Chapter 19: Bloody Battle and Breakthrough

Inside the cave, the clash of spiritual flames roared like thunder. The dark red mineral stones embedded in the walls cracked under the violent shockwaves, sending shards and dust cascading down, mingling with the sound of dripping water—a chaotic funeral bell tolling for the doomed.

At the cave entrance, Lin Jin, Su Yao, and Duan Hao stood shoulder to shoulder, their breaths ragged but their fighting spirits burning fiercely. Surrounded by three Flame Master-level enemies from the Skyflame Pavilion, their situation was dire. Outside, the night wind howled, carrying the scorching heat of crimson flames and the eerie chill of dark flames, painting the valley's edge into a battlefield of death.

The middle-aged man wielded a flame spear, its crimson blaze coiling like a dragon, the tip aimed directly into the cave. He barked coldly, "Hand over the Sourceflame Crystal, and I'll grant you an intact corpse!"

Behind him, the man with the black parasol snapped it open, unleashing a storm of dark flame needles that filled the air with piercing shrieks. The short, stout woman beside him raised her hands, her palms burning like twin furnaces, radiating waves of heat so intense that the vines at the cave's entrance instantly turned to ash. Further back, six black-robed warriors in the Initial Flame Realm spread out, sealing off their escape route. Their eyes gleamed with undisguised killing intent.

Lin Jin gripped his wooden staff tightly. Despite the Flamegrass Balm slowing the bleeding, his left arm continued to drip crimson, his sleeve soaked through. The violet flames of his First-Tier Flame Master power flickered in his palm, greedily devouring the approaching dark flame needles. He gritted his teeth and growled, "The Sourceflame Crystal is with me. If you want it, come take it!" His Flame Step was primed, and a swirling vortex of violet fire encircled his body. His gaze was sharp as a blade, locking onto the middle-aged man.

Su Yao stood to his left, her large, expressive eyes flashing with cold light. She held her short sword across her chest, its misty blue flames coiling like ethereal fog. "You want to rob me? You'd better ask my sword first!" Though she hadn't fully recovered, her Fourth-Tier Initial Flame Realm aura was steady, her sword tip trembling slightly—evidence of her unwavering resolve to fight to the death.

On the right, Duan Hao rested his broad-backed blade against the ground, crimson flames roaring along its length like a raging tiger. His aura, at the peak of the Ninth-Tier Initial Flame Realm, teetered on the brink of the Flame Master stage. His rugged face was smeared with blood, his shoulder wound torn open anew. Yet he laughed boldly. "One wasn't enough. Come on, you Skyflame bastards!" He stomped the ground, sending tremors through the cave as his blade pulsed with destructive energy.

"Courting death!" the middle-aged man roared, thrusting his flame spear forward. A scarlet spear beam, over ten feet long, tore through the air toward Lin Jin's chest. The scorching heat cracked the ground at the cave entrance, turning the stone pitch black.

"Block it!" Lin Jin bellowed, surging forward with Flame Step, his violet flame vortex meeting the spear's onslaught. Though his flames devoured some of the attack's power, the force of a Third-Tier Flame Master was too great. The impact shattered his vortex, sending him staggering three steps back until he slammed into the cave wall. His left arm wound burst open again, blood splattering against the rock. Gritting his teeth, he swung his staff sideways, unleashing a volley of Ghostflame Needles—violet spikes of fire shooting straight for his enemy's throat.

Su Yao darted forward, her movements as swift as flowing water. Activating the Azure Luan Flame Technique, she conjured a whirlwind of blue flames to intercept the spear's lingering force. At the same time, her short sword slashed three times, sending a net of interwoven sword qi toward the middle-aged man. Though her sword carried a subtle healing aura, it was laced with hidden lethality.

The middle-aged man sneered. With a flick of his spear, a burst of crimson flames erupted, shattering the sword qi net. The backlash sent Su Yao stumbling backward, blood trickling from the corner of her mouth, her large eyes filled with frustration.

The black parasol wielder chuckled coldly. With a flick of his wrist, his parasol trembled, unleashing a torrential rain of dark flame needles that screamed toward them. At the same time, the stout woman clapped her hands together, summoning an infernal wave of furnace-like heat that distorted the air inside the cave, evaporating every last droplet of moisture.

"Enough of this!" Duan Hao bellowed. He swung his massive blade in a fiery arc, executing Blazing Rift Slash. A crimson sword beam, over ten feet long, tore through the darkness, scattering the incoming dark flame needles. But before he could celebrate, the furnace flames bore down on him. Gritting his teeth, he took the brunt of the attack head-on. The impact forced him back five steps, reopening his shoulder wound. Blood splattered onto the cave floor, yet his grip on his blade remained firm. With a defiant roar, he slashed horizontally, pushing the stout woman back a step.

Lin Jin's eyes burned with determination. "Don't get bogged down—break through!" He activated Flame Step to its limit, his violet flame vortex whirling around him as he charged at the black parasol wielder. Firing three more Ghostflame Needles, he forced the enemy to block with his parasol. Two needles were deflected, but the third cut a gash across his opponent's ribs.

Su Yao leaped into the fray, her sword qi slicing toward the stout woman. Though the woman managed to block two strikes, the third slashed across her arm, drawing blood. Enraged, she retaliated with another furnace blast, which Su Yao barely avoided, though the heat scorched her arm.

The middle-aged man saw an opening and lunged, his spear thrusting toward Lin Jin's back. Sensing the danger, Lin Jin twisted, but he was a fraction too slow. The spear beam slashed across his left shoulder, carving a deep wound. He gritted his teeth against the searing pain and retaliated with a burst of violet flames, forcing the enemy back a step.

"We can't hold much longer!" Lin Jin shouted. His vision blurred from blood loss, and his flames flickered weakly. Gasping, he turned to Su Yao and Duan Hao. "I'll hold them—go!"

"No!" Su Yao cried, dashing to shield him. She blocked a spear thrust with her sword, but the force hurled her against the cave wall. Coughing up blood, she glared at Lin Jin, her voice trembling. "We leave together, or not at all!"

Duan Hao bared his teeth. "I'm not running either!" He unleashed another blazing slash, trading blows with the stout woman. Though he took a burning palm to the chest, his sword finally struck home, carving a deep wound in her side.

The six black-robed warriors seized the moment to attack, their blades forming a web of steel. Lin Jin, Su Yao, and Duan Hao fought back-to-back, their flames intertwining as they cut down three enemies. But the remaining three pressed in, wounding them further.

"Kid, it's now or never!" The voice of the Flame Soul Ancestor rang in Lin Jin's mind. "Use the Sourceflame Crystal fragment—force a breakthrough!"

With no time to hesitate, Lin Jin yanked the golden-red crystal from his pouch. Violet flames engulfed it, absorbing its power. His First-Tier Flame Master aura flared violently, momentarily halting his bleeding.

"Kill!" he roared. His flames surged outward, striking the middle-aged man squarely in the chest, sending him flying ten yards back, coughing blood.

Su Yao and Duan Hao followed suit, their attacks wounding the black parasol wielder and the stout woman.

"Go!" Lin Jin commanded. The three burst from the cave, cutting down the last of the black-robed warriors as they fled.

Behind them, the middle-aged man staggered to his feet, eyes blazing with fury. "After them!"

Three Flame Master auras locked onto their backs as they raced into the night.

Lin Jin clenched his teeth. "Head deeper into the Molten Flame Domain—we'll make our stand there!" His shoulder still bled, but Su Yao held onto him, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. "We won't die here."

Duan Hao stayed at the rear, blade poised. "Come, then! Let's see who dies first!"

Their figures disappeared into the dense forest. The wind howled behind them. The battle was far from over.