Chapter 21: Blood-Drawn Tide, Desperate Run (Part 2)
The gap Yu Yuanchen forcibly tore open with his Purple Electric Thunder Claw was like a giant boulder thrown into a boiling beast tide, briefly parting the surging waves. Without a moment's hesitation, the three of them pushed their speed to the limit and charged forward along this fleeting passage.
Tang Chen led the way, the Clear Sky Hammer dancing like the wind. No longer seeking heavy blows for a one-hit kill, it transformed into a continuous stream of violent hammer shadows. He stopped deliberately aiming for vitals and instead used the most overbearing force to smash and blast back any Soul Beast—regardless of size or age—that dared to approach or block the path! He was like a rampaging Ferocious beast, carving out a blood-soaked path through the torrent of Soul Beasts. Bone fragments and flesh splattered under his hammer, staining his robes red, but his eyes grew brighter and brighter, his Battle Intent burning like fire, as if this endless slaughter only further ignited the ferocity in his bones.
Yu Yuanchen followed closely behind Tang Chen's flank; his role was crucial. While Tang Chen was responsible for clearing the path ahead, he was tasked with dealing with threats lunging from the sides and rear. His attacks were precise and efficient. His dragonified right arm, whether using claws or fingers, crackled with purple-gold lightning like the scythe of a grim reaper. At times, a condensed thunder finger would pierce the skull of a Shadow Blade Leopard attempting a sneak attack; at others, a backhand claw would disembowel an Iron-Backed Gray Wolf charging from the flank. Occasionally, he would stomp his foot, releasing a circular ring of thunderous shockwaves centered on himself, paralyzing the smaller Soul Beasts swarming around him. His electric field perception was fully active, functioning like a precision radar, scanning for 360-degree threats at all times. He could always react a fraction of a second in advance, nipping crises in the bud. Sweat beaded on his forehead; the continuous high-intensity perception and precise control were a massive drain on his Spiritual Power.
Qian Daoliu was like an elegant yet deadly dancer, fluttering at low altitude. He did not blindly release large-scale spirit abilities but concentrated his power on a single point. The sacred aura brought by the Six-Winged Angel Martial Soul naturally suppressed evil and rampaging creatures; he utilized this precisely, cutting into the battlefield like a scalpel. Whenever a particularly troublesome ten-thousand-year Soul Beast tried to organize an effective encirclement, or a long-range attacker prepared to release a skill, his Angelic Sacred Sword would always appear just in time. A condensed golden sword light would either pierce the throat of a Rotting Lizard spitting poisonous mist, sever the wing of a charging Gale Eagle, or strike the eye of a Mountain-Shaking Rhino with pinpoint accuracy, forcing it to howl in pain and veer off course. His presence greatly disrupted the rhythm of the beast tide's assault, for the two below, it created a relatively stable output environment.
In this manner, the three of them forged ahead through the tide with great difficulty. Tang Chen was the unstoppable arrowhead, Yu Yuanchen was the sharp and deadly flank guard and scavenger, and Qian Daoliu was the aerial support who controlled the overall situation with precision kills. They had no time to communicate, and barely even looked at each other; all their cooperation was based on their judgment of the rapidly changing battlefield and the fledgling trust and rapport between them.
However, the horror of the beast tide far exceeded their imagination. They were too numerous, appearing almost infinite. As one group fell, more immediately filled the void. Although the three advanced at no slow pace, their Soul Power drained away like water through an open floodgate, vanishing rapidly.
"If this continues... we won't last until we break out of the encirclement!" Yu Yuanchen thought grimly. His Soul Power was more than half depleted, and his Spiritual Power throbbed with waves of sharp pain. Tang Chen's breathing grew heavier, and the movements of his Clear Sky Hammer were no longer as violent as at the start, gaining a certain weightiness. Even the holy light of Qian Daoliu in the air seemed to dim slightly.
Even worse, in Yu Yuanchen's perception, those few powerful auras that had been lingering in the rear were now rapidly approaching! One of them, carrying a heart-palpitating heat and a sense of destruction, was particularly conspicuous!
"Watch out! Something big is coming! To the right rear!" Yu Yuanchen warned urgently.
Before his voice could fade, a sharp, ear-piercing screech that seemed capable of tearing the Soul echoed from the right rear! Along with the screech, a scorching wave of heat swept toward them!
A giant bird with a wingspan of over ten meters appeared, its entire body wreathed in dark red flames like a demon god flying out of Hell, diving toward them at an incredible speed! Its hooked beak shimmered with a metallic chill, and its sharp claws were entwined with unsettling, dark red flowing fire!
"It's a 'Hellfire Kite' of over fifty thousand years!" Qian Daoliu's voice carried an unprecedented gravity. "It has been completely enraged by the scent of blood and the aura of slaughter!"
This Hellfire Kite was clearly one of the true overlords of this region! Its appearance caused the already chaotic and violent beast tide to seethe even more; many Soul Beasts even instinctively avoided its diving path!
"Tang Chen! Hold the front! Qian Daoliu, distract it! Give me an opening!" In this critical moment, Yu Yuanchen's mind was exceptionally calm, and he made an instant decision. He knew they had to quickly eliminate or heavily wound this kite; otherwise, if they were pinned down by it, the three of them would never escape!
"Leave it to me!" Tang Chen roared, no longer holding back as the deep black light of his Sixth Soul Ring bloomed once more! "Sixth Spirit Ability, Haotian Formation!"
He ignored the harassing Soul Beasts around him. With himself as the center, a strange circular Formation composed of countless fine black runes instantly emerged on the ground! Within the Formation's range, gravity seemed to suddenly increase severalfold, and the air became incredibly viscous! A powerful force of Binding and suppression took hold—this force was not directed at the kite, but rather controlled the densest part of the beast tide! He followed this with a fierce Mountain Quake strike; he needed to clear enough space and time for Yu Yuanchen!
"Boom—!"
The black hammer light exploded like a bomb within the beast swarm, instantly clearing a large area as severed limbs and broken bodies flew everywhere! Tang Chen himself coughed up blood from the recoil, but he remained rooted to the spot, holding up a temporary safe zone for the two behind him.
Almost simultaneously, Qian Daoliu moved as well. The six wings on his back erupted with a dazzling holy light, pushing his speed to the limit. Like a golden meteor rising against the tide, he actively intercepted the diving Hellfire Kite!
"Holy Imprisonment!"
He pointed his Angelic Sacred Sword from afar, and countless golden chains formed of holy energy appeared out of thin air, winding around the Hellfire Kite's wings and claws like spirit snakes! He didn't intend to defeat it but to restrict its movements as much as possible, creating the perfect opportunity for Yu Yuanchen's impending strike!
"Skre—!"
The Hellfire Kite let out an angry shriek, the dark red flames around its body surging as it tried to melt those annoying holy chains. The chains sizzled in the fire, quickly growing dim; clearly, they couldn't bind it for long. Qian Daoliu's face turned pale; maintaining such a powerful control Soul skills was also a massive burden for him.
And in that split second, Yu Yuanchen moved!
He took a deep breath, and the strand of Thunder God Power within him was fully triggered, frantically fusing and compressing with his surging blood vitality and near-ultimate purple electric Soul Power! His entire dragonified right arm swelled, and blinding purple-gold electric sparks burst from the gaps between his scales. The true form of the Thunder Dragon Claw became clearer and more solid than ever before!
He held nothing back, pouring all the power he could currently mobilize into this single claw! A terrifying aura that seemed ready to tear the heavens and crush all things rose from his body. He had long known that he lacked an extremely powerful offensive Soul skills, so he had previously consulted the elders in his Family. He learned of a semi-finished self-created Soul skills passed down from an ancestor. Its principle was to use the first Soul skills, Thunder Dragon Claw, as a base to compress thunder power onto the dragon claw, then use high-frequency vibrating thunder energy to give the Soul skills penetrative properties. This allowed the thunder power to drill through scales or gaps in armor, thereby damaging the enemy's internal organs. However, the difficulty of learning it was too high; it required extreme control over the thunder attribute. Those at low Ranks couldn't learn it due to insufficient conditions, while those at high Ranks would have their own offensive spirit abilities and didn't need to learn it. Thus, aside from the ancestor who created it, no one had mastered it until now.
He, however, was quite interested in it and met the learning requirements. He would occasionally research and study it, and by now, he had basically mastered this Soul skills.
He stomped his foot heavily, and the ground exploded. His body shot forward like an arrow from a bow. He didn't charge into the high sky but instead calculated the exact moment the Hellfire Kite was briefly bound by Qian Daoliu and its diving trajectory was fixed. At a nearly vertical angle, he soared into the sky!
"Thunder! Dragon! Shattering! Void!"
Accompanied by a low growl that sounded like an ancient dragon's roar, Yu Yuanchen's purple-gold Thunder Dragon Claw, which condensed all his essence, energy, and spirit, struck out with unwavering determination toward the Hellfire Kite's relatively vulnerable—abdomen!
At this moment, time seemed to freeze.
The Hellfire Kite sensed a fatal threat and let out a shriek mixed with terror and rage. It struggled desperately, dark red flames frantically burning the golden chains and forming a thick fire barrier over its body.
Qian Daoliu groaned, a trickle of golden blood escaping the corner of his mouth, but his eyes remained resolute as he held the imprisonment in place.
Tang Chen swung his giant hammer, once again knocking back the Soul Beasts that tried to pounce in the meantime, guarding the area where Yu Yuanchen had jumped.
"Puchi—!"
There was no earth-shattering explosion, only a faint yet teeth-gritting sound, like a sharp blade piercing through leather.
The purple-gold Thunder Dragon Claw laboriously tore through the fire barrier but was barely stopped by those seemingly soft feathers. However, it didn't matter—
In the next instant, the ultimate violent thunder power, accompanied by that unique "disruptive" effect, ignored the feathers and penetrated into the kite's body, exploding violently!
"Skreeeee—!!!"
The Hellfire Kite let out a heart-wrenching wail. Its massive body twitched and tumbled violently in the air. Dark red blood sprayed from its mouth like lava, mixed with charred fragments of its internal organs! The flames around its body instantly dimmed and flickered.
Qian Daoliu took the opportunity to withdraw the Holy Imprisonment, his figure landing back on the ground somewhat staggeringly.
Yu Yuanchen also fell from exhaustion and was caught by Tang Chen. His face was as pale as paper, and his right arm trembled slightly. That strike just now had drained almost all of his remaining Soul Power and Spiritual Power.
That once-insufferable Hellfire Kite struggled in the air for several breaths before finally trailing a streak of black smoke and falling crookedly into the distance like a broken kite. Considering the vitality of a fifty-thousand-year Soul Beast, it probably wouldn't die, but it was likely severely injured.
With their leader heavily wounded, the originally surging beast tide experienced a moment of stagnation and confusion. Fear appeared in the eyes of many Soul Beasts.
"Go! Now!" Yu Yuanchen forced out a breath and shouted hoarsely.
Tang Chen and Qian Daoliu also knew this was a golden opportunity. They immediately supported Yu Yuanchen and charged forward with all their might along the blood-soaked path Tang Chen had previously blasted open with "Sky Breaker"!
The crisis seemed to have been partially averted for now. However, all three of them had paid a significant price; their Soul Power was on the verge of exhaustion, and they were wounded. In the depths of the Savage Beast Hills, unknown dangers still lurked.