Novels online

Chapter 165: The Vast Difference, Clear at a Glance

"Damn it!"

As Ember's arm restored itself as if it were new and launched another attack, Scepter had no choice but to grit his teeth and brace himself.

He understood their objective clearly: to wear down both his and Traveler's strength.

The moment they showed any sign of weakness, Iro, lurking in the shadows, would strike like a viper, ready to take a vicious bite.

As for Puvidor and Moss, he had already written them off.

Neither the giant-like Ember nor the elusive Iro were enemies that these two could adequately handle; their only purpose was to help absorb some of Ember's attacks.

"Hahaha, it's pointless! You are no match for us at all!"

Ember's maniacal laughter echoed throughout the Cave, causing loose rocks to tumble from the cavern walls.

Bang!

In that instant, Traveler felt a wave of dizziness, as if a pair of bright blue eyes had appeared before him.

A chill ran down his back, and he bit the tip of his tongue hard, quickly regaining his senses and pouring Spiritual Power into the Azure Spirit Branch.

As the Azure Light flared once more, the disorienting sensation vanished instantly.

"Damn it!"

Traveler cursed inwardly; that woman's illusion was truly pervasive. Any slight opening he displayed would be instantly exploited.

If this continued, they would surely face defeat.

He turned to look at Scepter, and their eyes met.

In that brief glance, they understood each other's intentions immediately.

Without hesitation, Traveler and Scepter shot off in opposite directions.

Ember paused at the sight, a moment of indecision washing over him.

Which one should he pursue?

Or should he split up with Iro and chase them separately?

But doing so would disrupt their combined assault.

He wasn’t confident he could capture Scepter or Traveler in a one-on-one encounter.

However, he didn't have to deliberate for long.

With a dull whistling sound, a powerful gust of wind surged from nowhere, sweeping through the Cave in an instant.

Whether it was Scepter and Traveler or Puvidor and Moss, their figures paused for a moment, confusion flickering in their eyes.

"Haha, Iro, you're the best!"

Ember laughed heartily, extending his enormous fiery palms to seize Puvidor and Moss. With a tight grip, he reduced the two to charred corpses in an instant.

Without hesitation, he strode forward, catching up with Traveler and delivering a powerful punch that sent him crashing into Scepter.

Scepter and Traveler had narrowly escaped from Illusion when they looked up to see flames swirling around them in a circle, forming an impenetrable barrier.

At the sight of this, their hearts sank.

That woman hidden in the shadows possessed an Illusion ability that was bizarre and nearly impossible to defend against.

If they didn’t figure out a way to deal with her first, neither their escape nor Ember's defeat would be possible.

Yet the woman never revealed herself, always lurking in the darkness and rendering them helpless.

"Don't struggle; just accept your fate, and you’ll suffer less!"

Ember's mocking voice reverberated from all directions within the flames.

Scepter and Traveler ignored him and were about to attempt another escape when a rumbling sound abruptly pierced the air.

Following the noise, they watched as a massive hole burst open in the wall of fire, and a figure rushed in.

As soon as they recognized the newcomer, joy lit up their faces.

"Su Nan!"

Su Nan quickly scanned Scepter and Traveler before casting a wary glance around.

Were these flames the work of the Eternal Life Society—of that guy named Ember?

"It’s you!"

The surrounding fire barrier hesitated slightly, and Ember's low voice resonated, rising in pitch.

"You’ve come at the perfect time; I’ll take you all down at once!"

With Iro assisting from the shadows, Ember was confident he could defeat three opponents of the same level simultaneously.

Letting out a wild, triumphant laugh, he unleashed a torrent of flames that surged down upon the three of them!

At the same moment, a strange wave enveloped them all.

Su Nan felt a blur before his eyes as countless disheveled water ghost phantoms materialized out of thin air, vying to pounce on him.

"Illusions, huh?"

Su Nan quickly realized why Scepter and Traveler were being suppressed in a two-on-one fight; other enemies were attacking from the shadows.

It must be that woman named Iro, who was said to be highly skilled in illusions.

Even knowing they were mere illusions, Su Nan could still feel the chilling, eerie coldness approaching him, along with the dense Negative Energy emanating from those water ghosts.

This was the power of illusions!

Even if you understood they were illusions, if you couldn’t break through them, the damage they inflicted would be very real.

Without hesitation, Su Nan’s mind flickered. One of the blood-colored patterns on the back of his right hand suddenly glowed red before vanishing.

At the same moment, a muffled, thunderous bell toll rang out from nowhere, instantly echoing throughout the entire cave.

The water ghost phantoms that had been lunging at Su Nan seemed to crash into an invisible barrier, screaming and turning to ashes.

From the shadows in the corner of the cave, a graceful figure staggered out, her hands tightly covering her chest, pain reflecting in her bright blue eyes.

It was Iro.

The sound wave from the bell, known as the Funeral Bell Mark, was indiscriminate, affecting everyone within range.

Scepter and Traveler were also affected, but since they were farther away and had the protections of the Golden Scepter and Azure Spirit Branch, they only felt slightly uncomfortable.

However, Iro, who had been directly using illusions against Su Nan, bore the brunt of the soul shock contained within the sonic waves and was instantly severely injured.

Another who suffered heavily was Ember. The enormous wall of fire absorbed most of the power of the sound waves. Like hot oil splashed with water, it boiled violently, emitting Ember's painful howls from within.

Seizing this opportunity, Su Nan darted toward Iro, raising his hand and unleashing a Magic Missile attack.

Ten Magic Missile projectiles spread out, tracing different arcs in the void as they closed in on Iro from all directions, completely blocking her escape routes.

Watching this scene unfold from a distance, Scepter's eyes widened in shock.

“Spell Construction!”

But even more astonishing things were yet to come. Following the Magic Missile, a red light flashed in Su Nan’s palm, and a Scorching Ray shot out like a sharp arrow. There wasn’t even the slightest pause between the two spells.

“Instant Spell Casting!” Scepter gasped.

Another Metamagic Technique! Two—no, three if you include Silent Spell Casting! Su Nan had actually mastered so many Metamagic Techniques!

Iro and Ember were also greatly startled. Gales and water currents surged from thin air, intertwining to form a wall in front of Iro, blocking the Scorching Ray. However, the Magic Missiles that originated from the left, right, and behind were impossible to dodge. Iro could only brace herself against them head-on. The invisible shield surrounding her instantly shattered, and the remaining shockwaves slammed into her Magic Item's protective layer, sending out large ripples.

The power of this spell shocked Iro to her core. It was far stronger than an ordinary Second Circle spell. The increase in power from Spell Construction was impressive, but Su Nan's own Spiritual Power must also be exceptionally high!

Although the information collected by the Eternal Life Society indicated that Su Nan was very powerful, it was only in this moment that Iro truly felt the weight of the word "powerful."

It had only been two or three breaths since Su Nan had appeared, and both she and Ember were already injured. The previously advantageous situation had been completely reversed, which was utterly unexpected.

“Die!” Ember roared furiously, unleashing an endless sea of fire toward Su Nan, intending to drown him and burn him to ashes.

Su Nan’s expression remained unchanged. A faint light flickered from the Ice Seal Necklace around his neck, and a shockwave of extreme cold suddenly swept out from him in all directions.

Crack! The raging flames that rushed toward him were instantly extinguished, transforming into frozen ice particles that fell with a rustling sound. The endless flames rapidly dwindled at a visible rate, and the temperature in the air dropped sharply.

“Ah!!” Ember let out a wretched shriek. The intense pain drove him into a frenzy, and as he roared, the flames swelled and surged even larger.

Su Nan sneered as he released the Spell Suppression on Iro, preventing her from using her techniques while pulling out another Ice Seal Necklace.

In an instant, a chilling shockwave swept through the area.

Then came a third, followed by a fourth.

Scepter and Traveler stood by, dumbfounded.

They could readily identify those necklaces as Dim Magic Items, which only increased their astonishment at Su Nan's display.

It was the first time they had witnessed someone utilize Dim Magic Items in such a manner!

Other cultivators treated Dim Magic Items as their trump cards, only deploying them in critical situations.

But Su Nan was using them like consumables, one after the other.

It was simply too extravagant!

As they watched, Scepter and Traveler felt themselves growing numb.

In just a short time, Su Nan had already pulled out his seventh Ice Seal Necklace.

He probably possessed more Dim Magic Items than all of their Alchemy Magic Items combined.

Where had he acquired them all?

Under the relentless barrage, Ember had lost its former fierce momentum.

The flames that had once filled most of the cave had dwindled to about two meters tall, reverting to a human form.

However, its color had become unusually dim, as if it could extinguish at any moment.

The flaming visage was now filled with shock and fear, reflecting a human-like response.

All of its previous rage and madness had been forcefully shattered by Su Nan, leaving behind only boundless terror.

"What on earth is this guy?"

"How does he have so many Dim Magic Items?"

The situation had completely reversed. Now it was Ember and Iro who considered retreating.

Both were utterly terrified by Su Nan and realized they were no match for him. The instinct to flee began to take hold.

Without hesitation, they rapidly retreated, flying away at high speed in different directions.

Witnessing this, Scepter and Traveler couldn't help but sigh in admiration.

They had given their all and still couldn't defeat Iro and Ember, even falling into a disadvantageous position, but as soon as Su Nan arrived, he had sent them fleeing in disarray.

The difference in strength was glaringly obvious!

Traveler was still relatively unfazed; after all, he had personally witnessed Su Nan slay Bloodmaw and Magic Hand. However, it was Scepter's first time witnessing Su Nan's power. He had always known Su Nan was strong, but he had not realized he was this formidable.

While they marveled at his strength, the two did not remain idle; they swiftly moved to intercept Iro and Ember, respectively.

“Don’t struggle. Accept your death obediently, and you’ll suffer a bit less,” Traveler remarked, a chuckle escaping his lips as he fixed his gaze on Ember. Ember had uttered the exact same words just moments ago, and now, coming from Traveler, it thickened the air with irony.

Ember gritted his teeth in anger but did not halt his movements, unleashing a fierce barrage of flames at Traveler. If he were delayed here, and Su Nan chose to act, it would spell his doom. However, Traveler understood this as well. Facing Ember's attack, he made no attempt to dodge, relying instead on the Azure Light enveloping him to withstand the blows head-on.

In that crucial moment, Su Nan had already made his move. Countless dazzling silver lights tore through the darkness like bolts of lightning, engulfing Ember's body in a tempest.

Chi chi chi!

The ear-piercing sounds of the air being pierced were relentless, almost merging into a single cacophony. The silver Metal Storm completely submerged the spot where Ember had stood!

Traveler retreated repeatedly, a flicker of shock appearing in his eyes as he took in the scene before him. "Spell? That doesn’t seem quite right. Could it be a Magic Item?" he pondered. "But a Dim Magic Item shouldn’t possess such terrifying power, should it?"

Even though Traveler was not the target of the attack, he felt the terrifying force of the silver Metal Storm from his position on the sidelines. Had he been facing that onslaught directly, even with his Azure Spirit Branch, he doubted he could have withstood it fully.

After about ten seconds, the Metal Storm began to dissipate. Ember’s figure had vanished, leaving only wisps of smoke and a Space Ring in its wake. Su Nan reached out, and the Space Ring fell into his palm. Without a moment's hesitation, he turned and soared toward Iro.

Seeing Ember’s demise from a distance, Iro's heart sank. Though he longed to flee, he was held back by Scepter’s relentless attacks.

Boom!

Suddenly, the rock wall not far away erupted in an explosion.

Amidst the spray of shattered stones, several figures burst forth one after another.

Inside the dim tunnel, Rose and Red Heart flew in a panicked rush. The deathly silence of the tunnel was only broken by their rapid breathing. Suddenly, Red Heart cursed under his breath in frustration.

"Damn it, how did things turn out like this?"

Rose sighed deeply but did not respond. The sudden, long howl from the Stone Scorpion had completely shattered their ambush. Their companions had scattered, and their initial numerical advantage was lost. When Rose regained her senses, she found herself alone. Eventually, she managed to reunite with Red Heart and Undead, but they had also encountered Saulo.

In an instant, a fierce battle erupted! After exchanging blows, Rose finally realized how terrifying the founder of the Eternal Life Society truly was. Despite having a three-to-one advantage, they were defeated in just over ten minutes, forced to scatter and flee.

Midway through their retreat, Rose and Red Heart met up again. After a brief conversation, they decided to locate the others first, gather their strength, and then confront Saulo.

As they flew a bit further, Rose suddenly changed expression and stopped.

"Something's moving!"

Red Heart snapped back to attention and listened intently, indeed hearing sounds coming from the distance. The two immediately grew wary.

Soon, three figures emerged from around a corner ahead. Rose looked closely and breathed a sigh of relief. The newcomers were Night Owl, Black Forest, and Hunter, who had become separated from them.

"You—" Rose began to ask a question but was interrupted by Night Owl.

"Hurry, let's go!"

As he spoke, the three of them continued to fly towards Rose and Red Heart at high speed, looking somewhat panicked.