Chapter 58: Even If I Must Burn My Essence Blood to Survive, How Could I Die in a Place Like This!
Just as Lin Mo and the others were preparing to move against the Crimson Blood Sub Dragon, the beast, having already finished off the Thick Armored Earth Dragon, seemed to sense the killing intent hidden in the bushes.
It stopped before feeding and slowly raised its head. Its pair of blood red eyes swept toward the thicket where Lin Mo and the others were concealed.
Lin Mo instinctively stepped forward, shielding Ye Lingling behind him.
Ye Lingling reacted just as quickly. Her hands lifted as though supporting something, and a pink white begonia flower quietly appeared between them. At the same time, 2 bright yellow Spirit Rings rose beneath her feet.
This was Ye Lingling's Martial Soul, the Nine Heart Begonia.
She was ready to use her healing Spirit Ability at any moment to support Charmander.
On the other side, Charmander let out a low growl. A red light flashed across its body, and the 1st Spirit Ring beneath its feet suddenly lit up. Flames flowed over its entire body, and its aura steadily climbed.
This was the first Spirit Ability it showed to outsiders, Flame Strike.
But beneath that disguise, Molten Body and Flame Charge had already been quietly activated.
Its attack, defense, and speed all rose at once. This was not a turn based battle. There was no rule saying it had to wait its turn after using one move.
The Crimson Blood Sub Dragon had just killed the Thick Armored Earth Dragon and was still at the peak of its ferocity. Seeing such a small creature dare charge at it under the cover of 2 humans, it immediately let out an enraged roar.
The blood colored bone spikes on its back lit up, and the blood qi around its body surged violently. Without dodging or retreating, it raised its thick Dragon Claw and met Charmander head on.
Boom!
Flames and blood qi crashed together, and a deep explosion shook the clearing. The shockwave from the collision instantly shredded the low vegetation nearby.
Charmander's body halted for a moment and slid back half a step.
The Crimson Blood Sub Dragon also shook its head, and several scorched marks appeared on the dark red scales covering its claw.
The first clash had ended in a draw.
A trace of savage disbelief flashed through the Crimson Blood Sub Dragon's eyes. It clearly had not expected such a small opponent to possess this kind of power.
But before it could attack again, the battle intent in Charmander's eyes flared even stronger.
Without the slightest pause, the flames around its body surged once more.
Molten Body, second enhancement. Flame Charge, activated again.
This time, Charmander's speed was so fast it nearly left afterimages behind. A crimson streak cut through the air like a meteor.
With its attack, defense, and speed all doubled, Charmander seemed to turn into a true flaming meteor as it slammed into the Crimson Blood Sub Dragon's chest and abdomen.
Bang!
The collision this time was several times louder than before.
The Crimson Blood Sub Dragon let out a pained howl. Its huge body was actually knocked off the ground, tumbling backward before crashing hard into the earth and flattening a large patch of bushes.
As it struggled to rise, fear finally appeared in those blood red eyes that had been filled only with savagery and killing intent.
Charmander landed lightly, the flame on its tail burning wildly, its entire body brimming with battle intent.
It did not hesitate even for a moment. Its hind legs pushed off again, and it rushed forward like a red shadow.
The absolute suppression in speed left the Crimson Blood Sub Dragon, a Spirit Beast known for agility, with no room to dodge at all. It could only roll across the ground in a miserable attempt to create distance.
Driven into a corner, the Crimson Blood Sub Dragon went completely mad.
It let out a shrill roar, and from the gaps between its dark red scales, thick blood colored mist began to steam upward. The mist carried a scorching aura, and its eyes turned completely crimson.
This was its innate Spirit Ability, Blood Burning Boiling.
At the cost of burning its own qi and blood, its speed and strength both surged. A thick layer of blood red light coated its Dragon Claws as it lunged directly at Charmander.
It looked as though it wanted to tear Charmander in half on the spot.
However, just as its aura reached its peak, Charmander opened its mouth and spat out a large mass of violently rotating, blazing fire.
Flame Vortex.
After being enhanced twice by Molten Body, Flame Vortex was no longer the small trick it had once used against those Hundred Year Spirit Beasts. Whether in flame temperature or restraining force, it was on an entirely different level.
The blood qi that had just erupted around the Crimson Blood Sub Dragon was instantly suppressed by this spiraling cage of fire.
It lunged left and right, slashing wildly with its claws as blood mist surged from its body, yet it could not break free from the shrinking prison of flames.
The high temperature scorched its scales, producing wave after wave of hissing sounds. No matter how it struggled, the Flame Vortex remained as steady as ever.
Standing behind Lin Mo, Ye Lingling had long forgotten to keep channeling Spirit Power into the Nine Heart Begonia.
Those purple eyes, usually as calm as an ancient well, were now wide with disbelief.
Her gaze moved back and forth between Charmander and Lin Mo, her red lips slightly parted, yet no words came out.
The scene before her had already gone far beyond the limits of her understanding.
Was this really the same Charmander that usually circled around her for jerky, acting gluttonous and harmless?
How could it erupt with such terrifying strength?
Was this still the same little fellow she knew?
She blinked instinctively, almost starting to suspect that the exhaustion from these past few days in the forest had made her hallucinate.
Not just her.
Even Ye Linyuan, who had been hiding in the shadows and was ready to intervene at any moment, was completely stunned.
The hand he had raised froze in midair. The calm smile on his face had long since vanished, replaced by deep shock.
He knew Lin Mo's Charmander had extraordinary combat strength, but he had never imagined it would be this monstrous.
A mere hundred year Spirit Ability and a self created Spirit Skill were enough to suppress an 800 year Crimson Blood Sub Dragon?
Just moments ago, this same Crimson Blood Sub Dragon had torn through the Thick Armored Earth Dragon as easily as splitting firewood. Now it was being chased around and battered by Charmander like a stray dog.
The reversal was so complete that it felt utterly unreal.
Within the Flame Vortex, the Crimson Blood Sub Dragon's aura weakened at a pace visible to the naked eye. Its scales were charred and damaged all over its body.
At that moment, it had only one thought left.
Even if it had to burn its essence blood to survive, how could it die in a place like this?
It let out an unwilling roar and desperately squeezed out the last of its qi and blood. The blood light around it suddenly flared, and it actually tore open a gap in the rotating flames, stumbling out of the vortex.
But by then it was already at the end of its strength.
The blood mist around its body had dimmed. Its movements had become sluggish. Though its eyes still burned with hatred and madness, there was even more resentment in them now.
Charmander clearly had no intention of giving the Crimson Blood Sub Dragon the slightest chance to recover.
The instant the beast broke free, before it could even steady itself, Charmander had already rushed in like a red shadow.
A silver white metallic gleam flashed across its right claw for a brief instant before vanishing.
In the next moment, the young dragon's claw was wrapped in a thick layer of flame as it slashed directly toward the Crimson Blood Sub Dragon's neck.
Pfft!
The sharp claws sank cleanly into the Crimson Blood Sub Dragon's vulnerable throat, and blood sprayed into the air.
The Crimson Blood Sub Dragon's massive body froze at once. The savage resentment in its eyes rapidly faded.
After letting out a short, powerless whimper, it crashed heavily to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.
A bright yellow Spirit Ring slowly rose above its corpse.
Charmander shook the blood from its claws, and the flame on its tail danced happily a few times.
Then it trotted straight back to Lin Mo's feet, rubbed its head against his trouser leg, and let out soft, pleased noises as though asking for praise.
Lin Mo crouched down and rubbed its head, a smile appearing on his face.
"Well done."
Beside him, Ye Lingling was still gripping the Nine Heart Begonia tightly, frozen in place.
She looked at the dead Crimson Blood Sub Dragon, then at the Charmander now acting spoiled at Lin Mo's feet as though the savage killing had nothing to do with it. Her mind had gone completely blank.
Was this... really the same Charmander she knew, the one that circled around her for jerky?
The overwhelming ferocity it had displayed in killing the Crimson Blood Sub Dragon stood in such sharp contrast to its harmless appearance now that, for a moment, Ye Lingling could not connect the 2 at all.
The sheer shock finally cracked the calm mask she always wore, leaving behind nothing but daze and disbelief.
.....
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