As the Black Fox King's natal sacred artifact, the Life and Death Seal carried boundless sacred might, akin to the Great Sage's personal presence.
Duan Liang, wielding the Life and Death Seal, aimed its death-facing side at Ji Nanyan. A terrifying sacred might, like a death knell, rapidly struck towards her.
Ji Nanyan, undeterred by the danger, gathered the divine light pervading her body to resist.
To Duan Liang's surprise, despite the divine light's protection, the death force released by the Life and Death Seal was utterly unable to harm Ji Nanyan.
It was known that anyone struck by the Life and Death Seal would perish instantly.
Just moments before, Duan Liang had only briefly illuminated Ji Boxiao with the Life and Death Seal, and Ji Boxiao had immediately lost all signs of life.
Yet now, the divine light emanating from Ji Nanyan could actually obstruct the sacred might of the Life and Death Seal, preventing its deathly power from reaching her.
How could this be possible?
Based on Duan Liang's observation, Ji Nanyan was merely a peak expert in the Mahayana stage, just one step away from transcending tribulation and forging a golden body.
However, the Life and Death Seal was a sacred artifact, and experts of the Mahayana stage were utterly incapable of resisting it!
Duan Liang could not comprehend it, but he knew that as the Ji family's Saintess, Ji Nanyan must possess a powerful artifact from the Ji family.
Perhaps it was a protective artifact on Ji Nanyan that was repelling the assault of the Life and Death Seal.
"You little wench, release Lin Feng to me immediately, or I swear, even if I have to risk my life today, I will make you pay a price!"
Duan Liang watched Lin Feng, who had been sealed within the Sky Burning Furnace, his heart filled with unbearable anxiety.
If Lin Feng were to be refined alive, he himself would surely not survive.
"Daoist Priest, isn't this something you brought upon yourselves? I most certainly will not release him. Do as you please."
Ji Nanyan replied coldly and with extreme arrogance.
Her words completely enraged Duan Liang.
Duan Liang wished he could obliterate Ji Nanyan into dust, but after calming himself, he still chose to endure for the moment.
This was because he had discovered a crucial detail: his life was bound to Lin Feng's. If Lin Feng were in danger, he would feel it acutely.
However, he was currently not experiencing any threat of death, which meant that Lin Feng, trapped within the Sky Burning Furnace, was not yet in mortal peril.
Realizing this, Duan Liang immediately shifted his focus to the Sky Burning Furnace.
Concurrently, He Yu Ning and others also arrived.
The Sky Burning Furnace had landed in an open space. The massive furnace glowed a fiery red, its scorching heat charring the surrounding land black.
"Fallen Immortal Grandpa, where's Little Fengzi? Why is Little Fengzi missing?"
He Yu Qing, unable to find Lin Feng, questioned Duan Liang with confusion.
"Damn it all, that brat Ji Nanyan stuffed my little brother Lin Feng into the Sky Burning Furnace! Who knows if he's alive or dead!"
Duan Liang, knowing Lin Feng's close relationship with He Yu Qing, replied with a string of curses.
"Ah? Then Little Fengzi will be roasted into a suckling pig, won't he?"
"Sister, quickly cool down Little Fengzi! This Ji Nanyan is too detestable, how can she be so heartless and cruel!"
He Yu Qing was frantic, pleading with He Yu Ning for help.
Although He Yu Ning didn't harbor particularly favorable feelings towards Lin Feng, seeing Ji Nanyan bully him so mercilessly, she couldn't bear it any longer.
With a mere thought, she transformed into an ice phoenix composed entirely of ice crystals.
The ice phoenix spread its wings, and endless chilling air surged towards the fiercely burning Sky Burning Furnace like a fire extinguisher.
However, it proved to be completely useless.
Before the chilling air could even approach the Sky Burning Furnace, it was evaporated into steam by the intense heat.
He Yu Ning, unwilling to give up, unleashed her primal energy from her transformed ice phoenix form.
The ice phoenix was a divine bird of heaven and earth, and its primal energy possessed the ability to freeze all things in the world, making it as rare and overbearing as the Samadhi True Fire.
Indeed, with the infusion of primal energy, the originally bright red Sky Burning Furnace immediately dimmed considerably.
Clearly, the cooling effort had taken effect.
"He Yu Ning, you think too highly of my Ji family's Sky Burning Furnace!"
Ji Nanyan descended from high above, enveloped in divine light. With each step, lotuses bloomed beneath her jade feet, making her appear exquisitely beautiful.
As she spoke, Ji Nanyan flicked her finger, sending a beam of divine light into the Sky Burning Furnace.
The Sky Burning Furnace, which had just dimmed, immediately erupted in flames once more, not only breaking through He Yu Ning's frost suppression but also increasing its internal temperature.
If the Samadhi True Fire had been fiery red before, it was now a violet red.
The terrifying temperature was such that even He Yu Ning, in her ice phoenix form, dared not confront it directly and rapidly retreated a great distance.
"This is bad. Ji Nanyan has activated the Sky Burning Furnace's sacred might. We cannot help Lin Feng at all; it now depends entirely on him."
He Yu Ning's expression was grave, having not expected Ji Nanyan to be so ruthless towards Lin Feng.
Did Ji Nanyan truly have no fear of the two powerful figures behind Lin Feng?
At this moment, Lin Feng, trapped within the Sky Burning Furnace, also felt the change in temperature.
Earlier, he had been able to withstand the high temperatures within the furnace by relying on the protection of his Hidden Dragon Armor.
But now, the violet-red flames were too much even for the Hidden Dragon Armor, and he faintly felt it on the verge of shattering.
Lin Feng's face paled in alarm, and he quickly extracted his precious gourd to resist.
The precious gourd was forged by the Black Fox King from Sky Mending Stone, making it incredibly durable.
He controlled the gourd, continuously absorbing the surrounding purple flames and drawing them into the gourd. Only then did he feel a bit better.
Outside, Ji Nanyan also sensed something was amiss.
She clearly felt the temperature of the Sky Burning Furnace beginning to decrease, as if its heat was being absorbed by something.
"Damn it, this fellow can still hold on!"
Ji Nanyan frowned, formed hand seals, and rapidly channeled them into the Sky Burning Furnace.
The violet-red flames seemed to have been doused with gasoline, as they suddenly blazed even more fiercely.
The precious gourd controlled by Lin Feng was almost overflowing with the sheer volume of flames. If this continued, he would eventually be burned to death.
"Damn it, this woman is too cruel!"
Lin Feng was incredibly angered, realizing Ji Nanyan was aiming to kill him. He held his breath, concentrated, and silently circulated the Heaven and Earth Creation Technique.
His body was already stronger than that of ordinary people, and upon circulating the Heaven and Earth Creation Technique, his dragon-shaped dantian began to spin rapidly, continuously absorbing and refining the purple flames within the Sky Burning Furnace.
Even so, the absorption rate could not keep pace with the rate at which the flames were burning.
Lin Feng's powerful physique felt as if it were about to shatter into pieces. He felt as though his entire body was about to be roasted apart.
"It's over, I can't hold on!"
After struggling fiercely for a long time, Lin Feng finally broke.
His entire body was enveloped by the purple flames. The terrifying heat roasted his soul, and his body began to char.
Outside, Duan Liang also felt Lin Feng's agony. He collapsed onto the ground, rolling in pain, enveloped by an aura of death.
"My love, we can't hold on anymore, why haven't you come yet!"
Duan Liang cried out in pain.
The Demon Emperor Ying Tian Qing's life was also bound to Lin Feng. By all rights, as Lin Feng was on the verge of death, Ying Tian Qing should have sensed it.
"Old Daoist, why do you look like you're being burned yourself? What's going on with you?"
He Yu Qing, seeing Duan Liang in such pain, expressed her confusion.
Duan Liang had no time to explain to He Yu Qing. He gazed at the sky, his eyes filled with longing, continuously urging Ying Tian Qing to arrive quickly.
Just at this critical juncture, a massive black roc streaked across the sky, roaring as it approached.
Sensing a powerful aura, Ji Nanyan, who was observing the changes in the Sky Burning Furnace, immediately turned her head to look.
The black roc landed, and Ying Tian Qing, exuding surging demonic energy, stood before them with his hands behind his back.
Ying Tian Qing looked at the fiercely burning Sky Burning Furnace, his sharp eyes filled with gloom.
"My love, you've finally come. I can't hold on anymore, it's too agonizing."
Duan Liang, upon seeing Ying Tian Qing, immediately pleaded for help.
Ying Tian Qing waved his hand, and a stream of demonic energy enveloped Duan Liang, making him feel much better.
"My love, quickly do something about this brat, his life is in peril!"
Duan Liang scrambled to Ying Tian Qing's side and quickly described Lin Feng's situation.