There were about a hundred Xuanming believers captured and brought here, which isn't a large number considering they are the lucky survivors of the intense battles with Taoyuan Village cultivators and beasts.

They immediately reacted fiercely, trying to struggle and counterattack.

However, my flames entwined around them, seemingly ethereal and flickering, unable to form any barriers, yet in reality, they sealed them like solidified cement, making them immobile. Not only did it restrict their physical actions, but even the mana erupting from their bodies was entirely blocked back by the flames, causing quite a few of them to suffer internal injuries, losing the ability to continue struggling.

The sudden appearance of this group also startled the demon hunters present, who quickly took defensive stances.

Jiaoshu, waiting on the outskirts of the ritual site, seemed to have an impulse to rescue her people. I glanced at her, and she instantly froze like a frog stared at by a snake, not daring to move a muscle.

Dong Che came to my side, looking at Jiaoshu in the distance, then at the Xuanming believers, and asked, "This is…"

"Next, I will fight against Xuanming. To prevent involving you all, I intend to send you out of this city. The same goes for these Xuanming believers; you can escort them all to Luo Mountain. Consider them a gift for the road. Whether they are imprisoned by Luo Mountain laws or otherwise, follow the Governance Ideology rules." I said.

Dong Che nodded, "Understood."

"Then, farewell." I said.

Dong Che gave me a deep look and solemnly said, "I wish you triumph."

I had previously mentioned to Dong Che about my conflict with Xuanming. The upcoming battle is a life-or-death duel between this newly ascended Impermanence and the ancient Impermanence. No matter my past achievements or unique powers, it seems to others that I am more likely to lose than win.

Dong Che hasn't known me for long, but he must understand that persuading me is futile. Since I have challenged Ming Zhuo for Mazao before, I won't retreat on this occasion. Perhaps he'd like to believe I could triumph, but he must also be aware of the turbulent storm I'm about to face.

I waved my hand to manipulate the flames, which engulfed everyone like giant waves, pushing them beyond the city limits.

The barrier enclosing the city is designed to be restrictive inwardly and lenient outwardly. After regaining my strength, it's effortless for me to leave or send others away. However, no matter how lenient it is outwardly, there's a limit. Besides preventing external interference, the barrier also aims to prevent internal survivors from escaping.

Sending out a dozen or dozens might only take a blink, but sending a thousand in one go takes a few seconds.

Perhaps this is why Xuanming didn't transfer all his people to safety like I did before the war began with Taoyuan Village Master Meng Zhang. To waste a few seconds turning your back to the enemy while facing a peer-level foe is practically offering your neck to the guillotine.

But now the situation is different. Taoyuan Village Master Meng Zhang draws a line in the sand and retreats to the city center, and Xuanming shows no intention of attacking me during this window.

Now Xuanming must have realized the commotion in the ground city. I can feel a weighty gaze fall upon me. Following this gaze, I can trace Xuanming's current location.

No wonder none of the Xuanming believers know where their God currently is. Xuanming is not in the ground city, but above it, in the sky. Above the heaven-covering fire sea like dense clouds, I sense Xuanming standing at several thousand meters high amid the howling wind. Looking up, across the exhibition hall shelter's roof and the thick layers of fire sea, I remotely locked eyes with Xuanming.

Even when I talked to Dong Che about what to do with the Xuanming believers, Xuanming remained silent.

It probably doesn't mean much now to discuss these matters. If Xuanming truly cared about the fate of his believers, he can deal with it after victory. Conversely, leaving them in the city places them at risk of collateral damage. If he's defeated, then it doesn't matter—his believers' future is grim.

The figures of people around me vanished one by one in the fire sea: Dong Che, Xiaoqiao, Jiaoshu, the leading believer… until the last one was gone. I took a deep breath and then rushed skyward.

Breaking through the exhibition hall shelter's roof and waves of fire sea, the thousands of meters vertical distance dissolved in a snap, and I ascended to the high sky domain where Xuanming resided.

Xuanming gazed at me.

"I thought you would need more time to recover your strength; you act faster than I expected." he said, "A newly ascended Impermanence who, like me, wields the Fire Power… From the first time I saw you, I had a premonition we might eventually clash."

"To admit, after I heard of your existence, I've always regarded you secretly as a rival, aspiring to surpass you." I said.

"Is that so? I am honored." Xuanming said indifferently, "Then, although it's redundant, let me ask one last time out of courtesy: Would you be willing to hand over that Divine Son to me? If so, death need not occur today."

"Thanks for saying such words at the end; after your death, I will recall your words occasionally for amusement." I said.

Xuanming remained unsurprised and expressionless, "Then—die."

As the words fell, he raised his right hand, swiftly lunging toward my heart.

Judging by common sense, the linear distance between us is far, visually at least a thousand meters, yet for us, it's akin to being face-to-face. Not only because our speed could instantaneously negate it, but also because the concept of distance is meaningless to us Impermanence. He only needs to slightly extend his hand to touch me, and the same goes for me.

A blistering light appeared in his palm, reminiscent of a volcanic explosion, clearly intending to unleash immense Fire Power at close range. I could infer directly that the strike's might is strong enough to shatter a mountain in a single blow, easily reshaping the earth.

Even seasoned Impermanence like Huang Quan and Ming Zhuo must evade its edge. Facing such a strike head-on would instantly obliterate one into scattered spirit. This action vividly showcased Fire Power's violent destructive force.

Yet I chose not to dodge, nor did I parry, instead, I unhesitatingly mirrored Xuanming's action. The moment he raised his hand, I entered the Third Form, "Crown," transforming into a humanoid miniature star, and aimed my full force strike directly at Xuanming's head.

The strengths and weaknesses of Fire Power remain consistent from basic demon hunters to Impermanence: potent offensive and weak defense. While possessing one-hit-kill potency, it risks being similarly countered by an enemy's full-force attack of the same tier.

This is often why I sustain severe damage in same-tier battles. Xuanming might possess some capability to partially offset this weakness, yet the general direction remains undisputed. Confronting me, who inherently embodies attack, using this close-range style initially, risks ensnaring himself in a highly perilous situation.

But, this isn't his first encounter with my Crown Form. After our last engagement through the flame avatar, he likely pondered carefully on how to counter me. And then, the true intent of his strike impacted me.

I felt an immense force crash upon me from above. Indeed, not from the expected frontal strike by Xuanming, but from above. For a moment, I couldn't comprehend the specifics of what transpired, feeling akin to being fully engrossed in a boxing match, only for a meteor to collide with my head instead.

The force rocketed me vertically toward the ground city, and in a blink, I plummeted like a meteor.

To be precise, I became a meteor shower. The force fragmented my miniature star-like body into countless pieces mid-air. For a moment, I couldn't restrain the flame magic that composed my form. The falling meteor shower exploded across the ground city like innumerable atomic bombs, and the shockwaves and dust clouds from numerous points swiftly engulfed this disaster-ridden city.

Though the city underwent such devastating cataclysm, the vast barrier encasing it remained unshaken. Thanks to this massive barrier, the cataclysm occurring here didn't spread further afield. The predicted harm scale for two Impermanence wielding Fire Power clashing surpasses that of other Impermanence conflicts by far.

Indeed, moving Dong Che and the others outside the city was the correct choice… I thought as I realized how Xuanming orchestrated his attack.

While I focused on him, he stealthily manipulated flames, gathering strength for the true devastating blow from another direction. Typically, I might have noticed this earlier, but being airborne near that vast fire sea, every direction was saturated with his mana fluctuations, establishing an environment conducive for covert actions, perfectly executing a feint to catch me off-guard.

He actually ambushed me!