Solar Blood Masters (144)

Chapter 144 - Petrify

A flash of light illuminated the central platform of the Grand Mound Arena. Gastaroid stood there, giving off an aura of barely contained power, a truly terrifying sight for those whose hearts were weak or whose cultivation paled in comparison.

Around him, five beautiful figures hovered. It was a David and Goliath scene, a clash between beauty and brute force that had the entire arena buzzing with anticipation.

Muburt hovered nearby as he addressed the crowd. His voice was amplified a thousand-fold by his staff,

"Mighty contenders! Esteemed spectators! We stand at the precipice of a momentous clash! A battle that will determine which team advances in this Tournament of Calamity!"

He gestured towards Gastaroid, “In one corner, or rather, in the center, we have Gastaroid, the Bull Mountain Demon! Fresh from his ascension to the peak layer of the Nightmare Calamity Stage, he’s a force to be reckoned with! His power, as you all witnessed during the Desolate Sands… It’s UNMATCHED!”

“And in surrounding him we have… The H-Blue Fairies! This team of skilled warriors has proven their mettle in the previous challenges. Their leader, Hao Tien Hue, is a formidable 7th Layer Nightmare Calamity. And her teammates, though at lower levels, are NO pushovers! Their combined strength… It’s a force that could even make a mountain tremble!”

His words ignited a firestorm of speculation among the spectators.

“Gastaroid is HUGE! He can probably crush those fairies with a single stomp!”

“Don’t underestimate the H-Blue Fairies! Their teamwork is legendary! I heard they can merge their Solar Essences, creating a combined attack that can vaporize even a 5th Layer Nightmare Calamity!”

“Gastaroid is at the PEAK layer now! Those fairies are DOOMED!”

“I'm betting on the fairies! They’re beautiful AND deadly!”

Muburt’s loud voice cut through their chatter, “Gastaroid’s decision to face these five challengers ALONE… It could be a fatal mistake! Breath Takers, it’s not too late to join the battle! Your teammate’s fate… It hangs in the balance!”

On the Black Wind platform, Raphael glanced at his companions.

“Those fairies… they look tough. Should we…?”

But before they could even formulate a plan…

Gastaroid glared at them, “Stay PUT! I can handle these small fries MYSELF! I don’t need your help! I’m not some pathetic weakling like you, bull!”

“Tsk, I grow weary of your insults, bull!” Hao Tien Hue, the leader of the H-Blue Fairies, snapped, and her wings flickered with irritation.

“Sisters, let’s show this brute what we’re made of!”

"Attack!"

The five fairies moved like a synchronized dance. They unleashed a flurry of attacks!

Blasts of wind energy whizzed past him, icy shards rained down, and even a few tendrils of dark energy snapped at him like angry vipers.

Gastaroid simply stood there with his arms still folded beneath his chest. He yawned.

“Such pathetic attacks. They tickle. Muwahahaha!”

He was unfazed by their combined assault. Their attacks bounced harmlessly against his molten hide, leaving not even a scratch.

Lu Ruby who was watching from her platform, hissed, “That bastard! He’s so ARROGANT! Just standing there! Yawning! As if those five fairies are nothing but mosquitoes trying to penetrate his shell!”

Hearing this, Hellphet came closer. “He has the right to be cocky, Princess. His strength… well, you’ve seen it firsthand, haven’t you?”

“Even with those fairies’ combined strength… I doubt they can even dent his defenses, not when he’s at the 9th Layer!” Splinter Roc added. He’d been observing the battle keenly, and he garnered a bit of respect for that Bull Mountain Demon. “To think I was defeated by that bull earlier. This power Gastaroid possess… it truly is on another level. No one here is his match aside from Lord Lingshi.”

His words had those on Ho Eastern’s platform turning towards a figure resting peacefully, a massive turtle with a bamboo grove growing from its shell.

“My, my, such flattery, you make me blush.” Lord Lingshi smiled.. His ancient eyes, however, never left the battle unfolding before them. He observed Gastaroid’s movements with a keen interest, for beneath that brute’s arrogance and boisterous laughter, he sensed a familiar energy.

“That Bull Mountain Demon… he’s hiding something.”

…

On the Black Wind Platform, Pincer and Clamper were observing Gastaroid’s battle.

“Damn, that monster is no joke,” Clamper muttered. “Remember what he did during the race, brother?”

“Yes, Clamper,” Pincer nodded. “That beast single-handedly kept hundreds of Calamities, from reaching the finish line. Five little fairies won’t pose much of a threat.”

“One day… I’ll be as strong as him.” Clamper’s claws clicked excitedly, “And when I am, those birds back at Black Wind… they’ll all BOW before my every whim! Hahahaha!”

Pincer patted his brother’s exoskeleton reassuringly. "One day, brother. We’ll get there.”

Their conversation was met with a snort.

“You two…” Raphael glared at the scorpions. “It amazes me you’ve even made it this far in the Great Divine Tribulation. How many have you stabbed in the back to get here?”

“As many as need be, bull. You’ve seen what those fairies can do. One has to be resourceful to survive here.” Pincer shot back. He and Clamper then turned and headed towards the platform’s edge. They wanted a better view of Gastaroid’s fight.

Qi Fenwei scoffed. “Those scorpions… they disgust me. Their methods are so crude.”

She then turned to Raphael, "Watch the battle, bull. You might learn a thing or two. That fox, Wu Gurang, taught you a lesson in strategy. Now… let Gastaroid show you the true meaning of brute force. And those arrogant fairies… well, they're about to learn that numbers… they don’t always guarantee victory. Not in Yama Yaguai.”

Raphael nodded. He watched the battle intently.

…

BOOM!

The ground beneath Gastaroid trembled.

“HAIL BARRAGE!” Hao Tien Hue’s voice resonated with a chilling elegance as those butterfly wings unleashed a torrent of energy! It struck Gastaroid’s molten form!

Thousands of glittering, diamond-shaped ice shards, each one radiating potent Solar Essence, slammed into his rocky hide!

It was a breathtaking yet terrifying attack.

And where each shard impacted…

…a small crater appeared.

Gastaroid’s massive form shuddered.

“Hmmm… It seems playtime is over.” He was no longer yawning. His eyes narrowed dangerously as tendrils of lava began snaking across his body, repairing the damage.

He slammed his fists together.

“Muwahahaha! Time to turn up the HEAT!”

He extended his arms and focused his will.

BOOM!

From the ground beneath him, an ‘Artificial Fire Pool’ materialized!

It was a seething cauldron of molten rock and fire, radiating an infernal glow that had the nearby spectators shielding their eyes.

“His ‘Artificial Fire Pool’! That thing can create hundreds of Bull Demon Gods. Those fairies… they’re done for!”

“FIRE and ICE! A magnificent clash!”

The audience was ecstatic.

And then…

“Bull Demon Gods… ARISE!”

Hundreds of fiery figures emerged from the molten depths. Each one was armed with a pillar of solidified lava. They resembled miniature versions of Gastaroid, blazing with a unwavering loyalty.

“KILL!”

“KILL!”

They swarmed towards the H-Blue Fairies!

The fairies reacted swiftly.

“Formation Delta – Activate!” Hao Tien Hue commanded.

Her teammates nodded, their Solar Essences flared, intertwining with a radiant glow as they began spinning around her and each other.

Faster and faster!

They became a blur of blue, white and gold. Their butterfly wings were a storm of light that had those watching mesmerized.

“What are they doing?”

“It’s like they’re merging into ONE!”

And as they spun…

BOOM!

…a dodecahedron materialized!

It was a magnificent, geometric structure, its twelve pentagonal faces glowed with a potent mix of their Solar Essences. It hovered in the air, radiating an aura of immense power.

The Bull Demon Gods, caught off guard by this sudden transformation, paused their charge.

“What is that… THING?!”

“It’s… geometry?”

“Looks like a giant… dice?”

Their confusion, however, was short-lived.

“Entrapment!” Hao Tien Hue’s voice came from the heart of the dodecahedron.

WHOOSH! CRACK!

And then…

The Bull Demon Gods were pulled inwards!

They were trapped within the dodecahedron’s confines!

“What the…?!"

"Get… me… OUT of here!”

“It’s too CROWDED!”

“Those walls… They’re closing in!”

Their cries were muffled as the dodecahedron began to shrink, compressing them, crushing them!

And within…

“Atomic Disintegration!”

The fairies unleashed their combined power!

A blinding white light flashed.

And then…

The Bull Demon Gods…

…they were gone.

Vaporized.

Reduced to atoms!

Only a faint, lingering aroma of burnt sulfur remained.

The spectators stared at the empty space where the Bull Demon Gods had been moments before.

“They… They just… ERASED them?!”

“That dodecahedron… It’s a weapon!”

“Those fairies… they’re monsters!”

Their whispers of awe and terror reached Gastaroid’s ears, and he felt a chill.

He hadn't anticipated this level of power!

‘That technique… It could easily atomize ME as well…’ He glared at Hao Tien Hue, who was now directing her teammates with a calm confidence that had his blood burning.

“That fairy… she’s the LEADER! I have to eliminate her FIRST! Then, the others… they’ll be easy pickings.”

He grinned. A sinister plan was forming in his mind. He’d witnessed Raphael’s cunning earlier, his ability to exploit weaknesses and devise strategies that defied expectations.

Now… he would use those very tactics against these fairies.

He extended a hand.

“ROCK SLIDE!”

WHOOSH! BOOM!

A massive avalanche of rocks and earth erupted from his mountainous form, creating a chaotic cascade of debris that had the fairies scattering! It was a diversion, and he wasted no time. While the fairies were separated…

BOOM!

In a flash, he materialized behind Hao Tien Hue.

Before she could react, his massive hand, radiating infernal heat, shot out and grasped her slender form!

“Gotcha!”

Her butterfly wings fluttered desperately. But his grip was too strong.

“You…!” She glared at him, and her antennae twitched angrily. But those sparks of energy were useless.

He held her aloft.

“Now then, little fairies. I have your LEADER. YIELD! Or she DIES!”

“Never!”

“You damn Bull Mountain Demon, let our sister GO!”

“Yes, release Big Sister Hue!”

Her teammates shouted.

They were hovering nervously near the edge of the stage. But they didn’t yield.

"Hmmm, stubborn fairies, aren't you? Very well.”

He tightened his grip. He was crushing her beneath his humungous fingers.

Hao Tien Hue screamed.

“ARGH! No… STOP! It hurts…!”

Gastaroid ignored her pleas. He watched as her teammates’ resolve began to crumble. Tears trickled down their faces. Their wings drooped.

“Fine! We YIELD! We YIELD! Just don’t hurt her anymore!”

“Big Sister Hue…” Their voices were choked with despair.

“Wise decision.” Gastaroid grinned. He’d won. But he wasn't done yet. Not while that earlier humiliation still burned in his heart.

“Petrify.”

He whispered. And in that instant, Hao Tien Hue’s form turned to stone!

“No…!”

“Big Sister…!”

Her teammates watched in horror as Gastaroid casually crushed the stone statue between his fingers. “Here. You can have her.” He blew the dust outward. And then her Solar Consciousness materialized .

 “You… BASTARD!”

Their Solar Essences exploded outwards, illuminating the arena in a flash of blue, white, and violet. Their butterfly wings flared. They were ready to unleash their fury upon him!

But…

They paused.

A chilling realization had their wings drooping.

Their leader was gone.

There was nothing left to fight for.

With a final, heartbroken sigh, they took Hue’s soul and vanished from the arena.

Muburt, watching this unfold, quickly recovered from his shock,

"The H-Blue Fairies… have yielded! The Breath Takers… have WON the first match!”

The crowd erupted.

“Black Wind! BLACK WIND!”

Gastaroid snorted, then vanished in a flash of fire and earth energy. He reappeared on his platform.

Raphael, Lu Jade, and Thienika rushed towards him.

“Gastaroid, you didn’t have to be so CRUEL! You crushed her! After they yielded!” Raphael’s words were laced with a mix of awe and disgust, but his revulsion was directed towards those who dared to offend his team, not at the result of Gastaroid’s actions.

“Big Brother’s right! You could have just… let her GO.” Lu Jade added.

Gastaroid glared at them. He scoffed, "Hmph. Sentimentality is for the WEAK. I don’t indulge in such pathetic emotions.”

He folded his arms across his chest, and his eyes blazed hotter.

“If they were STRONGER, they would have fought. Not yielded. That fairy deserved to be crushed. She underestimated me. She insulted my pride.”

Muburt’s next announcement silencing their debate.

“The next match! Ho Eastern versus Undying Valley! The Crimson Slithers versus… The Undying Death!”