Chapter 380: "My Second Brother is Invincible!"
As Lu Bu watched the Earth Scorpion in the distance, cloaked in a swirl of deep yellow flames and powerful soul energy, he chuckled softly, though his heart grew heavier. A ninth turn Dou Venerate with a soul realm at least at the late stage possibly even perfected this level of alchemist wasn't easy to deal with. Then he suddenly remembered, Oh, wait. I'm already at the perfected Soul Realm too. Never mind!
"Young one, you should know that not every matter is something you can meddle in!" Earth Scorpion said coldly. "Don't throw your life away for a cunning, despicable, and shameless scoundrel!"
"Cunning, despicable, and shameless… Hmm, that's a fair and accurate assessment." Lu Bu nodded slowly in agreement with Earth Scorpion's evaluation of Yao Chen.
It's often said that no one knows you better than your enemies. Earth Scorpion's understanding of Yao Chen was as sharp as it was truthful.
"Damn it! This is a battle! Why are you two chatting!?" Yao Chen roared from afar, his expression twisted with frustration. What the hell is this nonsense? Criticizing me in the middle of a fight?
He spat on the ground in disgust. Ridiculous!
"Yao Chen, and you still dare to be distracted while fighting me?" Heavenly Scorpion sneered, the icy winds around him gathering into sharp, lethal blades of frost as they shot toward Yao Chen's vital points.
"Hmph, do you think I'd be afraid of you?" Yao Chen snarled. A surge of blood red flames erupted around him, and with a swift movement, he struck out in retaliation.
Even though he was injured and had yet to recover, Yao Chen was still a bona fide Half Saint. While Heavenly Scorpion had one foot in the Half Saint realm, it was just one foot. The gap between them was like an uncrossable chasm. If not for his injuries, Yao Chen could have smacked him to death with a single palm.
"Yao Chen, you're dead this time!" Heavenly Scorpion cackled. "My second brother is invincible! That brat won't be able to save you!"
"We'll see if you're still talking big after I take you down!" Yao Chen shot back coldly.
"Ha! Save it. You can talk after you've fully recovered!" Heavenly Scorpion sneered right back, their sharp words locked in a battle of their own.
Meanwhile, Earth Scorpion's expression grew increasingly focused. His elder brother might seem to be evenly matched with Yao Chen, but the difference in their cultivation levels was clear. Over time, it would inevitably be to their disadvantage.
His eyes settled on the smirking Lu Bu across from him. Earth Scorpion knew that this fight was unavoidable. Taking a deep breath, his expression turned cold and menacing. "Since you insist on dying, I'll grant your wish!"
Boom!
A fiery storm roared to life, spiraling upward into the heavens. Its overwhelming heat and power rivaled even the triple fusion flames that Xiao Yan had unleashed earlier. It was a sight both awe inspiring and terrifying.
Boom!
Lu Bu stepped forward, and a surge of violet black flames erupted from his body. They coalesced into a massive hundred foot long fire dragon that roared toward the heavens, its scorching heat and destructive energy matching Earth Scorpion's flames.
"An exotic flame?!"
Earth Scorpion's eyes lit up with a fervent gleam as he recognized the phenomenon. As an alchemist, his desire for exotic flames was unparalleled. In the original story, Earth Scorpion had been willing to trade a priceless eighth tier nine colored pill just for a small, incomplete map fragment of the Purifying Lotus Demon Flame.
To offer such a treasure a pill only a step away from the legendary ninth tier for a mere fragment showed how much he valued high ranking exotic flames.
"Starlight flickers within the fire… an endless flow of life… Is this… the ninth ranked Three Thousand Burning Flame?!" Earth Scorpion's eyes burned brighter with excitement, his greed evident in his every move.
"Hahaha… Kid, you're truly a member of the Pill Tower. Such wealth!" Earth Scorpion laughed heartily, his voice tinged with elation and mockery. "I happen to be lacking a powerful exotic flame, and yet here you are delivering one right into my hands. Truly a godsend!"
Lu Bu tilted his head slightly, his expression one of faint amusement. This felt oddly familiar. The last person to act so arrogantly in front of him was Human Scorpion… and then his body ended up delivered to the Starfall Pavilion.
Swish!
Before his words had fully landed, Earth Scorpion's figure blurred. In an instant, he appeared like a phantom behind Lu Bu, his palm wrapped in blazing yellow flames as it slammed toward Lu Bu's back.
Sizzle!
The fiery palm sliced through the air, leaving behind a faint black spatial tear. The oppressive heat of the flames distorted the space around it, creating an eerie, suffocating pressure.
"Die, brat!" Earth Scorpion sneered, his voice dripping with malice. To him, this five turn Dou Venerate was nothing more than an insect someone who had no business challenging a nine turn expert like himself.
"Not bad… You're certainly more cunning than your third brother." Lu Bu's voice was soft, his tone carrying a faint trace of mockery.
"What… what did you say!?" Earth Scorpion's eyes widened in shock. His sneer froze on his face as an icy chill shot through his heart.
Was… was my third brother really killed by this brat?
Sizzle!
Earth Scorpion's palm struck Lu Bu's body, but it passed through like hitting empty air weightless and insubstantial.
His heart stopped for a moment as a strange, disorienting sensation coursed through him. The sudden shock of his misplaced attack caused him to falter mid air, his balance thrown off entirely.
Humming…
A faint golden light shimmered in the space behind him, accompanied by a soft buzzing noise.
Lu Bu's figure materialized soundlessly behind Earth Scorpion. His right palm was raised, a violet black crystalline seal shimmering ominously within. The energy emanating from it coiled like a waiting predator.
"Extinguishing Heaven Seal."
"No!" Earth Scorpion's eyes widened in terror, his pupils shrinking to needlepoints. Every fiber of his being screamed danger imminent, unavoidable danger. But there was no escaping now.
Boom!
A deafening explosion echoed across the battlefield. The raging energy from the seal erupted into a devastating shockwave, its scorching force and blazing firestorms sweeping outward like tidal waves.
"So this is the Emperor Seal Art?" murmured Elder Qiu Mao, one of the eight Pill Tower elders. His eyes narrowed as he observed Lu Bu's technique. As a high ranking elder, he was no stranger to the legends of the ancient Gu Clan and their famed techniques.
It was said that the Emperor Seal Art comprised five seals, each a high level Earth tier technique. Individually, they were formidable, but combined, their power rivaled even that of Heaven tier techniques.
Seeing it in action now, he couldn't help but marvel. The sheer destructive force of the Extinguishing Heaven Seal was on par with the Heaven tier technique "Heavenly Underworld Asura Hand" of the Heaven Underworld Sect.
Nearby, Xiao Yan's brows furrowed slightly as he noticed Qiu Mao's fleeting expression of admiration and interest. A faint annoyance stirred in Xiao Yan's heart.
With a sudden movement, he clasped his hands together, dark red Dou Qi swirling and condensing. Two blazing light seals shot forth with tremendous force.
"Mountain Shattering Seal! Sea Flipping Seal!"
Boom! Boom!
The fiery seals slammed into the Four Heavenly Guardians of the Hall of Souls. The resulting collision unleashed a ferocious storm of energy, the heat and pressure forcing the blood clad Dou Venerate to let out a muffled grunt.
"You… the Emperor Seal Art?!" the Four Heavenly Guardians growled, their narrowed eyes glaring at Xiao Yan. "What's your connection to the Gu Clan?"
Of course, they knew Xiao Yan hailed from the Xiao Clan. But how could a fallen clan like the Xiao Clan possibly possess such a core technique of the Gu Clan?
Watching the Earth Scorpion amidst the deep yellow flames intertwined with soul energy, Lu Bu chuckled softly, though his expression grew more serious. A Ninth Turn Dou Venerate with a soul realm at least at the late stage, possibly even perfected such an alchemist would not be easy to handle. Then a thought struck him: Oh, right. My soul realm is perfected too. Never mind!
"Young man, not all matters are for you to meddle in," the Earth Scorpion said coldly. "Don't throw your life away for a cunning, despicable, and shameless scoundrel."
"Cunning, despicable, and shameless… Hmm, a very fair and accurate description!" Lu Bu nodded slowly, agreeing wholeheartedly with the Earth Scorpion's evaluation of Yao Chen.
Your enemies often know you better than your friends. The Earth Scorpion's understanding of Yao Chen was brutally objective and spot on.
"Damn it! Are we fighting or not? Why are you two chatting!?" Yao Chen roared from the distance, visibly enraged. What is this nonsense? Criticizing me mid battle, and right to my face?!
He spat in disgust. Disrespectful!
"Yao Chen, how dare you be distracted while fighting me?" Heavenly Scorpion sneered. The icy winds around him gathered, transforming into sharp, deadly blades of frost that shot toward Yao Chen's vitals.
"Hmph, do you think I'd be afraid of you?" Yao Chen retorted angrily. Blood red flames erupted around him as he countered with a fiery strike.
Even though he was injured and hadn't fully recovered, Yao Chen was still a Half Saint. While Heavenly Scorpion had one foot in the Half Saint realm, it was just one foot. The gap between them was insurmountable. If Yao Chen were at full strength, he could swat him like a fly.
"Yao Chen, you're doomed!" Heavenly Scorpion cackled. "My second brother is invincible! That kid can't save you!"
"We'll see about that," Yao Chen replied coldly.
"Ha! Talk to me when you've recovered!" Heavenly Scorpion shot back, their words clashing as fiercely as their attacks.
Meanwhile, the Earth Scorpion's eyes narrowed. Though his elder brother seemed evenly matched with Yao Chen for now, the difference in their cultivation levels would eventually show. If the fight dragged on, it wouldn't end well for the Scorpion brothers.
The Earth Scorpion turned his gaze toward the smirking Lu Bu. There was no avoiding this fight. He drew a deep breath, and his expression grew grim. "If you're so determined to die, I'll grant your wish!"
Boom!
A storm of flames erupted, spiraling skyward with devastating force. The sheer intensity of the flames rivaled the tri colored fire fusion Xiao Yan had unleashed earlier. It was a terrifying display.
Boom!
Lu Bu stepped forward, violet black flames erupting from his body to form a massive hundred foot long fire dragon. The dragon roared as waves of destructive heat surged forth, matching the Earth Scorpion's flames in ferocity.
"An exotic flame?!"
The Earth Scorpion's eyes lit up with greed. As an alchemist, his desire for exotic flames was boundless. In the original story, the Earth Scorpion had been willing to trade a priceless eight tier nine colored pill for just a fragment of a Purifying Lotus Demon Flame map.
"Starlight flickers within the fire… The flame burns endlessly… Is this… the ninth ranked Three Thousand Burning Flame?!" The Earth Scorpion's eyes burned brighter with excitement, his greed completely unmasked.
"Hahaha… Kid, you really are from the Pill Tower! So wealthy!" The Earth Scorpion laughed heartily, his voice filled with excitement and mockery. "I was just missing a powerful exotic flame, and here you are delivering it right to me. What a generous offering!"
Lu Bu tilted his head slightly, his expression amused. This felt familiar. The last person who had acted so arrogantly before him was Human Scorpion. And where had he ended up? Delivered as a corpse to the Starfall Pavilion!
Swish!
Before his laughter died down, the Earth Scorpion's figure blurred and disappeared. In an instant, he reappeared behind Lu Bu, a palm engulfed in deep yellow flames aiming straight for Lu Bu's back.
Sizzle!
The fiery palm cut through the air, leaving a faint black tear in space behind it. The heat and force distorted the surrounding space, creating a suffocating pressure.
"Die!" the Earth Scorpion sneered, malice radiating from his voice. To him, this five turn Dou Venerate was nothing more than an insect a nuisance who had no right to stand against him.
"Not bad… You're certainly craftier than your third brother." Lu Bu's voice rang out, tinged with mockery and a faint smile.
"What… what did you say?!" The Earth Scorpion froze, his sneer disappearing as his heart skipped a beat.
Was… Was my third brother really killed by this brat?
Sizzle!
The fiery palm struck Lu Bu's body but passed through without resistance, as though hitting empty air.
The Earth Scorpion's heart sank as a sense of dread washed over him. The unsettling feeling of his attack missing threw him off balance.
Hum…
Golden light flickered, and the air trembled faintly as Lu Bu's figure materialized silently behind the Earth Scorpion. His right palm glowed with violet black energy, a crystal like imprint forming within it.
"Extinguishing Heaven Seal."
"No!" The Earth Scorpion's eyes widened in terror, his pupils shrinking to needlepoints. His instincts screamed danger immediate and unavoidable danger.
Boom!
A deafening explosion shook the battlefield. Waves of energy erupted in all directions as flames devoured everything in their path.
"So this is the Emperor Seal Technique?" Qiu Mao, one of the eight elders of the Pill Tower, murmured, his eyes narrowing as he observed Lu Bu's technique.
The Emperor Seal Technique was a legendary combat skill of the Gu Clan, composed of five seals. Each seal was an advanced Earth tier skill, and when combined, their power rivaled even Heaven tier techniques.
Qiu Mao couldn't help but marvel. The power of Lu Bu's Extinguishing Heaven Seal was comparable to the renowned "Heavenly Underworld Asura Hand" of the Underworld Sect.
Nearby, Xiao Yan's brows furrowed. Seeing Qiu Mao's momentary admiration for Lu Bu stirred an inexplicable annoyance within him.
With a sudden movement, Xiao Yan clasped his hands together, dark red Dou Qi swirling around him. Two seals formed and shot forward with tremendous force.
"Mountain Shattering Seal! Sea Flipping Seal!"
Boom! Boom!
The seals collided with the Four Heavenly Guardians of the Hall of Souls, creating a storm of energy that forced the blood robed Dou Venerate to grunt in pain.
"You… The Emperor Seal Technique?!" the Four Heavenly Guardians snarled, their eyes narrowing. "What's your connection to the Gu Clan?"
They knew Xiao Yan was from the Xiao Clan, but how could a fallen clan like the Xiao Clan possibly wield the Gu Clan's core combat skill?
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