Chapter 11: The Power of Devouring

The Lotus of Otherworldly Flame resided within the cultivator’s body, yet remained an autonomous entity; it had merely formed a contract with its host to fight side by side.

“The Lotus of Otherworldly Flame!” someone in the crowd exclaimed, recognizing its identity. “That’s a flame from another realm!”

“Another realm?” Though Lin Hao owned the Lotus of Otherworldly Flame, even he was unsure of its origins. Hearing the murmurs around him, he finally understood its background. “Looks like I need to learn more about it when I have the chance. It sounds rather formidable.”

As the leech raised its tail, intending to swat aside the small lotus, the Lotus of Otherworldly Flame proved it was not so easily bullied. Just as the tail was about to make contact with the crimson lotus, a sudden burst of red mist erupted, enveloping both the Lotus and the leech’s tail.

Though the crowd could not see what transpired within, the hideous face of the leech contorted in unprecedented agony.

When the red mist cleared, all eyes beheld the leech’s tail—now reduced to a bloody, raw stump, its half-meter length vanished without a trace.

“It’s... it’s a child!” someone stammered.

Where the Lotus of Otherworldly Flame had been, now stood a red-haired, red-eyed boy, no more than five or six, chin raised haughtily as he regarded the leech.

Lin Hao had never seen this boy before, but something within him whispered that this was the human form of the Lotus of Otherworldly Flame.

“The Lotus of Otherworldly Flame is actually a boy?” murmured the cultivators below the stage, exchanging perplexed whispers.

“And look at his expression—he’s even more arrogant than Bai Shili!”

“Why is that?”

At this moment, someone stepped forward to enlighten them.

“You see, ordinary flames can’t take human form. But the Lotus of Otherworldly Flame is the first divine fire of the Otherworld—the Demon Realm. Its purity is unmatched, and it’s said that no other flame can best it...”

“Sounds impressive?” a nearby woman asked uncertainly.

“Of course!” The man, pleased by her attention, swelled with pride as if victory was already his. “There’s no way Lin Hao can lose this time.”

“Is that so?” Liu Xiaoxi muttered, turning to her father. “Father, they’re saying Lin Hao can’t possibly lose this time!”

Liu Baxian’s expression softened. “Is that so? Perhaps I underestimated the boy. He must have some plan.”

On the platform, Lin Hao watched Bai Shili’s next move intently, paying no heed to the chatter below.

Soon, Bai Shili acted—raising his hand, he shrouded the leech’s tail in a deep blue mist. When the mist dispersed, the tail had regrown.

“This won’t do.” Lin Hao clenched his jaw. “I must defeat him.”

Just then, a child’s voice sounded in his mind: “I can beat him.”

Lin Hao looked up. Standing before him, the Lotus of Otherworldly Flame gazed back with unwavering confidence and smiled.

Turning to face Bai Shili, the Lotus’s expression became lofty once more.

“Leech? Tch. The purity of its water is so low, it’s like the filthy runoff in a gutter. I don’t even want to devour you.”

“Devour!”

“The Lotus of Otherworldly Flame possesses devouring power!” the crowd stirred. Two monsters, both wielding the power of devouring—this was sure to be a spectacle.

At the mention of devouring power, Bai Shili’s expression darkened. Though both wielded the same force, the leech was deemed insidious, while the Lotus was held in reverence.

“Leech, attack!” Bai Shili commanded.

With a shriek, the leech hurled a massive water sphere at the Lotus of Otherworldly Flame—so large it dwarfed the child by two or three times.

The Lotus remained unperturbed by the oncoming threat. “Is that all?”

With a disdainful glance, he extended a hand and lightly tapped the incoming water sphere.

With a boom, the sphere evaporated in an instant, leaving only black smoke.

“Now, it’s my turn.” The Lotus grinned, revealing rows of gleaming white teeth, and transformed into a streak of flame that shot toward the leech. In panic, the leech spat out several water spheres, but each was consumed by the tiniest lick of fire.

At last, the Lotus reached the leech and enveloped it in a shroud of crimson that wrapped tighter and tighter, like a plastic membrane, sealing it completely. Through the flickering flames, the leech’s final struggles could be glimpsed before it was devoured.

“You seem very confident in your leech,” Lin Hao laughed. “Don’t worry, my Lotus of Otherworldly Flame won’t bother devouring such a thing—nobody wants it. But as for you...”

Lin Hao narrowed his eyes and deftly dodged a barrage of water jets and spheres from Bai Shili, closing the distance between them.

A flickering flame danced at his fingertip. With a wicked grin, Lin Hao flicked it onto Bai Shili’s body.

“Ahhh—!”

The single spark exploded, engulfing Bai Shili head to toe. He rolled desperately, trying to beat out the flames, unleashing countless water spheres, but the Otherworldly Flame was not so easily quenched. The more water he summoned, the more the flame consumed.

Amid exclamations from the crowd, Lin Hao heard the system’s voice in his mind.

“Ding! The hidden ability ‘Devouring Evolution’ may only be used once. Do you wish to proceed?”

“Confirm!”

Below, Liu Baxian’s expression shifted from shock to horror, while the audience cheered Lin Hao’s triumph.

Perhaps Liu Baxian’s agitation caught Liu Xiaoxi’s notice.

“Father, what’s wrong?” she asked anxiously.

“Look... look at Bai Shili’s current level!” Liu Baxian said, breathless.

Liu Xiaoxi probed with her spiritual sense, then gasped, “Second level... first level! He’s fallen back to the Qi Refining stage!”

“And he’s still dropping!”

Onstage, Bai Shili’s face was twisted, his body nearly paralyzed. Using the last of his strength, he grabbed Lin Hao’s leg and slapped a talisman, bestowed by Zhou Yichen, onto Lin Hao’s calf.

“Ha ha ha! Lin Hao, now you can taste the agony of losing all your power!” Bai Shili shrieked.

Amid his struggle with the leech, the Lotus of Otherworldly Flame sensed Lin Hao’s cultivation ebbing like a receding tide. Without hesitation, he broke free, circled Lin Hao’s calf, and burned the talisman to ash.

A pile of black powder fell to the ground. Bai Shili stared at it in disbelief, eyes wide.

Lin Hao, too, was stunned. That single talisman had stripped him back to the tenth level of Qi Refining...

He had clawed his way up with such effort!

With the Lotus no longer restraining it, the leech crawled back to Bai Shili’s side—now no larger than an ordinary water snake, shivering in terror.

Still, its arrival brought a flurry of devouring water spheres, which helped douse the fire burning on Bai Shili.

“Tell me, who gave you that talisman?” Lin Hao strode forward without hesitation, seizing Bai Shili by the throat.

Flames licked his hand—harmless to himself, but tormenting Bai Shili mercilessly.

“Ha ha ha, want to know?” Even as he was choked, Bai Shili managed a proud, defiant grin. “You’ve beaten me today, Lin Hao, but you’ve invited endless trouble! The talisman came from a powerful figure. Now that you’ve crossed him, your days in the Azure Wind Sect are numbered!”

With those words, Bai Shili’s head lolled to the side, eyes closing as Lin Hao’s flame burned him alive.

When he died, the leech he had summoned vanished as well.

But Lin Hao’s own expression was hardly any better. He looked to the referee, who immediately declared, “This match—Lin Hao is victorious!”

“Lin Hao wins! Lin Hao wins!” None were more elated than Liu Xiaoxi and her father. As Liu Xiaoxi cheered, the crowd’s murmurs swelled.

“Is this really a win? Lin Hao relied on his Otherworldly Flame, not himself!”

“But Bai Shili used his leech, didn’t he?”

“Still, Lin Hao killed Bai Shili!”

Liu Xiaoxi glanced at her father’s face. Liu Baxian’s expression was complex; he drew a trembling breath. “Xiaoxi, look at Lin Hao’s cultivation!”

“Qi Refining... tenth level!” Liu Xiaoxi gasped. “No, Foundation Building, second level... his power is unstable!”

She did not know that the talisman Bai Shili had used had forced Lin Hao back to the tenth level of Qi Refining, and so she assumed the leech had injured him.

“Father,” she said, her gaze following Lin Hao as he descended the platform, “I’m going to check on him. He doesn’t look well.”

Liu Baxian nodded as Lin Hao walked by, eyes wide, veins bulging on his forehead, his face expressionless yet clearly in pain.

Liu Xiaoxi hurried to his side. The commotion in the crowd grew so loud that the spark of controversy that started it all was nearly forgotten, allowing Liu Xiaoxi and her father to escort Lin Hao back to his quarters.

The sect was now split into two factions: those supporting Lin Hao and those loyal to Bai Shili. As Liu Xiaoxi and Liu Baxian helped Lin Hao away, the two sides argued furiously.

“Isn’t anyone going to do something? Someone just died!” cried Bai Shili’s usual toady.

“But didn’t Bai Shili kill someone in the last match, too?” Lin Hao’s supporters retorted.

“That was just a Qi Refining weakling—Bai Shili was different! He had limitless potential, a future inner disciple! Killing a nobody is nothing, but Bai Shili’s death—”