Chapter 384: Sky Ray

Chapter 384: Sky Ray

"Are you asking to die?!"

Before Cang Huo Gui could even finish her sentence, an arrow shot straight at her face, faster than lightning, not even giving her a chance to react.

This arrow was loosed by Ji Xinghuo, imbued with his stellar power.

Facing an opponent of the Heavenly King level, he held nothing back and immediately brought out his Stellar Song, taking the initiative.

Crack!

A layer of white flame protection appeared in front of Cang Huo Gui, but it was instantly pierced by the stellar power arrow. The electric light burst forth, striking her face and being blocked by the dragon scales, unable to cause any harm, but it did cause her to pause for a moment.

"Kill him!" Cang Huo Gui ordered in a deep voice.

The Black Iron War Scorpion under her feet immediately charged forward. Its six massive legs moved swiftly, its movements agile and its speed unmatched by its enormous body as it rushed towards Ji Xinghuo like an oncoming fortress.

Cang Huo Gui, on the other hand, leaped down.

Buzz... Buzz... Buzz...

Ji Xinghuo's hands moved like lightning as he played the Stellar Song, causing the bowstring to vibrate continuously, shooting arrow after arrow imbued with stellar power.

Each arrow seemed to have eyes, always finding its mark on Cang Huo Gui regardless of how she dodged. However, the regular stellar power arrows couldn't penetrate her defenses. A Dragon Warrior was like a true dragon in human form, possessing even stronger offense and defense than a real dragon.

Although Cang Huo Gui was unharmed, she was extremely cautious.

"Apocalypse Weapon!"

"That useless Cang Huo Luming didn't even tell me about this!" She burned with rage, but instead of charging forward, she kept her distance.

After firing a few more arrows, Ji Xinghuo had a good grasp of Cang Huo Gui's defenses.

As he drew the bowstring again, preparing to condense a chain arrow, ripples appeared in the surrounding void, and a ray-like shadow appeared in the sky above, about five or six meters long, with a wide front end like wings and a trailing tail.

"Sky Ray!"

Ji Xinghuo recognized it at a glance. This extremely rare vacuum-type monster had the ability to shuttle through the void.

Within the ripples created by the Sky Ray's movement, several massive silhouettes appeared.

In an instant, the Sky Ray teleported four battle pets to surround Ji Xinghuo.

The largest was a giant tree, its roots splitting into two, resembling a deformed giant over twenty meters tall. With a loud crash, it took root, causing the plants within a few hundred meters to grow wildly, forming a cage of countless branches and vines.

If it weren't for Ji Xinghuo's quick reaction, he might have been badly injured just by being hit by this giant tree.

Along with the giant tree appeared three two-headed dragons.

They were identical, each possessing two heads and a wingspan of over fifteen meters. As they emerged, they opened their huge mouths, spewing flames and icy breath towards Ji Xinghuo.

Two-Headed Dragons!

The air turned scorching hot and freezing cold, like a boiling cauldron.

Ji Xinghuo's eyes flashed with electric light as he retreated, unleashing an ion storm that burned the entangling branches and vines to ashes. The giant tree's foliage was also incinerated, but it regrew in the blink of an eye, an endless supply.

Acceleration!

Taking advantage of the gap, he flew backwards, escaping the control range of the giant tree.

The breath of the two-headed dragons narrowly missed him.

However, the Sky Ray in the sky lashed its tail, rippling the void and instantly teleporting the giant tree and the two-headed dragons back, once again surrounding the area within a kilometer.

With this teleportation, the Sky Ray also brought the Black Iron War Scorpion, appearing directly in front of Ji Xinghuo. The scorpion's two black claws pincered from both sides, and its incredibly agile tail needle stabbed downwards, aiming for Ji Xinghuo's head.

The giant tree and the three two-headed dragons worked together seamlessly.

Thick branches and vines broke through the ground, cutting off Ji Xinghuo's escape route, while the two-headed dragons breathed ice and fire from different directions.

They were all calamity-level monsters.

The weakest among them was the two-headed dragon, which was of the Radiant grade. The Black Iron War Scorpion charged into close combat, the giant tree provided support and healing, the two-headed dragons dealt ranged damage, and the Sky Ray controlled the battlefield, forming a well-coordinated team.

Even a Heavenly King would have to retreat in the face of such a force.

And as their master, Cang Huo Gui, had yet to make her move. She had disappeared from sight, which was the combat style of a Beast Tamer.

"Damn it!"

Ji Xinghuo cursed inwardly.

Faced with the overwhelming onslaught, he had nowhere to dodge. He immediately activated the Flux Barrier, the Tantalum Silicon Battle Armor, and the Sacred Dragon Scale, preparing to withstand part of the attack and then teleport away. However, at this critical moment, the surrounding space suddenly constricted.

This sudden spatial constraint, appearing out of thin air, prevented Ji Xinghuo from teleporting. It lasted only a fraction of a second, less than half a second.

But that was enough.

Boom!

The Black Iron War Scorpion's giant pincers slammed into Ji Xinghuo, the terrifying force crushing him into the ground. The relentless blows hammered out a deep pit, and the six streams of ice and fire breath flooded into it, engulfing Ji Xinghuo's body.

"Roar..."

A deafening roar echoed from the pit, and a massive creature appeared, its body covered in golden, silver, and azure scales. Its body was sleek and majestic, with four claws digging into the ground, two horns on its head, and a circle of dark golden mane flowing around its neck.

An invisible wave spread out.

Suddenly, within a forty-meter radius centered on Qinghong, gravity surged more than twenty times, causing the movements of the Black Iron War Scorpion and the Giant Tree Demon to slow down drastically, while Qinghong remained unaffected. With its front limbs, it unleashed the Claw that Tears the Void, pouncing towards the Black Iron War Scorpion.

The two battle beasts, of similar size, immediately entangled in a fierce battle.

The sharp claws and giant pincers clashed, sending sparks flying.

In just the first exchange, the Black Iron War Scorpion let out a painful cry as one of its front pincers was directly severed. Its body armor, tough as steel, was like tofu under Qinghong's Claw that Tears the Void, and in just a few strikes, it was left riddled with wounds.

On the other hand, the Black Iron War Scorpion was unable to breach Qinghong's sacred dragon scales, its attacks as good as scratching an itch.

While Qinghong fought ferociously, it didn't forget to spit out a spherical lightning bolt from its mouth, slamming it into the trunk of the Giant Tree Demon beside it.

Boom!

The Giant Tree Demon shook violently, half of its trunk blasted apart, and it lost its combat effectiveness.

Swish!

Ji Xinghuo instantly moved out of the pit. The beast hide armor on his body had been mostly blasted off, revealing his muscular physique. The previous attacks had penetrated the Flux Barrier, and the Tantalum Silicon Battle Armor had also been blasted open, leaving only the Sacred Dragon Scale to withstand the onslaught.

At this moment, without the interference of the Giant Tree Demon and the Black Iron War Scorpion, Ji Xinghuo stopped retreating and instead raised the Stellar Song, pulling the bowstring.

Just as he was about to shoot, the void rippled once more.

"Retreat!"

This time, Ji Xinghuo gave the warning in advance. Qinghong instantly moved and shrunk down, landing on his shoulder, and together, they retreated, speeding away for hundreds of meters.

Almost as soon as Ji Xinghuo had flown away, the Giant Tree Demon, the Black Iron War Scorpion, and the three Two-Headed Dragons were teleported away, disappearing without a trace, and Ji Xinghuo's electromagnetic sensing couldn't locate them, as if they had never appeared at all.

"That was close..."

Ji Xinghuo remained vigilant.

If he hadn't reacted in time and retreated with Qinghong, the Sky Ray would have teleported Qinghong elsewhere, separating them.

The battle wasn't over yet.

Ji Xinghuo soared into the sky, expanding his field of vision to search for the enemy, and indeed, he found them.

The Sky Ray had teleported them about ten kilometers away. The Giant Tree Demon had taken root in the ground, and its blasted trunk was healing rapidly. Its countless branches and vines extended towards the Black Iron War Scorpion's wounds, quickly healing it, while also replenishing the energy of the Three Two-Headed Dragons.

Cang Huo Gui stood beside her beasts.

"A Beast Tamer at the Heavenly King level..." Ji Xinghuo felt a headache coming on.

He had encountered Beast Tamer enemies before, but none were as exaggerated as Cang Huo Gui. All six of her battle beasts were Calamity-level, and they were carefully configured to complement each other, forming a combat strength far greater than their individual capabilities.

"Should I run?"

Ji Xinghuo's heart stirred with the intention to retreat.

If he had enough time to accelerate and reach his flight limit, even if the enemy could teleport over, it would be difficult for them to drag him into battle.

However, constantly evading wasn't a solution either. He didn't know the maximum teleportation distance of the Sky Ray, and after he had painstakingly flown for hundreds or even thousands of kilometers, it could catch up with just one teleportation, making it hard to shake them off.

This would only exhaust him, and it would be better to face them head-on.

At this moment, Cang Huo Gui looked up and saw Ji Xinghuo in the sky. She turned, revealing a gloomy smile, and gave a command.

Her battle beasts had all recovered.

The Sky Ray flicked its tail, bringing the Black Iron War Scorpion, the Giant Tree Demon, and the Three Two-Headed Dragons into the void with it.

In the blink of an eye.

They reappeared around Ji Xinghuo, having adjusted their positions.

The Black Iron War Scorpion couldn't fly and fell directly from the sky; the Giant Tree Demon's branches and leaves formed a giant umbrella-like canopy, providing it with buoyancy, and countless vines extended in all directions, covering the sky and obscuring the sun, occupying the entire battlefield.

The Three Two-Headed Dragons appeared in three different directions, keeping their distance from Ji Xinghuo, and from their six massive mouths, they unleashed a storm of ice and fire.

Boom! Ji Xinghuo's body erupted with electric light, and he released an ion storm, clearing away the branches and vines.

At the same time, he raised the Stellar Song.

Ignoring the ice and fire breath raining down on him, Ji Xinghuo drew his bow, aimed at the falling Black Iron War Scorpion, and fired an explosive arrow.

Infused with 500 points of stellar power, the explosive arrow thundered through the air.

The arrow struck the Black Iron War Scorpion's black abdomen, instantly detonating. Its steel-like armor immediately melted, a huge hole blasted into its body, and blood splattered everywhere. Its two legs were also blown off, and its massive body was sent flying, veering off course.

After firing this arrow, Ji Xinghuo instantly moved.

Just as he left, spatial fluctuations rippled from his previous position, and if he had been half a second slower, he would have been restrained by the spatial constraints.

Eight Ji Xinghuos appeared within a radius of several dozen meters, each identical, their upper bodies exposed, eyes flashing with electric light, holding the Stellar Song, and flying in different directions at high speed, their bowstrings drawn.

Each of the eight shadow clones fired Split Arrows!

They simultaneously locked onto all six enemies.

The arrows split into six upon firing, striking each of the six targets. The Sky Ray, Giant Tree Demon, Black Iron War Scorpion, and the three Two-Headed Dragons were all hit by the eight shadow clones, resulting in a total of 48 arrows that flashed through the sky like lightning.

A series of crackling explosions filled the air as all the battle beasts in the sky were hit, their bodies now riddled with arrows that soon detonated.

The shadow clones' lethality was only half that of the original.

Even so, the sheer number of arrows was overwhelming, and the eight arrows that pierced the Black Iron War Scorpion's abdomen dealt significant damage.

The Giant Tree Demon fared better.

The Three Two-Headed Dragons had their heads filled with arrows, and while their ice and fire breaths were extremely damaging, their defense was rather mediocre. They let out miserable roars as they tumbled and fell from the sky.

Only the Sky Ray remained unscathed.

The arrows passed right through it as if they had only struck its shadow.

The main body of Ji Xinghuo, hidden in invisibility, watched this scene unfold. He had drawn his bowstring and aimed at the Sky Ray but did not release the arrow, choosing to remain concealed within the folds of the void. No matter how lethal the arrows were, they would be useless if they couldn't hit a physical entity.

The Sky Ray's tail flicked once more.

The ripples in the void spread, and it teleported away with all of Cang Huo Gui's battle pets, not giving Ji Xinghuo a chance to expand his gains.

The surroundings were empty once again, leaving only Ji Xinghuo's eight shadow clones.

Ji Xinghuo looked into the distance.

Cang Huo Gui stood in a mountain hollow, her battle pets by her side. The Giant Tree Demon immediately began treating the injured Black Iron War Scorpion and Two-Headed Dragons. Its recovery ability was astonishing, and the wounds on the Black Iron War Scorpion's abdomen rapidly healed.

"This set of tactics is a bit unbeatable," Ji Xinghuo muttered to himself, not emerging from his invisibility as he studied Cang Huo Gui.

His gaze fell on the Sky Ray.

"The key is that thing!"

The Sky Ray was the core of this group of battle pets.

As long as he could take down the Sky Ray or disrupt its teleportation ability, Cang Huo Gui's well-coordinated combat style could be broken.

However, that was easier said than done.

This Sky Ray was a Radiant-grade battle pet, and while its combat strength wasn't particularly remarkable, it was highly intelligent. Whether it was due to its instincts or Cang Huo Gui's training, it was extremely cautious and always remained hidden within the folds of the void during battles, never revealing its true body.

Moreover, its perception was incredibly sharp.

"Star Realm Teleportation and Vacuum Perception?" Ji Xinghuo speculated.

He had only heard of the Sky Ray as a monster but had no knowledge of its specific abilities.

Based on its performance so far, he could make some educated guesses.

Ji Xinghuo's mind raced as he tried to devise a way to strike the Sky Ray hidden within the void. It was something that most people couldn't do, and he wasn't confident in his own abilities either.

However, Qinghong might be able to.

He opened the interface of the Myriad Star Pupil, and on the right side was Qinghong's information.

[Rift-Tear Claw (Level 3, 1858/6869)]



The Rift-Tear Claw was more than just sharp; when unleashed with full force, it could even cleave through the void itself. Even at its current level of only three, it might still have a chance to injure the Sky Ray. If the opportunity was seized, it could be a fatal blow.

"It's worth a try," Ji Xinghuo decided without hesitation, initiating a swift mental communication with Qinghong.

Qinghong had been with him for three years, and as a spiritual beast, its intellect was exceptionally high. It immediately understood Ji Xinghuo's intentions.

While the Giant Tree Demon was busy healing the others, Ji Xinghuo wasn't about to let the enemy prepare for battle so calmly. Two of his shadow clones took to the skies at full speed, diving toward Cang Huo Gui, who was about ten kilometers away.

The faster the shadow clones flew, the shorter their duration.

Ji Xinghuo didn't expect them to deal significant damage to the enemy; he just needed them to force the enemy into engaging in battle. In less than half a minute, the shadow clones entered their range and raised the Stellar Song, firing arrows at the enemy.

Due to their severe injuries, the Black Iron War Scorpion and the Two-Headed Dragons hadn't fully recovered yet.

The Giant Tree Demon could only use its branches to create a protective shield, deflecting the arrows.

Cang Huo Gui scoffed at the weak attack.

In the next second, the Sky Ray teleported away with her battle pets, and on Ji Xinghuo's side, he had already activated the Myriad Star Pupil.

Myriad Star Perception!

Ji Xinghuo's gaze pierced through the void, slowing down time as he perceived the flow of light and the evolution of the future within his field of vision.

When the scene froze, he had already foreseen the Sky Ray's teleportation destination.

A miniature Qinghong appeared in his hand.

Ji Xinghuo aimed precisely and threw Qinghong, who landed perfectly next to the Sky Ray.

"Roar!"

Qinghong let out a thunderous roar as it transformed into its massive true form, its front limbs unleashing ten terrifying void blades that slashed down at the nearby Sky Ray!

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end