This retreat has probably exhausted a great amount of time…”

Xiao Yan lifted his head and looked all across the sky that was permeated with fire. Although this environment appeared the same as when he had undertaken his retreat, he was still able to sense a difference.

“Aye.” Xun Er by the side gently nodded. The Purifying Demonic Lotus Flame was not an ordinary thing. If they did not have time, even the two of them together would not have been able to refine it.

“Xiao Yan ge-ge is likely quite powerful now, no?” Xun Er rolled her eyes as she wondered out loud with a smile.

“It will not be difficult to defeat the chief of the Hall of Souls the next time I meet him…” Xiao Yan slightly smiled. His voice relayed an extreme confidence. The benefits he had obtained from refining the Purifying Demonic Lotus Flame were incomparable. Based on his senses, his strength should have reached the initial level of the fifth star of the Dou Sheng class. This was a leap of three stars when compared to his intermediate two star Dou Sheng strength before he had taken the retreat!

This great leap in strength caused even Xiao Yan to feel some disbelief earlier. Being an elite Dou Sheng, he was clearly aware of just how difficult it was to raise one’s level within the Dou Sheng class. This increase of three stars would have required decades of training under normal circumstances. This time around, he had used the Purifying Demonic Lotus Flame to advance his strength.

Around the entire world, the only spiritual object with the unbelievable ability to allow an elite Dou Sheng’s strength to soar by three stars was likely just this third ranked Heavenly Flame.

“It is said that when a person reaches the top, all those around him will also ascend with him. This time around, thanks to Xiao Yan ge-ge, my strength has also ended up increasing a bunch…” Xun Er softly laughed. During the refining process of the Purifying Demonic Lotus Flame, bits of the vast and mighty energy had also entered her body. Hence, she had also benefited. Although she had yet to breakthrough to the fifth star of the Dou Sheng class, she had soared to the advanced level of the fourth star of the Dou Sheng class. It must be said that the gains that the both of them had attained during this retreat would cause others to be extremely envious.

Xiao Yan was naturally happy that Xun Er’s strength had soared. Although his strength might have ended up increasing more if he had absorbed the Purifying Demonic Lotus Flame alone, he knew he would have died from the backlash of the demonic flame had it not been for Xun Er’s aid. How could he still be in his current state?

“I wonder what the current Heavenly Flame in my body…”

Xiao Yan’s mind quickly returned to the most important matter. A thought immediately passed through his mind, but he was stunned to find that the Heavenly Flame, which had originally filled his body, had completely disappeared. This unexpected change caused Xiao Yan’s expression to drop. The Heavenly Flame was something he relied on to survive. The disappearance of his Heavenly Flames would be a big blow to him.

“Xiao Yan ge-ge, what is it?” Xun Er by the side hurriedly asked after seeing the change in Xiao Yan’s expression.

Xiao Yan did not have the time to respond to her voice. He calmed down and carefully checked the interior of his body. Only after a long while did he suddenly detect something vaguely present deep within his body.

“Come out!”

Xiao Yan suddenly clenched his hand after sensing this thing. He let out a low cry and a pink-colored flame suddenly erupted from his palm. There seemed to be a faint golden light flowing around the edges of the flame like a metallic object.

The appearance of this cluster of pink flames caused the surrounding air to distort. Then, the cluster suddenly began to wiggle. It subsequently transformed into a half-foot-tall baby in front of Xiao Yan’s and Xun Er’s stunned eyes.

“Yi Wa Yi Wa!”

The tiny fire baby’s large eyes contained a pink flame, and they landed on Xiao Yan the moment the baby appeared. After which, it extended its flabby little hand and grabbed Xiao Yan’s arm. The baby continuously rubbed Xiao Yan, appearing exceptionally affectionate.

“This…”

Xiao Yan and Xun Er were completely stunned as they stared at the fire baby, which was not very large. It was only a little bigger than an arm. At a glance, it was like a flabby little round ball. A braid was present on its little head while a small little cloth wrapped around the front of its body, leaving its buttocks visible. There was a pink lotus fire seal imprinted on its little head. At a glance, it appeared extremely cute. At the very least, there was a glitter flashing in Xun Er’s pretty eyes. It appeared as though she was being flooded with maternal love.

“Yi Wa Yi Wa!”

The fire baby grabbed Xiao Yan’s hand and swung it while Xiao Yan and Xun Er were stunned by this unexpected situation. A tender and strange sound was emitted from the baby’s mouth.

“What is happening?” Xiao Yan finally recovered at this moment. He looked at the fire baby, who refused to release his arm, and asked in a lost voice.

Xun Er merely shook her head when she heard his clueless question. She hesitated for a moment before saying, “Could it be that this is the new flame in your body after merging so many Heavenly Flames?” If the Purifying Demonic Lotus Flame was added, Xiao Yan possessed a total of six types of Heavenly Flames within his body. No one was could be certain just what kind of change would occur when six types of Heavenly Flames were merged together. After all, no one in this world had tried merging six types of Heavenly Flames as an experiment…

Xiao Yan fell deep into thought upon hearing her answer. His eyes returned to the flabby fire baby on his arm as he involuntarily pinched it. The baby’s soft and smooth skin caused Xiao Yan to realize that this fire baby felt like an actual baby. The feeling of the fire baby’s skin was exactly the same as a human. Moreover, he sensed that he seemed to possess a strange connection with this little thing whenever he touched it. That familiar feeling was exactly the same as when he had controlled the Heavenly Flame within his body in the past.

“This thing… is really the Heavenly Flame within my body…” Xiao Yan nodded with a solemn expression at this moment. He was certain that this fire baby was the new Heavenly Flame formed after merging the Purifying Demonic Lotus Flame, but even he was at a loss as to why such a change would occur.

“I sense a familiar feeling from this little thing. It seems similar to my Gold Emperor Incinerating Heavenly Flame…” Xun Er softly commented at this moment.

“Your Gold Emperor Incinerating Heavenly Flame joined the refinement of the Purifying Demonic Lotus Flame. Thus, some of the essence of the Gold Emperor Incinerating Heavenly Flame has merged into my body…” Xiao Yan explained. His eyes continued to remain on the fire baby on his arm. The baby had a braid on his head. The five types of Heavenly Flames within his body had completely merged with the Purifying Demonic Lotus Flame. Of course, if one wanted to be more exact, one should say that his five Heavenly Flames had merged into the Purifying Demonic Lotus Flame…

Although the five types of Heavenly Flames were larger in number, this number did not pose any resistance to the Purifying Demonic Lotus Flame, so they were completely merged into the Purifying Demonic Lotus Flame. If Xiao Yan had not already activated the Flame Mantra and refined the demonic flame, he would likely have tasted a far worse ending while trying to gain something.

“Ha ha, Xiao Yan ge-ge, I once heard father said that only an extremely few Heavenly Flames are able to take shape after being refined by a person. If I have guessed correctly, this should be the newly formed Heavenly Flame fire spirit within your body…” Xun Er smiled as she spoke. From the looks of it, this did not appear to be something bad.

Xiao Yan slightly nodded. He seemed to have recalled something and the corner of his mouth twitched. He asked, “In that case, how will I unleash the Angry Buddha Lotus Flame when fighting with others in the future?” He had examined his body earlier and the Heavenly Flame that had come wherever he called it had completely vanished. What would he use to agglomerate a fire lotus to fight with others?

“Yi Wa Yi Wa!”

The big eyes of the little thing that was hugging his hand and dripping saliva brightened upon hearing Xiao Yan’s words. He lifted his little hand and a fire gathered on his palm. A fire lotus was quickly formed.

“Angry Buddha Lotus Flame!”

Xiao Yan’s eyes were about to pop out of his head seeing this fire lotus form. The Angry Buddha Lotus Flame was a skill that he had created. Other than him, no one else was able to unleash it, yet this little thing was randomly able to create it and at a speed that even its creator, Xiao Yan, could not match.

“This little thing has even secretly learned your Dou Skill…” Xun Er covered her mouth and softly laughed.

“Yi Wa Yi Wa!”

Pride surfaced on the little thing’s small tender face after having sensed Xiao Yan’s shock. Two small hands were clenched and then released before many two-colored Angry Buddha Lotus Flames formed above his palm. After which, they floated around him and continued to rotate.

“Ten Angry Buddha Lotus Flames!”

Xiao Yan inhaled a deep breath of air after seeing these lotuses. Even he had never successfully created ten Angry Buddha Lotus Flames together! Although these fire lotuses were only created from two types of Heavenly Flames, the strength of such a number of them would be incredible.

“Yi Wa Yu Wa!”

However, Xiao Yan’s shock did not end. After forming the ten Angry Buddha Lotus Flames, the little thing beckoned with his hand, and the ten fire lotus suddenly clashed together before swiftly merging. Within a short instant, a fire lotus that caused both Xiao Yan’s and Xun Er’s expressions to change rose from the clash.

Xiao Yan’s heart felt as though it had violently been grabbed as he stared at the half-foot-wide pink fire lotus, which appeared delicate and beautiful. Even his breathing had become a little difficult.

“Extermination… Fire Lotus.”

Xiao Yan inhaled a breath of air as he softly muttered. The fire lotus created by the fire baby was his strongest trump card, the Extermination Fire Lotus, but the strength of this fire lotus was many times more terrifying than any type of fire lotus Xiao Yan had ever created in the past!

“This time around, I have really picked up a treasure…”