Chapter 240: All Out (ll)
That remark was a signal to his subordinates. The Rank 3-5 Magic Beasts that could still move immediately retreated, moving away from the center of the battle.
They knew, this was no longer an ordinary battle. This was a duel between the lord of the forest and the humans who dared to challenge him.
The Purple Crystal Lion King let out a loud roar, its body darting towards El with incredible speed. However, in a Selfless State with an active Eye of Insight, El saw that his every movement seemed to slow down.
Intense purple-colored Dou Qi enveloped its body, shimmering like an expanse of starry sky on a calm night.
The energy pulsed, moving wildly like smoldering flames, yet still exuding a majestic and unwavering aura.
Without hesitation, El immediately flowed the Zixuan Spirit Flame into the White Fire, turning the white blade with a red hue into an intense purple that pulsed like a living flame.
In an instant, El darted forward, breaking underneath the Purple Crystal Lion King's body that was still in midair.
Shing! Shing!
Two streaks of purple flames were created, following the swing of the White Fire that was filled with burning energy.
"Retsujitsu Kōkyo," El said in a low tone of voice.
Two horizontal arc slashes shot out, carving a path of fire that split the air, slashing at the underside of the Purple Crystal Lion King.
However...
Clang!
The attacks failed to penetrate the purple crystal armor that enveloped the king's body. El frowned, having expected this, but still unsatisfied with the result.
Not wanting to be caught off guard, El immediately retreated, creating a safer distance.
Just then, the Purple Crystal Lion King landed, small cracks forming on the ground beneath its paws.
His eyes narrowed, looking at El with a sharp glare, then grinned. "You're an interesting human..." His voice was deep, resounding with power. "Your speed surpasses that of an ordinary Dou Zhe... but that's it? In that case, you're going into my stomach!"
Without warning, the Purple crystal Lion King roared and spat out tornado-shaped purple flames, streaking ferociously towards El!
El, who could see in slow motion, immediately activated the basic stage of Susano'o.
A dense purple aura enveloped his body, and in an instant, a gigantic rib cage formed, protecting him from the torrent of tornado flames.
Crack... Crack...
As soon as the purple flames touched Susano'o, its overwhelming heat instantly suppressed the energy structure. Crack after crack spread rapidly along the bone frame, a sign that this defense would not last long.
El understood the risk of using Amaterasu at close range, too dangerous, too unstable.
Seconds before Susano'o was destroyed...
El darted out, leaving his defenses almost collapsed.
However...
The Purple Crystal Lion King instantly noticed.
With its predatory reflexes, the creature moved quickly, its sturdy, steel-sharp claws swinging at El with destructive force.
El tried to reconstruct Susano'o, but it was too late. Although the Eye of Insight and Selfless State were still active, his body could not react fast enough.
Even with strengthening his physique using Dou Qi, Demon Slayer Mark and Ashura Path, it was still not enough. El couldn't dodge the attack, not even defense was an option.
BOOM!
The giant claw slammed into his body brutally. El was thrown like a bullet, hitting the rocky ground, his body rolling over the rocks in his path before finally hitting a natural stone pillar hard.
Crack!
Dust and stone fragments flew out.
"Ugh," El winced, feeling the pain radiating throughout his body. His muscles throbbed, as if his body was hit by a giant hammer repeatedly.
To be honest, his body was starting to show signs of collapse.
His skin cracked, like iron beginning to break down under excessive pressure.
Several of his bones were broken, sending waves of piercing pain every time he moved.
His internal organs were also seriously injured, working with great difficulty to maintain their function. After all, El was using Ashura Path: Body Mechanism only partially.
"Damn... My body hurts all over!" complained El, having trouble moving his body.
However, there was no time to complain. Fighting Dou Huang with his realm still Dou Zhe was crazy. Even with increased attributes, skills, and titles, El could only face Dou Ling or Dou Wang for now.
But, there was no turning back.
Suddenly, the ground shook.
In front of him, the Purple Crystal Lion King jumped, his giant body creating a huge shadow that covered El.
El's reflexes stiffened. Because there was no other choice. In a split second, El immediately activated Amanotejikara. A time and space technique derived from his Rinnegan.
-SWOOSH!-
In an instant, El and the Purple Crystal Lion King's positions switched. The Lion King landed where El had been, his eyes wide, surprised.
"What?!" said the shocked Purple Crystal Lion King.
On the other side, El jumped backwards as fast as lightning strikes, creating distance before the effects of fatigue from using Amanotejikara hit him.
His shadow lingered in the air for a moment before vanishing, as if his body was distorted in an instant.
It was the high-speed technique of the Sun Breathing Style, Gen'nichi Kō.
A move that left only a flash of the user's mirage, before the user completely disappeared from sight.
Previously, El's use of the Amanotejikara ability was a testament to his increased potential in Rinnegan.
After acquiring the Samsara Mantra, El could feel a significant improvement in his understanding and mastery of the technique.
However, when El had moved away... a sudden heaviness invaded his body. Hot blood boiled in his veins, heart beating wildly.
The six tomoe on his eyes faded one by one, Rinnegan temporarily weakened.
However, Ashura Path was still holding on. Even though the limit was getting closer, his body remained strengthened. His muscles tightened, his bones felt denser, and strength coursed through every fiber of his flesh.
However, it was not a perfect mechanical form. The boundaries were wobbly, small cracks began to appear enlarged. If pushed further, its body might not be able to withstand the impact.
The Purple Crystal Lion King dismissed his confusion, his huge body turned around, facing the direction El was in.
The Purple Crystal Lion King's eyes were full of savage passion, as if seeing an increasingly attractive prey. "Your technique is very interesting, human. I'm getting curious about your meat."
However, before the lion king could move, their eyes met and in that instant, El activated the Hypnotic Eye.
Subtle flashes emanated from Rinnegan, piercing into the monster's consciousness. The giant's muscles tensed, his breath caught, and in an instant... his body froze in place.
With his current strength, three seconds was enough time for El to act before fatigue got the better of him.
With quick movements, El immediately took out two glass bottles and a jar of medicine from his storage.
The blue bottle contained a stamina-restoring potion, the green bottle contained a medium-level healing potion and the medicine jar contained Accopanying Flame Essence, a pure fire energy that was dangerous yet could strengthen Dou Qi.
Of course, after being stored in the Sky Pearl Poison, even if only briefly, the Accompanying Flame Essence had undergone a significant increase in quality.
Without hesitation, El opened the cover of the three items and gulped them down.
It was as if hot lava was flowing through his veins. In an instant, his heart was beating furiously, like war drums beating relentlessly.
His blood boiled, flowing with renewed energy that burned away every vestige of fatigue in his body. A terrifying sensation of heat traveled throughout his cells, shaking him to the core.
And at that moment, the six tomoe in both eyes returned to spinning, shining sharply, brimming with newly restored strength.
In fact, after consuming the Intermediate Restoration Potion, the few cracks all over his skin and his internal injuries, despite Ashura Path: Body Mechanism began to improve rapidly.