Chapter 133: Old Yan's Last Struggle
At the same time, the Dark Fire user scrambled away as he showed a panic expression. Nonetheless, he noticed Anya by his side with her foxfire aura still glowing but showing signs of exhaustion in her stance.
He stabbed with his blackened sword, aiming for her abdomen. She parried with a hastily made Foxfire Blade, but the blow wrenched her arms. Burning sparks scattered all over her, causing little holes in her garments.
"Die!" the man shouted, charging in for a second hit. But Anya twisted, letting the blade slice the air next to her ribs.
She responded by smashing a Foxfire Explosion orb into his chest. The resulting explosion threw him backward.
He was able to keep his footing, but a substantial section of his armor had been blown away, exposing charred flesh.
"Fuck you," he rasped. "Just go down!"
He tried to summon more dark flames, but Anya flicked her wrist, creating a Foxfire Whip in midair. With a fierce yell, she snapped the whip around his neck.
He gagged, eyes bulging as the flames choked his throat. Struggling, he attempted to sever it with his sword, but the blade fell from his fingers, the searing pain too intense.
Anya's eyes hardened. "You should have run when you had the chance," she said.
She then tugged the whip, forcing him forward, before delivering a final Foxfire Explosion squarely into his chest. The blazing flame engulfed him in a devastating blast.
When the light faded, all that remained was a burned body collapsing onto the ground. Anya panted, sinking to a knee, exhausted from the effort.
Not far away, the final clash loomed.
Old Yan watched in disbelief as both the Earth and Fire users fell, one to Fenix's relentless blade and the other to Anya's foxfire.
Now it was just him versus the reborn Phoenix and a nearly tired Fox. The poison spinning around his hands hissed, echoing his boiling desperation.
'Tch, it's too late to burn the blood essence as it's already useless, and it would only expose our real identity.' Old Yan clicked his tongue as he thought about the consequence of burning the blood essence since there were two top forces in the sidelines.
Fenix advanced, steps leaving molten footprints. The blazing wings behind him moved with regal power. His molten-gold eyes radiated anger. "You killed me just now," he said, voice echoing with layered resonance. "Now let me give you a chance to taste what it's like being dead."
Old Yan bared his teeth, launching a final surge of Dark Poison shaped like spiked tendrils. Fenix responded by raising his blade, transforming the pinnacle of his Infernal Rebirth state into a ferocious wave of fire.
A blazing slash met the vile tendrils, incinerating them on contact. The old man lunged through the resulting haze, stabbing a poison-laced dagger at Fenix's heart.
For a brief moment, it appeared that Old Yan was about to deliver the blow. However, Fenix's reflexes were heightened beyond reason, allowing him to spin sideways.
The dagger grazed his ribcage, leaving a thin line of searing pain. Fenix clenched his jaw as he ignored it, and drove a flaming knee into Old Yan's stomach. The old man toppled over, spitting blood and poison.
Fenix elevated both swords, preparing to make a final cross slash. But then, suddenly, his wings stuttered. The bright glow in his eyes faded as his Infernal Rebirth abilities faltered.
A wave of dizziness hit him like a sledgehammer, almost knocking him off balance. He recognized with horror that the tiny window of overwhelming strength was about to close.
Sensing the sudden drop in Fenix's aura, Old Yan coughed and hurried backward. Despite being seriously wounded, the elderly man scowled stubbornly, poison still swirling about his left hand.
Watching from a short distance, Anya knew exactly what was happening. [Infernal Rebirth] gave Fenix a temporary, phoenix-like resurgence, but it did not last long.
The backlash would quickly leave him weakened. If Old Yan was given a final chance to strike, Fenix might not survive a second time.
Anya then rushed forward. Her Foxfire flared once more, though she was dangerously close to her own limits with her 2-tailed power. The old man, focusing on Fenix's sudden weakness, didn't notice her until she was nearly upon him.
Anya launched a diagonal slash of bluish flame at Old Yan's shoulder. He snarled, raising a dark aura to parry. The collision of foxfire and poison-laced darkness threw sparks into the air.
The old man reeled, fresh blood dripping from a gash in his sleeve.
This gave Fenix the moment he needed to regroup. He controlled his wavering frame and forged one final burst of flame along his blades. Despite feeling his limbs become heavier by the second, he refused to falter in the last stretch.
Old Yan gazed at them both, madness in his eyes. "I'll drag you down with me!" he exclaimed. He slammed his palm to the ground, unleashing a [Poison Maelstrom] skill that spread in a circular radius, corroding rocks and spreading greenish smoke in choking clouds.
"Cover your mouth!" Fenix shouted as he staggered away. Even he could feel the draining effect as the toxins scraped against his senses.
Anya coughed, and the flames around her flickered. Her eyes hurt from the noxious mist.
Nonetheless, the old man had placed his hopes on the final wave of poison. If it failed, he'd be left with nothing. Enjoy exclusive chapters from My Virtual Library Empire
Anya coughed furiously and conjured a rapidly diminishing orb of Foxfire Explosion in her right palm. Fenix summoned his battered will, using the last bits of Infernal Rebirth to reinforce his sword arm. They charged Old Yan from opposite sides.
The old man's gaze darted between the two, poison swirling about him in a dangerous yet confused mix.
He attempted to strike out with a tendril at Anya, but Fenix slashed through the venomous darkness with a brutal cut. Pain sprang up in every nerve, yet he persisted.
Simultaneously, Anya dove in, pressing her palm to Old Yan's chest. A muffled boom rang out as the foxfire detonated at close range, causing Old Yan to recoil. His robe split open, exposing scorched skin underneath.