259: Guixu Town Flame

The Lava Dragon Turtle's dark-gold breath, like a roaring Dragon of destruction, caused space to twist and collapse wherever it passed, carrying a terrifying will to incinerate all things. It instantly blasted toward Li Ao and the two women!

The scorching high temperature made the people from Burning Flame Valley, Hall of Souls, and others who were struggling to cross the river behind them feel a wave of fear, their expressions changing drastically.

"Be careful!"

Medusa and Xiao Yi Xian shouted simultaneously, preparing to use their full power to resist.

However, Li Ao's movement was faster than theirs!

Facing this terrifying strike, which was enough to severely wound a Peak Dou Zun, the Guixu Sacred Power in his raised palm condensed and compressed at an unprecedented speed, finally transforming into a gray crystal only the size of a fingernail, yet as deep as a Universe black hole!

Although this crystal seemed minuscule, the moment it appeared, the surrounding violent fire-attribute energy strangely calmed down.

Even the light at the tip of the roaring dark-gold breath seemed to dim slightly, as if part of its might had been invisibly devoured by the gray crystal.

"Gui Xu—Origin Point."

Li Ao flicked his finger, and the gray crystal flew out silently, heading straight for the thick dark-gold breath.

There was no earth-shattering collision, no explosive roar of energy impact.

Under the disbelieving gazes of everyone present, the tiny gray crystal, the moment it touched the dark-gold breath, seemed to transform into a true "Origin Point," a "Singularity" where all things end and begin!

The immense dark-gold breath, like a hundred rivers flowing into the sea or light being swallowed by a black hole, was forcibly pulled, compressed, and absorbed into the small gray crystal!

The terrifying flame energy and the Law of incineration contained within the breath were instantly disintegrated and assimilated by the absolute true meaning of "Returning to Nothingness" the moment they touched the "Origin Point," becoming a part of the gray crystal's own nourishment!

In less than a breath, the dark-gold breath, which was powerful enough to destroy mountains, completely vanished inside the seemingly inconspicuous gray crystal.

The gray crystal's color seemed to become deeper and more reserved as it slowly flew back into Li Ao's palm and merged into his body.

Silence!

Above the river of lava and fire, a deathly stillness descended!

Whether it was Medusa and Xiao Yi Xian nearby, or the various forces crossing the river behind them, everyone stared dumbfounded at this scene.

"Swal... swallowed?! The full-power breath of an Eighth-rank Peak Dragon Turtle was just... eaten?" A Disciple from Burning Flame Valley stammered, almost incoherently.

The Red-haired Elder of Burning Flame Valley looked as if he had seen a ghost, his face full of horror and incomprehension: "Impossible! What kind of power is that?! How can it so easily neutralize the Dragon Turtle's breath that contains Law? This definitely doesn't belong to any known method of flame manipulation!"

The face beneath the hood of the Hall of Souls Black Robed Venerable twitched violently, the shock in his heart far surpassing others.

He knew better than anyone the power of that Dragon Turtle's breath; if it were him, short of using a secret Hall of Souls technique to escape, there would be absolutely no way to take it so lightly, let alone... devour it!

"This child... must not be allowed to live! His existence poses too great a threat to my Hall of Souls plan!" Killing intent boiled in the Black Robed Venerable's heart, and he secretly crushed a communication jade slip.

And in the crimson Dragon eyes of the Lava Dragon Turtle that had unleashed the breath, human-like astonishment and... a trace of fear appeared for the first time!

It instinctively felt that this minuscule human before it possessed a terrifying power capable of fundamentally "negating" its existence!

"Roar!!"

The Dragon Turtle, filled with shock and fury, let out an earth-shaking roar.

Its massive body suddenly stood upright, and its huge claw, covered in dark-gold crystals and lava, tore through the air, carrying the power to shatter mountains and rivers, and slammed viciously toward Li Ao!

Before the giant claw even arrived, the terrifying pressure had already caused the dark-gold lava below to sink into a large pit!

"Obstinate."

Li Ao's eyes turned cold. This time, he did not passively defend.

He took a step, and his figure vanished from the spot like a phantom, appearing the next moment directly in front of the Dragon Turtle's massive head!

"Your core belongs to me."

He pressed his fingers together like a blade, gray light condensing at the fingertip, and pointed toward the crystal core burning with the most intense flames on the Dragon Turtle's brow!

"Nirvana—Finger!"

This finger strike looked slow, yet it seemed to transcend the barriers of space and time, arriving late but striking first, landing with incomparable precision upon the dark-gold crystal core!

"Ding—!" A crisp sound, like the striking of a jade chime, rang out.

Time seemed to freeze at this moment.

The Lava Dragon Turtle's descending giant claw froze mid-air, and the savagery and fury in its crimson Dragon eyes instantly solidified, turning instead into endless fear and disbelief.

The next moment, centered on the point where Li Ao's finger landed, fine gray cracks, like a spiderweb, instantly spread across the Dragon Turtle's entire head, and then rapidly expanded to its massive body!

That indestructible dark-gold crystal shell, that surging lava body, under the erosion of the gray cracks, quickly lost its luster, becoming gray, brittle, and weak, like rock weathered for ten thousand years.

"Buzz..." The vast, sea-like flame energy within the Dragon Turtle's body rushed madly towards Li Ao's fingertip like a breached river, being rapidly devoured and refined by the Power of Gui Xu!

The crystal core at its heart, which contained its lifelong cultivation and a trace of Origin fire seed, rapidly dimmed its light, finally shattering with a "crack."

The incomparably pure Origin fire energy flowed into Li Ao's body like a docile stream.

"Rumble..." The massive Dragon Turtle body completely lost all vitality and energy, transforming into a huge pile of lifeless gray rock.

It collapsed with a crash, smashing into the lava and fire river below, splashing up monstrous waves before slowly sinking.

An Eighth-rank Peak Lava Dragon Turtle, a powerful existence comparable to a human Peak Dou Zun, was completely stripped of all its power and returned to Nirvana under Li Ao's hand, unable to last even a single move!

Li Ao floated in mid-air, feeling the pure fire energy surging into his body, as well as the trace of the Dragon Turtle's Origin fire seed quietly absorbed by the nirvana ancient talisman.

His eyes were calm and unperturbed.

Although his cultivation did not directly achieve a Breakthrough after this bout of devouring, it became more condensed and profound, and his understanding of the Fire Law deepened slightly.

He turned around and looked behind him.

He saw that the Burning Flame Valley, the Hall of Souls, and the few other surviving Dou Zun experts were all frozen in place, as if petrified, gazing at him with boundless awe and fear in their eyes.

Walking on fire, annihilating the Dragon Turtle with a finger!

This level of might had completely intimidated everyone!

Li Ao's gaze swept over them indifferently, finally pausing for a moment on the Hall of Souls Black Robed Man.

That cold look made the latter feel as if he had fallen into an ice cellar, shivering from head to toe.

He did not speak, merely nodded slightly to Medusa and Xiao Yi Xian.

Then, with a movement of his body, he easily crossed the remaining fire river area and landed steadily on the opposite bank.

Medusa and Xiao Yi Xian followed closely, landing beside Li Ao.

A hint of admiration was also present in the eyes of the two women as they looked at him.

Although they knew Li Ao was powerful, every time they saw him act, that rule-crushing power still made their hearts surge.

The opposite bank was a ruined square that was older and exuded an ancient, vast aura.

At the end of the square stood the towering dark-red palace complex.

The true core of the Fentian Valley was right before their eyes.

After this battle, no one dared to easily approach Li Ao and the two women, nor did anyone harbor the slightest thought of taking advantage or plotting against them.

Strength was the best pass.