In the game "High Martial Arts," players start with the blessing of the Martial God.

Chapter 74 Slaying the Fire Spirit

The matter was settled amidst the black smoke, and everyone quickly began to discuss the plan and then take action.

Five martial artists, including Ji Ming, led the way, while four mages and two cultivators provided support from behind.

There's no way around it; mages and cultivators are all fragile classes. If martial artists can withstand a couple of hits from a fire spirit, then they'll definitely die the moment they get a touch!

Moreover, in terms of damage, the other two classes are far superior to warriors in the early stages. Although it may seem that warriors are no weaker than these two classes in arena battles, in open areas, mages with enough time to prepare will be incredibly terrifying.

Arena battles are actually a great advantage for martial artists. There are many techniques that mages and cultivators simply cannot use on the arena, since the range of movement is too small and there is no time to cast powerful spells.

Ji Ming and his group walked cautiously deeper into the cave, their faces tense. The sorcerers behind them began chanting incantations, gathering their strength.

After walking for half a minute, we finally reached the end of the cave, and a scalding, burning sensation hit us.

Ji Ming looked up and saw a three-meter-tall figure with a crimson body and flame patterns floating on the top of the cave. The upper half of the fire spirit resembled a human with a handsome face and flowing fiery hair, but the lower half was a raging fire, and the astonishing heat seemed to ignite everyone's energy and magic power.

At their feet stood a golden fruit tree, half a person's height, with thirteen fist-sized golden fruits hanging from it. One could see pale golden sap flowing from them. Just by smelling it, one could feel the rich energy emanating from it, and everyone's eyes burned with desire.

However, both of them were enveloped in a net. To take the Pure Yuan Fruit, one must first face the Fire Spirit. This net was left by that powerful figure as a special test, and it would dissipate with just a light touch.

"My darling!"

"Such a powerful aura!"

A gasp of surprise, a sigh of despair.

Seeing the awe-inspiring fire spirit, everyone swallowed hard and dared not be negligent. At Li Pengtao's signal, four mages stepped forward, various elemental powers appearing in their hands. They exchanged glances, formed a square, and began to prepare.

Ji Ming watched quietly as a spell model appeared beneath the feet of each of the four mages, with surging magical power flowing into them and connecting with each other, greatly increasing their power. As time went on, Ji Ming gradually began to feel a sense of unease.

This is the advantage of mages: they can prepare powerful spells that take a long time to prepare in advance, and they can work together to make it much easier for several people to cast spells that were originally impossible.

Of course, this tactic is unlikely to be effective in real combat. If the opponent makes even a slight disturbance, all these preparations will instantly vanish.

However, it is precisely because of this that they are qualified to challenge this fire spirit. Otherwise, with the blessing of the secret realm's fortune, even most of the late-stage second-tier cultivators would be easy prey for this fire spirit in the Azure Profound Secret Realm!

Nearly ten minutes later, the four mages were finally ready. Their faces were pale and weak. A ten-meter-wide water-blue magic circle had formed beneath their feet. The cave was shrouded in thick mist, and a light drizzle even began to fall.

But the fire spirit remained asleep, completely unaware.

To deal with the fire elemental spirit, water magic is naturally the most effective. The magic formed by the four mid-stage second-tier mages who exhausted all their magic power and spent a lot of time is quite amazing. Just by looking at it, Ji Ming knew that his Star King Body would definitely not be able to withstand it!

He sighed inwardly. Martial artists didn't have this ability. Although this method was only useful in large-scale battles and had little practical value, it was still enviable enough.

Without much thought, Ji Ming looked at Li Pengtao and asked, "Shall we make our move now?"

"not enough!"

Shangguan Yue suddenly spoke up, shaking her head, "The damage reduction of a naturally born fire spirit is far greater than you imagine. Even if water magic has some restraint on it, it won't have a significant impact."

She glanced at Huo Ling, a jade-green scroll appearing in her hand, and looked at Li Pengtao, "I'll lend you this sword formation."

Li Pengtao took the scroll, a flash of surprise crossing his face. He gave Shangguan Yue a deep look, then let out a heavy sigh. "Good!"

Shangguan Yue nodded, and another identical scroll appeared in her hand. Li Pengtao's eyes twitched involuntarily when he saw this.

"Brother Ji, who is this person?" he asked Ji Ming telepathically.

"What's wrong?" Ji Ming asked, puzzled.

Li Pengtao took a deep breath. "This sword formation is enough to buy an entire Pure Yuan Fruit Tree!"

"cough!"

Ji Ming choked, filled with envy. She really was a little rich girl!

"Don't ask so many questions, just use it without worry!" Ji Ming transmitted his voice.

"All right!"

Li Pengtao nodded, his expression turning serious. With the power of the "Azure Sea Sword Formation," killing this fire spirit was now a certainty.

"Ready!"

A blue gourd flew out from between Li Pengtao's eyebrows, and magical power flickered at his fingertips.

"start!"

He pointed his finger forward, and a beam of magical energy shot out, striking the net. In an instant, the net dissipated into countless points of light, and an astonishing aura awoke from its slumber!

"roar!"

Fire Spirit suddenly opened its eyes, and instantly, the flames on its lower body expanded by a large circle, causing the temperature inside the cave to rise sharply, almost suffocating people.

"Let's do it!"

With a sharp shout from Li Pengtao, the four mages simultaneously formed hand seals, and the surrounding water elemental power surged forth in waves, bringing a gentle warmth to all directions!

Second-tier water-based fusion magic: Raging Waves!

"Boom! Crash!"

Four waterspouts swirled the fire spirit inside, instantly shattering the cave's stone walls. Thick black smoke rushed in, only to be torn apart again.

"roar!"

The four water tornadoes seemed to be a natural disaster, sweeping everything away. From within came the angry roar of the fire spirit, and streaks of flame flickered on and off, but ultimately could not break free.

The spell lasted an astonishingly long time; its power finally dissipated a minute later, and the waterspout gradually turned into a torrential downpour, leaving a depression in the ground that formed a small pond.

"Get back!"

Li Pengtao whispered a command to the four exhausted mages.

Ji Ming's expression also turned serious. He pushed his Star King Body to its limit and could feel a scorching aura rising from the bottom of the lake. He could not afford to underestimate such a powerful opponent.

"roar!"

A violent roar rang out, and a fiery figure broke through the water to emerge. To the heavy hearts of Ji Ming and the others, the figure was completely unharmed!

"Don't panic! Its aura is weakening!"

Shangguan Yue said in a low voice.

Sure enough, Ji Ming focused his senses and found that the fire spirit's aura had decreased by 50% compared to its peak. The water-based magic was still effective, but the damage reduction was so severe that it did not cause any obvious injuries.

"Let's go!"

Ji Ming, Gu Yi, and three other martial artists attacked in an instant, determined not to give the fire spirit a chance to catch its breath!

"kill!"

Gu Yi treads on wind and thunder, like divine punishment on earth, his Vajra-like appearance solemn and unapproachable!

Ji Ming directly activated the Stellar Transformation, and an extremely powerful sense of strength filled his entire body. With a slash of his longsword, the blade light, a fusion of stars and moon, seemed to tear through space. The piercing sharpness made even Huo Ling frown.

"Bang!"

Click—!

Fire Spirit was engulfed in blazing flames, a crimson armor tightly covering it, and Ji Ming and the others' attacks only managed to tear a crack in it.

Immediately following this, they faced the Fire Spirit's fierce counterattack!

Bang-!

A flash of red light appeared before Ji Ming's eyes, and he sensed danger, quickly crossing his arms in front of his chest.

Then, a fiery meteor suddenly enlarged, and the Fire Spirit's handsome yet ferocious face met his gaze!

Suddenly, an irresistible force struck, sending Ji Ming flying backward. His footsteps left a deep crater on the ground, and he was forced to retreat more than ten meters before coming to a stop.

"Wow! That's powerful!"

Ji Ming looked at the red mark on his arm. This was the first time he had ever felt that his Star King Body had been breached. If that punch had landed on the mage, it would have left nothing but ashes.

But there was no turning back now. Ji Ming glanced at the four warriors who were struggling to hold on, then drew his sword and charged forward again to entangle with them.

Buzz!

Suddenly, countless sword energies appeared in the air. Shangguan Yue and Li Pengtao finally found an opportunity to make their move. While the fire spirit was entangled, they simultaneously unfurled their emerald scrolls, pouring in surging magical power. Two sky-covering sword formations enveloped the fire spirit.

"roar!"

Sensing danger, the Fire Spirit went berserk, causing everyone to bleed profusely, and even dimming the starlight on Ji Ming's body.

"Azure Sea Sword Formation, Slash!"

The sky full of sword energy transformed into two enormous magical swords, which, under the control of Shangguan Yue and the other person, slashed at the Fire Spirit from the left and right.

At the same time, a suction force emanated from the gourd above Li Pengtao's head, drawing in the raging flames surrounding the Fire Spirit and reducing its aura significantly. Clearly, he had come prepared and had specifically brought a magical artifact to target the Fire Spirit.

"boom!"

Two giant swords cleaved through the armor and struck the Fire Spirit in the waist, almost cutting it in two. But despite this, the Fire Spirit did not die. A burst of flames surged from its body and closed the wound. The armor remained intact, but the Fire Spirit became even more frenzied.

"Depend on!"

Ji Ming slammed into the stone wall, a trickle of blood spilling from the corner of his mouth. He was furious. Why was this thing targeting him the whole time?

"Xuan Tian, ​​slay!"

He raised his long sword high, the sword shadows splitting and then merging back into one, his aura becoming several times stronger, and a blush appearing on his face. A world-shaking slash suddenly fell!

Instantly, the earth shook as if it were about to be split in two. A knife mark stretched for ten meters before slashing fiercely at the wound on the Fire Spirit.

Click—!

Finally, its crimson armor shattered, and the fire spirit suddenly weakened.

"Chance!"

Everyone present was immediately intrigued and seized this fleeting opportunity.

While activating the sword formation, Li Pengtao also controlled several magical artifacts to attack. He even swallowed a spiritual pill, causing his magical power to surge. A dark thundercloud rose above Huo Ling's head, and a bolt of lightning as thick as an arm struck down on him!

boom-!

Several all-out attacks landed on the Fire Spirit. Finally, it could not withstand them. The crimson flames on its body dimmed and its aura plummeted.

Fire Spirit opened his mouth, and his aura surged, causing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth to actively rush towards him.

"Quickly, stop him!"

Shangguan Yue shouted in a delicate voice.

Without him saying a word, Ji Ming, who knew that the Fire Spirit valued the fortune of the secret realm, was already prepared. The Heaven and Earth Heart between his brows flickered, and he spread his hand to control a portion of the primordial energy. "Get lost!"

With a roar, he transformed into a rainbow and vanished, his long sword piercing directly into the mouth of the fire spirit, which was trying to absorb the energy of heaven and earth to recover.

"roar!"

Fire Spirit let out a furious roar of resentment, but it became low and weak. A fierce glint flashed in Ji Ming's eyes, and his sword energy erupted, churning wildly within Fire Spirit's body.

"Bang!"

The fire spirit's fierce gaze froze, and it let out a painful growl. Its jewel-like eyes dimmed, and it turned into two gray stones that fell to the ground. Then its entire body exploded inch by inch!

"finally!"

Ji Ming's body went limp, and he collapsed to the ground, exhausted. Looking around, almost everyone was in the same state. Li Pengtao's face was even more ashen, the backlash from the elixir clearly had arrived. The four mages who had withdrawn from the battle first were in the best condition.

"Here you go!"

Shangguan Yue walked up to him and handed him a elixir with a ring of white pill patterns. Ji Ming didn't care about anything else, took it and put it in his mouth. Instantly, the warm medicinal power spread throughout his body, his vitality was quickly restored, and the pain in his chest and arms was quickly relieved.

Ji Ming's eyes lit up. "Quick! Two more!"

Shangguan Yue curled her lip, "Dream on! I usually can't bear to take this Saint Healing Pill myself, one is more than enough for your injuries."

"All right----"

Ji Ming clicked his tongue regretfully. He should have known better than to eat it. In just a dozen seconds, he felt like he had almost returned to his peak condition. This was definitely something that could save his life. Only this girl would be so generous.

Of course, he felt it was probably because of Master Luo's influence.

"Brother Ji! It's a pleasure working with you!"

At this moment, Li Pengtao caught his breath. Although he was still weak, he had at least regained his ability to move.

"Haha! It's a pleasure working with you, Brother Li!"

Ji Ming smiled and clasped his hands in a salute. He had finally witnessed the lightning magic just now, and he felt that if he tried to withstand it head-on, the result would definitely not be good. Only a being like the Fire Spirit, who had maximized damage reduction, could be fearless.

"Young lady, the sword formation has been returned intact!"

Li Pengtao looked at Shangguan Yue, handed her the scroll, and looked reluctant.

Ji Ming glanced at it with some curiosity, thinking it was some kind of one-time use method, but unexpectedly it was something like a magic artifact.

Of course, this sword formation is far superior to ordinary second-tier magic weapons!

As mentioned earlier, the role of this sword formation in the battle was self-evident. Ji Ming himself could only tear a hole in the Crimson Flame Armor with all his might, but the power of this sword formation almost cut it in two.

If they were facing a second-tier professional, the battle would have ended long ago, given the injuries they sustained. Unfortunately, their opponent was a fire spirit.

Even now, Ji Ming's face still shows surprise.

He was now certain that an ordinary late-stage Jade Purity Realm martial artist would be torn to shreds in a head-on confrontation with Fire Spirit!

Its attack power was alright; Ji Ming could withstand it for a long time. However, its defense was too abnormal. All the methods used against the Fire Spirit had less than half the original effect. Moreover, its health was extremely high, and it almost triggered the second stage mode. It was like fighting a boss.

Fortunately, they still won.

Of course, they would be no match for them in a normal battle; firstly, the great magic that had been prepared for ten minutes would be impossible to cast.

Without the water magic consuming the fire spirit, its strength would be far greater than what it appears to be. One punch might not even be enough to withstand it, and the team would have collapsed long ago.

But there are no "ifs." A win is a win, and now it's time to reap the rewards.

Ji Ming and the others exchanged glances, all revealing expressions of excitement.

Let's go!

Not far away, a golden fruit tree still stood in the same spot, unaffected by the battle just now, enveloped by a faint light curtain.

The Pure Yuan Fruit Tree is not a fragile thing; even third-tier attacks have difficulty harming it, which is why they dared to act freely.

"Come on, come on!"

Ji Ming looked at Li Pengtao. Judging from his appearance, this man had the demeanor of a gentleman. During the battle, in order to avoid serious injury to anyone, he took the initiative to swallow pills with side effects to enhance his combat power.

Knowing that he could have won even without doing that, it would have taken much longer and resulted in serious injuries to several people, he began to trust him to some extent.

Of course, vigilance remains in mind, and if he makes any move to back out or turn against us, we will surely face his swift and decisive strike.

Fortunately, all these worries were unnecessary.

Thirteen Pure Yuan Fruits were quickly picked and placed in front of everyone. The fruit tree turned to ashes. A Pure Yuan Fruit tree can only bear fruit once in its lifetime.

In addition, there is a fiery red rhomboid crystal, a remnant of the Fire Spirit's death.

"In this battle, Brother Ji, this young lady, and I contributed the most. Do you have any objections?"

Li Pengtao glanced at everyone and spoke in a deep voice.

Everyone shook their heads in agreement, completely convinced. Ji Ming, standing at the forefront, drew the most aggro from Huo Ling, while Shangguan Yue provided the sword formation and, coupled with her own exceptional strength, made the greatest contribution.

Li Pengtao goes without saying; as the organizer, he should be the strongest in terms of individual strength, and he also took the Burst Elixir voluntarily, avoiding greater damage. His contribution is obvious to all.

You must understand that the Star Realm Grand Examination is approaching, and everyone present except Shangguan Yue is going to participate. If someone is seriously injured and cannot be cured, it will affect their performance for life.

Li Pengtao was able to sacrifice himself to kill the Fire Spirit at a lower cost, which earned him everyone's respect. That's why Ji Ming thought he had the qualities of a gentleman.

"This is a Fire Spirit Heart, and its value is comparable to a Pure Yuan Fruit. I'm currently lacking a material to forge my natal magic weapon, so why don't I take it?" Li Pengtao said, pointing to the rhombus-shaped crystal.

Everyone nodded in agreement. Ji Ming naturally had no objection. Perhaps Li Pengtao had gotten a little advantage, but he didn't know how to use this thing. It was far less useful than getting an extra Pure Yuan Fruit.

Shangguan Yue had no shortage of magical artifacts and spiritual materials, and had no interest in the Heart of Fire Spirit, so she nodded without caring.

"Alright! Let's divide it this way!"

Li Pengtao was overjoyed and took away a Pure Yuan Fruit and a Fire Spirit Heart. Ji Ming and Shangguan Yue received two Pure Yuan Fruits, and the others each received one.

It's worth mentioning that the Pure Yuan Fruit's effect of purifying source energy and mana is only effective with the first one; consuming more will not stack the effects, and it can only be used as cultivation sustenance.

However, the primordial energy it contains is extremely abundant, and Ji Ming, having obtained three Earth Core Elemental Spirits, is exactly lacking such spiritual objects that can provide a large amount of primordial energy in a short period of time.

"I'll go into seclusion after I get back!"

Ji Ming made a decision: he might actually have a chance to compete for a core trainee spot in the eastern region!

"Alright, Brother Li, we'll take our leave now!"

Ji Ming clasped his hands in a salute and prepared to leave.

"etc!"

Under his questioning gaze, Li Pengtao raised his hand to stop him.