Chapter 413: The Kill

Chapter 413: The Kill

An icy chill filled the air, and the ground shook violently!

Five King-level powerhouses and a Snow Crystal Dragon were engaged in a fierce battle with the Land Devourer. Whenever anyone had a chance to strike a killing blow, the others would tacitly obstruct it.

However, this tacit understanding was always short-lived.

One second they were working together to block, the next they were trying to take each other down.

Nonetheless, the five individuals had loosely divided into two camps: one side consisted of the Rock King Ke, the Snow Crystal Dragon Lord, and the Halo Fighters, led by two true dragon-humans and a pseudo-dragon-human;

The other side had the Silicon Giant and the Star Hunter.

This Star Hunter was Dan, and he was not only proficient in archery himself, staying on the battlefield's edge to provide long-range support for the Silicon Giant, but he had also sent two battle pets to join the fight, greatly relieving the pressure on the Silicon Giant.

One was a giant bear made of steel, with infinite strength and impenetrable defense, capable of going head-to-head with the Rock King Ke without conceding defeat.

The other was a large bird engulfed in flames, incredibly fast, and it had entangled the Snow Crystal Dragon!

Although it was two against three in terms of human fighters, both battle pets were of the Quake level, so they were more than a match for their opponents.

The battle was evenly matched, resulting in a stalemate.

A hundred meters underground, Ji Xinghuo quietly observed the combat situation, his attention mainly focused on the Land Devourer and the Rock King Ke.

At this moment, the Rock King Ke was in his prime, his body swelling to over four meters tall. He wielded a huge sword as if it were carved from rock, and he had unleashed a gravity field to counter the Silicon Giant's gravity control. He relentlessly attacked the Steel Giant Bear.

His strength was immense, and his martial arts skill was that of a master.

Each swing of his sword unleashed terrifying damage, leaving deep wounds on the Steel Giant Bear's body.

While attacking the bear, he also dodged the arrows shot by the Star Hunter.

Occasionally, he would even clash with the Silicon Giant, but his strength and weapons were far inferior, and he would be knocked back hundreds of meters. Yet, he would quickly recover and charge back into the fray.

In the midst of the chaos, many stone spikes, beams, and ice crystals struck the Rock King Ke, but they were all deflected by a thick layer of rocky armor. Like his opponent, he could also control gravity, manipulating stones in the air to throw back at his foes, which would then explode.

"He has rich combat experience."

"His attack, defense, and speed are all well-rounded, with no apparent weaknesses." Ji Xinghuo silently assessed the Rock King Ke's strength. "But he also doesn't excel in any particular area."

Among the five Kings present, the strongest were naturally the Halo Fighter and the Silicon Giant.

Next was the Star Hunter.

Ironically, the two Dragon Lords were the weakest, especially the Snow Crystal Dragon Lord, who was only at the first stage of the King realm and relied entirely on her true dragon for combat.

"If nothing unexpected happens, the Silicon Giant and the Star Hunter will emerge victorious."

Ji Xinghuo made his judgment, having noticed that the Silicon Giant and the Star Hunter seemed to know each other and had a familiar rapport. Their coordination was more seamless than that of their opponents, and the Star Hunter's battle pets complemented the Silicon Giant perfectly.

"The battle will be decided within 20 chimes."

"However, even if the Silicon Giant manages to kill the Land Devourer, it will be extremely difficult for him to collect and take away the exotic species unless the Star Hunter fully trusts him and voluntarily covers their retreat."

Ji Xinghuo's gaze shifted towards the sky.

Black Ring Star was the territory of the Rock King's family, and with the Rock King Ke present, he would undoubtedly call for family reinforcements. He would not easily give up the Land Devourer.

Unless something unexpected happened…

They didn't even need to wait for 20 minutes.

"The Rock King Ke is the key." Whether it was for the sake of hunting profits or personal grudges, they had to take him out.

Ji Xinghuo thought for a couple of minutes, no longer hesitating. He weaved through the gaps and shadows in the soil layer, ascending towards the surface. Soon, he was within the range for instantaneous movement, and he quietly waited for a few seconds. In the blink of an eye, he appeared in the middle of the battlefield.

At that moment, with the Nine Shadows possessing him, Ji Xinghuo was essentially endowed with all of the Nine Shadows' abilities. He remained invisible with "Shadow Form," and his teleportation went unnoticed.

However, his energy fluctuations did not escape the notice of the Kings.

The Silicon Giant was the quickest to react.

He was the first to turn towards Ji Xinghuo's position, but he saw nothing, assuming that someone had leaped out from the shadows.

The closest person to Ji Xinghuo was the Rock King Ke, but his senses were slower. At that moment, he was about to face an attack from the Steel Giant Bear and had no spare attention. He was completely unaware of Ji Xinghuo's presence behind him.

Ji Xinghuo raised his hand.

Dark Energy Vortex Field!

A black vortex appeared behind Rock King Ke, and the timing and placement were extremely ingenious. The vortex edged around Rock King Ke, pulling him towards its center, while the Steel Giant Bear in front of him remained unaffected.

"Roar!"

The Steel Giant Bear's eyes turned crimson, seizing the opportunity to deliver a heavy blow to the Rock King Ke. Its massive, sharp claws sliced into the Rock King Ke's body.

The Rock King Ke's star power and abilities were hindered, rendering him unable to fight back.

Pu Chi!

Ji Xinghuo's figure appeared, his body shrouded in darkness like a living shadow.

His eyes shot forth a pitch-black beam.

High-Energy Ray!

Unimpeded by the vortex field, the beam instantly struck Rock King Ke's back, causing continuous damage. In the blink of an eye, it pierced through his battle armor and drilled into his heart, causing him to spew a mouthful of blood.

"Save me…," Rock King Ke cried out in despair.

But even before he could finish his plea, reinforcements arrived.

The pseudo-dragon-human Halo Fighter, upon seeing Ji Xinghuo, immediately abandoned his fight with the Silicon Giant. His body transformed into a beam of golden light as he charged at Ji Xinghuo with lightning speed, his right fist poised to deliver a devastating blow.

Boom!

The ground where Ji Xinghuo stood exploded, creating a crater several dozen meters wide.

Yet, Ji Xinghuo remained unharmed.

Obscure King!

In the instant before the Halo Fighter's punch landed, Ji Xinghuo's body shifted from solid to ethereal, allowing the fighter's fist to pass right through him as if punching air, rendering the attack useless.

Suddenly, Ji Xinghuo's body morphed into a bizarre shadow, melting and transforming into a black fire torrent that covered an area of several hundred square meters. In an instant, it swept up everyone on the ground, including the Land Devourer.

The Halo Fighter cautiously flew into the sky, unwilling to let the torrent touch him.

However, the Silicon Giant was fearless.

Whoosh!

A giant black wave surged, engulfing Rock King Ke, who had just escaped the Dark Energy Vortex Field. Already badly wounded, he was powerless to struggle.

Now free, the steel giant bear ignored the black torrent and swung its sharp claws, slicing Rock King Ke into pieces.

A layer of energy armor appeared outside Rock King Ke's body, adorned with dragon scale patterns.

This was his life-saving equipment.

Within the endless torrent, a black wave that was Ji Xinghuo's true form transformed into a "Cold Flame Wave," engulfing Rock King Ke's body and wildly entangling him. Alternating extreme heat and cold rapidly eroded his energy armor.

The energy armor dimmed at a visible rate, and Rock King Ke spat blood as he soared into the air, trying to escape.

A giant hand formed from the black torrent slammed him back down.

Rock King Ke fell back into the torrent and was immediately entangled by countless strands of liquid black fire, like a drowning person being dragged to the bottom of the water.

"Stop him!"

The Silicon Giant, who had been watching idly, sprang into action as he noticed the Land Devourer using the cover of the black torrent to burrow underground.

He clenched his left hand, increasing gravity by several hundred times.

Ji Xinghuo's torrent form slowed, as if frozen, each wave struggling to move.

The steel giant bear, however, was unaffected and turned within the torrent to attack the giant black hand Ji Xinghuo had formed. In the sky above, the Snow Crystal Dragon and the flaming bird, locked in combat, immediately separated and breathed attacks onto the black torrent covering the ground.

"Heyah!"

The Halo Fighter shouted, his body glowing brightly as he punched towards the center of the torrent.

Suddenly, everyone was plunged into darkness.

No-Light Dark Domain!

A pitch-black domain nearly a kilometer in diameter enveloped them, extinguishing all light sources and rendering their vision useless.

Most King-level powerhouses possessed multiple sensory abilities and did not rely solely on their eyes.

However, to their panic, they discovered that all their senses had failed, and all information reception from the outside world was cut off.

This sense of blindness stirred fear in them.

Unconsciously, their attacks slowed.

In a situation where they could neither see nor sense anything, their instincts as living beings kicked in, prompting them to stop and refrain from rash actions.

Only Ji Xinghuo remained unaffected.

With the No-Light Dark Domain and the Dark Domain combined, he had created an absolute home field advantage for himself.

Paying no heed to the others, he summoned Qinghong within the Dark Domain, using his synchronized senses to guide Qinghong's Claws of Air-Rending. With a fierce cross slash, he shattered Rock King Ke's energy armor, allowing the Cold Flame Wave to erode his flesh, causing his body to begin disintegrating.

"Go now!" Ji Xinghuo urged inwardly.

Qinghong immediately shrank again, using its fourth-level "Minification" ability to reduce itself to the size of a pea. A black wave carried it through the torrent at high speed, approaching the Land Devourer near the bottom. It entered the creature's body without being noticed.

The Land Devourer's body was badly damaged, and it was struggling to burrow underground while enduring the torrent's erosion. In its agony, it didn't detect the intrusion.

As it desperately tried to escape, it frantically absorbed energy to repair its body.

Boom!

After hesitating for a few seconds, the Halo Fighter finally unleashed his punch, causing a massive amount of light energy to explode in the center of the No-Light Dark Domain, releasing light and heat that finally dispelled the darkness, and the black torrent was punched out, creating a cavity.

As the darkness receded, their perception returned.

The Silicon Giant was the first to notice something amiss, roaring, "The Land Devourer escaped!"

Through his earth sense, he realized that the Land Devourer had already burrowed over a thousand meters deep and was getting further away.

Everyone was shocked and angry.

Even now, they had no idea what the black torrent was, whether it was a monster or a strange being, its abilities were bizarre and unpredictable. The Land Devourer had first been engaged in a fierce battle with it, and though they thought it had been bombed to death, it suddenly reappeared.

"Kill that thing!" The pseudo-dragon-human Halo Fighter shouted.

A thick pulse beam shot from his palm, bombarding the constantly surging and transforming black torrent.

The others also took action.

The Silicon Giant hesitated, his target was the Land Devourer, and he might still have a chance to catch up...

Before he could make a decision, the black torrent suddenly became insubstantial and faded away.

A badly damaged corpse fell to the ground.

Charred black all over, it looked like it had been burned several times over, its head and limbs eroded beyond recognition, its torso devoid of flesh, and it was almost unidentifiable as a human.

"Is that Rock King Ke?"

The Halo Fighter exclaimed in disbelief.

Everyone was stunned, a sixth-order second-stage Dragon Lord had died just like that.

They looked around, activating all their perception abilities, but they couldn't find a trace of the assassin. From start to finish, they couldn't confirm if the assassin was human or monster, and after the kill, they disappeared right under their noses.

The four King-level powerhouses looked at each other in dismay.

The pseudo-dragon-human Halo Fighter soared into the sky and vanished into the distance.

The Snow Crystal Dragon Lord also mounted her dragon and flew away.

The Star Hunter met the Silicon Giant's gaze and whispered, "Gang Qi, the Rock King's family won't let this go. If you don't want to incur their wrath, it's best to leave Black Ring Star."

"Hmph, am I supposed to be afraid of the Rock King's family?" The Silicon Giant scoffed.

"I'm leaving now."

The Star Hunter didn't try to persuade him further, and after saying this, he left with his two battle pets. The hunting team that had been observing from a distance also scattered, afraid that staying any longer would bring trouble upon themselves.

Soon, only the Silicon Giant remained at the scene.

He looked around, then finally lowered his head to gaze at the ground, a puzzled look on his face. However, he ultimately found nothing, and his towering figure disappeared underground, moving swiftly through the depths to pursue the Land Devourer.

A few minutes after the Silicon Giant left, an invisible and transparent silhouette emerged from the ground through instantaneous movement.

It was Ji Xinghuo.

He had been hiding in the shadows of the soil layer's crevices, easily evading detection with the help of Shadow Invisibility and the Dark Domain Orb.

Ji Xinghuo looked south, towards Qinghong's location.

At that moment, the Land Devourer had already burrowed over ten thousand meters deep into the earth's crust. With such a thick layer of soil and rock, electromagnetic perception and dark vision were ineffective, and he could only rely on his connection with Qinghong to locate it.

The Land Devourer was badly injured, its body broken and shattered, and it would take two to three hours to fully recover.

Before that, it wouldn't be able to return to the surface.

Even with Qinghong lurking inside the Land Devourer's body, it would be difficult to kill it, especially at a depth of ten thousand meters underground, which put Qinghong at a severe disadvantage.

Ji Xinghuo was momentarily at a loss for a good strategy. His original plan was to first locate the Land Devourer and then find an opportunity to strike.

However, it might take a long time.

By then, the Land Devourer's injuries would have healed, making the task much more challenging.

"It's best to seize this opportunity and finish it off within two hours..." Just as Ji Xinghuo was pondering, he seemed to sense something and looked towards the ground, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth within the shadows, a silent laugh.

Boom!

The ground trembled violently, and gravity increased sharply.

Silicon Giant Gang Qi's figure leaped out from the ground, and to his surprise, he could see Ji Xinghuo. He raised his heavy hammer and brought it down with crushing force.

However, just as he was about to land the blow, boundless darkness enveloped them, cutting off all perception.

The hammer struck the ground, creating a massive crater.

The Silicon Giant turned and threw his hammer, and just as suddenly as it had appeared, the darkness dissipated, and his perception returned. He saw his hammer accurately strike its target, a shadowy humanoid outline, but the hammer passed through without causing any harm.

A deep voice echoed from within the shadowy light, "Gang Qi, if you don't want the Earth's Core Master, you can continue your attack."

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end