Chapter 85

Amidst the vast sky and the fierce gale, Vampire Queen Camilla held Lin Xi tightly and flew through the air at an incredible speed. They quickly passed over the area with volcanoes and lava pools.

"Master, look!"

Camilla suddenly pointed to something not far ahead.

Lin Xi looked down and saw a massive black mountain range ahead, engulfed in raging flames, stretching across the landscape. The flames on the mountain were all black, and from a distance, one could feel a tide-like aura of ferocity surging and rising to the sky.

"Black Tiger Mountain Range!"

Lin Xi's eyes flickered. This place was marked on the simple map provided for the mission. It was the territory of the Flame Black Tigers.

As Lin Xi observed closely, he indeed saw several massive Flame Black Tigers, their black flames billowing, scattered across the mountains, wandering around. A few Flame Black Tigers caught their scent from a distance and let out a roar that shook the mountains.

Lin Xi and Camilla, despite being far away, felt a powerful wave of energy reach them. It felt as if they had been struck by a whip, causing their hearts to race.

"Down!"

Lin Xi said.

"Master?!"

Camilla gasped in surprise.

"These Flame Black Tigers are very powerful and there are too many of them. We can simply fly over them. They can't threaten us."

The advantage of Vampire Queen's flight was evident at this moment. For such dangerous areas, they could simply ignore them and fly over.

The sky was a natural constraint for humans. Even a Qi Condensation Realm expert could not fly until they reached the fourth stage, the Qi Immortal stage. At best, they had strong jumping abilities.

In this regard, Qi Condensation Realm experts did not have a significant advantage.

"You forgot, the mission description states that for each Qi Condensation Realm beast killed, 30 merit points are awarded. The total reward for the entire mission is 200 merit points. By killing seven beasts, I would earn the equivalent of a complete mission reward. Where else can you find such a good deal?"

Lin Xi said, a sharp glint in his eyes.

The merit points awarded by the sect were generally low. A reward of 30 merit points for killing a Qi Condensation Realm beast was already quite generous. At the very least, it was more substantial compared to other missions.

Lin Xi speculated that all the beasts in the Black Dragon Space possessed strong fire elemental characteristics, which were needed by the Alchemy Elder for refining pills.

After all, when you submit your mission, you can't just show up empty-handed and say you killed a hundred Qi Condensation Realm beasts. You need to provide sufficient proof of the kills to receive the 30 merit points. Ordinary things like claws and fur might not be convincing enough; you need something more substantial, like the beast's heart, beast core, or head.

These items were clearly useful for the sect's pill refining.

"Rich rewards for gathering Dragon Blood Grass and Dragon Blood Fruit, plus the rewards for killing beasts. This mission is no ordinary one!"

Lin Xi thought to himself.

Such a good opportunity, if he missed it, he wouldn't be Lin Xi.

"But... there are hundreds of them, and not all are at the first stage of Qi Condensation. Many are at the second and third stages, which we can't handle."

Vampire Queen Camilla, feeling the ferocious auras rising from the mountains, was visibly shaken.

"Don't worry. As the saying goes, 'two tigers cannot coexist on one mountain.' These Flame Black Tigers are not social animals and do not understand human tactics. As long as we lure them one by one, it won't be a problem."

Lin Xi waved his hand.

"But, who will do the luring?"

Camilla asked.

Lin Xi didn't speak, just looking at the noble Vampire Queen.

"..."

Camilla.

As Lin Xi said, although the Flame Black Tigers were numerous, they did not gather in groups like vampire demons. They marked their territories by scent and did not interfere with each other. In this sense, the Flame Black Tigers retained the habits of ordinary tigers.

Soon, Vampire Queen Camilla lured a Flame Black Tiger over.

"Boom!—"

As the Flame Black Tiger ran, the ground shook, and its presence was overwhelming. Its body was enveloped in rolling black flames, which were extremely hot and toxic, not something a human body could withstand.

"Master, hurry! The flames on this Flame Black Tiger are too powerful for me."

Camilla was right. The Vampire Queen relied on her strong physical body. Her body was so tough that it could even break through true qi, but she was extremely afraid of such high-temperature flames.

If it weren't for the Vampire Queen's gradually recovering powerful healing ability, she wouldn't dare to even touch this Flame Black Tiger.

"Alright, step aside. Just support me from the side. I'll handle it!"

Lin Xi said through his mind.

A Martial Arts practitioner at the tenth stage could not even break through the flames surrounding the Flame Black Tiger. This was why the mission was not recommended for named disciples.

Only a Qi Condensation Realm expert's true qi could withstand the black flames of the Flame Black Tiger.

"Roar!—"

Before Lin Xi could charge, the Flame Black Tiger sensed the threat and opened its mouth, spewing out a sea of black flames that surged towards him.

"Can it breathe fire too?"

Lin Xi was surprised. This trait was somewhat similar to the Black Dragon.

According to legend, most of the beasts in the Black Dragon Space were related to the Black Dragon, descendants of the Black Dragon. It seemed this wasn't entirely a myth.

"Come on!"

Lin Xi's mind moved, and a vast amount of true qi burst out of his body, instantly forming a thick wall of qi that protected him.

"Qi Wall," this was the most basic application of true qi. By wrapping the body in a thick layer of qi, it formed a solid barrier, impenetrable.

In the Qi Condensation Realm, this technique was called "Iron Wall," meaning it was as strong as steel and unbreakable.

The first stage of Qi Condensation, "Iron Wall," was named for this reason.

Although it was a simple technique, it was quite practical. However, the cost was high, requiring a substantial amount of true qi.

"Whoosh!"

The flames roared, sizzling against Lin Xi's true qi. However, Lin Xi's true qi continuously replenished, and the scorching black flames could not break through the thick wall of qi surrounding him.

Lin Xi was completely enveloped in black flames, like being in hell, but he stood calmly in the center, composed and unperturbed. In fact, the qi wall isolated him from any heat.

"Roar!—"

A fierce roar, and the flames parted, revealing a Flame Black Tiger over a meter tall, emitting a powerful and ferocious aura, charging out like lightning.

The Flame Black Tiger was incredibly strong, and its pounce could shatter a mountain.

"Come on!"

Lin Xi's eyes lit up, and the thick qi wall around his body suddenly spun, transforming into a straight wall of qi. It moved like a heavy steel gate, rumbling and slamming into the Flame Black Tiger.

Boom!

Flames erupted, and Lin Xi's move, like a mountain collapsing and a pillar breaking, struck the Flame Black Tiger's body. With a loud thud, the Flame Black Tiger let out a mournful roar and was sent flying back, landing heavily on the ground, nearly dead.

"Initial stage of the first level of Qi Condensation!"

Lin Xi's eyes brightened, quickly assessing the Flame Black Tiger's strength.

This was the lowest level of the Qi Condensation Realm, and Lin Xi could handle it.

"Roar!"

Not far away, the Flame Black Tiger struggled to its feet. Though it was covered in blood, it was not dead. Its eyes glared at Lin Xi with fierce hatred, as if seeing an enemy.

Lin Xi was not concerned.

"Camilla, support me. I'll use this Black Tiger to practice my skills!"

Lin Xi dashed forward.

True qi burst from his body, enveloping his limbs and torso, forming a layer like armor to protect him from the Flame Black Tiger's flames.

"Great Sage Splitting the Sky!"

"Force Splitting Mount Hua!"

"Advancing Crushing Fist!"

"Pulling Down the Willow!"

...

Lin Xi wanted to test his physical strength after consuming the "Thunder Public Pill," so he used martial arts techniques. Both the Flame Black Tiger and Lin Xi possessed strength on the level of moving mountains.

This battle was intense, a "dragon and tiger fight." When Lin Xi used the "Cannon Punch" from national martial arts, the Flame Black Tiger's brain exploded, its limbs went limp, and it fell to the ground, unwilling to die.

"Hehe, Master, I think this Flame Black Tiger died very unwillingly. You are probably the strongest human it has ever encountered. I saw it collapse in exhaustion at the end."

Vampire Queen Camilla floated in the air, arms crossed, giggling.

"Stop laughing over there. Dig out this Flame Black Tiger's heart and beast core, then go and lure two more over."

Lin Xi said calmly.

This battle took some time, but it was worth it.

Lin Xi now knew that his physical strength alone was enough to match a typical first-level Qi Condensation expert. A first-level Qi Condensation expert relied on their true qi, while Lin Xi's physical strength was already this powerful, not to mention the vast true qi within him.

Lin Xi now understood the benefits of a strong physical body. In battle, at the same level of strength, Lin Xi would have more stamina and could last longer.

Moreover, the same attack would cause much less damage to Lin Xi than to others.

"Two more?"

Camilla's eyes widened. She stared, her smile fading.

"Yes, two more. I need to know the limits of my strength. This way, when I face enemies in the future, I will have a better grasp of the situation and can gauge the degree of the battle. I won't underestimate my enemies or overestimate myself."

Lin Xi said calmly.

Knowing oneself and the enemy ensures victory in every battle!

This principle applied not only to military strategy but also to the world of martial arts and the world of immortals.

Those who acted blindly and misjudged the situation usually died halfway.

c~.<~