"Roar!"
The skeletal figure suddenly opened its mouth. Despite lacking vocal cords, it let out a bone-chilling shriek. This eerie sound was laced with a strange frequency that seemed to penetrate the minds of others, inducing confusion and a loss of mental clarity. For those with weaker wills, it could even drive them to madness on the spot.
However, such tricks were useless against Xiao Yan.
With a cold snort, he opened his mouth and released a thunderous roar akin to a raging lion. The explosive sound wave tore through the forest, directly disrupting the eerie frequency emitted by the skeletal creature and forcing it back several steps.
This was a sound-based Dou Skill—Lion's Roar—which Xiao Yan had discovered in a stone box within a mountain cave. When paired with the phoenix-like resonance that naturally echoed from his body, it became the perfect counter to such bizarre sonic attacks.
Once it was forced back, the skeleton immediately launched a counterattack. With a light slap on the ground, the terrain split apart as dozens of pale skeletal arms erupted from the cracks, clawing toward Xiao Yan in an attempt to drag him beneath the earth.
Yet Xiao Yan had already sensed something wrong from the creature's subtle movement. Without hesitation, he summoned his Purple Cloud Wings and swiftly took to the air, evading the grasping skeletal hands just in time.
"Heavenly Flame Triple Layer Transformation! First Layer: Nine Nether Transformation!"
Almost simultaneously, Xiao Yan activated one of his most formidable techniques. Sinister black flame Dou Qi surged through his meridians, and his aura exploded upward, rising rapidly.
The last time he used this technique, it had boosted his strength by an entire tier. Although the effect this time wasn't as dramatic—since the difference between Dou Practitioner and Dou Master was far greater than between two stars of the same class—the power was still impressive. The technique's effectiveness depended on the quality of flame, and after the Nine Nether Flame absorbed the essence blood of the Blackflame Purple Cloud Eagle, its strength had soared, significantly enhancing the transformation's benefits.
Currently, Xiao Yan's apparent strength was already at the five-star Dou Spirit level. If he unleashed his full arsenal of Dou Techniques, he could even challenge a peak-level Dou Spirit expert. Unfortunately, this skeletal creature wasn't ordinary. From the strange "Ghost Hands from Hell" technique it had displayed earlier, Xiao Yan estimated that the thing possessed strength not inferior to a Dou King.
Sensing the surging Dou Qi within, Xiao Yan let out a low shout and, taking advantage of the skeleton's one arm being buried underground, swung his Heavy Xuan Ruler downward with tremendous force. The weapon arced down like a black meteor toward the creature's skull.
The skeletal creature raised its free arm to block the incoming attack. When ruler met bone, a tremendous shockwave erupted, forcing Xiao Yan to relinquish his weapon as the rebound numbed his entire arm. The skeleton, however, remained unscathed.
Xiao Yan wasn't rattled. The moment his weapon was knocked away, a crimson energy lion quickly formed in front of him and roared toward the skeletal target.
This hastily formed Splitting Lion Roar might have been enough to scare off an ordinary Dou Spirit, but this skeletal enemy was far beyond that. With a casual slap, it shattered the energy lion into crimson dust.
"Such a tough body..." Xiao Yan narrowed his eyes.
Clearly, this creature had been a Dou Ancestor before its death. Without Dou Qi reinforcement, it still managed to defend against his full-force strike. Moreover, the intelligence of its controller seemed quite high. Under its manipulation, the skeleton moved like a seasoned warrior and launched highly effective and sinister attacks. Even a Dou King might not survive long against such an opponent in this environment.
"Looks like I'll have to use that move," Xiao Yan muttered.
With a wave of his left hand, the jet-black Nine Nether Flame ignited in the air. He opened his mouth, and a grayish-white flame formed on his right palm—Synthetic Flame, the result of refining through the Flame Manipulation Art.
While the Synthetic Flame wasn't a true Heavenly Flame, it far surpassed most beast flames. Xiao Yan had chosen it precisely because of its superior compatibility for what he was about to do.
As the black and grayish-white flames began to fuse, their innate incompatibility caused them to resist one another. But before they could explode, a surge of Dou Qi poured into them, forcibly stabilizing the reaction.
The opposing flames twined and churned, finally forming a sphere of violently flickering black-and-white fire. It radiated an overwhelming energy. Even the tiniest spark that leapt from its surface instantly reduced the forest below into a roaring inferno.
Sensing the looming danger, the skeleton launched itself upward, trying to stop Xiao Yan from completing the attack. Lacking Dou Qi, it relied solely on raw power and instinct.
As the skeletal claws closed in, Xiao Yan's expression remained calm. He flicked his hand and hurled the unstable fireball forward. A trace of Dou Qi followed, instantly catching up and merging with it.
As that thread of energy entered the core of the black-and-white orb, the raging instability vanished. The sphere abruptly stilled—then bloomed.
A mesmerizing Demonic Wrath Flame Lotus unfurled in midair. With each rotation, the surrounding space was seared away into void.
"Boom!"
A deafening explosion shattered the heavens and earth.
The terrifying shockwave engulfed everything. The enormous firestorm devoured the entire battlefield, turning the lush jungle into a wasteland in the blink of an eye. Not even ashes remained of the skeleton or its summoner.
Hovering high above, Xiao Yan's body trembled as he felt the immense recoil of the Demonic Wrath Flame Lotus. His breath was ragged, and his Dou Qi was nearly drained, but his eyes were filled with resolute fire.
'Still not strong enough,' he thought grimly. 'Even this move only worked because I caught it off guard.'
Still, the battle had taught him one thing—his new flame fusion technique could stand against Dou King-tier opponents.
He retrieved the Heavy Xuan Ruler from a charred crater and exhaled deeply.
"Time to find the source of the poison... and the Heavenly Flame."
(End of Chapter)
---
Read 100+ Chapters on Patreon of This Fanfiction.
Support me if you like this Fanfiction.
Patreon,com/Fallen_Archangel_
(Remove comma for dot.)
Leave a 5 star Review and a Power Stone.