Chapter 78: Battle with the Thunderflame Beast (Part Two)

This was not due to any real mercy on Ji Mo's part, nor was she unwilling to harm the beast. She simply understood her own limitations. Even with the protective robes she wore, to slay the monster before her was likely beyond her strength. To avoid unnecessary exhaustion, if she could manage to drive it away, that would be the best outcome.

But the beast had no intention of retreating. Having suffered a setback, it was already boiling with rage, and it clearly sensed that Ji Mo’s power was far inferior to its own. Moreover, her flesh was a tantalizing lure. For it to simply leave now was out of the question. The beast fixed its blood-red eyes on Ji Mo for a long moment, then abruptly planted its hind claws in the ground, raised its forepaws upright, and threw back its head in a long, piercing howl—a sight that seemed another version of the Celestial Wolf howling to the moon.

Celestial Wolf howling to the moon? Could this creature, neither pig nor dog in appearance, actually be descended from wolves? Ji Mo wondered in amazement, her gaze unconsciously drifting to the evening sun hanging just above the horizon. With the sun still up, for what moon, then, did it howl?

But whatever the case, whether it was a true Celestial Wolf or not, the howl had its effect. The beast's body rapidly swelled, growing to nearly one and a half meters tall in the blink of an eye. As its form expanded, the two horns atop its head turned a pale golden hue.

What startled Ji Mo even more was the sight of scarlet lightning constantly sparking from those horns, quickly weaving together in midair into a long, sinuous dragon of lightning that surged toward her. Only then did she realize: this beast was called the Thunderflame Beast, born of the Fiery Domain, and gifted in wielding lightning and flame.

Seeing this, Ji Mo turned to flee, but then she recalled—how could she possibly outrun a lightning dragon? Since escape was impossible, perhaps she could attempt to refine the lightning instead. Had she not studied the Divine Art of Profound Thunder? Her thoughts raced, and after only a few steps, Ji Mo stopped, narrowed her eyes, and faced the oncoming lightning dragon.

The dragon reached her in an instant. With a thunderous explosion, it crashed into the crown of Ji Mo's head and detonated. She was hurled hundreds of meters away. She had tried to refine the lightning, but had forgotten that she was merely a fourth-rank Qi Refiner; the beast’s thunder-element energy far outstripped her own. How could she possibly refine it?

Now you are as good as dead. The Thunderflame Beast, watching from afar, was overjoyed, its four hooves kicking up sand as it leapt toward Ji Mo, eager to claim its prize.

Ji Mo had been blasted several hundred meters by the lightning dragon. The enchanted robe she wore remained unscathed, but her hair had not been so lucky—most of her once-black locks were now charred, her fair and delicate face blackened, and her skin burned and stinging. As she struggled to her feet, the savage Thunderflame Beast charged at her with renewed fury.

This is too much! For a moment, Ji Mo was filled with wrath as boldness surged through her. Ignoring the fact that she was no match for the beast, she leapt up from the ground, turning herself into a roaring projectile, and charged straight at the Thunderflame Beast.

The beast had assumed its lightning attack had finished Ji Mo and was just about to devour her when, to its shock, she leapt up from the earth, battered but otherwise unharmed, and rushed at it with reckless ferocity.

The Thunderflame Beast, not clever by nature, was momentarily stunned, its steps faltering. But Ji Mo, now fully provoked, cared nothing for its hesitation; the distance between them was only a few hundred meters, and in an instant she was upon it. The White Jade Flood Dragon Whip cracked down in a storm of blows.

The beast could not fathom Ji Mo’s sudden madness and grew anxious, even hesitant to continue. This moment of doubt cost it dearly—two lashes struck home. Unlike ordinary spirit weapons, the White Jade Flood Dragon Whip left deep, bone-revealing gashes, draining its vitality. It had already suffered one such wound; these two new ones left it aching to the marrow, its life force bleeding away.

Rage and fear warred within it. Pushed to the brink, its bestial savagery was fully unleashed, overwhelming its fear of the silver whip. All it wanted now was to tear Ji Mo apart. With a wild howl, it lunged at her, all reason lost.

Driven to desperation, the Thunderflame Beast knocked Ji Mo to the ground after taking the two lashes. In terms of raw power, she was no match for it; she could not truly defeat the beast. Once she was down, the beast knew it could not bite through her robes, so it aimed for her head instead. Ji Mo, pinned to the ground and unable to use her whip, saw the beast’s foul, gaping maw descending toward her.

Suddenly, her mind rang out with a roar, her blood seemed to boil, and the Heavenly Demon Body-Refining Art surged madly within her. She shouted fiercely, and with all her might, punched straight into the beast’s open jaws. With a resounding crack, the one-meter-tall Thunderflame Beast was sent flying. Its jaw smashed to pieces; only half its head remained as it tumbled through the sand.

After delivering that punch, blood seeped from every pore of Ji Mo’s soot-blackened face and arms. That blow had been made at the expense of her very life, burning her essence to unleash her latent potential. But as the punch landed, she was left in a terrible state of weakness, unable even to lift a finger as she lay there.

The beast rolled and howled in agony on the red sand for the time it takes to finish a cup of tea, then staggered to its feet. The lower part of its face was completely shattered, a gruesome and almost comical sight—a demon beast with only half a head, yet still alive, enough to chill any heart.

Ji Mo’s punch had not claimed its life, though it had destroyed its jaws. Its blood-red eyes had now turned a dead, purplish-black, like dried blood. Slowly, it turned its gaze upon Ji Mo, filled with endless hatred.

Step by halting step, it made its way to her. The two hundred meters between them, once a single bound, now took nearly the time to burn a stick of incense. By the time it reached her, it was utterly spent; only its burning will for vengeance kept it moving. Ji Mo’s blow had not only smashed its jaw but ruptured its meridians and sinews, the earlier whip wounds draining what little vitality it had left. It knew death was near, but before it died, it was determined to see this human perish first, or it would never rest in peace.

From its eyes, Ji Mo read its stubbornness and resentment. Aggrieved, she spoke, not caring whether the beast understood: “Why do you look at me with such hate? If you hadn’t relentlessly pursued me, we wouldn’t have ended up in this mutually destructive mess.”

But the beast was beyond reason. It could no longer muster its energy or perform any supernatural skills, but it could still move its legs. It shuffled to her side, raised a heavy paw, and stomped down at her head. Weighing several hundred catties, even in her weakened state such a blow should have ended her.

Though she could barely move, Ji Mo’s head had just enough strength to turn aside. The beast’s hoof thudded into the sand beside her cheek, narrowly missing. Infuriated by its failure, the beast conjured enough anger to lift both hooves and bring them down together—surely this time she could not dodge. But just then, a silver whip slashed across, wrapping around its legs and yanking it aside.

At the sight of the silver whip, the beast’s memories rushed back. Its current plight was due in no small part to that very weapon. Now, seeing it again, rage and terror mingled. But both its body and spirit were at their limit; it simply no longer had the strength to feel so deeply. Its consciousness wavered; it longed to take revenge on the whip, but it was powerless now. As its awareness faded, the pain of its wounds lingered, and fear overcame anger. The pull of the whip sent a shudder through its body, and with a dull thud, it collapsed just two steps from Ji Mo. Its life quickly ebbed away, eyes wide with both unwillingness and confusion.

Driven by Ji Mo’s soul, the silver whip had intercepted the beast’s fatal blow. As the Thunderflame Beast collapsed, the whip snapped back into Ji Mo’s spiritual sea. At last, seeing her foe slain, Ji Mo could let out a long-held breath. Who would have thought this wretched creature would be so fierce, refusing to let her go even in death? Luckily, her life was a little tougher than its own—she had survived. With that final thought, her spirit gave way, and darkness closed in as she fainted. (To be continued…)