activa-t Chapter 88: Fox Flames Burn the Sky
Chapter 88: Fox Flames Burn the Sky
Lin Yan was also thrown away by the fox demon's last struggle before death, crashing heavily onto the scorched earth several feet away, unable to move for a long time. He lay on his back, panting heavily, each breath aggravating the wound on his right rib, bringing a tearing pain, but that pain was mixed with a new numbness and itching.
The night wind swept across the battlefield, bringing with it an overwhelming stench of blood, burnt flesh, and death. The campfire had long since died out, with only a few golden embers flickering on the fox demon's corpse, illuminating the chaotic remains and ruins scattered across the battlefield.
Behind the wall of light, Lu Ling, Zhou Fu, and the others held their breath, watching nervously. Su Qingyao gripped the hem of her clothes tightly with both hands, her knuckles turning white, her clear eyes filled with worry as she stared intently at Lin Yan.
Not far away, Liu Xiong leaned on his dimly lit sword, its blade riddled with fine cracks, barely managing to stay upright. His clothes were torn at the chest, revealing a soft armor beneath that shimmered with a faint spiritual light—clearly a life-saving item, but now also covered in scorch marks and cracks. His face was deathly pale, blood still lingering at the corner of his mouth, and his breath was weak; he had obviously been seriously injured in the clash. At this moment, he stared intently at the figure struggling to sit up beside the demon fox's corpse, his eyes filled with astonishment, shock, and a barely concealed…fear.
He had witnessed Lin Yan being pierced by the golden flames—a fatal injury! Yet now, though Lin Yan was covered in blood and looked wretched, his life force… was as tenacious as a wildfire, even more vigorous than before! What chilled him to the bone was that as Lin Yan sat up, a new, powerful, and profound aura, like that of a ferocious beast awakening, slowly rose from his body!
At first, the aura was somewhat weak and unstable, mixed with violent fluctuations, as if a tremendous change was taking place within the body. But soon, the fluctuations began to subside, and the aura quickly became solid, heavy, and powerful! Like a river flowing into the sea, or a fledgling eagle spreading its wings, a clear and unique pressure belonging to a Core Formation Realm cultivator began to spread out!
Core Formation Realm!
Lin Yan actually broke through in the face of death and devoured the essence of the demon fox, stepping into the Core Formation Realm in one fell swoop!
Liu Xiong could clearly feel that the spiritual energy fluctuations on Lin Yan's body were rapidly stabilizing and improving, eventually settling at a level that, while still in its early stages, was exceptionally solid and profound, far surpassing ordinary beginners in the Core Formation stage! It even... gave him a faint sense of pressure!
How is this possible?! What kind of bizarre technique is that?! Or perhaps... this child possesses some kind of legendary forbidden physique?!
Just as a storm was brewing in Liu Xiong's heart, Lin Yan slowly stood up.
His charred, carbonized skin was peeling away in rapid motion, like shedding an old shell. The new skin, illuminated by the remaining golden sparks, gleamed with a warm yet resilient luster, like jade. Faint, pale golden lines could be seen flashing beneath—traces left after the fusion of some of the Golden Flame Fox's original golden flame power. The horrific bloody hole in his right rib had mostly healed, leaving only a patch of pale pink new flesh, a testament to the severity of the injury. Only the old wound on his right shoulder healed more slowly, but it had also stopped bleeding and closed.
He cracked his neck, his bones popping crisply. Then, he turned his head, his gaze calmly fixed on Liu Xiong, who stood not far away, his face filled with horror.
Those eyes were as deep as an ancient, cold well, with a gray-black vortex slowly swirling within them. They were cold and indifferent, yet a cluster of pale golden flames burned deep within them, reflecting Liu Xiong's face, which was filled with fear and disbelief.
Lin Yan raised his newly grown, smooth right hand, slowly opening his five fingers, revealing distinct knuckles, then slowly clenching them into a fist. Just as he clenched his fist, a soft "hiss" sounded from his fingertips, and a wisp of pale golden flame, almost tangible, shot up out of thin air! The flame was only an inch long, yet exceptionally condensed, its light contained within, radiating a scorching heat that slightly distorted the surrounding air. The flame leaped only once before silently extinguishing itself, disappearing into his fingertip as if it had never existed. This was a nascent form of the Golden Flame Demon Fox's innate divine ability, [Mountain-Burning Claw], which had already been initially analyzed and incorporated into his own abilities by the Demon Fox's Soul-Devouring Body during his process of absorbing and fusing with the demon fox's essence.
He lifted his foot and walked step by step toward Liu Xiong. His steps were slow, even heavy, as if he had just struggled back from the brink of death and exhausted all his strength. But each step was exceptionally steady, carrying an undeniable sense of power. His footsteps on the scorched earth and pools of blood made a soft "rustling" sound, yet they were like heavy hammer blows striking Liu Xiong's heart.
As Liu Xiong watched Lin Yan approach step by step, seeing the undisguised, icy killing intent in his eyes, an unprecedented chill, penetrating to the bone, instantly froze his limbs and bones. He recalled the carefully laid trap, the "Boiling Blood Powder," and the worry that Lin Yan might take advantage of the situation to ambush him when he was on the verge of death from the demon fox's attack... Now, the demon fox was dead, the greatest threat was eliminated, and this young man who had just broken through to the Core Formation stage and possessed a terrifying aura clearly had no intention of letting him go.
"Brother Lin... Brother Lin!" Liu Xiong's throat was dry as if he had swallowed sand, his voice hoarse and broken. He tried to force a warm and kind smile onto his face, but his face twitched a few times, finally managing only a distorted expression that was more like crying. His body involuntarily shrank back half a step. "Congratulations... Brother Lin! Congratulations! Breaking through the realm in the midst of battle and slaying the Demon King, this is an immense stroke of luck and an unparalleled achievement! This time... this time when I return, I, Liu, will definitely... I will definitely report the truth and request the greatest credit for you! In the past... if there were any misunderstandings in the past, it must have been the work of that cunning villain Zhao Kun, sowing discord! We are colleagues, sharing weal and woe, and should... should value harmony above all else..."
Lin Yan didn't stop, but stopped about ten feet in front of him. The night wind blew the tattered hem of his clothes, revealing the strange, pale golden patterns on his newly grown skin. He tilted his head slightly, as if listening intently to Liu Xiong's weak and feeble explanation, or as if watching prey struggling in vain in a trap.
"I know you want me dead," Lin Yan said, his voice low and slightly hoarse from his recent injuries, but each word was clear and distinct, like steel needles hardened with ice, each word piercing Liu Xiong's ears. "Do you know that I never intended to let you leave here alive?"
The moment the last syllable fell, the pale golden flame and the gray-black vortex in Lin Yan's eyes suddenly lit up simultaneously! His figure swayed slightly in place, leaving behind an extremely faint afterimage. His true form, like a ghost, instantly traversed a distance of about ten feet and appeared in front of Liu Xiong! After entering the Core Formation Realm, the [Swiftness] talent underwent a transformative change in speed and agility, exceeding the limits of what the naked eye could perceive!
Liu Xiong was terrified, and his survival instinct unleashed his last bit of strength and ruthlessness! He knew that begging for mercy was useless; only by fighting to the death could he have a sliver of hope!
"You brat, you're courting death!" Liu Xiong roared, thrusting his cracked sword forward recklessly! At the same time, his left hand flashed towards a jade pendant at his waist—his last trump card, containing a talisman equivalent to the full-force attack of a mid-stage Core Formation cultivator!
However, in Lin Yan's eyes at this moment, his movements seemed...too slow.
Lin Yan used his newly acquired [Burning Mountain Claw] divine ability, simply raising his newly grown right hand, his five fingers slightly curved into a claw, a layer of condensed gray-black true essence quickly covering his palm, with faint golden sparks flickering at his fingertips. He met the oncoming, lightning-streaked sword head-on, neither dodging nor evading, but with perfect precision, he extended his claw, gripped the sword, and then twisted his wrist with sudden force!
"Clang! Snap!"
A piercing sound of metal twisting and breaking rang out! Liu Xiong's high-grade sword was actually snapped in two by Lin Yan's bare hands! The broken sword tip spun and flew away.
As Liu Xiong raised his left hand halfway towards the jade pendant, his wrist was firmly gripped by Lin Yan's left hand like an iron clamp! A cold, domineering true energy filled with a devouring intent instantly invaded, numbing the meridians in his arm, and the life-saving jade pendant fell to the ground with a "thud".
"Ugh!" Liu Xiong was horrified and tried to struggle, but Lin Yan's right hand was like a poisonous dragon emerging from its cave, so fast that it left only a blur and stabbed into his lower abdomen, dantian!
"puff!"
Five fingers pierced his flesh, penetrating straight to his dantian! The icy and violent Devouring Spirit True Essence, like countless greedy venomous snakes, instantly burrowed in, mercilessly tearing, crushing, and devouring the Golden Core of the Condensing Core Realm that he had painstakingly cultivated for decades!
"Ah—!!!" Liu Xiong let out a shrill, inhuman scream, his eyes bulging, his whole body convulsing violently, and the color draining from his face instantly, leaving only a deathly despair. Decades of arduous cultivation, power, status, wealth, and glory—all vanished like bubbles under this one claw! The pain emanating from his dantian was not only the agony of his destroyed cultivation, but also the icy emptiness of his life's foundation being annihilated.
He collapsed to the ground, like a lump of mud, utterly powerless, tears streaming down his face. Gone was his former dignity and composure; only the most pathetic fear and pity remained.
"No...don't kill me...please...Lord Lin...Grandpa Lin...spare me...spare me..." Liu Xiong's voice was hoarse and broken, incoherent. "I...I know many secrets...the Imperial Preceptor's Mansion...Minister Zhao...the true purpose and whereabouts of the Blood Crystal Stone...I'll tell you everything...I'll tell you everything...I only beg...I only beg to spare my dog's life...I can be your dog...help you deal with them..."
Lin Yan slowly withdrew his left hand, the blood dripping from his fingertips appearing particularly dark in the night. He looked down at the Qingzhou Prefecture head constable who had once been able to turn the world upside down with a flick of his wrist, who had treated him like dirt and was determined to get rid of him, and saw him now in such a wretched state, wagging his tail and begging for mercy. His eyes were devoid of any emotion, only a bottomless coldness.
Lin Yan finally spoke slowly, his voice still calm, yet carrying an undeniable and resolute tone that resonated clearly in the deathly silence of the night:
"explain."