He did not notice that black flames had already surrounded him.

The flames burned around his body, transforming into pure fire energy that entered him, where it was refined and absorbed by the small core of the Terrestrial Fox Black Flame within his Nascent Soul.

If someone were to look down from the highest point in the sky, they would see black flames covering all of Yingzhou Celestial Isle and the surrounding seas, expanding several times over as they burned.

At first, they spread indiscriminately, centered on the place where Xiao Shou had been staying.

They rotated in a vortex, forming a beautiful black flame flower that burned across the sky, the land, and the sea, leaving not a single trace of the Seven Deadly Sins.

After burning for more than two hours, the Seven Deadly Sins was completely eradicated.

The black flames around Yingzhou Celestial Isle then began to rapidly fade.

The Terrestrial Fox Black Flame gathered itself and, with Xiao Shou’s location as the center, stretched into a thin, spiral line of fire that flew toward the northern sea.

Once it left Yingzhou Celestial Isle, it extended in a straight line toward the original outbreak zone of the Seven Deadly Sins, which was currently sealed within a great formation barrier.

The darkness of night had been the perfect cover for the Terrestrial Fox Black Flame.

After the flames faded, people could not see the thin black line spiraling through the air, nor could they notice that its source came from an inconspicuous small rented cave dwelling.

Only when the first light of dawn appeared did people finally notice the faint, nearly extinguished flame spiraling in the sky.

They followed it, drawing closer to the center of the vortex.

At that moment, the nearly extinguished flame suddenly surged with power.

The thin line of fire instantly expanded into the same form as the night before, condensing into a black flame flower that covered the entire Yingzhou Celestial Isle, descending in its most brilliant form before everyone’s eyes.

During the night, people could not clearly see the form of the Terrestrial Fox Black Flame and were only dazzled by its miraculous effects.

But in the light of dawn, witnessing this unparalleled flower with their own eyes, no one could resist its mysterious allure.

They stood there in a daze, feeling the immense black flame flower filled with the power to purify all filth and sin.

At dawn, the flame flower revived and burned for more than four full hours, lasting until noon.

By that time, all traces of the Seven Deadly Sins across Yingzhou Celestial Isle, its surrounding seas, and even the far northern infected regions had been completely incinerated.

Along with it, a great number of deeply sinful cultivators were also wiped away.

Only then did the Terrestrial Fox Black Flame, now greatly strengthened after its feast, return to Xiao Shou’s Nascent Soul to digest the energy.

Just as the flames fully disappeared and the people who had been entranced by their beauty regained their senses, a vast mass of golden merit descended from the sky.

It fell into the very spot where the center of the flames had been and vanished.

Inside the cheap rented cave dwelling, Xiao Shou was still half asleep.

He only felt his lower abdomen grow warm as if a hot compress had been placed there spreading warmth through his whole body.

Soon it felt as though he were soaking in a hot spring, from his toes to the tips of his hair, every inch of him filled with comfort and release.

Because it felt so good, he turned over within the golden glow of merit and continued sleeping.

He might be the first person to gain merit while asleep.

The merit itself seemed at a loss.

Seeing that he did not bother to absorb it and simply kept sleeping, it circled around him for a while.

When he still did not respond, it directly transformed into cultivation and merged into his body.

Outside the cave dwelling, high in the air, Tongchan cross legged, having guarded the place for an entire night and half a day.

Sensing survivors approaching from all directions, he flicked his Purple Gold Singing Bowl.

It immediately expanded into a massive barrier of light that covered the small cave dwelling.

In an instant, the cave dwelling flickered as if something about it had subtly changed.

"Pfft!"

Inside an opulent secret chamber, Yu Lin suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood.

She sensed the destruction of two of her clones and anger mixed with fear surged within her.

The Source of Profound Ice that could restrain the Seven Deadly Sins was in her possession.

The Vermilion Bird Flame had not absorbed enough spirit fire and could not evolve into the Vermilion Bird Sacred Flame.

The spirit treasure from Xiao Ran’s inheritance could not be refined in a short time.

This should have been her best opportunity.

At present, nothing should have been able to counter her.

She had even obtained a treasure capable of resolving all karmic sins, meaning she would not bear the consequences of using the Seven Deadly Sins.

So why had her clones that was only one level below her true body been destroyed so easily?

Just as she struggled to understand, she swallowed a healing pill and prepared to regulate her energy.

Suddenly, the heavy stone door of the chamber crashed to the ground with a loud boom.

Startled, Yu Lin looked up and saw a vague figure standing in the doorway backlit by light.

A familiar voice spoke, "I found you. Yu Lin, right?"

"It is you, you scheming brat!"

The familiar voice stirred memories of severed limbs, pain, and hatred.

Yu Lin sprang to her feet and struck out with a palm attack without hesitation, while simultaneously summoning her life-bond treasure to follow up.

But the newcomer gave her no chance to act.

He did not even take a step forward.

He did not move at all.

A powerful grayish spiritual light surged from his body and enveloped her.

In an instant, a magnetic force locked her in place.

Even her treasure could no longer respond to her divine sense.

Her entire body froze where she stood.