From Xu Ziming's perspective, the moment the Flame Spirit Clan member charged out, he already knew what it was going to do.
In an instant, he shot the Jinghong Sword out. The tremendous force really did halt its advance.
"Damnable human!" The Flame Spirit Clan monster struggled to its feet, fury nearly turning tangible in its ugly eyes.
It couldn't understand why the weakling who'd been utterly helpless against it just moments ago could suddenly unleash power it couldn't resist at all.
But Xu Ziming had no time to waste talking. There were only eight minutes left. If he couldn't finish off this monster in that time, he'd be in danger.
He took a step forward and appeared before the Flame Spirit Clan member in an instant.
He seized his sword again and held it to the monster's neck.
"Die!"
The sword was about to fall, but there was no fear on the Flame Spirit Clan member's face. Instead, it looked delighted.
"Boss, save me!!!"
A terrifying aura surged from behind Xu Ziming. An even more terrifying presence had appeared!
"Director Fang, a being that has undergone a second Life Evolution has appeared. At the same time, another kind of fluctuation seems to have emerged in that area... The police haven't been able to identify it yet. We're counting on you. We're almost there, too!"
"Understood. I'll arrive at the scene in seven minutes."
Fang Xingyun ended the call. A small briefcase appeared in his hand, with a red button in its center.
He pressed it lightly. The case transformed the next moment, and azure-blue armor instantly enveloped his body. The entire suit exuded an advanced, high-tech feel.
It was filled with a cold, oppressive presence.
"Armor equipped successfully. Master, shall I accelerate?"
"Accelerate. Take me to these coordinates."
The next moment, powerful streams of air blasted from his feet, sending him flying.
The instant the terrifying energy appeared behind him, Xu Ziming reacted swiftly and cut down the ugly monster before him. Then he dashed to one side.
"The power of a Qilin. You have Qilin Blood?"
The monster, whose life force had reached the second stage of Life Evolution, instantly revealed an unmistakable greed, as if devouring Xu Ziming would be the only way to satisfy its desire.
Then an immense pressure bore down on Xu Ziming, gradually halting his rapid movement to the side.
He couldn't move!
Even when facing the Flame Spirit Clan monster earlier, he hadn't been rendered immobile. Now, however, his enemy had suppressed him with nothing but its presence.
Only then did he have a moment to examine what kind of species his opponent was.
It was still a Flame Spirit Clan member. Seeing this, Xu Ziming let out a long breath. That was good. While the Qilin's effects remained active, the opponent should...
"Bang!" A massive fist slammed into his stomach. Xu Ziming felt as if his internal organs had been shattered in an instant.
It was like jumping from a building more than ten stories high without any protection.
A being that had undergone a second Life Evolution could kill him with nothing but its physical strength, without using any abilities at all.
He couldn't just let it attack him like this. While he was still conscious, Xu Ziming suddenly remembered that the Qilin Body seemed to come with a terrifying skill of its own.
At once, he used his blood and qi to draw on the surrounding fire element. The fire element responded to him as if he were its true master.
Within seconds, it had fully gathered in his hand.
"Burning Heaven Flame!" he shouted. The next moment, a flame that seemed capable of scorching through the soul, carrying overwhelming power, fell upon the monster that had undergone a second Life Evolution.
"Arghhh!" The flame was so fierce that the monster right before him felt its very soul blur as it burned.
But it recovered after only three seconds.
"You're asking for death!" It reached out in fury, about to strike Xu Ziming.
A pang of dread coursed through Xu Ziming's heart.
Am I about to die?
"Don't you dare hurt my disciple!" A streak of swordlight descended from the sky, trailing a silvery-white radiance.
It carried an utterly terrifying power of suppression, instantly binding the monster's body.
High in the sky, Ma Mingyu's figure appeared.
"This sword technique... Who are you?"
The monster's pupils dilated. It moved dozens of meters away in an instant, barely dodging the swordlight.
But it looked at Ma Mingyu with unmistakable wariness.
"Are you all right, A-Ming? I'm here."
Ma Mingyu landed on the ground. He wasn't wearing the familiar clothes he usually wore at school; instead, he was clad in a suit of armor that looked extraordinary.
"I can't believe those damn foreign races really made their way into Pengcheng."
He gazed into the distance and murmured to himself, as if remembering the scene half a month ago, when his comrades from the military had come to find him at school.
"Reinforcements are finally here." Xu Ziming's body suddenly felt utterly exhausted, and he was about to lose consciousness.
Before he fainted, he managed to say to Ma Mingyu, "Master, my family is still in the building. You have to save them. Please."
The next moment, he collapsed. The scales on his body vanished one by one, and the horns atop his head gradually melted away.
"The Qilin Blood really is in this kid. Good thing I came. If anyone else had discovered it, things could've gone very badly."
Ma Mingyu took a garment from his wristband and draped it over Xu Ziming, then raised the sword in his hand.
"I haven't been on the front lines for so long that you foreign races have forgotten I exist."
"Why are you here?!" The monster's face was filled with shock. Its body trembled uncontrollably, as if Ma Mingyu were the real demon before it.
"I'm here to take your life!"
Ma Mingyu stepped forward, his aura rising to its peak. His face, which had looked a little middle-aged, transformed in an instant into that of a young man.
The sword in his hand grew nimble as well, like a blue dragon soaring through the sky—tremendously powerful and swift in its movements.
No, this can't go on. Something's bound to happen. The monster thought, then abruptly swept its hand through the air.
At its gesture, one Flame Spirit Clan Martial Artist Realm monster after another appeared from all directions. There were more than twenty of them, scattered around.
"He's trying to hold me off with sheer numbers. Damn it."
Ma Mingyu was injured. Even at full effort, he could only bring out half his strength, and he couldn't sustain it for long. If he got bogged down, then a battle they should have won could truly end in defeat.
Seeing Ma Mingyu's expression turn grim, the monster that had undergone a second Life Evolution immediately knew its gamble had paid off. It raised its arm and shouted.
"Everyone, attack! Kill him, and we can take this city. The commander will surely reward us when we return!"