"With your strength, you still need a bodyguard?" The little girl asked with a surprised expression. She wasn't too shocked by Xiao Yan's demand—after all, a single year was nothing more than the blink of an eye for those at the Earth Sovereign level.
"There are some matters that I can't handle directly, so I'll need your help." Xiao Yan shrugged and smiled. "Besides, if I really help you take down that Sacred Demon Emperor, Lu Heng, then getting something in return seems fair, doesn't it? You can't expect me to work for free, right?"
"Isn't that Sacred Flood Flame the benefit you get?" Mandala blinked, finally realizing the seemingly amiable youth in front of her wasn't as easy to deal with as she'd assumed.
"That's just a trophy from battle. Sure, it's a gain, but it's not related to the cooperation we're about to engage in. Also, don't forget, that flame is part of the deal itself." Xiao Yan smiled faintly. "So, if you want me to deal with Lu Heng alongside you, you'll need to offer something else in return. One year of service as my bodyguard isn't too unreasonable, right?"
"You do have a point. In that case, let's wish ourselves a successful partnership." After a brief hesitation, the girl extended a slender hand. "My name is Mandala. If you can capture Lu Heng and help me with that matter I mentioned, I'll serve as your bodyguard for a year."
"Miss Mandala, may I ask what it is you want me to help with?" Xiao Yan grasped her small hand for a brief moment before letting go. Though he'd already guessed it was likely related to the curse within her body, he still politely followed the formalities.
"You probably saw those things inside me already, right?" Mandala's expression darkened slightly before she spoke again. "It's a curse that was placed in my body. Your flame has a strong suppressive effect on it, so I hope you'll help me remove and refine it."
"Don't tell me... that curse was placed there by Lu Heng?" Xiao Yan seemed to ask casually, but Mandala nodded firmly.
"That's right."
"I see. That explains your grudge with him." Xiao Yan shook his head, then glanced at Mandala's petite figure and said, "Well then, there's no better time than now. How about we start removing that curse right away?"
"Now?" Mandala was taken aback. She had thought that something this dangerous would require more consideration—at least until after Lu Heng was dealt with. She didn't expect Xiao Yan to agree so readily. Did he not fear that she might turn against him once the curse was gone?
"Your curse was weakened slightly when I burned part of it earlier. Right now, it's in a fragile state. Also, this magma environment enhances my flames. It's the best time to act." Xiao Yan nodded, sounding completely thoughtful. Of course, his true thoughts were known only to him.
He had considered the same risks that Mandala had. But Xiao Yan always left a backdoor in everything he did. The last woman who made a deal like this with him—Queen Medusa—had ended up unable to separate herself from him. If this little girl thought removing her curse gave her the right to act recklessly, then he had no issue becoming her new "curse."
"You're right. Let's begin." Mandala nodded and sat back down cross-legged atop the rock platform beneath her.
Her last bit of wariness toward Xiao Yan had now completely faded. When they were negotiating the terms of their deal, she had suspected that his innocent demeanor was just an act. But now, it seemed it was just who he was. Maybe he was smart, but still inexperienced. Otherwise, he wouldn't have agreed so quickly to help her with something this risky.
As Mandala obediently settled into position, Xiao Yan extended a single finger. A brilliant flame emerged from its tip and gently touched the side of her neck. The Emperor Flame flowed into her body, heading straight for the curse buried deep within her.
At the same time, Xiao Yan's spiritual energy also entered Mandala's body. As the state of her inner body projected itself in his mind, Xiao Yan's brow furrowed. The curse manifested as black thorny brambles not only entangled in her flesh and veins, but also coiled tightly around her heart.
No wonder she had suffered so intensely, yet hadn't tried to force it out herself. If anyone else saw this, even with the means to destroy the curse, they'd likely be too afraid of accidentally damaging her heart in the process.
"Open your mouth," Xiao Yan said suddenly. Mandala hesitated for a second, unsure of his intention, but obediently opened her mouth. A jet-black pill entered her throat and dissolved rapidly in her body.
The pill wasn't an anti-curse remedy—it was a Heart Demon Pill Xiao Yan had refined earlier. The process of driving out the curse would be painful, and if Mandala couldn't endure it, she might disrupt Xiao Yan's control. That could lead to her getting burned to death by mistake. The Heart Demon Pill would keep her mind calm and stable throughout the procedure.
Once she entered the pseudo-Heart Demon state, Xiao Yan activated his recently cultivated technique—the Supreme Heart Demon Scripture—and entered a true Heart Demon state himself. Even he wasn't completely confident in removing the curse, so he had to give it his all.
Taking a deep breath, he guided the Emperor Flame toward her heart. The process was not unlike the method he'd used to remove the soul-brand poison from Nalan Jie in the past, only far more dangerous. After all, that poison was nothing compared to these black brambles.
Under normal circumstances, those thorny brambles clinging to her heart would react violently to any intrusion, potentially destroying the heart along with themselves. But Xiao Yan's control over flame was so precise that he could burn the brambles without harming a single artery or muscle. Even Mandala, in her pseudo-Heart Demon state, couldn't help but marvel at the feat.
(End of Chapter)
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