Chapter 16: The Flame Monarch
Before the passage from the fifth layer to the sixth layer of the Divine Cemetery, over thirty experts gathered.
Linley noticed that Olivier’s aura seemed to have changed, and he was secretly startled: “Has Olivier also made a breakthrough?” As a genius Sword Saint, Olivier had taken only twelve years to rise from being inferior to even Haydson to a level second only to the five Saint-level ultimate experts.
This rate of progress was terrifying.
Now, eight years had passed. If Olivier hadn’t improved, that would be the real surprise.
Desri looked at Hayward and the other twenty-plus experts and said loudly, “You all know the situation on the sixth layer. The ten of us will handle the Flame Monarch. As for you, your task is a bit easier. While ensuring your own survival, search for the passage to the seventh layer.”
The twenty-plus experts all nodded.
Their task was much simpler. Even if Desri hadn’t instructed them, they would have been searching for the passage anyway.
“Alright, let’s set out.” Desri announced loudly.
Immediately, Desri and the other four Saint-level ultimate experts, Linley, Bebe, and the three-headed, six-eyed Golden Lion, these ten experts stepped onto the passage stairs first, heading toward the sixth layer one after another. The twenty-plus experts behind them followed closely onto the stairs.
Linley and Bebe exchanged a glance.
Both were full of confidence. Compared to eight years ago, Linley had not only improved his “Earthly Mystery” but also enhanced his spiritual energy. He even had a feeling that he might break through at any moment and reach the Saint-level Magus realm.
Because training in battle qi only required a slight fraction of one’s spiritual energy to control it.
But eight years of training had brought Linley’s internal battle qi to the peak state of a Dragonblood Warrior in the Saint realm.
“Whoosh!” “Whoosh!” …
The top ten experts of the Yulan continent turned into blurs, and in an instant, they all arrived at the sixth layer—the world of the Flame Monarch!
“Hot!” As soon as he arrived at the sixth layer, Linley felt an unprecedented heat.
At this moment, Linley and the other nine experts stood on a crimson hard rock. The sixth layer was a red world of magma and rock.
“Gurgle, gurgle~~~” Crimson magma rivers filled the sixth layer, with bubbles occasionally rising from them. Around the magma rivers were rocks baked red-hot. In a place like this, ordinary life couldn’t survive.
The other twenty-plus experts also entered the sixth layer.
“Quick, go find the passage.” Desri sent a soul-transmission order. The twenty-plus experts said nothing and immediately flew off quietly.
Then Desri glanced at Linley, Tulily, and the others. Everyone flew up simultaneously. Tulily, Rosalie, and Rutherford flew in the center, while the other seven experts surrounded them. The three of them had already begun to gather their power.
They were ready to deal with the Flame Monarch at any moment.
“If we could enter the seventh layer without encountering the Flame Monarch, that would be best.” Linley thought to himself. At the same time, he carefully observed the surroundings, searching for the passage to the seventh layer.
Suddenly, a rock emerged from a distant magma river. Strangely enough… this rock had eyes and a mouth. It abruptly flew out of the magma river. It turned out to be the head of a “Flame Rock Demon.”
The Flame Rock Demon roared, “There are humans!”
“Not good.” Linley and the others’ expressions changed.
“Swish!” “Swish!” “Swish!” …
From the magma river, one Flame Rock Demon after another emerged. They were entirely crimson, with faint flames flickering on their bodies. They stood nearly two and a half meters tall, wielding stone axes, heavy hammers, and other heavy weapons.
In an instant, within Linley’s field of vision, there were two to three hundred Flame Rock Demons.
“This sixth layer is so vast. The Flame Rock Demons in other areas must number over a thousand in total.” Linley thought to himself. Meanwhile, the many experts flew at top speed, staying alert and ready to strike at any moment.
“Oh, humans have come?” A rumbling voice like thunder echoed through the sixth layer.
The rocky ground of the sixth layer trembled, and the magma rivers churned. A massive figure rose from the magma river. His body was so enormous that as he stood up, the magma river sank significantly.
“Truly as big as a mountain.” Linley looked at the distant colossus—the Flame Monarch!
The Flame Monarch was formed from countless hard boulders fused together, with flames swirling around his entire body. With such a massive frame, even the sheer weight alone generated terrifying power.
“Everyone, be careful.” The ten experts all wore serious expressions.
The Flame Monarch glanced casually at the group, seemingly looking down on them, and laughed arrogantly, “You think you can reach the seventh layer? Dream on! Today, every single one of you will die! My children, join me in killing these intruders!” The Flame Monarch’s voice was thunderously loud, echoing everywhere.
As he spoke, the Flame Monarch flipped his hand and produced a giant axe.
This axe’s blade alone was a hundred meters long. In the Flame Monarch’s hands, this bloodthirsty giant axe was merely a small hatchet, which he swung with great agility.
“Kill!”
The countless Flame Rock Demons hovering in the air received the order and, almost simultaneously, roared as they charged at Linley’s group. Even Olivier and the other twenty-plus experts were attacked by Flame Rock Demons.
“Charge through.” Tulily shouted.
The ten experts hesitated no longer and flew straight toward the Flame Monarch. Midway, over a hundred Flame Rock Demons surrounded them. Back on the fifth layer, Desri, Bebe, and the others had ganged up on a few Flame Rock Demons.
But now, over a hundred Flame Rock Demons were attacking them.
“We must hold them off.” The seven experts on the outer perimeter knew this well. Linley faced the oncoming Flame Rock Demons bare-handed.
“Get out of my way.” Linley threw a punch directly.
“Haha~~” The Flame Rock Demon laughed and smashed its stone fist toward Linley. Linley’s fist, covered in dragon scales and a layer of “Pulsating Defense,” collided heavily with the Flame Rock Demon’s stone fist.
Linley’s body trembled slightly, while the Flame Rock Demon shuddered and then crumbled into stone dust.
“Such immense power!” Linley was secretly shocked.
If he had fought the Flame Rock Demon head-on, he wouldn’t have had it so easy. He had used “Pulsating Defense” to deflect nearly ninety percent of the attack force, with only the last ten percent reaching his dragon scale armor. How could that harm Linley?
Against that Flame Rock Demon, Linley had only used 256 layers of the Earth Pulse.
…
“Boom!” Any Flame Rock Demon attacking Fain was sent flying by his lightning-fast fists. Fain was too fast; the Flame Rock Demons couldn’t even touch him. However, the Flame Rock Demons were tough; Fain’s attacks only severely injured them.
It wasn’t that Fain was weak, but he dared not go all out—he had to conserve his strength.
…
Any Flame Rock Demon attacking Desri would, just as it got close, inexplicably fall from midair.
Desri had been a Saint-level Light Magus and had now reached the Saint-level limit. His soul attacks were terrifying. Although the Flame Rock Demons had strong physical defenses and attacks, Desri’s soul attacks targeted their weakness perfectly.
…
“Slash!” The three-headed, six-eyed Golden Lion was straightforward. Its claws flew, sending rock fragments scattering, severely injuring many Flame Rock Demons and killing several.
Sometimes, when the Golden Lion was pleased, it would open its mouth and swallow a Flame Rock Demon whole.
…
Bebe was terrifying. His speed rivaled Fain’s, and the Flame Rock Demons couldn’t touch him. A single swipe of Bebe’s claws would severely injure a Flame Rock Demon.
“Boss, these Flame Rock Demons are troublesome. Their bodies are too hard.” Bebe’s voice echoed in Linley’s mind.
“Of course they’re hard.” Linley knew this well.
He had tried to imitate Bebe, dodging attacks with speed and then striking the Flame Rock Demon’s body with pure force. But their defense was too strong; Linley’s pure force attacks only injured them.
“Bang!” Linley threw another punch, shattering the Flame Rock Demon in front of him into stone dust.
“Different mysteries yield vastly different attack power.” Linley sighed inwardly. “My Earthly Mystery, though not yet at its limit, is far more powerful than the Wind Mystery.”
Even among Saint-level limits, strength varied greatly. For example, the Snowdonia Bearcat chieftain had comprehended a highly advanced mystery of the Wind Elemental Laws. Desri, Fain, and others had comprehended mysteries with relatively lower attack power among the Elemental Laws.
“Bang!” “Bang!” …
Every Flame Rock Demon that attacked Linley was reduced to stone dust. This scene secretly startled the other Saint-level experts. Pure physical attacks might shatter a Flame Rock Demon’s body but wouldn’t turn it into powder.
“The Flame Monarch is here.” Desri said in a low voice.
“You little brat, you’ll die first!” The Flame Monarch glared at Linley, stomping across the rocky ground like thunder, causing it to shake and crack. Wielding his bloodthirsty axe, he swung it directly at Linley.
Clearly, the Flame Monarch had noticed Linley’s “achievements.”
“Rosalie.” Tulily shouted.
Rosalie, Rutherford, and Tulily, who had been preparing, finally launched their attack. Countless frost suddenly descended over an area several miles wide. The flowing magma rivers instantly froze into rock.
The flames on the Flame Monarch’s body went out, and his crimson rock turned dark red. Countless frost covered his body.
The Flame Monarch’s attack abruptly stopped, as if frozen.
Forbidden Water Magic—Absolute Zero!
This Absolute Zero spell, when cast, would instantly freeze and shatter the target into countless pieces. Even the air would freeze and crack.
But the target this time was the Flame Monarch. The forbidden spell “Absolute Zero” could at most affect his soul, causing momentary dizziness. And with the opposing elemental force freezing him, his power would also decrease.
“Swish!” Rutherford followed, turning into a streak of light as he charged at the Flame Monarch.
This number one Saint-level expert of the Arctic Icefield had trained in that environment for thousands of years. Rutherford’s mastery of ice energy had reached its peak. His hands, faintly glowing with cyan light, struck the Flame Monarch’s body heavily.
Strangely…
The countless frost covering the Flame Monarch’s body simultaneously seeped into his interior. “Crack!” Tiny cracks appeared all over the Flame Monarch’s massive body.
The Flame Monarch himself was scorching hot, and after being hit by the opposite temperature of “Absolute Zero,” the clash of hot and cold, combined with Rutherford channeling the ice energy into his body, caused countless cracks in his incredibly hard stone body.
“Bastard!” The Flame Monarch finally woke from his soul dizziness and realized his condition, roaring in fury.
“Die!” Tulily was now right in front of the Flame Monarch.
Deep black light swirled around Tulily’s fists. Countless ripples appeared in the space around him. Tulily’s fists, as if carrying the power of heaven and earth, struck the Flame Monarch’s massive body heavily. The already cracked body suddenly—
“Boom!”
Countless fragments exploded in all directions from the violent blast. The Flame Monarch shattered into countless pieces.
“We did it.” Tulily, Rosalie, and Rutherford all breathed a long sigh of relief.
This was their ultimate move. First, they combined forbidden magic to attack the Flame Monarch’s soul while clashing his heat with Absolute Zero. Then Rutherford controlled the ice energy to seep into his body.
The clash of ice and fire caused countless cracks in his rock body, reducing his defense by at least ninety percent. With only ten percent defense left, Tulily’s strongest attack naturally shattered him.
“If they hadn’t teamed up, even Tulily’s full-force attack on the Flame Monarch’s terrifying defense would have had little effect.” Linley thought to himself.
With the Flame Monarch dead, everyone relaxed. Dealing with the remaining Flame Rock Demons was simple.
“Let’s hurry and find the passage.” Desri said. Everyone nodded, their moods lightened.
But—
None of them noticed that amid the chaotic explosion, countless fragments flying in all directions included a nearly transparent, fist-sized stone that shot into the distance. This transparent stone spun in the air.
“Rumble~~~”
The entire rocky ground began to shake.
“What’s happening?” Tulily, Desri, Linley, and everyone else were stunned.
“Crack!” Large cracks spread across the rocky ground of the sixth layer. Huge rocks flew out of the cracks, and many more emerged from the magma rivers. Millions upon millions of massive rocks rose into the air.
Linley and the others watched in shock.
“Not good.” Everyone felt something was wrong.
But no one knew what the problem was. The ten experts all stayed alert, carefully observing their surroundings. Yet more and more boulders floated up in the sixth layer.
“Whoosh!” “Whoosh!” “Whoosh!” …
All the boulders, as if following a command, shot simultaneously toward a single point in the distance. The air screamed with the terrifying sound. Billions of rocks gathered instantly at that point—where the transparent stone hovered.
Countless rocks enveloped the transparent stone.
In an instant—
Another Flame Monarch formed!
The ten experts’ faces changed drastically.
“That transparent stone.” Almost all of them had seen it. Desri’s expression turned grim and heavy: “That’s the Flame Monarch’s core. Without destroying that transparent stone, it’s impossible to kill him. He can regenerate completely.”
“You have truly angered me.”
The Flame Monarch, as massive as a mountain, had flames swirling around him again. Flames shot from his eyes as he roared, gripping his bloodthirsty axe: “You despicable humans, you want to enter the seventh layer? Dream on! Every single one of you will die!”
The Flame Monarch’s roar echoed endlessly through the sixth layer!
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