Chapter Thirty-Seven: Flames Engulf the Heavens

"Courting death!" Lin Ao Hun shouted, his voice thundering like a storm, as he swung the massive hammer behind him, stirring the air with a howling wind. He strode forward in great steps, whirling the giant hammer and bringing it down with a sudden force. Yi Xin dashed ahead, fire gathering at the crest of his right fist, and launched a straight punch, meeting Lin Ao Hun's hammer head-on!

A tremendous boom echoed as fist and hammer collided, creating rippling waves of wind that forced the onlookers to step back. Yet neither Lin Ao Hun nor Yi Xin retreated an inch; they remained locked in a test of strength.

"Magnificent, magnificent!" The crowd cheered, their voices ringing out.

"Fight, fight!" Some shouted.

"These people—always eager for trouble when watching a spectacle..." Hei Yu thought to himself. Though he rarely interacted with Yi Xin, seeing him stand up for him against such a formidable opponent left him somewhat anxious.

Ling Xiao Lei, clicking away at her camera, exclaimed, "Wonderful! This story will surely make money!"

After their first clash, Yi Xin and Lin Ao Hun simultaneously leapt back, widening the distance, continuing their tense standoff. Yi Xin's expression remained unchanged; his aura undiminished. Lin Ao Hun stood firm as a pine tree, his weapon still gleaming with a sharp light.

"To face Yi Xin's punch head-on and have not a scratch on the weapon—I've never seen that before." Hei Yu mused. "No wonder Boss Ling said Lin Ao Hun is a master of weapon forging. That hammer is no ordinary tool."

"Kid, your fists are tough!" Lin Ao Hun remarked. Once more, he spun the giant hammer, forming a great circle above his head, the wind whistling fiercely. The vortex seemed capable of drawing everything nearby into its grasp. Again, he charged forward, as wild as a raging bear, swinging the hammer at Yi Xin.

This time, Yi Xin didn't meet the blow with his fist. Instead, he raised his left arm to block. The hammer struck down with brutal force, shattering the stone slabs beneath Yi Xin’s feet and sinking the ground by three inches.

Enduring the hammer's crushing weight, Yi Xin clenched his teeth. His right hand thrust his staff toward Lin Ao Hun's abdomen, unleashing a burst of fire at the tip, like a miniature volcano erupting.

"Flame Impact!"

Fierce scarlet flames surged forth. Lin Ao Hun felt a sudden heat against his belly and leapt back again and again, retreating over ten meters as the fire column rampaged. Only after desperately swinging his hammer did he finally disperse the flames.

As Lin Ao Hun landed, Yi Xin pressed his advantage, charging forward with his staff, unleashing another mighty wave of flame. When it struck the center of the open ground, it formed a relentless, ever-rising barrier of fire! The wall swept forward, carrying the threat of annihilation, determined to bury Lin Ao Hun.

"Wildfire Rages!"

Yi Xin’s eyes glowed with fire, and the windows of the dormitory reflected the crimson sea of flames.

Lin Ao Hun was momentarily stunned. The fiery heat assaulted him, and the towering blaze rose like waves in a tsunami. His cheeks burned painfully, and the curtain of fire obscured all sight of those on the other side.

"Brat from the Scarlet Flame clan, don't get cocky!" he snarled through gritted teeth, gripping his hammer tightly. Suddenly, he smashed it into the ground.

"Weapon transformation... Giant Ape Rends the Earth—Break!"

A fierce blast of wind charged into the flames. As the hammer struck, a phantom image of a broad-shouldered giant ape momentarily appeared, tearing apart the fire with its powerful arms. The impact of the hammer created a vortex within the flames, shredding the inferno and scattering it.

Behind the sea of fire, Yi Xin still stood his ground.

"Forcing me to use weapon transformation... The Scarlet Flame brat does have some skill," Lin Ao Hun thought. As the heat gradually receded, he slammed his half-human-sized hammer to the ground with a clang, making the earth tremble three times. He threatened again:

"Kid, if you know what's good for you, step aside! If you make us late for class, aren't you afraid the teacher will make you stand as punishment?"

"Hmph, instead of boasting, you'd do better to defeat me first," Yi Xin retorted, a cold smile on his lips.

"Fine! Since you refuse to see reason!" Lin Ao Hun, who usually only had to teach a lesson to the street thugs, rarely had a chance to stretch his muscles. Today, facing an opponent of equal strength, his blood surged; he began to relish the battle.

The hammer in his hands crackled with lightning, its aura swelling. Its color shifted from silvery white to crimson black, and its size doubled in an instant.

"Weapon evolution, second form—Rhino!"

His squad of guards grew alarmed, hurriedly stepping back.

"Commander Lin is activating the weapon’s second form!"

"Commander Lin! You can't go all out!"

Lin Ao Hun was ablaze with fighting spirit—at this moment, no one could stop him. He gripped the hammer and charged forward once more.

Yi Xin's face remained calm. At his feet, searing flames swirled, forming an aura that enveloped him. He was ready to unleash his strongest fire technique.

Hei Yu’s face turned pale at the sight.

"This is..." He immediately recalled Yi Xin's most powerful move: "Heaven-Blazing Flame!"

His expression changed dramatically. He hurriedly dragged the excited Ling Xiao Lei out of the crowd, quickly retreating toward the distant cafeteria.

"Hey, hey, hey? Hei Yu... what are you doing?"

"It's dangerous over there. Better not watch."

"Is it necessary to run so far?" She looked up at Hei Yu’s grim face and dared not ask further.

"Has Yi Xin lost his mind, using that move inside the Magic Academy...?"

He remembered all too well the trouble that move had brought him since childhood—every time they fought, Yi Xin would crush him with it. Shaking his head, he sighed, "That stubborn streak—just like his father."

Lin Ao Hun seized the hammer, now transformed into its second form. He leaped high, and the side of the pitch-black hammer sprouted two rhino horns, one large and one small. He thought,

"If I can't beat you, what face do I have left as commander of the Holy City Guard?"

As he swung the hammer, the phantom of a powerful rhino burst forth, charging straight at Yi Xin.

"Rhino Charge!"

On the ground, Yi Xin gripped his staff calmly, chanting under his breath. Blazing flames erupted around him, like the dawn breaking through the clouds. As the hammer descended, he lifted his gaze, and the flames on his staff surged forth, bursting out like the sun breaking through the heavens. The blazing sun swallowed the sky; explosive fire painted half the sky crimson.

"Scarlet Flame secret art—Great Blaze Technique: Heaven-Blazing Flame!"

The fire expanded in an instant, engulfing the entire open ground, blocking the entrance to the dormitory, and climbing to the fourth-floor windows.

The students were dumbstruck, as if witnessing the end of days. When they came to their senses, they scattered in terror. Those living atop the dormitory saw the scarlet flames cover their windows in an instant.