Solar Blood Masters (175)

Chapter 175 - Red Mane Lemur

Sly Ringtail stood cockily before Raphael with his Banana Scythe’s sharp blade reflecting the firelight of Gas Plain. Behind him, his minions – Ma Osu, Ge Vanisher, and King Wa – exuded a smug confidence. They were eager to witness their leader’s strength and to savor the bull’s defeat.

The crowd buzzed with excitement.

“That bull… he’s huge!”

“But can he match Sly Ringtail’s speed?”

“I’m betting on the lemur. He’s Julian’s son, after all.”

“Yeah, Julian Ringtail is a monster!”

Raphael stared at Sly Ringtail, sizing him up. This lemur… he was smaller than he’d imagined. ‘Can he really pose a challenge?’

Before Raphael could speak, Lu Jade slithered off his horn and landed before Sly Ringtail and his crew.

“A pathetic little lemur like you doesn’t qualify to face my Big Brother. I’ll be your opponent.”

“Bold words for a mere Saint Ruler…” Sly Ringtail began to speak with disdain. Then his gaze sharpened. “No… wait… Your strength… 7th Layer Calamity? Sindoll’s blessings… they’ve elevated your cultivation, little snake. So what?! A 7th Layer Calamity is still rubbish before me! Go slither away into some hole somewhere. I have business with that bull.”

He spat on the ground before Lu Jade.

“Yeah! Get lost, snake!”

“You’re not worthy to face our boss!”

“Go back to your daddy’s nest!”

Sly Ringtail’s minions mocked Lu Jade.

“So what if I’m only 7th Layer? Don't forget… I smacked you and your cronies around when I was just a Saint Ruler!”

A wave of murmurs spread through the crowd.

“Did he just say… he beat Sly Ringtail?”

“When he was weaker?”

“Maybe Sly Ringtail is all talk and no power?”

“I knew it! He’s just a spoiled brat!”

Sly Ringtail scowled. He glared at the gossiping crowd.

“SILENCE!” His Solar Essence exploded and silenced them instantly.

“I’ll kill this snake… FIRST! Then I’ll challenge the bull.”

“Bring it on, lemur!” Lu Jade hissed confidently.

“Little Lu are you sure about this?” Raphael felt a tinge of concern for his friend. ‘He’s overestimating his strength. That lemur is Julian’s son. His bloodline is potent.’

“I can do it Big Brother!”

Suddenly, Lu Jade activated his ‘Jade Flower Domain’.

A blinding flash of emerald green light engulfed them.

And then…

They were in another world.

…

Sly Ringtail found himself standing in a lush, vibrant meadow. Towering trees having jade white leaves soared into a sky painted in swirling hues of azure and gold. Crystal-clear streams flowed, and fragrant flowers bloomed in abundance. It was a breathtaking, ethereal landscape.

“This domain trick again, little snake? I’ll just cut it apart like last time.”

He swung his Banana Scythe. A crescent of yellow energy shot forth that struck the edge of the domain.

RUMBLE!

The domain quaked but held firm.

“What the…?” Sly Ringtail was shocked.

“Try it again, Boss! It must be a fluke!” Ma Osu yelled.

But before Sly Ringtail could swing again, Phantom Willow Grass sprouted beneath his feet, binding his legs, his arms, his torso.

He shouted in frustration. “You…!”

He ripped through the vines, then dashed towards Lu Jade, who towered above him.

“Willowing Hands!”

Two massive hands of grass erupted from the ground, slamming together, trying to squash Sly Ringtail like a fly.

But… when the hands opened, he wasn’t there.

Lu Jade sensed a presence behind him. He whirled around!

WHOOSH!

Sly Ringtail materialized. He swung his Banana Scythe downwards at Lu Jade’s head.

“Limiter – On!”

Lu Jade shrunk and dodged the attack.

“Limiter – Off!”

He expanded again then his massive tail swatted Sly Ringtail away. The lemur skipped across the surface of a nearby pond before crashing into a large lotus flower.

“Boss!”

Sly Ringtail’s minions rushed to his aid. But…

Raphael stamped his hooves.

“Gold Press!”

An oppressive force pinned them to the ground. They struggled, but couldn't move.

“Cough! Cough!”

Sly Ringtail coughed blood as he picked himself out of the shattered lotus flower. He stared at the blood on his paw, stunned.

“How… How can that snake… injure me?!”

He looked up.

Lu Jade towered over the pond, gazing down at him with a smug grin.

“You look so small from this height, lemur. Truly you are meant to grovel before your betters.”

“My betters?! You… a damn snake?! Don’t make me laugh! That attack just now… It was the only one you’ll ever get. Now I’ll crush you with all my power!”

BOOM!

Sly Ringtail unleashed his Nightmare Calamity power.

The space around him warped and then he vanished.

“Jungle Dinner!”

Multiple, deadly yellow slashes materialized around Lu Jade. They tore through his grass shield and forced him to dive underwater.

“Don’t even try it!” Sly Ringtail materialized above the water.

He raised his Banana Scythe.

“Plantain Bomber!”

A large spectral banana materialized and plunged into the pond with a deafening explosion that shook the entire Jade Flower Domain.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

The water erupted!

“KYAAAH!”

Lu Jade screamed!

“Yes! Kill that snake, Boss!”

“He’s finished!”

Sly Ringtail’s minions cheered.

“Little Lu!”

SPLASH!

Moments later, Lu Jade’s battered form floated to the surface. He was bleeding, his scales dulled, and his eyes were closed.

“Pathetic. Couldn’t even last five moves.” Sly Ringtail scoffed. He raised his scythe, ready to deliver the final blow, when…

A golden hand grasped the blade.

“Midas Volt Rush!”

Raphael had arrived.

Golden lightning crackled around the Banana Scythe. It moved towards Sly Ringtail.

“Huh?!” He let go of his weapon and flipped backwards. It turned golden.

“You… damn bull! What have you done to my Wukong – Banana Scythe?! Give it back… NOW!”

“Boss!”

Ma Osu, King Wa, and Ge Vanisher materialized beside him.

“You want it? Come and get it.”

Raphael grinned. He absorbed the scythe into his Abyss Nylon and dared Sly to try him.

“YOU! You think I’m afraid?! You’re in MY territory! I’m going to skewer you!”

Sly Ringtail’s Solar Essence exploded outwards.

He transformed.

His form was now larger and more menacing. And he radiated heat. Molten rock flowed through his veins, hardening into a spiky mane.

“Red Mane Lemur!”

His strength skyrocketed to 4th Layer Nightmare Calamity.

“Boss! You’ve transformed!”

“That bull’s dead! He doesn’t even know it yet!”

“His bones will make excellent decorations for our den!”

Sly Ringtail’s minions were ecstatic.

But Raphael… he simply smiled. He sensed opportunity.

…

SWOOSH… SWOOSH!

Steam, thick and acrid, oozed from Sly Ringtail’s Red Mane Lemur form. It was so hot that it evaporated the pond water around Lu Jade, forcing him to cough and hiss in protest.

“Big Brother! That steam… It’s burning my scales!”

Raphael quickly scooped up Lu Jade and placed him back on his horns.

“Stay there, Little Lu.”

…

The Red Mane Lemur transformation… It was a technique shrouded in myth, whispered with reverence and fear among the lemur tribes of Kongming Mountain. It was a legacy passed down from the most powerful of their lineage, a technique that had saved them from annihilation.

Millennia ago, during a brutal war between lemurs and monkeys, a dark shadow fell upon Kongming Mountain. Wukong, the Monkey King, a formidable warrior whose Solar Essence burned like a thousand suns, led his army. He demanded the lemurs’ submission and their enslavement.

Ivis Ringtail, grandfather of Julian, was known as the ‘Pacifist of Kongming Mountain’. He was a scholar who valued wisdom and harmony above conflict. Yet, his power was undeniable. His Solar Essence Density surpassed even the strongest lemurs. He was a 9th Layer Nightmare Calamity, a force to be reckoned with.

During those chaotic years, driven by a desperate need to protect his people, he'd created the Red Mane Lemur transformation, a technique that amplified a lemur’s Solar Essence, granting them immense strength, speed, and resilience.

He transformed into a being of molten rock and fire, capable of incinerating even the toughest of foes. But he refused to share this power. He feared its misuse.

‘What would happen after the monkeys are gone? Will the lemurs fight amongst themselves? Use my very technique to kill each other?’ He couldn’t bear the thought.

His son, Diamond Ringtail, pleaded with him. “Father! Our people are dying! Share your technique! Save us!”

But Ivis remained steadfast. “No, my son. This power… it’s too dangerous. It will corrupt them. It’s better they die… with honor… than become monsters.”

“You coward! I’ll defeat those monkeys myself!” Diamonf Ringtail was enraged.

Wukong’s army went on a killing spree. Lemurs were slaughtered. Their homes destroyed. Their sacred groves defiled. They were on the brink of annihilation when Ivis’s beloved daughter gave birth to Julian. The baby’s face, so innocent, so full of hope… It stirred something within Ivis. A protective instinct. A warrior’s spirit he'd thought long dormant reawakened.

Thus…

He challenged Wukong to a duel, offering a bargain that had those lesser beings shivering with awe.

“Monkey King! I, Ivis Ringtail challenge you to a duel! Whoever wins claims Kongming Mountain! The losers will be allowed to leave with honor! Or join our ranks! Is this to your liking, you stinking monkey?!”

“Hehehe!” Amused by the old lemur’s audacity, Wukong accepted. “Very well, old man. I’ll crush you and claim this mountain as my own! Your people will serve me!”

They clashed on the summit of Kongming Mountain. The battle was legendary, a clash of titans that shook the very foundations of Yama Yaguai.

Ivis unleashed the Red Mane Lemur transformation. He became a being of molten rock and fire and his power was amplified a thousand-fold. He fought with a ferocity that stunned even the Monkey King.

And in the end…

Ivis triumphed.

Wukong’s army retreated. Those monkeys who hadn’t perished, joined the lemurs, pledging their allegiance to their new leader.

Kongming Mountain became a haven for both species.

And the Red Mane Lemur transformation became a closely guarded secret, passed down through Ivis’s lineage only. This was a symbol of their strength, their resilience, their hope.

…

Back in the present, Raphael stood before Sly Ringtail’s transformed Red Mane Lemur form. Steam hissed from the molten rock, evaporating more of the pond water.

But Raphael wasn’t terrified.

He observed Sly Ringtail’s form, its fiery aura, its oppressive Solar Pressure. His breathing was steady. His blood-red eyes were calm.

This demeanor had Ma Osu scoffing. “Look at him! He’s scared shitless! Hahaha!”

“Kill that bull, Boss! His strength is nothing compared to yours!”

“Yeah! Rip him to shreds!”

“We’ll boil soup out of his bones!”

Raphael ignored their taunts.

“Dare to try me, lemur. Then… come.”

His Solar Essence exploded outwards.

The pond beneath him began to churn. The water turned blue.

A silver fin poked up. It began to swing around the pond menacingly.

“Arise – Sapphire Spring Blood Dragon!”