Chapter 640
Chapter 640 - 620: Defense Deployment
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7 min read
The youth took a deep breath, but the air he exhaled and inhaled was filled with scorching heat.
Even for a Flame Skill master, this kind of environment was still a test... Fortunately, the Sun Vine with which he coexisted, as a higher-ranked being of Purifying Holy Fire, absorbed and consumed the surrounding flames, leaving Lu Ping’an only with bearable high temperatures.
[Congratulations Host, your resistance to flames and high temperatures has slightly improved...]
Such notifications had never ceased from the beginning. As an extraordinary professional creature, once he steps on the path of no return to evolution, gaining promotion from "training" and "environment" is a kind of instinct.
Perhaps, when Lu Ping’an truly becomes a native Fire Controller, this will also become one of his professional abilities.
He grew too fast, and many professional Abnormal Abilities had not been supplemented, many skill branches had not been practiced, and it would take time to polish and fill them. Maybe it was still too early for him to face such opponents now...
"Lu Ping’an!"
A sudden shout awoke Lu Ping’an’s rationality.
"I... spaced out?"
While Hannah was subjected to high temperatures and barbecue, Lu Ping’an was also enjoying the same treatment. Compared to her physique, Lu Ping’an could only be considered weak... Excessive body temperature and dehydration are equally exhausting and can even cause him to lose focus and hallucinate.
Spacing out on the battlefield is quite deadly.
"It’s coming..."
But now, Lu Ping’an wasn’t alone.
The link of life allowed Lu Ping’an to be awakened by Zhi Xi in that instant when he was distracted.
And the spiritual power the other party sent for support also became the barrier that allowed him to continue holding on.
They had been fighting non-stop until now. Not to mention that Hannah had reached her limit, Lu Ping’an himself had reached his limit several times... He feared that in the coming period of time, he would have to carefully repay the "delayed payment" he had made for himself.
"...Can it be blocked?"
Even without Spirit Vision, the towering pillar of light in front of him and the rising flame storm clearly indicated the current crisis.
Hannah was gathering her strength... After being sure that her regular pursuits could not effectively hurt Lu Ping’an, she would naturally pour all her efforts into a deadly blow.
A single hit to determine victory or defeat, or rather, life or death.
"She’s still gathering power..."
It has been more than thirty seconds, she hasn’t moved at all, and the flame storm she repelled is just a glimpse of what she’s accumulating.
Why not interrupt the big move? Lu Ping’an wanted to interrupt, but he couldn’t. The gap in solid strength was placed right there in front of him.
Not to mention active attacking, he even had to avoid being approached by her.
"Can it be dodged?"
"Impossible, the space is too small."
This duel field, designed as a circular arena, was quite vast, but it still had limitations. Such a closed terrain was the basics of Lu Ping’an’s tactics, otherwise, the effects of these "barbecue" tactics would be greatly reduced.
But this limited space has restricted Lu Ping’an’s evasive range at this moment... He couldn’t escape as far as he could, and could only prepare to withstand the opponent’s final eruption.
"Heh, it really has come full circle..."
The silver-armored knight’s figure landed behind him and sucked Lu Ping’an back in again.
Compared to the huge body, when acting alone, his agility was higher... But at the moment when the brave wins in a narrow encounter, this state might be more suitable for him.
As the metal silver-armored knight stood there, it was an understatement to say he was solid as a rock. When he picked up his shield and adopted a defensive position, even steel couldn’t surpass his solidness.
"Turtle Spirit..."
This time, the sealed shield that was awakened was the highest specification in Lu Ping’an’s hands, and it was also a powerful guardian spirit personally cultivated by a Decree-level sealing knight.
A pale blue "Turtle Spirit" stepped into reality, covering the front of Lu Ping’an. The originally semi-transparent force field shield now resembled solid blue steel.
And yet, this was just the beginning.
"Soul-snatching Mark."
At seven locations on his body, a sinister red light flickered, and the hardness of Zhi Xi’s armor was once again significantly increased.
Suddenly, a burst of black light enveloped Zhi Xi’s armor.
"Turning Stone into Iron." While Lu Ping’an strengthened his armor’s hardness from the inside out, Zhi Xi utilized his Tamer’s abnormal abilities from outside in, adding another layer of hardness to his own armor.
"Turning Stone into Iron."
The same brilliance refreshed once again... As a Tamer, there was no reason for Lu Ping’an not to use this versatile and convenient lowest level ability.
In the past, the defensive ability of the Silver Armored Knight was, in fact, overkill. But now, he still felt it was not enough.
"...Activating the Black Flame Generator."
Enveloped by the mysterious black flame once again, Zhi Xi’s external device draped a layer of flame over Lu Ping’an’s armor.
Originally, this main weapon belonged to a Decree-level War Puppet, but now it was repurposed as a relatively incomplete external device; the highly erosive black flame targeted life itself.
However, if it were Catherine, she would easily be able to support the consumption of these "fires" and not have to worry about misfires.
But for Lu Ping’an... even short-term use was already at its limit.
And yet, this was still not the complete super external device that had been installed on Zhi Xi on the day; there was more.
"Fire-Devouring Scarlet Chain, completion rate is around 70%, with an expected running limit of 120 seconds. Should we activate?"
"Activate it, its power is currently the most suitable..."
With a soft whirring noise, an invisible aura appeared around Lu Ping’an.
Under such circumstances, its power was not conspicuous because, in some sense, it overlapped with the current battlefield’s environmental abilities.
"...Withering Aura, the continuous effect of the Withering Skill."
A certain Mechanic Spiritualist was very powerful, placing a Decree-level withering aura in her own War Puppet.
Now, this death aura, which combined "Wither," "Wither to Death," and "Life Drain," would doubly increase the risks for opponents approaching Lu Ping’an.
It was not used before simply because both items were incomplete. Even with the help of the Original Owner’s maintenance, in the absence of core materials, they were still considered "luxury items" that took days to repair after just a few minutes of use.
Why was Catherine able to use it casually back then? How could the treatment of the world’s favored daughter be the same? No need to worry about the damage caused by the overloading of machines, as all the odds were on her side.
And every time Lu Ping’an used them, he made sure that not only was it best to activate them during static times, but also to be prepared for them to strike or even self-explode at any moment.
But now, for Lu Ping’an, being able to use these two devices at the crucial moment was already enough.
Either one could pose an effective threat to Hannah, ensuring an ultimate end after this attack.
Considering Hannah’s current state, being tainted with the black flame and then entangled for a while by the withering aura, she likely wouldn’t be able to continue pursuit.
Under the repeated wash of Turning Stone into Iron, the silver knight turned somewhat black. Standing there with his large shield, it looked like a statue that had stood for thousands of years... he stopped and didn’t plan to move anymore.
Taking another deep breath, Lu Ping’an was not using his martial arts, but the connection that kept them linked.
He used his breath to adjust his body’s rhythm, relax his mind and body, and prepare for the incoming attack.
And when that attack truly appeared before him, he knew that he had still underestimated her.
— End of Chapter 640 —