Lin Mu could feel the presence of Childe Wildfire getting stronger, as the man got closer.
The sheer amount of heat that was radiating from his body seemed to be changing the very air as it could be seen bending. One could almost see a mirage appearing in the distance as if this were a desert.
'His proficiency with the Fire Dao is great…' Lin Mu realized it quickly.
In fact, it might be among the highest that he had seen so far.
"Only Little Shrubby would be able to exceed this… but even that is due to the Flash Fire Liger and Scorch Claw Tiger Bloodlines." Lin Mu muttered.
Lin Mu could compare the potential of Little Shrubby with Childe Wildfire, but when it came to application it was clear that the man was above Little Shrubby. This could be attributed to both his cultivation base, as well as the sheer amount of experience he would have had.
'One thing is sure though… he didn't get here by using shortcuts.' Lin Mu thought.
He not only sensed fire elemental Immortal Qi but also hints of Fire Dao traces among it all. But the surprising part was that the Fire Dao Traces weren't due to a Dao skill being used.
'His body is naturally attracting Fire Dao Traces…' Lin Mu furrowed his brows, as the implications of it were not great.
Something like this usually only happened if had a great treasure of the Dao on their body or if they were close to triggering an Immortal Tribulation.
If it was the first option, Lin Mu would have to be careful, as Dao Treasures could be a terrific tool in strengthening one's Dao Skills. They were very rare and were naturally formed, too.
Coming across one was considered as a great fortunate encounter.
Even Lin Mu hadn't found a Dao Treasure. They could only seek it out, but couldn't buy it.
'There's an easy enough way to confirm it…' Lin Mu thought to himself, before closing his eyes.
A moment later, Lin Mu opened them, the view in front of him changing vastly. With his Spatial Perception active, Lin Mu looked at the distance, seeing several Spatial disturbances appearing.
"So it really is an Immortal Tribulation…" Lin Mu muttered to himself.
He could see fine Spatial cracks that were smaller than the thickness of a hair. There were hundreds of them, and they were moving toward Lin Mu. And as he kept on watching, the man in question could also be seen.
He wore black robes, while flames danced around him.
Lin Mu observed the man closely and realized that he really was close to triggering an Immortal Tribulation.
'Considering I'm seeing Fire Dao Traces, the one he's going to trigger is a Fire Elemental Immortal Tribulation.' Lin Mu analyzed.
He was acutely surprised by this, as it didn't seem like the man was close to his lifespan for it to be close to triggering like this. After all, Childe Wildfire's appearance was that of a man in his thirties. He might be over two thousand years old, but he didn't look like a grandpa at the end of his life.
After all, Immortals would rapidly age when they reached the end of their longevity and would also show signs of an Immortal Tribulation.
Another reason that surprised Lin Mu was the fact that Childe Wildfire had a high understanding of the Fire Dao, despite not having triggered the Fire Elemental Immortal Tribulation.
'If he hasn't used the Fire Elemental Immortal Tribulation before to gain understanding, it means he has reached this point on his own. It is certainly a mix of talent and effort.' Lin Mu could assess the man's condition.
Which only made him think more about the circumstances for his upcoming Immortal Tribulation.
"If it isn't due to his lifespan ending, it only means… there is something else triggering it similar to Little Shrubby." Lin Mu had seen Little Shrubby trigger a Wood Elemental Immortal Tribulation after he had progressed his Fume Wood Panther Bloodline.
But Lin Mu was sure that Childe Wildfire didn't have a Beast bloodline.
'If he had one, I would have sensed it.' Lin Mu thought.
Having the Bloodline of the Great Slumber bear, and having cultivated the Tyrant Bull Marrow Secrets, Lin Mu was sensitive to different bloodlines. After all, they would flare up at times when they felt a strong bloodline or try to suppress a weaker one.
Of course, Lin Mu could control this and not let it show openly, but it didn't mean that he still couldn't tell if someone had a Beast Bloodline. He was sure that Childe Wildfire had no beast bloodline and that the Immortal Tribulation was appearing due to an entirely different reason.
He didn't have a Dao Treasure on him either, as that had already been struck down due to the presence of the Spatial Cracks.
"Not a bloodline, and not the end of his lifespan. Hmm… Is it due to a Dao skill, then?" Lin Mu could only guess that.
He knew that when Dao skills improved, or Dao Embryo improved, one could bring a very profound change. Sometimes, this was great enough for an Immortal Tribulation to be triggered, as the Heaven's will would want to test you.
But in the current situation of Childe Wildfire, it was a difficult thing.
Lin Mu thought about it before an idea appeared in his mind. He only had a short time to think about it, as Childe Wildfire was approaching at a great speed.
'I need to try it out at least.' Lin Mu reckoned before contacting his companions.
"You all need to be on the defensive and retreat." Lin Mu stated.
"Huh, why?" Lu Xu asked.
"Are we not going to fight him together?" Qian Wen questioned.
"Do you have another plan perhaps, Brother Mu Lin?" Ming Aolian inquired.
Ming Dandan stayed silent but eagerly awaited for Lin Mu's response.
"I do yes… while I don't know if it would work, but if it does, we'll save a lot of effort." Lin Mu answered.
"Are you going to deal with Childe Wildfire on your own?" Ming Dandan asked in doubt.
"Somewhat… It could go sideways, thus I want you all to retreat a bit. If the man attacks, I'll be able to defend, but you four might be caught off guard. Your immortal Qi hasn't recovered properly either." Lin Mu had also considered their energy stores.
The tamed beasts of Ming Aolian and Ming Dandan had used quite a lot of Immortal Qi, and even with the support of Immortal Stones, it was not possible for them to replenish it quickly. It would take them at least thirty minutes to reach an acceptable level.
Lu Xu and Qian Wen were the ones' directly fighting the cultivators, thus they had expended a decent amount of Immortal Qi too.
Lin Mu might have considered letting them stay close if they had their immortal Qi, but right now the risk was higher.
Lu Xu and the rest thought over it and decided to trust Lin Mu's words.
"We'll do as Brother Mu Lin says." Qian Wen replied.
"Mmhmm, try to replenish your Immortal Qi further. I'll still need you all if things go sideways." Lin Mu stated.
"Of course!" Ming Aolian said quickly, not wanting to disappoint Lin Mu.
"Alright then, get back." Lin Mu said as he controlled the formations around him. "I'll concentrate the befuddling formations around you, just in case." He informed.
"Don't worry about us, we'll be fine Brother Mu Lin." Lu Xu said as he retreated along with the others.
Lin Mu's eyes were locked onto the black robed man, analyzing his every movement and actions. Even the way he moved was analyzed by Lin Mu, as it seemed to be a footwork technique.
'Using flames to glide and boost one's speed… not only does it seem to use less immortal Qi than flying, it also has the passive effects of providing defensive measures due to the heat of the flames.' Lin Mu could tell that it was certainly a high grade footwork technique.
~huu~
"Here goes nothing…" and when Childe Wildfire was just a few meters from the ring of formations, Lin Mu walked out of it.
~shua~
He seemingly appeared out of thin air, but Childe wildfire was unaffected.
"An illusory formation of this level must have taken you a while to set… so it really was a trap since the start, huh." Childe Wildfire spoke first.
"You must be Childe Wildfire… you sent the other cultivators to check it out, right?" Lin Mu replied calmly.
"I did." The man admitted. "But for you to walk out of its security like this… you are plotting something else." He guessed.
Lin Mu didn't mind the man's words and kept his composure.
"I can say the same for you perhaps… You could have easily charged in and broken the formations with your strength. And yet… you took the cautious approach of sending others." Lin Mu said, making the man a bit intrigued.
