Chapter 22: The Azure Flame Bloodline

The blue-eyed boy, the brown-haired girl, and the other three still hadn't recovered from the dazzling spell Xu Wen had cast in that moment of crisis. The sequence of seamless, flowing movements that followed kept their hearts pounding, overwhelming them to the point where they forgot to chant, forgot their own existence, and stood transfixed, wholly immersed in the struggle—no, not a struggle, a one-sided thrashing—between Xu Wen and the Wind Fox.

First, he used a strange magic to temporarily bind the Wind Fox and ignite the fire-phosphorus powder, inflicting severe damage without suspense. Amidst the chaos, he swiftly widened the distance, and the most penetrating attack, the Flame Spear, pierced the Wind Fox before it could dodge. With its speed drastically reduced, the pitiful creature was immediately struck by another Grand Fireball.

The entire ordeal lasted less than seven seconds.

During the fight, the Wind Fox, which had nearly posed a mortal threat to Xu Wen, was rendered helpless by his almost divine transformation of the Flame Shield, and from then on suffered relentlessly under his barrage, without the slightest chance to retaliate.

When it was over, Xu Wen swept a cold, expressionless glance at the troublesome five, said not a word, and turned to leave. It was not that he was not angry; rather, he understood all too well that if he continued to waste his attention on their account, next time his life would truly be forfeit in the Blackwater Mountains.

"That guy... is he really just a registered disciple?" The frail boy swallowed nervously once Xu Wen's figure had vanished, seeking confirmation from his companions.

"Lan Yanlie, are you sure he isn't some elder's distant relative, or a member of another influential family?" The brown-haired girl, still lost in the memory of Xu Wen's performance, murmured the question.

"Yeah, yeah, someone that powerful couldn't possibly be an ordinary civilian disciple recruited from outside." Compared to the others, the chubby, guileless boy seemed the most clear-headed. He simply thought Xu Wen's skills were astonishing.

Lan Yanlie, the blue-eyed boy, remained silent for some time. At last, he glanced at the quiet girl who hadn't spoken and sighed in defeat. "His background doesn't matter. What I want to know now is his name."

"His name? That's easy—I’ll just catch up and ask him," the chubby boy blurted out, but before he could move, he was held back. Noticing the strange atmosphere, he looked around and found eight varied, intent gazes pinning him in place. His fleshy face twitched, and he fell silent.

This fellow was entirely too thick-skinned; if he chased after Xu Wen and pestered him now, he would surely be greeted with a Grand Fireball.

“With someone like him around, it’ll be hard for us to rely on the internal family competition to get into Azure Cloud Academy. Still, the captain and Xiaowei might have a chance; you two can try the entrance exams directly at the academy.” The brown-haired girl spoke with clear disappointment.

The quiet girl glanced at her, then suddenly said, “It’s not as if there’s no chance.”

“Huh?” Aside from Lan Yanlie, the other three immediately perked up at her words.

She pointed to Lan Yanlie, who was frowning in thought. “Don’t forget, the captain has the Blueflame bloodline. If he uses that move, no enemy below three stars could possibly withstand it.”

“Oh! That’s right!” The three’s eyes lit up, their confidence instantly restored.

Just then, Lan Yanlie interrupted, “Don’t be too happy yet. Think about it: that person just now, even in the face of life and death, remained calm and showed not a hint of panic. Do you think that spell was his only trump card?”

The three were taken aback. The quiet girl sighed softly and nodded. “That’s what worries me most. If… that person’s strength is more than what we saw, then even if you use your move, it will be a bitter fight.”

“…”

Recalling the scene just now, the five fell silent again. They chose not to venture deeper into the Blackwater Mountains but resolutely turned back the way they came.

At that moment, Xu Wen was venting his frustration at having revealed his trump card on another magical beast. Using the fire element from the Flame Shield to fuel other spells had originally been a gaming technique, a unique trick of necromancers, which he had planned to employ in close combat against three-star inner sect seniors. Who would have thought these five little troublemakers would force his hand? How could he not be angry?

Fortunately, now he could prevail by strength alone; otherwise, he would not have dealt so "peacefully" with those five troublemakers.

Bang!

Another wind-affinity beast, full of resentment, fell to the underworld.

Xu Wen checked the corpse, confirmed it was not a high-ranking creature, then sat cross-legged to recover his drained spiritual energy before moving on.

By now, he had a good grasp of the strength of two-star magical beasts. The three he had slain were of the fourth, fifth, and third tiers within two stars. It wasn’t exactly effortless, but under the protection of his Flame Shield, with the Elemental Vortex speeding up his spellcasting, he could completely suppress the beasts. Besides, he had fire-phosphorus powder, Drunken Breeze, and the “Devil’s Eye” at his belt. Combined with the Flame Rope binding spell, he could no longer restrain his urge to delve deeper into the Blackwater Mountains!

A high-tier two-star magical beast!

It would not only allow him to gauge his true capabilities but also offered the chance to obtain a two-star magic core, perhaps enabling him to use the Devil’s Eye once more to raise his spiritual realm.

He replayed his battle with the Gale Fox in his mind, steadied his resolve, and stepped into the very edge of the Blackwater Mountains—a forbidden zone for registered disciples.

Thud!

A faint tremor ran through the ground from not far away.

Xu Wen immediately assumed a combat stance, surveying the terrain as he focused on the source of the sound, shielded by his Flame Shield. His low incantation sent the surrounding elements into a ripple.

Almost the instant his spell took form, the lumbering bulk of the beast burst into view.

Its triangular head was topped with several horns, its body a dusty gray, eyes utterly devoid of emotion. Combined with a lizard-like crawling body and knobby, fist-sized protrusions, it resembled a cross between a crocodile and a rhinoceros.

Though it was his first time seeing such a creature, Xu Wen instantly recalled an earth-element magical beast described in his books.

“Rhinoceros Horn Beast!”

Xu Wen tensed inwardly.

Specifically, the Rhinoceros Horn Beast belonged to the thick-soiled, defensive type among earth-element beasts, with strength above two-star eighth tier; its defenses ranked among the best of its class. It excelled at close-range charges with its horns and sweeping attacks with its mace-like, spiked tail. Its close-quarters abilities were formidable, but its weaknesses were equally clear: ranged attacks and speed.

As the beast advanced with steady, powerful strides, Xu Wen unleashed a blazing “Flame Arrow” with a thunderous roar.

Bang!

It struck true, flames scattering in all directions. The Rhinoceros Horn Beast was momentarily halted by the powerful impact.

But Xu Wen dared not relax. He knew a two-star spell would hardly wound such a physically formidable creature, its hide as tough as stone. He retreated several meters, already chanting a second spell at even greater speed.

Roar!

A furious bellow burst from the flames, and the ground shook again, the tremors coming faster now. The beast charged forth unscathed, its three-meter-long tail whipping like a serpent, the spiked, mace-like tip shrieking through the air.

Apart from a single charred patch on its head, no other wounds could be seen—a testament to its high defense. Now thoroughly enraged by the human before it, its eyes blazed with murderous hatred.

Xu Wen remained unhurried. As he retreated at speed, his second spell rapidly took shape before him.

“Flame Spear!”

With a thunderous shout, a two-meter-long, razor-sharp spear of fire tore through the air toward the beast.

In terms of destructive power, only the “Flame Spear” rivaled the “Flame Arrow” among two-star spells. The Grand Fireball, though impressive, was a waste of energy against such a heavily armored foe.

Sensing the terrifying piercing power of the Flame Spear, the beast instinctively twisted to evade, knowing that even if it could not be truly harmed, the pain would be unbearable.

Too bad!

At such close range, the spear struck in the blink of an eye. With its size and speed, there was no escape.

At the last moment, a grayish glow shimmered across the beast’s rugged back as it took the blow head-on, howling in pain. Its charge faltered, but it landed on the ground otherwise unharmed.

“Damn, that hide is thick!”

Seeing even the Flame Spear fail to seriously injure his foe, Xu Wen’s heart sank. He reached for a small bamboo tube at his belt.

The enemy was strong, he was weak—he could not rely on conventional tactics any longer.

Roar!

Stopped a second time and driven mad by pain, the beast grew even more ferocious. Its tail lashed out, the spiked mace whistling through the air.

Crack! Crack!

The mace pounded the ground, sending up clumps of earth and stone flying in both directions.

But—

Ranged attacks were clearly the beast’s weakness: neither accurate nor fast, their speed barely matched a fireball. Xu Wen didn’t even bother activating his Flame Shield, dodging with ease and opening up more distance.

If he hadn’t dodged, it would have been fine. But seeing him evade so easily, the Rhinoceros Horn Beast took it as a grave insult and provocation. Its temper flared. With a bloodcurdling roar, it abandoned all pretense of ranged attacks and barreled forward on all fours, body swinging wildly—a charge that brooked no retreat or surrender.