Just as the fire dragon was about to incinerate Bu Shenghan and the other person, a water sphere appeared out of nowhere, saving them.
"Who is it? Why hide and strike from the shadows? If you have the guts, come out and face me!"
Someone who could block his level seven fire dragon must have a power level no lower than his own. Moreover, the opponent wielded the water element, which countered his own. Qi Wu, facing a formidable foe, shouted loudly, urging the hidden assailant to reveal themselves.
"Hahaha, I am Bu Ying, the person in charge of Yuncheng Base. I have some connection with these two, so I intervened. My apologies. You've already killed so many people; would you do me a favor and spare these two?"
A deep male voice echoed, followed by a flash of movement as a tall man appeared. Compared to the rugged Qi Wu, this man could only be described in one word: exquisite. Exquisite medium-length hair obscured one of his peach blossom eyes, and his delicate features were androgynous. He wore an exquisite sky-blue suit that hugged a refined yet not frail physique, making him appear like a noble scion. In this post-apocalyptic world, maintaining such an image clearly indicated he was no ordinary person. He emerged from a nearby factory building, standing in front of Bu Shenghan and He Shi, a smile on his face, and his attitude towards Qi Wu was polite and courteous.
"You are the person in charge of Yuncheng Base? But they killed my girlfriend. I absolutely cannot let them go."
Upon learning the other party's identity as the head of Yuncheng Base, Qi Wu hesitated. His team, the Blazing Flames, had traveled a great distance to seek refuge at Yuncheng Base. However, the memory of Qingying's tragic death fueled his desire for revenge, and Qi Wu refused to let Bu Shenghan and the other person go.
"Then let's settle this with our fists. If I lose, you can kill them. If you lose, you will do as I say."
Seeing Qi Wu's firm refusal, Bu Ying smiled and offered no further explanation. Instead, he directly proposed a challenge, intending to let strength decide. He appeared quite confident and self-assured.
"Cousin, no, you can't gamble with my life."
Before Qi Wu could respond, Bu Shenghan cried out. It turned out Bu Ying was his cousin. He had led the Vermillion Bird Base north, intending to seek refuge with Yuncheng Base.
"Shut up. If it weren't for me, you would have been dead by now. If you keep making noise, I'll hand you over to them for disposal."
Bu Ying clearly had little patience for his cousin and warned him in a low voice. Bu Shenghan immediately fell silent and stopped making a sound. Although they were cousins, they were not close and had little contact. They shared the same great-grandfather, but Bu Ying's parents had left their hometown when they were young. Bu Ying and Bu Shenghan had never met before; it was only a year before the apocalypse when Bu Ying returned to his hometown for his grandfather's birthday that these cousins reconnected. Because Bu Ying was a returnee with a good job, Bu Shenghan had always tried to curry favor with him, and thus they established contact. After the apocalypse, Bu Shenghan awakened his powers and established the Vermillion Bird Base. Through contact with other bases, he learned that Bu Ying was the person in charge of Yuncheng Base. After the destruction of the Vermillion Bird Base, Bu Shenghan wanted to seek refuge there, thinking that as cousins, and sharing the same surname, it would be better than going to other bases. He never expected to encounter him in Jincheng.
"I agree."
Since the other party wanted to settle it with strength, and Qi Wu was confident in his abilities, he naturally agreed. With a wave of his hand, the fire dragon, having left Bu Shenghan and He Shi, slithered towards Bu Ying.
Bu Ying let out a light chuckle, and a massive water shield appeared, directly colliding with the dragon's head. In reality, Qi Wu was at a disadvantage. The fire dragon had taken a long time to condense, and it had been locked in a stalemate with Bu Ying's water sphere for a while. The fire elemental energy within was almost depleted. Upon colliding with Bu Ying's newly formed water shield, it immediately disintegrated into countless fireballs, hovering in the air.
"Courtesy demands reciprocity. Take this!"
After dispersing the fire dragon, Bu Ying extended his right index finger and drew a circle in front of him. The millstone-sized water shield spun and flew towards Qi Wu. Just as it was about to reach him, it exploded, transforming into countless water arrows that shot towards Qi Wu. This demonstrated that Bu Ying was a cunning individual; he used the water shield to confuse Qi Wu, then broke it down into smaller components to catch Qi Wu off guard.
Qi Wu was prepared for the water shield attack and intended to counter with fireballs of similar size. However, the sudden transformation into a wide-ranging barrage of water arrows caught him off guard. He no longer had time to launch a corresponding dense fire attack. But Qi Wu did not panic. He simply waved his hand, and the fireballs that had scattered in the air after the fire dragon's dissipation were immediately imbued with new power, blocking the overwhelming water arrows. Water and fire were naturally incompatible; the fireballs and water arrows annihilated each other, disappearing together.
After two exchanges, neither side had gained an advantage. Both Qi Wu and Bu Ying's expressions turned serious. They both realized the other was not a pushover and began to regard each other with respect, preparing for a fierce battle. Both unleashed their trump cards, simplifying their attacks and striking simultaneously.
As Bu Ying extended his palms, a torrent of floodwaters appeared in the air, surging towards Qi Wu. Qi Wu spread his arms, and a raging inferno burned fiercely, sweeping towards the floodwaters. Both of them were level seven in their respective abilities, with equal strength. The floodwaters and the inferno clashed in the air, each seeking to destroy the other but unable to advance an inch. Because they had channeled all their elemental energy into their attacks, neither dared to move rashly. In a battle between masters, even the slightest oversight could lead to complete failure.
But at this moment, Bu Shenghan, standing behind Bu Ying, made his move. He tentatively approached Qi Wu. Seeing that Qi Wu did not stop him, he knew Qi Wu was unable to divert his attention. A cunning smile immediately spread across his face. He circled behind Qi Wu, raised his hand, and slowly condensed an ice cone, aiming it at Qi Wu's back with a sinister grin. Yes, he intended to kill Qi Wu while he was being held back by Bu Ying and unable to move.
"You want to kill them all. For a mere woman, you killed so many of my brothers, and you still won't let me go. Then die!"
Bu Shenghan shouted, thrusting the ice cone in his hand fiercely towards Qi Wu's back. Qi Wu's back was now completely exposed. Because all his elemental energy was being used to fight Bu Ying, he had no way to defend or resist. Although he couldn't see Bu Shenghan's actions behind him, he understood from his words that Bu Shenghan had malicious intentions. Facing an attack from both front and back, Qi Wu was helpless. He could only urge his elemental energy, spreading flames all over his body, hoping to buy time to defeat Bu Ying before Bu Shenghan could harm him, thus allowing him to escape.
However, Bu Ying clearly understood his intentions and increased his elemental output, aiming to keep Qi Wu occupied so that Bu Shenghan could succeed.
"Die!"
Bu Shenghan urged his elemental energy. The ice cone in his hand, with great difficulty, pierced through Qi Wu's flames and touched his clothes. If he exerted a little more force, he could pierce Qi Wu's body. He let out a roar and exerted his strength. Then, with a thud, Bu Shenghan's body fell to the ground. His neck was severed, blood spurted out like a fountain, his limbs twitched, and his eyes were wide open. He was clearly beyond saving, and he died with his eyes wide open, never understanding who had killed him. Meanwhile, Qi Wu, unable to move, had no idea what had happened behind him. He only saw confusion in Bu Ying's eyes.