As Cameron finished putting away the green dragon Hathway, everyone began heading towards their destination. Gallidos discovered that the place where the two fire demons were located was within the mountain range directly ahead. To avoid alerting them, the final stretch would be on foot.
With a few simple spells from Heme, a beam of magical light flashed, and the four of them immediately became as light as swallows, able to cover great distances with each stride. This was the simplest form of levitation magic, making Li Xi feel as though he were walking on the moon, on the verge of breaking free from the Earth's gravity.
Soon, they arrived at the mountain. A small ball of flame appeared in Heme's palm. Sensing the flame's change, Heme said, "The detection magic I left here earlier hasn't been broken. It seems these two fire demons haven't left yet."
"Leave? Hiding in these deep mountains, how can they still linger? They have no way out now. Leaving would only mean death," Gallidos had the right to say such things. The mark of the abyssal curse between his brows was the best proof. Without killing a large number of abyssal demons, one wouldn't be qualified to receive such a mark. For humans, this was more convincing than any medal. Of course, for demons, he was an enemy for life.
The four of them didn't descend. The distance was already close enough, and with Li Xi and Gallidos, both bearers of the abyssal curse, present, even a mentally deficient fire demon would sense the danger.
From a huge cave in the mountainside, two colossal figures emerged. Their twenty-meter height made them seem like giants touching the sky. The flowing lava covering their bodies indicated their high resistance to magic. From the moment they appeared, the powerful aura of death caused the animals in the forest to flee in panic. Hammers weighing several tons were wielded with the ease of their own limbs. This was the bearing of top-tier abyssal demons, daring to stand and fight head-on against four top-tier human powerhouses.
The four stood their ground without fear. Cameron released the green dragon Hathway and took out his seven-meter-long dragon lance, circling it in the air. Although Hathway's strength was inferior to any of the fire demons, she still let out a challenging roar towards them. Dragon's might began to ripple through the air. Today, their objective was to contain.
The energies of the four humans and one dragon, and the two fire demons, surged. A wind began to blow, rustling through the treetops, sweeping across the mountain, and over the exposed rocks, as if to bear witness to the upcoming peak battle.
At some point, Gallidos drew the scimitar from his waist. Tiny golden specks were arranged on the scimitar in a meticulous pattern, making these two blades renowned weapons on the continent. The golden specks were a result of being mixed with refined gold. The characteristics of refined gold were simple: unparalleled durability and unparalleled sharpness. Of course, its ultimate ability was its most formidable power. Before these two weapons, dragon scales would be equated with toilet paper.
Gallidos shifted his feet, and his figure vanished from the sight of both sides. It was unknown if others could see Gallidos, but Li Xi could only sense his location. He moved through space like a mass of dark mist at high speed, even faster than Li Xi's Shunshin no Jutsu. This method of attacking unpredictably from an unknown location and time was always the enemy's nightmare, and also one's most reliable comrade.
Heme began chanting powerful magic, using unknown spices. She believed that with Li Xi, Gallidos, and Dragon Rider Cameron present, the fire demons would be unable to get close. Besides, what was the problem with getting close? Were magisters afraid of close combat? The defensive magic on their bodies wasn't for show.
At the same moment, Li Xi took out the Guardian Battle Bow he had just acquired. The chakra within his body began to surge. In an instant,
"Kai, Sei, Sho"
"Kai"
Li Xi, the slimmest among them, seemed like a suddenly awakened prehistoric beast. His physical strength alone caused the surrounding air to churn. Blood vessels and meridians bulged at the corners of his eyes, his skin turned slightly red, and his rapidly increasing physical strength made anyone who saw him clench their teeth. Li Xi instantly became the most dazzling person present.
Heme, who was chanting spells behind Li Xi, was startled by his sudden enhancement, almost mispronouncing her incantation and causing a magic backlash.
"We haven't even started fighting, and you're already going all out? And you look more like a dragon than Hathway flying in the sky!"
Li Xi paid them no mind. There was no weakling present. If they didn't act quickly, he didn't know how many drops of fire demon blood he would get in the end.
The Guardian Battle Bow felt the new owner's formidable physical strength and rejoiced, trembling slightly in Li Xi's hands. Even the four magic patterns on the bow began to glow faintly. Extreme violence was the eternal pursuit of this bow.
Li Xi took half a step back, his left hand already moving with phantom speed to retrieve a long arrow from his spatial ring.
"Squeak squeak squeak"
A sound that made one's teeth ache came from the bowstring. Li Xi had initially thought that with his current strength, he could easily draw it to its full extent. However, at eighty percent, he felt the strain. Li Xi marveled at the good weapon and didn't pull it further, instead instantly releasing the arrow. This much force was sufficient.
"Boom"
This wasn't the sound of an arrow being shot, but more like the muffled roar of a cannonball being fired. The surrounding weeds were blown away by the force, and the exhaust from the arrow's passage slapped against Li Xi's face, giving him the suffocating feeling of standing in a level fourteen gale.
The long arrows in Li Xi's spatial ring, though not of the highest quality, were not cheap either.
But the moment it broke through space and appeared before the fire demon, the arrow, worth half a gold coin, already had its shaft glowing red.
At this point, the roar of the arrow breaking through the air and the tidal wave of wind it generated only appeared with a delay.
Although Li Xi's attacks were sharp and fierce, the fire demons were not pushovers. Every scar on their bodies was a testament to their countless battles.
Therefore, upon seeing Li Xi's suddenly explosive aura and the Guardian Battle Bow's intense offensive desire, the fire demon didn't look at the weapon but fixed its gaze on Li Xi's hands. This was subconscious combat experience. The moment Li Xi released the arrow, he slightly shifted his great hammer, positioning it perfectly in front of his chest, timing it precisely.
"Boom"
An explosion, like thunder on a clear day, rang out. Even Gallidos, who had already neared the fire demon, was forced out of his body by the shockwave. The air here formed a human-shaped imprint.
Sparks flew. The iron arrow, forged entirely from high-quality steel, couldn't even be seen in complete fragments, shattering into flecks of light from tip to tail. Although Li Xi's arrow was shattered, it left a small pit on the fire demon's great hammer, which was made of Seymour metal, renowned for its durability. The powerful kinetic energy directly pushed the hammer into the fire demon's chest.
The fire demon grunted, its body swaying slightly. Such an attack, if directed at Hathway beneath Cameron, would have created a gaping wound and resulted in severe injury. But against the fire demon, it only caused a slight sway.
Unfortunately, Li Xi's attacks, once initiated, were continuous, giving the enemy no chance to catch their breath. It was as if a rocket engine had ignited next to his ear. The roar of the arrows sounded like a crescendo in a concert hall, rising higher with each one.
Each arrow seemed to be played frame by frame in space, a result of its extreme speed creating an instantaneous effect, frozen in space, invisible to the human eye.
Each arrow struck the position of the fire demon's hammer. The fire demon's blood-red eyes began to glare with fury. Its great hammer was pressed against its chest. With each impact as the arrows shattered, it felt like a battering ram pounding its heart. Its breathing became labored, blood began to flow from its nostrils, and its upper body was forced backward uncontrollably. The fire demon could only retreat repeatedly, but Li Xi's arrows clung to it like bone, making escape impossible.
The twenty-meter-tall fire demon was a legendary being in every plane. Now, it was suppressed by an arrow worth half a gold coin. It was like an elephant being tripped by an ant, and not just one ant, but a line of them.
The great hammer, which could be held with one hand, now felt like an engine running at full throttle. The fire demon's palm began to tear open from the strain, and drops of blood, as if burning, dripped. The fire demon had no choice but to grip the hammer head with its second hand, ensuring that in the next second, its weapon wouldn't be knocked away, exposing its heart to the enemy.
As fast as Li Xi's actions were, Heme's incantations were only just beginning. Even the demon hunter Gallidos, known for his speed, had only just arrived. Cameron in the sky was still searching for an opening. Li Xi, with just a bow, had already put one fire demon on the defensive. If things continued like this, Li Xi soloing the fire demon was a foregone conclusion.
The second fire demon showed no reaction to its suppressed companion, even smirking with a crazed expression devoid of any concern for its comrade. Instead, it stayed on the periphery, warily observing its surroundings.
A flash of blade light, appearing without warning, sliced open a half-meter-long gash in the fire demon's calf tendons. Its body defense, only slightly weaker than that of a dragon, offered no protection. This was the power of a weapon infused with refined gold.
A large amount of blood gushed out. The fire demon cried out in pain and swung its arm back, but its hand, capable of crushing a level four magical beast, missed completely. Gallidos struck true and then retreated far away.
The next moment, dozens of Gallidos's figures seemed to appear simultaneously. Small and large gashes appeared all over the fire demon's body at the same time, precisely at its weak points. The spurting blood instantly turned the fire demon into a bloody mess.
The fire demon clumsily defended itself with its great hammer, trying to fight its way out of the situation, but the wounds on its body continued to increase, with no sign of slowing down.
However, soon, a sinister smile appeared on the fire demon's lips. Without warning, it swung its great hammer at the empty air beside it. Before the Seymour metal hammer even arrived, the powerful air pressure forced Gallidos, who was hidden in the air, out into the open.
Unlike his initial attack, Gallidos was now inevitably stained with some of the fire demon's blood. This was precisely how the fire demon found its trace.
"Die."
"Clang"
The imagined scene of the detestable insect being smashed to pieces didn't materialize. Instead, a dragon lance blocked the great hammer. At this moment, the fire demon's great hammer was less than a hand's breadth away from Gallidos.
Dragon Rider Cameron had arrived at the critical moment!
The seven-meter-long dragon lance trembled under the impact of the fire demon's great hammer. Cameron alone couldn't withstand the fire demon's direct attack. This was the benefit of having a dragon as a mount. Man and dragon were one. Facing the fire demon, they were only at a slight disadvantage.
Gallidos vanished again instantly. A corner of his clothing, stained with the fire demon's blood, was neatly cut off and left behind. Cameron let out a great roar and began to charge directly at the fire demon.
Beams of lance light were projected. The seven-meter-long heavy dragon lance was wielded with the finesse of a needle. Truly worthy of being an S-rank mercenary. Hathway, the green dragon beneath him, constantly bit and slammed its tail at critical moments. The two cooperated, fighting the fire demon to a standstill for a short time. With Gallidos also attacking opportunistically, this second fire demon was also forced into a defensive position.
Li Xi frowned slightly. Why did it feel so easy? So smooth? It was like facing a lion, but when the fight started, it turned out to be a poodle. A single word difference, yet the worlds were apart!