The instant the scream rang out, the pupils of every Palace Opening Realm King aboard the Wan Tong Hao Sea Shuttle contracted, including Captain He, who had been adding Spirit Crystals to the Spirit Crystal compartment. His movements stalled for a moment as well.
The reason was simple: that scream had come from the Bearded Man, whose cultivation had reached the third level of the Palace Opening Realm.
That was right. The Bearded Man's hand had reached for the vital spot at the back of Ye Zhen's neck, but just before it touched him, a burst of crimson flames erupted from Ye Zhen's nape.
Crimson Earth Meridian Heavenly Fire!
The timing of that burst of Earth Meridian Heavenly Fire had been exquisite to the finest degree. It erupted in the instant before the Bearded Man's right hand clamped down on Ye Zhen's neck.
As if by design, the Bearded Man's right hand grabbed directly into that burst of Earth Meridian Heavenly Fire.
More coincidentally, perhaps through carelessness or perhaps through confidence, the Bearded Man had not activated his Body Protection Spiritual Armor at all. A flesh-and-blood palm brimming with spiritual power grabbed right into the Earth Meridian Heavenly Fire.
Earth Meridian Heavenly Fire—a Low-grade Heaven-tier flame, a flame capable of burning a King at the early Palace Opening Realm directly to ashes.
In an instant, the entire cabin filled with the nauseating stench of charred roasting meat.
The Bearded Man screamed as he instinctively flung his hand about wildly. The spiritual power within him surged frantically toward the crimson heavenly fire burning on his right hand.
Even so, the Earth Meridian Heavenly Fire continued burning for more than a breath before it was extinguished.
By the time it went out, everything below the Bearded Man's wrist had been burned through,