bookbashuk 373. Results of the competition
373. Results of the competition
"What is that?"
"Azure... Could it be the Azure Lotus Earth Core Flame, ranked nineteenth on the Strange Flame Ranking?"
"Another strange fire! It's Xiao Yan! Are the rumors true?" Tang Zhen exclaimed in shock, his composure and calmness as a Dou Zun expert completely vanishing. The hunchbacked old man and the old man surnamed Yan, who were watching the battle from the side, were also greatly surprised. There really was someone in this world who could control two strange fires at the same time!
They weren't unaware of the news that Xiao Yan could control multiple different kinds of strange fire, but almost everyone believed it was just a rumor! After all, things passed down by word of mouth are always prone to significant discrepancies; for instance, there were even rumors that the Medicine Venerable had appeared in the Starfall Pavilion, which were later proven to be completely unfounded. Originally, everyone thought that Xiao Yan possessed only one kind of strange fire combined with other beast fires.
Tang Zhen initially thought so too. Xiao Yan had only chosen the Red Lotus Karmic Flame when he first clashed with Ling Zhuo. However, he hadn't expected Xiao Yan's patience to be so strong. Even though the situation was clearly going against him, he was still able to hold back and only summoned the Azure Lotus Earth Core Flame at the most critical moment! But since Xiao Yan could summon two different flames, wouldn't his desire for something have a much greater chance of success?
The elderly man surnamed Yan, standing nearby, clearly knew that the illusory killing sword he had just unleashed was his young master's trump card—a soul skill, the God-Slaying Sword! This soul combat technique was said to have been comprehended by a clan elder, requiring the condensation of one's own soul power into a killing sword. It also required enduring the tests of thousands of sentient beings probing its killing intent before one could master the first level of this formless and shapeless soul killing sword. However, the azure flames had scorched the God-Slaying Sword to nothingness in just a few breaths, undoubtedly indicating another kind of strange fire. The azure flames, with their bluish hue and lotus-like, volcanic appearance, were likely the Azure Lotus Earth Core Fire, ranked nineteenth on the Strange Fire Ranking. How could someone wield two strange fires, and even their soul and body withstand the terrifying scene of mutual repulsion between them?
Before the hunchbacked old man could voice his question, Xiao Yan made another move. Above the sea of clouds, the crimson fire lotus bloomed once more, its six petals spinning wildly towards the True Fire Dragon. The spinning red lotus, seemingly weak and far less powerful than the earthen-yellow True Fire Dragon, still managed to shake the dragon, which was about to attack again: the crimson fire slammed into the True Fire Dragon's forehead. Upon contact, the earthen-yellow flames that had solidified on the dragon's forehead rapidly dimmed, and the entire world fell silent. Then, the energy in the world suddenly surged, with countless colorful energies flying everywhere, seemingly frantically fleeing the area of impact…
"Young Master, be careful!" The old man surnamed Yan, who was shocked by Xiao Yan's possession of two different flames, suddenly sensed that Xiao Yan had not given Ling Zhuo any extra time to react! He immediately shouted to remind his young master, but he was still a beat too late.
Having suffered such a heavy blow to its forehead, the soul figure that had been sitting cross-legged deep within the head of the True Fire Dragon trembled violently. The figure, about two inches tall, bore a striking resemblance to Ling Zhuo. The moment it opened its eyes, they widened instantly, a flicker of fear appearing. A fierce, blood-red light forcefully pierced the soul barrier surrounding the True Fire Dragon, passing through its head in an instant. The soul figure vanished, seemingly vaporized completely within the blood-red light. The boundless gale surrounding the earthen-yellow True Fire Dragon, which had just displayed its might, abruptly ceased, and even its body, covered in layers of fire crystals, began to disintegrate before the astonished eyes of the onlookers…
"What the hell is this?" Not far away, Ling Zhuo's main body looked terrified. He had no idea when such a strange, invisible, terrifying blood-red mark had been hidden in his divine sense! His entire soul force clone was being impacted by the blood-red energy emitted by the mark, and he was trapped in the myriad worldly desires and confusion of the five aggregates and six desires, as if he had fallen into the backlash of boundless killing intent!
Xiao Yan's face also paled. The Azure Lotus Earth Core Flame had used a significant portion of his soul power to recover after actively protecting its master; he himself had relied entirely on willpower to unleash the last of his soul power to launch the Red Lotus's surprise attack on the Strange Fire Dragon. Xiao Yan's originally not-so-thin figure swayed uncontrollably due to the excessive soul consumption. Qing Lin quickly flew forward and gently supported the swaying Xiao Yan. However, Xiao Yan's recovery ability was still powerful; after only a few breaths of hesitation, he had regained control of his body.
Tang Zhen and the others' words did not go unnoticed by Xiao Yan. Although Ling Zhuo was indeed talented, such a lifelike and powerful Strange Fire Dragon was able to launch attacks almost simultaneously with other fighting techniques such as Soul Air Bubble and Soul Killing Sword in a short period of time. There must be something strange about this Strange Fire Dragon! However, Ling Zhuo's soul defense against the Strange Fire Dragon was too strong, and even a successful attack could not break through its defense.
However, Xiao Yan also had a backup plan. He spread the power of karmic fire on the strange fire fighting qi, merging it into the many attacks he had just launched. After dispersing the other soul barriers covering the entire body of the strange fire dragon, he then merged into Ling Zhuo's strange fire dragon! Unexpectedly, there was indeed a soul clone of Ling Zhuo at the head of the strange fire dragon! This soul clone could certainly enhance Ling Zhuo's control over the strange fire condensed matter, but it also gave the Red Lotus Karmic Fire the opportunity to invade his main soul.
Panic flashed in Ling Zhuo's eyes. The soul is the core of a person's being, and once entangled by this strange flame, even if one doesn't die, their foundation will be severely damaged. Ling Zhuo's body began to tremble, and seeing the critical situation, the old man surnamed Yan immediately stepped in to save him.
Rumble! A violent aura, like thunder, roared through the void, causing gusts of wind and rain. Before everyone's eyes, the old man surnamed Yan flashed to Ling Zhuo's side, his hands forming a seal, and a colossal divine tree appeared from the void. The emerald-green divine tree blotted out the sky, its essence incredibly dense—a true treasure of the wood element! A continuous stream of pure energy flowed from the divine tree into Ling Zhuo's body, reaching directly into his sea of consciousness, helping him refine the invading karmic fire. Seeing that Ling Zhuo's condition was gradually stabilizing, the old man surnamed Yan finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Seeing this, Xiao Yan understood: Ling Zhuo's own karma was not strong, otherwise, if he were to be entangled by the Red Lotus Karmic Flame, it would not be so easy to resolve!
Watching from the sidelines, Tang Zhen's mind raced, replaying the final clash between Ling Zhuo and Xiao Yan: Ling Zhuo's control over soul power was truly astonishing; he had managed to pierce the high-temperature zone of the clashing flames with a single killing sword condensed from his soul power. This was likely another unique technique of the Spirit Clan, and his soul could easily withstand Xiao Yan's Nine Dragons Thunderfire. The difference in their foundations was too great; although the quality of their flames differed, it would be compensated for, or even surpassed by a significant margin.
On the other side, Xiao Yan was shocked by this battle. He was able to refine two different flames at the same time and use them to fight. His offense and defense were perfect. With Xiao Yan, the problem that had been weighing on his mind seemed to have a chance of being solved.