"What a bizarre constitution. Not only can he move freely through this sea of fire, but he's even absorbing the fire's essence... This aura… it seems to be Aura of Calamity."Yi Tianxing opened his Innate Yin-Yang Eyes, gazing at Green Emperor.
Within the flames, what was being drawn to the Green Emperor wasn't just the essence of fire—but also the Aura of Calamity it carried. Rather than harming him, this calamity-infused flame was actually strengthening his core, refining his bloodline.
The rapidly growing green fur was the clearest proof.
His front legs had only fully grown fur after surviving several calamities. Green Emperor's body had an unusually strong affinity for calamity aura. The "Three Disasters and Nine Tribulations" placed throughout this track were inherently trials of misfortune—and this aura, while deadly to others, was highly beneficial to Green Emperor. But he only absorbed the ones useful to him. For example, on the Bridge of Flying Clouds or the Mountain of Blades earlier, he hadn't reacted at all. That alone was telling.
With the calamity aura being absorbed, the fire naturally lost its lethality.
The oppressive heat lifted immediately.
The Golden Roc's speed suddenly spiked, turning into a golden streak as it raced through the sea of fire, rapidly closing in on Sikong Zhaixing.
"Sikong Zhaixing! Return what you stole from me! Or don't blame me for what happens next."
Yi Tianxing sneered coldly.
"It's you! Damn it, you screwed me over hard. That dimensional pouch you had—completely empty! Because of you, I fell out with Hongye, got bitten by that damn dog, and ended up like this. It's all your fault! If not for you, how would I have caught rabies?! My body's totally out of control now!"
Sikong Zhaixing looked back, a tidal wave of grievance welling up in his heart as he shouted in frustration.
He was so wronged.
If there were a medicine for regret, he'd have taken it already. He should never have stolen from Yi Tianxing—it was like poking a hornet's nest and bringing a storm of disasters down on himself. And the kicker? What he stole was an empty dimensional pouch. The resentment inside him was enough to smother the entire sea of fire.
"If you hadn't stolen from me, who could've tricked you? Bottom line, you brought this on yourself. Blame yourself, not others."
Yi Tianxing's voice was filled with disdain.Whatever you do, you own it. Even if you have to crawl, you carry the consequences.
If you can't even take that much responsibility, then you're not worth befriending.
"I'll give your pouch back! Just tell that mutt of yours to stay away from me!"
Sikong Zhaixing turned and saw Green Emperor by Yi Tianxing's side. The sight of that green fur sparked instinctive terror in him. Without thinking, he hurled the pouch hanging at his waist toward Yi Tianxing.
"No! I threw the wrong one! That's my dimensional pouch!"
But the moment it left his hand, his face twisted in panic and regret. With a loud shout, he waved his hand and unleashed his Star-Snatching Hand, trying to retrieve it. He had two pouches—his own, stolen from someone else, and the one he stole from Yi Tianxing.
"If you're giving it back, then I won't hold back."
Yi Tianxing's eyes lit up. With a subtle kick, he sent Green Emperor flying straight toward Sikong Zhaixing.
They crossed paths in midair.
In an instant, Green Emperor vanished—snatched away as if by an invisible force.
The dimensional pouch, however, landed lightly in Yi Tianxing's hand. He swiftly stowed it into his Spirit Pearl space.
"My hand!"
Sikong Zhaixing screamed.
Green Emperor had appeared before him like a ghost. His Star-Snatching Hand had failed to retrieve the pouch, and instead, it grabbed Green Emperor.
Green Emperor held a grudge against Sikong Zhaixing that ran to the bone. Without hesitation, he lunged and bit down hard on Sikong Zhaixing's hand. The searing pain brought instant regret.
"Screw it. I won't die. Just cut it off. I'll grow it back once I leave this secret realm."
Sikong Zhaixing wasn't soft. Drawing a dagger, he sliced off his left hand without hesitation, letting Green Emperor toss the severed hand away.
"Decisive and ruthless," Yi Tianxing murmured, secretly impressed.Such brutal decisiveness wasn't something just anyone could manage.
As Green Emperor soared through the air, the Golden Roc flew past and caught him mid-air. Without Green Emperor, this sea of fire would be far more dangerous.
Crunch!
Green Emperor chomped down viciously, chewing the severed hand to bits and swallowing it whole. His eyes gleamed wickedly as he sneered: "One hand isn't enough. I'm going to eat his flesh next. No one's ever dared fart at me. The humiliation! It's too much!"
"One hand's plenty. Worry about growing your fur out first," Yi Tianxing said calmly, but he was clearly pleased with the unexpected bonus.He hadn't expected Sikong Zhaixing to toss the wrong pouch—now both principal and interest had been paid in full.
Boom boom boom!
Suddenly, the ground quaked violently. In the distance, the Tyrannosaurus was charging through the sea of fire like a storm. A divine light enveloped its massive form, parting the flames on either side, leaving it completely unharmed as it thundered forward.
"Xiang Yu's wearing a Fire-Avoiding Pearl on his neck. I thought it was some trinket—turns out it's a powerful artifact. No wonder they're rampaging through the fire sea like it's nothing. But why's the dino running so fast? Is it a spell, divine ability, or some enhanced treasure?"
Yi Tianxing heard the rumbling behind and turned to see the T-Rex tearing forward. Its immense weight made the ground tremble like an earthquake. But what caught his attention was the pearl hanging around Xiang Yu's neck—now glowing with mystical light and effortlessly parting the flames. Its speed now rivaled the Golden Roc in flight.
"Thief! You won't escape me!"
Xiang Yu had already spotted Sikong Zhaixing and bellowed furiously. His heavy pupils gleamed with divine light, unleashing an eerie power.
Crack!!
Sikong Zhaixing, panicking, tried to flee faster—but then, without warning, a spatial rift tore open in front of him. It was like the maw of a monstrous beast, seeking to swallow him whole. Within, a terrifying otherworldly realm seemed to beckon.
"Damn! Just out of the fire, and now this? This reeks of Xiang Yu's handiwork. If he catches me, I'm doomed. Time to use my ultimate card!"
Quick-witted as ever, Sikong Zhaixing instantly guessed the spatial tear was Xiang Yu's doing.
Shwoop!
Without hesitation, he activated a divine ability he'd never used before in front of anyone.
His body blurred and vanished, transforming into a shadow that darted into the nearest patch of grass and vanished into its shadow. Even his flying serpent mount disappeared with him. If one looked closely, a faint shimmer passed through the shaded grass.
Fate Star – Shadow: Shadow Escape!
The Fate Star he had awakened wasn't ordinary—it was the Shadow Fate Star. It didn't just grant stealth; it gave him the mysterious Shadow Escape, a divine technique allowing him to slip into shadows and teleport vast distances.
However, it consumed enormous amounts of true qi. Even with his cultivation, he couldn't maintain it for long. Still, with a single jump, he escaped the rift and reappeared far away—still fleeing at top speed.
"What a slippery bastard. He's got some real tricks. Shadow escape, huh? But he can't escape my eyes."
Even Xiang Yu was surprised by Sikong Zhaixing's trick—but in his heavy pupils, even that secret technique left a trace.
He coldly pursued.
"Truly a born thief—his entire Fate Star is geared toward stealth and escape. That Shadow Escape… normal people can't even see him. With that kind of concealment, he's practically a top-tier assassin."
Yi Tianxing's eyes narrowed slightly, pondering silently.
"But Xiang Yu's heavy-pupil divine ability… it can tear space itself. What is that ability? That rift looked like a passage to another world."
Yet what truly caught Yi Tianxing's interest was Xiang Yu's eye technique.
Heavy pupils had always been shrouded in myth—those who possessed them were said to be born saints, gifted with innate divine abilities. But the exact powers were rarely known. Still, one thing was certain—it was no ordinary technique.
Just being able to tear a spatial rift on the racetrack proved its otherworldly nature. But without personal experience, it was hard to guess more.
"That damned thief's good at running, I'll give him that. But this time, I'll take care of it myself. Three of my legs have grown fur—I'm stronger than ever. If I don't make him cry for mercy, I'm not Green Emperor!"
With a loud bark, Green Emperor leapt from the Golden Roc's back, landing on the ground and bolting ahead in a streak of green light. His speed was astonishing. His twitching nose seemed to be tracking Sikong Zhaixing's scent, his eyes gleaming as he sprinted.
"Green Emperor's gotten faster? These back-to-back encounters have really boosted him. At this rate, his speed is almost on par with the Golden Roc's flight."
Yi Tianxing shuddered inwardly.
And if all four of his legs grew fur… he might be even faster.
There was even a gentle wind swirling around Green Emperor as he ran, making his movements feel light and effortless—like he was riding the wind.