Liang Wei's body was dragged by the lion's bite, but he didn't freeze. His eyes narrowed, his arms clenched, his forearm tightening.
"Phantom Blaze!"
A burst of violet flames clouded his body — the lion wrenched, engulfed in the blaze as well.
"Growl—"
His small army struck. Wolves bit into the lion's legs while his leopards tackled it to the ground,
all before he reached the floor.
"Quick Dash!!!"
He held his Crescent Glaive straight for its chest.
The blade slammed into the lion's toppled abdomen. Its eyes wrenched upward, trying to stagger right.
• Ink Resonance — Gains +12% damage when used alongside summoned ink constructs
Ember's Blade, Hard Strike, Dao Burst…
His skills stacked into a searing burst of miniature explosions.
BOOOOM!!!
Its insides detonated with violent sparks.
The spirit beast's body launched back three meters as he thrust his explosive spear.
Liang Wei grabbed his weapon's chained links.
"What a solid instrument you've made me," he mused, spinning the chain through the departing flames.
Wind swirled in a clear symphony as he struck the ground repeated.
Woosh! Woosh!
"I wonder what notes it can play~"
He pulled the chain back up—the soil scored with large blade gashes—spun the nearly eight-foot-tall circular blade above him.
ROARRRR!!!!
The lion rose despite the pain, ignoring the violet flames on his body, along with the icicles freezing it's skin.
It crushed a wolf under its paw.
Then released a deafening roar — Flare — flames condensing into a blazing orb above its bellowing maw. Its fur burned brighter than the sun as it hurled the attack down at him.
Twisting Leap!
Liang Wei jumped back and swung his circular blade.
His heart racing—
If he didn't block this he'd be scorched to death.
His demonic left arm tightening around his weapon. He needed to think out the box—
Bloodfire Transmutation!
▰▰▰▰▱▱▱▱▱▱
Blood Qi: 4 / 57
[Sub-Demonic Cultivation Art: Devil's Claw]
The chain turned blood-red.
BOOOOM!!!
It clashed with the lion's fire,
carving a crescent through the blaze —
—Break!—
The chain snapped on its second spin.
Smirk.
Liang Wei's lips couldn't help but curl.
The blade flew with crimson flames as it didn't collide, but ripped into the lion's shoulder.
Then the unimaginable happened — the broken links buzzed, flying together.
"Hahahaha—" he started laughing.
His Blood Qi forced the beetles' residual energy to emerge and reconnect.
He pulled the reforming pieces back with a grin, the beetles submerging into ink once more.
Chitter… Chitter… Chitter…
Liang Wei twisted, about to whip the circular blade into the dirt to stop his momentum, when he fell headfirst into a pair of lips.
Xuyue??
It was Xuyue who had leapt into the air after she saw his chain snap.
She blushed...
Showing her first bit of emotion as he pressed against her.
Split—
Racial Skill: Mantis Skull
Manifest a swift striking mantis from your crown.
Her face split open before he could savor the surprise.
It cracked apart with a razor pincer before he used her abdomen as a foothold and jumped farther into the air.
"I'm flattered for the kiss," he said, spinning his chain to strike the ground and roll, unable to pass up an extra one-liner.
"I heard mantises show their love by eating each other, but I think we're skipping a few steps before I get my head decapitated, right?"
He skidded, planting his feet and Crescent Glaive into the ground.
Xuyue's face returned to normal as she twisted and slammed her axe into the ground, creating a layer of frost to stop a few meters away.
"I'm sorry, that wasn't my intention," she calmly admitted.
"I only jumped after you to help," she said lowering her head in embarrassment.
"Help?" he murmured with mock disappointment.
Watching her wolves and his creations rip into the lion's wounded body.
He rubbed his chin. "Here I thought I was becoming popular enough for women to throw themselves at me mid-fight."
She didn't know how to respond.
"Should… should I have thrown myself at you earlier?"
"No one's going to believe me if I boasted about it later." He cracked his neck. "So I guess it's fine. Let's get back to your help."
She paused, then nodded.
"What do you need, Master?"
Behind them, the lion roared again.
Xuyue glanced its way, her leg already shifting as she moved closer to Liang Wei before the beast could break free from their summons' assault. She leapt to his side, crossing the distance in a single motion.
Liang Wei didn't feel comfortable with her calling him Master — not out of virtue, but because it sounded too deadpan.
"You can call me Young Lord."
"That way, if we meet someone else here, it might seem like I have a bigger backer."
"Very well, Young Master." Her eyes remained neutral.
She didn't stutter or twitch awkwardly, making him wonder if he should have installed some personality in her instead of just intelligence and loyalty.
"Well then," he exhaled. "I'll need your help taking care of my body."
She blinked.
He closed his eyes before she could respond.
Skills unfolded across his mind.
Ultimate Move: Impact
Skill: Soft Strike
Skill: Dao Burst
Movement Skill: Dash
Demonic Cultivation Manual Technique: Twisted Flame Alchemist Arts
Spirit Beast Refinery: Ink Crafting Art
He shifted down the Dao Burst branch, turning away from the ink path.
Wild Beast Calligraphy Series
[(Wild Beast Calligraphy — Iron-Tusk War Boar)]
Rank: Grade 4
Type: Vanguard / Disruption
He unequipped the Snow Leopard.
Let's see if Head Start takes effect after this… Liang Wei thought, equipping Iron-Tusk War Boar.
He then pulled his Crescent Glaive from the ground.
"Iron-Tusk War Boar."
The bristles surrounding the blade swayed.
He moved his polearm, creation forming in his hands."I want you to turn those wolves."
He turned to Xuyue as the boar was conjured within seconds.
She stared at her ravaging wolves — Grrr, Grrr — one ripping into the lion's shoulder wound, crunching bone.
His leopards were still on the field, though they had begun to melt. That didn't stop them from forcing their opponent down.
"I'll try my best to restrain it."
Swish — whimper!!
Without remorse, she uttered them.
Their bodies broke down into hissing ice chains.
"Thanks… now I'll end this."
He stomped forward, drawing Qi through his legs, the ground beneath him sizzling.
"Ember Infusion! Fire Burst! Dash! Strike! Quick Dash—"
The ground detonated beneath his feet.
BOOM — BOOM — BOOM!
Each step exploded as he moved, his soles igniting into jets of flame that hurled him faster than ever.
The boar, seeing him run, sprinted after him with accelerated speed.
It snorted, veins bulging as they reached their destination almost simultaneously — the boar overshooting his bolt.
"Ember's Blade, Hard Strike, Dao Burst—"
BOOOOM!!!
Liang Wei's spear triggered a chain of explosions.
His ink beast crashed into the lion, pushing it into the wall with the momentum of a train.
Tusks pierced through the spirit beast's stomach and shattered its core.
"—Dancing Beast Illusion." Liang Wei cut his blade left.
He closed his eyes, imagining each stroke, saving time through this newfound loophole.
Three more boars spawned at matching speed.
They shoved the lion into the arena wall.
"WEEE!!!" they honked, ink pouring off their fur, greasing the floor.
"WEEE!!!"
Liang Wei spun the iron ring-blade
and aimed straight for the lion's neck.
"Die!!!"
"War Painting: One-Armed Titan Torso."
Muscles of ink wove together over bone and black blood, forming a twisted red-skinned demonic monk. Its neck was wrapped in heavy beads, its lone arm reaching for a half-formed handle.
"True Crimson Harvest!!!"
He yelled, finishing the war painting in his mind.
The blazing saber and raging giant that wielded it cleaved through the lion's neck, splitting molten flesh alongside his ring blade.
His ink beasts continued their assault, shattering its core in a burst of red light.
He exhaled, landing safely as the beast's body disintegrated into cinders.
[Third wave cleared.]
[Preparing next stage environment…]