Chapter 324: The Flame Emperor Technique · Qilin
A massive black beast puppet suddenly emerged between heaven and earth, emanating an aura of wild ferocity and demonic energy, so thick it seemed to make the air around it freeze.
Seeing this, Li Shi and his two companions were visibly shaken. With their seasoned eyes, they quickly realized that this was no ordinary beast but a beast puppet—yet one so powerful it left them in shock.
"How can this kid still have such a trump card!" Li Shi stared at the powerful aura surrounding the beast puppet, and a serious expression crossed his face. Although he wasn't entirely sure what kind of beast it had been, its power when alive had surely surpassed the Nirvana stage and likely reached the Life and Death Profound Stage.
Lin Langtian's eyes gleamed with satisfaction as he took in the impressive sight of the Heavenly Desolate Ox, now converted into a beast puppet by Mo Ying. He had spent a small fortune to acquire this ox's skeleton at the ancient battlefield auction in Wanxiang City, and it was finally proving useful. Even though the beast puppet couldn't yet wield half of the ox's full power, it would serve Lin Langtian well, easily holding back the two Nirvana Stage Eight assassins.
"Today, let me show you the might of the Heavenly Desolate Ox puppet." Lin Langtian grinned at Li Shi and his two companions. With a wave of his sleeve, a dark figure shot forward, landing on the back of the beast—it was Mo Ying.
Having trained rigorously in the mirrored pocket world, Mo Ying had reached the Seven Yuan Nirvana stage. As he now commanded the massive ox puppet, the fusion of their fierce energies created a terrifying aura, as though a powerful warlord had descended onto the battlefield.
"Mo Ying, those two Nirvana Eight assassins are yours. Deal with them quickly," Lin Langtian said with a cold edge to his voice.
"Yes, Master!" Mo Ying replied, his tone respectful. Under his control, the Heavenly Desolate Ox beast puppet became a powerful war machine, unleashing waves of brutal, demonic energy. As it moved forward, the ground trembled beneath its massive hooves, charging with a terrifying speed and leaving deep tremors in its wake.
"Attack!" Mo Ying's voice rang out, cold and emotionless. At once, the ox puppet lifted one enormous hoof cloaked in black energy and, with deadly precision, stomped down on the two Nirvana Eight assassins with overwhelming force.
"Just a dead beast puppet, and you think you can scare us?" the two assassins sneered. Although they ranked lower in the Shadowed Seven, they had survived the brutal Bloodhorn Territory, proving they were no easy targets. Resentful of Lin Langtian's contempt, they both released a powerful wave of energy and charged the beast puppet head-on.
Boom!
The explosive clash of energy shook the air, reverberating around them. The resulting shockwave blasted outward, forcing the two assassins back more than a dozen paces, while the Heavenly Desolate Ox only stumbled back two steps before regaining its stance, showcasing the raw power of a high-level beast puppet.
"That thing's too strong," Li Shi muttered with a grim expression. "We have to take out Lin Langtian first; we can't afford to be pinned down here."
He turned his cold gaze to Lin Langtian. "You're no ordinary disciple of Yuan Gate, I'll give you that. But against absolute power, it's all meaningless," he sneered. Although their original plan to gang up on him had failed, Li Shi felt confident that his own strength alone would be enough to take down Lin Langtian with time.
Without further delay, Li Shi lunged forward, his eyes flashing with murderous intent as he unleashed his full power, ready to bring Lin Langtian down.
"Bring it on!" Lin Langtian's eyes blazed with resolve. His hands moved in a series of rapid gestures, summoning an intense fire that surrounded him, giving him an aura like a god of flames.
"Flame Emperor Technique!"
The flames around him flared up, filling the sky with fiery brilliance, casting a reddish hue across the entire area. With the fire raging around him, an aura of savage ferocity spread out, sending shivers through those who felt it.
"The Flame Emperor Technique? Impressive showmanship, but in the end, you're still only a mere Seven Yuan Nirvana disciple," Li Shi scoffed, though there was a wary glint in his eyes. He could feel the enormous pressure emanating from the flames, making it hard to ignore the creeping unease that welled up within him.
"Let's end this!" Li Shi's killing intent spiked. Without hesitation, he drew a sinister, black hook from his side, flooding it with a massive surge of dark energy.
With a fierce glint in his eyes, he conjured a dark, shadowy aura that swirled around him, forming a terrifying figure—a black mist apparition wielding a large, curved hook. The entire area darkened as if engulfed by a shroud of death.
"Black Death God's Soul Hook!"
With a roar, Li Shi stepped forward, gripping his hook tightly, and swung down with immense force. In sync, the shadowy apparition behind him swung its own enormous black hook, tearing through the air as it descended upon Lin Langtian. The pressure alone caused cracks to splinter across the ground beneath.
Seeing the dark apparition and its deadly hook reflected in his eyes, Lin Langtian's expression grew grim. He was now certain the Shadowed Seven were indeed tied to the Western Profound Realm's darker factions. The power of Li Shi's technique was on par with some of Yuan Gate's most advanced skills, rivaled only by their top-tier abilities.
In the next instant, Lin Langtian's own flames roared in response, filling the air with the power of the Flame Emperor Technique.
The colossal black beast puppet suddenly appeared in the sky, radiating an intense, primal energy that seemed to freeze the air around it. Li Shi and his companions faltered, visibly shaken by the formidable aura of the puppet, even though it was not a real beast but a crafted creature.
"What is with this kid and his arsenal of tricks?" Li Shi said, alarmed by the puppet's powerful presence. He couldn't fully identify the puppet's origins but knew its former strength must have surpassed the Nirvana stage, likely reaching the Life and Death Profound Stage.
Lin Langtian himself looked pleased as he took in the results of his prized Heavenly Desolate Ox, a puppet modified by Mo Ying. This beast skeleton, acquired at a high cost during the Wanxiang City auction, was finally proving its worth. Even though it couldn't yet exert half of its original power, it was still a formidable ally, capable of holding off two Nirvana Stage Eight assassins with ease.
"Now let me show you the power of the Heavenly Desolate Ox puppet," Lin Langtian smirked at the three assassins, gesturing for Mo Ying to join the fray.
"Mo Ying, those two Nirvana Eight assassins are yours. Finish them quickly," Lin Langtian instructed with a chilling edge to his voice.
"Yes, Master!" Mo Ying responded, quickly climbing atop the immense puppet. Mo Ying's power had grown to the Seven Yuan Nirvana stage, and he now moved in sync with the giant ox puppet as they charged forward, unleashing an aura of demonic rage.
"Charge!" Mo Ying's command rang out as the enormous beast puppet barreled forward, one massive hoof raised high. Like a monstrous machine, the ox thundered towards the two assassins.
"Ha, just a dead beast puppet? You're too confident!" The assassins, seasoned killers of the Shadowed Seven, roared defiantly as they met the puppet head-on.
Boom!
The resulting clash shook the ground. The assassins stumbled back ten paces under the force of the impact, while the ox puppet barely moved—a testament to the immense power of the ancient beast.
"We can't drag this out! Take down Lin Langtian first!" Li Shi gritted his teeth, realizing that letting the puppet fight on was too dangerous.
Li Shi's cold gaze fell on Lin Langtian, "Impressive skills, disciple of Yuan Gate, but in the face of true power, it's all meaningless." He sneered and lunged forward, raising his dark scythe, while his shadow loomed large behind him.
"Enough talk," Lin Langtian scoffed, changing his hand seals in quick succession as flames surged around him.
"Flame Emperor Technique!"
Suddenly, the sky was ablaze with fire. A massive fiery cloud twisted open above him, revealing a gigantic flaming beast emerging from the vortex—a fiery qilin. As it appeared, its massive body blocked out the sun, radiating an intense heat that washed over the land.
"Flame Emperor Technique—Qilin!" Lin Langtian's voice rang out as he summoned the beast. This was his first time unleashing this fearsome move, and even he was eager to see its potential.
Boom! Boom!
The fiery qilin stretched its massive form as it moved, each step stirring the energy of the heavens. Its horn glowed with an intense energy, seeming to gather every flame around them. In the next instant, a condensed fireball of immense destructive power shot from its horn, bright enough to dim the world for an instant.
The fireball streaked through the air, colliding with Li Shi's deadly black scythe attack.
Bang!
The impact was so intense that the land itself seemed to hold its breath, suspended in silence. A shockwave of energy erupted, beautiful and deadly, tearing apart mountain peaks and pulverizing everything in its wake. The two assassins near Mo Ying stumbled back, coughing up blood, their faces pale with fear.
Lin Langtian himself staggered back under the force of the explosion, quickly forming a flame shield around him to withstand the aftershock.
Clang!
The impact sent his shield reeling, jarring his entire body and forcing him to retreat. Only his fortified physique allowed him to withstand the blow unscathed.
After several minutes, the flames in the sky began to dissipate, revealing the aftermath—a wasteland of charred earth. The forest below had been flattened by the blast.
Lin Langtian's eyes sparkled with satisfaction. With the Vermilion Bird's flame as its core, his Flame Emperor Technique—Qilin—proved every bit as powerful as the three great techniques of Yuan Gate.
Suddenly, an ear-splitting crash broke the silence. Li Shi's figure plummeted from the sky, blood spurting from his mouth as his body hit the ground with a heavy thud.
Cold determination filled Lin Langtian's eyes. In an instant, his Vermilion Bird wings flared behind him, launching him toward the falling assassin. With a sharp movement, he summoned his Flame Howl Spear and drove it straight into Li Shi's chest.
Thud!
The spear drove through Li Shi's chest, cracking bone. Gasping for air, Li Shi stared up at Lin Langtian's cold, merciless face, realizing with dread that he was about to die.
His terror-filled expression only made Lin Langtian's gaze grow colder. "All your time killing others, yet you're nothing but a coward when death stares back at you," Lin Langtian sneered, lifting his spear for the final blow.
Crack!
With a final thrust, Lin Langtian drove the spear through Li Shi's skull. Blood and brain matter splattered, painting a gruesome scene that left the remaining two assassins frozen in fear. Seeing their leader slain, they fled in terror.
But they could not outrun Mo Ying and the Heavenly Desolate Ox puppet. With a final, earth-shattering stomp, the puppet crushed the two assassins, ending them instantly.
Seeing his enemies destroyed, Lin Langtian gave a satisfied nod. But as he turned to leave, a slow, mocking voice filled the air.
"Well done, Lin Shi-di…quite a display."
Lin Langtian halted, his face hardening as he looked up. On a nearby peak, a dark figure appeared, watching him with cold amusement.
The Wood Division's Spirit General, Qin Lang.
"So you finally show yourself…"
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