"Dealt with?!"
Lin Feng stared blankly at the fragments of the scorpion's soul, torn asunder by the White Tiger Soul above the Fire-Tailed Scorpion King's physical body.
He knew the White Tiger Soul Annihilation Talisman was powerful, but never imagined it was this potent—it directly ripped out the target's soul and destroyed it!
Recalling his own encounter with this tiger soul, Lin Feng finally understood the peril he had faced back then. If not for his flying sword capable of harming souls, his fate would likely have mirrored the Fire-Tailed Scorpion King's!
"Screeeech!!!"
Just as Lin Feng remained stunned, an ear-splitting shriek erupted from ahead, jolting him violently.
"What?! Not dead?!"
Lin Feng's heart lurched with dread. He focused his gaze, disbelieving. Amidst the scattered soul fragments torn by the White Tiger Soul, the portion still 'connected' to the scorpion king's body was somehow retracting back inside!
As this half of its soul returned, the Fire-Tailed Scorpion King immediately let out a piercing shriek and began thrashing wildly on the spot!!
"This… is this even possible?!"
Lin Feng gaped. He hadn't imagined that having half its soul shredded would leave it 'functional'. The Fire-Tailed Scorpion King was actually still alive!!
After a moment of shock, Lin Feng's expression turned grim.
Not dead!!
He had played his final trump card, yet it still hadn't killed the beast!
Meanwhile, the power of the White Tiger Soul faded away, shrinking back into a wisp of light. The talisman in Lin Feng's hand reverted to its original form—a black iron plaque.
One activation granted only one attack. To unleash another, the talisman needed to be activated again…
But right now, where could Lin Feng possibly muster enough true essence?
During that inexplicable surge of 'potential' earlier, it had indeed felt like an endless stream of power. Yet that 'endlessness' was merely an illusion. Most of the true essence that surged out had been consumed activating the talisman. Only about thirty percent remained within him—a miracle in itself. How could he activate the soul talisman again?
Hope for that unknown surge to happen once more?
Though he hadn't tested it, Lin Feng felt it was highly unlikely. It was intuition, an instinctive guess.
Unable to activate the talisman again… how could he possibly deal with the Fire-Tailed Scorpion King now?!
Just as Lin Feng's expression darkened with thought, bordering on despair, something utterly unexpected happened…
"Splash!!!"
A tremendous crash sounded from ahead. Lin Feng looked over in alarm and shock, only to find the Fire-Tailed Scorpion King had vanished. Peering closer, he saw a massive figure thrashing frantically as it swam forward through the lava pool…
"It's… running away?!"
Lin Feng was stunned for a second, then elation surged. Its behavior looked like flight! That meant the dangers he had imagined were gone!
A golden opportunity! Dig through the collapsed passageway now and escape!
Lin Feng thought excitedly, ready to turn and flee. But then, his expression shifted abruptly. "Damn it!! My flying sword!!"
He had forgotten—his flying sword was still lodged in the Fire-Tailed Scorpion King's back!!
Focusing his gaze, he saw the enormous beast churning through the lava. On its back, reflecting the surrounding blaze, his flying sword glinted intermittently with each movement, like a submarine periscope breaking the surface…
Watching the scorpion king carry his sword further away, Lin Feng felt a surge of panic. He urgently channeled his true essence, trying to recall the blade.
"Zing…"
A faint sword chime came from the sword embedded in the scorpion king's back. The blade trembled violently but failed to pull free—it seemed wedged in the incredibly hard carapace!
"Screech!!"
Perhaps pained by the vibrating sword, the Fire-Tailed Scorpion King let out another agonized shriek. It lunged forward even more frenziedly. Its single remaining eye burned with pain and struggle, but also… a flicker of fervor and desperate hope. This fervor intensified markedly as it sensed a familiar, potent aura ahead…
"Hmm?! Its target is the Strange Fire!! What is it trying to do?!"
From afar, Lin Feng strained to recall his sword. Seeing the scorpion king's destination, he froze momentarily, a sliver of doubt forming.
Then, he witnessed a scene that left him utterly dumbfounded…
—The Fire-Tailed Scorpion King, upon nearing the Molten Rock Fire at the center of the lava pool, suddenly opened its maw and swallowed the Strange Fire whole!!
"It… it ate it?!"
Lin Feng's eyes bulged, unable to believe what he saw—the Strange Fire, devoured!
"Screeeeeech!!!"
Then, Lin Feng saw something even more horrifying: The Fire-Tailed Scorpion King suddenly reared back, unleashing a heaven-shaking roar! A blinding crimson radiance erupted from its body, accompanied by an overwhelming aura bursting forth from within!!
This aura… felt even stronger than its peak condition when it first emerged!!
"No way?! It evolved?! No… it advanced!! Are you kidding me?!"
Lin Feng felt an icy chill run down his spine, his heart plunging into an abyss. He couldn't fathom that the Fire-Tailed Scorpion King could actually devour the Strange Fire to empower itself!
Had it mistaken the Strange Fire for some miraculous elixir?!
And it advanced just by swallowing it?! That was absurd! If so, why hadn't it done this before?
"No… no!! This can't be that simple!" Lin Feng's gaze sharpened as he grasped a crucial point, exclaiming in shock, "That's it! It's also 'staking everything on one throw'!! The damage inflicted by the White Tiger Soul Annihilation Talisman is worse than I thought! It must be at death's door, driven to this in desperation!"
Lin Feng guessed correctly. The Fire-Tailed Scorpion King was on the verge of soul annihilation. The White Tiger Soul had destroyed over half its soul. Its final struggle was merely a death throe. Facing oblivion, it remembered the Strange Fire—the treasure containing immense power that had nurtured it from a mere hatchling into its current might. Instinct screamed that harnessing that power might save its life…
So, it mustered its last vestige of strength, surged towards the Strange Fire, and swallowed it recklessly.
It felt a torrent of unimaginably vast power flooding its entire being. An indescribable sensation compelled it to roar in primal ecstasy—though to Lin Feng, it was just another shrill shriek.
It sensed unprecedented strength within, surpassing anything it had ever known. And this power was still rapidly increasing!
Its original cultivation was merely at the third-level, second stage—equivalent to a cultivator's Core Formation, second layer. Yet now, its aura had far surpassed that, soaring to third-level, third stage… then fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh…
"Th… third-level late stage!! This is insane!!"
Watching from afar, Lin Feng saw its level rocket upwards within a few breaths. While he couldn't precisely discern its exact stage, the distinct, massive leaps in power were palpable. A simple deduction led to a terrifying conclusion: if each surge represented an advancement… its level had reached the third-level late stage!
"Impossible! That's a Strange Fire… the Molten Rock Fire, ranked eighty-ninth on the Hundred Strange Fires Ranking!! How could it possibly be devoured by a mere third-level demon beast?! Explode already!!"
Earlier, Lin Feng hadn't fled immediately precisely because he doubted the beast could truly absorb the Molten Rock Fire. He'd hoped it would be overwhelmed by the fire's immense energy and burst apart. But now, witnessing its aura climb to the third-level late stage with no sign of 'exploding', his confidence began to waver…
"Screw this!! If you won't burst… I'll stab you until you do!!"
Suddenly, a vicious glint flashed in Lin Feng's eyes. He cursed inwardly and thrust his right hand forward violently!
"Zing…!!"
A clear, resonant sword chime instantly rang out. The flying sword embedded in the scorpion king's back began to vibrate violently once more—the amplitude increasing, the frequency accelerating!!
"Screech!!!"
At that precise moment, the Fire-Tailed Scorpion King shrieked with utter terror and began to convulse madly!
"Crack… Crack… Crack…"
Simultaneously, a series of faint cracking sounds erupted from its body. Upon closer inspection, fissures began spider-webbing across its entire carapace. Wisps of distorted, steam-like crimson energy seeped from the cracks.
The area around the embedded flying sword was the most densely fractured. Where the blade met the carapace, the originally silver sword started turning fiery red, as if heated to glowing, the color creeping upwards…
"SCREEEEEEEEEEEECH!!!"
The scorpion king's single eye radiated pure terror and despair. It unleashed a final, hysterical scream, thrashing insanely in the lava, sending massive waves splashing high. The cracks covering its body multiplied exponentially. Simultaneously, increasingly dense beams of crimson light shot out from the widening fissures…
Within a few breaths, the scorpion king's aura seemed to reach an impossible zenith. Its body was now completely covered in fissures, glowing intensely from within as if filled with liquid fire…
"..."
Abruptly, the scorpion king's shriek ceased. Not just the shriek—all movement stopped instantly. The transition from frenzied motion to utter stillness was like a paused frame… then…
"BOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!!!!!!"
An earth-shattering explosion detonated. The Fire-Tailed Scorpion King's body detonated like a super bomb. Chunks of carapace and flesh showered in all directions. The lava in the pool surged in massive waves, crashing towards the shore!
"HOLY SHIT!!"
Lin Feng froze for a split second, then snapped into action, leaping backward frantically. In three swift movements, he retreated into the tunnel he had dug earlier.
"It really… really exploded!!"
Lin Feng felt the entire mountain tremble, a wave of awe washing over him. But it was swiftly replaced by ecstatic relief!
Just as anticipated, the Fire-Tailed Scorpion King had truly been 'burst apart' by the Strange Fire!
A mere early third-level demon beast, which had only ever cultivated by absorbing minuscule traces of the Strange Fire's energy over time, had foolishly attempted to devour the entire flame. It was sheer overreach, the epitome of self-destruction.