Chapter 638
Chapter 638 - 618: The Strongest Point
1,723 words
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9 min read
"Want to enjoy a good show? Then open your eyes wide."
With Lu Ping’an’s open hands as the core, the scorching flames bloom, and round after round of fire rings, explode and spread in all directions.
The prepared "oil seedlings" one by one are impacted by the flames and directly chain-react, creating chaining fire rings outside of Lu Ping’an.
Lu Ping’an’s previous "greening" was all for this moment.
"Fire Rings. Adherent Combustion."
While releasing the flames, Lu Ping’an also used his own flame characteristics. The spreading fire rings visibly decreased in heat and intensity but generated a strange "stickiness."
The dry and flammable turf caught fire, turning into patches of sea of fire.
The huge and hollow lightwood became a giant torch.
But the thin flames adhered to all objects they encountered, and when they encountered combustibles, they burned more intensely.
[Adherent Combustion (Silver Mid-level Professional Abnormal Ability): As a master of controlling flames, you can conceptually adjust the ’thickness’ of flames, turning fast and explosive flames into thin and long-lasting static combustion. In this state, the flames have strong adhesion and continuous combustion effects. Note: The controlled flames will greatly reduce explosiveness.]
When Lu Ping’an used his highest-tier professional abnormal ability, the entire arena was exploding in a chain reaction, turning the well-calculated "secondary explosion points" into a sea of fire.
If it were an ordinary professional, or even a one or two-tier fire element professional, fire prevention would often be a one-time thing. They could only create one "awesome explosion" at their limit. This delicate and elongated static combustion, with Lu Ping’an’s subtle layout and set points, completely changed the battlefield environment, turning the originally flat ground into a continuous high-temperature sea of fire.
"... How could this be, a Flame Master!"
Experts could tell by the performance; the spectators in the arena and the ancient city Secret Realm square all cried out in surprise with the same words.
This was not just a simple term but a praise, a title.
Being a Flame Master means being a magician who plays with flames and controls fireworks, usually a minimum third-tier professional... Most people who earn this acclaim are Decree-level Fire Master Specialists.
In fact, Lu Ping’an is indeed a Flame Master, even though he still doesn’t have a first-tier specialized Fire Controller profession.
[... My Way, Flame Burst Style, this style is not good at controlling flames, they are only interested in flame stimulation and combustion effects, Awakening flame characteristics ’Highly Efficient Combustion’ and ’Adherent Combustion’...]
This was Lu Ping’an’s choice that day.
Modifying the basic flame characteristics is the characteristic of this path, and the ability to change the environment with a single gesture by modifying the flame characteristics themselves can be considered the symbol of a Flame Master.
This is the trump card Lu Ping’an had been hiding, the ace he had prepared to turn the tables...
"... How could this be? At just a teen age, he has reached the master level in battle-profession, life system, and fire?"
It’s impossible to understand, impossible to accept, but the reality must be acknowledged.
At this moment, Lu Ping’an’s unusual scheme has taken effect.
Having been hit by two Withering Skills on the face with no consequences? Well, dizziness, dehydration, and a feeling of discomfort when experiencing high heat and a sea of fire were inevitable. Even if it doesn’t burn you to death, it can still make you feel uncomfortable all over.
At this moment, Hannah, who was too close, turned into a fireman.
She was originally dizzy, and this malicious golden blaze happened to be specially attributed. For a moment, she felt uncomfortable all over, and her pupils and nose that were originally targeted by the Withering Skill instantly malfunctioned... No matter how good a shark’s sense of smell, it wouldn’t work when the air was filled only with the smell of burnt charring.
Taking advantage of this opportunity, Lu Ping’an finally managed to pull away completely and started planning his next move...
"In a direct confrontation, axe against axe, you will be chopped up."
These were Big Cat Kris’s exact words.
"Even by my standards, Hannah is a decent warrior. If you enrage her now, you’ll be chopped to death within thirty rounds."
Before the battle, when Lu Ping’an was trying to prepare tactics for this duel, Kris told him coldly.
"I know you want to defeat her in a direct head-on battle, to win a close-range fight against your former formidable opponent... but what makes you think you can beat her? With a battle experience gap spanning several decades at least?"
In the Secret Realm Tower that day, Lu Ping’an first encountered the golden-armored Knight and witnessed true strength.
In a sense, they... she was Lu Ping’an’s "mentor". The current Lu Ping’an could be regarded as a distorted reflection of the strong Knight template she’d presented.
Was it arrogant to want to defeat her using the martial arts she’d taught? Of course it was arrogant, but Lu Ping’an wanted to prove that he could surpass her.
He even knew that this was also what Hannah was expecting... Otherwise, she wouldn’t have smiled so jubilantly every time Lu Ping’an showed a new possibility. She was both a battle maniac and a senior who looks forward to the growth of a seedling.
However, both Lu Ping’an and even Hannah herself knew from the beginning that he couldn’t do it, he couldn’t win in a direct fight.
"...Is there no possibility? Not even the slightest chance of success?"
"There isn’t. If it were a pure martial arts battle, the gap would be too wide. Whenever she decides to get serious, the game will be over." Lu Ping’an believed in Big Cat’s judgment.
After all, in martial arts, Hannah overwhelmingly outclasses Lu Ping’an, while Big Cat Kris... Kerdalais, dominates over Hannah in terms of strength.
Lu Ping’an wants to win, but even more so, he wants to win in the way he desires... in the way Hannah desires.
Because he knows that such a head-on battle might only happen once in their lives. The "invitation" for a Heroic Spirit Warrior is simply too heavy a burden to bear.
In a sense, Lu Ping’an is like a half-hearted idealist, but sometimes, he can be extremely realistic.
Even if the hope for victory is nearly non-existent, he will still try to achieve it in his own way. And when despair is the only thing left, he will not hesitate to abandon that pointless persistence...
"...For the sake of victory, for the sake of survival..."
Somehow, he has always had a flexible approach to dealing with problems.
Since he knew from the start that the odds were slim, he naturally sought to achieve victory in any way possible... Winning ugly, or not meeting expectations, is better than losing.
"Ring of Blazing Heat."
The casually unleashed blaze comes from the newborn Sun Vine. Although its fire is limited in intensity since it’s newly born, the flames from one ring to another are enough to illuminate the traps on the battlefield.
One after another, the true killing moves were activated, and those were the things Lu Ping’an had been hiding.
The first golden fireball burst out from the smoke and hit the only enemy here.
Hannah, who had just recovered, hesitated for a moment and charged forward with her sword... but all she got was a pile of leaves, wood shavings, and the suffocating dry ash.
Instantly, two more fireballs hit her.
The power wasn’t that strong, and the Decree-level flame intensity couldn’t inflict much direct damage.
But the problem lied in the characteristics of the flame...
"...This flame, while eroding my body, still has strength..."
Purifying Holy Fire is specialized in countering "pollution", and Heroic Spirits, who are left with semi-spiritual bodies, are inherently weak against it.
The most frustrating thing is that this flame inherits Lu Ping’an’s "sticky" trait, making it incredibly difficult to extinguish once it comes into contact with its target. It not only pulls power and energy from the victim but becomes incredibly difficult to put out once it sticks.
One by one, Magic Plants emerge from the ground. They come in all shapes and sizes, but most of them tend to have a large flower or branch, adorned with a golden blaze.
Yes, these are Lamplight Grasses, a new generation of offensive Magic Plants developed by Lu Ping’an.
Their abilities range from first-tier to third-tier, not essentially different from the previous generation. However, Lu Ping’an has successfully manifested their offensive nature through "Grafting."
Just in an instant, when hundreds of Lamplight Grasses appeared on the field, the countless golden fireballs buried Hannah alive.
This was the main course Lu Ping’an had prepared specifically for her, and it was a killing move she stood no chance of predicting.
There was no way she could have known about Lu Ping’an’s Flame Skill. Even the flame abilities he had occasionally shown before were mostly just as small sparks.
This time, the gains he made from visiting the Silent Mountain Range World, together with the fortuitous encounter with the Flame Master and Purifying Holy Fire, were the trump cards Lu Ping’an had been hiding outside the chessboard to try and deliver a fatal blow!
The countless golden fireballs transformed into a scorching rain that seemed relentless and uninterrupted.
Even if the rampaging Water Dragon trampled countless Lamplight Grasses, the densely distributed "turrets" were still able to tilt their firepower relentlessly... At this moment, Lu Ping’an was still continuously planting more.
Lu Ping’an still hadn’t cultivated high-level Lamplight Grass that could produce Purifying Holy Fire on its own. In fact, these Lamplight Grasses were "charged" by Lu Ping’an himself. As a result, their contained flames enjoyed the enhancement of Lu Ping’an’s lv16 Flame Skill!
This is the highest level of Lu Ping’an’s professional skills and represents his most powerful point!
As golden rain covered the field, Lu Ping’an saw the first glimpse of possible victory.
— End of Chapter 638 —