159: Before the abyss, their love was sealed amidst the sea of ​​fire.

The closer they got to the area marked "Flame Abyss" on the map, the more hostile the environment became. The air was no longer filled with simple heat, but a bizarre searing sensation that seemed capable of incinerating the Soul. The fire poison was now so dense it was visible to the naked eye, forming wisps of dark red Qi flowing in the air. Ordinary Dou Zongs would collapse upon contact, and even Dou Zuns had to constantly circulate their Dou Qi to resist it, resulting in enormous consumption.

The Yan Clan team had no choice but to once again tighten their formation. Four Dou Zun Elders took turns supporting a larger protective shield, enveloping everyone within. Their pace grew increasingly slow. Even Elder Huo Yun showed clear signs of exhaustion on his face.

Li Ao's Annihilation Domain remained steady, but its range had shrunk to only perfectly cover himself and Medusa and Xiao Yi Xian, who were pressed close to him. He could sense that the fire attribute energy in this area was starting to mix with an extremely subtle but fundamentally high-level destructive aura. It was faintly similar to his Nirvana Origin, yet much more violent and chaotic.

"The energy field ahead is extremely chaotic and powerful, and the spatial structure has become unstable," Li Ao stopped, extending his Soul Power forward like a tentacle, only for it to feel like it had plunged into a sticky, scorching mire. His sensory range was greatly compressed. "That should be the entrance area to the 'Flame Abyss'. Everyone be careful, I sense something... unusual."

As soon as he finished speaking, a sharp, piercing shriek, like countless pieces of glass rubbing together, suddenly came from the distorted, shimmering space ahead! Immediately afterward, several translucent, eerie figures burning with pale flames appeared like phantoms from the Void Realm!

These figures had no fixed form, sometimes coalescing into human shapes, sometimes dispersing like a fire storm. They had no facial features, only two pale flames flickering where a head would be, emitting a contradictory aura of coldness mixed with intense heat, along with strong Soul fluctuations!

"It's the 'Void Fire Specters'!" Elder Huo Yun's face changed drastically, his voice tinged with fear. "These things are not living creatures, but bizarre entities formed by the combination of extreme fire attribute energy and remnant Soul fragments leaking from spatial cracks! They are formless and intangible; physical attacks are almost useless. They specialize in devouring Souls and can ignite the inner heart fire, making them impossible to guard against! Everyone guard your minds and absolutely do not let them invade your Sea of Consciousness!"

The few Void Fire Specters let out a grating shriek. Their pale figures flickered, instantly traversing space and lunging directly at the crowd! They ignored the flame barrier set up by the Yan Clan Elders, passing through it as if they were nothingness, aiming straight for everyone's Souls!

"No!" A Yan Clan Dou Zong Disciple was caught off guard, and a Specter passed through his chest. His body stiffened abruptly, his eyes instantly filled with pale flames, and he let out a miserable shriek. His surrounding Dou Qi spiraled out of control, turning to attack his nearby companions!

"Steady your mind!" Elder Huo Yun cried out anxiously. He flicked out a wisp of condensed Natal Flame, forcibly driving out and incinerating the pale Fire Specter from the Disciple's body. However, the Disciple's Soul was already damaged, and he collapsed weakly to the ground.

The scene instantly descended into chaos! These Void Fire Specters appeared and vanished unpredictably, specializing in attacking the Soul. The flame Dou Qi that the Yan Clan members excelled at had little effect on them. For a time, they were helpless, only able to defend passively and were in a sorry state.

Rainbow light flared brightly in Medusa's purple eyes. Her powerful Soul Power formed a barrier, shaking off the Specters that lunged at her and Li Ao. But those Specters were like maggots clinging to bone, circling relentlessly and constantly assaulting her Soul defense, causing her to frown deeply.

Xiao Yi Xian's strength was slightly weaker, and facing these bizarre entities that specialized in Soul attacks, she was in constant peril, her face pale white. If Li Ao hadn't been diverting his attention to protect her surroundings with the Annihilation Domain, she would likely have been struck long ago.

Li Ao's eyes were cold. These Void Fire Specters were indeed troublesome; physical and energy attacks had limited effect. However, they were fundamentally aggregates of energy and remnant Souls, and the Nirvana Origin was best at terminating energy and erasing imprints!

"Everyone, get close to me!" Li Ao shouted, holding nothing back. His Spirit Realm Mid Stage Soul Power erupted completely, undergoing deep Fusion with the Nirvana Origin within his body!

"Buzz—!"

An aura of Nirvana, far grander and deeper than before, burst forth centered on Li Ao! This time, it was no longer a simple defensive Domain, but a Soul storm carrying the will of active corrosion and termination!

Gray-white Qi surged toward the Void Fire Specters like a tide!

"Screech—!"

The Void Fire Specters, which had been formless, intangible, and incredibly arrogant, shrieked in extreme terror the moment they touched the gray-white Qi, as if they had encountered a natural predator! Their pale flame bodies twisted violently and flickered unstably. The energy structure and remnant Soul imprints that constituted their existence were forcibly stripped away, disintegrated, and returned to nothingness within the Nirvana storm!

In just a few breaths, the Void Fire Specters that had rendered the Yan Clan members helpless completely dissipated into the air, leaving no trace, just like stains wiped away by an eraser.

The Nirvana storm slowly subsided. Li Ao's face was slightly pale; continuous use of the power of Origin was a considerable drain on him. But the effect was remarkable: the surroundings returned to calm, with only the ubiquitous scorching heat remaining.

The Yan Clan members looked at Li Ao with lingering fear, their eyes filled with gratitude and awe. If not for Li Ao today, they might have suffered heavy losses at the hands of the Void Fire Specters.

"Young Friend Li, we owe you again," Elder Huo Yun said solemnly, letting out a sigh of relief.

"Elder, you exaggerate. We are just helping each other through this," Li Ao waved his hand, his gaze fixed on the still-distorted space. "It seems this Flame Abyss is more dangerous than we imagined. The path ahead will likely be even harder."

He looked at the two women beside him. Although Medusa was unharmed, there was a hint of fatigue in her eyes. Xiao Yi Xian was leaning against him, her aura weak, clearly having borne a considerable burden on her Soul while resisting the Specters just now.

"Xian'er, how are you?" Li Ao supported her, asking with concern, while simultaneously channeling more gentle Nirvana Dou Qi to help soothe the tremors in her Soul.

Xiao Yi Xian leaned in his arms, feeling the warmth of his chest and his reassuring aura. She gently shook her head, her voice slightly weak: "I'm fine, I just need to rest a bit... I just feel like I'm dragging you down."

"Don't say such foolish things." Li Ao's tone held unquestionable resolve. "Since I brought you, I will ensure your safety."

He then looked at Medusa, reaching out to grasp her slightly cool hand: "Cai Lin, you also consumed a lot of energy. We don't know what dangers lie ahead, so we must be even more careful."

Medusa felt the warmth of his palm and the concern in his words. The ice in her purple eyes melted away, and she lightly squeezed his hand back, nodding. In this perilous dead zone, the bond between the three of them grew even stronger.

Seeing the situation, Elder Huo Yun ordered the team to rest where they were and distributed some Medicinal Pills for recovering Soul Power. Everyone needed time to recuperate to face the true challenge ahead—entering the Flame Abyss.

During the rest period, Li Ao sat cross-legged, regulating his breath while carefully sensing the distorted space ahead. The black iron on his brow faintly heated up, transmitting a strange tremor, as if something within the Abyss was attracting it.

"Will the Eight Desolations Destruction Flame truly be inside?" Li Ao wondered internally. "And what is that destructive aura that is faintly similar to the Nirvana Origin?"

He had a faint premonition that this trip to the Flame Abyss might not be as simple as just searching for an exotic flame.

Just as he was deep in thought, Xiao Yi Xian, who was resting in his arms, suddenly stirred gently. She raised her head, an unnatural flush appearing on her pale face, and looked at him with somewhat hazy eyes.

"Li Ao..." Her voice carried a strange hoarseness. "I... I feel a bit hot..."

Li Ao's heart tightened. He quickly checked her condition and found that the Poison Pill in her body, which had been balanced by the Nirvana Origin, was subtly becoming restless. A faint wisp of dark red fire poison had somehow invaded her Meridians, conflicting with her own cold poison Qi and triggering a backlash of the toxins!

The environment here was truly too hostile for her!

"Don't move, I'll help you expel the poison!" Li Ao's expression was serious. He immediately helped her sit upright, placing his hands on her back. Pure Nirvana Dou Qi continuously poured into her body, carefully enveloping and annihilating the troublesome fire poison, while simultaneously reinforcing the Seal on the Poison Pill.

Xiao Yi Xian leaned in his embrace, feeling his focused and gentle power, and gazing at his profile so close to her. Her heart was filled with a great sense of security and an indescribable emotion. She gently closed her eyes, allowing his power to circulate within her body, feeling as if any pain could be endured as long as he was by her side.

Medusa watched quietly from the side, her expression complex in her purple eyes. She could see Xiao Yi Xian's unreserved reliance and affection for Li Ao, and she could also feel Li Ao's equally genuine concern for both of them. She sighed softly, thinking, perhaps this was the arrangement of fate.

After a period of treatment, the toxins within Xiao Yi Xian were suppressed again. Her complexion returned to normal, and she fell into a deep sleep. Li Ao carefully positioned her head to rest on his leg and took off his outer robe to cover her.

He looked up, meeting Medusa's gaze. They looked at each other without speaking, but both understood the decision in the other's heart.

No matter what kind of Dragon's den or tiger's lair lay ahead, they would face it together.

With the rest complete, the team regrouped. Everyone's gaze was fixed resolutely on the distorted space leading to the Flame Abyss.

Li Ao carefully carried the still-sleeping Xiao Yi Xian onto his back and nodded to Medusa and Elder Huo Yun.

"Move out!"

The group stepped resolutely into the distortion of light and shadow that seemed capable of swallowing everything.

The real test was only just beginning.