Chapter 423: The Top Six Face-Off

Chapter 423: The Top Six Face-Off

Ji Xinghuo was unaware that at this moment, many eyes, including that of the King of the Titanium-Cobalt Dragon, were fixed on him.

But that didn't hinder his ability to react with lightning speed, entering a state of hyper-frequency thinking.

As enemies drew within range, Ji Xinghuo's stellar power surged, and in an instant, he created eight shadow clones that appeared around him. Each clone held a Spirit String Song, forming an arc, aiming at the front and both sides.

With the destruction zone at his back, there was no need to fear ambushes.

With the aid of hyper-frequency thinking, his brain's reaction speed increased tenfold, and time seemed to slow down, easily processing vast amounts of information.

One by one, the enemies were scanned, locked on, and targeted.

Then, Ji Xinghuo and his shadow clones, a total of nine identical archers, began their rapid assault.

Swish!

Multiple peals of thunderous roars overlapped.

In the first round, nine arrow-like lightning bolts were released. In mid-flight, each arrow split into five. In the blink of an eye, forty-five arrows bloomed in three directions, akin to a celestial shower.

Without pausing, Ji Xinghuo released the second round, again causing the arrows to split, doubling their number.

The third, fourth, and fifth rounds followed…

Within a second, the nine Ji Xinghuos unleashed their maximum damage, loosing countless arrows that drew out kilometer-long trajectories of electricity. It was like a dazzling lightning flower in full bloom—brilliant and deadly, accompanied by thunder and lightning, covering all enemies within dozens of square kilometers.

Ji Xinghuo's hands didn't stop, and neither did his shadow clones, as they continued to fire off splitting arrows.

The first wave of arrows struck their closest targets.

The seemingly delicate arc arrows possessed astonishing penetration, and Ji Xinghuo and his clones weren't firing indiscriminately. Each arrow was carefully calculated and assigned to different targets.

For those with strong defenses, multiple arrows were fired in quick succession.

For those with speed, the velocity of the arrows was increased.

Furthermore, corresponding effects were attached to the arrows. After the arc arrows pierced through armor, the subsequent arrows that hit would become explosive, maximizing damage.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Each charging legend was baptized by the arrow storm, and some attempted to teleport or turn invisible to evade, but their every move was predicted by Ji Xinghuo, and none escaped unscathed.

Enemies hiding behind cover were still struck as the arrows curved to find their mark, and if the cover wasn't thick or hard enough, the arrows penetrated right through.

The seemingly chaotic arrow rain had each arrow finding its precise mark.

They blossomed like celestial maidens when fired, and like moths to a flame when they found their targets.

Each enemy was hit by at least five arrows, and before the fifth round of shooting ended, more than half of the thirty-odd legends had fallen or exploded like fireworks.

The remaining enemies turned tail and fled for their lives.

In the blink of an eye, the siege against Ji Xinghuo collapsed, but he had no intention of letting them go.

Another five rounds of concentrated fire found their mark, and the seven or eight legends who were trying to escape were turned into ashes and specks of light.

Their World-Ending Dragon Sacrifice had come to an end.

However, not everyone was slain, and one legend remained, not only alive but accelerating towards Ji Xinghuo instead of running away.

Instantly, he drew the attention of the Titanium-Cobalt family.

"Qing Feng Yiji!"

"I've heard of him. He's a genius of the younger generation of the Qing Feng family, a Stellar Armor Master with formidable strength."

"No wonder he could withstand the firepower of Ashes."

Ji Xinghuo had recognized Qing Feng Yiji earlier. He had seen the name on the kill list, ranking higher than himself, currently at 13th place, and was also one of the favorites to win before the World-Ending Dragon Sacrifice began.

In the previous rounds of fire, Ji Xinghuo had specifically increased the firepower directed at Qing Feng Yiji, sending more than three times the number of arrows at him compared to the others.

However, he had been unable to penetrate Qing Feng Yiji's kinetic force field.

Stellar Armor Masters were an advanced form of Mechanic and Kinetic Stringer, possessing superior speed, defense, and attack capabilities. They not only wore etheric armor but also had extremely powerful kinetic force fields, as witnessed back at the Dark Snake Ruins.

"The firepower of the shadow clones is indeed a bit lacking, far inferior to the main body. Relying solely on numbers is still not enough to penetrate the kinetic force field."

"I wasn't specifically targeting you either."

Ji Xinghuo's eyes remained calm.

At this moment, Qing Feng Yiji had already closed in to within a kilometer. His speed was extremely fast, his armor engine running at full power, with four floating cannons charging and eight electric flying swords whirling around him, forming a sword shadow barrier.

Most of the arc arrows were deflected by the electric flying swords, and the remaining ones that pierced through the sword shadow barrier were absorbed by the kinetic force field.

Qing Feng Yiji's speed surged, breaking the sound barrier!

The missile compartment on his armor opened, and ten miniature guided missiles were fired, locking onto Ji Xinghuo's jet flames, their speed several times faster than Qing Feng Yiji's.

Boom!

A bolt of lightning fell from the sky, instantly striking one of the guided missiles, and then the lightning jumped to another missile, destroying all of them in the blink of an eye.

Electric lights flickered in Ji Xinghuo's eyes, and he aimed the Spirit String Song at Qing Feng Yiji, drawing the bowstring as stellar power condensed into a chain arrow.

At the same time, the eight shadow clones also locked onto Qing Feng Yiji, and one by one, the splitting arrows flew out, a storm of arrows focusing on him, instantly increasing the pressure on him. The barrier formed by the electric flying swords couldn't hold up against the onslaught.

Electric sparks flew as the arrows collided with the flying swords, and the overwhelming numerical advantage immediately showed.

The arrows rushed towards Bi Fenyu Ji like a flood, forcing him to decelerate as soon as he accelerated. His invisible kinetic force field wavered.

Sensing the danger, Bi Fenyu Ji's armor engine went into overdrive, maneuvering at high speed in mid-air to try and evade the onslaught of arrows and approach Ji Xinghuo from another direction. However, the countless arrows pursued him relentlessly, sticking to him like a bone-seeking miasma no matter how he moved.

Every second, at least a hundred arc arrows struck his kinetic force field, rapidly depleting his spiritual energy. His stellar power leaked out like a breached dam, spilling out of control.

Five seconds.

Bi Fenyu Ji could only hold on for five seconds, or even less, before his kinetic force field collapsed due to the exhaustion of his spiritual energy.

Without the force field, he still had his armor.

But in the second before the kinetic force field collapsed, Ji Xinghuo had already predicted this and fired his chain arrow.

The timing was impeccable.

Almost at the exact moment the force field vanished, the chain arrow, mixed among hundreds of arc arrows, struck Bi Fenyu Ji's armor chest. That was where his engine was located, normally the most heavily protected area, but at this moment, it was the most vulnerable.

Bi Fenyu Ji shot a resigned look at Ji Xinghuo, though he wasn't surprised by this outcome.

Boom!

Bi Fenyu Ji's armor exploded.

The blast from the explosion swept across a kilometer, and the ensuing heat reduced his body to ashes in an instant.

From the start of the battle to its conclusion, less than ten seconds had passed.

Within a five-kilometer radius of Ji Xinghuo, not a single opponent remained alive. He lowered his Spirit String Song, and his eight shadow clones returned, merging back into his body like shadows, reclaiming the remaining stellar power.

His expression remained calm, as if he had just accomplished a trivial task. He stood his ground, maintaining his guard.

In Titanium Ring City, tens of millions of residents who had been watching the battle erupted in fervor, like a boiling cauldron.

In front of the Yuan Magnet Palace, the True Dragon people of the Titanium-Cobalt family were also stirred.

"What terrifying lethality!"

"The power unleashed in an instant, that concentrated fire, I fear even a Sixth-Stage Dragon Lord might not be able to withstand it."

"Chi, do you think you could face him?"

"Difficult..."

"If Chi doesn't dare say he could take it, then I certainly don't stand a chance. I can't even get close to him unless I rush him face-to-face."

"He has electromagnetic oscillation, and his electromagnetic sensing is far superior to ours. There's no way to sneak up on him. Look at all those legendary geniuses who tried to get close, they were all locked on and fired upon."

"I've never seen such a powerful archery skill. To fire so many arrows and not miss a single shot is incredible."

"His archery isn't his only strength. His close-quarters combat seems formidable as well. Even if an enemy rushes him, it's hard to say who would come out on top."

A True Dragon person reminded the group not to forget the scene where Ji Xinghuo slashed down the heavily-armored vanguard.

Everyone exchanged glances, struck silent.

"This barbarian's strength is a bit outrageous!"

The True Dragon people present were at least Sixth-Stage in strength and held high positions of authority within the Titanium-Cobalt family. They were knowledgeable and experienced.

However, after discussing it, they found it difficult to come up with a strategy to defeat Ji Xinghuo.

Some of the True Dragon people even felt threatened.

"Lan, congratulations!"

Someone offered their congratulations to Titanium-Cobalt Blue. Having gained such a powerful subject, he would undoubtedly be a great help in the future.

"No wonder Smoke wanted someone. She has a good eye." There were also those who felt jealous, knowing that Titanium-Cobalt Blue's gain would mean a loss of resources for them. They spoke in a sour tone, trying to stir up discord between Titanium-Cobalt Smoke and the others.

Everyone turned their gazes to Titanium-Cobalt Blue, their emotions a mixed bag.

Titanium-Cobalt Smoke's expression was less than pleased. Ji Xinghuo's displayed strength had exceeded her previous assessment, and he now had a high probability of placing in the top three. This meant she would lose at least fifty thousand ether crystals, or possibly even a hundred thousand.

Even for the wealthy Saint of the Stars, a hundred thousand ether crystals was no small sum, and she would feel the pinch for a while.

Titanium-Cobalt Blue was overjoyed in his heart, but he maintained a reserved expression.

In front of the King, he dared not let his triumph show.

Moreover, the upper echelons of the Titanium-Cobalt family were not a harmonious bunch. They were kin, competitors, and enemies all at once, and he had to constantly guard against those who coveted his Fall-grade Titanium-Cobalt Dragon.

The group's attention returned to the World-Ending Dragon Sacrifice as they continued to watch the final outcome.

In the Illusionary Realm.

Ji Xinghuo opened the Kill List, and Bi Fenyu Ji's achievements were transferred to him. Even at this point, with the transfer ratio having dropped to a quarter, his ranking still jumped into the top ten.

That wave of shooting had also earned him nearly 2,000 points of spiritual source energy.

"That's amazing!"

"Legendary geniuses are indeed stronger than ordinary people, and they gain more spiritual source energy too. One of them is worth several ordinary legends."

Ji Xinghuo glanced at the interface of the Myriad Images Star Pupil.

[Spiritual Source Energy: 568,534]



In this World-Ending Dragon Sacrifice, his spiritual source energy had increased by over 20,000 points, an unexpected windfall.

In the sky above, the black flame dragon that blotted out the sun could be seen at any time. It began to circle this safe zone, destroying the remaining surface of the Dragon Guard from the outside in. In less than two stellar hours, it would complete its annihilation.

Ji Xinghuo continued forward.

He still had his back to the edge of the destruction zone, occupying a large area of the safe zone.

Death!

As the 99th stellar hour approached, only 1% of the Dragon Guard's surface remained safe, with a diameter of just over 300 kilometers.

Two-thirds of this was land, and the rest was sea.

The land was a vast plain, with open terrain.

The number of survivors had dwindled to less than a thousand.

Ji Xinghuo's electromagnetic sensing enveloped most of the safe zone, and the exotic beings who had survived up to this point were among the top legends in terms of strength. Any one of them would have ranked high on the Earth's Legend Rankings.

However, here, most of them were mere cannon fodder.

Every moment, legendary geniuses were being slain, often in one-sided massacres.

Ji Xinghuo's senses picked up on an extremely powerful exotic being who was constantly engaged in battle, relentlessly pursuing and killing his enemies.

He was a typical member of the Insectoid race.

The exotic being had a humanoid form and walked upright. His sturdy body, over three meters tall, was covered in chitinous armor, and his head was triangular and pointed, devoid of hair. A pair of long, slender antennae protruded from his forehead, and he had a pair of round, dark green eyes.

His muscular arms were swollen, and his long thighs were divided into three segments, with bone spurs protruding from the joints. A flexible, stout tail extended from his backside, ending in a sharp, arrow-like tip.

A Battle-Crazed Phyrex!

"Ukucalang."

Ji Xinghuo instantly recognized him as the third-ranked opponent on the Kill List.

This Battle-Crazed Phyrex, Ukucalang, gave Ji Xinghuo the feeling of pure, raw power—an explosive force within his body! His combat style was very primitive but extremely effective.

He would chase down his enemies and explode them with a single punch! No matter the opponent's abilities or defenses, if they were hit by Ukucalang, they were dead. If the first punch didn't kill them, the second one would, and very few legends could withstand three of his punches. Conversely, his defense was even stronger, capable of ignoring most attacks.

"He's indeed a Power King. His combat style is simple and brutal, but he's not to be underestimated."

Ji Xinghuo remained cautious.

After observing for a few minutes, he realized that Ukucalang, who seemed reckless and mindless, was actually very careful in choosing his opponents.

Ukucalang only targeted those he was confident of defeating and avoided those who were also ranked in the top ten of the Kill List.

In fact, other exotic beings who had a chance of becoming an Ender were doing the same.

They tacitly agreed to take out the weaker enemies first.

In the last half stellar hour.

The safe zone had shrunk to just over 10,000 square kilometers, and the number of survivors had dropped to less than a hundred. Intense battles were raging, reaching a climax, and the legends could no longer afford to be cautious about Ji Xinghuo. They were forced to enter his range.

Ji Xinghuo showed no mercy, killing anyone who dared to approach.

His eight shadow clones were always by his side, concentrating their fire on any target. One by one, legendary geniuses perished as they tried to rush towards him.

Among the fallen was a Dragon Lord with impressive achievements, who, along with his dragon, was blown to pieces by hundreds of arc arrows.

Finally.

With only 20 stellar marks left on the clock, equivalent to roughly 16 minutes on Earth.

The safe zone had shrunk to 3,000 square kilometers.

The Apocalypse Blackflame Dragon circled overhead, breathing its dragon breath, its terrifying aura shrouding the sky.

Six individuals remained alive.

This meant that Ji Xinghuo had secured a spot in the top six. The other five were Guli Xing, Titanium-Cobalt Zhen He, Ukucalang, Cang Ya, and a Star Spirit named Caixia, the Blade of Dawn.

She was a beautiful Star Spirit woman with an ethereal, otherworldly appearance. Her skin was snow-white, her eyes clear as gems, and a pair of pointed ears peeked out from her silvery long hair.

Caixia hailed from the distant Star Spirit Empire, and her profession was a Vacuum Stringer.

The six survivors ceased their battles and faced off against each other.

Ji Xinghuo, too, was observing the others, and the one who drew his attention the most was Guli Xing. He wasn't alone but rather a group of individuals.

Twenty-four Pseudo-Dragonmen stood together, forming a "legion."

Each Guli Xing looked identical, exuding a powerful aura, making it difficult to discern the real one from the fakes.

On the other side was Titanium-Cobalt Zhen He.

This peerless genius, famous in the Yuan Magnet Palace, had a tall and well-proportioned figure, and his handsome features were a rare sight even among True Dragonmen.

Ji Xinghuo saw a resemblance to the Titanium-Cobalt Dragon King in him.

However, Titanium-Cobalt Zhen He had not brought his titanium-cobalt dragon with him and had entered the Illusionary Realm alone.

Cang Ya, too, had come without her dragon companion.

Just as rumored, she was stunningly beautiful, with a tall and slender figure. She wore a light blue dress, and her demeanor was calm and quiet, yet beneath that tranquil exterior lurked a tumultuous energy akin to a towering wave. Her delicate eyes were fixed on the Star Spirit, Caixia.

Caixia returned her gaze with a challenging stare, and it seemed that there was some conflict between the two women.

As Ji Xinghuo observed the others, they, too, were sizing him up, but they seemed unfamiliar with this barbarian and had no impression of him.

The safe zone continued to shrink, and destruction loomed.

Suddenly, the six survivors, as if having reached an agreement, simultaneously took action, each choosing their own opponent. Guli Xing and his legion charged towards Titanium-Cobalt Zhen He, while Cang Ya raised a massive amount of seawater, sweeping towards Caixia, who was the closest to her.

Ji Xinghuo's Spirit String Song targeted Ukucalang, who was charging towards him at full speed.

The final battle had begun!

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end