novelraw Chapter 272: Hand of Emberflame! Activate!
Chapter 272: Hand of Emberflame! Activate!
Crack! Crack!
The Bonfire Hunters hurriedly loaded their most powerful heavy explosive shells.
The Bonfire Hunters were a professionally trained team who had participated in numerous C-tier dimensional rifts and faced countless twisted, brutal, and terrifying monsters.
Yet as a gentle breeze brushed past, a bone-chilling fear wormed its way into everyone's hearts like insects burrowing deep.
In the darkness, a cracking sound came from behind Chen Qi, like a butterfly breaking free from its cocoon. Fourteen extensions of his dark flame arms emerged behind him, revealing a completely new form.
Each of these arms was agile, powerful, sharp, thick, and pitch black!
Dark flames continuously burned along the arms as all fourteen gathered together. At this moment, Chen Qi resembled a multi-limbed weaver from the edge of the world.
"Monster..."
In the pitch-black darkness, the Bonfire Hunters even felt like they were facing a boss!
In the distance, the severely wounded White Tower Hunters stared blankly at this scene. Could there really be a turnaround for them, surrounded by the Bonfire Hunters?Was it the Black Hunter... Melanie blinked, awakening as if from a dream.
Chen Qi opened his bloodshot eyes and fixed his gaze on the small treasure chest in old man Bluefire's left hand.
A flesh armor capable of inducing madness... Old man Bluefire's hand trembled slightly as he lit another cigarette for himself.
What's going on? This dark-colored flesh armor - is this really forbidden equipment that a third-tier Transcendent should possess? Where did you get this?
Bluefire suppressed the numerous questions in his heart and exhaled a mouthful of bloody smoke:
"Don't be afraid! The navy's warships are right behind us! No third-tier Transcendent can escape from a naval warship encirclement!
Victory is ours!
Fire!"
Whoosh!
The Bonfire Hunters loaded their Bonfire magic rifles in unison. Scorching energy gathered in the barrels before unleashing a simultaneous volley—
Fwoosh!
Instantly, the dim night sky was illuminated by countless bullets as thousands of heavy burning explosive shells fired like a meteor shower!
And each heavy explosive shell would create a massive explosion upon hitting its target!
This was the Bonfire Hunters' specialized combat method against giant monsters!
The meteor shower descended! The entire island was instantly engulfed in a sea of explosive flames!
The Bonfire Energy Hunters' heavy weapons continuously emitted intense muzzle flashes amid the rising and falling explosions, boosting their confidence!
I've already lost the Lake Sword, I absolutely cannot lose the Deep Sea Hunters' treasure chest... Taking advantage of the explosive sea of flames, old man Bluefire ran at full speed toward the shore.
However, in the next instant, a superheated dark flame hand shot out from the sea of flames and struck Bluefire's face—
Bang!
Bluefire's facial bones cracked audibly as the cigarette in his mouth was forcibly driven into his throat!
The force was too great - he had no choice but to borrow the momentum to tumble backward awkwardly, barely dodging the follow-up attack.
"Increase firepower! Find a way to hold for three seconds!"
Bluefire roared, turning his gaze toward the Black Rock mecha struggling with countless lake beasts on the water's surface.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The firepower from fifty heavy guns was extremely fierce.
Ember's Hands. Shield!
Chen Qi bent his body as the fourteen Ember's Hands behind him crossed and overlapped, forming a massive shadow wall.
These heavy explosive shells simply couldn't penetrate the defense of the dark flame hands.
The powerful performance of fourteen hands, combined with Night Monster and Dark Flame Fist's burning resistance, made the Bonfire Energy Company's burning bullets pose minimal threat to him.
Among them, someone shouted:
"Don't retreat! We're an elite hunter team of fifty!"
Chen Qi defended while quietly waiting.
Fifty well-equipped enemies would be too many for a two-handed Transcendent, but for sixteen-handed Chen Qi, it was just right.
Whoosh—
Crack—
The Bonfire Hunters ran out of bullets and entered their reloading phase.
Whoosh—
Fourteen Hands. Flogging!
Slap! Slap! Slap!
Instantly, the fourteen dark flame hands made slapping motions before suddenly swinging.
The Bonfire Hunters were sent tumbling head over heels! Complete chaos ensued!
Ember's Hands. Bloom, the second stage of Ember's Touch—
This was Ember's Hands, Ember's Touch, two pieces of forbidden equipment combined with a large amount of rare legendary shadow affinity materials, synthesized into legendary forbidden equipment!
Bullets of this level still couldn't break through Ember's Hands' defense.
Chen Qi swiftly moved through the darkness, feeling his body's powerful functions, then fixed his gaze on the fleeing Bluefire.
At this moment, the crouching Bluefire firmly gripped the Deep Sea Hunters' treasure chest with his left hand. He had already lost the Lake Sword - he absolutely could not lose this treasure chest!
Chen Qi used Blink Step to appear before old man Bluefire.
However, contrary to his expectations, instead of retreating, the half-crouching old man Bluefire slowly raised his head and said with a smile:
"Black Hunter, tonight, luck stands on my side—"
Bluefire calmly looked toward the Twelve-Tentacles in the sky!
The Black Rock mecha that he and Dya specially built was originally meant to be a giant shield against the Twelve-Tentacles' attacks. Yet tonight, despite such massive commotion, the island's Twelve-Tentacles still hadn't launched any attack.
The Twelve-Tentacles that should have caused chaos remained silent.
Although the Black Rock mecha had suffered severe damage to its frame and significant reductions in power and speed from being surrounded by sea beasts in the lake battle, Chen Qi had also consumed considerable strength on the lake.
But as long as the Twelve-Tentacles didn't attack, it meant the Black Rock mecha could provide support, becoming the ultimate weapon against the Black Hunter!
In this battle, the Black Rock mecha had an extremely high chance of victory.
Boom—
Boom—
The Black Rock mecha stood on the lake surface, its entire body bound by countless tentacles and gnawed by numerous sharp teeth. It had become the sacrifice for Bluefire to obtain the Deep Sea Hunters' treasure.
However, with a snap of Bluefire's fingers, the Black Rock mecha suddenly erupted with tremendous power, blowing away the many sea beasts surrounding it.
Amid a powerful gust of wind, the fifteen-meter-tall Black Rock mecha covered in blood appeared behind Chen Qi, accumulating energy and forming a punching stance—
Bluefire leaped backward to create distance.
"Goodbye! Black Hunter! You will be our Bonfire Hunters' indelible achievement!"
Chen Qi expressionlessly turned his head to look at the enormous shadow looming over him.
Boom!
Though damaged, the crocodile blood-covered Black Rock mecha moved like an awakened giant beast, swinging its mountain-shaking fists.
Exploding Rock. Mountain Fire Fist!
Chen Qi didn't hesitate either. The twisted black hands behind him suddenly clenched tightly, quickly assuming the Dark Flame Fist attack posture.
Fourteen Hands. Thousand Dark Flame Fists!
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Each strike was accompanied by deafening roars as hundreds of fists came in relentless succession like a violent storm.
Chen Qi's Dark Flame Fists momentarily created a fist-to-fist confrontation with the Black Rock mecha's explosive punches.
The battle between the two stirred up a massive gust of wind. In that instant, dust flew everywhere and heat waves surged.
Bluefire blocked the heat waves with both arms, watching from a distance in disbelief.
Though the Black Rock mecha was battle-damaged, the Black Hunter could actually briefly contend with it!
If we win, that flesh armor will be mine... Bluefire glanced again at the Deep Sea Hunters' treasure chest on his left arm, gritting his teeth as he said:
"Gunner, activate the cremation cannon for me! Fire at the Black Rock mecha and the hunter!"
The Bonfire Exploration's gunner looked shocked:
"Manager, if we fire, the Black Rock mecha will definitely be scrapped!"
The Black Rock mecha was a creation of Beiguo's Steam Hand Workshop, a general-class mecha that mechanist Dya only obtained through his noble status.
In the sea battle, the Black Rock mecha had already suffered too much damage, not to mention that mechanist Dya had fallen unconscious.
If the Black Rock mecha was destroyed, their superiors would definitely punish them.
Bluefire's eyes turned cold:
"Are you telling me how to do my job?"
"..."
Bluefire ordered the cannon fired anyway - it wasn't his mecha after all.
Boom!
The Bonfire Exploration accumulated energy, the entire ship becoming like a scorching hot branding iron. The cannon muzzle spat dazzling flames as, accompanied by deafening roars, a cremation shell wrapped in raging fire soared through the sky straight toward the Black Hunter and the mecha.
The cremation shell disintegrated in mid-air, transforming into a scorching burning tornado that illuminated the entire island crimson red.
Boom!
A sea of fire swept through!
Both Chen Qi and the mecha were buried within the massive sea of flames.
Everyone's gaze was inevitably drawn to this scorching sea of fire.
"Black Hunter..."
In the distance, Melanie's eyes showed confusion as she struggled to bandage herself with all her strength.
The other White Tower Hunters waited excitedly for the battle's outcome.
Chen Qi's attack had bought them time.
But while fighting the other third-tier Bonfire Hunters, they had already suffered severe injuries.
If Chen Qi was defeated, as participants in this operation, the White Tower Hunters would face unimaginable consequences as accomplices.
If the Bonfire Hunters were kind-hearted, they might become prisoners, and the Book Tower might pay ransom for them.
If the Bonfire Hunters showed no mercy, they might even be sold to Beiguo's legendary collectors, becoming playthings in exhibition cabinets, or sold to legendary Goblet affinity gluttons to become food on dining tables, or even targeted by floral aspect trainers to become toys...
Third-tier Transcendents were merely delicious ingredients or advancement materials in the eyes of many legends and nobles.
"Can we win?"
The seven White Tower Hunters wondered in their hearts.
No matter how damaged, the Black Rock mecha was still a general-class mecha.
Besides the White Tower Hunters, everyone else on the island - the Sea God Pirates, the Bonfire Energy Hunters - also tacitly stopped their attacks, anticipating the final outcome.
One minute later, within the sea of fire, the howling sound of punching winds gradually ceased as everything slowly returned to calm.
Boom!
The next second, the back of the burning Black Rock mecha emerged from the edge of the sea of fire.
Bluefire smiled:
"As expected of a general-class mecha. The winner is..."
However, before they could cheer, Bluefire noticed that four pitch-black arms were firmly grasping the Black Rock mecha's limbs—
Wrong!
Boom!
Shadow Release: Shadow of the Flame Demon!
Chen Qi, his entire body burning with black flames, emerged from the sea of flames and began running continuously.
And the once majestic Black Rock mecha now resembled a meteor hammer, firmly grasped by Chen Qi, dragged along the ground in a straight line, then swung out—
Boom!
The Black Rock mecha carved a massive hammer-shaped path across the ground. The Bonfire Hunters were sent flying by the hammer impact, crashing heavily to the ground. Instantly, dust flew everywhere as cries of pain arose.
Old man Bluefire widened his eyes in disbelief:
"Flame Demon Release!"
Bang!
The next second, the Black Rock mecha crashed toward the Bonfire Exploration behind old man Bluefire like a giant boulder falling from the sky.
Boom!
With a deafening roar, the Black Rock mecha's massive body slammed violently onto the ship's deck, instantly shattering it to pieces. The tremendous impact even made the entire ship tremble.
The operators inside the mecha also suffered dizziness and exhaustion.
Seawater rushed violently through the damaged openings, intertwining with the ship's flames to create an apocalyptic scene.
"My ship—"
Old man Bluefire turned back in shock. His third-tier Transcendent subordinates had been severely wounded by the White Tower Hunters, while a large number of his subordinates had been seriously injured by the Black Hunter.
This meant that just moments ago, no one had activated the Bonfire Exploration's defensive barrier.
Bluefire gritted his teeth, his left hand firmly clutching his treasure chest, refusing to let go.
However, having consumed a large amount of spiritual energy from drawing the Lake Sword, he had completely lost his composure.
Defeat... Old man Bluefire sensed danger and hurriedly turned around.
Bang!
The next instant, a burning fiery foot extended from the darkness and heavily stomped on his face, pressing him against the hard ground.
Old man Bluefire's occiput emitted a cracking sound as intense shock pain spread through him.
But despite this, he still grasped the treasure chest with difficulty, struggling to roar:
"Lamp Release—"
Too late... Chen Qi remained expressionless as the burning black flames resembled demonic faces. The four dark flame hands behind him pressed down on old man Bluefire like restraining a struggling fish, firmly pinning him to the ground.
Before the absolute violence of the dark flame hands, the fully struggling Bluefire couldn't move at all.
Then, Chen Qi's muscles tensed as he pulled up old man Bluefire's remaining left arm with both hands, lifting it upward.
Pull!