After searching the area and confirming that it was temporarily safe, Mo Fan found a spot to sit down.
However, as soon as he sat down, he suddenly heard a strange crunch, crunch sound.
Turning to look at his shoulder, he saw the chubby Little Flame Belle had already eaten most of the fire element diamond she had loved so much earlier.
Mo Fan couldn't help but twitch his lips.
"Fierce! This little girl is truly fierce," he thought. "Didn't she just like this thing to play with? How did it become a snack?"
While he was puzzled about her actions, Little Flame Fairy's small body started to heat up, turning bright red. Flames began to ignite uncontrollably around her.
"Wait, she didn't just eat something bad, right?" Mo Fan thought in shock, his heart racing.
As Mo Fan was confused about what was happening, Little Flame Belle suddenly clung to him. Without any care for the flames burning on her body, she wrapped herself around his neck. Although Mo Fan had a strong resistance to fire, the direct contact still caused some pain.
Luckily, with his demonic physique, Mo Fan could handle it. Otherwise, with all his battle wounds, this extra burn could have been the last straw for him.
As Little Flame Belle's body temperature continued to rise and the flames surged, Mo Fan finally realized what was happening.
"Could she be advancing?"
Sure enough, after squirming and fussing for a while, Little Flame Belle retreated into the contract space to rest.
Relieved to have a break from the chaos, Mo Fan suddenly sensed danger.
Whoosh!
Just as he dodged to the side, he heard the sharp sound of something cutting through the air behind him.
Slash!
Despite dodging quickly, a sharp blade grazed his back, leaving a shallow wound. Fortunately, he had reacted fast enough to avoid serious damage.
As Mo Fan rolled forward, he caught a glimpse of what had attacked him: a large, fiery red spider. Its front legs, like enormous scythes, gleamed menacingly.
Mo Fan hadn't noticed it earlier, likely distracted by Little Flame Belle. Taking advantage of his distraction, the creature had approached unnoticed.
"Shadow Escape!"
Without hesitation, Mo Fan created distance between him and the fiery red spider.
Slash, slash, slash!
Boom, boom, boom!
The spider unleashed a barrage of energy blades, tearing up the ground and leaving craters behind. Mo Fan dodged skillfully, then summoned his Serpent Armor and Flame Wings.
Seeing Mo Fan take to the air, the fiery red spider screeched angrily, thinking he was trying to flee.
But Mo Fan wasn't someone who would run after getting hit.
Especially not when his opponent was just a regular commander-level creature, weaker than the three-headed serpent he had fought before. However, Mo Fan wasn't yet sure of the spider's abilities.
Screech, screech!
The spider let out a shriek and shot a thick web of fire-infused silk, trying to ensnare Mo Fan.
"Fiery Fist: Nine Dragons!"
Nine fiery dragons surged from Mo Fan's fist, smashing into the spider's fiery webs.
Boom!
The spider's silk had some resistance to fire, but Mo Fan's flame power had been amplified nearly sixfold, overwhelming the silk in no time.
With a flap of his flame wings, Mo Fan ascended higher. In his hands, a massive golden hammer appeared, shimmering with radiant light.
With a swift swing, Mo Fan brought the hammer crashing down on the spider.
Smash!
The golden hammer struck hard, and Mo Fan quickly ascended again. Using his shadow magic, he summoned several shadow spikes, launching them toward the spider's limbs.
The spider, still reeling from the hammer blow, was caught off guard and immobilized by the shadow spikes.
Although the spikes could only hold it for a few seconds, that was enough for Mo Fan.
Boom, boom, boom!
Fire elements surged around him, and within moments, Mo Fan had formed an azure fire lotus. As the spider broke free of the shadow spikes, Mo Fan hurled the lotus toward it.
The azure lotus, with layer upon layer of petals, radiated an intense heat, as if it could ignite the very air around it. Between the petals, flames flickered with a mysterious light, and the lotus spiraled toward the spider. Realizing the danger, the spider shrieked and spat a wave of fiery flames toward the lotus in an attempt to counterattack.
The two forces collided in midair, triggering a deafening explosion. The surrounding air warped and twisted from the sheer intensity of the clash.
But the spider's flames were quickly overwhelmed by the lotus, which then engulfed the creature entirely.
Boom!
The lotus burst open, unleashing an enormous wave of fiery energy.
In the aftermath, the surrounding forest, which had barely survived in the intense environment of the Scorched Plains, was reduced to ashes. The few hardy trees that had managed to grow in the heat were incinerated, leaving nothing but charred remains. The ground itself turned black from the intense heat, and the once-lush greenery was now barren.
In the wake of the lotus's explosion, the spider lay battered and broken, several of its legs shattered. It collapsed to the ground, still burning with azure flames.
(End of Chapter)