Section 112: Igneous Glow
Updated: May 29, 2013
The moment Huoyan Guang unleashed his secret move, the atmosphere shifted dramatically.
A dazzling red flame erupted from his fist, resembling a fiery python several meters long. It surged upward with a sudden snap, mouth wide open like a bloodthirsty beast ready to devour.
The crowd erupted in astonished gasps. Huoyan Guang was usually arrogant and overbearing, far from the praise bestowed upon Ming Zichun and Yun Yiyao. Yet this strike left everyone stunned. The Fire Python Fist was one of the Huojia family's secret martial arts, tailored for practitioners of Fire Elemental True Energy. It was a fifth-tier technique, requiring not only exceptional talent but also years of dedicated practice to master its deadly moves.
To everyone’s surprise, Huoyan Guang—the typical spoiled heir—had devoted such painstaking effort to this art.
The Fire Python Fist was renowned for its fierce yet nimble flame strikes, a masterpiece among fifth-tier skills.
The Huojia clan had long studied this form, passing it down through generations, with each Fire Python Fist Soul Card being a prized treasure. Among all disciples, no one surpassed Huoyan Guang’s mastery.
His gaze was cold and sharp. Usually reserved and unassuming, he had never revealed his true strength. He hadn’t expected the situation to escalate so severely. But as the chaos unfolded, he suddenly realized this was a golden opportunity.
If he could defeat Tang Tian now and save Ming Zichun...
Beyond Ming Zichun owing him a great debt, his reputation would skyrocket to the highest heights. The only concern was if Shangguan Qianhui returned to fight him—yet even then...
Considering what Tang Tian had done today, offending every family in the Perseus Constellation, what could Shangguan Qianhui accomplish alone?
No matter how formidable, she could hardly stand against the entire Perseus Constellation.
Huoyan Guang’s eyes grew icy; murderous intent boiled within him as the fiery python’s power intensified in his grasp.
Suddenly, a blur of blue caught the corner of his eye.
Not good!
His eye twitched violently. With a swift flick of his wrist, the red fire python coiled in midair and lunged toward the blue figure like a striking serpent.
The attack was lightning fast.
Yet it still fell short by half a step, missing its mark.
A chill ran through Huoyan Guang’s heart. So fast!
Though he had prepared himself for a fierce battle after witnessing Tang Tian’s unmatched courage, the pressure of facing him directly still exceeded his expectations.
Huoyan Guang reacted instantly. He pulled back his elbow and shrank his body as the flaming python coiled tightly around him, shielding him.
The python’s head rose high, ready to strike.
Suddenly, a sharp crack like a string of firecrackers echoed through the air.
Huoyan Guang tensed. Here it comes!
A swift leg strike landed on the serpent’s body.
The python shuddered slightly, dissipating the incoming energy.
Huoyan Guang relaxed somewhat. The opponent’s force was not overwhelming; it posed little threat to his fiery python.
But in the next instant, his expression changed.
Pop! Pop! Pop!
Like a rapid burst of firecrackers, a dazzling barrage of energy surged forth at an alarming frequency.
Tang Tian hovered midair, his leg strikes too fast to follow, each toe lighting up a spear-shaped halo of light.
A double kick combo!
Huoyan Guang felt as if caught in a raging storm, wind howling in his ears, staggering under the relentless onslaught. The speed was overwhelming, leaving no time for reaction—only instinctual defense.
He was terrified. Though less conventional, he understood the double kick combo well. Perfectly executed, it could deliver four kicks per second.
But Tang Tian subtly exceeded that limit, approaching five kicks per second.
Five kicks per second!
An astonishing speed!
Within five short seconds, the fiery python endured twenty-five kicks in total!
Each strike was not overwhelmingly powerful, but the cumulative effect of twenty-five hits changed his complexion.
Twenty-five waves of true energy surged in five seconds, pounding his chest with suffocating force even Huoyan Guang found hard to bear.
The flaming python trembled violently like a sieve.
Huoyan Guang’s hot temper flared; he was no one to suffer losses quietly. Suppressing the tightness in his chest, he snorted coldly and flipped his right elbow in a sudden horizontal strike.
A flash of flame streaked forth!
The coiled python’s tail whipped out like a giant fiery whip.
Tang Tian, as if anticipating this, used the energy from the tip of his toe to flash sideways. The python’s tail barely grazed his body.
Sharp energy sparks flew off the peacock-blue armor over his chest.
Unfazed, Tang Tian landed lightly, bent his knees, and sprang forward like a cannonball aimed at the encircled Huoyan Guang.
“I’ve been waiting for this!”
Huoyan Guang’s eyes darkened. Concealed in shadow, his left fist shot out suddenly.
Flames around his fist morphed into a smaller but denser fire python head, ready to devour.
Tang Tian charged headlong with no intention to evade, unleashing a Shockwave Fist.
Suddenly, Huoyan Guang’s pupils contracted. Tang Tian’s fist was enveloped in a transparent sphere.
A Vacuum Shock!
The deadly move of the Shockwave Fist!
But Huoyan Guang laughed coldly. A fourth-tier technique’s finisher could never match a fifth-tier skill’s deadly strike.
Fool!
The transparent vacuum shock collided solidly with Huoyan Guang’s fire python attack.
The glowing shield around Tang Tian’s fist shattered instantly. The surrounding air ripped into countless razor-sharp currents, rushing furiously toward Tang Tian’s fist.
A piercing whistle sounded unexpectedly, like a night owl’s cry in the forest.
Puff! Puff! Puff!
The sharp currents pierced into the fire python flames like angry arrows.
Powerful energy surged from Huoyan Guang’s fist. His heart tightened—such force truly befitted a fourth-tier finisher! But to defeat his fire python strike with this alone? Impossible fantasy!
Then suddenly, a sharp energy pierced Huoyan Guang’s fist like a needle. Caught off guard, his true energy nearly collapsed.
What strange energy!
He forced himself to stabilize the flow, preparing to neutralize it. Yet the energy inside his fist exploded violently.
The burst was so sudden Huoyan Guang had no time to brace himself.
Snap!
The carefully maintained true energy shattered into chaos.
Huoyan Guang’s face finally paled.
Impossible!
Tang Tian’s true energy contained two completely distinct forces!
Momentarily stunned, Huoyan Guang froze in place, forgetting to attack, powerless as the blue figure receded from his vision.
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Riding the momentum of Huoyan Guang’s punch, Tang Tian bent forward, moving like a streak of blue lightning into the approaching crowd.
Even now, the blazing fire in his eyes still flickered fiercely.
From the start, he had no intention of sparing a single one.
Their earlier clash had been a test. Afterward, Tang Tian realized Huoyan Guang was a tough opponent—a stubborn bone to break. He decided to save him for last. That was why he first used the Crane Body Technique, then the Dragon’s Might. The explosive Dragon’s Might allowed him to easily disengage.
Before anyone could react, the blue figure appeared like a phantom before them.
Everyone was shocked.
They had seen Huoyan Guang entangle Tang Tian and even unleash his deadly move, believing the fight was won. Who could have guessed Tang Tian would abandon Huoyan Guang and charge directly at them?
The first guard was stunned, wildly swinging his steel saber.
Tang Tian’s palm, seemingly gentle, struck the blade.
Pfft!
The guard was hit hard, blood spraying from his mouth as though a charging rhino had rammed him, sending him flying.
Witnessing this, no one could keep their composure.
Tang Tian’s palm strike wasn’t the Moon Hand Slash or Shadow Fragment Palm but the Borrowed Force Strike from the Falling Clothes technique, infused with Huoyan Guang’s Fire Python power.
The unprotected noble’s face turned deathly pale. His vision blurred, and he lost consciousness.
Tang Tian didn’t glance at Yu Zeqing. He only saw his fine clothes—an obvious rich heir. These spoiled nobles were all his targets; fighting guards and servants was pointless.
His movements were swift and relentless.
“Master!”
“Young sir!”
Cries echoed from the crowd as guards rushed to catch their flying young masters.
But though they were fast, Tang Tian was faster.
“Peacock!”
Tang Tian roared.
A dark blue peacock silently appeared on his shoulder, its crimson feathers trembling softly. Dozens of blue feathered armor plates on Tang Tian’s body suddenly shot out, skimming the ground like lightning, silent and swift.
Even more surprising, each blue feather was tied to a thin rope.
Just as the guards neared their young masters, dozens of blue lights sprang from the ground like ropes, swiftly entangling the airborne nobles.
The blue lights appeared without warning.
Before they could react, the peacock on Tang Tian’s shoulder let out a sharp cry and soared skyward.
All the ropes tightened instantly.
The bound nobles were lifted into the sky by the peacock. Though small, the bird’s strength was astonishing, flapping its wings rapidly toward a lamppost.
Huoyan Guang snapped back to reality, instantly understanding Tang Tian’s plan. Furious, he kicked off the ground with both legs, leaping into the air to strike the peacock.
“Die!”
His punch was fueled by rage, terrifying in its intensity. The fiery flame resembled a gigantic python bursting from a den, charging toward the sky-bound peacock with overwhelming force.
A blurred blue figure suddenly blocked the python’s path.
Reflected in Tang Tian’s eyes was a sea of blazing fire.
The youth raised his fist once more.