Chapter 261: Ai Hui’s Discovery
Translator: TYZ Editor: CakeHermit
Ai Hui was surreptitiously observing the flaming ape.
No one dared to say that he or she understood the blood fiends well, including Ai Hui. Different blood fiends had different fighting capabilities and characteristics. One could only identify their specific weaknesses through observation.
Shi Xueman and the flaming ape were engaged in a furious battle, giving Ai Hui the opportunity to observe the enemy.
The flaming ape was undoubtedly powerful.
Its six meter-tall body gave it terrifying strength, and instead of being slow and clumsy due to its sheer size, it was also nimble and agile. Its shiny metallic hair prevented it from getting injured easily and even though the flaming ape appeared abnormally irascible and violent, its flickering eyes revealed its craftiness.
Looking at it, the flaming ape did not seem to have any weaknesses. In the Wilderness, this type of dire beast was the most troublesome and no one wanted to encounter it.
However, Ai Hui knew that there was no such thing as a dire beast without any weaknesses in this world.
He carefully observed the flaming ape’s every movement and the changes in its body. Shi Xueman’s attacks were forceful and rapid, allowing no room for the flaming ape to dodge. Both of them were fighting with brute force. Furthermore, due to the flaming ape’s elemental weakness to Shi Xueman’s water element, it was not an easy task for the former to deal with the latter. The flaming ape needed to go all-out in its attacks.
Thanks to the flaming ape going all-out, Ai Hui was able to pick up more details from its body.
Especially its blood traces.
Its flame-shaped blazing blood traces were covered by its thick and coarse hair, making them very difficult to spot.
As the blood fiends continued to evolve, their bodies became more impressive, but not in the sense that their powers became stronger. Instead, their weaknesses were reduced in number. For example, the blood traces on low-level blood fiends were very distinct, but after they evolved to a higher level, their blood traces would become darker and less distinct. The flaming ape’s blood traces grew under its hair, making them extremely hard to spot. The hair also acted as a form of protection for the blood traces.
Fortunately, the flaming ape’s blood traces could still be seen. Even though Ai Hui’s eyesight was not as sharp as the sword embryo’s, he still could capture many small details.
Ai Hui noticed a weird phenomenon. The flaming ape’s blood traces were expanding and contracting faintly, as if they were breathing.
Whenever this phenomenon happened, the flames on the flaming ape would burn more intensely.
The higher-ups were unable to provide much information on the blood traces, but there had been many discussions on them. Everyone fought blood fiends everyday, so they could directly experience and understand the blood traces for themselves.
The mainstream belief was that the blood traces were the blood fiends’ source of power.
This idea matched very well with the old prisoner’s conjecture. The old man felt that blood traces were the blood fiends’ weakness.
The flaming ape’s performance had verified these conjectures, however, just this information alone was not enough. Duanmu Huanghun did try using the [Viridescent Flower]’s vines to attack the flaming ape’s blood traces, but to no avail. The flaming ape did not mind its blood traces being attacked at all.
At that moment, Ai Hui noticed an easily overlooked detail.
The blood traces did not breath all at the same time. On the contrary, the breathing followed some kind of unique pattern. After observing a while more, Ai Hui knew he was right about the blood traces.
For example, the first blood trace to light up was the one that was near the flaming ape’s heart.
Ai hui suddenly realized something. The breathing pattern of the flaming ape’s blood traces reminded him of the Circulatory Cycle Revolution in elemental energy training. If he replaced the blood traces with the palaces, wouldn’t it be a Circulatory Cycle Revolution?
Could there be a mechanism like the Circulatory Cycle Revolution in the body of the flaming ape as well?
A burst of excitement erupted within Ai Hui. The more he thought about it, the more it made sense. Spiritual force needed to be channeled through the meridians of a body using the Circulatory Cycle Revolution as well. The current version of the Circulatory Cycle Revolution for five residences and eight palaces was based on the Cultivation Era’s version.
The only difference was that the Cultivation Era’s version of the Circulatory Cycle Revolution was much more complicated and detailed.
Ai Hui believed that the blood fiends’ version of the Circulatory Cycle Revolution would not be too complicated. The blood elementalists’ Circulatory Cycle Revolution would be similarly simple. A body’s meridians had to be slowly developed and expanded from a young age. They could not be fully formed in only a day’s time. The few blood elementalists that Ai Hui had encountered used to be quarantined casualties. How could it be possible that they had had the time to learn something as complicated as the Circulatory Cycle Revolution?
If that was the case...
A bold idea arose in Ai Hui’s mind. Was it possible that the Blood of God borrowed the training system of five residences and eight palaces from the Avalon of Five Elements?
Initially, he felt his idea was ridiculous; however, upon second thought, he realized that it was possible. The greatest advantage of the five residences and eight palaces’ Circulatory Circle Revolution was its simplicity.
Ai Hui started to make conjectures based on this ridiculous idea and imagined the blood traces as palaces. In other words, the flaming ape had nine ‘elemental energy palaces’ on its body.
The energy channeling path should start at its heart, followed by its left abdomen, subsequently to its back, and then to its right knee...
"Stab its right knee!" Ai Hui suddenly yelled.
Shi Xueman was too slow and did not react in time. She did not expect Ai Hui to suddenly open his mouth. By the time she could react, it was too late.
She had absolute confidence in Ai Hui.
Even though that rascal’s character might be terrible, he must have discovered something if he’d yelled like that.
The thing that surprised Shi Xueman was that Ai Hui had remained silent for the last few rounds of attacks against the flaming ape. Initially, she and the flaming ape were evenly matched, however, Ai Hui’s distraction caused her to become immediately suppressed.
The flaming ape was abnormally sharp. When it sensed that Shi Xueman was distracted, it immediately exploded with a burst of strength. The flaming ape bellowed and clenched both its fists. The blood trace on its back lit up and blazing flames erupted, forming a pair of fire wings!
Before it even finishing bellowing, the flaming ape increased its speed sharply and surged toward Shi Xueman like a flaming shadow.
Duanmu Huanghun, who had not really done much during the battle, had a cold glint sweep across his eyes. He spread out his fingers like a blossoming flower in an instant.
[Viridescent Flower, Perennial Lock]!
Numerous [Viridescent Flower] vines shot out from the ground and devoured the fire-winged flaming ape like green floodwater.
A towering green cage stood tall and straight in the middle of the field.
The Perennial Lock appeared too suddenly. Without a single sign, it appeared out of nowhere on the field.
Boom!
Surging oil-like flames gushed out of the Perennial Lock.
The secured, green cage burst into a sea of fire, resembling a heap of burning dry grass. Duanmu Huanghun did not continue to attack. He did not have any advantage against the flaming ape. He had achieved his objective by executing the Perennial Lock.
A gigantic figure engulfed in flames walked out from the sea of fire.
Its enormous body was filled with an imposing aura. As it moved forward, an aura of killer intent pervaded the air.
Shi Xueman remained unflustered. Even when the flaming ape looked so terrifying, the young pony-tailed girl did not show any intention of retreating.
She held her spear tightly and slightly lowered her body, looking like a leopard about to pounce on its prey.
Ai Hui’s eyes became brighter and brighter.
The flaming ape bent its knees slightly and the flames in the air were extinguished. All of a sudden, a dazzling blaze erupted through the air as the flaming ape charged ferociously towards Shi Xueman.
"Right knee!"
Even though Ai Hui’s voice was not loud, it could still be clearly heard amidst the deafening explosions and the ear-splitting roar of the flaming ape.
Shi Xueman’s eyes slightly lit up; however, the next moment, she squinted her eyes. The dazzling blaze in the air was blinding her vision. Soon, her vision went dark as a gigantic figure appeared before her eyes.
The flaming ape’s charging speed this time around was much faster than before!
Without any hesitation or intention to retreat, she struck out her spear firmly. Cirrus shot forward like a whale swimming silently in the depths of the ocean.
The surging and overpowering blaze collided heavily with the streak of concentrated, white-colored spear glint.
Both Shi Xueman and the flaming ape subconsciously squinted their eyes, bracing for the incoming explosion and shock wave. With two such terrifying forces colliding against each other, a colossal explosion was about to take place.
Crack!
The sound resembled an egg shell being smashed.
The white spear glint pierced through the surging blaze and a wisp of blood mist spurted out. Without having enough time to dissipate, the wisp of blood mist was devoured by the blaze.
Everyone was shocked by this scene.
They had thought that it was going to be a fierce collision, but it turned out like this in the end.
The flaming ape, which had lost its balance, smashed heavily to the ground, causing crushed rocks and flames to fly everywhere. The flaming ape’s right knee and everything beneath it had completely disappeared.
The flaming ape’s flames began to dim. It rolled in the rubble while howling in grief non-stop, looking extremely pathetic. It looked completely different from its previously domineering self.
The epic turn of events caused everyone to be dumbstruck once again.
The turn of events was far too abrupt!
Duanmu Huanghun cast a glance at Ai Hui with a bewildered look on his face. He did not see what exactly had happened when Shi Xueman struck out her spear. He also did not understand why it had to be the flaming ape’s right knee. Why was there such a huge difference in demeanor between the current flaming ape and its previous self?
Countless questions ran through his head, but very soon, these questions completely disappeared and were replaced by a single statement—She is indeed someone I have to have to catch up to!
Yan Hai, who had been observing from afar, was filled with shock. "Miss, what happened?"
After a long while, he did not hear Miss’s voice. Subconsciously, he turned his head around and he was dumbstruck.
Miss’s face was filled with indescribable incredulity. Her face was pale-white, looking as if she had seen a ghost. Her facial expression contained shock and even a hint of fear.
Yan Hai muttered with a blank look on his face, "Miss…"
Ai Hui walked to the flaming ape and took a closer look at it.
The flaming ape was rolling on the ground and groaning, appearing to be suffering pain.
At this moment, Shi Xueman also returned to her senses from her battle state. When she saw the flaming ape in agony, she was astonished. Upon taking a closer look, she understood what was going on and her face turned slightly pale.
The flaming ape was in so much pain because the flames that engulfed it were burning its body.
It had completely lost control of the flames on its body. The power that once belonged to it had become the cause of its death.
The surging flames began to extinguish. The scary part was that the color of the flames was turning bluish. Like a melting candle, the flaming ape’s flesh melted, burned, and then disappeared.
In the blink of an eye, a ghastly white skeleton and several blood crystals were left on the ground.
Shi Xueman did not move. She looked on blankly as Ai Hui picked up the blood crystals and pounded the skeletal remains of the flaming ape. Poof, the skeletal remains turned into ashes. The previously formidable flaming ape had been reduced to ashes.
Ai Hui picked out three remaining bone pieces from the ashes. These three bone pieces had irregular shapes. They were bright red, resembling lava that had not completely cooled off.
Holding them in his hands, they felt extremely hot.
Ai Hui was somewhat unhappy. Why were the spoils of war always something Fatty could use? This had also happened last time with the lava spider!
Shi Xueman was filled with doubt. Just as she was about to ask Ai Hui about it, she suddenly heard Lou Lan’s warning.
"Ai Hui, be careful!"