143. Mystery About To Unfold

Flame Sea Region, Flame Divine Palace.

Tang Xinlian, wearing soft armor that perfectly highlighted her graceful curves, strode into a courtyard. In her jade-like hands, she clutched two pieces of paper. Her long, slender legs moved with urgency.

Tang Xinlian cheerfully called out, “Huanhuan, Xiaoxiao, come take a look!”

“What’s wrong, Xinlian?”

Ying Xiaoxiao stood up curiously and took the papers. Upon opening them, her delicate face showed a trace of shock.

“Where did you get this?”

“Some people from the Heaven Merchant Pavilion are distributing missing person notices all over the Chaotic Demon Sea. My subordinates saw this and brought it back,” Tang Xinlian said with a smug tilt of her chin.

The sisters examined the portraits and written descriptions. They exchanged glances.

Ying Huanhuan speculated, “Sister, could this have been sent out by Chen Xuan?”

“It’s hard to say,” Ying Xiaoxiao replied with a shake of her head. “Given the circumstances, it’s just a possibility. After all, our arrival in the Chaotic Demon Sea was so sudden. We never informed Chen Xuan. How could he possibly know?”

“That’s a problem!” Ying Huanhuan muttered, momentarily stunned.

“It could also be Ling Qingzhu!” Ying Xiaoxiao added, voicing her suspicions. She was growing increasingly worried about the state of their Dao Sect. Could it have already been destroyed by the Nine Heavens Supreme Purity Palace?

The mere mention of Ling Qingzhu made Ying Huanhuan clench her hands tightly. “Ling Qingzhu, just wait. Once I recover, I’ll make you pay!”

Tang Xinlian observed the sisters for a moment and asked, “So… are you going to the Heaven Merchant Pavilion?”

“Let’s give it a try. What if it really is Chen Xuan?” Ying Huanhuan decided after some thought.

“Exactly. The longer we delay, the more danger our Dao Sect faces,” Ying Xiaoxiao agreed.

However, the Flame Master, who had been quietly listening, shook his head. “Junior Sister, I suggest we wait here instead. It’s safer.”

It wasn’t that he doubted his ability to protect them but rather a growing unease. He feared that stepping out of the Flame Sea Region would lead to disaster. After all, this was just his avatar. Against formidable opponents, even he might not hold out.

Ying Huanhuan firmly shook her head. “No, time is of the essence. We must go and check.”

“Yes, the longer we delay, the greater the danger for our Dao Sect,” Ying Xiaoxiao agreed wholeheartedly.

Seeing their determination, Tang Xinlian refrained from further persuasion. She informed her master, Mo Luo. Upon learning of their decision, Mo Luo personally assigned two elders to escort them to the Heaven Merchant Pavilion.

With the presence of Flame Palace elders, even the Heaven Merchant Pavilion would think twice before making any rash moves.

Yet, just as they were preparing to leave, the blue sky suddenly tore open, revealing a massive black rift. From it, an overwhelming demonic energy poured forth, darkening the world.

“Huh? What’s that?” Tang Xinlian asked, staring up in curiosity.

“It’s the demons! Those vile creatures are as stubborn as cockroaches!” the Flame Master snarled, his voice filled with fury.

Tang Xinlian’s gaze turned icy. “Fire Divine Guards, assemble! Notify my master!”

In the next instant, a black beam of light shot out of the rift, transforming into a gigantic dark hand that reached for Ying Huanhuan.

“Begone!” the Flame Master shouted, flipping his hand. A surge of fiery energy instantly shattered the dark hand.

“Flame Master, after so many years, is this how you greet an old friend?” a grating, sinister voice cackled from within the rift.

The demonic energy condensed into a towering black figure with dark, muscular features. Golden-striped bat-like wings unfurled behind him.

The Flame Master sneered, “A mere King-tier demon dares act so audaciously before me?”

“Oh, Flame Master, do you think we’d act recklessly without careful preparation?” As the Flame Master spoke, another figure emerged from the rift.

This one had massive horns, resembling those of a water buffalo. It was the Bull Demon King, a powerhouse of the Reincarnation Tribulation stage.

“What are you scheming after hiding in this world for so long?” the Flame Master demanded sharply.

“Why don’t you guess?” the Bull Demon King taunted.

“I don’t have time for games. I’ll simply eradicate you all and restore peace to the world!” the Flame Master declared.

“Hah! Let’s see if you can!” the Bull Demon King sneered. He raised his hand, and dozens of Devil Generals emerged from the rift, their menacing energy filling the air.

“You dare act so recklessly in the Flame Divine Palace?” a deep voice boomed. Mo Luo appeared, surrounded by blazing flames, his presence like that of a fire god.

“Our mission is clear—kill the Ice Master's reincarnation and wound the Flame Master. Attack!” the Bull Demon King roared.

The sky erupted into chaos as the demons surged toward the Flame Palace. Their centuries of concealment had culminated in this full-force invasion.

The Flame Master turned to the sisters. “Tang Xinlian, Xiaoxiao, protect Junior Sister. I’ll deal with the Bull Demon King!”

Like an erupting volcano, the Flame Master charged forward, his power obliterating several Devil Generals instantly.

As the battle intensified, the temple’s defenders struggled against the relentless demon onslaught. Tang Xinlian urged the sisters to retreat into the temple. However, Ying Huanhuan suddenly stepped forward.

“I can help,” she insisted.

“No, we’ll handle this!” Tang Xinlian summoned a flaming spear, commanding the Fire Divine Guards to form up.

Inside the temple, Ying Xiaoxiao desperately tried to hold her sister back. “Don’t go! You can’t get hurt!”

“Trust me, Sister. I feel my strength growing,” Ying Huanhuan replied with a chilling smile.

Before Ying Xiaoxiao could respond, Ying Huanhuan’s dark pupils turned an icy shade of blue.

At the same time, her hair turned ice-blue!

Instantly, an intense, bone-chilling cold spread from the hall, and her aura surged into the Reincarnation Realm.

The Bull Demon King let out a sinister laugh. "Heh, the Ice Master is angry now!"

"You fools dared to provoke my little junior sister? You're courting death!" the Flame Master growled.

But just as the Flame Master finished speaking, he realized something was off.

“So, you all figured out my true form, huh?”

"Heh, surprised? Didn’t expect that, did you?"

It turned out that the demons' presence here was a deliberate ruse to distract the Flame Master and his allies, buying time for other demon forces to rescue the Cosmic Evil Devil King, once sealed by the Flame Lord.

Realizing this, the Flame Master grew furious.

If only Chen Xuan was here!

Suddenly, the Flame Master remembered Chen Xuan had once given him a jade talisman for emergencies. But after searching his body, he realized it wasn’t with him.

He remembered tossing the talisman carelessly onto a stone coffin, deeming it unnecessary at the time.

Now, the Flame Master faced a tough choice: return to prevent the Cosmic Evil Devil King’s rescue or stay to protect his junior sister.

After weighing the options, he resolutely chose to stay.

Compared to the junior sister, the Cosmic Evil Devil King wasn’t as significant.

“She is the one with the greatest hope of achieving what the Symbol Ancestor prophesied. A mere demon king doesn’t matter,” the Flame Master said coldly.

The Bull Demon King smirked. “Very well, then we’ll take care of the Ice Master and the Flame Master all at once!”

The Flame Master roared, “Don’t you dare!”

The battle intensified as flames and dark energy clashed, filling the air with sizzling and hissing sounds.

But the longer the fight dragged on, the more precarious the situation became. The Flame Master and his allies were being overwhelmed.

Just then, a chilling aura swept through the battlefield as Ying Huanhuan stepped into the sky. Her icy-blue presence froze everything in her wake.

“Flame Master, go save the Chaos Master. I’ll handle this,” she commanded coldly.

“But—”

“No time for hesitation!”

“Alright, I’ll be back as soon as I can!” The Flame Master gritted his teeth and vanished.

The Bull Demon King looked at the icy figure. “Ice Master, in your current state, you’re no match for me!”

“I only need to stall you,” Ying Huanhuan replied icily.

Her movements unleashed a biting cold that slowed the demonic energy within the Bull Demon King.

“Everyone, attack! She’s not fully recovered; this is our chance to kill her!” the Bull Demon King roared.

Countless devil generals charged toward Ying Huanhuan, unleashing terrifying waves of dark energy.

“Fools!” Ying Huanhuan flicked her slender fingers, conjuring ice-blue lotus flowers from the freezing air.

The flowers scattered, freezing several devil generals instantly. But the effort drained her strength, and her aura weakened.

The Bull Demon King laughed gleefully. “She can’t keep this up much longer! Attack with everything you’ve got!”

The devils swarmed her relentlessly.

“Be careful, Huanhuan!” Ying Xiaoxiao shouted from below, her voice trembling with fear.

Hearing this, the Bull Demon King ordered some devils to attack Ying Xiaoxiao, intending to use her as leverage.

A devil general lunged toward Ying Xiaoxiao with ferocious intent.

“Fool! Stay hidden, and you might’ve lived. Now you’ll die!”

“Xiaoxiao!” Ying Huanhuan screamed desperately, unable to reach her in time.

Just when all seemed lost, Tang Xinlian intervened with her fiery phoenix, blocking the attack. But the tide of battle was turning against them.

The Flame Divine Palace's forces were collapsing under the onslaught of the devil kings and their overwhelming numbers.

In Flame Fire City, chaos erupted as civilians fled in panic.

“We’re doomed!”

“Run for your lives!”

The Bull Demon King exuded triumph. “Today marks the rebirth of our devil race’s glory, starting with the death of the Ice Master!”

Just as he prepared to deliver the killing blow, space above the Flame Divine Palace rippled, and a white-robed figure emerged from the distortion.

“Chen Xuan!” the Bull Demon King’s eyes widened in shock, his dark face twisting with fear.

“How lively,” Chen Xuan remarked, his gaze sweeping across the battlefield.

The Bull Demon King snarled, “Chen Xuan, don’t meddle! The rise of our devil race is inevitable. Stand aside if you know what’s good for you!”

Ignoring him, Chen Xuan appeared beside Ying Huanhuan, feeding her a pill.

“Rest for now,” he said gently.

The Bull Demon King growled, “Do you really think you can take us all on alone?”

Chen Xuan glanced at him. “Do you know Ling Qingzhu?”

The mention of the name startled the Bull Demon King, a sinister smile creeping across his face.

“Ah, you want to know the secret of Ying Qingzhu's loss of purity? Fine, I’ll tell you!”