An abstract trainer who taught Charmander the Incinerate move

Chapter 177 A Hero's Journey to Perfection, A True Hero! (The most inspiring and tear-jerking chapter of the entire book)
The phantoms of the Eight Great Emperors, composed of pure power laws, were now shrouded in an unprecedented heaviness.

His eyes, which seemed to pierce through the heavens, were fixed on the can of yellow peaches burning with enlightenment below, and his voice was deep and rumbling like thunder rolling across an abyss.

[Xiao Huolong, once you unleash this final collapse, there will be no turning back! You will be completely cut off from the Eight Great Daos, becoming a cripple unable to unleash the power of a single collapse! Not only that, but you will also pay the price... with your life!]

The voice carried a deep sorrow, as if it were personally pronouncing a death sentence on a beloved student.

Tell me, was it all... worth it?!

The emperor's question was like a cold meteorite crashing down, each word carrying the chilling intent to annihilate the future.

Xiao Huolong was stunned.

Its simple brain was buzzing from the sheer volume of information it was bombarding.

"No turning back," "life burned out," "no chance on the path to enlightenment"... these words weighed down like heavy stones.

It subconsciously lowered its head, clumsily fiddling with its thick fingers, as if trying to use this primitive way of counting to measure whether something was "worth it".

The smoke in the warehouse, the shouts of his companions, the smile of the old man, the withering petals of the little fairy doctor... countless images flashed chaotically through his Tang-like mind.

It shook its head very slowly, fiddling with its fingers.

A barely perceptible glint flashed in the eyes of the Eight Great Emperors… perhaps relief? Perhaps regret?

The foolish yet sincere Tang Long was ultimately overwhelmed by the fear of death.

Xiao Huolong raised his head, and in those clear yet foolish Tang-style eyes, the burning flames not only did not extinguish, but became even purer and more intense.

It spoke in a muffled, straightforward tone, tinged with a sense of entitlement and a touch of bewilderment.

"I... can't do math, I don't know what's worth it or not. But I know everyone needs me! I want to... save everyone!!!"

There are no complicated grand principles, only the simplest, most direct, and most naive beliefs.

The phantom of the Eight Great Emperors trembled violently, as if this straightforward, almost laughable declaration had pierced through their ancient Dao heart.

He fell silent, and for the first time, an extremely complex emotion appeared on his face, which was composed of the laws of power—it was regret, shock, absurdity, and finally transformed into a kind of compassionate understanding.

He looked at Xiao Huolong one last time, deeply, with great difficulty, his lips twitching as he tried to form a smile, but that smile was filled with boundless sorrow.

"Ha...is this what you wanted? Then...farewell, Xiao Huolong."

The moment the words left his mouth, the dream shattered!

Reality—the infernal battlefield of Warehouse No. 7!
Xiao Huolong's large, tightly closed eyes suddenly snapped open!

At this moment, there was no more confusion or fear in its eyes, only a resolute determination like that of a martyr who had seen through the origin!
"I understand now. The final collapse of the Extreme Eight Collapse... is not done with the hands... but with one's entire body to unleash the power of the Extreme Eight Collapse! To stake one's life on it!"

That's right, the final collapse of the Eight Extreme Collapses was itself... transforming into the Eight Extreme Collapses!
Using his own body as the ultimate vessel and manifestation of the Eight Great Paths!
This is... the final, devastating Eight Collapses!
At this moment, Xiao Huolong's body seemed to no longer be flesh and blood, but had transformed into the embodiment of the Eight Great Daos!

Its entire dragon exuded a terrifying aura that seemed about to burst forth and explode!
Every muscle, bone, internal organ, and even every drop of blood in the body is vibrating, compressing, and accumulating destructive power!

That was no longer the circulation of battle qi, but the burning of the life essence, undergoing the ultimate evolution towards its final form—the Eight Extremes itself!
"Aa ...

A shout, brimming with supreme enlightenment and unwavering resolve, shattered the clamor of the warehouse!
Xiao Huolong's body suddenly swelled and then collapsed in an instant, his arms swinging fiercely!

All the constraints that had previously hindered the eruption of battle qi—the barriers of meridians, the limits of the physical body, and even the laws of life and death—collapsed at this moment!
Xiao Huolong's body, which resembled a can of yellow peaches, suddenly erupted with an indescribable terrifying aura!
Its head began to become pointed, transforming into the Extreme Eight Body that was in harmony with the Dao, as described by the Extreme Eight Emperors!
The final collapse of the eighth stage... [Unwavering Regret] -- !!!
Time, at this moment, loses its meaning!

Time seemed to stand still! Color was stripped away! Only black and white remained in the world!

Facing the raging elves surging like a tidal wave, Xiao Huolong swung his arms fiercely, transforming them into two super cannons spewing out destructive torrents!
"Aa ...

An endless, dazzling torrent of crimson-gold battle qi, like two raging galaxies, poured wildly from Xiao Huolong's arms!

Without interruption, without decline!
At this moment, Xiao Huolong felt that he was getting infinitely closer to the towering figure in his heart—Old Chi!
Its arms seemed to transform into the two divine weapons in Old Chi's hands that symbolized unlimited firepower—the Uzi submachine guns—activating the ultimate mode of unlimited ammo!
Da da ...

At this moment, what surged from his arms was no longer a beam of battle aura, but a storm of battle aura bullets so dense that it exceeded the limits of vision!

The crimson-gold battle aura, like a landslide and a tsunami, was no longer gaseous or liquid, but rather a barrage of countless bullets containing the ultimate eight true meanings, which shot out infinitely with terrifying speed and density that surpassed the limits of physics!

Every bullet contains the will to burn the eight wastelands and Xiao Huolong's burning life!

The rampaging elves that charged forward fell in droves like wheat fields in the wind under the relentless barrage of fire from the two Uzi submachine guns!

Those berserk elves hit by the bullets did not explode and shatter as before when they fired shots that exhausted their life energy; instead, they fell down with unusual calmness!

This power seemed to carry a compassionate spirit of nurturing new life. Instead of wantonly destroying life, it allowed the manipulated spirits to be reborn in their slumber!
In the center of the warehouse, these two Uzi submachine guns carved out a vacuum zone where countless elves fell, leaving them invincible!
This is truly... a massive army avoiding yellow peaches!

At that moment, all fighting inside the warehouse ceased.

Whether friend or foe, everyone's attention was drawn to the figure standing at the center of the destructive storm.

"Xiao Huolong..."

Homiga held the broken electric guitar, his lips trembling, his eyes filled with extreme shock and complexity.

It is now completely different from the silly dragon that filmed the music video; it is like a towering hero!
The handsome man's pupils contracted, and he muttered to himself.

"Holy...this firepower...it's practically a walking arsenal..."

At that moment, Thomson forgot about rapping and roared with his cracking voice.

"OH Fuck! Unova Superman! Super Pokemon! This is the real superhero!"

Gong Ping stared wide-eyed at the towering figure that continued to spew electricity, while the Poké Ball in his pocket once again uncontrollably emitted tiny arcs of electricity, as if in homage.

Under Xiao Huolong's influence, the gun barrel in his hand, which had been cold, seemed to gradually become scorching hot...

Mo Zhen stood behind Xiao Huolong, his golden eyes reflecting the earth-shattering, absurd, and tragic scene. His lips were tightly pressed together, and his carefree smile had vanished without a trace.

Behind this fleeting moment of brilliance lies a rapidly burning wick!

As the endless power of the Eight Extremes was unleashed, Xiao Huolong's originally plump, peach-can-like body was visibly shriveling and wasting away at an alarming rate!

The once plump skin lost its luster, clinging tightly to the rapidly atrophying muscles; the once strong arms became withered; and the once round belly became deeply sunken, as if an invisible hand had hollowed out all life!

That surging torrent of crimson gold was drawing out its most primal life essence every second!
This final collapse is an irreversible burning, the ultimate process that burns everything to ashes. Once it starts, it cannot be stopped!
【Ooo ...

Little Dream let out a heart-wrenching pig scream, her pink body trembled violently, and large tears condensed from her bean-shaped eyes.

[You'll die! You really will die! Stop! Please! Stop—!!!]

Its voice was filled with unprecedented sorrow and despair.

At this moment, it was no longer a power bank with a pig brain calculating dream energy, but truly felt the immense grief of a vibrant soul about to be completely extinguished.

In a daze, Xiao Huolong seemed to hear a familiar and gentle voice, which pierced through the deafening gunfire and explosions and gently resonated deep within his soul.

[Xiao Huolong...]

It's the voice of Little Fairy Doctor!
Xiao Huolong's eyes, which had been blurred by intense exertion, suddenly lit up with a faint but incredibly satisfied light.

His chapped lips, though strained, were pulled upwards with remarkable clarity, forming a silly yet unrepentant smile.

“Little Fairy Doctor…last time…I couldn’t protect you…this time…I protected everyone…”

"I... am a hero..."

With its last ounce of strength, it uttered this answer, which was long overdue, thus fulfilling the regret that had been left undone in the dream theater.

"No... regrets..."

Yes, it has no regrets. In the dreamlike Green Mountain Town, it failed to protect Little Fairy Doctor, and failed to become her hero.

But here, amidst the blood and fire of reality, it used this final collapse, this unwavering and relentless burning of its life, to protect all those who needed it!

It did it!

It, Xiao Huolong, Huangtao Guantou, the useless little fire dragon... finally became... everyone's hero!

[Hmph...Hmph...Ughh ...

Above the warehouse, the Mewtwo avatar formed from the power of dreams twisted and rippled violently!

Each bullet of fighting spirit, imbued with Xiao Huolong's life energy and the Eight Extremes Will, struck the Pokémon controlled by Meng Ziyan, and through the invisible dream link, fiercely entered Mewtwo's mental consciousness!
Those bullets, brimming with primal life force, relentlessly bombarded its consciousness, instilling in it a sense of utter humiliation and utter madness!

This feeling was unbearable for it, and it let out a hysterical roar!
[Damn it! You rotten canned peaches, stop right now! No...no...you can't...]

Mewtwo's voice lost its divine coldness, leaving only extreme anger and a tremor and loss of control originating from the depths of its consciousness.

[Hmph... Hmph ahh ...

Finally, with a roar filled with extreme shame, anger, and collapse, Mewtwo's mental projection avatar, like a burst bubble, violently twisted and flickered above the warehouse before completely disappearing!
The divine power of Yumeko, which had been maintaining the frenzy among the many spirits, also receded like the tide.

The frenzied pinkish-purple light in their eyes quickly dissipated, revealing expressions of terror, confusion, or exhaustion. They collapsed to the ground, utterly drained, staring blankly at the hellish scene around them, as if waking from a nightmare.

The war... is over.

The deathly silence lasted only a brief moment.

The next moment, the immense joy of surviving the ordeal swept over the survivors like a tsunami!

"We survived! We survived!"

"Waaaaah... It's over! It's finally over!"

"Hero! It was that Huang Tao... no! It was Xiao Huolong who saved us!"

"Hooray! We're free! We're free!"

Cries of anguish, wild laughter, hoarse cheers, and the sounds of people colliding in each other's arms... filled the dilapidated warehouse in an instant.

They supported each other, tears streaming down their faces, celebrating this hard-won new life won with blood and fire.

And at the heart of this jubilant, hopeful chorus...

The figure that had once unleashed an endless barrage of bullets and stood like a god of war finally exhausted its last glimmer of light.

The crimson-gold jet of water came to an abrupt halt.

That shriveled, dried-up body, almost unrecognizable, lost all its power, all its life, all its sense of existence in an instant.

It stood quietly and straight until the very last second.

Like a piece of trash that has completed its final mission but has burned out completely...

then.

Like a burnt-out match, turning into a handful of cold, pale ashes, Xiao Huolong fell heavily onto the cold ground.

There was no earth-shattering sound, only a faint sigh, almost inaudible, as the dust settled.

"Xiao Huolong—!!!"

A gasp ripped through the brief celebration!
Xiao Mengzi was the first to transform into a pink streak of light and rush over!
Next came Homiga, the handsome guy, Thomson, Gong Ping... Even Mo Zhen lost his artist's elegance and strode forward in twos and threes at a time.

All those who had fought alongside it and been saved by it, with expressions of terror, grief, and disbelief, instantly gathered around the shrunken, yellowed body that had shrunk several sizes.

"Xiao Huolong! Wake up! Don't sleep!"

Homiga's voice was trembling with tears as she tried to pat its face, but only touched a cold, rough patch of skin.

Its once plump and powerful face has now lost all its vitality.

"Brother! Hang in there! Medical team! Call the medical team, fucking!"

Thomson's rap turned into incoherent screaming.

[Ouch! Xiao Huolong! Look at me! Look at everyone!]

Little Mengzi futilely pushed at it with her short paws, and Meng Huan's tears fell down in a steady stream.

It desperately shouted in the ear of the can of yellow peaches, but the other party seemed to have lost the ability to hear it.

Gong Ping knelt beside him, his lips trembling. Looking at the figure that had fought countless times in front of him but was now cold and withered, his throat felt blocked, and he couldn't utter a single word.

The other person had saved him from countless dangers, but now he was powerless to do anything.

The handsome guy frantically tried to rummage through his tactical backpack for medicine, but his hands were shaking so badly he couldn't hold anything steady.

Surrounded by the mournful cries of the crowd, Xiao Huolong's eyelids drooped heavily, the light shining through the gaps as dim as a candle flickering in the wind.

It seemed to have used its last bit of strength to slightly turn its withered neck, its unfocused gaze struggling to focus on Mo Zhen, its breath faint and its murmurs broken and intermittent.

"Red...Old man...I...feel...so cold..."

Its body, shrunken from the exhaustion of its life, seemed to return to its original state at the first moment of their meeting.

Mo Zhen squatted down and silently stretched out his hands, which had once performed countless miracles but were now trembling slightly, and vigorously and quickly rubbed them back and forth on Xiao Huolong's cold and withered belly!
The movements carried an almost clumsy anxiety, as if trying to use this most primitive method to pass on the warmth of life back.

His golden eyes were shimmering with tears, and his usually confident voice carried a forced resolve.

"It's not cold! Look at me! I'll immediately transfer my power to you using the Heavenly Rank Battle Technique [Fire-Making by Drilling Wood]! You'll be... ablaze right away! Just like when you awakened in the barrel, get ablaze!!!"

He rubbed harder and faster, until his knuckles turned white from the force.

At the beginning of the story, the bald little dragon hiding in the barrel, unable to even produce a spark, used this trick of "making fire by friction" to spend the long night alone in Viridian Forest.

However, at this moment, there was no sign of the cold belly warming up.

Xiao Huolong's body grew completely cold from Mo Zhen's futile rubbing.

The heart-wrenching, tearful cries of the crowd—"Xiao Huolong!"—seemed increasingly distant and blurred, as if separated by a thick pane of glass…

In the last moment before consciousness completely plunged into boundless darkness.

A distant yet incredibly clear voice, full of kindness and expectation, echoed gently in the depths of Xiao Huolong's soon-to-be-silent soul, like the tolling of a bell that transcends time.

"You're very strong...child...the most talented little fire dragon I've ever seen..."

The world is vast... Your talents will one day be discovered...

When that day comes... use your power to help as many people as possible...

Remember... you should die like a hero, surrounded by a crowd...

Professor Oak...

Did I...do I...do it...?

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Everyone, it's time! Let's gather our last strength and cast our monthly votes to revive Tang Long!
As for what will become of everyone next, please read the next chapter, "The Death of Mo Zhen"!
(End of this chapter)