202: Flame Dance Seals the Boundary, Using Force to Coerce Peace

The Yan Clan woman rushed down like a fiery meteor. Deep red Dou Qi condensed around her body, forming a solid flame armor. Her right hand clenched in an empty grip, and a crimson long spear, entirely formed of condensed flames, suddenly appeared. The spear tip pointed directly at Li Ao, and the scorching heat waves caused the air to crackle loudly!

Her name was Huo Ying. She was one of the Fire Feather Guards responsible for patrolling the outer regions of the Yan Clan, and one of her duties was monitoring any anomalies in Jinyan Valley. The earth core fire lotus and its guardian fire spirit, "Bai Li," held special significance for the Yan Clan. Now that the fire lotus had been stolen and Bai Li was enraged, she bore undeniable responsibility. At this moment, her heart was filled with extreme fury.

Facing this fierce attack, which possessed an Aura capable of making an ordinary low-star Dou Zong change expression, Li Ao remained standing still, not even drawing the "silent ruin" from his back.

Just as Huo Ying, carrying the momentum of ten thousand tons, rushed into the lake bottom's vicinity and was about to enter the core area of the "Silent Spirit Sealing Barrier"—

A flash of gray-gold light appeared in Li Ao's eyes, and he gently took one step forward with his left foot.

"Buzz—!"

The "Silent Spirit Sealing Barrier," which had been hidden and invisible, was instantly and completely activated! Countless gray-gold runes emerged and flowed from the black basalt ground. A massive, invisible force field, carrying the meaning of absolute "ending" and "confinement," suddenly descended, forcibly suppressing and restraining the raging flame Dou Qi surrounding Huo Ying, like an invisible swamp!

Huo Ying's forward momentum abruptly stalled, as if she had slammed into an invisible wall! The deep red flames burning around her body dimmed and retracted at a visible speed. The flame long spear let out a mournful cry under the immense pressure, and the flames on its tip flickered erratically, nearly collapsing!

"What?!" A look of horror appeared for the first time in Huo Ying's crimson-gold pupils. She felt as if she had fallen into an energy desert; the active fire-attribute energy around her was forcibly stripped away and annihilated, and even her communication with the fire energy between heaven and earth became obscure and difficult! This kind of power was something she had never heard of!

"A Domain?! No... this is... a Seal Barrier?!" She was filled with doubt and alarm, desperately mobilizing the Dou Qi within her body, trying to break through this bizarre restraint. Deep red flames erupted from her body once more, fiercely resisting the gray-gold force field and emitting hissing sounds of erosion, yet she was like a moth caught in a spider's web, unable to break free.

Just then, Medusa, who had been standing still and observing, moved.

She did not use any flamboyant Dou Technique; she merely raised her slender jade hand slightly and gently clenched her five fingers in the direction of Huo Ying.

"Buzz!"

Seven-colored light emerged from thin air. It was not an attack, but transformed into seven strands of colored light, fine as silk threads yet incredibly tough. Like spiritual snakes possessing life, they instantly wrapped around Huo Ying's limbs, waist, abdomen, and neck! These seven-colored strands looked gentle, but they contained Medusa's immense power, which had been tempered by the dragon phoenix origin fruit, along with a trace of ancient Bloodline coercion!

The flames and the seven-colored light collided, emitting a grinding friction sound. Huo Ying was horrified to discover that the flames she erupted could not instantly burn through these seven-colored strands. Instead, the terrifying power contained within them constricted her, causing her flame armor to shatter piece by piece. Her body was bound tighter and tighter, and even the circulation of Dou Qi within her body was severely disrupted!

One person relied on a bizarre barrier to weaken and suppress, while the other used absolute power for instant restraint!

The coordination between Li Ao and Medusa was flawless, instantly subduing this Yan Clan envoy, whose strength was as high as Three-Star Dou Zong!

Huo Ying struggled desperately, her crimson-gold eyes filled with humiliation and disbelief. As a noble Fire Feather Guard of the Yan Clan, when had she ever been treated like this? To be captured alive in just two exchanges?!

"Who... who exactly are you?! Do you know the consequences of making an enemy of my Yan Clan?!" she gritted out, her voice slightly distorted by the restraint.

Only then did Li Ao slowly walk forward, stopping about ten feet in front of Huo Ying, looking at her with calm eyes: "Making an enemy? Envoy, your words are mistaken. If we truly wanted to be enemies with your Yan Clan, when you rushed down just now, the two of us could have struck to kill. Why would we only restrain you?"

His words were placid, yet they were like ice water poured over her head, instantly calming the enraged Huo Ying down somewhat. She had to admit that the other party was right. If they truly intended to kill her, given the bizarre barrier and the woman's terrifying strength, she would likely have been doomed just now.

"Then what do you intend to do?" Huo Ying stared intently at Li Ao, her tone still cold, but lacking the previous impulsiveness.

"I said, I merely wanted to invite the Envoy down for a discussion," Li Ao's tone remained peaceful. "We obtained the earth core fire lotus not to incur the enmity of the Yan Clan. On the contrary, we wish to use this item to conduct a transaction with your noble clan."

"A transaction?" Huo Ying frowned deeply. "You stole a treasure guarded by my clan, yet you dare to speak presumptuously of a transaction?"

"Guarded?" Li Ao smiled slightly, though his smile carried a hint of sharpness. "As far as I know, Jinyan Valley is not a restricted area designated by the Yan Clan, and the earth core fire lotus was born of heaven and earth, an ownerless item. How can you speak of 'stealing'? As for the guardian fire spirit, 'Bai Li,' if it hadn't attacked us first, we wouldn't have clashed with it. Furthermore..."

His tone shifted, and his gaze deepened: "Why is the Aura of 'Bone Chilling Flame,' which can only exist in the core regions of your Yan Clan, attached to this fire lotus? And why is your noble clan so anxious about this item, even dispatching an envoy to patrol it? The reason behind this probably cannot be explained away simply as a 'guarded treasure,' can it?"

Li Ao's words were like a sharp dagger, pointing directly to the core of the issue. Not only did he clarify that the fire lotus was not privately owned by the Yan Clan, but he also subtly touched upon a potential secret held by the Yan Clan.

Huo Ying's expression instantly changed several times, and a flicker of subtle panic flashed in her eyes. She opened her mouth, wanting to refute him, but found that the other party's words were entirely reasonable, and he seemed to know far more than she had anticipated.

Seeing her reaction, Li Ao became even more certain in his heart. With a thought, Medusa understood. The seven-colored strands wrapped around Huo Ying loosened slightly, allowing her to catch her breath, but still maintaining sufficient restraint.

"Now, can we have a good talk?" Li Ao looked at Huo Ying, his tone carrying the composure of someone in control of everything. "We harbor no ill will; we simply wish to exchange this earth core fire lotus for an item we need."

Huo Ying took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the shock and anger in her heart. Her crimson-gold eyes stared intently at Li Ao: "What do you want?"

"solar essence gold," Li Ao slowly uttered the four words.

"What?!" Huo Ying's pupils contracted sharply, and she almost lost her voice. "Impossible! solar essence gold is a sacred object of my clan. How can outsiders covet it?!"

Her reaction was within Li Ao's expectations. The importance of solar essence gold to the Yan Clan was probably even greater than that of the earth core fire lotus.

"Don't rush to refuse," Li Ao said unhurriedly. "The value of an earth core fire lotus that is nearly mature and contains a trace of unique cold fire Origin is something the Envoy must understand better than I do. It may have an irreplaceable effect on your noble clan for Cultivating certain special Cultivation Techniques or refining certain flames. Exchanging a 'sacred object' that is more symbolic to your noble clan for a tangible Opportunity related to Legacy and power enhancement—the high-level members of your noble clan will naturally decide which is more important in this transaction."

He paused, then continued to apply pressure: "Furthermore, if the transaction fails, we will simply leave with the fire lotus. And your noble clan will not only lose this Opportunity, but 'Bai Li' in Jinyan Valley will likely fall into a prolonged frenzy due to the loss of the fire lotus. The resulting losses and trouble at that time will probably not be comparable to a single piece of solar essence gold."

Li Ao's words used both soft and hard tactics, highlighting the potential enormous value of the earth core fire lotus to the Yan Clan while also hinting at the consequences of a failed transaction, thus throwing the difficult choice back to the Yan Clan.

Huo Ying fell silent. She stared intently at Li Ao, her thoughts racing. The other party's strength was unfathomable, his mind meticulous, and he seemed to have some understanding of the Yan Clan—he was definitely not someone to be trifled with. The earth core fire lotus, especially the trace of Bone Chilling Flame Aura on it, was indeed crucial to several Elders in the clan... and the stability of Bai Li had always been a concern within the clan... After a long pause, she finally gritted her teeth and said in a deep voice: "This matter is of great importance, and it is not something a mere Fire Feather Guard like myself can decide. I need to report this to the Elders."

"You may," Li Ao readily agreed. "We will wait here for three days. If your noble clan shows sincerity within three days, send someone who can make decisions to negotiate. If three days pass..." He did not continue, but the meaning was self-evident.

Huo Ying gave Li Ao a deep look, as if trying to engrave him into her memory: "Good! There will definitely be a reply within three days! I hope you... conduct yourselves well!"

Li Ao nodded and signaled to Medusa. Medusa waved her jade hand, and the seven seven-colored strands instantly dispersed.

With the restraint lifted, Huo Ying moved her slightly stiff body. She gave the two of them a complicated look, said nothing more, and the flames around her body surged again, turning into a streak of red light that shot into the sky and quickly vanished into the horizon.

Looking in the direction where she disappeared, Medusa spoke coolly: "Aren't you afraid she will bring powerful experts to forcibly seize it?"

Li Ao curled his lips into a confident arc: "If it were before, perhaps. But now, they know our strength and understand the importance of the fire lotus to them. Forcible seizure carries too much risk, and they might not be able to preserve the fire lotus's complete spirituality. For an ancient race with a long Legacy, after weighing the pros and cons, a transaction is often the superior choice."

"Furthermore," he paused, a deep light flashing in his eyes, "the 'Nirvana Power' I displayed is probably more interesting to them than the earth core fire lotus."

The fishing line had been cast. Next, all that remained was waiting for the fish to make its choice. And Li Ao had a premonition that this encounter with the Yan Clan would definitely not be as simple as just a transaction.