Chapter 497: The Slash

Chapter 497: The Slash

Lei Mingke's white hair billowed, each silvery strand crackling with electrical sparks. In an instant, tens of thousands of arcs of electricity shot out in all directions, darkening the heavens and earth. From a distance, it looked like a tree of lightning was holding up the sky.

Boom!

The arcing electricity first spread out and then converged.

More than a dozen thick bolts of lightning struck towards Qinghong, each one imbued with terrifying energy capable of instantly killing a peak legendary alien.

At the same time, the others reacted as well.

The Xu Kun Dragon, adept at manipulating gravity, immediately extended a gravitational field to counterbalance Qinghong's force field, halting its fall.

The Jing Dragon, also capable of controlling gravity, freed itself from its restraints and rushed towards Qinghong without hesitation. The massive horn atop its head, dozens of meters long, resembled a gigantic spear as it impaled Qinghong's head.

"This is Yuanhuo Liaoyuan's battle pet," Jing Qin said quickly. "He's still here!"

He had encountered Qinghong before when vying for the Yunhai Dragon in the Sea Abyss.

It was during that incident that he not only failed to capture the Yunhai Dragon but was also severely injured twice by Yuanhuo Liaoyuan, marking a great humiliation for Jing Qin. Hence, when Xu Kun Tianlin contacted him secretly, he readily agreed to lend a hand.

Xu Kun Tianlin nodded slightly, and a vacuum sense enveloped the surroundings. His eyes scanned the area, searching for the enemy's figure.

However, he sensed something amiss. The majestic giant beast battle pet exuded a peculiar aura—both familiar and foreign.

If not for seeing its physical form with his own eyes, he would have thought it was a Xu Kun Dragon based on his perception alone!

At that moment, Qinghong's figure faded.

Most of the lightning bolts seemed to strike mere shadows, passing through without causing any harm.

Phase Shift!

Lei Mingke's eyes sparkled with electric light as she maintained the lightning onslaught.

She had assumed that Qinghong would remain in the phase shift for a prolonged duration, but it returned after merely a breath, only to be struck by several massive bolts of lightning. Yet, these attacks did little more than tickle, sparking electric sparks from the tri-colored scales of green, gold, and silver.

Lei Mingke's expression changed.

She was well aware of the formidable power of her spiritual lightning, yet this scaled behemoth withstood it effortlessly.

Before Lei Mingke could intensify her assault, Qinghong accelerated and pounced.

The Jing Dragon stood at the forefront.

The two colossal beings collided head-on.

To ensure its speed remained unaffected, Qinghong refrained from enlarging its physique to its maximum potential. At that moment, it only exceeded a hundred meters in length, appearing diminutive in comparison to the Jing Dragon, which stretched over 150 meters long. The disparity in size was evident.

However, the outcome of the head-on collision defied expectations.

Crack!

A resounding explosion echoed as Qinghong's claw swiped, shattering the Jing Dragon's massive horn. The residual force of the "Shattering Void Shockwave" slammed into the Jing Dragon's head, causing the robust and sturdy dragon to crack like an egg colliding with a rock.

The Jing Dragon let out a pained roar as it fell towards the ground.

Jing Qin was both startled and furious.

He raised the newly acquired Apocalypse Trident and was about to teleport when a beam of white light burst forth from Lei Mingke's fingertip. Like a laser cannon, it rapidly expanded, exceeding a meter in diameter.

The laser beam struck Qinghong's body, finally penetrating the tri-colored scales.

Xu Kun Tianlin and his dragon also joined the fray.

A waterfall-like stream of Void Dragon Breath engulfed Qinghong, while Xu Kun Tianlin's gravity bomb took form above its head. It only lasted for half a breath before Qinghong entered the phase shift again. The enemies' attacks had finally inflicted some damage, but it wasn't severe.

The gravity bomb had also missed its mark.

One couldn't move during a phase shift and had to return after a certain duration, and it wasn't an absolutely safe state.

Xu Kun Tianlin slashed with his hand, executing a Split-Sky Slash that cleaved towards the translucent Qinghong.

Even if he couldn't land a hit, he would force it out of the phase shift.

Jing Qin and his Storm Dragon charged forward, preparing to unleash their attacks. Lei Mingke's spiritual energy erupted, as the lightning storm in the sky brewed for a devastating strike. The Xu Kun Dragon also opened its massive maw, with Void Dragon Breath churning within.

For a moment, the three people and their three dragons were fixated on Qinghong.

Suddenly, a shadow enveloped Lei Mingke's trio, obscuring their vision strangely. Their perception was disrupted, which was peculiar because they could still see.

For powerful aliens, various perceptual abilities were sometimes more crucial and relied upon more heavily than eyesight.

Now, they were all rendered ineffective!

The interference with their perception had an extensive range, and despite still being able to see, the three of them felt a tightening in their chests.

"He's here," Xu Kun Tianlin warned in a low voice.

Almost as soon as his words fell, a figure emerged from the void, materializing at their side.

It was none other than Ji Xinghuo!

Without any weapons in hand and no flickering electricity on his body, he arrived alone. His aura was still masked at the legendary second stage with the use of the Deception Mask. He had teleported and immediately accelerated to supersonic speed, rushing towards the nearest target—Jing Qin.

Boom!

Dozens of lightning bolts struck down from the sky. Lei Mingke locked her gaze onto Ji Xinghuo, meticulously calculating the lead time as she unleashed a lightning strike.

Ji Xinghuo's figure shifted directions multiple times, causing the lightning bolts to narrowly miss him by mere millimeters.

His body swelled to a height of over seven meters, his muscles bulging as he unleashed the full might of his star power. Black light rippled across the trident, and a heavy suit of armor materialized on his body, transforming him into a human-shaped fortress!

Jing Qin prided himself on his strength and defense above all else.

However, during his previous encounter with Ji Xinghuo in the Sea Abyss, he had been defeated effortlessly. Determined to exact his revenge, he had spent a fortune on new weapons and armor.

Ji Xinghuo did not bother to increase his size.

He maintained his regular form of around two meters, relying on his speed as he rushed forward.

The two collided in mid-air.

Bang!

Ji Xinghuo threw a punch without any flashy light effects, relying solely on pure power and speed. His fist connected with the tip of Jing Qin's trident, causing sparks to fly. The trident's tip shattered, and the shaft crumbled into pieces.

Jing Qin's face contorted in shock, but the force of the impact had numbed his arms, leaving him unable to exert any strength.

Ji Xinghuo pressed his advantage.

His punch continued through, smashing into Jing Qin's chest. A layer of watery light flickered as a protective shield, only to be instantly shattered. The sturdy and thick armor was pierced as if it were made of tofu.

In front of Ji Xinghuo, Jing Qin's seven-meter-tall form was like a wall. Ji Xinghuo punched through the defensive energy field, the armor, and finally, Jing Qin's body, emerging from his back.

Jing Qin's body trembled, and he looked down in disbelief at the gaping hole in his chest.

His heart, star gland, and star array had all been destroyed.

A wave of star power erupted.

Boom!

Jing Qin's body exploded, turning into a rain of blood.

[Spiritual Source Energy +34116]



Not a drop of blood landed on Ji Xinghuo as he continued his assault. As he pierced through Jing Qin's chest, a fluid-shaped barrier kept him untouched by the splattering blood.

Without pausing, he became a cannonball that penetrated Jing Qin and then struck the Storm Dragon.

This seismic dragon was incredibly fast, but in Ji Xinghuo's eyes, it moved as slowly as a snail. His brain was operating at 20 times the normal speed, frantically accelerating as he dodged countless wind blades and lightning strikes, throwing another punch as he passed by.

The Storm Dragon's head disappeared.

As Ji Xinghuo threw the punch, his "Acceleration" ability suddenly changed direction, dodging Lei Mingke's high-temperature laser beam. The occasional lightning strike that landed on his body was effortlessly ignored as he turned back, rushing towards Xu Kun Tianlin.

Xu Kun Tianlin's eyes widened in surprise.

Although Jing Qin was the weakest among the three, he was still at the peak of the third stage of the sixth rank in the star-raising sequence, placing him in the third echelon. In the Azure Wave Dragon Domain, he had few rivals.

Yet, in a single exchange, Ji Xinghuo had blown him to pieces with a single punch.

"He's even stronger than last time!"

Xu Kun Tianlin's heart skipped a beat as he glanced at his dragon.

Qinghong had emerged from the phase shift, and a long wound marked its side—a result of the Split-Sky Slash. The wound was rapidly healing, and its body had swelled to over 200 meters in length. Although it was only slightly more than half the size of the Xu Kun Dragon, it held the upper hand in the battle.

Qinghong possessed greater strength, speed, and defense! Whatever abilities the Xu Kun Dragon had, Qinghong could replicate.

And it did so with greater proficiency.

Gravity fields, gravity bombs, void dragon breath, spatial seals, and more—Qinghong's ability levels far surpassed its opponent's.

On the other hand, whatever Qinghong could do, the Xu Kun Dragon could not. Its attacks were far inferior, and it relied solely on its larger size and immensely robust vitality to hold its ground. However, after just a few exchanges, the Xu Kun Dragon's body was covered in wounds, with large patches of its dragon scales shattered and massive gashes oozing dragon blood.

Fortunately, it wouldn't die anytime soon and could hold out for a long time.

At this point, Xu Kun Tianlin threw caution to the wind.

Ji Xinghuo was upon him.

Instant Teleportation!

Ji Xinghuo appeared right in front of Xu Kun Tianlin, who seemed to have anticipated this move. However, he didn't dodge. His gaze intensified, and the space within dozens of meters suddenly stagnated, trapping Ji Xinghuo in an incredibly vast kinetic energy that bound him from all sides.

It was as if Ji Xinghuo had willingly walked into a trap.

Xu Kun Tianlin stared at Ji Xinghuo, who was now only seven or eight steps away, his face cold and confident as his spirit energy surged to its peak.

He didn't use any other abilities; he only needed to restrain Ji Xinghuo.

Rumbling...

A bolt of lightning struck down.

Lei Mingke acted in perfect harmony, gathering the lightning into a single, compressed beam only half a meter in diameter. The countless electric currents struck Ji Xinghuo, who was trapped within the kinetic energy field.

At the same time, a treasure appeared above Lei Mingke's head.

It was a peculiar crystal that resembled a prism, hexagonal in shape, with a diameter of about 15 centimeters, refracting light brilliantly.

Lei Mingke channeled her spirit energy into the crystal, activating it.

Dazzling light exploded forth.

A straight beam of light shot out, a beautiful rainbow of colors that carried a terrifying energy.

Trapped within the kinetic energy field, Ji Xinghuo didn't struggle. With space sealed, he couldn't teleport, but his eyes remained calm, like a frozen lake.

The lightning and rainbow laser instantly found their mark.

A layer of dragon scale protection appeared on Ji Xinghuo's body, transparent and thin, seemingly ready to shatter at the slightest touch. However, it effortlessly deflected both Lei Mingke's full-powered spiritual lightning and laser, causing no harm whatsoever.

In the blink of an eye, Xu Kun Tianlin completed his teleportation, but before he could even get his bearings, he sensed impending danger.

Ji Xinghuo had also teleported, appearing right before him.

"The same move again!" Xu Kun Tianlin exclaimed as he recalled the previous encounter in the Sea Abyss. Back then, he had been besieged by Ji Xinghuo's multiple shadow clones, and no matter how many times he teleported, his landing spots were predicted, making it impossible to shake off his opponent. Ultimately, he was pierced through by Ji Xinghuo's spear.

Today, Ji Xinghuo had not used any shadow clones, only his singular body, yet the pressure he exerted was even more terrifying.

Teleport! Teleport! Teleport...

Xu Kun Tianlin was adept at teleportation, and in usual battles, he relied on this skill to seize the initiative.

However, against Ji Xinghuo, he could only use it to flee for his life.

He teleported continuously, but so did Ji Xinghuo, who had the amplification of the Xu Kun Giant Whale and whose Xu Kun Dragon body matched Xu Kun Tianlin's own. Their teleportation distances far exceeded the norm, their figures flashing within a range of several hundred meters, from the sky to the ground, as if multiple individuals were present.

Lei Mingke's movement speed was exceptionally fast, but within a small range, it was no match for teleportation. Her gaze struggled to keep up with the two combatants, rendering her unable to attack.

Normally, she could rely on electromagnetic sensing to lock onto her targets.

But now, the Dark Domain was interfering with her abilities.

Despite possessing a plethora of exotic abilities, she could only watch helplessly, her eyes following the two figures as they teleported relentlessly.

After over a dozen teleports, Ji Xinghuo still hadn't made a move.

Xu Kun Tianlin thought that perhaps he had performed exceptionally, not giving his enemy an opportunity to strike. Yet, the pressure he felt was mounting, and he knew he didn't stand a chance against a direct blow from Ji Xinghuo. His fate wouldn't be much better than Jing Qin's.

Xu Kun Tianlin excelled in control and exotic abilities, and while his physical strength and martial arts skills were formidable, engaging Ji Xinghuo in close combat would be suicidal.

However, with the constant teleporting, he couldn't utilize his abilities effectively.

"This can't continue," Xu Kun Tianlin thought, feeling his life hanging by a thread. He feared that the next teleport might result in a devastating injury.

After another teleport, his gaze met Lei Mingke's, and in an instant, they communicated their plan.

Lei Mingke nodded.

She understood Xu Kun Tianlin's intention to lure the enemy towards her. As an "Electric Light Master," not only was her offensive power formidable, but she also possessed all the abilities of the "Crystal Light Servant," making her defense unmatched.

While others dared not face Ji Xinghuo, Lei Mingke was unafraid.

In fact, she welcomed the opportunity for Ji Xinghuo to prioritize her as his target, as it would give her a chance to showcase the true power of an Electric Light Master.

Xu Kun Tianlin immediately teleported towards Lei Mingke's side.

Their figures flickered.

Once, twice, thrice...

In battles between Heavenly King-level Exotics, a battlefield with a range of several kilometers was commonplace, and even teammates maintained a certain distance from each other. After Ji Xinghuo's arrival, Lei Mingke's trio had naturally widened the gap between them.

After three teleports, Xu Kun Tianlin had closed in on Lei Mingke.

Finally, one last teleport.

Xu Kun Tianlin chose a landing spot that wasn't especially close to Lei Mingke, leaving about a hundred meters between them.

Lei Mingke's body had transformed into a crystalline form, her skin translucent and radiant. The "Light Prism" atop her head shone brightly, emitting countless electrical currents that formed a gigantic electromagnetic field with a diameter of a thousand meters, akin to a spider waiting for its prey to enter its web.

Xu Kun Tianlin's figure flickered before appearing in front of Lei Mingke. However, as he teleported, he realized that Ji Xinghuo had arrived before him.

Ji Xinghuo stood between them.

In his left hand, he held a cyan-blue ring that Xu Kun Tianlin recognized instantly—the Bikuang Ring.

"Didn't the Bikuang Ring get sold to the Yuhuo Xiao Master?" Xu Kun Tianlin thought, his face twisting in surprise. "Why does he still have it?"

Before Xu Kun Tianlin could react, Ji Xinghuo activated the Bikuang Ring.

A transparent barrier instantly expanded, enveloping a hundred-meter radius and trapping both Xu Kun Tianlin and Lei Mingke at its edges, immobilizing them. The light beams and currents released by Lei Mingke were also stalled.

Xu Kun Tianlin's eyes betrayed his panic.

However, Lei Mingke remained calm and collected. With her defensive capabilities, even if she were forcibly controlled for six seconds, she would be unharmed. She might not even sustain any injuries at all.

Then, she saw a massive battle knife appear in Ji Xinghuo's hand. The blade was broad and dark, etched with traces of electricity. Ji Xinghuo gripped the hilt, shaped like a bolt of lightning, and teleported outside the Void Prison.

He raised the immensely heavy Lightning Ship-Cleaving Knife.

Simultaneously, Ji Xinghuo's body swelled to a height of ten meters, and the knife grew in size with him. In the horrified gazes of Xu Kun Tianlin and Lei Mingke, a terrifying blade of light sliced into the Void Prison.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end