Chapter Sixty-One: The Fire of Chaos, Supreme Battle Soul of Flame!

"Are you kidding me? This is happening so suddenly—wait!" Hu Mo shouted inwardly, watching as the aura of the four Protectors erupted with force. He couldn’t muster even a shred of fighting spirit.

"At your command, Young Master!" Azure Dragon was the first to charge forth. A resonant dragon’s roar split the air, and a massive dragon claw descended from the heavens, its target locked on Hu Mo.

Gritting his teeth, Hu Mo dove to the right, narrowly evading the deadly strike. He glanced back at Zhu Xinyue, sprawled upon the ground.

She was too far away, and Dongfang Jun stood right at her side—rescuing her was simply impossible.

Thinking of this, Hu Mo could only force a bitter smile. He himself was already like a clay idol crossing a river, powerless to save even himself; how could he possibly spare a moment for that spoiled little princess? Had his powers not been sealed, perhaps there would have been a sliver of hope for escape. But as he was now, he couldn’t even put up a desperate resistance—after all, even desperation requires the strength to fight.

Still, it was fortunate that Hu Mo had honed his body over the past few days. Even without relying on his strength, his sheer physical prowess allowed him to evade several attacks. If he’d still been as frail as before, he would have long since been pounded to pulp.

Dongfang Jun lounged comfortably on the grass, glancing at Hu Mo from time to time, his eyes tinged with a hint of pity—something that only stoked Hu Mo’s fury.

Sensing Hu Mo’s rage, Dongfang Jun flashed a wicked smile and rose, strolling over to Zhu Xinyue. He knelt, caressing her cheek as he laughed. "So you're the little princess of the Barbarian Continent. Yet your skin is every bit as fine as ours, and your figure… not bad at all. I wonder what you taste like."

His fingers drifted slowly down from her chin to her neck, his lascivious intent plain to see.

Hu Mo’s temper flared instantly. Perhaps something in his mind snapped, for he charged straight in that direction.

The four guardians’ fury blazed even higher. For all their combined efforts, they hadn’t managed to injure Hu Mo even once; now, he seemed to grow bolder, even taking the offensive. It was as though he were brazenly slapping each of them in the face!

"You wretched brat, I’ll have your life!" Azure Dragon roared, slamming a palm to the ground. Green light seeped into the earth, and wherever Hu Mo went, thick vines sprang up as if alive, twisting and writhing, encircling Hu Mo until he was bound tight—like some grotesque mummy.

Yet Hu Mo’s body fought on, writhing with ferocious strength. He thrashed against the vines, his hoarse roars echoing in the air.

There is a beast in every man’s heart; the question is, have you provoked it?

At this moment, Hu Mo’s bestial nature erupted. One thought consumed him: he could not lose, not even in death!

"Surprising, isn’t it? This frail-looking boy has such blood and spirit after all. I rather like that." White Tiger’s eyes glinted with cold light as he smiled.

"Then enjoy your meal. The flavor of prey strangled by me is always exquisite. Consider yourself lucky," Azure Dragon sneered, tightening his control over the vines.

"Never mind, I’m a white tiger, not a tiger—I have no taste for human flesh," White Tiger retorted, rolling his eyes. Yet inwardly, he sighed. That earlier remark about 'liking it' had indeed been sincere. Still, Hu Mo’s death was inevitable—there was nothing he could do to stop it.

The vines had burrowed deep into Hu Mo’s flesh, even pressing against bone. His body felt on the verge of collapse, yet the rage within him surged ever fiercer. He no longer knew what he was doing—only that he must resist, must never yield, not even in death!

He thrashed madly, pain driving him to the brink of madness, like a wounded beast lashing out in a final frenzy.

Dongfang Jun’s hand had already stilled. His eyes were riveted on the green-tendril mummy, his thoughts unreadable. Blood seeped from the gaps between the vines, dripping onto the earth and staining the soil.

After a moment, Dongfang Jun shook his head slightly. "End his misery. Don’t waste any more time."

Azure Dragon nodded, conjuring a curved blade of pure blue energy in his hand. With a sinister grin, he sent the blade spinning toward Hu Mo’s head.

"A clean death—at least it’s a release. Farewell, Young Master Hu," Dongfang Jun mused, bending to reach for Zhu Xinyue.

Before his hand could touch her, a sudden sense of dread seized him. Without looking back, he scooped Zhu Xinyue into his arms and in a flash appeared a dozen meters away.

Glancing back, he saw that the once verdant ground had been engulfed by pitch-black flames. Even the earth itself was scorched to nothingness, and the fire was still spreading downward.

The four retainers had barely reacted before four jets of flame shot toward each of them, radiating a terrifying aura of annihilation.

Chaosfire, the Emperor of Flames!

Azure Dragon and the others sensed the danger at once and scattered in panic.

"Let her go!" a cold voice suddenly rang in Dongfang Jun’s ear, the force of it making his head ring.

His expression changed instantly. Instinctively, he dodged left, narrowly evading a shadowy assault, but he kept his grip on Zhu Xinyue tight, refusing to let go.

Hu Mo’s figure appeared before Dongfang Jun, wreathed in black fire—a sight that stunned all who witnessed it.

Hu Mo was covered in wounds, even his face bearing several bloody gashes. Blood streamed freely, but his aura surged ever higher, the feral power of fire swirling around him, so intense that even the air itself cracked and splintered. Dongfang Jun’s heart clenched tight.

But the true shock was yet to come. The wounds on Hu Mo’s body began to writhe, the bleeding halted, and the gashes slowly closed. A pure aura of wood elemental energy coursed through him, part of it fueling the flames, the rest rapidly mending his body—restoring him to a semblance of humanity.

Yet his aura grew ever more savage, like that of a bloodthirsty beast. The chaosfire condensed into a suit of jet-black armor about him, and behind him, a war spirit of the same inky blackness emerged. His presence multiplied with overwhelming force.

"Chaosfire—the Supreme Flame War Spirit!" Vermilion Bird cried in alarm, eyes wide with terror. Though he too wielded the power of fire, in the face of Hu Mo’s chaosfire, he could only tremble.

"Young Master, look out!" Black Tortoise shouted, his body hurtling forward like a loosed arrow to shield Dongfang Jun. A mist of water erupted from him, colliding head-on with the oncoming chaosfire.

Hissing filled the air as steam rose. Dongfang Jun narrowly escaped the fire’s reach, buffered by the water mist, but Black Tortoise was not so lucky. The mist was infused with his vital essence, and when devoured by chaosfire, his very source was corroded. He spat blood and was hurriedly carried off by White Tiger.

"Damn it! Who’d have thought the boy had this trump card? If only our powers weren’t so restricted, this never would have—"

"Enough talk, White Tiger! We will not be defeated by some brat. Chaosfire or not, Lord Destiny said he was a variable—so what if he possesses chaosfire? White Tiger, heal Black Tortoise with your gold energy. Vermilion Bird and I will hold him off. Even if we can’t kill him, we must ensure the Young Master escapes safely!"

Azure Dragon’s face was ashen, murderous intent radiating from him. Yet unlike Hu Mo, he did not summon a war spirit, but instead began to transform. Gone was his human form; horns sprouted from his head, his body expanded, and soon, a massive dragon—head, body, claws, and tail—hovered above Hu Mo, exuding an overwhelming oppressive force.

"Azure Dragon, are you mad? How can your wood element rival his? Get down, now!" Black Tortoise choked, coughing up more blood as he collapsed into White Tiger’s arms, gasping for breath.

But Azure Dragon seemed not to hear, pressing his aura down upon Hu Mo, as a green sphere of light formed between his horns, aimed straight at his foe.

Dongfang Jun, clutching Zhu Xinyue, appeared atop a high ridge. The back of his shirt had been incinerated by the earlier heatwave, leaving his skin flushed red. No longer his usual elegant self, he now looked wretched, his silver hair in disarray.

His expression was grim, his aura unstable with barely contained rage. In all his years, when had he ever suffered such humiliation? To be suppressed by someone he once considered an ant—this was an impossibility made real.

And yet, it had happened. Dongfang Jun felt as though he’d been shoved from a mountaintop, his body shattered upon the rocks below. A stinging humiliation.

Hu Mo grinned cruelly, his gaze toward Dongfang Jun brimming with bloodlust. He paid no heed to the gathering might of the dragon overhead, nor to the murderous glare Dongfang Jun shot his way. His consciousness seemed lost in a haze, his only clarity flickering when his eyes met Zhu Xinyue’s, though even that glimmer vanished in a heartbeat.

"Ultimate Strike—Azure Dragon Slash!" Azure Dragon roared, a titanic dragon claw expanding to cleave the sky like a colossal blade. Dongfang Jun smiled coldly, set Zhu Xinyue gently upon a boulder, and then suddenly moved as well.