Late Night, Skull Ridge, Blood Wolf Stronghold.
The rugged rock fortress perched atop the steep mountain, like a lurking beast.
On the watchtower, the guard hugged his spear and dozed off, his head nodding with exhaustion from the day’s fatigue and the noise below dragging him into drowsiness.
No one noticed, deep within the thick curtain of night, a blinding point of light was rapidly expanding at a terrifying speed!
It tore through the silent darkness, its piercing screech sharp enough to rend the soul, screaming from afar to right before them in a single instant!
The air, under its terrifying dive, was compressed, rubbed, and ignited to the extreme, dragging behind a blazing white plasma tail that seemed to split the night sky in two!
A wave of destructive pressure crashed down like a tsunami before the light even arrived!
“Boom –!!!”
A meteor crashed to the ground!
A deafening roar ripped through the silence of the mountains!
A wild shockwave exploded from the point of impact in a perfect ring, blasting outward with furious force!
The hard rocky ground shattered like brittle biscuits, instantly reduced to powder.
Smoke mingled with splintered wood, torn cloth, and splattered flesh, forming a giant deathly mushroom cloud rising into the sky!
The shockwave, like an invisible giant wall, swept away everything in its path!
Several nearby wooden watchtowers and storehouses collapsed in an instant, their debris hurled far away by the raging air currents!
Cries of pain and screams were drowned in the roar of destruction.
The dust was violently parted and shredded by an unseen force.
At the center of the deep crater, a figure slowly straightened.
Lin En.
The Apprentice Robe on his body was already in tatters, scorched with charred marks from high-speed friction and heat.
His exposed skin was covered in fine bloodstreaks.
But none of it could conceal the terrifying aura radiating from him.
The lingering heat and wild elemental turbulence circled him like submissive servants.
His eyes were blood-red, whites laced with veins, devoid of any human emotion—only pure killing intent and a desire for destruction.
He looked like a demon god crawling out of the blood prison of the underworld!
“En… enemy attack! Kill him!”
A bandit leader struggled up from the ruins, shrieking, his voice warped by fear.
The surviving bandits snapped awake from their stupor, survival-driven savagery overtaking their terror.
Arrows rained like locusts, screeching as they shot forth!
Several fierce bandits roared like beasts, surging with battle energy as they swung heavy blades and axes, charging from different directions!
Even two or three men in tattered magic robes managed to conjure a few dim Fireballs and Wind Blades, which wobbled as they fired toward the center of the crater.
Lin En didn’t even move his feet.
His blood-red eyes swept over the charging enemies, as if looking at a swarm of ants.
He casually raised his left hand, five fingers splayed.
Buzz!
Furious Spirit Power poured out like a flood bursting a dam!
Wind Barrier!
A whirling, semi-transparent azure wall of wind instantly formed before him!
The dense arrows struck it as if hitting a steel millstone, shredded to dust and iron flakes!
The feeble magic missiles didn’t even create a ripple before being silently snuffed out.
His right hand pressed downward!
Earthspike Hell!
The entire plaza’s ground convulsed and heaved violently!
Countless sharp, earth-yellow rock spikes burst forth without warning!
Pshht! Pshht!
The muffled sounds of blades piercing flesh overlapped in rapid succession!
Bandits charging forward, those nearby, even archers hiding behind cover—all were impaled by the sudden spikes!
Agonized screams replaced the previous chaos, blood spraying and dyeing the ground a glaring crimson!
Lin En’s gaze locked coldly onto the bandit who had just issued commands—a deputy wearing half-leather armor, aura at White Silver Rank, a Blood Wolf lieutenant.
The deputy staggered back in terror.
“Die.”
A cold word squeezed from between Lin En’s teeth.
He flicked his finger at the deputy from afar.
Flame Eruption!
The ground beneath the deputy’s feet turned scarlet in an instant.
Boom!
A pillar of molten lava, more than three meters wide, erupted without warning!
Searing magma and thousand-degree flames engulfed the White Silver Rank deputy in an instant!
He didn’t even have time to scream—his figure twisted and carbonized in the blinding fire, finally reduced to drifting black ash.
With a simple motion, an Elemental Storm raged!
Lin En strode through the ruins and blood, a cold Elemental Lord—each step crushing the bandits’ nerves.
Icy killing intent and wild elemental energy intertwined, forming a despairing Death Domain.
“Roar –!!!”
A bellow full of rage, terror, and madness erupted at the plaza’s edge!
Scarface had finally appeared.
His burly form was covered in dust, the hideous scar on his face writhing with fury like a living centipede.
He stared at the charred remains of his deputy and the wailing subordinates, heart pounding with fear.
He recognized the youth before him from the information their employer provided—the brother of that girl.
But the power displayed far surpassed the intelligence by a hundredfold!
This was no mere Magic Apprentice!
“Brat! I’ll make sure you die with no grave!”
Scarface’s eyes burned with the last shred of madness and despair.
He suddenly pulled something from his inner pocket—a sealed crystal vial as thick as a baby’s arm!
Inside, a dark red, viscous liquid flowed, reeking of blood and a dreadful, abyssal malice!
It was a Feral Potion, given by his employer as a precaution.
At the time, Scarface had scoffed—raiding a small town hardly required such a thing.
But a Feral Potion was valuable, so he happily accepted the extra pay.
Now, it seemed their employer had known this brat was special, even preparing this potion specifically for him.
At that thought, Scarface seethed with anger and resentment.
Regardless of any schemes, most of the power he’d built over years was now destroyed.
All he wanted now was to smash Lin En, the one who ruined everything, to pieces.
Without hesitation, pain and resolve flashed across Scarface’s face as he clenched his fist!
Crack!
The vial shattered!
He shoved the broken mouth into his mouth, tilted his head back, and swallowed all the thick, foul liquid inside!
“Gulp… urgh… AAAHHHHH—!”
The moment the liquid hit his throat, Scarface let out an inhuman scream of agony!
His body swelled like an inflating balloon, already massive frame doubling in size!
Sturdy leather armor tore apart, fragments flying!
His exposed skin turned red as heated iron, spreading with web-like cracks as if magma flowed beneath.
Bulging veins writhed under the skin like twisted worms, pulsing violently!
His facial bones snapped with sickening cracks, fangs piercing through his lips, blood streaming!
His eyes were swallowed by a bloody madness—no pupils left, only the pure, destructive savagery of a beast!
Boom!
A violent, chaotic, blood-soaked energy storm exploded around Scarface!
His White Silver Intermediate aura rocketed upwards, blasting past the White Silver High threshold, nearly touching the legendary Gold Rank!
Sanity vanished—he became a crimson beast of slaughter and destruction, throat rumbling with inhuman growls, bloodshot eyes fixed on Lin En!
“Roar –!”
Enraged, Scarface stomped, the rocky ground shattering like glass!
His figure became a crimson blur, moving with speed and power several times his previous self, like an ancient berserk beast, lunging for Lin En!
Massive, clawed hands covered in crimson keratin swung down, ripping five pale streaks through the air!
A flash of gravity crossed Lin En’s blood-red eyes, but more calculation and boiling killing intent burned within.
His feet remained rooted, but his hands moved swiftly before him, tracing arcane patterns!
Raging Spirit Power moved like invisible tentacles, precisely manipulating the elements around him!
Triple Instant Elemental Barrier!
Earth Shield!
A massive, earth-yellow rhombus rock shield rose before him, as solid as the staunchest guardian!
Wind Vortex!
Almost simultaneously, a swirling azure wind vortex materialized before the rock shield, whistling sharply!
Ice Prism!
Finally, a giant, translucent ice prism as thin as a cicada’s wing and shimmering with rainbow light enveloped the outermost layer!
“Boom–!!!”
Scarface’s crimson claws smashed into the Ice Prism!
Crack!
Tough ice instantly spiderwebbed with cracks, but didn’t shatter completely!
The immense force was refracted and dispersed by the ice, the remainder slamming into the Wind Vortex!
Wooo –!
The rapidly spinning vortex tore and consumed the energy, slowing the crimson claws visibly!
At last, the weakened claws crashed into the innermost Earth Shield!
A cold light flared in Lin En’s eyes!
Seizing the moment while Scarface’s attack was stalled, he thrust both hands forward!
Earthvein Binding!
The ground beneath Scarface softened and collapsed like quicksand, sucking at his legs to immobilize them!
At the same time, thick, thorn-covered Rock Vines burst upward, coiling like giant pythons around his waist!
Frost Breath!
A beam of intensely condensed, azure frost erupted, not as a sweeping blast but as a precise ice lance, targeting Scarface’s now-vulnerable knee joints and ankles!
Wind Hammer!
Above, wild wind elements instantly formed a massive, semi-transparent hammer, descending with crushing force upon Scarface’s unsteady head!
Scarface roared and struggled!
Earthvein Binding cracked under his brute strength, Rock Vines shredded by his crimson claws, but the Frost Breath hit true!
Hiss!
Bone-chilling cold invaded his joints!
His crimson skin frosted over, muscles and ligaments freezing stiff!
He staggered, movements slowed by pain and numbness!
And in that moment!
Boom!
The Wind Hammer crashed down on Scarface’s crossed arms!
The immense force drove him downward, his knees straining under the combined pressure of gravity, frost, and impact, groaning in agony!
“Lock!”
Lin En’s voice was as cold as law!
Rock Crystal Coffin!
Four massive, half-meter-thick stone slabs, gleaming with earth magic, rose around Scarface, clamping shut like a coffin to squeeze his huge body in a tight space!
Only his head and part of his shoulders remained exposed!
Permafrost Seal!
A torrent of icy white cold surged like a waterfall into the Rock Crystal Coffin!
Crack, crack, crack!
Ice thickened rapidly over Scarface’s body, binding him completely to the stone!
Crimson skin dulled and cracked wounds filled with ice crystals!
“Roar –!!”
Scarface let out a despairing, beastly howl, body thrashing inside the coffin of ice and stone!
Rock and ice shattered under his force, but more earth and frost surged to repair and reinforce!
Every struggle brought the crunch of bones and the crackle of ice—like a death knell for his destruction!
Lin En floated before the stone coffin, cold eyes piercing the ice to meet Scarface’s blood-red, maddened gaze.
He raised his hand, Spirit Power condensing into an invisible blade.
Spirit Strike!