Battle Through the Heavens: Xiao Yan, who was kidnapped to another world

Soon, a whooshing sound rang out, and a figure flashed into the milky white light circle like lightning.

As the leader appeared, the sound of wind breaking through the air rose and fell across the land, and powerful figures crashed into the milky white light circle amidst the whistling sounds.

'Elder Demon, are we really not going to ask our clan for help?'

Just before entering the Demon Flame Space, Hun Miesheng asked the old man in the shadows, expressing his strong suspicion that Hun Mo would sacrifice him directly when facing four powerful late-stage five-star Dou Sheng!

'Ha, Soul Destroyer, you're still as impatient as ever!'

After Hun Miesheng entered the Demon Flame Space, a slightly unfamiliar voice rang in his ear, 'After being the Lord of the Soul Palace for a thousand years, you're still so incompetent... truly disappointing!'

Although Hun Miesheng initially found the voice unfamiliar, he quickly realized that it belonged to Hun Qianmo, a clan elder who had participated in the battle to annihilate Xiao Xuan and whose strength had reached the early stage of a six-star Dou Sheng!

'If I had your abilities, I'd be even more composed than you!'

After cursing in his heart for a while, Hun Miesheng calmed down and looked around at the strange space filled with milky white flames. Thanks to the sub-flame bestowed by the Void Devouring Flame, the outer flames of these Pure Lotus Demon Flames could not get close to him at all. Even so, the terrifying high temperature of this demon flame space still made him feel a series of stinging pains.

'Sigh, an illusion…' After swatting away the figure that had appeared before him, Soul Extinction felt a pang of helplessness. 'Nightmare Heavenly Mist… Could this Pure Lotus Demon Flame truly become the second Pure Lotus Demon Saint?'

Nightmare Mist, the unique skill of the Pure Lotus Demon Saint, is said to have caused millions of people in a city to live in a dream for hundreds of years. According to information from the Soul Clan, the Pure Lotus Demon Flame a thousand years ago could not use this skill. In other words, in the past thousand years, in addition to the increase in strength, the Pure Lotus Demon Flame has become more and more like the Pure Lotus Demon Saint in terms of combat skills!

'Fortunately, the real goal this time is simply to determine how Xiao Yan will change after coming into contact with the Pure Lotus Demon Flame…'

Although the Nightmare Mist was extremely terrifying, with the sub-fire bestowed by the Void Devouring Flame, Soul Extinction didn't need to worry about such a problem much, and even had the leisure to think about what the Void Devouring Flame meant by 'change'.

Chapter 479 Nightmare Sky Mist

The moment his body swept into the circle of light, Xiao Yan's skin tightened instantly. After the light in front of him blurred slightly, he realized that the surrounding space had changed.

'What a terrifying temperature!'

The moment the space changed, Xiao Yan sensed the temperature, which was several times higher than the outside temperature. He quickly scanned the area and found that he was in a strange space filled with milky white flames. This space was completely enveloped by milky white flames, and the temperature that even he, who had absorbed nearly twenty different kinds of strange fire, felt was slightly hot was emanating from these milky white flames.

"Is this the space where the Pure Lotus Demon Flame is sealed? Where are Zi Yan and Xun'er?"

Xiao Yan frowned slightly as he looked around at the empty space. He, Zi Yan, Xun'er, and the others had entered this space at the same time, but he was the only one here, and he did not feel any spatial force separating him from them.

'An illusion?'

Almost immediately, Xiao Yan thought of the Nightmare Heavenly Mist mentioned by the remnant soul that remained in the ancient map, but the moment he raised his hand to dispel the illusion, a strong sense of unease resurfaced in his heart.

"Find them first!"

At this moment, Xiao Yan clearly felt that he was in a nightmare mist, and besides himself, there were no familiar faces in this nightmare mist. Logically speaking, he should have directly dispelled the influence on him and then broken through this nightmare mist, but the strong sense of unease made Xiao Yan have some guesses in his heart—

The moment he recovers from the effects, he will not see Xun'er and the others, and it is highly likely that he will appear alone in front of the Pure Lotus Demon Flame!

Therefore, even though he knew that the Nightmare Mist was affecting his senses, Xiao Yan still had no intention of breaking through it directly. At least, he would not make such a decision until the intense palpitation disappeared!

Having made up his mind, Xiao Yan glanced around, then lightly touched the air with his toes and shot out. Regardless of whether the Pure Lotus Demon Flame could sense the illusion he was in, it had to comply with its will at this moment!

……

"Not him? I clearly sensed uniqueness in him..."

The Pure Lotus Demon Flame, dressed in white robes, looked at Xiao Yan's body with confusion—

At this moment, Xiao Yan, like the others in the Nightmare Mist, was covered in milky white flames and was on the verge of spontaneous combustion. However, in this Nightmare Mist, apart from Xiao Yan, who had the strength of a three-star Dou Sheng, the strongest person was only a high-level half-saint!

"Hmph, if that's how it is, then forget it!"

After discovering that Xiao Yan had not yet escaped from the illusion, the Pure Lotus Demon Flame snorted coldly, flicked its sleeves, and disappeared into the milky white mist, seemingly having lost interest in Xiao Yan.

Almost the instant the Purifying Lotus Demon Flame disappeared, a purplish-black flame appeared around the milky-white flame on Xiao Yan's body, and a dragon's roar seemed to emanate from the purplish-black flame.

"Ah!"

Just then, a cold laugh came from the void, and then gradually faded away.

As the Three Thousand Burning Flames were used, the milky white flames on Xiao Yan's body were gradually suppressed by the purplish-black flames. After a moment, all the milky white flames disappeared completely, and he finally woke up from the illusion.

"I almost died from exhaustion..." Xiao Yan gasped for breath.

In the illusion, he fought from the Hall Master of the Soul Palace to the Four Demon Saints of the Soul Clan, and finally to the Soul Emperor. If the palpitation in his heart hadn't faded a lot and completely disappeared after he used the Three Thousand Burning Flames, Xiao Yan felt that he might have been exhausted to death by the Purifying Lotus Demon Flame in this first layer of the illusion!

'Here... on the second floor, please don't let there be any more of those obstacle course games!'

Xiao Yan looked around and found that, just as he had initially sensed, he was currently in a milky white mist, and the strongest person in this mist besides him was only at the level of a high-level Dou Sheng.

'You won't even put on a proper performance?'

After cursing inwardly, Xiao Yan took out a few pills from his storage ring and put them in his mouth before flying off in one direction.

After flying for several minutes, Xiao Yan broke out of the fog-shrouded area and finally saw a huge platform floating in mid-air not far ahead, and Zi Yan, Xun'er and others waiting on the platform.

"Are you alright?" Xiao Yan quickly went up to them and asked.

“It’s nothing,” Zi Yan shook her head. “But you…” Over the years, apart from that time when she refined the Golden Pill, she had never seen Xiao Yan consume so much of his fighting spirit. A trace of worry flashed in Zi Yan’s eyes.

Xun'er also looked at Xiao Yan with worry.

"I was targeted a little," Xiao Yan whispered after noticing the worry on Zi Yan and Xun'er's faces. "If nothing unexpected happens, the Pure Lotus Demon Flame will give me special treatment... If I come out too early, you might not be able to get out."

Can’t get out?

Upon hearing the second half of the sentence, both Ziyan and Xun'er looked completely bewildered.

"This... is still an illusion," Xiao Yan said quietly, trying to reveal the secret of this place. After confirming that he no longer felt any palpitations, he breathed a sigh of relief and said, "The second layer of the illusion!"

"Impossible!" Gu Nanhai frowned deeply. "I am absolutely certain that you all truly exist! And this is precisely the location mentioned by our ancestors!"

Although Gu Nanhai knew that his soul power was inferior to Xiao Yan's, and that he was no match for Xiao Yan even if he used all his methods, he could clearly feel that everyone on this platform, including himself, was real!

Not to mention that this platform is the location mentioned by the ancestors of the ancient clan. After the Demon Flame Space opened last time, as long as you follow the path behind the white giant door at the end of the platform, you will be able to see the Pure Lotus Demon Flame!

"Then, will the Pure Lotus Demon Flame of the past haunt the Heavenly Mist?" Xiao Yan asked in return.

"This..." Gu Nanhai was stunned. Just as Xiao Yan said, the last time the Purifying Lotus Demon Flame did not possess this signature technique unique to the Purifying Lotus Demon Saint!

“We are all real,” Xiao Yan said softly, “but this is undoubtedly an illusion… and we are on the outermost layer of the second layer of illusion!”

At this point, a sudden realization flashed through Xiao Yan's mind. In the outermost layer of the environment, the Pure Lotus Demon Flame could not perceive everyone's thoughts, nor could it hear the conversations that had taken place in this layer of illusion. That's why he didn't feel any trepidation when he spoke up to expose this layer of illusion.

"Then how are we going to get out?" Xun'er asked directly.

“Go in,” Xiao Yan raised his head and looked at the giant white door at the end of the platform. “Enter the deepest part from the surface of the second level and appear in front of the Pure Lotus Demon Flame. Only in that way can we break through this illusion and appear in the real Demon Flame Space!”

Chapter 480 The Solution

Gu Hainan and Gu Qingyang exchanged a glance. The former pondered for a moment, then shook his head.

“Young friend Xiao Yan, it’s not that I don’t trust you,” Gu Nanhai said with a hint of caution, “but the method you’ve proposed to break this illusion is simply… too risky. According to you, we’re supposed to actively venture deeper into the illusion, to a completely unknown place? Wouldn’t that be like walking into a trap?”

Gu Qingyang chimed in, "Yes, Brother Xiao Yan, at least we can look after each other now. But if we go deeper and fall into the trap of the Pure Lotus Demon Flame, wouldn't that be..."

He didn't finish his sentence, but the meaning was already quite clear.

Xiao Yan understood that if he didn't explain things clearly, the two of them would still have reservations, and his subsequent plans required them to trust him as completely as possible.

So Xiao Yan simply started from the beginning, saying, "The state we are in now cannot be accurately described as an 'illusion.' A more accurate description is that our true bodies are enveloped in the Nightmare Mist."

He extended a finger and drew a circle in the air: "The Pure Lotus Demon Flame has constructed a huge 'cocoon' using Nightmare Heavenly Mist. Our true forms are inside this cocoon, and everything we perceive now—this platform, this space, our existence—is a 'mirror image' projected in real time by Nightmare Heavenly Mist based on our true perceptions, memories, and soul fluctuations!"

"Mirror image?" Gu Nanhai frowned even more deeply.

“Yes, mirror image,” Xiao Yan nodded. “Because our true bodies are indeed in this space, our fighting spirit, strange fire, and soul power are all real and usable. However, because our true bodies’ five senses are covered by the Nightmare Mist, everything we ‘see,’ ‘hear,’ and ‘perceive’ is information processed by the Nightmare Mist.”

He pointed to the platform beneath his feet: "For example, this platform may really exist, but what we 'see' now may not be its true form, or it may not exist at all. Elder Gu Nanhai, you believe it should be here, so it appears here. Also... Elder Gu Nanhai, although the ancient clan's records mention this platform, there is no specific image of this platform, right?"

Gu Nanhai's expression finally changed; he suddenly remembered something—

After the Demon Flame Space closed last time, the ancestors who returned to the clan did mention this platform, but that was a thousand years ago, and those ancestors did not describe the appearance of the platform in detail. He only constructed the appearance of such a platform in his mind based on the ancestors' descriptions. And the platform in front of him... was exactly the same as what he had imagined!

"So..." Gu Qingyang's voice was somewhat hoarse, "You mean, everything we are seeing now is woven by the Pure Lotus Demon Flame based on our memories?"

“It’s not based on memories,” Xiao Yan shook his head. “The Pure Lotus Demon Flame cannot read our memories, so this platform and everything around it are the result of our brains creating this environment under the influence of the Nightmare Mist.”

Gu Nanhai was silent for a moment, then slowly spoke: "In your opinion, how should we break through this illusion?"

“As I just said, once you enter that door,” Xiao Yan pointed to the giant white gate at the end of the platform, “you will be like our ancestors from the ancient clans, passing through the gate and overcoming all obstacles, moving forward until you see the Pure Lotus Demon Flame… which means you will have completely entered the deepest illusion.”

"And then?" Zi Yan couldn't help but ask.

Xiao Yan smiled slightly and said, "The deepest illusion is the area most deeply controlled by the Purifying Lotus Demon Flame, but it is also the area where the real world and the illusion intertwine. There, it can affect us, and we can also affect this illusion!"

Gu Nanhai remained somewhat hesitant. He stroked his beard and said in a deep voice, "Young friend Xiao Yan, it's not that I don't believe you, but... the Nightmare Mist I've ever heard of has never had such bizarre properties! It's said that when the Pure Lotus Demon Saint uses this technique, it merely traps the enemy in an illusion, causing them to sink into endless nightmares... As for what you've said about 'enveloping the true body,' 'mirror projection,' and 'multi-layered structure,' these are simply unheard of!"

Xiao Yan smiled helplessly, "Because the one who cast Nightmare Heavenly Mist was the Pure Lotus Demon Saint, that peerless powerhouse who had one foot in the Dou Di realm! For him, Nightmare Heavenly Mist was merely a means to temporarily trap the enemy... Moreover, Nightmare Heavenly Mist is already a legend from ancient times. Even the records of the various ancient races about it were actually just hearsay, right? Even if someone really wanted to see the Pure Lotus Demon Saint's Nightmare Heavenly Mist, he wouldn't really go for the kill, would he?"

Gu Nanhai fell silent. Indeed, although the ancient clans had records about Nightmare Sky Mist, most of them were heard by their ancestors in ancient times. Although there were also powerful individuals who had personally experienced Nightmare Sky Mist, the strength of the ancient clans was ultimately insufficient to make the Pure Lotus Demon Saint take drastic measures.

Xun'er then spoke softly: "Brother Xiao Yan is right. Besides, the Pure Lotus Demon Flame has been sealed in this space for thousands of years. Its control over its own power has probably reached a level that we can hardly imagine. Since it has obtained the inheritance of the Pure Lotus Demon Saint and has had thousands of years to study it, it is not impossible for the Nightmare Heavenly Mist to mutate."

Zi Yan waved her hand dismissively, "Who cares about illusions? If Xiao Yan says he can break it, then he definitely can! I believe him!"

Gu Nanhai and Gu Qingyang exchanged a glance, and finally nodded.

“In that case, let’s do as young friend Xiao Yan says,” Gu Nanhai took a deep breath, “Let’s go through that door!”

Without further hesitation, the five people darted out and flew towards the giant white gate at the end of the platform.

The door was extremely tall and wide, cast entirely from some kind of milky-white jade. Intricate flame patterns were carved on the door, with faint milky-white flames seemingly flowing within the patterns. The entire door exuded an ancient and sacred aura, as if leading to some indescribable place.

Before entering the giant gate, Xiao Yan suddenly sent a telepathic message to Gu Nanhai, telling him about the appearance of the Nightmare-Breaking Talisman, which could break through the Nightmare Mist in the deepest part of the illusion.

"Why hand it over to me?" Gu Nanhai asked, somewhat surprised.

"From the moment I entered the Demon Flame Space, I was targeted by the Purifying Lotus Demon Flame. If I hadn't deliberately shown weakness, the Purifying Lotus Demon Flame would never have allowed me to join you. Even if I had devoured the Purifying Lotus Demon Flame, you might have been seriously injured, or even perished," Xiao Yan replied.

"Therefore, when we reach the deepest part of the illusion, I absolutely cannot be the one to cast this Nightmare-Breaking Talisman!" Xiao Yan worried that the moment he cast it, the Purifying Lotus Demon Flame would immediately resort to the Heaven-Refining Ancient Array of the Demon Flame Space in a desperate attempt to destroy it. He said solemnly, "And..."

"The Pure Lotus Demon Flame that appears in the deepest layer will be linked to the consciousness in our minds. If we believe he is a nine-star Dou Sheng, then he will be a nine-star Dou Sheng! If we believe he is just an infant at the level of Dou Qi, then he will be an infant at the level of Dou Qi!" Xiao Yan transmitted this last sentence to everyone present.

At the same time, the first challenge behind the giant gate appeared before everyone's eyes—

In the vast hall, countless fiery figures stood upright, making not a sound, yet a terrifying aura emanated from them. That aura seemed to merge together, transforming into a giant fiery dragon, roaring at the five people who had just entered the place.

“Fire Slave…” Gu Nanhai slowly exhaled.

Fire Slaves, powerful beings refined by the Pure Lotus Demon Flame, are essentially puppets that feel no pain and are unafraid of death.

Chapter 481 Giant Axe Shadow