Chapter 126: Dual Wood and Fire Attributes

Neither Hu Mo nor Duanmu Hong heard what Zhu Xinluo had said; otherwise, they would surely have been thrown into a state of utter mental turmoil.

Once the minor barrier was set, the area inside became completely isolated from the outside world. Neither battle energy nor sound could penetrate the barrier, and those below the rank of Battle King could not even see what was happening within. Clearly, this was a deliberate choice made by the three of them.

Watching the evil grin on Duanmu Hong’s face, Hu Mo couldn't help but shake his head. "Do you think you can defeat me with power boosted by such temporary means? Your strength is fake. No matter how powerful it looks now, it is merely fleeting. Why are you angry? Do you want to tell me how much you love Xinyue? It is merely for the sake of your own vanity. Fighting with such a mindset, you are fragile and easily broken!"

Stung by Hu Mo’s words, Duanmu Hong suddenly threw his head back and laughed. When he looked at Hu Mo again, his eyes held a hint of added ferocity. He snorted coldly and said, "Indeed, that is one reason. You made me lose face, and I must reclaim it with my own hands. But there is another reason."

"Oh? Do we have some past grievance?" Hu Mo was intrigued; regardless, his own strength had no expiration date, while Duanmu Hong’s power was only temporary.

Duanmu Hong seemed unconcerned about time. He gave a wicked smile and said, "The second reason is simple: you should not exist in this world. The two of us cannot coexist!"

No sooner had Duanmu Hong finished speaking than a vast amount of vegetation quietly sprouted from beneath his feet. The plants spread at an astonishing speed, covering a radius of thirty zhang in the blink of an eye.

Hu Mo did not intervene; he understood Duanmu Hong’s purpose. In any battle, the most important factors are timing, geography, and human effort. What Duanmu Hong sought now was the advantage of geography—constructing a wood-element domain with the dense vegetation to perfectly showcase his strength.

Hu Mo remained unbothered. He simply connected his own power to the Fire Cloud Crystals beneath his feet. Quite easily, all the fire-element battle energy within the ceremonial platform became his to command. Hu Mo mused to himself that if he were in a forest or a prairie, he would struggle to guarantee a victory over Duanmu Hong without resorting to the Chaos Fire.

But the situation was different now. Supported by such abundant battle energy, his confidence soared.

The elders naturally perceived the subtlety of the situation. Zhu Yan’s face darkened, and he inwardly feared the worst. Although the vegetation Duanmu Hong released covered a vast area, these plants were being conjured atop fire crystals, a flaw that was far too obvious.

However, Duanmu Shenxu watched everything with a calm expression, occasionally revealing a faint smile. This caused Hu Yihu, who had been quite at ease, to feel a sudden surge of anxiety. There must be a catch!

Duanmu Hong looked at Hu Mo, sensing the scorching fire-element battle energy emanating from the ground. He did not resist, instead allowing this energy to merge into his own body. At that moment, his entire form radiated a cyan-red light, creating a truly eerie sensation.

Hu Mo could not help but feel suspicious, thinking to himself, "Something is wrong. Fire overcomes metal, and this overcomes wood. It makes no sense for him to absorb fire-attribute battle energy without consequence. Could his battle energy attribute be..."

Hu Mo’s expression turned grim. Indeed, as he had feared, he suddenly noticed that the fire-attribute battle energy he was drawing from the Fire Cloud Crystals had diminished significantly, as if being drained by another force. Clearly, that force was coming from Duanmu Hong.

Vegetation capable of absorbing fire-element battle energy—Hu Mo could not believe it even if his life depended on it, yet it was the undeniable truth.

Seeing Hu Mo stunned, Duanmu Hong laughed triumphantly. "To think that both wood and fire attributes could exist in one person! Your fire-attribute battle energy is ineffective against me, while I can devour your power to reach a higher level. Admit defeat and cripple your own cultivation; it will save me the trouble. I truly dislike violence, even though you have made me very displeased."

Duanmu Hong let out a strange laugh. The originally verdant green vegetation had turned deep red, yet the more this happened, the more active the plants became. In mere moments, a mass of vines had wrapped him up like a mummy!

Hu Mo felt clearly that these vines possessed an ability similar to his own Northern Profound Divine Art—the capacity to absorb battle energy. However, this absorption was limited to fire-attribute energy; his water-attribute battle energy remained completely unaffected.

He was in no hurry to break free, nor was he eager to counter-absorb. He was thinking: if he could apply this method of absorbing energy through vines, the power of his Northern Profound Divine Art could be further elevated—a prospect he deeply desired.

However, there was a problem to solve: how to release a conduit and then use that conduit to draw the power back. Wood as a conduit was truly convenient; by locking onto an opponent with vines, one could channel energy like a wire conducting electricity. In this regard, water and fire attributes were somewhat inferior.

After pondering for a while without result, he listened to Duanmu Hong’s words and only smiled. "If you want me to admit defeat, you must be dreaming. If you want to fight, just come at me."

"Fine! Then as you wish! Vine Annihilation..."

"Wait!" Hu Mo shouted, interrupting Duanmu Hong.

Duanmu Hong’s breath hitched, and he cursed angrily, "What do you want? If you want to concede, just say it. I am a man of my word; as long as you cripple your cultivation, I will not kill you."

Hu Mo smiled and shook his head, his expression suddenly darkening. He looked coldly at Duanmu Hong and asked in a low voice, "I want to ask you one question: why are you so insistent on making Xinyue your Crown Princess? Is it merely for politics? Hehe, since you believe I am bound to lose, revealing a few secrets shouldn't be a problem."

"Haha, I wondered what you wanted to ask, and it turns out to be such a foolish question. Hehe, let me tell you: politics is one aspect, but a greater part is for the advancement of my own battle energy. Did you not know the benefits of innate Yin-Fire?" As Duanmu Hong spoke, he licked his lips, his face revealing a look of greed.

Hu Mo’s expression turned icy, and a thick intent to kill radiated from him. His eyes fixed coldly on Duanmu Hong, and the previously scorching atmosphere seemed to settle under this frigid aura.

"It is over, General Hu. This move, 'Vine Annihilation of Immortals and Gods,' will not take your life, but I fear you won't even recognize your own grandfather for the rest of your days. Endure the shock to your soul—Vine Annihilation of Immortals and Gods!" Duanmu Hong snarled. From those vines, a bizarre fire-attribute force, mixed with intense soul power, launched a fierce attack on Hu Mo.

Hu Mo slowly lowered his head and gave a soft hum. When he looked up again, he was radiating an extremely icy aura, to the point that a thin layer of frost began to coat the fire-vines binding him.

When he looked up again, Hu Mo’s expression was completely frozen. He grasped the frost-covered green vines with one hand, and from the point of contact, a massive surge of water-attribute battle energy flowed through the vines toward Duanmu Hong. With a muffled groan, Duanmu Hong was struck by the water-attribute energy, and the intense repulsive force blasted him away. All the vines shattered at that moment, turning into ice powder and vanishing completely.

Hu Mo did not stop. Employing the Lingbo Wind-Cloud movement technique, he appeared before Duanmu Hong in a flash of lightning. Condensing water-attribute battle energy onto one finger, he spoke in a frigid voice: "Ice God Finger."

Duanmu Hong’s pupils constricted. He felt with absolute clarity a sensation of extreme cold rising from the depths of his soul. That seemingly simple finger appeared to possess the power to destroy everything, causing even his Battle Soul to tremble.

"Water-attribute battle energy? It is actually water-attribute battle energy, how is this possible..." Duanmu Hong stammered. Under the erosion of this supreme cold, his fire-attribute battle energy was severely suppressed. He felt as if his very soul were beginning to freeze, and the sensation of death filled his mind.

He had indeed been too careless. Had he been cautious from the start and utilized his wood-fire dual-attribute Battle Soul, the outcome would certainly not have been like this.

Hu Mo did not use his full strength. If he were to use the Chaos Water now, he would face endless trouble and would likely be dragged back by the Heavenly Saint Palace for interrogation and study. That was an outcome he wished to avoid.

Duanmu Hong’s soul teetered on the brink of collapse; the Ice God Finger and Duanmu Hong’s Vine Annihilation shared a similar principle—both were primarily attacks on the soul.

Hu Mo smiled faintly, revealing his white teeth.

"Your Highness, I wonder if you will still recognize your grandfather after this? Hehe, it is over." As Hu Mo spoke with a smile, he pressed his finger against Duanmu Hong’s forehead. The Sacred Water King-Sovereign vibrated, and the full power of the Ice God Finger erupted.

"Grandfather, help me..." Duanmu Hong whispered, and a jade pendant around his neck suddenly shattered.

Outside the barrier, Duanmu Shenxu’s expression changed drastically. With a thunderous roar of "Stop!", he charged directly toward the barrier, unleashing a wave of green light that surged to envelop Hu Mo and the others.

Everyone on the scene was seized by panic. Zhu Wannian and Wang Xu felt their hearts sink, and they too rushed forward.