Chapter 388: Chapter 206: Black Wind
Su Yuan burst out of the barrier, silver light gleaming in his eyes as he activated his far-sighted vision to scan the distance.
*The scene before him was nothing but desolation, making it hard to discern directions.*
If it were the areas surrounding the Great Flame Country, Su Yuan might have been able to identify them.
But as for the Black Wind Domain, aside from places he had previously visited like Dragon Gate City, Su Yuan couldn’t recognize anything.
Behind him, Iren Ting had transformed into golden flowing flames and was rapidly pursuing him from the sky!
Without hesitation, Su Yuan continued forward, relying on the Great Sun Burning Body Technique and Instant Movement to push ahead.
Not long after, Su Yuan felt the connection to the Demon Soul Avatar abruptly sever.
“Good thing I acted decisively, striking and breaking through before they could work together to surround me. Otherwise, my fate might not have been much better than the Demon Soul Avatar.”
*Su Yuan shuddered slightly. Up until now, the Demon Soul Avatar was almost identical to him, except it lacked Divine Fire, summoning techniques, and other Star Devices.*
*Even so, it had only managed to hold out for such a short time!*
“Among the Shining Star Level, while there’s no division into lower, middle, or higher stages, the disparity in strength between individuals seems even greater than that of the Gold Level!” Su Yuan thought to himself in awe.
After facing two groups of Shining Star Level adversaries consecutively, Su Yuan truly felt the difference.
Earlier, merely activating Void Evil Manifesting Saints had allowed him to take down Black Mountain Elder and Guo Feng with relative ease.
But now, even after using all his techniques, he struggled in a one-on-one fight against Gerry, the obese man, while the other two stood by and watched.
The Epic Star Card Master, with Strength rated B+ and Constitution rated B, combined with the Power of Soul, saw his capabilities soar exponentially!
*Though he had broken through the encirclement, the danger wasn’t over yet. Su Yuan collected his thoughts and pressed forward swiftly.*
“Enhanced agility, Instant Movement, and he still can’t catch up to me!”
Behind Su Yuan, Iren Ting, who had transformed into flowing flames, remained hot on his heels, a slight furrow forming between her brows.
She was a B-grade agility Talent, naturally skilled in speed, yet now, even after activating the Flowing Light Fire Shadow technique for a significant boost, she still couldn’t catch Su Yuan ahead.
“After enduring a fierce battle, you’re now using enhancement skills to flee—let’s see how long your Star Power can sustain you!”
Cold light flickered in Iren Ting’s eyes as she watched Su Yuan pull ahead again using Instant Movement. She quickened her pace, speeding after him once more…
…
Time ticked by, and before long, Su Yuan had been running at high speeds ever since breaking out of the barrier.
*Despite this, Su Yuan’s heart remained heavy; Iren Ting behind him clung to him like sticky candy, refusing to be shaken off.*
*This was the most troublesome aspect of facing a speed-type opponent.*
*Against enemies who specialized in Constitution or Strength, losing in combat at least gave a chance to escape.*
*But against opponents skilled in speed, escaping became nearly impossible.*
And it wasn’t just Iren Ting. Further behind, Frank and a visibly faltering Gerry were also joining the chase.
“Ruan Ruan, replenish magic.” Su Yuan lowered his head and issued the command.
“Puu-jiji (no Star Cores left)…” Ruan Ruan replied weakly.
Su Yuan froze. “Did you use up all of them earlier?”
“Puu-ji (yes)!”
Without hesitation, Su Yuan pulled out two Shining Star Level Star Cores and a significant amount of Lower Three Levels Star Cores from Black Mountain Elder’s ring and fed them to Ruan Ruan.
Ruan Ruan immediately began devouring them rapidly, and soon, waves upon waves of Star Power surged back into Su Yuan’s body through Sea Soul Protection.
With sufficient Star Power, Su Yuan once again pushed his speed to the limit and sped toward the distance.
*Still, he didn’t feel entirely relieved.*
*The ones chasing him were Shining Star Level opponents, making the energy expenditure far more demanding for him.*
*He had been relying on the Great Sun Burning Body Technique to avoid being caught by Iren Ting, and only Ruan Ruan’s constant devouring of Star Cores to replenish his magic had kept this state going.*
*Even though he had recently acquired plenty of Star Cores and Star Stones, ensuring he wouldn’t run out of Star Power anytime soon, this dragged-out chase was still untenable.*
*He had to find a way to create some “variables.”*
Silver light filled Su Yuan’s eyes as he activated All-Knowing Vision for far-sighted observation once again.
“This area is really something—no Star Beasts, not even regular creatures. Without them, I can’t use Teleportation to pull ahead; otherwise, I’d have long since widened the gap.”
Still finding nothing, Su Yuan felt a pang of disappointment.
Right then, in the endless monotonous, barren expanse ahead, he suddenly spotted gusts of black wind rising and dissipating intermittently.
“Black wind?” Su Yuan was initially surprised but then his eyes gleamed.
Although it was his first time witnessing it, Su Yuan immediately recognized this as the iconic “Black Wind” of the Black Wind Domain.
The Black Wind Domain derived its name from these devastating black winds that randomly swept through various areas of the region.
It was because of this black wind that the Black Wind Domain had fragmented into a chaotic mess, making it nearly impossible for large organizations or factions to form.
“This region’s barren and lifeless state, devoid of Star Beasts and even vegetation, is likely due to the black wind.”
*Su Yuan suddenly understood, his mind already spinning with possibilities.*
*The black wind had immense destructive power, but that wasn’t the most troubling aspect.*
*Its unpredictability—the way it appeared and vanished without warning, varying in scale—meant it could arise at any moment from any direction.*
Once a Star Card Master entered a black wind’s domain, they had to remain on high alert, constantly guarding against an unexpected gust of devastation.
Forget Lower Three Levels opponents—even Shining Star Level or Radiant Moon Level individuals could face dire threats if swept up in a massive black wind.
Su Yuan now faced two choices:
First, detour to the left or right—but this would undoubtedly allow Iren Ting and the others chasing him to close the gap or catch up entirely, resulting in dire odds against their combined assault.
Second, forge ahead into the black wind-infested territory.
“The risk of the black wind is indeed significant. But for me, it might also be an opportunity.”
With just a moment’s hesitation, Su Yuan reached a decision. He charged forward at full throttle, without veering or faltering!
*With the Epic Pupil Technique All-Knowing Vision, Su Yuan could handle the unpredictable black wind far more effectively than most.*
*At the very least, it might help him create more distance from Iren Ting and the others.*
And that wasn’t all…
*Casting a glance back at Iren Ting, who doggedly pursued him, a flash of killing intent emerged in Su Yuan’s eyes.*
“If I can split the three of them apart, I might even be able to take one out first…”
*The fire in Su Yuan’s heart burned fiercely. Since becoming a Star Card Master, this was the first time he’d been chased so relentlessly.*
*Their combined strength was overwhelming, all top-tier Shining Star Level experts who were difficult to counter alone.*
*But now, with the erratic black wind in play, he might finally create a chance to confront them one by one!*
Meanwhile, behind him, Iren Ting’s expression darkened further as she saw Su Yuan, refreshed with Star Power, speeding up yet again.
“He can accelerate again? What’s going on? He’s just a Gold Level—how does he have an endless supply of Star Power!”
Watching Su Yuan fading from her perception yet again, Iren Ting’s brow furrowed tightly.
Ordinarily, Golden Limit individuals would have already drained their Star Power completely after such a prolonged battle.
Yet Su Yuan could sustain this extended enhancement from Fiery Flames, operating far beyond typical Gold Level capabilities.
If she hadn’t used the Qi Attraction Crystal Bottle, she might already have lost him!
Her face glinted with icy rage. “A mere Gold Level!”
Iren Ting had earned the title of “Flashing Flame Swordswoman” in the underworld, yet today she was being strung along by a Gold Level opponent for this long!
Her right hand instinctively rested on the hilt of her slender sword, the fury in her gaze threatening to explode.
“If I catch up with you, I’ll make sure to poke a hundred holes into you!”
Golden flames flared all the brighter around her as Iren Ting poured her Star Power into her pursuit, unyielding in her chase of Su Yuan…
Before long, Su Yuan plunged into the area where black winds blew intermittently.
Soon, Su Yuan sensed a subtle but concentrated energy gathering rapidly near him.
*With All-Knowing Vision granting an omnidirectional view and his own heightened senses, his awareness was sharp.*
Reacting instantly, Su Yuan flashed to the side.
In the next instant, a swirl of black wind materialized out of nowhere, rushing past dangerously close—just a few meters away, narrowly missing Su Yuan.
Watching the black wind rage onward, Su Yuan’s eyes lit up, and he decided to test its potency.
His left hand ignited Green Flames, condensing the azure fire rapidly in his palm.
The ring on his right hand blinked, releasing a Green Grade long staff he’d stored there earlier.
Su Yuan unleashed Gray Flame Strike alongside the long staff into the passing black wind.
No explosion of fire occurred as expected; the black wind simply twisted and completely extinguished the Gray Flame Strike in mere moments, cutting off its potential impact before fully detonation!
As for the long staff, it struck the black wind and immediately emitted grating metallic screeches, visible scratches appearing across its surface as though cut by countless sharp edges. Before it hit the ground, it had already turned into a useless scrap of metal.
“The power of this black wind is even stronger than rumored!”
*Su Yuan’s heart tensed as he became more cautious, though this naturally slowed his pace.*
It wasn’t long before Iren Ting, who had been chasing him tirelessly, began closing in again!
“Caught up!”
Cold light filled Iren Ting’s eyes as she surged forward, fury boiling over after this prolonged chase.
Her hand gripped the hilt of her sword tightly, thin streams of golden flames rising from the Black Light Sword Sheath and exploding into a torrent of flowing fire as she leapt at Su Yuan without hesitation!
Of course, she noticed the sporadic black winds ahead but didn’t give them much thought.
*The black wind was focused and restrained, devoid of much external energy fluctuation. Its outward appearance, aside from its dark hue, made it nearly indistinguishable from an ordinary breeze.*
Su Yuan knew of the black wind’s hidden dangers in advance—but Iren Ting, hailing from the northern lands, had limited knowledge of it.
Not long after, Iren Ting found herself smashing headlong into a massive swirl of black wind.
Immediately, the golden flames surrounding her body seemed severely suppressed, flickering violently like candles in the wind and threatening to extinguish in moments!
“Not good!”
Iren Ting’s expression shifted as she erupted with Star Power, attempting to withdraw from the black wind.
The golden flames almost completely disappeared, shallow scratches visible across her body in several spots.
“This black wind is unexpectedly strong!”
*Iren Ting’s heart pounded with shock; she hadn’t anticipated such a seemingly innocent force to tear through her defenses so easily.*
Watching Su Yuan once again disappear from her view, Iren Ting’s face remained expressionless, though her rage boiled fiercely within her chest.
“Damn it, I’ll definitely kill you!”
Iren Ting immediately activated her Star Power defenses, remaining vigilant to dodge the scattered gusts of black wind ahead. Transforming into flowing flames once more, she chased relentlessly after Su Yuan.