"How... how is this possible?! How could the strength of an ordinary man defeat my Abyss Beast?" Merlin exclaimed in astonishment, gazing at the unfolding scene below. His Abyss Beast had been toppled by Jin's lone strength, while Jin himself stood unscathed, surrounded by a red, ethereal aura. His skin and eyes had turned crimson, and his black hair stood upright like flames.
Jin swiftly lifted General Lei and placed him beside Will.
"Will, please take care of my brother," Jin said gently.
"Yes," Will responded, still in shock, nodding hurriedly.
"Alright, I will deal with this giant," Jin declared, turning to leave.
"Jin, there's a powerful red aura surrounding you," Will remarked.
"I know, though I'm still uncertain of what this power truly is," Jin replied, glancing back at Will. He then walked calmly towards the fallen Abyss Beast.
"Ah, it seems you've gained some extraordinary power, hahahaha," Merlin sneered from the air.
"Yes, and it's all thanks to you. Now, I feel the strength within me growing endlessly," Jin retorted.
"Hmph, arrogant fool! Abyss Beast, rise and crush him!" Merlin commanded, directing the Dark Stone at the fallen creature. A beam of violet light shot from it toward the Abyss Beast.
"Roar!" The Abyss Beast let out a deafening roar. Its flames suddenly reignited, as though dry wood had been set ablaze, and it quickly rose from the ground.
"Tch! Stubborn creature," Jin muttered, bending slightly as he focused all his energy, the red aura around him growing stronger.
"That aura... it's so powerful," Will remarked, watching Jin with awe.
"That... that's the ultimate technique of the Jiliu family... the Red Dragon Qi," General Lei whispered weakly.
"Red Dragon Qi?" Will asked, wide-eyed, staring at the red aura swirling around Jin, which resembled a crimson dragon coiling around him.
"I never thought the Red Dragon Qi would awaken within Jin. This is an extremely rare occurrence in the centuries-long history of the Jiliu family, and what's more, Jin isn't even using the Firethorn Potion to amplify his strength," General Lei continued, smiling with pride despite his weakened state.
"However... cough, cough... controlling such immense power is no easy feat. Can he truly manage it?" General Lei's smile faded into concern.
"Jin can do it. He's strong," Will said, his voice filled with excitement as he watched Jin.
"Destroy him, Abyss Beast!" Merlin shouted with malice, glaring at the standing Jin.
The Abyss Beast roared again, but this time, it moved faster than before, its fiery footsteps rapidly advancing toward Jin.
'This is the perfect moment. I'll use this newfound strength to deal with both the beast and Merlin,' Jin thought, preparing himself.
"Come on!" Jin shouted, rushing towards the Abyss Beast, the red aura trailing behind him like a tail.
In an instant, a flash of crimson light streaked from the Abyss Beast's body.
"Roar!" The beast let out a desperate scream, and its flames were instantly extinguished. Slowly, it fell to the ground.
"What?" Merlin exclaimed in disbelief.
"What just happened?" Will shouted, equally stunned.
"It was... the power of the Red Dragon Qi," General Lei explained.
"What?" Will asked, confused.
At that moment, Jin appeared behind the fallen Abyss Beast, kneeling on one knee, clearly exhausted, his head lowered as he caught his breath.
"What just happened? Was that red flash really Jin?" Will asked, his voice full of disbelief.
"Yes, Jin just used the Red Dragon Qi's power to pierce the beast's body in an instant," General Lei confirmed.
"It was... too fast! I only saw a red flash and nothing else," Will said, still dazed.
"That's the power of the Red Dragon Qi. It enhances all of a person's abilities to an extraordinary degree. But, as I said earlier, Jin still hasn't fully mastered it. He's beginning to show signs of fatigue," General Lei explained slowly, watching Jin with a concerned expression.
"My Abyss Beast... defeated with a single strike? Impossible, impossible!" Merlin screamed, his fury rising.
'Incredible... this power is truly overwhelming. But... I feel so drained now. I don't even have the strength to stand.' Jin knelt on the ground, the red aura around him gradually fading. His face had turned pale, and he looked utterly exhausted.
"It seems I'll have to deal with you myself," Merlin said, his gaze twisted in malice as he extended his hand towards Jin. "Destruction Beam!" Merlin shouted, a powerful black beam of energy shot from his palm, aimed directly at Jin. But Jin, now too weak to move, could no longer flee.
"Watch out!" Will shouted, rushing forward in time to shove Jin out of the way.
"Dammit! There are still meddling fools!" Merlin snarled, frustrated as his attack missed.
"Let's go, Merlin. Time for round two," Will said confidently, drawing his holy sword, Durandal, and challenging the floating Merlin.
"Ha! You're not even wearing armor this time. Are you really not afraid of dying?" Merlin taunted, conjuring an ice sword from thin air. With the help of the Dark Stone, the sword appeared far more powerful and sharp than before.
'He's using the Dark Stone's power, and there's an invisible shield around him. This could be troublesome,' Will thought, despite his outward confidence, doubts creeping in about whether he could truly defeat Merlin.
"How will I know unless I try?" Will smiled, adopting a combat stance, the golden aura around him surging forth.
"Die!" Merlin shouted, raising the ice sword and diving down at Will, slashing with incredible force. Will barely managed to lift his sword in time to block the attack.
'His strength is immense! Can the Dark Stone even enhance Merlin's power?' Will thought, struggling to hold his ground against the onslaught.
"Hehehe, don't look at me with that expression. I know what you're thinking. The Dark Stone truly enhances my power," Merlin sneered, his gaze full of malice as he fixed his eyes on Will.