Chapter 98: Golden Core Flame Bird

Two Golden Core auras collided, collapsing the surrounding walls and causing deep fissures to appear on the ground.

Cool water vapor and scorching heat permeated each other; inside the cave, two contrasting climates existed simultaneously.

The Giant Lizard conjured a water shield to protect Junior Brother Bai Ming, then raised its head, fixing its golden pupils on the Flame Bird.

The Golden Core Flame Bird struck first, its bird eyes filled with caution. It flapped its wings, unleashing thousands of fiery feathers.

Thousands of fire feathers rained down rapidly like a storm of fire, illuminating the entire cave in a bright red glow.

The Giant Lizard opened its mouth and roared, a wave of water vapor spreading in a circle, annihilating the thousands of incoming fire feathers.

Supporting itself with its front limbs, surrounded by raging currents, it opened its mouth and lunged at the Golden Core Flame Bird.

Seeing that the fiery feathers were ineffective, the Golden Core Flame Bird flapped its wings violently, fanning out a surging wave of fire while retreating backward.

The Giant Lizard disregarded the attack, letting the fire wind strike. Protected by the raging currents, the fire wind was nothing more than a warm breeze to it.

Its massive body surged forward, performing an "expansion surgery" on the narrow path, stretching it to its limit to accommodate its bulk.

Sensing the threat, the Golden Core Flame Bird let out a shrill crane cry and flew toward the high ceiling of the cave, circling continuously.

With a surge of movement, the Giant Lizard smashed through the path and charged out from the opening.

As soon as its head emerged, a sky full of fire feathers struck again, concentrating their attack on its golden eyes.

A wall of water appeared out of thin air, blocking all the fire feathers for it.

The Giant Lizard leaped, arriving beside the Golden Core Flame Bird in an instant.

It opened its gaping maw and bit down on the Flame Bird's left wing.

The Flame Bird was agile, narrowly dodging the attack with the help of the fire wind.

But before it could adjust its posture, a cyan tail whipped directly toward it.

Smack.

A massive force struck the Flame Bird's back, slamming it into the floor with the tail, its beak piercing straight into the ground.

The Giant Lizard loomed over it, giving the Flame Bird no chance, and swooped down with a torrent of water.

The azure current poured down from above, washing over the Flame Bird repeatedly.

The flames on its body gradually extinguished; the Flame Bird's eyes were filled with unspoken grievances, its fury unable to be vented.

It struggled to flap its wings, rising against the impact of the water.

But just as it crawled up, a tearing sensation came from its right wing.

"Screech—!" The Flame Bird's red pupils dilated.

Under the tearing of the Giant Lizard's sharp beak, its right wing was cleanly ripped off.

Along with the flesh and blood vessels inside, it was bitten off in one gulp!

In extreme pain, the Flame Bird's rage surged, and it unleashed a powerful burst of flame.

The Giant Lizard's mouth felt scalding, forcing it to temporarily release the Flame Bird.

With this release, the Golden Core Flame Bird transformed its flames into wings and shot straight toward the sky.

The red crystal pillars had long since shattered, forming a large opening in the sky above in the distance.

The Flame Bird flew vertically upward, clearly intending to leave the cave.

The Giant Lizard would not let it have its way, flicking its tail and following closely behind.

Watching the battle between the two, Junior Brother Bai Ming was shocked. If not for the water shield in front of him, he wouldn't have been able to withstand even a fraction of the aftershocks.

His view was blocked by the rock walls, and he could only catch glimpses.

After flying out of the volcanic crater, the Flame Bird did not leave, but instead gathered flames, preparing for a high-altitude suppression attack.

Within a few miles, the sky was burned a deep blood-red.

Looking at the monstrous flames, Junior Brother Bai Ming's wounds throbbed with pain, and his vision was obscured.

He spat out a mouthful of turbid blood, his body staggering, his back hunching over.

"Cough, cough." Junior Brother Bai Ming stopped suppressing it and simply spat it all out.

Accompanying his coughing, the ground emitted continuous, thunderous rumbles.

After a shrill bird cry, the earth gave a massive tremor, as if a heavy object had crashed to the ground.

The aftershocks gradually dissipated, and the ground returned to calm.

A massive figure covered in cyan scales appeared out of thin air before Junior Brother Bai Ming.

The water shield vanished, leaving Junior Brother Bai Ming completely exposed to the Giant Lizard.

A long, slender tongue slowly extended, wrapping around his injured area.

As the mucus from the tongue tip touched his body, a cool sensation spread from his wounds.

The burning sensation in his body was soothed, his injuries rapidly recovered, and his consciousness became clear.

"Thank you." Looking at the Giant Lizard, Junior Brother Bai Ming felt conflicted.

To be honest, at the very first moment, he wasn't sure if the Giant Lizard would actually come.

After all, he was only at the early stage of Foundation Establishment, common everywhere here.

And for the Giant Lizard to come, it had to face a Golden Core level Flame Bird.

Even Junior Brother Bai Ming himself felt it wasn't worth it.

Yet, it still came.

"I really owe you a huge favor." Junior Brother Bai Ming slowly stood up.

The Giant Lizard's golden pupils flickered, its eyelids blinking repeatedly, as if it didn't know what to think.

Closing his eyes to regulate his breath, Junior Brother Bai Ming slowly calmed his internal injuries. Only when he had completely stabilized did he slowly open his eyes.

He felt something strange around his waist. Looking down, he saw a long, slender tongue wrapped around his entire waist.

What is it doing?

While full of questions, a force came from his waist, and he was dragged into the air.

The Giant Lizard's tongue coiled around Junior Brother Bai Ming, and it flew out of the cave in one go, heading toward the distance.

A biting cold wind swept through the forest, the chill seeping in, and the tree branches shook continuously as if frozen.

The Giant Lizard landed, the restraint on Junior Brother Bai Ming's waist vanished, and he was slowly set down.

A patch of golden color caught his eye, and Junior Brother Bai Ming's attention was completely captured, not even caring about the sticky feeling on his body.

The massive carcass of the Golden Core Flame Bird lay on the ground, missing half a wing, with remnants of flames still lingering on its feathers.

This is…

Walking forward, Junior Brother Bai Ming felt a warmth on his face. In the Flame Bird's abdomen, a flame that was golden on the outside and red on the inside was flickering.

"This is the Golden Core flame it condensed; it actually hasn't dissipated even after death." Junior Brother Bai Ming observed cautiously, not daring to get too close.

He turned his head to look at the Giant Lizard a few times, then looked back at the flame. "Does it mean… it wants me to absorb it?"

A Golden Core flame—this was an immense opportunity.

If one were to ask if Junior Brother Bai Ming wanted it, he would be ten million times willing.

But he was only at the early stage of Foundation Establishment; how could he have the ability to absorb it?

Forcibly absorbing it would likely result in being backlashed by the flame, burning himself to death.

Junior Brother Bai Ming felt some regret. "It's a waste of your good intentions, I can't absorb it."

The Giant Lizard's vertical pupils blinked slightly, and it slowly lowered its head, moving close to Junior Brother Bai Ming.

Whoosh—

The Giant Lizard's sharp beak closed slightly, leaving only a small opening, and it gently blew toward the flame.

Icy water vapor emerged from its mouth, neutralizing the Golden Core flame and weakening its power.

Standing to the side, Junior Brother Bai Ming understood the Giant Lizard's idea. Since he couldn't absorb it, then just lower the flame's power.

Water vapor billowed out, and the Golden Core flame rapidly shrank and became illusory until it dropped to the Foundation Establishment level.

Junior Brother Bai Ming's expression showed reluctance, feeling a bit pained. "Alright, I can absorb it now. Brother Lizard, stop!"

The Giant Lizard tilted its vertical pupils and stopped blowing.

Don't blow it out completely.

Cupping the weak flame, Junior Brother Bai Ming couldn't help but curl his lips. Although its power had decreased, he could now control it.

Regardless, this was a spiritual flame with a Golden Core foundation, fundamentally different from a Foundation Establishment flame.

In time, it would be able to regain its Golden Core stature.