Mystic Eyes: My Eyes Steal the Laws of Cultivation Chapter 358: Five-Horned Lava Lizard (4)

The persistent lizard offered no respite.

The very earth quaked violently, unleashing a shockwave that radiated outwards in all directions.

Moments later, Kyrian understood the lizard had vanished beneath the surface.

The creature had burrowed down once more, leaving behind a smoking crater where its feet had just been.

Kyrian’s ice eyes spun with frantic speed, scanning the surrounding terrain, desperately seeking any trace of the formidable beast.

Nothing.

Then…

Kyrian was suddenly enveloped by a chilling premonition of dire danger originating from behind him.

He could not perceive underground movements, yet he felt the tremor surge upwards without warning.

Kyrian spun around in an instant.

However, the colossal tail of the lizard was already upon him.

It moved far too quickly.

The tail of the Five-Horned Lava Lizard bore no resemblance to that of a common creature. It was adorned with jagged volcanic bone spikes, each one radiating intense heat. It swept through the air with a velocity that jarringly contradicted the creature’s immense size, a speed far beyond Kyrian’s ability to evade.

Kyrian’s demeanor shifted to utmost seriousness instantly.

There was no opportunity for retreat. No time to construct intricate defenses or devise complex tactics. Only a single, decisive action remained.

He raised both his hands.

A magnificent and flawless ice armor instantaneously materialized and encased his entire body, its thickness rivaling ancient trees and its density akin to crystal formed over millennia. Every inch of his skin was shielded by overlapping layers of Qi-infused ice.

The tail struck Kyrian with its full force.

The collision was absolutely terrifying.

The ice armor splintered instantly, erupting with countless fissures as the outer layers were pulverized by the sheer power of the blow. Kyrian was propelled like a comet across the desolate volcanic landscape, his trajectory a steep descent through the air.

Stone monoliths shattered upon his impact.

The ground erupted repeatedly beneath his hurtling form, each collision creating a new chasm, each rebound further devastating the surrounding environment.

The ice armor continued to disintegrate, layer by layer, as it valiantly absorbed the monstrous energy of the tail strike. The outer shell, the middle reinforcement, the crucial inner layer – all fractured sequentially, sacrificing themselves to preserve Kyrian’s body.

Finally, after carving a destructive path extending hundreds of meters, Kyrian slammed into a gargantuan rock formation in the distance.

The entire mountain groaned and cracked.

Gigantic spiderweb-like fractures webbed across the rock’s surface. Boulders cascaded in every direction.

A profound silence descended for a fleeting moment.

Wisps of white vapor slowly ascended from the shattered, frozen debris, where fragments of Kyrian’s ice armor still emitted a faint luminescence.

For an extended period, stillness prevailed.

Then, the ice exploded outwards.

Kyrian emerged gradually from the midst of the demolished rocks.

His ice-blue robe was rent in multiple places, the left sleeve hanging precariously by a single thread. Minor, blood-red cracks marred his arms from the intense impact, not critical injuries, but enough to indicate the attack had managed to bypass the outermost layers of protection.

His breathing grew noticeably heavier.

But nothing was seriously amiss.

He glanced downwards at his chest, observing the colossal ice armor he had summoned, now practically obliterated. Only a few isolated shards remained, clinging to his robe like the mournful remnants of its former glory.

‘If I had endured that blow directly with only my physical body…’

A cold smirk touched the corner of Kyrian’s lips.

‘I would be deceased right now.’

…

In the distance, the menacing lizard fixed its gaze upon him.

For the second time, the creature appeared genuinely taken aback.

Its eyes locked onto Kyrian, displaying an expression that mingled deep curiosity with utter bewilderment.

Most cultivators at the Core Formation stage would have perished instantaneously from such an assault. Virtually anyone facing such a direct attack from that beast would have been reduced to scattered remnants of flesh across the battlefield.

Even those who had reached the zenith of the Core Formation realm, possessing years of dedicated cultivation and perfected techniques, would find surviving a direct tail strike from the lizard an immense challenge. Perhaps, with the aid of an extraordinary protective artifact or legendary armor, survival might be possible.

Yet, this diminutive human remained alive.

Not merely alive, but seemingly more than capable. Injured, undeniably. But far from being rendered helpless.

This was an outcome utterly impossible for any being exuding a force as seemingly weak as Kyrian’s. The lizard could clearly discern that Kyrian was merely at the initial stage of Core Formation. He was practically an infant in comparison to the lizard, which stood at the absolute peak of the very same realm.

And yet…

The monster’s eyes gradually narrowed in concentration.

What had once been pure disdain, the unshakeable certainty of the prey’s swift demise, was now giving way to palpable caution.

The ground beneath the lizard’s claws began to liquefy.

The ambient temperature surged even higher.

Molten lava flowed freely through newly formed fissures in the earth, while the five formidable horns crowning the beast’s head pulsed with an escalating brilliance, radiating a fiery Qi so intensely concentrated that it visibly warped the surrounding atmosphere.

Kyrian observed the unfolding scene with intense focus.

‘It is preparing to unleash a more potent ability.’

His snowflake-shaped eyes spun rapidly, absorbing every minute detail. The manner in which the Qi flowed within the beast's horns. The subtle tightening of its jaw muscles. The precise location where heat concentrated within the creature’s throat.

This was no ordinary magma assault.

Kyrian's own Qi began to circulate with accelerated speed through his two cores.

An immense volume of ice rapidly expanded across the ground surrounding him, forging a frigid zone within the heart of the volcanic inferno. This ice wasn't a mere surface coating; it plunged deep into the earth, anchoring itself firmly into the bedrock, a bulwark against the pervasive heat radiating from all sides.

Then, the lizard-like beast opened its maw.

But this time, the substance emerging was far from ordinary magma.

The very space within its throat began to warp and distort. Red-orange flames, compressed to an astonishing density, slowly seeped forth, appearing almost liquid in their concentrated state.

Kyrian's pupils narrowed in response.

"Draconic Breath."

He understood, with absolute certainty.

Though he had never personally witnessed such an attack before, the knowledge simply… arrived.

This was an ability intrinsically tied to the dragon bloodline, a power that fundamentally should not reside within a mere lizard. Yet, it blazed within the beast’s throat, a terrifying harbinger of utter destruction.

A palpable sense of mortal peril washed over Kyrian.

He perceived with crystal clarity that direct impact from this assault would overwhelm his ice armor. His defenses would prove insufficient. Like the surrounding rocks, he too would be instantaneously vaporized.