Chapter 346: Fighting from a Distance
In the vicinity of the Frost Flame Flower, Solomon began to pluck the petals with his Secret Method Body Double, and both Ivan and Doug knew that the challenging moments were now to come.
"Can we set up a runes sorcery array here?"
"No time, the slightest mistake could lead to chaos or even a dead end." Ivan gently shook his head.
The surrounding energy was highly concentrated, maintained by a bizarre balance. Once the Formation was initiated, it would certainly break the original equilibrium. Their location would become disordered, and the consequences were unimaginable.
Ivan was not willing to take that risk.
"How about this, one person guards each side?"
"No problem."
In just a few words, the two made their decision, each according to their own strengths. On the side of Lake Cold, Doug would stand guard while Ivan confronted the Lord of Melt Lake.
The two Alien Race Lords were the biggest enemies at present.
The surrounding 'Heaven and Earth Net' instead became their unconventional defensive barrier. If the two lords didn't want to destroy the Frost Flame Flower, they had to be extra cautious and could not use their powers recklessly.
"You inside, die now!"
The Melt Lake Lord, more impatient, made the first move.
At this moment, his Domain Aura extended a tortuous pathway through the fiery sky fire of 'Heaven and Earth Net' and the scorching miasma.
With one swipe of his hand, the fire power traveled cleverly through this temporary pathway, transforming into a giant fiery hand at the end.
Its momentum was overwhelming.
"As expected, they can't bear to see the Frost Flame Flower destroyed," Ivan thought to himself.
Facing the incoming giant fiery hand, he didn't even look back as he instructed Locke, asking him to keep an eye on Solomon's side.
He stepped forward, the Black Magic Wind Fire Pearl drifting around him, and he also swiped his hand, summoning the Black Magic Hand.
On one side there was an orange fire, and on the other black fire.
The two palms collided, creating a thunderous boom.
One side was ferociously powerful, the other was full of cunning and surprises.
Ultimately, an evenly matched explosion of splendid flames vanished in mid-air, and the 'Heaven and Earth Net' around them shook slightly but did not cause further chaos.
"No wonder they are called 'lords'; even with reduced power, the fire still has such force. It takes the support of the Black Magic Wind Fire Pearl to withstand it."
Ivan kept an eye on the surroundings. Seeing that he had not caused any disruption, he finally exhaled in relief.
Seeing his first attempt unsuccessful, the Melt Lake Lord struck again, his power visibly increased by twenty to thirty percent.
In response, Ivan's expression became solemn, and he countered with Black Magic Hand, simultaneously neutralizing the opponent's force and keeping the impact confined.
"Damn humans, take another palm of mine!" His own flames being suppressed, the Melt Lake Lord was furious.
This palm was even stronger, causing the nearby Heaven and Earth Net to tremble slightly. Ivan would not let him succeed; the Black Magic Wind Fire Pearl emitted a brilliant black glow, enhancing the strength of the Black Magic Hand.
As a result, Black Magic Hand suppressed the giant fiery hand once again.
"Flame barbarian, don't blame this Lake Cold lord if I make a big move—if humans succeed in stealing the Holy Water, where would I put my face?"
On the other side, the Lake Cold Lord confronted Doug, facing setbacks with his limited moves and clearly reluctant to continue probing in such a constrained manner.
Hearing such words, Ivan's expression changed subtly.
"What Holy Water, that's the Holy Fire that this lord painstakingly cultivated," overhearing this, the Melt Lake Lord exploded in anger and immediately reached out with his arm, just as he handled the three-headed bird earlier.
This palm spared no considerations.
Within the Heaven and Earth Net, wherever the hand passed, the celestial fire dramatically transformed, and miasma exploded in flames, crowding around the hand and arm as they squeezed inward.
"Big trouble now."
Looking at the approaching hand and the chaotic phenomena, Ivan felt numb, the situation being unprecedentedly tricky.
Regardless, he had to chop off this intruding hand first.
He raised his right hand, numerous pure white delicate Space Silks shot out, winding circles forward, waiting for the Melt Lake Lord's hand to come through.
"Human, watch as I crush you."
Three or four seconds later, the Melt Lake's enormous hand crossed the Heaven and Earth Net, reaching straight toward Ivan below.
This was a true fiery giant hand, built of molten rock with flesh harboring terrifying power, the air unconsciously cracking with a bang, its might unquestionable.
In the blink of an eye, what first met the giant hand was a Pan Iron Root emerging from Ivan's sleeve, like a pillar thrusting into the palm, indeed it was Jenny taking covert action.
Ivan manipulated the Space Silk, winding it in circles.
The edge of spatial cutting suddenly appeared, from inconspicuous to slicing through anything, all in an instant.
"You dare!"
Arm aching sharply, the Melt Lake Lord finally realized, having underestimated the human's techniques.
From that point, nothing was in his control anymore, the Space Silk relentlessly slicing through the intrusive arm, leaving him no room to retract. All that was pulled back was an arm cut short.
Arm by arm fell, Ivan timed it right and flung out a broad scroll, sealing the spoils of war within it.
After finishing these tasks, he quickly stepped back several paces.
"It's all chaotic."
Ivan frowned as he looked at the place where the battle had just occurred.
The Magma Lake Lord was in retreat, but the chaos he caused hadn't ceased; instead, it was spreading further, intensifying by the minute and threatening the stability where the Frostflame Flower was located.
Once the Heaven and Earth Net was completely engulfed in chaos, the location of the Frostflame Flower would become the center of turmoil. Then they would have to face being crushed from all directions, a terrifying thought.
"Boom!"
A figure flew sideways, disrupting Ivan's train of thought.
He effortlessly flicked his wrist, releasing a length of energy particles that coiled around the figure and pulled it back just in time, preventing it from crashing into the Heaven and Earth Net. It turned out to be Kang Mang.
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"Thanks," Kang Mang steadied himself and promptly expressed his gratitude.
"This guy is really troublesome, almost got me," Doug remarked bitterly from another side.
Both men had numerous frostbites on their bodies, especially Kang Mang's body double; his clothes were tattered, and his eyebrows were dotted with broken ice.
Fortunately, at this moment, the Frost Lake Lord had been repelled by the two, leaving a trail of alien blood scattered across the ground.
"How's it going on your end?"
"I severed one of his arms. Be prepared for even more chaos."
Upon hearing Ivan's response, Doug's expression became tense. Was the discrepancy between their situations that large?
Ivan didn't wait for him to say more before reminding him,
The Magma Lake Lord had suffered such a huge loss, it was strange if the opponent did not resort to more drastic means. One could imagine that the forthcoming chaos would be their greatest test.
...
Outside the Heaven and Earth Net, at that moment, Dila had found the other two descendants of the Belizi family and the trio confirmed that Solomon had sneaked inside, leaving them no choice but to form a temporary alliance.
Regarding their next move, the three had differing opinions.
"I say we stoke the fire a little more, further muddle the situation so that we might have a chance to seize the Frostflame Flower amidst the chaos," Dila suggested.
"How do you propose we stoke the fire, set off the peripheral force layer?" Kraft picked up on her idea.
"No, no, that won't do. Not only the Frostflame Flower but Solomon and his people would be doomed as well; we would achieve nothing and have to answer to our clan," You Lei immediately expressed his reservations upon seeing Dila slightly nod.
"How can it not be explained?"
"The family will think we only wanted to kill Solomon and in order to achieve this, we were willing to destroy the Frostflame Flower. To avoid setting a precedent for the younger generation, we would surely face severe punishment."
Hearing You Lei's explanation, Dila fell silent.
She had to admit, destroying both Solomon and the Frostflame Flower would likely violate the clan's taboos. When that time came, the elders would surely take a different stance, and they would certainly not get access to crucial resources afterward.
"You're right, we should not act recklessly. Let's wait and see what those two lords do next; they are not to be trifled with. Perhaps Solomon won't have a chance to escape," Kraft remarked with some regret.
"How did Solomon manage to enter?" Dila continued to inquire.
"Probably from below, the bottom of the Magma Lake, but I don't know the specifics," Kraft said.
"If he succeeds, he will have to take the Frostflame Flower with him when he comes out; that will be our chance. Let's get prepared."
"True enough."
Not stirring up trouble now didn't mean giving up on the Frostflame Flower. Given the previous situation, the opponent might once again emerge from the side of the Magma Lake. The three decided to set up some countermeasures around it.
Before long, the three, along with their companions, had placed a network of 'spies' around the Magma Lake.
Then, they watched as the gigantic Magma Lake Lord threw a mighty punch, his terrifying palm aimed straight at the core, undoubtedly putting the situation inside in grave danger. The Frostflame Flower might be destroyed.
"How---is that possible?"
"Who did Solomon bring in as his sorcerer to even such a being suffer a great loss?"
Amidst the complex emotions of Dila and others, a shocking scene unfolded, the Magma Lake Lord not only failed in his attack but also lost a palm in the process.
"Not good! The Magma Lake Lord is going berserk," Dila thought in shock, her face paling as their earlier preparations seemed futile.
"Roar! Damn humans! My arm----I will burn you to ashes! Roar!"
As expected, the Magma Lake Lord, driven wild by an inferior human who had caused him such great loss, ignited the rage in his heart comprehensively.
What Frostflame Flower? It no longer mattered.
He wanted to incinerate the humans inside.
Accompanied by the roars of the Magma Lake Lord, the temperature inside the lake skyrocketed in the blink of an eye, stirring the surrounding magma into tumultuous waves.
And that wasn't the end, half of the Magma Lake Lord's body sank into the Magma Lake, and the remaining members of his fiery tribe submerged completely under the magma, wreaking havoc along with their lord.
In a flash, on one side of the Heaven and Earth Net, the climate transformed as the magma waves surged wildly.
The waves, with their immense power, flowed towards the location of the Heaven and Earth Net, one wave following another, each one higher than the last, submerging the area where the Frostflame Flower was in layers of waves.
The balance of that region was completely overturned.