Chapter 365 - 273: Unquenchable Fire (Part 2)

It now seemed that was indeed the case. The moment he made contact with his opponent, Zhao Xuanqi felt it profoundly.

The Primordial Qi he had just gathered was like a scattered mob of soldiers facing a mighty, battle-hardened army. Before his opponent’s power, it was instantly routed and dispersed. Its ability to affect the enemy’s power was extremely limited.

THUMP! THUMP! THUMP!!

The Black Flame slashed Zhao Xuanqi’s body, but it didn’t disappear. Instead, it followed the wounds and rapidly spread into his body.

This Black Flame was formed from a special kind of Primordial Qi. It wasn’t physical; it specifically used the Primordial Qi of a living being as fuel. Once touched by it, if one didn’t possess a comparable Primordial Qi to resist and extinguish the flame, it would burn continuously until the victim’s Primordial Qi was completely exhausted!

Hence its name: Unquenchable!

And since all of life’s actions are supported by "Qi," once that "Qi" is burned away, it means death and the soul’s dispersal!

In truth, for the "Li Zhenyuan" of this moment, this technique might have seemed unremarkable on the surface, but it was actually a trump-card-level ability.

After all, his abilities were limited for some reason. He needed to completely annihilate Zhao Xuanqi in the shortest time possible!

Countless streams of Black Flame landed on Zhao Xuanqi’s body and spread within him.

Flesh, Qi and Blood, organs, bones...

Every part of his body felt as if it were burning violently.

Intense pain flooded Zhao Xuanqi’s mind, fully awakening the feral viciousness deep within him.

"You want me dead?!"

ROAR!!

With a surge of will, Zhao Xuanqi began recklessly drawing the surrounding Primordial Qi into his body.

This was an extremely dangerous act. External Primordial Qi, not tamed and subjugated over sufficient time, would cause immense damage if directly absorbed into the body.

Just like Yuan Tianhao, who couldn’t subjugate the Primordial Qi and whose body underwent Rainbow Transformation as a result.

HUMMM!!

In an instant, under the infusion of immense Primordial Qi, Zhao Xuanqi surpassed his body’s current limits. Every one of his cells began a slight Rainbow Transformation, making his body appear like a translucent man of light, somewhat similar to Mitsuro’s recent Immortal Rainbow state.

With the boost from the Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi, Zhao Xuanqi’s power instantly surged. The Black Flame inside him was temporarily suppressed, but it remained as embers, not fully extinguished.

"Naive! This will only make you die faster! You’re dead! You’re de—"

Li Zhenyuan’s face twisted into a mocking sneer. His movements and the attacks from his arms grew even more ferocious. Terrifying Black Flame was continuously unleashed with his strikes, and a loud "SZZZZZ" sound even began to emanate from his own body.

He too was being harmed by the Black Flame, only his tolerance for it was far greater.

However, just as he was madly attacking Zhao Xuanqi, his body suddenly froze for a brief moment, and the words coming from his mouth abruptly stopped.

And in a duel between masters, how could Zhao Xuanqi possibly let such an opportunity pass?

ROAR!!

Primordial Qi surged, a Qilin took Form, and power gathered in his palm.

BOOM!!

A single palm strike drove straight forward, taking advantage of the gap when Li Zhenyuan’s body froze, and slammed into his chest, creating a terrifying boom.

PTUI!!

Black blood suddenly gushed from Li Zhenyuan’s seven orifices. As it scattered, it transformed into Black Flame, which vanished in midair without a trace.

Even if he was stronger and of a higher realm, taking a full, unreserved blow from a Divine General head-on was still too much to bear!

In that instant, his body shot backward, his legs carving two deep gouges into the ground before he barely managed to stabilize himself.

"Li Zhenyuan!! Do you want to die?!!"

An angry roar escaped his lips, and it sounded as if he were talking to himself.

CRACK! CRACK!!

At the same time, something strange happened to his body. One half of it seemed to go out of control, his limbs beginning to make bizarre, uncoordinated movements.

SWOOSH!!

Zhao Xuanqi didn’t know what was happening, but he wasn’t about to miss this golden opportunity. He stomped forward, and the ground within a ten-meter radius sank.

He unleashed a chain of palm strikes, once again blasting toward Li Zhenyuan’s body.

For a moment, it was Li Zhenyuan who was forced into a steady retreat.

"It’s useless even if you cause trouble from within. He’s a dead man. With the Unquenchable Fire in his body and him flooding himself with Primordial Qi, it’s only a matter of time."

"I won’t let you die. You can’t die even if you want to. Wait until I deal with you completely..."

Li Zhenyuan muttered to himself nonstop as his body began to spontaneously combust.

BOOM!!

Suddenly, an intense torrent of Black Flame erupted from his body, instantly forcing back the attacking Zhao Xuanqi.

SWOOSH!!

Then, without a single look back, Li Zhenyuan fled, his figure moving at extreme speed and vanishing into the Fog.

’He ran?’

’What in the world is going on with that guy?’

Zhao Xuanqi stood frozen, a stunned look on his face. Li Zhenyuan’s problems were clearly far from ordinary, to the point that he couldn’t even unleash his full power. This confirmed Yuan Tianhao’s earlier speculation: Li Zhenyuan was under some kind of restriction and had to pay a heavy price to act.

However, he had no time to consider such things now.

Because his own physical condition was absolutely dire.

The assault of the Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi had caused immense damage, his very physical structure on the verge of Rainbow Transformation. With a sudden surge of will, he cut off his connection to the Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi.

But in the next moment.

FWOOM!!

No longer suppressed by the Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi, the Black Flame inside him instantly erupted. The blaze was even more intense than before, surging through his entire body and rushing toward his very consciousness.

Almost instantly, his consciousness began to blur. His body grew weak, and he found he could no longer maintain his balance. He staggered backward and collapsed to the ground.

「Outside.」

With Li Zhenyuan’s departure, the Holy Seed within Jiang Feiyu lost its controller. Its power began to rapidly recede, and the pervading Fog started to dissipate at a visible rate.

’Is it over?! Has a winner been decided?!’

The combatants on both sides, who had been watching the battlefield intently, saw this and their breathing all but stopped. Their hearts began to pound violently.

Because of the obscuring Fog, all senses like sound and sight had been blocked, save for the vibrations and shockwaves. They had been completely unable to determine the state of the battle.

So, what was the outcome of the fight?!

Everyone on both sides entered a combat stance, staring without blinking at the dissipating Fog.

Finally, the Fog thinned enough to see through, and everyone finally saw the situation on the battlefield.

However, the result made everyone freeze in place for a moment.

On the battlefield, not a single person was standing.

On the ground, Mitsuro and Oono Bonan lay in one spot. Oono Bonan was covered in blood, barely recognizable as a human figure. Nearby, Mitsuro’s body was shriveled, as if a huge portion of his flesh and blood had evaporated.

Elsewhere, the bodies of Shinkawa Yue and Jiang Feiyu were twisted like broken dolls, sprawled on the ground in poses of abstract artistry.

And Zhao Xuanqi was also lying on the ground, his status between life and death unknown.

What in the world happened here?!!

Mutual destruction? A fight to annihilation?!

"Get the wounded!!"

It wasn’t until Meng Dongtai let out a great roar that the forces on both sides snapped out of their momentary stupor.

The masters from both sides immediately swarmed forward, and the scene descended into utter chaos.