Chapter 165 - The Calamity of Looking East (Part Five)

Chapter 165: Chapter 158: The Calamity of Looking East (Part Five)Crushed under the massive fire meteor, the Blood Beast broke out with a hundred thick arms, embracing the entire meteor and slowly lifting it bit by bit.

Mage Cliff raised an eyebrow; the fire meteor he had summoned was a Mage’s career skill from the late period of Third Transition fire element magic— "Skyfall Inferno." He had participated in countless battles, and only once had the meteor been caught by someone, who was from the Lionheart royal family; only the power of the Lionheart bloodline could bear such a dense meteor. Even a Level 11 peak Demon Beast would dodge its sharpness.

Now it seemed there was yet another person capable of taking the meteor head-on. Mage Cliff raised his hand and pointed lightly towards the meteor thrown by the Blood Beast, a sharp fire spear condensed into existence, piercing through the meteor with a flash of light, heading straight for the Blood Beast’s third eye.

Transformed into the Blood Beast, Lu Hong issued a fierce roar, hundreds of arms firing in unison, grabbing the speeding fire spear tightly to prevent it from advancing an inch further.

Mage Cliff conjured more of his magic power, more spears condensing in the sky.

"Go!"

With Mage Cliff’s low shout, a thousand spears lined up, a scorching wave of heat sweeping across the heavens and the earth, forcing Hill and Cliff, who were watching from the sides, to muster their magic power to resist the high temperatures.

Seeing the sky-filled spears coming down, the Blood Beast extended even more arms from within, snatching each spear one by one.

The Blood Beast, effortlessly blocking the attack, directed a mocking laugh at Mage Cliff, wildly flailing the captured spears, as if to flaunt its trophies.

"Growing a spirit too? Truly miraculous." Mage Cliff smiled slightly, "Explode!"

With Mage Cliff’s command, the pure magic power-made spears burst violently. Each spear’s explosion was like a disaster, and with so many spears detonating at once, the might seemed to darken the skies. Hill and Cliff could see nothing but red flame in their eyes, and could only hear the mournful howls of the Blood Beast.

"Disperse!" With a wave of Mage Cliff’s hand, the sky full of flames cleared, and the East Look Mountain that stood before them was leveled. As for the Blood Beast transformed by Lu Hong, it shrank significantly under the high temperature, and Lu Hong who lay dormant within, trembled faintly, showing signs of awakening.

The fiery flames possessed a certain purifying ability; the high temperature evaporated the impurities consumed by the Blood Beast, and although it could not completely remove the negative effects within, it had cleaned up most of them.

"The Blood Beast shrunk, Mage Cliff alone could take down this Blood Beast; he truly lives up to his status as the fourth guardian of the Gold Family." Cliff exclaimed. Even though they all served as guardians for the Gold Family, the order of their ranks was not to be taken lightly, and this disparity was most vividly reflected in their strength.

Normally, Hill, as the seventh guardian, fared slightly better, having the chance to face the fourth guardian. As for Cliff, however, the twenty-eighth guardian, he didn’t even have the privilege of seeing Mage Cliff, let alone march into battle with him.

"Mage Cliff is indeed formidable; it seems the council underestimated his strength. This Blood Beast didn’t require all three of us to come." Hill spoke, "With Mage Cliff coming alone, the problem could have been resolved, and we could have stayed at the front to prevent a counterattack from the imperial army."

"Heh heh." Mage Cliff naturally heard their conversation and chuckled, "Do you think the council wanted you to come to assist me?"

"What does the master imply?" Cliff inquired, puzzled.

Mage Cliff shook his head lightly, "Without me, can you withstand Xue Mei?"

"Ah..." The thought of Ice Snow Shrine’s third Palace Master’s furious battle with the mage made Hill’s heart tremble. She was a woman too, but she absolutely couldn’t match the other’s desperation.

Mage Cliff looked at them indifferently, "You came with me only so you wouldn’t be killed by Xue Mei alone, a needless loss of strength."

That might have been said, but Hill and Cliff still felt somewhat uncomfortable hearing it. After all, they were at the peak of Third Transition, with Hill having just mastered a secret technique, stronger than a typical peak Third Transition. Mage Cliff’s words made them seem utterly useless.

As they conversed, the Blood Beast also recovered, and though its size was severely diminished, its strength hadn’t decreased much. Through its eyes, there was now a glint of vitality.

Roar!

The Beast roared angrily, its blood energy bursting forth as a Blood River suddenly attacked Mage Cliff.

"Burn!" Mage Cliff intoned calmly, chanting a spell, and the approaching Blood River burst into flame, rapidly evaporating. The fire followed the course of the river back towards the main body of the Blood Beast.

Having already suffered, the Blood Beast naturally wouldn’t allow itself to be burnt again so easily; it quickly severed its connection with the Blood River and leaped far away.

"This little thing could become a real problem if allowed to grow further; it might even become sentient," Mage Cliff inhaled deeply, having tested the waters, it was time to end the fight. He couldn’t delay too long after having deliberately leaked the news of his departure from the front line.

If Xue Mei really exhausted their main force, it would be a loss indeed.

Resolute, Mage Cliff summoned his divine weapon, a treasure of the Heavenly God— the Dragon Scepter of Divine Fire!

With the Fire Dragon Staff in hand, the Mage’s eyes blazed with golden Divine Fire, and his Magic Power was fully ignited. The clear sky turned a crimson red from the flames, signaling that he was trying with all his might.

"Burning Realm!" the Mage drew with his index finger, leaving a short trail of fire in the air. Endless Magic Power was poured into it, causing the light from the fire trail to grow ever more intense.

"Scorching Plains!"

Once Scorching Plains was unleashed, the fire trail exploded, tearing open a chasm thousands of miles long, from which endless flames poured forth. In an instant, the whole world ignited, both sky and earth melting within the intense heat, revealing a shattered void.

The Blood Beast, at the center, naturally suffered immensely, howling in pain as its vital energy evaporated at a rapid pace, leaving it completely unable to counterattack.

"Mage, push harder!" Cliff cheered him on from within the shield that Weiwei had upheld.

The Mage continued to pump Magic Power, maintaining the force of Burning Realm: Scorching Plains.

A minute passed, and the Blood Beast had shrunk to two meters in size, while the Mage’s forehead was now beaded with cold sweat—he too was nearing his limit!

"I’ll withdraw the Skill in a moment, and then you all strike it down!" The Mage’s Magic Power was nearly depleted; he had to withdraw the Skill.

"Don’t worry!" Assured by Cliff, the Mage cut off his Magic Power, gasping for air in the open sky: "Now is the time! Don’t let this beast escape its fate—"

Before he could finish speaking, the Mage stared in shock at the dagger piercing his chest: "You—"

"Mage, I didn’t want to do this either." Cliff’s voice rang out beside his ear: "This is the order from the Council of Elders; I had no choice. Who asked you to keep demanding more, to the point where even our offerings had to be reduced?"

"Damn it!" The Mage really hadn’t expected the Council of Elders to secretly order his elimination. After all, he was currently the Jin Family’s strongest combatant—wasn’t this an act of self-mutilation?!

"Cliff, what are you doing?!" Clearly, Weiwei was shocked by the scene unfolding before her, her mind short-circuiting.

"Heh heh." Cliff quickly retreated before the Mage could retaliate, dodging his Skill and shouting from a thousand miles away: "Weiwei, you better get out too. We’ll deal with the Blood Beast later."

Hearing Cliff’s reminder, Weiwei also quickly retreated. Although it wasn’t she who had stabbed the Mage in the back, what if the Mage sought companions in death?

"You all deserve to die!" The Mage’s chest throbbed with pain; he knew Cliff’s poison was taking effect. Had he been at the peak of his strength, he could have burned away Cliff’s poison with his Magic Power, but now he was unable to do anything but wait for death.

With a final hit filled with resentment, a massive meteor once again fell from the sky. But this time, it was not aimed at the Blood Beast transformed from Lu Hong but at Weiwei and Cliff.

Weiwei, who had been unexpectedly embroiled in the catastrophe, wasn’t going to sit idly by. Her inner Magic Power burst forth, her slender figure suddenly swelling in size.

"Dragon Strength!" Weiwei, having advanced to Third Transition and consumed a Demon Beast that was an earth dragon, had acquired the Skill to half-transform into a dragon.

The half-dragon Weiwei swung her dragon claws, summoning earth elements in a massive deluge, forming a giant hammer that clashed with the falling meteor in the sky.

With a thunderous blast, Weiwei and Cliff were blown away by the meteor’s force, yet they were not gravely injured. However, the Mage was now in peril from the poison and had no opportunity to attack again.

"Since you want me dead, I won’t make it easy for you!" The Mage, who had toiled bitterly all his life, was filled with resentment at this moment and headed towards the incapacitated Blood Beast.

"No, stop him!" Cliff exclaimed in horror, but being a thousand miles away, he couldn’t return in time and watched helplessly as the Mage merged into the Blood Beast.

The Mage lay next to the slumbering Lu Hong, his breath weak to the extreme. Countless bloodlines penetrated his body, continuously draining his vital energy.

"Old man, I’ll give you a hand, but remember, you must wipe out the Jin Family!" The Mage, with his last bit of Magic Power, allowed the faint golden Divine Fire in his eyes to drift into the brow of Lu Hong.

In the instant the Mage turned into a mist of blood, Lu Hong’s eyes, purified by the Divine Fire, snapped open. The vital energy that enveloped him trembled and was drawn back into his body. Lu Hong stepped onto the ground, looking upon the scorched East Look Mountain as if it were a world away.

Yes, he had a dream, a long dream, where he became a monstrous creature that devoured life incessantly.

"Dragon Strength! Move Mountain!" Weiwei bellowed, and earth elements formed a large mountain, hurling itself towards Lu Hong.

"Blood covers the sky!" Lu Hong summoned the Blood Holy Sword, and with a flash of blood-red light, the earthen mountain was split in two and crumbled away.

"Are you the Jin Family’s retainers?" Lu Hong asked Cliff and Weiwei with a crooked smile, honestly, it felt good to be back!