Solar Blood Masters (139)

Chapter 139 - Full Bloom!

Lu Jade peered outside. His emerald gaze settled upon a massive, spiraling cloud of dust and shattered ice in the distance. It was the residual effect of the ‘Hyunda Blizzard’, potent and chaotic.

“Big Brother’s doing, for SURE!” He slithered back to Thienika’s side pridefully.

“Grandma! Grandma! Big Brother defeated ANOTHER foe! He’s truly AMAZING! Did you SEE those lightning bolts? I think he can even control them now. He's ssstronger than EVER!”

Thienika patted Lu Jade's head gently. "Your brother is indeed impressive, Little Lu. I am proud of him."

“He's truly worthy of those 500,000 years!"

They continued chatting, but their gazes occasionally drifted towards the center of their platform, where five crystal tubes stood, and four were housing a captured Liu Fuuyi. They radiated mesmerizing blue light that resonated with their hopes, their desires, for weren’t they inches away from claiming victory?

"Just ONE more Liu Fuuyi, Grandma! And that central node will light UP! We’ll be among the top!" Lu Jade couldn't contain his excitement.

He slithered around the platform while occasionally glancing afield. He felt a pang of restlessness.

"Big Brother and Princess QI Fenwei… they're having ALL the FUN! While we're stuck here… guarding the PLATFORM. It’s so… BORING!”

"Patience, Little Lu. Our task is as vital to our victory as those who hunt. Without a secure base, our efforts will be in vain.”

Thienika's words had Lu Jade sighing. “You’re RIGHT, Grandma, you’re always right.”

She smiled, but her eyes never wavered from their vigilant watch. They observed the platform, scanning every nook and cranny, for danger could emerge from the most unexpected places.

Suddenly, her eyes narrowed.

A patch of dust near the edge of the platform ruffled slightly.

“Hmmm… Was it my IMAGINATION?”

But then, her leaves rustled, as if sensing a change in the air.

She turned towards Lu Jade, who was admiring the Liu Fuuyi.

A chill shot through her ancient core.

“DANGER!”

She vanished.

BOOM!

She reappeared beside Lu Jade. With lightning-fast reflexes, she thrust her staff forward, “REGAL COUNTER!”

A translucent shield materialized before them.

And just as it did…

WHOOSH! CRACK! CRACK! BOOM!

Three invisible figures slammed into the shield.

They were thrown backwards, yelping in pain and surprise.

“What the HELL was THAT?!”

“Our sneak attack was REPELLED?”

“Was it that TREE?!”

The three figures slowly materialized.

The first was a white rodent-like creature, with long, bushy eyebrows and a long white beard that reached the ground. He had red eyes and a long scar across his face. He wore a red and black gi and wielded two broadswords. He straightened his form and bowed slightly.

“I am… Ma Osu!”

The second was a chameleon, its scales shifted through a mesmerizing spectrum of colors. Its tongue, long and tipped with a sticky curl, extended and retracted. It wore green armor and gauntlets that glinted.

“Ge Vanisher, that’s me!”

The last was a lemur. He was tall and slender with a long, ringed tail. He wore blue and black armor and carried a wooden-bone spear with glowing yellow tips. A sly grin spread across his face.

“The name’s Sly Ringtail. I’m the leader of this crew. And you two… you’re about to become our stepping stones to the next stage!”

Lu Jade slithered closer to Thienika. “Grandma, how did you KNOW they were there?”

She smiled, “They may mask their appearance, Little Lu. But they can’t mask their killing intent… or their rancid smell. They reek of desperation. And deceit.”

"You saying we STINK, old TREE?!” Sly Ringtail was outraged. He pointed his tail towards Thienika, “Just you WAIT! When I’m done with that SNAKE… I’m going to MARK my territory all over your glistening BARKS!”

“What, you DARE?!” Lu Jade’s emerald scales blazed. He understood what Sly Ringtail meant, and he couldn't allow such a vile act to occur.

“I won’t allow you to desecrate GRANDMA!”

Lu Jade lunged!

“A Saint Ruler? What does this tiny SNAKE think he can DO?”

Sly Ringtail scoffed. He gestured to one of his companions, “Ma Osu! Cut him UP!”

"Don’t have to tell me TWICE!”

Ma Osu grinned and drew his swords. “I hope you’ve said your PRAYERS, snake! Brutal Slash!”

He dashed forward. He swung both swords at Lu Jade.

“Phantom Willow Grass!”

Lu Jade reacted instantly. He coiled and uncoiled with a speed that had Ma Osu’s eyes widening! Tendrils of ‘Phantom Willow Grass’ snaked around him, forming a protective barrier. He weaved between the two blades with an agility that was as smooth as water.

Then,

He wrapped his tail around Ma Osu’s neck!

“Boss!”

And with a powerful twist…

…tossed him towards his leader!

"Tsk!" Sly Ringtail extended a hand. He stopped Ma Osu’s flight.

“How USELESS can you BE to let a Saint Ruler get the best of you?!”

“Boss, I was CAUGHT off guard by that SNAKE’s flexibility!”

“He's a snake, you IDIOT! What do you EXPECT?! Step aside! Ge Vanisher, you go!”

“Yes, Boss!”

Ge Vanisher dashed towards Lu Jade. He vanished in a flicker of light.

“Where’d he…?”

“BAM! BAM! BAM!”

Lu Jade’s eyes widened as he felt blows landing on him: one to his face, another to his stomach, then his back! He was sent tumbling backwards.

Luckily, his ‘Phantom Willow Grass’ armor was strong. It had absorbed most of the impact.

"Boss! This snake is SO weak! Watch THIS!”

Ge Vanisher reappeared. He had Lu Jade’s tail in his grasp. He grinned, then began to spin Lu Jade around like a toy.

“Look, Boss! I got me a new ROPE!”

“I can SEE that, hahaha!” Sly Ringtail laughed. But then… he noticed Thienika.

She was just… standing there. Observing.

“Aren’t you going to SAVE your snake? At this RATE… my underling will rip him APART!”

She didn't respond.

And then… he realized.

“Wait, could it be… that I’ve MISSED something?”

He glared at Ge Vanisher. "Unhand that snake, NOW! Its scales might be poisonous!”

But it was too LATE!

“Limiter – OFF!”

Lu Jade’s tail extended with a terrifying speed and force. It was now thicker than Sly Ringtail.

He squeezed!

And…

BOOM!

Ge Vanisher EXPLODED!

His body parts splattered across the platform, coating Sly Ringtail and Ma Osu in a rain of gore and scales.

Thienika, with a casual flick of her staff, erected her ‘Royal Guard’ shield, protecting herself from the carnage.

…

SLITHER!

Lu Jade uncoiled in his massive form that was towering above Sly Ringtail and Ma Osu. His emerald scales glistened with a newfound confidence as his tongue flicked out, tasting the remnants of fear and those potent essences emanating from Ge Vanisher’s scattered body parts.

“Who is weaker NOW? Me or… THAT splatter?” He gestured towards the gruesome remains of his vanquished foe with a triumphant hiss.

“Huh? Boss… that snake… he can grow LARGE? He squeezed Ge Ge into MUSH!” Ma Osu trembled. He’d never witnessed a Saint Ruler possessing such strength, such brutality.

“Tsk!” Sly Ringtail was unfazed by his underling’s fear. He raised his spear above his head and glared at Lu Jade.

“Don't get cocky, little snake. You might have been able to kill Ge Vanisher because he was unprepared. However, I… I’m on a TOTALLY different LEVEL!”

He unleashed his Solar Pressure. It was a wave of pure, untamed power that slammed into Lu Jade and Thienika, forcing them to lower their heads. Even Ma Osu was pressed to the floor, and his swords clattered beside him.

“Wow… Boss… You’re as STRONG as ever!” Ma Osu looked up at his leader with an admiration bordering on worship.

“Hmmm…” Thienika observed Sly Ringtail with narrowed eyes. “1st Layer Nightmare Calamity. This lemur is vastly more powerful than the two of us combined. Little Lu… We have to act quickly.”

“I got it!” Lu Jade’s body began to coil tightly as he gathered his energy.

“Jade Flower Domain – FULL BLOOM!”

BOOM!

A wave of emerald green light erupted from him, engulfing the entire platform in a blinding flash.

And then…

They were in another world.

Gone were the jagged rocks, the charred earth, and the oppressive sky of ‘Lightning Veil’. Now, they were surrounded by a breathtaking expanse of vibrant greenery. A gentle breeze, carrying the sweet scent of blooming flowers, caressed their scales and leaves.

Towering trees, with bark as white as jade and leaves that shimmered with a thousand shades of green, rose towards a sky painted in hues of azure and gold. Crystal-clear streams flowed, their waters sparkling. And at the heart of this wondrous domain, a magnificent Phantom Willow Tree stood tall, its branches laden with blossoms that radiated a gentle, calming energy.

“Huh, this place…” Sly Ringtail glanced around, baffled. His spear felt strangely heavy in his grasp, as if something was resisting his will.

“Boss, that SNAKE! He has a Domain attribute! We've been transported inside HIS domain!” Ma Osu’s voice trembled.

"I can SEE that, idiot." Sly Ringtail scowled. He didn't like being caught off guard.

Lu Jade turned to Thienika. “Grandma, my domain… it boosts my abilities and weakens my opponents. In here, my ‘Phantom Willows’ are STRONGER. I should be able to hold them off for three minutes. With your help, of course.”

“Hmmm, three minutes?” Sly Ringtail had overheard their conversation. He laughed mockingly, "Hold us off for three minutes? Not even in your wet dreams, snake. We’ll obliterate you… BEFORE you can BLINK!”

And to prove his point…

He vanished.

“Where…?”

“Above you, snake!”

BOOM!

Sly Ringtail and Ma Osu materialized above Lu Jade and Thienika. They were blurry as if they were extensions of the very wind itself.

Sly Ringtail brandished his spear, its yellow tips glowed with a terrifying intensity, “This spear of mine… It’s been FORGED from the bones of HISTORY’s STRONGEST monkey. Try it ON in your innards!”

“Wukong Lariat!”

He flung the spear downwards.

It spun like a whirlwind with its tips tracing a deadly arc.

“Phantom Willow Grass!”

Lu Jade reacted instinctively. He conjured a barrier of emerald grass, but…

WHOOSH!

The spear sliced through it!

The barrier shattered like brittle glass!

“I’ll handle IT!”

Thienika leaped forward with surprising agility. She thrust her staff upwards,

“ROYAL GUARD!”

BOOM!

The spear’s momentum was halted, frozen in stasis. Its tip hovered inches from her face, its energy crackled, but it couldn’t move. During this moment, Lu Jade used his tail to swat the weapon into his Domain’s pond.

"Damn, that old hag…!” Sly Ringtail snarled. He'd never encountered such a technique, but those seconds were precious, and he couldn’t afford this interruption.

Lu Jade wasted no time.

He whipped his tail around, "Phantom Willow Grass - ENTRAPMENT!”

Emerald tendrils snaked out, binding Sly Ringtail with a strength that had the lemur struggling in vain!

“You…!”

Then, Lu Jade summoned his Sun Cycle, “SOLAR BEAM!”

He aimed it at Sly Ringtail, who was now completely immobilized.

“Ma Osu! Retrieve my spear, NOW!”

“On it, Boss!”

Ma Osu dived into the nearby pond, eager to please his leader and retrieve that magnificent weapon.

Thienika saw him enter and was about to follow, “That rat…”

But Lu Jade stopped her.

“Grandma, WAIT! There’s a SURPRISE waiting for him down there.”

He then fired the Solar Beam!

“You think you can defeat ME with this? Don’t get COCKY!”

Sly Ringtail burst free from his entrapment with a terrifying roar that had the Jade flowers around them wilting! He then kicked the measly Solar Beam aside and vanished.

Before Thienika could even react…

BOOM!

He reappeared before Lu Jade and uppercutted his chin. Then, grabbing his tail, he slammed the stunned snake into Thienika!

They crashed into the Phantom Willow Tree, and it shuddered from the impact.

“Such PATHETIC creatures. You dare challenge ME, Sly Ringtail, the Lemur Prince of Kongming Mountain?! You’re lucky I'm in a good mood. Otherwise… I'd be feasting on your entrails right now.”

He dashed downwards with his fist blazing yellow!

“PHANTOM WILLOW TREE!”

Lu Jade screamed for help.

The Phantom Willow Tree responded.

Millions of grass tendrils intertwined, forming a massive barrier that shielded Lu Jade and Thienika from Sly Ringtail's attack. He slammed into it, but it held firm!

“DAMN! This tree… It’s STRONG!”

But Lu Jade knew,

It wouldn't last long.

“We’re DOOMED, Grandma! He’s going to BREAK through!” He trembled.

“Calm yourself, Little Lu. We’ll be fine. Trust me.” She patted his head reassuringly, but within her ancient heart… an uneasy element had those roots trembling, for she sensed it. This lemur was powerful.

And if they didn't act quickly…

They would be crushed.