C149 The Fire Qilin

Wang Dan conjured a pair of Meteor Hammers from the void with a flourish of his hands.

These hammers bore a slight difference from the ones that had previously self-destructed, yet their design was fundamentally identical.

The Meteor Hammer in his left hand took flight, its surface igniting with fierce flames.

The fire intensified rapidly, soon morphing into an enormous fireball.

"Meteor - Earth Fire Burst!"

Releasing the Meteor Hammer from his right hand, it plummeted to the ground, landing roughly thirty feet from Wang Dan.

With a resounding "Crack!" the hammer's surface fractured, transforming into dozens of miniature Meteor Hammers.

These smaller hammers arranged themselves in a precise pattern, each emanating waves of ghostly Yin fire.

The Meteor Hammers above and their counterparts below resonated with one another, creating a fiery expanse in the void between them.

Within this inferno raged both the bright, roaring flames and the chilling Yin fire, exuding a cold energy.

The coordinated assault of the Meteor Hammers from above and below surged towards Qin Buyi.

Unflinchingly, Qin Buyi allowed the flames to engulf him, showing no sign of dodging.

A quarter of an hour later, Wang Dan's forehead glistened with a dense layer of sweat beads.

Half an hour in, his complexion turned deathly pale, his breaths coming in uneven gasps.

After a full hour, Wang Dan appeared ashen, a trickle of blood seeping from the corner of his mouth.

Contrastingly, Qin Buyi maintained a serene composure amidst the blaze, betraying no signs of pain or strain.

The disparity between them was clear.

"Retract!"

Wang Dan extended his hand and commanded.

The Meteor Hammer offensive dispersed in an instant, the hammers returning to Wang Dan's grasp.

Once he had reclaimed the Meteor Hammers, a wave of exhaustion swept over him. He collapsed onto the ground, breathing heavily.

Ye Hui hurried to Wang Dan's side, offering support with a concerned tone, "Wang Dan, are you okay?"

With his face flushing and paling in turns, Wang Dan replied, "I'm alright, just overexerted my spiritual energy. I'll recover shortly."

Moments later, Wang Dan felt some strength return. He rose to his feet and bowed respectfully to Qin Buyi, "Mr. Qin, your defense is utterly beyond reason."

For a full two hours, I gave it everything I had, yet you seemed as unfazed as if the flames weren't even touching you. Impressive!"

Qin Buyi responded, "Brother Wang Dan, you flatter me."

Suddenly, Yu Jin chimed in, "Mr. Qin, your defense is formidable. May I have a go at it?"

Bao Shui glanced at Yu Jin and inquired, "Are you considering using that technique?"

Yu Jin nodded affirmatively, "Exactly."

Bao Shui warned, "Your technique is so potent that if unleashed at full force, its power could rank between Tribulation Crossing Perfection and Half Step Mahayana. Mr. Qin might not be able to withstand it."

Intrigued by Bao Shui's comment, Qin Buyi's interest was piqued. "No matter, today I am here to push my defensive limits."

"Brother Yu Jin, go ahead and strike."

With a toothy grin, Yu Jin declared, "Then I'll show no mercy."

During their last encounter, Yu Jin had felt stifled in battle against Qin Buyi. He had spent the whole time fleeing and was defeated without landing a single blow. But this time was different. Qin Buyi was standing still, not fighting back, giving Yu Jin ample opportunity to execute his ultimate move.

Yu Jin's hands closed around thin air, and a long spear slowly materialized. Grasping it firmly with both hands, he began to channel spiritual energy into the weapon.

One breath...

Three breaths...

Five breaths...

With each infusion of spiritual energy, the spear's aura intensified, as though a savage beast was on the verge of awakening within it.

Sensing the growing power of the attack, Qin Buyi's expression turned a shade more serious.

After ten breaths, Yu Jin bellowed, "Fire Qilin Spear!"

The spear, once radiating a chilling light, underwent a dramatic transformation. It blazed a lava-like red, and a phantom emerged along its shaft—a Fire Qilin, its body wreathed in flames.

Yu Jin funneled his spiritual energy into the spear with reckless abandon. In an instant, eighty percent was drained, surging through the spear and into the fiery form of the Qilin.

The phantom of the Fire Qilin instantly transformed into a towering behemoth, stretching two hundred meters high and three hundred meters long. Its ethereal form began to coalesce, with torrents of real flames erupting all around it.

Yu Jin warned, "Mr. Qin, brace yourself for my most formidable attack!"

Qin Buyi, with a grave look, watched the Fire Qilin as it neared the threshold of the Half Step Mahayana Stage, careful not to underestimate the challenge.

"Eight Nine Profound Arts, Earth and Sky as One!"

In an instant, his stature swelled to five hundred meters, resembling a titan.

"Go!" commanded Yu Jin.

The Fire Qilin's hooves, ablaze with fire, scraped the ground, gathering its might.

Upon Yu Jin's command, the Fire Qilin charged at Qin Buyi with overwhelming momentum.

Qin Buyi, seeing the Fire Qilin barrel towards him, exclaimed, "Well met!"

He crouched slightly and seized the horns atop the Fire Qilin's head.

Boom!

The area echoed with a thunderous noise.

The Fire Qilin, racing at breakneck speed, was halted by Qin Buyi's grip on its horns, as if a speeding train had collided with an immovable mountain.

The sudden halt caused many of the flames enveloping the Fire Qilin to scatter.

Witnessing this, Yu Jin channeled the last vestiges of his spiritual energy into the Fire Qilin.

Reinvigorated by the spiritual energy, the Fire Qilin's flames flared up once more.

Despite its full-force lunge at Qin Buyi, it remained immovable.

With a slight exertion of strength, Qin Buyi hurled the Fire Qilin away.

Boom!

The Fire Qilin crashed to the ground, carving out a deep crater.

Undeterred, the Fire Qilin rose and lunged at Qin Buyi once again.

This time, it snapped its jaws wide open, aiming for Qin Buyi's arm.

Qin Buyi made no attempt to evade, instead offering his arm to the Fire Qilin's maw.

"Clang!" "Clang!" "Clang!"

The Fire Qilin's razor-sharp teeth clamped down as though biting into solid steel.

The fiery teeth strained with force, but Qin Buyi watched the Fire Qilin's efforts with a hint of amusement, feeling only the faintest twinge of pain on his arm.

"Crack!"

With the Fire Qilin straining harder, Qin Buyi remained unscathed, but the creature's own teeth began to show cracks under the immense pressure.

Within moments, the Fire Qilin's teeth completely disintegrated, transforming into spiritual energy that vanished into the cosmos.

Observing the scene, Bao Shui couldn't resist a jibe, "Yu Jin, that toothless Fire Qilin of yours is quite the novelty."

Yu Jin, hearing Bao Shui's mockery, was filled with frustration.

It was a familiar sting of vexation, resurfacing in Yu Jin's heart.

Flushed with embarrassment, Yu Jin pondered the ignominy of a Fire Qilin without teeth—no better than a toothless tiger.

Realizing further resistance would only bring humiliation, Yu Jin commanded in a hushed tone, "Retract!"

At his behest, the colossal Fire Qilin turned and charged towards Yu Jin, rapidly shrinking in size until it was reabsorbed into his spear.

Once the Fire Qilin was secured within Yu Jin's spear, Qin Buyi dissolved his celestial form, reverting to his original stature.

The other five individuals gathered around, inspecting Qin Buyi's arm where the Fire Qilin had bitten.

A faint imprint of teeth was visible, but it soon faded away, leaving no trace.