Chapter 275: Fame Born of Battle
Scarlet flames and black radiance surged through the sky, each one occupying half the heavens, their terrifying force stunning everyone. The Vermilion Bird flame slashed through the air, and an intense heat began to fill the entire arena, turning it into a blistering furnace that left onlookers drenched in sweat.
At the same time, a powerful aura, capable of incinerating everything in its path, emanated from the Vermilion Bird's flames. Wherever these flames passed, they left black scorch marks across the sky itself, an unsettling sight that struck fear into everyone.
When they saw the crimson flames erupt from Lin Langtian's body, forming a fiery Vermilion Bird, everyone watched in disbelief. No one had expected that a Nirvana Realm practitioner could control such terrifying fire—it seemed almost surreal.
"Is that… the Vermilion Bird Skyfire? I never imagined anyone would inherit that ancient power and pass down this legendary flame," exclaimed Song Tai, one of the overseers of Myriad Phenomena City and a representative of the super sects, his eyes wide with shock.
The legacy of Master Que Tian, an ancient powerhouse, was well-known to Song Tai and other super sect members. Que Tian was most famed for his control of the devastating Vermilion Bird Skyfire, a flame said to be capable of burning anything to ashes.
Legend had it that Que Tian once faced off against three equally powerful rivals in the ancient realm, all renowned warriors. Incredibly, he not only survived the assault but even managed to kill one opponent and severely wound the other two. From that point on, Que Tian's reputation became untouchable, solidifying his place as one of the era's strongest warriors.
With Que Tian's fall, however, the Vermilion Bird Skyfire had vanished from the world, its legendary power all but forgotten. Now, Song Tai could hardly contain his amazement at seeing Lin Langtian revive this fearsome flame.
"If this kid possesses the Vermilion Bird Skyfire, with such monstrous talents and methods, we must consider recruiting him into our sect…" Song Tai murmured, his gaze fixed on Lin Langtian, thoughtful and calculating.
In the heart of the arena, a low, powerful voice escaped Lin Langtian's mouth. "Go!" The Vermilion Bird shrieked, spreading its wings and launching itself toward the black dragon in a fierce attack.
Boom!
At the moment of impact, all sounds across the battlefield seemed to disappear, and even time felt as if it had slowed to a halt. Blinding red and black lights clashed overhead, as intense as twin blazing suns, accompanied by waves of violent energy.
A sea of fire and a tempest formed in the sky as the Vermilion Bird and the black dragon tore into each other with a world-shaking force. Nearby, Zhao Wuji's face turned pale as he watched the Vermilion Bird and black dragon clash, fear flickering in his eyes despite his six-Yuan Nirvana Realm strength and the power of a Heaven-tier treasure.
Though he had channeled all his power into the Heaven-tier artifact, a weapon that could seriously wound even Qin Tian, the strongest on the ancient battlefield, Lin Langtian was managing to withstand his attack!
The bird and dragon continued to release wave after wave of energy, so intense it tore through the clouds in the sky. In the stands, the audience gaped, completely overwhelmed, while figures like Qian Jin could only stare in mute amazement.
"If I were to face an attack like that, I probably wouldn't last even a minute," Qian Jin murmured after a long silence, still stunned by the intensity of the battle.
"This Lin Langtian… he's a monster," he added, shaking his head. Even with his extraordinary talent, he felt dwarfed by Lin Langtian's power, as did the rest of the Great Gan Dynasty onlookers, who were all visibly shaken.
"Break through!" shouted Lin Langtian, narrowing his eyes as he saw the Vermilion Bird and black dragon locked in a stalemate. His crimson flames surged with renewed intensity.
Having recently reached the five-Yuan Nirvana Realm, Lin Langtian had gained a stronger grasp of the Vermilion Bird Skyfire, enabling him to release far more power than before. Though the black dragon was indeed a dragon spirit born of a Heaven-tier treasure, it paled in comparison to the Vermilion Bird Skyfire, a flame that had earned its fearsome reputation in ancient times.
With a single thought, the massive Vermilion Bird let out an ear-splitting cry, and the temperature in the arena soared once more. All eyes widened as its flaming talons, charged with intense heat, struck the black dragon's head with lightning speed.
Boom!
The fierce crimson flames erupted upon impact, and the dragon's head began to dissolve under the blazing heat, reduced to nothing but ash. One by one, the dragon's scales and body parts disintegrated in a chain reaction, and the dense black aura that once surrounded it grew faint.
"Extinguish!" cried the Vermilion Bird with a piercing call. In an instant, the entire black dragon was swallowed by the flames and vanished in a blaze of ash.
As the black dragon dissipated, terror filled the faces of everyone watching from below. The dragon spirit, summoned through Zhao Wuji's Heaven-tier artifact, had been utterly consumed by Lin Langtian's flames.
With disbelief etched across his face, Zhao Wuji staggered backward, coughing up blood.
As the black dragon was incinerated, Zhao Wuji, whose spirit was bound to it, spat out a mouthful of blood, his aura weakening drastically.
"Impossible!" he screamed, eyes wide as he watched the dragon's spirit dissolve into flames mid-air.
Whoosh!
At that moment, a flash of fire cut through the sky as Lin Langtian's tall figure appeared right in front of Zhao Wuji. Zhao Wuji's expression changed instantly, and as he tried to retreat, Lin Langtian's hand shot out like lightning, grabbing the palm-sized black iron seal.
Lin Langtian was trying to seize the Heaven-tier treasure from Zhao Wuji!
"Wretch! I've already marked this treasure with my blood seal; you think you can just take it from me?" Zhao Wuji shouted furiously, changing his hand seal to regain control of the Black Dragon Heaven Roar Seal.
"If you left a blood mark, I'll just erase it," Lin Langtian replied with a cold smile. He looked at the iron seal, which trembled violently and began emitting sharp black sound waves again. His eyes hardened as his own inner Golden Spirit Mirror released a radiant, black-gold light.
This dark-gold light surged from Lin Langtian's palm, enveloping the Black Dragon Heaven Roar Seal. In that instant, Zhao Wuji felt his connection to the treasure being severed entirely.
"How is this possible?!" Zhao Wuji's pupils contracted in horror. Even a warrior stronger than himself would struggle to break his blood bond with the Heaven-tier treasure. How had Lin Langtian accomplished it?
"There's no need to wonder, because… you're about to die."
A flash of killing intent passed through Lin Langtian's eyes. Seizing the Heaven-tier treasure, he gathered fiery energy in his palm, igniting the Vermilion Bird's Flame in a massive fire-wreathed hand.
"Vermilion Palm!"
The fiery hand tore through the air, speeding toward Zhao Wuji with a terrifying force. Before he could react, the palm struck his chest, and blood sprayed forth.
Oddly, outwardly Zhao Wuji's body remained intact, with no visible injury on his skin. But those who looked closely would see that his internal organs had been utterly incinerated, leaving nothing but ashes in the wake of the Vermilion Bird's Flame.
Lin Langtian's deadly strike was silent yet precise, leaving no room for escape.
All was still; every gaze fixed on the two figures in the sky. Zhao Wuji's aura was reduced to almost nothing. In this grueling battle, Lin Langtian had emerged victorious.
After a moment of stunned silence, murmurs filled with awe and horror swept through the crowd. Countless pairs of fearful eyes turned to Lin Langtian's lone figure.
Suspended in the air, dressed in a simple green robe, he was remarkably composed despite the battle's intensity. His calm, almost bottomless gaze made him seem as mysterious and profound as an abyss.
At the same time, sensing the life slipping away from him, Zhao Wuji's face twisted with hatred as he glared at Lin Langtian, as though trying to say something. But blood filled his mouth, choking off any last words.
In just a few breaths, the life faded from his eyes. With a dull thud, his body slumped and fell to the ground, scattering dust into the air.
The infamous leader of a super dynasty, once revered on the ancient battlefield, had lost his chance to compete in the ultimate battle for the Nirvana Gold List, becoming yet another lost soul in this desolate land.
Watching Lin Langtian draw his hand back with a chilling calm, Qian Jin, Mu Lin, and the others couldn't help but shiver at the coldness of his composure.
Evidently, no one had anticipated that this young man from a lower-ranked kingdom, when pressed to act decisively, could unleash such ruthless power.
"With Zhao Wuji dead, half of the Great Zhao Dynasty has already crumbled," Mu Lin sighed, feeling a pang of sympathy at the sight of such a mighty dynasty brought to this state.
"It's probably more than half," said Mu Hanyue in a soft, complex tone, her expression reflecting her thoughts.
Hearing this, Mu Lin blinked in surprise, then turned to see that the forces of the Great Qian Dynasty, led by Qian Jin, had also started moving. But their target wasn't the members of Flame Alliance; rather, it was the Great Zhao forces. With the aid of the Great Qian Dynasty and Zhao Wuji now dead, the Great Zhao and Fengyun dynasties quickly fell into disarray.
"Qian Jin really is a clever one…" Mu Lin thought aloud as he began to understand. From the start, Qian Jin had kept the Great Qian Dynasty out of the conflict between Flame Alliance, the Great Zhao, and Fengyun Dynasties, but their alliance with Fengyun was originally a calculated move with ulterior motives. Now that Lin Langtian had displayed his formidable power by killing Zhao Wuji, Qian Jin must have felt it wise to act first and wipe out the remaining forces of the Great Zhao and Fengyun Dynasties, ensuring they wouldn't become targets themselves.
"His cleverness really depends on the situation. If Lin Langtian hadn't shown such strength, it would have been Flame Alliance they'd be targeting instead," Mu Hanyue noted, her gaze flickering as she looked toward the figure in the green robe hovering in the air.
Mu Lin's brow furrowed as he noticed the subtle glint in her usually distant, aloof eyes, and he shook his head with a wry smile. "People like Lin Langtian… they're difficult to get close to…"
…
"Well done, Xiao Rou!" Lin Langtian said as he descended into the arena after slaying Zhao Wuji. He noted with some surprise that Su Rou had managed to take out three Third Yuan Nirvana Realm warriors in a single blow and raised a thumb in approval.
The green aura around Su Rou faded quickly, and she blushed at the praise. "It was only because of the power from the spirit seal," she said, shaking her head. "I'm nowhere near your level, Brother Lin."
"Haha, you did very well, Xiao Rou. And besides, if everyone could keep up with me, that would be like underestimating your Brother Lin," he chuckled, waving his hand.
"Oh, I didn't mean it like that," Su Rou said, flustered and waving her hands.
"I know, I was just teasing. Take a break now; the battle's nearly over," he reassured her. Glancing across the battlefield, he could see that with Zhao Wuji dead, the three generals of the Great Zhao Dynasty were beginning to lose ground. They wouldn't need his help to bring them down.
Only Lin Dong was still struggling, holding his own as a Third Yuan Nirvana against a Fifth Yuan Nirvana opponent, but Qian Jin, displaying surprising initiative, had stepped in to take on Zhao Zhan.
With this, the downfall of the Fengyun and Great Zhao Dynasties was practically assured.
The onlookers' gazes fixed on this scene, and finally, some let out a long sigh, as if expelling the shock that had built up inside them. The complete collapse of both the Fengyun and Great Zhao Dynasties—particularly the Great Zhao Dynasty, one of the top three super dynasties—would, when news of this spread, undoubtedly shake the core region to its foundations.
And Flame Alliance, with this battle, had made its name.
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