Chapter 10 : Fight to death - I

Chapter 10 : Fight to death - I

Jiang Lei's grip tightened around his weapon, his knuckles turning white as he readied himself for the undeniable clash, his mind racing to find a strategy.

The monster's very presence exuded an aura of raw power and danger, telling that the night held nothing but doom for the village.

The village was in chaos. As the monstrous figure drew closer, Jiang Lei's heart raced, his fear almost overwhelming. He had to do something, but the sheer size of the creature filled him with a sense of helplessness.

"I will have to do this," he muttered to himself, his voice shaking. He raised his sword, his grip tightened.

His mind raced to find a plan. "I need to stall it somehow," he thought urgently. "Maybe, it will aggravate its injuries…

"ROOOAAAR!"

The monster's roars grew louder, its heavy footsteps shaking the earth beneath Jiang Lei's feet. He swallowed hard, his heart pounding in his chest. He had seen monsters before, but none as terrifying as this.

Jiang Lei's eyes met those of the monster. Its fierce gaze bore into him.

With a wave of his hand, he summoned his flames, weaving them into a protective barrier that enveloped his body. The flames shimmered with an ethereal light.

"Roar"

The monster understood that this human in front of it is the biggest threat present here, originally it was injured so it didn't want to encounter a cultivator for now, it just wanted to kill mortals in this village to fulfill his energy requirements to heal it's injuries and restore it's power.

But it seems to be unfortunate because he met a strong cultivator here, he was scared that there might be more stronger cultivators here, so he just wanted to kill this human here and use him to fulfil his energy requirements today.

"BOOM!"

The monster lifted its giant claw, shooting it with an enormous amount of energy. The claw smashed against the barrier that Jiang Lei created, sending a powerful shockwave through the fiery shield, that caused cracks to form like spreading veins of destruction.

Jiang Lei clenched his teeth, holding the barrier under immense pressure. He could easily determine that the monster's strength would surely shatter his barrier in a matter of breaths, if he couldn't find a way to reinforce it.

He tried to find a possible way that can stop this monster, but he couldn't find one."It seems that I have no other option than this." A determined glow shined in his eyes as he shouted.....

"IGNITE!"

Jiang Lei's voice thundered, carrying a power that seemed to come from the depths of his soul. The flames around him blazed even brighter, their intensity increasing as if responding to his call.

It was Ignite—an ability that every talent holder possessed. A hidden source of strength that, when unleashed, can amplify their power. But using Ignite came at a cost. It forced the user's talent into a deep slumber, locking away their abilities for an unknown period—days, months, or even years. However, in any case, a live weakling was still many times better than a talented corpse, at least for Jiang Lei.

As the power surged through him, Jiang Lei felt a strength like never before. The flames roared in response, and a powerful force infused his being. He focused his energy on the barrier, pouring the enhanced power into the shattering barrier.

The cracks began to recover, and the flames burned even fiercer, pushing back against the monster's onslaught. The barrier glowed brighter, holding firm against the assault.

Jiang Lei's eyes blazed, he knew that using Ignite was a double-edged sword and it's power given is limited to a time so he needs to do hurry

Jiang Lei's intensified flames seemed to benefit the protective barrier, reinforcing its strength. The village was bathed in the radiant glow of his fiery shield.

He shouted to the villagers, his voice laced with urgency, "Run! Get to safety!"

He knows that if villagers will be still around here, he won't be able to use all his strength to fight against this monster, fearing that they might get hurt in the process.

"ROAR!"

The monster, sensing the barrier's increased resilience, roared with a ferocity that resonated through the night. The ground quaked beneath its feet as it unleashed attacks with his power that made everything tremble around them.

The cracks in the barrier began to widen again, slower than before but undeniably present. The strain was evident, and Jiang Lei knew that it was only a matter of time before the barrier would shatter under the relentless assault.

He couldn't simply maintain the barrier—it was clear that it wouldn't withstand the monster's full onslaught for much longer.

"Come on, stop this monster for me." With a defiant yell, he directed his energy toward the barrier. The flames flared, their intensity igniting like a star in the night, pushing back the cracks that threatened to break the shield. The cracks that had spread across the barrier began to recede, the barrier's glow surging with newfound strength.

But this only angered the monster, its attacks growing more furious by the second. It slammed its claws and fangs against the barrier, unleashing waves of dark energy that eroded its glow. Jiang Lei felt the pressure mounting on him, his body and mind strained to the limit.

Despite Jiang Lei's efforts, the barrier's strength finally reached its breaking point.

With a loud crack, the barrier shattered into countless fiery fragments, leaving Jiang Lei exposed to the monster's wrath.

"It's all over."Jiang Lei's eyes widened in horror as he felt the barrier dissolve around him.

"BOOM!"

His body was thrown back by the force of the impact, hurtling through the air like a ragdoll. The world spun around him, and a sickening sensation churned in his stomach.

He hit the wall of a nearby house with a bone-shattering thud, and a scream of agony escaped his lips.

"Cough!""Cough!"

He tasted blood in his mouth, and he coughed violently, spitting out a mouthful of crimson. His vision blurred as he gasped for air, his chest heaving with pain. His internal organs ruptured from the monster's attack, and he was felling like he would die the next moment.

He fought to stay conscious, his willpower keeping him alive. He forced himself to stand up, leaning on the wall for support. His body protested every movement, sending jolts of pain through his nerves.

He looked at the monster, which was now looming over him, its eyes filled with malice and hunger.

Jiang Lei locked eyes with the monster, and his heart pounded in his chest.

"Maybe, I'll have to die again," he thought grimly, his hand were clenched tightly.

Memories of his past resolutions to be strong in this world flooded his thoughts. "Why does it all seem like a dream now?" he muttered, he can't believe this sudden cruel turn of fate. "Am I really going to die here?"

He looked at the monster who is approaching him, opening its mouth wide, to eat him in one gulp.

Gradually, his eyes became resolute, "I've chosen this path, and I will go all the way through."

"Even if I die, I will drag you down with me,"

"Fire Burst Technique!" he shouted, unleashing his flames in a burst of energy.

"Gush!"

The fire crackled and roared, forming a fiery aura around his blade. With a swift motion, he swung his sword towards the approaching monster.

"CLANG!"

His blade met the monster's scales, sparks flying as the two forces clashed. He felt the shockwave of the collision in his arms, but he didn't flinch.

"Roar"

The monster roared in pain and anger, its hot breath scorching Jiang Lei's face. A cold sweat broke out on his forehead, but he overcame his fear with his courage. He gripped his sword tighter, and attacked again.

The monster was enraged by Jiang Lei's resistance, its wounds fueling its hatred.

It had used up most of its energy to break the barrier, injuring itself in the process. But it didn't care about the pain, only about the revenge. It wanted to tear Jiang Lei apart, to make him pay for his defiance.

The rage burned within its eyes, a thirst for vengeance that could only be quenched by Jiang Lei's blood.

It unleashed its full power, striking with its palm that surpassed the tenth level of qi condensation.

Jiang Lei felt the air around him solidify, and he couldn't move his energy. He was trapped by the monster's crushing pressure.

The monster unleashed its full might, and Jiang Lei felt the world collapse on him.

This strike was a force of doom, an unstoppable power that he couldn't resist or counter.

As the attack neared, Jiang Lei felt the air thicken. He couldn't use his own strength against this pressure.

He felt the suffocating air squeeze his lungs, his limbs were leaden, his muscles shrieked in protest, but couldn't escape the smashing pressure that bore down on him.

In the midst of the chaos, Jiang Lei's thoughts raced. He saw death looming, It was as if time had frozen, his mind suddenly became serene.

With a hopeless voice, he whispered, "It's the time... to go,"

"Smash!"

The monster's gigantic palm, larger than Jiang Lei himself, slammed into him in a ruinous blow.

The impact was a cataclysmic force that flung him through the air, his body was hurled hundreds of meters away.

"Ahhh!" Jiang Lei's scream was a guttural release of agony as he crashed against the ground. The impact seemed to shatter his very soul.

His world was a whirlwind of sensations, an endless onslaught of torture. His body seemed to explode, blood gushing out like a geyser. It was a pain beyond any he had ever felt.

He wished the pain to end, to escape the unending torture that seized him. Every fiber of his being cried for release, for the sweet release of death.

His eyes were heavy, his vision blurred by the torment. Slowly, he closed his eyes, to shut out the world and the agony it held.

Darkness enveloped him, a cocoon of nothingness that offered a rest of peace from the searing pain.

In the darkness, he could see or hear nothing except a furious roar —the monster's triumphant cry.