Two guardians, Qi Wu and Feng Gui Qu, both at level eight, engaged in a fiery battle. Everyone believed Feng Gui Qu had won, that Qi Wu had been consumed by the wind vortex and had no chance of recovery. However, Gong Que detected an anomaly.
As the wind vortex exploded, everyone was convinced that Qi Wu indeed had a backup plan.
At this moment, Qi Wu's clothes were tattered by wind blades, but he himself was unharmed.
He stood with his upper body half-bare, revealing a strong physique. Flames emanated from his bronze skin, making him appear like a deity reborn from fire.
Above his head, an egg-sized, dark red bead slowly rotated.
With each rotation, a large amount of flames materialized out of thin air, converging around Qi Wu.
These flames exuded a terrifying pressure, like a king suppressing all other elements in the air.
Naturally, this included the wind element closest to Qi Wu, which was why Feng Gui Qu's wind vortex had exploded.
This peculiar bead was the fire element spiritual bead, the Yan Yang Bead, that Qi Wu had obtained from the ancient tomb.
It was originally a burial item of the tomb's owner. However, after Qi Wu's powers awakened, he discovered it contained a potent fire element.
As long as he connected with it using his fire ability, he could receive the Yan Yang Bead's augmentation. While it couldn't increase his level, it could double his power.
Therefore, Qi Wu always kept it with him as a secret weapon. The backup plan he had mentioned to Qing Ying earlier was this bead.
When he was engulfed by the wind vortex, facing imminent death, Qi Wu released it, saving his life.
Empowered by the Yan Yang Bead, Qi Wu shattered the wind vortex, his body suspended in the air, enveloped by flames.
Like a god of fire, he cast a disdainful glance at Feng Gui Qu and the onlookers.
He harbored resentment towards Feng Gui Qu for his relentless aggression and the ruthless killing of the Lie Huo team members.
He also resented the Yun Cheng Base and the onlookers from the Ming Yue team, who, despite being allies, stood by and watched at a critical moment.
He wished to kill them all, but at that moment, a scream echoed from a distance. It was Qing Ying.
Qi Wu's expression faltered. He crossed his hands in front of his chest, then flung them apart to his sides.
Torrential flames engulfed everyone on the ground. Without waiting to see the outcome, Qi Wu's flame-clad body flickered.
He shot off in the direction Qing Ying had gone, rushing to her rescue.
Qi Wu's hasty attack did not trap Feng Gui Qu. Relying on the speed of his wind ability,
he escaped the fiery encirclement and followed Qi Wu, his face etched with anxiety.
This was because not only Qing Ying, but also Yin Qing and his subordinates were in the area where Qi Wu was heading.
Qi Wu, in his frenzy and aided by that peculiar bead, posed a grave danger to Yin Qing and his men.
The onlookers on the ground were in for a terrible fate. Caught completely off guard,
just as Ming Yue had predicted, they suffered unforeseen calamity, caught in Qi Wu's inferno.
As the flames rained down, Bu Ying extended his hand, and a water shield instantly appeared, intending to cover the people of Yun Cheng Base.
But the suddenness of the event meant the water shield hadn't fully deployed, and before everyone could be shielded, the flames descended.
Over a dozen Yun Cheng ability users were consumed by the fire, turning to ash.
The few members of the Ming Yue team who were watching were also caught by surprise. Having undergone Ming Yue's rigorous training, they reacted with lightning speed.
Each of them unleashed their abilities, working together to block the torrent of flames descending upon them.
However, their levels were too low. The energy shields they condensed lasted less than ten seconds before being incinerated by the flames.
Only Wen Qing Tian's wind shield managed to hold on, protecting everyone beneath it, but like Bu Ying's water shield, it was on the verge of collapse.
Just then, a fire dragon roared and plunged into the inferno.
Bu Ying cried out in despair. He could barely withstand the overwhelming flames.
It was a case of one misfortune after another. This fire dragon was the last straw; he couldn't possibly resist it.
At the brink of death, he made a difficult choice. With a thought,
he controlled the water shield to contract, narrowly protecting himself and the mother-daughter pair, He Shi.
This allowed him to conserve his energy and last longer, and perhaps even resist the fire dragon.
However, this maneuver left his subordinates who had accompanied him to Jin Cheng unprotected.
They were instantly exposed to the flames and annihilated. He Shi and her daughter clung to each other, screaming in terror.
Bu Ying ignored them, his mind preoccupied with his younger brother, Bu Zhi.
The fire dragon was not attacking him but was flying towards the Ming Yue team.
Its massive body coiled around them, flames erupting from its form, obscuring anyone within.
"Xiao Zhi!"
Bu Ying roared in anguish. He had just reunited with his brother that day, only for it to become a final farewell.
Seeing Wen Qing Tian's wind shield above the Ming Yue team disappear, Bu Ying's heart ached. He was filled with regret and self-blame.
He regretted not keeping his brother by his side. Now, he couldn't even reach him in time, forced to watch him perish in the sea of fire.
"Brother, I'm fine. Are you about to collapse too? Hurry over.
This fire dragon can block the flames, it's safe inside. Hurry and lead them in here."
Although he couldn't see outside, Bu Zhi heard his brother's desperate cries and shouted to reassure him.
Hearing that his brother was safe, Bu Ying's heart settled. He guided his water shield towards the fire dragon.
After a tentative contact, he discovered that the fire dragon was indeed non-aggressive and was about to enter.
"Ahhh! I don't want to! I'll be burned alive! I don't want to!"
He Shi shrieked, grabbing Bu Ying's arm, refusing to come into contact with the fire dragon.
Moments ago, she had watched in horror as the flames consumed so many people, and now, facing the fire dragon, her fear intensified.
"Brother, if she doesn't want to come in, just leave her outside. We never intended for her to join us anyway.
We need to leave the fiery area. If you don't come in soon, we won't wait. You can die here with her!"
Seeing his brother comforting He Shi, Bu Zhi's anger flared, and he spoke with cold disdain.
Sensing his brother's displeasure, Bu Ying hardened his heart and dragged He Shi and her daughter into the fire dragon.
He felt an immediate reduction in pressure. The area within the fire dragon's coils was shielded from the external flames.
Bu Ying finally understood why Wen Qing Tian had withdrawn his wind shield – it was no longer necessary.
The fire dragon had blocked the inferno's attack. He quickly retracted his water shield as his energy reserves were depleted, and he could no longer hold on.
Seeing Bu Ying and the other two enter, the fire dragon began to move, carrying them out of the flame-engulfed area.
Then, with a dragon's roar, the fire dragon soared into the sky. It then swooped down, opening its massive maw towards the inferno.
With a powerful inhalation, it sucked all the surrounding flames into its belly. Finally, its form rapidly shrank, transforming into an egg-sized ball of fire.
"Brother, where are your subordinates?"
As the inferno dissipated, Bu Zhi realized something was amiss. The Yun Cheng ability users were nowhere to be seen.
"They sacrificed themselves. This fire dragon was released by Ming Yue, wasn't it? Using fire to fight fire, truly brilliant."
Bu Ying was filled with regret. Had he known the fire dragon was there to rescue them, he wouldn't have lost so many subordinates.
However, this was not something he could openly discuss, and fearing his brother's disapproval, he swallowed his pride and changed the subject.
"It wasn't Sister Ming Yue! It was Ba Jiu."
Bu Zhi had asked casually, and then exclaimed with delight. Just as he was about to introduce Ba Jiu to his brother, he heard Qi Wu's mournful cry from a distance.