Chapter 289: A Confrontation

Chapter 289: A Confrontation

An arrow was released.

The tungsten-cored heavy arrow transformed into a black streak, reaching the three Legendary Elixirs experts in an instant. The Wind Walker, seated in the middle, let out a startled cry.

The Wind-Riding Dragon Falcon they were riding on flapped its wings desperately to gain altitude, but it was too late.

Boom!

The sound of an explosion ripped through the air as the thick wall of wind created by the dragon falcon was shattered in one hit. The arrow pierced through the wall of wind and airflow, its trajectory slightly altered, and its speed and power diminished somewhat. Nonetheless, it still penetrated the chest of the wind-riding dragon falcon and instantly pierced through its back.

It was just a hair's breadth away from hitting the rider.

The wind-riding dragon falcon let out a mournful cry as it fell, the arrow having created a huge hole in its body, leaving it in a near-death state.

Seeing that his battle pet was beyond saving, Wind Walker cried out in grief and anger, taking to the skies himself.

His two companions also scattered in different directions.

One was enveloped in raging flames, hovering in mid-air, while the other merged with the air and disappeared from view. However, instead of advancing, the three immediately retreated several hundred meters, their eyes filled with wariness as they regarded Ji Xinghuo, the battle bow in his hand giving them pause.

"Black Hengjing Battle Bow!"

Wind Walker exclaimed in a low voice, his expression grim.

As an archer himself, having spent many years in the City of Eternal Day, he was naturally familiar with this powerful battle bow produced by the Crystal English Tribe. However, it was something he could neither afford nor control.

The Black Hengjing Battle Bow was capable of shooting arrows at supersonic speeds, with a range of up to 3,000 meters.

However, what was truly terrifying was the opponent's archery skills!

Most of the time, the range of a bow and arrow was excessive, especially beyond 500 meters. There were too many factors that interfered with the flight of an arrow: airflow, gravity, magnetic fields, humidity, temperature, and more. Each of these factors presented a significant challenge to the archer's experience, prediction, and calculation abilities.

Spatial distance was the root of all obstacles.

Not only was it difficult to aim accurately, but the time it took for the arrow to reach its target was also too long, giving the target ample time to react.

For the vast majority of archers, even those at the Legendary level, it was challenging to pose a substantial threat to an enemy more than 500 meters away in actual combat, even when using a crystal light gun.

That was why he had dared to let the wind-riding dragon falcon fly within a kilometer of them.

But now, he had suffered a huge loss!

The archer from the Highlands had skills that surpassed any archer he knew, and his own abilities paled in comparison.

"Fall back some more."

Wind Walker flew backward, his hatred palpable, no longer daring to approach.

Ji Xinghuo did not shoot a second arrow. Instead, he glanced at the other directions, and the Natural Lord and the Insect Emperor also halted, clearly wary of the supersonic arrows.

Even further away, the Eternal Day Guards did not dare to come any closer.

This warning was more than enough.

"Keep searching!"

Ren Mian had already thrown out several thorns, which quickly grew into "Green Lock Dragons," like her many hands, digging into the chunks of flesh, tearing and splitting them apart as she searched for the exotic species within.

The dissected flesh squirmed and grew continuously.

"Wither and Prosper, Rebirth!"

This scene caught the attention of a Natural Lord in the distance, his face twisting in shock as he shouted, "You there, I am 'Chi Feng' of the 'Iron Rock Tribe,' and I give you my word that if you are willing to sell me this exotic species, I will help keep everyone else at bay."

As a Natural Lord who also cultivated plant witchcraft, he could naturally recognize the Wither and Prosper, Rebirth.

This was one of the exotic species he had always dreamed of obtaining.

Hearing Chi Feng's words, the other Legendary powerhouses also showed signs of greed, their eyes gleaming with desire. Even the Eternal Day Guards in the distance were stirred.

The allure of a star-falling exotic species was enough to make them take risks.

However, Ji Xinghuo remained silent.

He knew what Chi Feng was up to—by shouting out the name of the exotic species, he was deliberately letting everyone know that this was a star-falling exotic, creating hostile pressure on them.

Surrounded by numerous Eternal Day Guards, they would have to consider his proposal.

But Chi Feng's promise of a guarantee was nothing but empty words!

Unmoved, Ji Xinghuo continued to touch the fragments of the flower-hibernating snake, his fingertips emitting high-voltage electricity, shocking the squirming flesh to slow down its resurrection.

At the same time, four sword lights crisscrossed, cutting the large chunks of flesh into smaller pieces.

Seeing that Ji Xinghuo did not respond, the Natural Lord immediately tried to communicate with the three Legendary Pill Refiners. However, the distance was too far for them to hear each other.

The Insect Emperor, on the other hand, was a bit closer, but he completely ignored the offer.

"Chi Feng..."

The giant, composed of countless insects, made a sound, a rustling and crunching noise as if it were gnawing on bones, sending shivers down one's spine.

"We... can... cooperate..."

The Insect Emperor spoke in a halting manner.

"The words of you 'Mandeixi people' can never be trusted," Chi Feng scoffed. "Unless you make the first move, there will be no deal."

"Fine..."

The Insect Emperor's response took Chi Feng by surprise.

Chi Feng said in a low voice, "Let's take them out first. After that, whoever can get their hands on the Wither and Prosper, Rebirth exotic species will be up to our individual abilities."

"No..."

Ji Xinghuo heard the conversation between the two but paid them no heed. He remained focused on both his defenses and his search for the exotic species.

The Natural Lord, on the other hand, sank into the ground and disappeared from view.

"He's tunneling underground!"

"They're coming!" Ren Mian exclaimed, her voice grim as she threw out several seeds that quickly grew into an army of monsters, protecting her within their midst.

Several Poison Spine Dragons and a group of Spore Bats took to the skies to engage the incoming insect swarm.

At the same time, the number of Green Lock Dragons under Ren Mian's control surged, and the thorny vines went wild, covering the ground with a thick layer of protection to prevent a surprise attack from underground.

Seeing the two Legendaries make their move, the three Dan cultivators also sprang into action.

The five Legendaries worked together seamlessly to surround them.

Ji Xinghuo had to stop searching for the exotic species and raise his Black Hengjing Battle Bow. With phantom-like speed, he drew and fired seven flaming arrows in a single second, sending them flying like shooting stars towards the insect cloud a thousand meters away.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The flaming arrows exploded in succession, sweeping through the insect cloud with scorching flames. However, the densely packed insects altered their trajectories and skillfully dispersed, creating a void in the middle of the cloud.

The flame explosions killed only a small number of insects, proving to be of little effect.

The insect cloud continued its high-speed advance.

This was the terrifying aspect of the Insect Emperor; his swarm was vast, unfazed by arrow attacks, and even the loss of some insects did not hinder their combat effectiveness.

"Leave the Insect Emperor to me," Ren Mian said, her voice sharp.

Ji Xinghuo ceased his arrow assault and, through electromagnetic sensing, located Qi Feng, the Natural Lord who had burrowed underground and was now moving at a rapid pace. On the other hand, the three Legendary Dan cultivators had also split up but deliberately slowed their advance, clearly intending to join the fray once Ji Xinghuo was engaged with one of them.

"Go!" Ji Xinghuo willed, and four sword lights shot upwards before turning downwards and accelerating towards the ground.

Qi Feng had just tunneled his way to that spot.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

The ground hardened like stone, preventing the blades from penetrating too deeply. Qi Feng suddenly accelerated, closing in to within a hundred meters underground.

A deafening explosion shook the earth.

A tall stone wall erupted from the ground, blocking Ren Mian's monster army. From behind the wall, numerous plants and monsters also grew, but they were of lesser variety and quantity compared to Ren Mian's, and their quality was inferior.

However, Qi Feng had imbued them with a layer of stone skin, and they charged forward as the stone wall behind them crumbled.

The two monster armies clashed.

Qi Feng himself remained hidden underground, never revealing his position.

Ji Xinghuo attempted to strike Qi Feng with his sword lights several times, but he was always a step too slow, like trying to whack a mole, always missing his target.

As a Natural Lord who had advanced from an Earth Walker and a Plant Witch, Qi Feng used the earth as his shield and his primary battlefield.

Ji Xinghuo struggled to find a way to flush out Qi Feng. Finally, he redirected his sword lights to attack Qi Feng's monsters. With a few swift strikes, he decimated most of them.

However, Qi Feng abandoned his monsters and continued to evade capture.

Through electromagnetic sensing, Ji Xinghuo detected that Qi Feng had dived even deeper, now several dozen meters underground.

"Be careful!" Ji Xinghuo warned Ren Mian.

Almost simultaneously, hundreds of rock spikes erupted from the ground. These spikes were as thick as pillars and seven or eight meters tall, turning the entire area into a chaotic mess.

Ji Xinghuo leaped into the air, narrowly avoiding the spikes.

The Green Lock Dragons under Ren Mian's control blocked the spikes, and as soon as the tips emerged, they were entangled by the thorny vines, preventing any harm.

Countless vines sprouted from the spikes, spreading in all directions and lashing at the air.

The Green Lock Dragons charged forward to battle the vines.

The two Plant Witches engaged in a contest of control over their plants, like two armies clashing. The Green Lock Dragons, with their sharp thorns, initially held the upper hand, but the vines grew at an incredible rate. Just as they shredded one wave, a new wave of vines surged forward like a tidal wave, making it difficult to gain the upper hand.

Ji Xinghuo looked up and saw that the insect cloud had devoured Ren Mian's Poison Spine Dragons and Spore Bats. It was now only two to three hundred meters away and descending in a dark, overwhelming swarm.

Despite the efforts of dozens of Green Pod Shooters, who fired fruits like machine guns at the insect cloud, it seemed like a drop in the bucket.

Ren Mian held her ground, calmly facing the attacks of two Legendary powerhouses. She said to Ji Xinghuo, "Think of a way to flush him out from underground."

She had been trying to use her plants to search for Qi Feng underground but to no avail.

"Leave it to Qinghong," Ji Xinghuo said, finally coming up with a solution. He patted his pocket, and Qinghong crawled out, its body shrinking even further to a length of less than a centimeter, resembling an insect.

"Go catch that guy underground," Ji Xinghuo instructed.

Qinghong immediately understood Ji Xinghuo's intention and jumped onto the root of one of the spikes, where a mass of vines was growing. It then crawled into the ground along the vines.

But this would take time.

Ji Xinghuo didn't wait idly. He soared into the air like a rocket, immediately attracting the attention of the insect swarm, which rushed towards him. His eyes flashed with electric light, and with a thunderous boom, countless lightning bolts erupted from his body, piercing the air and transforming into a sky full of arcing electricity.

Ion Storm!

The flame-like plasma lightning spread out, ravaging every inch of space within a 150-meter radius, excluding the area below Ren Mian's position.

The insect swarm was heavily damaged, countless insects reduced to ashes.

However, more than half of the insects managed to escape the ion storm's range, reforming into a cloud. Most of these black insects were a type of beetle with hard carapaces. They assembled into a figure over two meters tall, constantly compressing and eventually manifesting a body.

Its form resembled a mantis that stood upright, wielding two large curved blades and wearing a suit of armor, exuding a fierce aura.

Ji Xinghuo was not surprised.

From its appearance, it was clear that this Insect Emperor was a branch of the insect tribe, a Mandeixi.

As soon as it appeared, the Insect Emperor vibrated its back wings, buzzing as it sidestepped several dozen meters, easily dodging Ji Xinghuo's four sword lights. Its blades were like bone spurs, swiftly pursuing its target. The Insect Emperor evaded a few times before being enveloped by the sword lights, and it was forced to block with its blades.

The curved blades in its hands were extremely hard, clashing with the Spirit Sword Ring's blades and sending sparks flying. Only a few small chips appeared on the curved blades.

While the Insect Emperor was entangled by the sword lights, Ji Xinghuo raised the Black Hengjing Battle Bow.

Boom!

Ji Xinghuo fired a tungsten-cored heavy arrow.

In the instant before shooting, he suddenly turned and aimed away from the Insect Emperor, towards empty space. The arrow was released and immediately found its mark, piercing through a nearby figure. The transparent body gradually became visible, but only the lower half remained, the upper half exploded into bloody mist.

The one who was shot was a Legendary Dan cultivator.

He was a Ghost Killer, an advanced profession of Shadow Blade and Evil Spirit. Taking advantage of Ji Xinghuo's battle with the Insect Emperor, he had sneaked up close, intending to launch a sneak attack.

He didn't know that his every move was within Ji Xinghuo's grasp.

Ji Xinghuo shot and killed the Ghost Killer without any change in expression. He drew the battle bow once more, and the Insect Emperor frantically moved, fast as lightning, but all its efforts were futile in the face of Ji Xinghuo's marksmanship. The tungsten-cored heavy arrow easily found its mark.

A loud explosion sounded, and the Insect Emperor's body burst apart, transforming back into a cloud of insects.

The number of beetles had noticeably decreased.

They scattered and pounced towards Ji Xinghuo, but he had no time to pay them any heed. He stepped on air and, in an instant, shifted several meters to dodge an arrow fired by Dan cultivator Wind Walker. The next second, a heat wave rushed towards him, like a flaming meteor, extremely fast, reaching him in the blink of an eye.

"Flame Maniac."

Ji Xinghuo narrowed his eyes, his electromagnetic sensing having long detected the enemy's movements.

There were three Legendary Dan cultivators.

One was Wind Walker, one was Ghost Killer, and the last one was Flame Maniac, an advanced profession of Flame Madness and Sky Step.

His second brother, Zhong Ming, had set his evolution path to become a Flame Maniac from a young age.

Ji Xinghuo was very familiar with this advanced profession.

In combat, they were fast, strong, and had high bursts of power. They burned their own starlight and physical strength, unleashing several times their normal power.

They were like rabid dogs, tearing at their enemies, even if it meant self-destruction.

Among the three Legendary Dan cultivators, this Flame Maniac was the strongest, at the upper limit of the first stage of the Legendary realm, about to step into the second stage. His starlight was extremely abundant, far more powerful than an ordinary first stage Legendary cultivator, and he could sustain his power for a longer period.

The more starlight one had, the stronger their power and bursts would be!

At this moment, the Flame Maniac had unleashed all his potential, his right hand clenched into a fist as he unleashed a "Raging Flame Fist," a strike infused with extreme heat.

This punch contained his starlight, his martial arts, his speed, and his anger—it was the strongest attack of his life.

He believed that as long as he landed this punch, he could blow his enemy to pieces.

Ji Xinghuo saw the conviction in his opponent's eyes.

However, Ji Xinghuo did not retreat but instead rushed forward to meet him. He also clenched his right hand into a fist, rotating the magnetic field to stimulate his full potential. His blood boiled, and with the enhancement of "Dragon Madness," his strength instantly doubled. Streams of electromagnetic starlight converged in his arm, forming a spiral, and with the full acceleration of turbulent flow, he punched forward.

The two figures collided head-on, without any reservation.

Boom!

In an instant, the outcome was clear.

The Flame Maniac's arm shattered into powder, half of his body crumbling. A look of terror flashed in his eyes, but it was too late.

In the next moment, a brilliant fireworks display exploded in the sky.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end