Apocalyptic Era: Starting from picking up a Bishoujo
Chapter 378 - 351 VS Ming Zhuo 2

Chapter 378: 351 VS Ming Zhuo 2

The intense dizziness struck my consciousness like a sudden blackout symptomatic of inadequate brain blood supply. Even as I forced my eyes wide open, darkness still crept in from the periphery of my vision. Consciousness itself grew nebulous, battling the darkness was already all-consuming, leaving no capacity for normal thought.

I struggled to regain clarity, much like a drowning person desperately clawing towards the surface. It felt like an eternity, yet in reality, it could have been but a moment. Somehow, I managed to wrench back my lucid mind and understood the essence behind Ming Zhuo’s strike.

This was the "Super-Density Power" resulting in a "Super Depth Strike".

There was no complex reasoning involved. Under the same weight, a block of iron sinks in water while wood floats; the difference lays in the density. If our physical world is merely the "surface" of the true world where everything is fleeting like flashes of light from causes and effects, then the soul and karma exist on a deeper layer, and the so-called True Spirit even deeper, immeasurably so.

No matter how immeasurable, as long as the power is intense enough, it can reach its designated depth. What Ming Zhuo was doing now was exactly that.

My Elementalization Undying Body, was forcibly cracked open by his brute force!

Although I had considered that my Elemental Undying Body might be broken by the power of Impermanence, seeing the "brute force cracking" that I often utilized being employed by an enemy on myself still inevitably evoked a feeling of the wheel of fortune turning. Ming Zhuo wasn’t idling either; seizing the brief moment I had regained clarity, he launched another black and red light beam.

This time, I was prepared, focusing all my power on dodging. We both possessed the power to intervene in each other’s destinies, though he was further along this path, now I shifted most of my attention to dodging. With just moments to spare, the black and red beam missed me narrowly, and I managed to avoid it by a hair.

"Hmph... Did you avoid it?" Ming Zhuo said darkly, "But how many times can you avoid it?"

There was some luck involved in this dodge; I couldn’t always dodge them. Moreover, I couldn’t withstand many such attacks. A few more hits and I would be dead.

He fired the black and red light beam again, and at the same time, I finally sensed the inside of his body.

At this moment, he was still in a Fake Elementalization form made from black and red smoke, but unlike any Fake Elementalization form I knew, his defensive power on both physical and spiritual levels hadn’t decreased but increased incredibly. He probably conducted a lot of research and reinforcement in this area, or maybe it was achieved by boosting the "density" of his Fake Elementalization body to attain an ultra-high defense.

Though I wanted to burn his time and lifespan, if I couldn’t even breach his fundamental defenses, then there was no point in trying.

And within this body, I finally sensed the presence of the Xuanming Fire. Like the flame within the body of Water Navy Xuanwu, the Xuanming Fire was smoldering persistently within the black and red smoke. Perhaps because Xuanming was much more serious when facing Ming Zhuo than he was when dealing with Water Navy Xuanwu, this Xuanming Fire felt considerably stronger. If the one in Xuanwu’s body was a candle flame, this one was a bonfire.

The flames were constantly trying to expand but were thwarted, tightly locked inside by Ming Zhuo’s black and red Mana like chains.

This was probably the Sealing of the Xuanming Fire by Ming Zhuo. Hindered by this seal, although I could sense the Xuanming Fire, I couldn’t manipulate it, unable to attack Ming Zhuo from within.

If only I could break this seal... I didn’t need to completely destroy it; just a small crack coupled with my innate affinity and control over flame, would allow me to infiltrate and synergize with the fire, drastically turning around this extremely dire situation.

"—So you want to do something to the fire inside my body, huh?"

Ming Zhuo seemed to sense something through his intuition, yet he didn’t show any guard or alarm, instead dismissively said, "Do you think just doing that can change the inevitable defeat you’re facing? Even stepping back, can you even invade my body with Mana?

"Or do you think I’m in a weakened state right now, so I can’t exert my full power and you still have a chance?"

I counter-questioned, "Isn’t it so? Although I heard that the Xuanming Fire within you does not affect your combat abilities, if that’s truly the case, why do you retreat periodically to suppress this blaze and keep your whereabouts secret while doing so? Isn’t this proof of your guilty conscience?"

"It seems some trivial rumors have given you a senseless hope. The purpose of my retreat to handle these flames is to stop their spreading momentum and gradually extinguish them so that when I seek revenge against Xuanming, I won’t be held back by these flames," Ming Zhuo said calmly, "The reason why I don’t let anyone know my whereabouts is simply because I don’t want others to see me licking my wounds..."

"How surprising, is it? There’s nothing embarrassing to admit. Whether it’s licking wounds in secrecy or being anxious for longevity, these are realities that have occurred in my own life.

"Pretending to hide these facts is truly shameful; only revenge and victory can genuinely restore my dignity."

It was evident that although his temperament was gloomy, he was straightforward about his disadvantages, which made me believe him immediately.

This was where my headache began. If even this aspect had no weaknesses, allowing no opportunity for the enemy to exploit, then what follows would indeed have to be determined by a real, direct confrontation.

And I already had a plan.

Just like the outward-expanding nature of the Xuanming Fire, my flames also possessed the property of outward expansion. Precisely speaking, this should be a common attribute of Flame Power. Wherever it is, wildfire is a phenomenon that becomes more intense if not contained in time. With omnipresent fuel, the flames will grow stronger.

I previously stated that my power "temporarily" did not differ much from that of Ming Zhuo. "Temporarily" because my power could still rise.

One shouldn’t misunderstand; this rise does not mean that I had potential left to exploit, but rather that the Fire Sea occupying the Primordial Forest was becoming massively larger. Most demon hunters deplete themselves in battle, becoming more exhausted the more they fight; I was different. As I released the Fire Sea, my power only increased.

I immediately intensified the burning momentum of the Fire Sea.

Trees, bushes, soil, rock layers, air, rivers... even time and space seemed to become fuel, the flames on the ground soared sky-high, and we were enveloped in the high air. My power "scale" thoroughly surpassed Ming Zhuo.

As a consequence, a region of the Primordial Forest spanning over twenty kilometers in radius was instantly turned to scorched earth and wasteland. For such substantial environmental destruction, perhaps I would think of ways to recover it later; I did not have the mood to ponder deeply about this now.

Defeating Ming Zhuo was the only thought in my mind. Even if it could only increase my chances of victory by one percent, I would do it without hesitation.

Seeing this drastically changing scene, Ming Zhuo’s expression also shifted: "You..."

I lifted my right hand high, pointing to the sky.

As if countless flames, like endless rushing rivers from all directions, majestically converged upwards.

Compress, compress, compress—

"You think I will watch you concentrate power!"

Ming Zhuo, without any hesitation, released a black-red beam again, utterly shattering my body and spirit; my consciousness itself nearly passed out in the abyss. Yet, I had not died; such an intervention was not enough to interrupt my power gathering process.

The flames continuously concentrated in the sky, brewing a destructive surge.