C92 A Great Battle with the Star Flame Beast

The Star Flame Beast bore a head reminiscent of a lion's, yet its ears were distinctly vulpine. Atop its head, it sported a pair of antler-like protrusions.

Its eyes shimmered a deep azure, radiating an otherworldly beauty, but within those blue depths lurked an unmistakable madness and Killing Intent.

Aside from its body, face, antlers, and four claws, the creature appeared as if sculpted from living flames.

Its fiery tail stretched over ten meters, the midsection flaring out to a breadth of three to four meters.

With a furious roar, the Star Flame Beast became the epicenter of a sweeping fire tornado.

In that instant, Han Feng realized why the area around the beast was barren—it was the work of its fiery outbursts.

The crowd hastily retreated, lucky to have already been at a safe distance, narrowly escaping the fiery maelstrom.

The three Family Heads bellowed, "Quick, follow the plan we agreed upon!"

A coalition of over a hundred mid-stage Human Rank martial cultivators from the three families charged toward the Star Flame Beast, spreading out to encircle it.

Their movements seemed choreographed, following an intricate pattern.

Blinking in disbelief, Han Feng saw the martial cultivators conjure a multitude of illusions.

What was once a group of a hundred now swelled to nearly a thousand.

The Star Flame Beast grew agitated at the sight of the countless illusions.

The Sun Family Head clarified to Lin Qingshan and Han Feng, "This strategy was gleaned from a Mystic Rank expert's tomb that our families once jointly explored. It's not particularly powerful, merely a means to generate illusions and sow confusion."

He then addressed his allies, "Brother Zhou, Brother Wu, we must move quickly."

Lin Qingshan and the other Eleven-star Human Rank experts promptly followed suit.

Han Feng, Sun Binn, and the rest remained behind. They were there to gain experience, as their families wanted them to witness the world firsthand—they weren't expected to intervene.

Yet, should the need arise, they were prepared to act, not just stand idly by.

The Star Flame Beast, noticing the Sun Family Head and the others closing in on the Fiery Vermilion Fruit Tree, grew frantic with urgency.

The Star Flame Beast unleashed a barrage of flames from its gaping maw, yet its fiery assault struck only illusions, failing to land a single blow on the mid-stage Human Rank Martial Cultivator.

Frustrated by its repeated misses, the Star Flame Beast seethed with rage.

Meanwhile, the Sun family head and company had nearly reached the Fiery Vermilion Fruit Tree.

"This is fantastic! I never expected it to be this easy," they exclaimed in delight.

But just then, a glint of disdain flickered in the eyes of the Star Flame Beast. With a thunderous crash, its tail plunged into the earth.

Beneath the feet of the Sun family head and the others, the ground erupted, and over a dozen fiery tails lashed out.

"This is bad!"

"Nine Flame Palms!"

The Sun family head bellowed as he unleashed a barrage of nine fiery palms, striking the thrashing fiery tails.

His counterattack significantly diminished the fiery onslaught, but one tail still managed to whip across the Sun family head's body.

He hastily crossed his arms to shield himself from the blow, but the sheer force sent him hurtling through the air.

The other two Family Heads suffered a similar fate, flung aside by the beast's attack. Thankfully, the dispersed force meant none of them sustained serious injuries.

Lin Qingshan spread her fingers wide and called forth her "Thunder Whip!"

The wild lightning clashed with the fiery tails, the interplay of fire and electricity crackling loudly.

With uncanny speed, Lin Qingshan's feet touched the ground, and she swiftly backpedaled, emerging unscathed.

The spectacle left the three Family Heads with eyes wide as saucers.

The Sun family head inwardly lamented, "As I suspected, that young man is no ordinary fighter, and Miss Lin is even more extraordinary. Her footwork is likely of Top-quality Human Rank, a level of martial skill even the Sun family lacks."

Even the most basic Top-quality Human Rank footwork could rival the finest Human Rank attack martial skills in value.

No wonder the Sun Family Head and his peers were astounded.

His resolve to forge a closer bond with Lin Qingshan only grew stronger.

While the three Family Heads and Lin Qingshan emerged unharmed, the Eleven-star Human Rank cultivators weren't as fortunate.

A Wu family expert at the Eleven-star Human Rank suffered severe burns to his abdomen, his face beaded with cold sweat from the excruciating pain.

It was immediately apparent that the warrior's combat strength had diminished by a third.

Family Head Wu mopped his brow, a sigh of relief escaping him. "Thank goodness the Star Flame Beast spread out its attack. Otherwise, we'd have been obliterated in an instant."

A smug glint flickered in the eyes of the Star Flame Beast, but the illusory shadows encircling it swiftly reignited its fury.

The beast let out a series of enraged roars.

From its tail, a torrent of fire surged forth, wave upon wave, each one towering over the last.

Lin Qingshan and the others paled, retreating rapidly while deploying their defensive martial skills.

"Fall back, now!"

Their warning carried to the late-stage Human Rank Martial Cultivators who were ready to provide backup, urging them to retreat.

Witnessing the Star Flame Beast's onslaught, these cultivators recoiled in horror, scrambling backwards.

The group narrowly escaped the fiery assault.

Yet, the mid-stage Human Rank Martial Cultivators who had encircled the beast, buying time for the Sun family and others, were swallowed whole by the inferno.

When the firestorm subsided, the earth was pockmarked and scorched, with embers sporadically flickering to life.

A wave of sorrow washed over the survivors; the fallen martial cultivators had met their end, some without a trace left behind.

Family Head Sun heaved a heavy sigh. "It seems our initial strategy has failed. We have no choice but to confront it directly."

The original plan hinged on using mid-stage Human Rank Martial Cultivators and their illusionary formations to stall the Star Flame Beast, while the more powerful Eleven-star and Twelve-star Human Rank experts seized the moment to claim the Fiery Vermilion Fruit and Flame Vermilion Fruit.

This would have allowed them to avoid a direct confrontation with the beast.

But the harsh reality was that they had underestimated the challenge.

The might of the level nine Devil Beast, comparable to a Mystic Rank Martial Cultivator, was now starkly evident.

Family Head Sun raised his voice, "Martial Cultivators below Ten-star Human Rank, fall back and wait for the signal to support us. Those at Ten-star Human Rank and above, come with me to engage the Star Flame Beast."

The three Family Heads led the charge.

"Nine Flame Palms!"

"Hundred Light Chop!"

"Fury of Banshees!"

Lin Qingshan, too, pushed the Thunder Whip's attack to its utmost limit.

A cadre of Eleven-star and Ten-star Human Rank experts each unleashed their signature attacks.

Assaults of every kind blotted out the sky and dazzled with a myriad of colors.

The relentless boom of their combined might was deafening.

Such formidable pressure left the mid-stage Human Rank warriors gasping for breath in their wake.

The younger onlookers watched with eyes alight with wonder.

For them, witnessing a clash of such titans was a rare spectacle, and the awe they felt was palpable.

They mused that if they were the ones under siege by such an array of powerhouses, they'd likely be so terrified they'd forget their own names.

The onslaught from the Peak Human Rank Martial Cultivators was fearsome indeed.

Regrettably, their adversary was a Devil Beast in its Early Period.