Chapter 8: Flame Extinguishing, Ashless Slash
He wasn’t the only one. Across the fortress, non-military personnel joined the fight, rushing from rooftops, but he was the only one enveloped in a cloak of flames, soaring through the air, surpassing countless experts, the first to reach the gate.
He didn’t draw Raikiri. Instead, his hand transformed into a blade, flames condensing, and he slashed at a Tier 2 Sand Scorpion attacking a soldier.
A flash of fire, and the scorpion was bisected, its wound cauterized.
The soldier, saved, looked at him with gratitude, then grabbed his weapon, charging into the fray.
“Screech!”
The scorpions’ shrieks, mixed with the soldiers’ shouts, filled the air.
He had never experienced such a scene before, a battle between humans and insects. Severed limbs and shattered exoskeletons, blood splattering, red and green, painting a gruesome scene.
He felt a familiar urge to vomit, the same feeling he had experienced after killing Lan Ke, but he suppressed it.
His Spiritual Perception spread outwards, guarding against sneak attacks, his movements agile as he dodged the larger, more formidable Tier 3 Sand Scorpions, targeting the weaker ones, slicing through them like vegetables, leaving a trail of corpses in his wake.
Both the soldiers and the other cultivators noticed him.
“Who is that? Such powerful Fire Mystic Power!”
Sand Scorpions were naturally resistant to fire, and the Great Crimson Skyfire’s tempering had further enhanced their defenses. Ordinary Fire Mystic Power attacks would have their effectiveness reduced by at least half.
However, his flames seemed unaffected, their heat intense, their edges sharp, like wind blades.
Only the Tier 3 Sand Scorpions could withstand a single strike.
“Such power at such a young age… Could he be from a powerful clan?”
His performance boosted morale. The soldiers’ shouts intensified, the battle growing fiercer.
However, everyone knew the outcome depended on the aerial battle.
…
He quickly reached his quota of fifty kills, then turned his attention to the fight in the sky.
Ye Mei, the Serpent Queen, the Southern Fortress’s commander, a Nine Star Mystic King.
Like him, she cultivated Fire Mystic Power, but it wasn’t ordinary fire. It was ash, her body enveloped in gray smoke.
As for why she was called the Serpent Queen…
The Water City worshipped the Great Serpent God. The noble families all possessed the “Serpent God Bloodline,” which enhanced their physical abilities, transforming their eyes into snake-like slits, and covering their bodies in scales when activated.
Incidentally, the one with the purest Serpent God Bloodline was the ruler of the Water City, his future wife, the Serpent Queen.
With her cultivation, defeating a Tier 5 Scorpion King wouldn’t normally be a problem, but this scorpion’s exoskeleton had been tempered by the Great Crimson Skyfire, making it incredibly tough and resistant to fire.
She had been fighting for a while, but she couldn’t break through its defenses, having even been struck by its poisonous tail several times. If not for the Serpent God Bloodline’s high poison resistance, she would have already been defeated.
However, at this rate, her defeat was only a matter of time.
“You can’t even scratch my armor! You have no chance!” The massive, purple scorpion screeched. “Surrender now, open the gates, and I might spare your lives!”
“Dream on!”
Enraged, she channeled her ash-like Mystic Power, transforming into a gray, translucent Flame Serpent.
This was a bloodline Mystic Skill of the Serpent God Bloodline: Serpent Transformation!
Serpent vs. Scorpion!
They clashed repeatedly, gray scales scattering, but the scorpion’s armor only showed scorch marks, no signs of cracking.
“The Great Crimson Skyfire…”
She gritted her teeth, her consciousness within the Flame Serpent.
That accursed flame, which had destroyed the Great Marsh Kingdom, was now threatening to destroy the Water City?
Bang!
Another clash, and cracks appeared on the Flame Serpent’s body, threatening to shatter it.
Blood trickled from her lips, her aura weakening.
She was reaching her limit.
The purple scorpion, waving its claws, chuckled.
“Heeheehee, you lose!”
As it finished speaking, a small crack appeared on its back, a minor injury, like a mosquito bite, inconsequential to its massive body.
“You actually managed to damage my armor, Snake Woman. Impressive! But a small scratch like this… even a few more won’t make a difference.”
— No, you’re finished.
Yan Zhen, who had been observing the battle, said silently. He activated Starry Sky Dance, his feet stepping on starlight, rising into the air, hidden behind the clouds. He summoned the Gold and Silver Fire, condensing it into a sword.
Without the Mystic Tool Embryo, he relied solely on his Spiritual Power.
A magnificent sword, its blade a blend of gold and silver flames, appeared in his hand. Then, with his other hand, he drew the Wind Rune on the blade.
The rune on his hand glowed, and the Divine Wind True Intent, extracted from Arashigir, infused the Extreme Flame Sword.
The dual winds fueled the flames, the sword expanding, then contracting, returning to its original size, its brilliance intensified.
Above the clouds, bathed in fire, he raised the sword high, assuming an upper stance.
A sharp edge, unusual for a flame, appeared on the blade, followed by a high-pitched hum, piercing their eardrums.
Both soldiers and scorpions were affected.
The wind and fire dispersed the clouds, revealing his figure.
All eyes, human and scorpion alike, turned to the young man, his body wreathed in flames, his sword raised high, their hearts filled with awe.
Even Ye Mei and the Tier 5 Scorpion King were stunned.
Under their watchful gazes, his aura reached its peak, and he shouted, his voice a thunderous roar,
“Flame Extinguishing! Ashless Slash!”
He swung the Extreme Flame Sword downwards.
A massive sword energy, over thirty feet wide, accompanied by a powerful wind, slammed into the scorpion’s back.
The Scorpion King hadn’t even considered him a threat, a mere Mystic Scholar. However, enhanced by the Wind Rune and the Divine Wind True Intent, the sword energy, formed purely from the Gold and Silver Fire, possessed not only intense heat, but also incredible sharpness, melting and slicing through its armor.
He wouldn’t have been able to break through its defenses normally, but there was a crack on its armor!
The wind and fire, pouring into the crack, shattered the armor from within.
The small crack expanded, becoming a gaping wound.
The sword energy sliced through its flesh, blue-green blood splattering.
“Screeeech!!!”
The scorpion screamed, its massive purple body falling from the sky, crushing a group of scorpions below.
Ye Mei, seeing this, her eyes flashing, seized the opportunity, unleashing her strongest attack.
The tide had turned.
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