Chapter 720: The Divine Flame with Lingering Spirit
Seeing Mandala's decisive move, the Sky Abyss Pavilion Lord felt a chill grip his heart. Without hesitation, he retreated rapidly.
Earlier, when it was two on two, one Earth Sovereign had already fallen. Now, facing the combined might of the Great Luo Heavenly Domain's two Earth Sovereign level combatants on his own, survival seemed impossible.
Mandala watched the Pavilion Lord retreat with a trace of regret in her gaze. She then turned back to Xiao Ze, who stood amidst the golden sea of battle intent. Even she couldn't help but feel momentarily dazed.
Though she had long recognized Xiao Ze's extraordinary talent and foresaw his limitless potential, she never expected him to master techniques capable of rivaling and even killing an Earth Sovereign so quickly.
The earlier brilliant ray of battle intent had been so overwhelming that even Mandala herself would have struggled to escape unscathed. The Blood Spirit Gate Master had fared worse, reduced to ashes with only his spirit lingering briefly before it, too, was obliterated.
For Earth Sovereigns, the destruction of their physical bodies was not necessarily the end. As long as their spirit remained intact, there was always a chance for resurgence. But the Great Luo Heavenly Domain couldn't risk leaving such a deadly foe alive. Letting him escape would be tantamount to unleashing a tiger back into the wild.
In the aftermath, Xiao Ze calmed the surging battle intent. With a wave of his hand, the golden sea retreated, merging back into the ranks of his golden army.
As he gazed at the disciplined troops, Xiao Ze mused, "Calling them a golden army feels too casual. Since my path as a battle array master stems from the Sacred Flame Battle Emperor's legacy, I'll name them the Sacred Flame Army."
With the decision made, Xiao Ze stored the Sacred Flame Army in his spatial ring. Then, in a flash of movement, he entered the turbulent remnants of the battlefield.
Moments later, Xiao Ze reappeared, holding a storage bracelet in his hand the Blood Spirit Gate Master's Spatial Bracelet.
A single Earth Sovereign's collection would undoubtedly provide immense treasures, enough to benefit even someone of Xiao Ze's caliber.
Mandala approached, her expression filled with amazement.
"Your growth is truly beyond my expectations," she said with a rare hint of warmth in her tone.
"It's all thanks to your guidance, Mandala," Xiao Ze replied modestly before adding with a hint of regret, "Though it's unfortunate the Sky Abyss Pavilion Lord managed to escape."
Mandala shook her head. "You've already reached the Earth Sovereign level, so you don't need to address me as a senior. Call me by name."
"As for the Pavilion Lord, if an Earth Sovereign is determined to flee, capturing them is exceedingly difficult without thorough preparation."
Xiao Ze nodded in agreement. Earth Sovereigns possessed astonishing vitality, and if they prioritized escape over self preservation, it was nearly impossible to stop them.
"Mandala, regarding this storage bracelet…" Xiao Ze began, gesturing toward the item.
"It's yours," Mandala replied decisively. "The Blood Spirit Gate Master fell to your battle intent. I merely cleaned up the remnants."
Her gaze then shifted toward the massive crimson volcano in the distance.
"That's my true prize."
"Then let's go," Xiao Ze said with a smile. "Now we can claim it for ourselves."
The two shared a glance, then raced toward the volcano.
Upon entering the massive volcanic crater, their attention was immediately drawn to the lava lake at its center.
"What immense energy. Even an ordinary Nine Rank Sovereign wouldn't dare absorb this spiritual energy recklessly," Mandala observed, her golden eyes narrowing.
Xiao Ze, however, focused intently on the lava lake, sensing something unusual within its depths.
"There's something hidden in the lava," he murmured. "I can feel a faint yet ominous presence."
Mandala raised a finger, and with a wave, her spiritual energy surged. The lake of molten rock began to part, revealing its depths.
When the hidden sight was fully unveiled, even Mandala's golden eyes widened in surprise.
"Is that… the essence of a divine flame?"
At the lakebed, the ground was pitch black, and atop it flickered a faint, azure flame. Its light was weak, as though it might extinguish at any moment. Yet the aura emanating from it was enough to command reverence.
"It's a genuine divine flame," Mandala whispered, her tone tinged with awe.
Xiao Ze studied the tiny flicker of azure fire, sensing its waning vitality. Despite the overwhelming fire energy present in the lava lake, the flame's source had nearly withered away.
"What could've caused a divine flame to deteriorate like this?" Xiao Ze wondered aloud.
As he focused, he detected a faint ripple of consciousness within the flame. He turned to Mandala.
"Mandala, I'm going down. If anything happens, be ready to intervene."
Mandala nodded solemnly, maintaining the parted state of the lava lake while Xiao Ze descended to its floor.
Standing before the azure flame, Xiao Ze was struck by its fragility. Its core was practically hollow, its essence depleted to the brink of collapse.
Yet within the faint remnants of its essence, a sliver of spirit barely perceptible lingered.
Carefully, Xiao Ze extended his palm, conjuring a sphere of pure soul essence and offering it to the flame.
At first, the azure fire remained unresponsive. But as the soul essence neared, the flame began to flicker weakly, gradually absorbing the energy.
Under Xiao Ze's watchful eye, the flame's faint spiritual light grew ever so slightly brighter. However, it was clear that this restoration was only temporary.
"Reviving it fully will be nearly impossible," Xiao Ze thought, his brows furrowed.
After absorbing the soul essence, the azure flame expanded slightly, taking on a humanoid shape. Mandala tensed, ready to act, but Xiao Ze raised a hand to signal her to wait.
The flame coalesced into the figure of a man clad in azure robes. His face bore an expression of confusion that slowly gave way to clarity.
The figure looked at his fiery form, then at Xiao Ze, and smiled warmly.
"Who would've thought that after such a long time, my spirit would be awakened by someone of the younger generation?"
The azure robed figure studied Xiao Ze carefully before speaking again.
"I am Qing Danzi. Tell me, young one, does peace reign in the Great Thousand World? Have the invaders from beyond the realm been driven away?"
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