HSSB391: Between life and death
Yan Zhaoge looked at Lin Zhou, raising his brows slightly, “That silvery light of thunder just now…”
Lin Zhou gazed at the Eye of the Thunder Emperor fragment above Yan Zhaoge’s head, dimming due to just having exerted all its power with An Instant’s Thunder.
”It’s clearly just a Sacred Artifact fragment, two having combined into one, but it can actually already release such a powerful attack?”
Every time he heard news about Yan Zhaoge succeeding with a dazzling feat with the help of the Eye of the Thunder Emperor fragment, Lin Zhou would feel depressed to the point of wanting to vomit blood.
Let alone direct confrontations like this one, whereby if not for his earlier preparations, with that just now, Yan Zhaoge would already have broken free of his encirclement.
Yan Zhaoge’s forward path was sealed by Lin Zhou’s Divine Sky Green Thunder Barrier once more, with him forced to continue attempting to break it as roiling heat waves were already coming up behind him once more.
As that Great Flame Devil with four legs and eight arms saw that the power of Yan Zhaoge’s Eye of the Thunder Emperor fragment had deteriorated, he resumed his offence.
The air above him was sealed by that Divine Sky Green Thunder Barrier. Yan Zhaoge immediately brought Ah Hu and Pan-Pan in fleeing downwards, evading the attack of that Great Flame Devil before him.
Because of the previous mighty strike of An Instant’s Thunder, the underwater mountain ranges beneath them had partially collapsed greatly, causing broken chunks of rocks to fly through the area and underground fire to spurt out from the earth’s surface as the situation had become very chaotic, silhouettes all blurry.
Yan Zhaoge’s group evaded the underground fire spurting above and the broken mud and rocks shooting about everywhere, heading downwards.
That Great Flame Devil followed closely behind them, violent flames destroying all objects that stood in its path.
Gazing downwards, Lin Zhou was unable to clearly see anything, but his expression remained unchanged, “Other than in this point region of stability, there are rampaging Fire Pith Veins everywhere else underground. That earth-tunnelling treasure of yours will not be effective.”
“If you think to escape underground from that calm underwater mountain range, you are daydreaming!”
Descending into the depths of the collapsed mountain ranges, Yan Zhaoge very quickly discovered that that Divine Sky Green Thunder Barrier did not just cover the surrounding area as well as above.
Just having broken through the layers of rocks, multiple layers of green thunder immediately appeared, blocking his path forward.
The Divine Sky Green Thunder Barrier even covered the rocks down below. Normally, it would appear like there was nothing, but as soon as someone neared it, it would immediately be activated.
Numerous streaks of green thunder shot into the skies. Yan Zhaoge tried to break them with his Blood Devil Plate, but discovered that within this Divine Sky Green Thunder Barrier was integrated the essence of Lin Zhou’s Yin Yang Chain Barrier, such that it circulated in an endless stream.
While the Blood Devil Plate, specifically used to break barriers, would be able to break through it, some time would be required for that.
Sadly, with that Great Flame Devil pursuing him, Yan Zhaoge lacked the time for this.
Racing madly on its four legs, it had already appeared behind Yan Zhaoge once more, sweeping about its eight arms as blazing fire surged into existence, descending towards Yan Zhaoge like a net of fire.
The other Flame Devils had also arrived behind him.
While Lin Zhou and the others were also human martial practitioners, as compared to them, Yan Zhaoge who possessed the ring left behind by the Flame Devil Emperor drew their attention more greatly.
The Flame Devil King Cheng Huang had died, but Yan Zhaoge’s appearance as well as martial concepts and aura had already been conveyed to the Flame Devils, keeping a firm eye on it.
However, just at this time, from another direction, within that deep abyss of flames amongst the numerous underwater mountains here, a great howl of shock and fury suddenly resounded.
That Great Flame Devil in the form of a fiery bird which had shot into the deep abyss was currently howling madly.
Amidst its howl, other than fury and shock, fear could clearly also be felt.
While Yan Zhaoge and the others did not understand the language of the Flame Devils, the other Flame Devils outside of the deep abyss clearly all understood the meaning in the howl of that Great Flame Devil.
Instantly, all their expressions changed greatly.
The next moment, the deep abyss of flames suddenly began shuddering intensely.
This region of underground mountains had been rather calm originally, but its Fire Pith Vein that was located deep underground also seemed about to erupt at this moment!
What was abnormal was that with this, the sea of flames that was currently rampaging unceasingly in the distance suddenly began to weaken at this moment.
The lava that covered the land showed signs of stopping, the underground fire also gradually beginning to die out.
While the entire Outer East Sea had still been enveloped by underground fire, with this chain of underwater mountains at their centre, this region of sea about this point region of stability instead saw the surrounding violent Fire Pith Veins beginning to calm.
Only that underwater mountain range at the point region of stability, with the deep abyss as its centre, shuddered intensely.
An incomparably panicked figure wanted to rush out of the deep abyss. It was precisely that Great Flame Devil in the form of a fiery bird.
But before it could rush out, an immense suction force seemed to emanate from within that deep abyss, dragging it all the way down and back in.
This Great Flame Devil roared non-stop, yet could not free himself.
As the others looked shockedly over, they saw a terrifying vortex gradually take form within the deep abyss, fire intermingling with ice.
The vortex itself was rising upwards, in the meantime sucking all in its surroundings into its midst, being dragged into the deep abyss.
Trapped within, the Great Flame Devil struggled unceasingly, yet could not achieve anything with its efforts, only able to watch on helplessly as it was completely consumed by the vortex.
As the other Flame Devils saw this, they were all greatly shocked. Some wanted to assist, some wanted to flee, some launched attacks towards the vortex, while some grew even more violent, falling into a frenzied state as they launched attacks towards Yan Zhaoge, Lin Zhou and the others.
Momentarily, the vicinity of the underwater mountain range fell into chaos.
That four-legged, eight-armed Great Flame Devil swivelled its head and glared furiously at Yan Zhaoge, the flames of fury within its eyes even stronger than before as not caring about anything else, it shot off murderously in pursuit of Yan Zhaoge.
The underwater mountain range began gradually breaking apart, much underground fire surging out from beneath the ground.
The massive vortex that was slowly rising upwards from within the deep abyss expanded unceasingly towards its surroundings.
The previous moment, this had still been a rare haven of safety within this world where disaster had descended. This moment now, it had become a terrifying hell on earth!
Lin Zhou stared his right eye wide as he gazed downwards, attempting to locate Yan Zhaoge’s figure.
Amidst the light of fire and water, Yan Zhaoge’s figure was visible at times whilst obscured at others, the traces of the Great Flame Devil behind him even more obvious.
Standing beneath another great flag, that Heavenly Thunder Hall martial practitioner surnamed Luo shouted loudly, “Junior apprentice-brother Lin, let’s retreat! That vortex is too terrifying; if we do not retreat in time, we might also be caught up in it!”
Lin Zhou roared in a heavy tone, “Stabilise yourselves! The Divine Sky Green Thunder Barrier will be able to buy us sufficient time!”
Along some mountain rocks that were on the brink of shattering, a thin figure climbed up to the vicinity of a great green flag. It was precisely that Heavenly Thunder Hall Martial Grandmaster surnamed Zhang who had been affected by Yan Zhaoge’s strike of An Instant’s Thunder earlier.
“Senior apprentice-brother Luo, junior apprentice-brother Lin, what exactly is this about?” He yelled loudly.
Senior apprentice-brother Luo hurriedly helped him up, “Are you okay?”
Senior apprentice-brother Zhang’s face was gloomy, “I was not struck directly by the thunderbolt. While the great flag was destroyed, it also protected me.”
He looked rather warily at that vortex that was rising up from within the deep abyss, “Let’s retreat as well!”
Lin Zhou clenched his teeth, “Wait a little more! As long as we block the path of that Yan Zhaoge, the Great Flame Devil will be able to slaughter him!”
“Even if the Great Flame Devil is unable to kill him, he will definitely be sucked into that vortex earlier than us!”
He gazed carefully over, seeing that four-legged, eight-armed Great Flame Devil currently rising upwards unceasingly.
Above him, with a miniaturised Pan-Pan in his arms, Yan Zhaoge was shooting straight upwards.
Yan Zhaoge’s gaze shone, just meeting that of Lin Zhou’s!
The Great Flame Devil followed closely after him. Looking a little further down, that massive vortex was expanding unceasingly, now already sweeping over!