"Roar—!!!"
The Hundred-Thousand-Year Lava Demon Ape clearly had no patience to stare down this little "bug."
Its two mountain-sized palms slammed into the ground. The earth instantly split apart, and dozens of searing, dark-red pillars of lava erupted without warning beneath Gu Yuejin, like miniature volcanoes. In an instant, the area hundreds of meters around them became a sea of fire.
At the same time, it opened its enormous maw, and a red-gold glow surged deep in its throat.
Boom!
A highly concentrated breath of dark-red lava blasted forth. The air twisted violently in its wake, and even space seemed to burn through, letting out a teeth-grating hiss.
"So fast!"
Gu Yuejin's pupils contracted. Both Blue Silver Emperor Leg Bones beneath his feet surged with power, and his speed instantly reached its limit.
His figure became a blur of black, darting between the dense pillars of lava as he narrowly dodged the deadly breath.
Even so, the splashing magma and the scorching waves of heat—hot enough to melt steel—still pounded against his Protective Soul Power like heavy hammers.
"Rise!"
Gu Yuejin waved one hand. Countless Blue Silver Emperor Vines grew wildly, weaving into layers of blue-gold shields before him.
Yet under the combined pressure of Extreme Fire and a hundred thousand years of cultivation, the incredibly tough vines let out a sizzling whimper as soon as they touched the flames. They charred and carbonized at a visible rate, only to rapidly regenerate with the support of their immense vitality.
At that moment, destruction by fire and regeneration reached a delicate balance.
"I can't just defend passively!"
Gu Yuejin's thoughts raced, his gaze icy.
"That thing's built like a tank. If this drags on, I'll be the one who loses!"
Without a moment's hesitation, he charged forward instead of retreating, using