The Flame Spirit Storm swept across the land, turning nearly the entire mountain path into a sea of fire.
The sight of players caught in the inferno being reduced to ash in an instant left everyone present with expressions of pure horror.
"That magic is terrifying. Good thing I didn't charge in too fast." A level 32 Shield Warrior clad in silver-gray heavy armor swallowed hard as he stared at the blazing flames before him.
He had been just barely behind the man in front of him — a Guardian Knight with Protection Blessing active, a magic resistance aura, a Priest's True Word Shield, and an Oracle's defensive blessing layered on top, boasting over 12,000 HP. That knight had simply evaporated right before his eyes...
"Hmm, someone's charging through." The heavy-armored Shield Warrior suddenly noticed a dark shadow cutting through the scorched, crimson earth, heading straight toward him.
"Even just one dares to come at us? Brothers, take him out!" A level 32 Berserker beside him raised his greatsword and roared.
The call was met with enthusiastic responses as everyone braced themselves for the counterattack.
After being endlessly pelted with Frost Grenades, every one of them was fuming with rage. Now someone had finally been foolish enough to charge straight at them — the perfect outlet for their frustration.
"Wait — that guy looks like Black Flame!" The Shield Warrior narrowed his eyes, making out Shi Feng's silhouette through the thick greenish smoke. Panic flashed across his face.
The dozen-plus Berserkers and Shield Warriors who had already activated their Charge skills froze for a moment, but the skills were already in motion, and Shi Feng was barely ten yards away. There was no turning back now. Gritting their teeth, they committed fully, unleashing their strongest skills and swinging down at Shi Feng with everything they had.
But the attack speed of those Shield Warriors and Berserkers was far too slow for Shi Feng. Moreover, the moment more than a dozen of them entered his perception range, his Void Realm allowed him to sense everything in his surroundings with perfect clarity. The trajectories of all their attacks were laid bare in his mind.
In an instant, Shi Feng's footwork shifted. He drifted through their pincer attack like a gentle breeze, slipping past each of them. The Stormrend in his hand left several dazzling cyan streaks across their bodies, but not a single blade or sword managed to so much as graze him.
In the span of just moments, more than a dozen heavy-armor specialists lay sprawled on the ground. Weapons and equipment littered the floor as more than a dozen Immortal Souls flowed into the mark on the back of Shi Feng's hand, adding to his collection.
If these people had known that anyone killed by Shi Feng — provided the level gap between them was no more than five and the kill occurred within ten yards — would have their Immortal Souls stripped away and suffer the severe punishment of the Divine Realm (not only normal losses to level and skill proficiency, but also a two to three-day lockout from logging into the Divine Realm), they would have much rather charged into that sea of fire than been taken out by Shi Feng like this.
"How is this possible?" Standing not far in the front ranks, the members of the Star River Alliance watched the entire encounter unfold in just a few seconds, utterly dumbstruck. A pressure unlike anything they had ever experienced bore down on them, making it difficult to even breathe.
Before, they had merely thought that Shi Feng was powerful — frighteningly so. But that strength had always felt abstract, something they hadn't truly understood. Now, facing him in person, they finally grasped just how vast the gap between them truly was. The oppressive weight of his presence sent an icy chill straight to their hearts. They could barely hold their weapons, let alone move — their hands and feet felt like they belonged to someone else.
In that instant, everyone realized just how naive their earlier belief had been — that sheer numbers alone could grind Shi Feng down.
By the time they snapped back to reality, Shi Feng had already appeared right in front of them. Several cyan streaks bloomed across their bodies.
"There sure are a lot of you." Shi Feng glanced at the sea of Star River Alliance members packed in the front line, raised Stormrend high, and slashed downward with a savage swing.
Wind Thunder Flash!
Several cyan lightning serpents surged forward in rapid succession, leaving crackling arcs of electricity trailing through the air.
A single move. It earned Shi Feng several dozen more Immortal Souls and carved a path straight through.
By the time the Star River Alliance members reacted and tried to swarm him, Shi Feng had already plunged into the crowd and was cutting through them like a reaper.
Slash!