The Vermilion Drake Beast possessed draconic lineage, albeit a lowly subspecies strain, unworthy of even bearing the suffix 'Loong' after 'Drake'. At most, this demon beast could only cultivate to Tier 4. Breaking through its bloodline shackles to reach Tier 5 or beyond was nearly impossible without extraordinary fortune.
The beast confronting Lin Feng and the others wasn't even Tier 4 yet; it was 'merely' Tier 3, Level 9. Yet, for Lin Feng's group at this moment, it represented a monumental challenge.
Tier 3, Level 9 corresponded to a Golden Core Ninth Layer cultivator! Among their group, Yan Can, the strongest, was only at Golden Core Second Layer. While Lin Feng's combat power could rival an early Golden Core cultivator, and their combined strength could likely handle a Tier 3 Level 4 or 5 beast, facing a Tier 3 Level 9 opponent left even Lin Feng feeling utterly outmatched.
"KEEEOOONGG!!!" While they were still reeling in shock, the Vermilion Drake Beast roared again. Firelight flared within its maw, and a fireball the size of a water jar hurtled towards them with a furious whoosh!
"Scatter! NOW!"
Yan Can's face paled as he barked the warning. Reacting swiftly, everyone flung themselves sideways. A wave of searing heat roared past them, followed instantly by a thunderous BOOM! from behind that shook the entire cavern. Instinctively turning, they froze in terror. The entrance tunnel they had come through was now completely collapsed, buried under tons of rubble!
The beast's attack had deliberately cut off their escape route!
"Damn it! Stay alert!" Yan Can's eyes hardened. To preempt another strike, he channeled his true energy, sending his flying sword streaking towards the creature once more. Simultaneously, Lin Feng summoned his Crimson Soul flying sword. The two blades shot forward, attempting to flank the Vermilion Drake Beast.
However, faced with these two swift attacks, the beast merely hunched its shoulders, twisting slightly to avoid vital spots. Clang! Clang! Two sharp metallic clashes rang out as sparks exploded against its scales; both flying swords were violently deflected!
Though its armored hide had repelled the blades, the impact seemed to cause the beast significant pain. It unleashed a furious bellow. Brilliant fiery light erupted from its entire body, surrounding it with countless swirling crimson streaks resembling rolling waves of flame. Fireballs materialized in the air, coalescing before raining down upon the group like a fiery hailstorm!
The sheer scale of this barrage left no room for evasion. Without needing a glance, Yan Can and Lin Feng acted in perfect unison. They whipped out their Spiritlight treasures – Yan Can his cloth, Lin Feng his jade talisman – and poured their energy into them, pushing them to their absolute limits. Two overlapping golden barriers flared into existence, shielding the entire group.
"BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!..."
The barrage of fireballs hammered relentlessly against the double-layered Spirit Artifact-grade shields. The cavern echoed with the deafening concussions. Walls cracked violently, dislodging showers of rock that clattered to the ground around the straining defenders.
"Brother Yan, hold on!!" Lin Feng shouted, seeing the onslaught finally begin to wane. A sharp gleam flashed in his eyes. He abruptly withdrew his light shield. His right hand flashed, producing the White Tiger Soulrage Talisman.
True energy surged madly into the talisman. A blinding white radiance exploded from Lin Feng's hand, momentarily overpowering the crimson gloom. The phantom form of a massive white tiger, several meters long, materialized before him in the blink of an eye. With a bone-chilling roar that pierced the remaining barrier, it lunged towards the Vermilion Drake Beast!
The instant the White Tiger Soul manifested, the Vermilion Drake Beast, which had been coiling for another attack, jolted violently as if struck. Raw terror flooded its lamp-like eyes. Abandoning its aggressive stance entirely, it twisted its massive body and scrambled backwards with frantic haste.
SPLASH!!!
A colossal wave erupted as the beast plunged back into the subterranean river!
The White Tiger Soul reached the riverbank moments too late, swiping empty air. Lin Feng stood dumbfounded.
His White Tiger Soulrage Talisman, always devastatingly effective... had missed! The beast had reacted with terrifying swiftness, seemingly knowing it couldn't withstand the phantom's power, choosing flight without a shred of hesitation…
It felt like throwing a punch with all his might, only to hit thin air. A suffocating sense of frustration, almost enough to make him vomit blood, welled up in Lin Feng's chest. He immediately ceased channeling energy into the talisman, and the White Tiger Soul vanished in a flash of white light back into the artifact.
...
An abrupt, heavy silence descended upon the cavern. Not only Lin Feng, but Yan Can and the others were momentarily stunned. The formidable Tier 3 Level 9 beast had just... fled?
Lin Feng recovered first. He swallowed a Yuan-Restoring Pill and called out urgently to Yan Can, "Brother Yan! Prepare to retreat!"
As he spoke, his right hand shot forward. The Crimson Soul flying sword streaked upward, angled towards the patch of crimson rock embedded in the center of the cavern ceiling. He hadn't forgotten the precious Solarflame Essence Crystal and seized this unexpected chance to retrieve it.
"Right!" Yan Can's eyes lit up with understanding. He waved his hand, directing his own flying sword towards the collapsed rubble blocking their escape tunnel instead, aiming to clear a path.
Swish! Swish! Swish!
Lin Feng's Crimson Soul sword sliced cleanly through the rock overhead. A millstone-sized chunk of reddish stone was dislodged. As it plummeted towards the ground, the outer edges crumbled away rapidly, turning to dust and gravel. Only the core remained – a fist-sized, dark red crystal. It pulsed with an intense, fiery radiance, shining many times brighter than before, like a captured miniature sun.
The true Solarflame Essence Crystal! With a flick of his will, Lin Feng directed his flying sword to swat the crystal sideways. It arced neatly through the air into his waiting hand. He swiftly stored it away, a surge of elation warming his chest.
"ROOOOOAAARR!!!"
Yet, in that exact instant of triumph and momentary distraction, an enraged bellow shattered the calm! From the nearby river, water exploded skyward again as a massive crimson shadow burst forth, lunging at Lin Feng with predatory fury!
The Vermilion Drake Beast!!
It hadn't truly fled at all! It had merely lain hidden beneath the water's surface! Seeing Lin Feng take the Solarflame Essence Crystal – the very treasure it relied upon for its cultivation – it could no longer restrain itself!
This time, Lin Feng didn't need a warning. He'd anticipated this possibility. The moment the beast erupted from the water, his left hand snapped forward. A flash of dark red fire erupted from his palm as he hurled a fist-sized fireball straight at the charging monstrosity.
Magma Fire!
FWOOOSH! The Magma Fire expanded explosively the instant it left his hand, ballooning into a roiling inferno taller than a man, completely obscuring Lin Feng behind its searing mass as it surged towards the beast!
"KEEONG!!" The Vermilion Drake Beast, nearly upon Lin Feng, opened its cavernous maw and spat its own colossal fireball in retaliation. The two projectiles collided head-on. But instead of the cataclysmic explosion one might expect, something utterly bizarre occurred. The beast's fireball plunged into the Magma Fire like a stone sinking into mud, instantly absorbed without a trace!
The creature's bulbous eyes widened perceptibly, flashing with an almost human-like shock. Then, its gaze flickered, shifting to an expression that looked unnervingly like... triumph?!
WHOOSH… BOOM!!!
Faster than thought, the Magma Fire, now somehow augmented, shot forth like a cannonball. It struck the Vermilion Drake Beast full-force, just ten meters in front of Lin Feng!
The beast reacted with astonishing speed. Its colossal tail whipped around like a gargantuan scimitar, smashing squarely into the oncoming fireball. The orb of flame shattered explosively. But the blazing fragments didn't dissipate! Like living serpents, tongues of dark red fire clung to the beast's tail and instantly engulfed its entire scaled body!
"GRROOOOAAAGGHH!!!" A howl of agony ripped from the beast's throat. It thrashed violently, its massive claws gouging deep fissures into the stone floor, shaking the cavern walls with its convulsions.
Seeing the Magma Fire take hold, Lin Feng's eyes flashed with fierce hope. He thrust his right hand forward, fingers splayed, then slowly clenched his fist as if physically grasping control. He poured his will into the Magma Fire, intensifying its searing grip, forcing the flames to eat deeper into the creature's scales.
If only my cultivation were higher, he thought grimly, I could unleash the White Tiger Soulrage Talisman now and finish this! But dividing his focus and energy was impossible.
Behind Lin Feng, Chang Gong Xiaojing and the others were still paralyzed by the creature's sudden reappearance when Lin Feng counterattacked with his Spiritfire. Yan Can reacted first, his own eyes flashing with fierce hope. Without hesitation, he sent his flying sword streaking towards the entangled beast, aiming for a vulnerable spot.
"AAAAANNNGGG!!!"
At that critical moment, the Vermilion Drake Beast unleashed a roar more deafening and ferocious than any before. An aura of pure, unadulterated savagery erupted from it, thick enough to choke the air. Its massive jaws gaped impossibly wide, its abdomen distended grotesquely. A visible vortex of air formed within its gaping maw…
For a fleeting instant, Lin Feng felt a surge of savage joy. Yes! Force the Magma Fire deeper! Burn it from the inside! But that hope shattered instantly, replaced by utter disbelief and chilling horror. He felt no resistance, no need to push the flames. The Magma Fire covering the beast's body surged of its own accord, drawn like iron filings to a magnet, pouring straight into the beast's open gullet!
The Vermilion Drake Beast had… swallowed the Spiritfire whole!!