Chapter 15: Black Flames

"You would start even if I didn't say anything." Pointing his hand out in a similar position to Aniela, Darcel chided to her. Auras began to flare up from all around, and the shadows in the trees started to move faster.

This sudden increase in aura caused the whole atmosphere in this circular area to change. Numerous Spirit Monsters, all charged with savage killing intent, came crashing down on the duo.

All at once, Darcel and Aniela took the full brunt of these wild and savage Spirit Monsters auras. But neither looked panic, or distraught. In fact, the two gained an even wider smile.

On their hands that they held out, the temperature around their hands had suddenly increased! Inside both of their souls, the duo, for the second time, called upon their black fire element.

'Whir!'

In no time flat did the roaring power of black flames wash over both of their hands! Despite their hands being quite literally on Fire, Darcel and Aniela felt incredibly toasty under their own flames.

Although, the same couldn't be said for the Spirit Monsters in the trees.

They all felt the temperature rise to uncomfortable blaring degrees. Their bodies tensed for actions, but before any one of them could go out, they heard,

"They're all already so eager to start! Let's get a headstart, Darcy!" Aniela's excited voice storms out through the woods. And during her talk, Darcel and Aniela's black flames crazily swirled, causing,

'Ssssch!!'

Two raging balls of black flames to ferociously blast out of the palms! The ground scorched beneath the wake of the fire, and the air burned to uncontrollable degrees.

None of the Spirit Monsters could react to the instantaneous speed of the duo's black fireballs. Their eyes widen, pupils dilated but in a mere split second,

'Bang!'

This towering tall black wood tree that scraped into the sky had immediately erupted in a black flame inferno! The flame spread across the colossal tree in seconds flat, burning it in a black flame glory.

"UWAAG!!"

And from the tree did Darcel and Aniela hear shrieking cries of agony and death. Just from their small bit of Spirit Sense, they knew some Spirit Monsters were hiding well in this tree.

This was supposed to be an estimation of their strength. They could tell the Monsters were at early order Qi Formation Sea to the middle order by their Senses.

Yet every monster in that tree was seamlessly swallowed up in flames.

These results left Aniela grilling like joyously. "In a blaze of glory, they all went down spectacularly! Oh?"

"Looks like these Monster monkeys weren't all too happy with our little spectacle," Darcel smirked while Aniela had a questioning face.

More remarkable than ever did the aura locked on to them dramatically increased!

"Gwaagh!!"

The air was filled with chaotic roars of numerous Spirit Monster monkeys. Observing these monkeys, they all were, of course, ferocious-looking.

Their height stood over five feet tall, they had grotesque black fur and piercing red eyes. Furthermore, their black fur tails were all freakishly long and held dirty looks about them.

And on each savage monkey's faces were the expression of vicious killing intent. Their red eyes held a faint shine as if they were all trying to pierce into the duo's souls.

From all sides were Darcel and Aniela surrounded. No avenue of escape was possible, and the monkeys' speeds were incredibly fast. Yet only a battle-hungry smile filled both their faces.

With speeds faster than the monkeys Darcel and Aniela grabbed on to their other non-flaming hands. Warmth spread through their bodies, and the two felt their fire become even easier to control.

"Fire Spin!"

Before the Spirit monkeys' very eyes, their two prey began to do something strange.

They all heard Aniela's called, and with swift speed, did the duo start spinning each other around!

For only a single moment did the monkeys find this movement weird. But it was then all of their minds were rocked! Nearly they all falter when their eyes couldn't keep up with the duo.

Smoothly did Darcel and Aniela spin so fast they became a blur of a Darkness black flame glow!

And upon becoming this blur of black flames did all the Spirit monkeys coming at them had their bodies scream in instinct. The sinister crushing feeling of death was right before them!

Being acrobatics Monsters, the monkeys all tried to change their course of descent. Only it was off to a fruitless avail when,

'Chi!'

Numerous balls of black flames spewed out of the spinning duo! Each ball was surprisingly accurate, and the Spirit monkeys' vision got filled with a black inferno flame.

They all had insane speed, but Darcel and Aniela were simply too fast!

'Bang, Bang, Bang, Bang!'

"GWAAGH!!"

For the second time that night, the wailing screams of monkeys' agony spewed out the woods. Several figures of black flaming monkeys crashed into the ground, all spasming in their black flame hell.

It didn't matter early order or middle order, every Spirit monkeys were utterly helpless in combating these flames. Excruciating pain wracked their entire being as they burned a slow, painful death.

And the ones that caused this whole gruesome scene had a tranquil smile etched on their faces.

"Fire certainly is a watch when it's spreading its power. Ohhh, I hope I don't get a savage streak like you have, Darcy." Saying it though, Aniela had this widest of smiles as if she doesn't really care much if it does happen.

"And, I hope I don't get your poor naming sense." Seriously, why the hell would she name a move fire spin anyways? Darcel just shook his hand while Aniela gained a proud smile suddenly.

"Just proving once again on why I'm the brighter and more fun side of the two of us!"

"Gwagh!!"

Suddenly, a far more powerful and deep cry of a monkey washed throughout the woods during the two banter. Instantly the duo's eyebrows pricked up, and their excitement increased further.

"The bosses are coming out now…" Aniela stated when real powerful auras descended on the duos. This kind of prowess made the two sure this was the power of a late order Qi Formation sea beast!

'Hua!'

Swift like lightning, four slightly larger Spirit Monster monkeys, dashed out from well-hidden spots in the trees. Landing a few meters away from the duo, these late order monkeys held nothing but killing intent for them.

They were merely observing and stalking their prey, waiting to see how long they would last. But in barely any time, nearly all of their comrades were ignited by a black flame blaze!

All of them wanted nothing to rip the two to shreds now. However, these monkeys were somewhat more knowledgeable than the usual Spirit Monsters.

Darcel and Aniela were both half expecting to immediately get rushed down. But if they're going to be slightly cautious...then neither will hold anything back now.

"Since these civil monsters are so patient, Darcy, let's give them a treat…" Aniela began to flex her left arm and caused immediate tension to rise in the Spirit monkeys.

"I wonder how well they will fare against this treat." Finally, with Darcel's words, it caused a prompt flight or fight response in the monkeys. And being the Spirit Monsters they are, all four blasted off to the duo!

Their speed was akin to sailing through the air traversing a rapid distance in a few steps. However, right in the middle of their pursuit, the four monkeys suddenly felt their instincts scream with danger.

Abruptly their bodies froze on the spot when a tremendous aura gushed out in the Darkness woods!

'Whir!'

From just ahead of them, the Spirit monkeys witness the harsh glow of black and white. Combining these two polar opposite colors created a magnetic attraction that nearly swept the monkeys up.

But what got them out of their stupors was the massive, tremendous pressure that wholly suppressed their bodies!

Immediate beads of cold sweat trickled down their face as the monkeys felt death's blade approaching closer.

Around Darcel and Aniela, the wind was on a frenzy rampaged because of their sheer power. Black flames mixed into the air giving the duo a strange mix of holiness and terrifyingness.

Unknowingly the two still hadn't let go of each other's hands. Yet neither seemed to care about letting go, nor did they really have any plans about leaving from their spot.

All the duo simply did was pointed their bloodlines arms to the beast and,

'Hua!'

The threat of death was far too significant for the monkeys, causing them to run off! With their tails between their legs, their survival instinct kicked in. They didn't even care if they were all late order stages beasts.

None of them wanted to lose their lives! Just from the mere crushing pressure that nearly suppressed all of their movements, the monkeys didn't want to fight a fruitless battle.

"Wanting to run?" Darcel raised a simple question and pointed his bloodline arm to the sky. A small black ball of flame instantly formed on his palm, spewing out wisps of fire in the air.

With a flick, Darcel sent the ball high into the sky. And Aniela's eyes shined a cunning light.

"Fire and telekinesis...a terrifying combination." Aniela's hand glowed a bright white as she focused on the ball up in the air.

Through this shared hand-holding, Aniela was able to barely sense Darcel's black flame's properties.

And just barely was all Aniela needed! Snapping her fingers, the ball flame in the sky gained a white glow around it. The mix made for a spectacle sight to behold, though only the duo could genuinely look at it.

Looking ahead to the monkeys, they didn't travel much distance because their bodies were still severely pressured.

Only a few seconds passed since they decided to run, but these few seconds would've met great distances crossed in normal conditions!

Smiling at their struggling attempts, Aniela clenched their hands causing,

'Chi!!'

Numerous large droplets of black flame to sail straight at the late order Spirit monkeys. Powered through their bloodline arms, the droplets sailed at an even higher speed than the suppressed monkeys.

All the four monkeys felt a dramatic increase in temperature to burning degrees and a mix of black and white from the corner of their eyes.

"GWAAGHH!!!"

Effortlessly, just like every other beast here, the mighty late order beats were helpless against the flames.

Comparing the Qi Formation Sea's middle-order level to late order was akin to massively vast chasms seemingly impossible to crossover to. The late order-level offers an entirely new and evolved state of one's prowess.

Yet none of this held a slight chance as the four monkeys' late order bodies were ruthlessly torn through by the droplets of black flames.

Painfully their bodies were roasted alive with their final thoughts being, just what kind of freaks were Darcel and Aniela?!

Silence returned to the forest once the monkeys were dead. Black flames still raged about the area, and Darcel and Aniela basked every second in it.

They turned off their bloodline arms, feeling drained and an intense jolting feeling!

"Ah! Darcy! It's time!" Aniela loudly proclaimed and shut her eyes tight, focusing on the inside of her body.

Even if the duo wanted to have a more safe space to breakthrough, their bodies and Qi just didn't allow that.

Closing his eyes as well, Darcel felt tremendous changes in his Qi. It was beginning to mutate and change into something else entirely. Along with this, he felt his body overflow with Qi.

This overflowing Darcel recognized as the sign of the Qi Formation Sea breakthrough! Focusing intently now, Darcel smoothly took hold of his Qi and located a specific spot in his body.

His lower stomach area, right where his closed dantian was! Whether they're a Martial Cultivator or not, everyone in the universe was born with a closed dantian.

It was a mysterious independent entity in one's body that requires excellent control to open.

And to make things perfect, Darcel willed his soul power causing wisps of black flames to permeate in his Darkness Qi.

Gathering every single bit of his overflowing Qi, in one swift motion,

'Ka-Cha!"

Darcel attacked his closed dantian, effortlessly opening it up! A mental block far more potent than anything before tried to halt his process. However, just like all other times,

'Bang!'

Darcel tore through the mental block like glass!

He felt his body quiver uncontrollably and felt his Qi morph into a more pleasurable feeling. And above all, he felt his small independent space in his body.

His little Spirit Sense broadened, leading Darcel to sense what they called Profound Qi in this realm. To stabilize his Realm, Darcel greedily absorbed in Profound Qi like a sponge.

Through his head, he made the formless Profound Qi convert into his own unique Qi before getting absorbed into his dantian. Filling his dantian a bit, Darcel Qi Sea, for now, was the size of a big pond.

And filling the pond up was the element Darkness along with wisps of black flames spewing out of the pond.

This process lasted for a few minutes until Darcel felt his body go back into a calm state.

Opening his eyes, Darcel felt like he was in a whole new world.

In this state, Darcel could tell he wouldn't even need to activate his bloodline arms to kill those late order monkeys.

His eyesight got better, and he felt vibrant with energy. He couldn't tell what changes specifically happened with his Qi, but he knew it was special.

Specifically, he felt in tune with the feeling of pleasure.

"Fuuu~, this feeling is one for the ages, right, Darcy?" Aniela spoke up feeling like an entirely new person as well.

She easily stepped into the Qi Formation Sea realm, and for her Qi sea, it was the Element of light with wisps of black flame spewing out of it.

Although unlike Darcel, she didn't feel a strong mutation of her Qi, only a slight subtle change towards it. Nevertheless, her happiness was at her highest as she basked in the sensation of breaking through.

Throughout this whole time, Darcel had noticed their hands were still connected. Clenching her hands, Aniela glanced up Darcel meeting his deep black ones with her own ones.

In this position, they felt secure warmth, and a genuine smile blossom as Darcel said,

"Indeed. This feeling is our true start in this Mortal Planet."