A Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beast Beyond the Plan!

The next day, dawn broke.

After everyone finished packing, they extinguished the campfire and buried all traces before heading upstream along the creek according to plan.

The farther upstream they went, the less moisture there was in the air. In its place came a faint Sulfur Smell. The vegetation around them also grew sparse, revealing vast stretches of blackish-brown volcanic rock. Even the ground seemed to be getting hotter.

"Everyone, be careful. We've entered the Lava Lizard's territory," Teacher Chen reminded them in a low voice. Everyone immediately became alert, secretly circulating their Soul Power.

Zhang Bufan still looked as relaxed as ever. He even casually picked several herbs radiating faint Fire Attribute energy from a crack in the rocks and tossed them to Huo Wu. "Take these. Make tea with them when we get back. They'll be good for you."

Huo Wu caught the herbs, still covered in dew, and recognized them as the rather rare Fire Fluff Grass. They were worth quite a bit, yet he had casually picked them and given them away... Her heart warmed slightly as she murmured, "Thank you."

Huo Wushuang's eye twitched as he watched from the side, but he couldn't really say anything.

After traveling for about another half hour, Teacher Chen, who was leading the group, suddenly stopped. He crouched down and carefully examined the ground.

"I found something!" His voice carried both excitement and gravity.

Everyone gathered around and saw several deep claw marks scorched into the hard volcanic ground, along with a puddle of solidified Dark Red substance that looked like lava.

"Lava Lizard tracks and droppings! Judging by their size and how fresh they are, it should be nearby. And it's no small one—probably more than five thousand years old!" Teacher Li judged.

Everyone's hearts rose to their throats. A Lava Lizard over five thousand years old would be even more formidable!

"Follow the original plan. Prepare for battle!" Teacher Chen made the decision immediately. "Lure it to that relatively open Rocky Beach ahead!"

The Team Members moved at once, each finding suitable cover and attack positions. Huo Wushuang shielded Huo Wu behind a massive boulder. The two teachers fully released their auras, the pressure of Soul Emperors spreading out as they tried to draw the Lava Lizard's attention.

Zhang Bufan, meanwhile, leisurely climbed onto the tallest rock and plopped down. He pulled out a fruit from his Soul Tool and began eating it while preparing to watch the show. He looked like he was only missing a little flag to wave while shouting, "Go for it!"

Huo Wushuang got angry just looking at him, but with such a powerful enemy before them, he had no time to bother with him.

"Roar—!"

Not long after, a deep roar filled with savage fury came from a huge cave ahead. Then the ground began to tremble faintly as a massive figure slowly crawled out of the cave.

It was a giant lizard over eight meters long! Its entire body was covered in thick Dark Red scales, with lava-like Red Light flowing faintly through the gaps. Its limbs were thick and powerful, its claws hooked and gleaming coldly. A tail covered in bony spikes dragged behind it, leaving deep grooves in the rocks with every casual sweep. Above its vicious head, a pair of vertical Pupils radiated cruel, bloodthirsty light as it stared fixedly at the two Soul Emperor teachers who were giving off provocative auras.

"Good lord! Judging by that presence, it has at least six thousand years of cultivation!" Teacher Chen's expression changed, but there was no turning back now. "Attack!"

"Seventh Soul Skill, Martial Soul Avatar!" Teacher Li did not hesitate. He immediately activated his Martial Soul Avatar, transforming into a giant bear wreathed in Flame. Roaring, he charged forward and swung a massive paw at the Lava Lizard's head.

Teacher Chen was a Tool Soul Emperor whose Martial Soul was a flaming spear. He moved nimbly, his spear thrusting like a dragon as he targeted relatively vulnerable areas such as the Lava Lizard's eyes and joints.

"Third Soul Skill, Explosive Giant Flame!" Huo Wushuang also charged out from behind cover, gathering all his Soul Power to launch a massive explosive fireball.

The other Team Members released their Soul Skills as well. Fireballs, flaming arrows, Resisting Fire Rings... they rained down on the Lava Lizard.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The flashes and explosions of Soul Skills rang out without end. Yet the results were far from ideal.

The Lava Lizard's defense was simply too strong! Most Soul Skills only left charred marks on its scales and could not break through its defense at all. Only the two Soul Emperor teachers' attacks could truly injure it, but those were merely superficial wounds that only enraged it further.

"Roar!" The Lava Lizard reared up in pain before stomping down heavily!

"Not good! It's a Seismic Wave!" Teacher Chen shouted urgently.

A powerful shockwave spread out from the Lava Lizard, and the ground rose and fell like waves. Several Team Members lost their balance and nearly fell, their Soul Skills interrupted.

Then the Lava Lizard opened its bloody maw, condensing a Dark Red lava fireball over a meter wide. Carrying terrifying heat and stickiness, it shot toward the most densely gathered part of the group!

"Scatter!" Teacher Li's flaming giant bear roared, trying to block it with his body.

But the lava fireball was too fast and covered too wide an area!

At that critical moment, a figure suddenly rushed out from the side. It was Huo Wushuang! His Soul Power erupted as his Fourth Soul Ring lit up. "Fourth Soul Skill, Flame Barrier!" A solid wall of Flame instantly appeared before the lava fireball.

BOOM!!!

The lava fireball slammed violently into the Flame Barrier and exploded. The Flame Barrier shattered instantly. Huo Wushuang suffered a heavy blow and spat out a mouthful of blood, his body flying backward like a kite with a snapped string. He crashed heavily into a rock wall and slid down, unable to get back up for the moment.

"Brother!" Huo Wu cried out and was about to rush over.

"Don't come over!" Huo Wushuang shouted with difficulty. His face was white as paper, and he had clearly suffered serious injuries.

The two teachers were frantic as well. The Lava Lizard was even stronger and more violent than they had anticipated! At this rate, forget hunting it—they might not even escape intact!

"Retreat! Cover each other and fall back, quickly!" Teacher Chen decisively gave the order to retreat. The hunt had failed; staying alive was more important.

However, the enraged Lava Lizard clearly had no intention of letting these "insects" that had disturbed its peace go. Its scarlet vertical Pupils locked onto Huo Wu, who was closest to it and had the weakest aura. Its limbs tensed, and it lunged forward with earth-shaking force! Its gaping jaws were large enough to swallow Huo Wu whole!

"Wu'er!!" Huo Wushuang's eyes nearly split apart. He struggled to rise, but his injuries were aggravated, and he spat out another mouthful of blood.

The two teachers were also tied up by other attacks and could not reach her in time.

Despair rose in the hearts of everyone from Blazing Fire Academy. Were they going to die here today?

Huo Wu watched the vicious jaws rapidly enlarging in her Pupils, the foul wind rushing into her face. Her mind went blank as the shadow of death instantly engulfed her. She instinctively closed her eyes.

At this most critical moment!

Zhang Bufan, who had been sitting on the rock watching the show, finally moved.

He did not even stand up. He merely raised his right hand casually and lightly pressed down through the air at the arrogant Six-Thousand-Year Lava Lizard lunging at Huo Wu.

No Soul Rings flashed, and no earth-shattering aura erupted.

There was only an invisible, intangible force that seemed to contain the will of heaven and earth itself, descending abruptly!

Time seemed to freeze at that instant.

The Lava Lizard, charging forward with overwhelming force, seemed to have been viciously struck by an invisible giant hand. Its massive body suddenly froze in midair in a way that defied the laws of physics!

Its cruel vertical Pupils were instantly filled with boundless fear and confusion. It could not understand what had happened.

The next second.

"Pfft—!"

Like a plastic bag full of ketchup being squeezed until it burst.

The Lava Lizard, with its six thousand years of cultivation and astonishing defense, began to shatter bit by bit from its head in full view of everyone. Then it instantly collapsed and vaporized. Without even letting out a scream, it was completely reduced to fine red dust mixed with Soul Power Origin, dispersing into the air.

It was as though it had never existed.

Only the pure, vast fluctuations of Fire Attribute energy lingering in the air proved that a powerful Soul Beast had just been completely annihilated here.

Silence.

Deathly silence.

The wind stopped moving, and all sound vanished.

Everyone from Blazing Fire Academy—whether the heavily injured Huo Wushuang, the anxious teachers, or the other Team Members still shaken by the near-disaster—froze where they stood.

Their eyes were wide, their mouths hanging open unconsciously, their expressions frozen in utter shock, confusion, and... disbelief.

An instant kill?

No, this was no longer an instant kill.

This was... erasure!

Like a god casually brushing away a speck of dust!

Their gazes turned in unison toward the high rock.

At some point, the young man had already stood up. He still looked utterly calm, even patting dust that did not exist from his hands.

He did not even glance at where the Lava Lizard had vanished, as though he had only done something trivial. His gaze fell on Huo Wu, whose eyes remained tightly shut and whose body trembled faintly, and his expression instantly softened.

He lightly leaped down, landing beside Huo Wu like a feather. Reaching out, he gently patted her shoulder.

"Hey, wake up. It's all right now."

His voice broke the suffocating silence.

Huo Wu's long lashes trembled as she slowly opened her eyes. The first thing she saw was Zhang Bufan's face, carrying a hint of concern and a smile, as well as... the empty space ahead.

The Lava Lizard... was gone?

She looked around blankly and saw the ghostly expressions on her brother and teachers' faces, as well as the Team Members standing there like wooden statues.

"Where... where is it?" Huo Wu asked instinctively, her voice still trembling from surviving the disaster.

Zhang Bufan smiled and pointed at the red energy particles that had yet to completely dissipate in the air, speaking as casually as if introducing a dish.

"Oh, that big lizard? I thought it was too ugly and ruined the scenery, so I casually... sent it back to the furnace for reforging."

He paused, then added:

"Mm, the Soul Power Origin is pretty pure now. It's perfect for you to absorb. The age is a little low, but make do with it."

"..."

The entire area remained deathly silent.

Everyone's minds had stopped functioning under the overwhelming shock.

The way they looked at Zhang Bufan had completely changed from surprise, curiosity, and admiration into...

The reverence of mortals gazing upon a god!