Chapter 241: Dragon King's Talisman of Life

Chapter 241: Dragon King's Talisman of Life

Huan Yan Lan quickly turned around and raised her greatsword to block the attack.

A loud clang rang out as the battle axe collided with the sword, the disparity in their strengths immediately became apparent. Huan Yan Lan's sword was knocked back, hitting her in the chest and causing her to spit blood. The force sent her flying back, right towards the ghostly afterimage she had just repelled.

He Yan and the afterimage instantly swapped positions.

The pitch-black afterimage solidified into a real person, and he swung his battle axe again, slashing at the approaching Huan Yan Lan.

"She's done for," Xia Qingyu murmured.

Ji Xinghuo thought so too. In fact, he didn't want He Yan to kill Huan Yan Lan so quickly. He had hoped that she would at least wear down some of He Yan's combat strength.

However, they were too far away, and there was nothing he could do to save her.

In the blink of an eye, Huan Yan Lan, who was in mid-air, seemed to sense her desperate situation. She let out a soft battle cry, and a red light burst forth from beneath her leather armor. A thick and powerful energy surged into her body, causing the flames in her pupils to erupt wildly.

He Yan's battle axe struck her neck, but it was blocked by a layer of crimson dragon scales.

Sparks flew from the axe blade.

His Blood Drinking Rage engulfed her, but in an instant, Huan Yan Lan's crimson dragon scales spewed forth an extremely high-temperature flame.

The two flames clashed and entwined, neither gaining the upper hand.

Taking advantage of her opponent's attack, Huan Yan Lan deftly borrowed its force to flip herself in mid-air. She raised her greatsword high and brought it down furiously, aiming for He Yan's head.

The originally black greatsword turned crimson, like a branding iron, emitting a bright, fierce blaze.

He Yan raised his blade in his left hand, clashing with her once more.

Surprisingly, their strengths were evenly matched. In fact, Huan Yan Lan's burst of power was slightly more potent, forcing He Yan's feet to sink into the ground.

Just as Huan Yan Lan was about to press her advantage and attack again, He Yan disappeared, using Instant Transmission to move away. At the same time, the ghostly afterimage attacked from behind. Ignoring the afterimage's strike, Huan Yan Lan swept her sword horizontally, shattering the afterimage into fragments that vanished like bubbles.

After using Instant Transmission, He Yan took two quick Flash Steps to create more distance between them.

"Dragon King's Talisman of Life," He Yan said in a deep voice, staring at Huan Yan Lan's chest.

The leather armor there burst open, revealing a talisman hanging from a necklace. It was shaped like a broken, dark red dragon scale, etched with ancient dragon script and intricate patterns. The talisman was continuously releasing energy, granting Huan Yan Lan strength comparable to a legend.

Huan Yan Lan let out a cold snort, her arrogance evident as she said, "You barbarian from the highlands can actually recognize the Dragon King's Talisman of Life. I'll give you credit for that."

"If you think that just a Super Ability Three-Star talisman is enough to kill me, then you're being far too naive," He Yan replied with a disdainful smile.

Huan Yan Lan had no intention of engaging in idle chatter. She suddenly opened her mouth and let out a dragon's roar.

"Roar!"

A visible ring of sound waves spread out, carrying with it a formidable mental attack. He Yan had no way to avoid it, and his mind froze for a moment.

By the time his willpower recovered, Huan Yan Lan was already in front of him.

Her blazing greatsword slashed horizontally.

He Yan remained unfazed and did not immediately use Instant Transmission to dodge.

Instant Transmission consumed a lot of starlight, and frequent use would actually decrease his combat strength, which was disadvantageous for prolonged battles.

His thoughts were clear—the amplification effect of the Dragon King's Talisman of Life was temporary. As long as he could hold out until its duration ended, Huan Yan Lan would revert to her original state, and he could easily finish her off. Moreover, by engaging her in direct combat, he could accelerate her energy consumption and shorten the talisman's effective period.

He Yan blocked the greatsword with his battle axe and blade, simultaneously unleashing his Blood Drinking Rage.

The two flames collided and erupted in a violent explosion.

He Yan promptly retreated from the blast radius, emerging unscathed.

His job template was that of a Berserker, but not the typical pure strength-based Berserker. Instead, he had evolved to combine strength and speed, resulting in incredible agility and dexterity that was in no way inferior to Flash Step, while his defense relied entirely on the protection provided by his Blood Drinking Rage.

As a Dragon Warrior, Huan Yan Lan possessed exceptional strength, defense, and speed, with no apparent weaknesses.

However, her power was temporary and not under her complete control. Despite her quick reactions, she was still a step too slow and could only endure the explosion head-on.

To withstand the damage, her crimson dragon scales consumed a significant amount of energy.

She staggered and took a few steps back.

Before she could steady herself, He Yan appeared behind her with Instant Transmission. Huan Yan Lan, caught off-balance, was struck on the back of her neck by the battle axe. Once again, her crimson dragon scales deflected what would have been a fatal blow.

She flew forward involuntarily, and He Yan pursued relentlessly. His battle axe and blade hacked furiously at her dragon scales, sending sparks and flames flying. The layer of scales floating outside her body finally began to falter, showing signs of being unable to withstand the onslaught.

Huan Yan Lan's eyes narrowed, and her throat constricted as she opened her mouth wide.

A torrent of fiery breath erupted from her mouth, resembling a true dragon's breath attack.

Sensing the danger, He Yan used Instant Transmission to dodge.

However, the dragon's breath had a longer range than his Instant Transmission, and Huan Yan Lan instantly located his teleport destination. She turned her head, and the tip of the dragon's breath caught He Yan's body.

The terrifying high temperature seared through even his Blood Drinking Rage.

Although He Yan used Flash Step to escape the dragon's breath in time, the back of his shirt turned to ashes, and his skin was scorched, causing him to cry out in pain.

Huan Yan Lan ceased her dragon's breath and panted heavily.

There was no hint of joy on her face.

The dragon's breath had consumed too much energy—this single attack had used up almost a quarter of the Dragon King's Talisman of Life's energy, yet it had only managed to inflict a severe burn on her opponent. The situation was extremely unfavorable.

"Is that all you've got?

Adherents of the Red Emperor never feared pain; it only made them more bloodthirsty and aggressive, bringing out their ferocity.

Moreover, he had seen through Huan Yan Lan's predicament.

Ignoring his burns, He Yan immediately used Flash Step to close the distance and launched a frenzied assault on Huan Yan Lan.

On the other side.

On a distant ridge, the well-versed Xia Qingyu quickly explained to Ji Xinghuo what the "Dragon King's Talisman of Life" was.

It was a specially crafted equipment from the True Dragon Empire, made from Dragon King-level scales, at least Super Ability Three-Star. The better the quality of the scale, the stronger the talisman.

Only Dragon Lords, Dragon Warriors, or those who had fused with true dragon bloodlines could use the Dragon King's Talisman of Life.

Normally, the wearer could infuse the talisman with their own blood, converting it into energy to be stored and released in critical moments, temporarily granting them a powerful boost in strength.

A Super Ability Three-Star Dragon King's Talisman could provide the user with legendary might.

If it were an Apocalypse One-Star, it could even reach the Heavenly King level!

It was truly a lifesaving piece of equipment, hence the name "Life Talisman." Even in the True Dragon Empire, it was an extremely rare treasure, and only a select few from the true dragon families had a chance to obtain it. Outsiders who acquired it wouldn't be able to utilize its full potential.

"She won't last much longer," Xia Qingyu said in a low voice. "A Super Ability Three-Star Dragon King's Talisman can store enough dragon blood to last for a maximum of five minutes. If it's consumed too quickly, it might not even last three minutes."

Ji Xinghuo nodded.

This was probably Huan Yan Lan's trump card.

Aside from being a Dragon Warrior, she had also fused with a portion of a martial artist and a giant general's exotic species, resulting in formidable comprehensive abilities. However, she still fell short when it came to slaying He Yan.

If Huan Yan Lan's teammates were still around, they could have been of assistance. Unfortunately, they had been killed by He Yan's Ghostly Afterimage in an instant.

"It's time for us to join the fight," Ji Xinghuo said without hesitation.

Xia Qingyu and Misha took a deep breath, their expressions turning solemn. The upcoming battle would likely be the most dangerous one they had ever faced.

However, Ji Xinghuo remained relaxed.

He turned to Misha and asked, "Misha, can you use a spear?"

Although she didn't know why he was asking, she nodded. "Yes. I can use any weapon, but I prefer something heavier."

Ji Xinghuo retrieved the Heaven's Fury Azure Blood Spear from his dimensional bag. He had brought this Super Ability Three-Star spear with him since entering the Star Realm but had never used it. At this point, he couldn't afford to be secretive; it was time to boost his teammates' strength.

"This spear should be heavy enough."

Misha was initially startled when Ji Xinghuo suddenly produced a spear, but she instinctively reached out and took the Heaven's Fury Azure Blood Spear. Immediately, she felt the power emanating from the weapon.

Weighing 120 kilograms, the spear was heavier than her giant axe, and its innate ability far surpassed her own axe, which was only Super Ability One-Star.

Her voice quivered with excitement as she said, "Finale!"

Xia Qingyu glanced at the spear, and his eyes suddenly widened. "Heaven's Fury Azure Blood Spear! Damn, isn't this the treasure of the Stone Wealthy Family? How did you get your hands on it?"

"Also, where were you hiding the spear before?"

"Now isn't the time for that," Ji Xinghuo replied, shaking his head. He then took out the Neuro-Enhancer and a type of synthetic adrenaline pill called "Fury 13," which he had obtained through internal channels in the Sword Bureau. After consuming the pills, one's strength and explosive power would increase. He handed them to the other two to use.

Upon seeing Ji Xinghuo produce items out of thin air, Xia Qingyu and Misha immediately realized that he possessed a spatial equipment.

Xia Qingyu, after taking the pills, couldn't help but ask, "How many good things do you have hidden? Do you have any more? Give me a thing or two as well!"

"That's all I have," Ji Xinghuo replied.

He thought for a moment and took off the "Devil's Melody" longsword from his back, handing it to Xia Qingyu. "Use this sword."

Xia Qingyu usually wielded a pair of short swords, but he could also use a longsword.

In the upcoming battle, two people would need to take the brunt of the attack and face He Yan head-on, while Ji Xinghuo would provide long-range support. The Devil's Melody would enhance Xia Qingyu's strength, increasing his chances of survival.

"Super Ability Three-Star!"

Xia Qingyu's eyes lit up as he gripped Devil's Melody. "I knew you had more good stuff. Damn, you're full of treasures! You've been carrying this sword on your back every day, and I thought it was just an ordinary Super Ability weapon. I never expected it to be Super Ability Three-Star!"

"Do you know how to use it?" Ji Xinghuo briefly explained the innate ability of Devil's Melody.

"No problem," Xia Qingyu said, patting his chest. "Don't underestimate me."

"Good." Ji Xinghuo glanced at the battle by the lake. Huan Yan Lan was struggling, and the crimson scales on her body were starting to dim; she wouldn't last much longer. He then said to the two, "Go ahead, I'll follow behind. Be careful and focus on self-preservation. If He Yan releases his Ghostly Afterimage, don't worry about it, leave it to me."

"Understood," Xia Qingyu and Misha replied without hesitation as they emerged from their hiding place on the ridge and sprinted towards the lake.

Misha took the lead.

Xia Qingyu, on the other hand, stealthily followed by her side, moving as silently as a shadow.

Once the two had left, Ji Xinghuo slashed at Qinghong's saddlebag with his knife, causing it to shrink and crawl onto his body. He activated his Stealth Ring and held the Invisible Sting in his hand as he sprinted at high speed, taking a different route to approach the battle from another direction.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end