Chapter 106: Flames of the Earth's Core!
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The Earth-Fire Flame Demon struggled more intensely, causing cracks to appear in the barrier of the Heaven-Suppressing Array. Even the Heaven-Suppressing Cauldron began to shatter with a series of "crackling" sounds. The Heaven-Suppressing Array was on the verge of collapsing.
"This is bad!"
Long Xiao's pupils suddenly contracted. If the Heaven-Suppressing Array collapsed, he would lose all means to confront the Earth-Fire Flame Demon.
"Pfft!"
Wen Tingguang's state was even more dire. The impact of the backlash on his soul caused him to violently expel blood. He appeared utterly exhausted, with his spirit completely drained.
"Shit!"
Ling Feng thought Wen Tingguang and the others would completely subdue the Earth-Fire Flame Demon. However, nobody expected such a deterioration of events at such a critical moment. It seemed as though all hope for a turnaround had vanished.
Yet, in that instant, Ling Feng heard Zifeng's voice, still somewhat childish, echoing in his mind. Zifeng exclaimed, "Master, I can't hold back any longer!"
Before the words had even ceased, a streak of purple light shot out like lightning towards the Earth-Fire Flame Demon!
"Zifeng!"
Ling Feng's eyelid twitched uncontrollably.
Did this fellow lose his mind?
Although Zifeng possessed unique abilities, its own strength was pitifully weak. The Earth-Fire Flame Demon was surrounded by blazing flames, making the air unbearably hot even from this distance, as if engulfed in a magma hell. If Zifeng flew toward that monster, it would likely perish before even absorbing its life essence.
It was akin to the saying, "People die for wealth, and birds perish for food." Ling Feng never imagined that his first spirit pet, obtained with great effort, would meet such a foolish demise!
However, contrary to Ling Feng's expectations of it turning into a charred mess, Zifeng instead broke through the intense flames surrounding the Earth-Fire Flame Demon, directly piercing into a wound on its chest.
"What?"
Ling Feng's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.
Zifeng didn't even flinch in the face of the Earth-Fire Flame Demon's flames? Even Long Xiao and Wen Tingguang refrained from approaching the Earth-Fire Flame Demon too closely, yet Zifeng defied all expectations!
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The Earth-Fire Flame Demon continued its frenzied struggle, seemingly oblivious to any intrusion into its body. Given Zifeng's size, it was practically insignificant compared to the Earth-Fire Flame Demon.
Long Xiao and Wen Tingguang's faces flushed purple as the severely damaged state of the Heaven-Suppressing Cauldron forced them to expend nearly triple the usual amount of spiritual will. After what seemed like an eternity, their minds were swimming in dizziness, as if they could pass out at any moment.
"I can't go on!"
Long Xiao gritted his teeth, shouting at Wen Tingguang, "Elder Wen, considering the current circumstances, we should retreat immediately and regroup. Once I gather the nearby garrison troops, we can deal with this creature later!"
In the grand scheme of things, survival was of utmost importance. Long Xiao's endurance up to this point was already remarkable. Faced with the looming threat of death, he finally entertained the idea of retreat. With their strength, Long Xiao and Wen Tingguang knew they couldn't defeat the Earth-Fire Flame Demon head-on, but escaping was well within their capabilities.
"But!" Wen Tingguang clenched his fist, torn with inner conflict. If he were to retreat now, the fortified cities nearby might withstand the onslaught with their defensive formations, but the smaller villages and towns wouldn't stand a chance against the flames, likely perishing before reinforcements could arrive. Yet, even if he persisted, it might not change the outcome.
In the midst of hesitation, a crisp sound of shattering echoed—the luminous barrier of the Heaven-Suppressing Array broke apart! The damaged Heaven-Suppressing Cauldron exploded with a resounding "bang," scattering into countless fragments.
"We have no other choice, Elder Wen. Farewell!"
Long Xiao gritted his teeth, his figure flashing as he prepared to retreat. However, to his surprise, as the Earth-Fire Flame Demon broke free from the array, it didn't launch any attack. Instead, clutching its head, its massive body collapsed heavily to the ground, rolling about in agony.
"Huh?"
Long Xiao and Wen Tingguang were both startled, exchanging bewildered looks, utterly unaware of what had just happened.
"General Long, could it be that your Heaven-Suppressing Array has dealt a severe blow to the Earth-Fire Flame Demon's sea of mind?" Wen Tingguang asked, astonished.
"Uh..." Long Xiao's mouth twitched a few times, chuckling uncertainly, "That's... possible." He wasn't certain either. Logically, if the Earth-Fire Flame Demon had awakened, it meant that the Heaven-Suppressing Array hadn't successfully harmed its soul. But if the Earth-Fire Flame Demon hadn't been injured by the array, then why did it suddenly collapse?
"What's going on? Has the monster been defeated?"
"Hahaha, wonderful! Absolutely wonderful!"
The martial artists who survived the ordeal emerged from hiding, bowing in unison to Wen Tingguang and Long Xiao in the sky. "Thank you, seniors, for your great display of power!"
Ling Feng, still grappling with disbelief, observed the collapse of the Earth-Fire Flame Demon. His eyelids twitched uncontrollably.
Could it be that Zifeng succeeded?
In that instant, Ling Feng's mind was filled with the faint yet unmistakable voice of Zifeng.
"Master, hurry and come help me, I can't do this alone!"
Ling Feng's pupils contracted as waves of shock washed over him. Through their mental link, he inquired, "How can I assist you?"
"Just come closer, I'm currently struggling to seize control of this body. As my master, your proximity strengthens my abilities through our soul connection."
"Is that even possible? Alright, I'll trust you!"
Ling Feng clenched his teeth, wasting no further time. With determination, he unfurled his Clear Spirit Wings and soared directly towards the Earth-Fire Flame Demon. Though doubts lingered in Ling Feng's mind, he understood the symbiotic bond he shared with Zifeng. If he met his demise, Zifeng would suffer the same fate; thus, it had no reason to harm him.
"Huh? Young Ling Feng!"
Wen Tingguang and Long Xiao hesitated to approach the Earth-Fire Flame Demon, which was writhing on the ground. Suddenly, Wen Tingguang saw Ling Feng flying towards the creature and jumped in surprise.
"Young man, are you trying to get yourself killed?!"
Wen Tingguang's voice boomed, fearing that Ling Feng, with his limited cultivation, would perish with even the slightest contact with the Earth-Fire Flame Demon.
However, Ling Feng appeared to disregard Wen Tingguang's warning, accelerating abruptly and diving straight into the blazing flames surrounding the Earth-Fire Flame Demon.
"Damn kid!"
Wen Tingguang gritted his teeth, ready to fly over, but Long Xiao stopped him in his tracks. "Elder Wen, calm down. That kid just rushed into the core flames of the Earth-Fire Flame Demon. It's certain death!"
The Earth-Fire Flame Demon was surrounded by flames blazing at temperatures of tens of thousands of degrees, resembling the scorching magma at the earth's core. Even for beings as powerful as the Spiritual Element Realm, such intense heat was unbearable, let alone for a Qi Formation Realm youngster.
"Damn it!" Wen Tingguang clenched his fists tightly, utterly perplexed. Ling Feng was usually a clever lad, so how could he make such a foolish decision?
"Wait!" Long Xiao exclaimed as he witnessed Ling Feng charging into the blazing inferno surrounding the Earth-Fire Flame Demon. Contrary to expectation, Ling Feng didn't immediately turn into ash; instead, he steadily approached, step by step, getting closer and closer.
His stride was remarkably steady, as if unaffected by the flames, appearing surprisingly comfortable.
"Elder Wen, look... the kid isn't dead!"
Long Xiao's eyelids twitched uncontrollably in disbelief. Even he wouldn't dare to plunge into the flames of the Earth's core. How could that kid possibly survive in such a scorching inferno?
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