Solar Blood Masters

"A Golden Bull Thork?" Tien Ha and Gerald repeated this as they stared continually at the colossal beast that had emerged from the Fire Pool.

"What's a Golden Bull Thork? Have you encountered a beast like this before?" Tajmani directed her question at her assigned knights.

With trembling lips, Tien Ha explained, "I've never personally encountered one, Princess, but I've seen recordings detailing their existence. However, the ones I've seen were far smaller, nothing compared to this behemoth."

Gerald added, "The pressure it's emitting is immense. If Tien Ha and I weren't shielding you, you would have been crushed the moment it surfaced."

As if to punctuate his point, a trickle of blood escaped the corner of Gerald's mouth. He wiped it away with the back of his hand and glared at the Golden Bull Thork. His eyes glowed with an intense crimson light as he activated his bloodline ability, Blood Sight, to analyze the creature's energy signature.

Suddenly, his eyes widened immensely. He exchanged a worried glance with Tien Ha, and then both Silver Blood Knights turned towards Tajmani and her companions.

"Its Solar Consciousness… it's over a million years old. This Golden Bull Thork… It's a Calamity."

The term "Calamity" was a classification used to identify beasts whose Solar Consciousness had exceeded a million years. These creatures were incredibly rare and immensely powerful, existing at a level far beyond most cultivators, especially at the current state of Gaia. Above Calamity, there were even more terrifying classifications: Nightmare Calamity, Emperor Calamity, Void Emperor Calamity and Novas.

A Calamity-level beast possessed abilities that defied comprehension. They could manipulate the very fabric of reality and unleash devastating attacks that could level mountains and obliterate entire cities. They were forces of nature, not to be trifled with.

"Calamity?" Tajmani and her friends were stunned. The implications of facing such a powerful entity were beginning to dawn on them.

"Our Silver Blood Knight strength pales in comparison to a Calamity like this," Gerald explained gravely. "Our only option is to withdraw. We cannot hope to defeat it."

"You want us to flee? With our tails between our legs?" Tajmani was indignant. The Crimson Fang Hound's Solar Consciousness was so close, and she refused to give up without a fight.

She reached for her Blood Swords, ready to launch a reckless attack, but Gerald reacted quickly. He delivered a sharp chop to the back of her neck and rendered her unconscious.

"Princess!" Lin and Mei cried out in alarm.

"Don't make any sudden moves," Tien Ha urgently instructed. "We need to retreat slowly and carefully. Do not provoke the Golden Bull Thork. Now follow me."

Though concern for their friend, Lin and Mei obeyed and started to slowly retreat the way they came.

Meanwhile, the Crimson Fang Hound mother whimpered softly as she snuggled her head against the Golden Bull Thork's imposing, meaty, muscle-bound foreleg, seeking solace in his mighty presence.

"Hmm… Little minx, what happened to you? You're bleeding all over." The Golden Bull Thork assessed her wounded state. "Is this your excuse for stealing my Fire Pool's essence?" His tone held a hint of both amusement and anger that would make even the bravest tremble.

In response, the mother hound whined again as she shook her head vehemently in denial. Her gaze then hardened as she pointed her paw towards the retreating figures of the human hunters.

"Hmm?"

The Golden Bull Thork slowly shifted his massive head in the direction of the hound's paw. The moment his gaze fell upon the human group, an invisible force, immense and crushing, slammed down upon them.

BOOM!

"What the hell is this?!" Gerald cried out as the oppressive weight threatened to flatten him against the cold ground.

Tien Ha, Lin, and Mei cried out in terror and shock. It was as if an invisible mountain had been placed upon them, attempting to crush them into paste.

THUD!

Tien Ha and Gerald were forced to their knees. They crashed against the ground as if bowing before an Emperor. They were struggling to breathe under the colossal pressure.

Lin and Mei who were weaker than the knights, were pressed flat against the ground alongside the unconscious Tajmani; unable to even twitch under the immensity of the Golden Bull Thork's presence.

"This is unreal! Just by gazing at us, it's crushing our bodies?!" Gerald gritted his teeth as blood trickled from his nose. He had never felt such power, such overwhelming might.

Realizing the hopelessness of their situation and needing to protect the princesses even while retreating, both Silver Blood Knights, in a desperate last stand, decided to gamble everything. They began unleashing their full power for the first time since embarking on this journey.

With mighty roars that shook the very foundations of the cavern, they activated their Soul Orbitals.

"HRAAAAAAH!"

"YAAAAAH!"

A massive flow of crimson energy erupted outwards which was surrounding the two knights in an aura of destructive potential. Above each of them, a Solar Consciousness materialized with vibrant energy. Gerald's Solar Consciousness was larger than Tien Ha's, but both were undeniably powerful.

Two Soul Orbitals started to oscillate around the spheres of pure Solar Energy. The first being an Astro Soul Orbital and the seconds being a Star Soul Orbital. Their presence amplified the knights' Solar Blood Power.

Gerald's first Soul Orbital had two Soul Planets and his second had seven Soul Planets orbiting its sun-like core.

Tien Ha's first Soul Orbital also had two Soul Planets and his second had six Soul Planets in tow.

In total, Gerald had Nine Soul Planets while Tien Ha had Eighth Soul Planets, both beings powerhouses in their own right.

As soon as their Soul Orbitals appeared, the crushing pressure vanished, allowing the knights to stand and the ladies to scramble up.

"Hmm?" The Golden Bull Thork let out a warm snort as he observed the knights' Soul Orbitals, unimpressed.

"???"

At first, the Crimson Fang Hound mother mistook the bull's reaction for fear. However, a cold sweat began rolling down her chin as she understood that the Golden Bull Thork wasn't intimidated. Instead, he was irritated that even more intruders had dared to set foot within his territory and disturbed his millennia-long slumber.

"You reckless pup! You bring these irritating parasites into my sanctuary, my Fire Pool?" The Golden Bull Thork angrily reprimanded the hound.

The hound whimpered in apology, gesturing with her paws to indicate that the humans had caused her injuries. "Protect me… avenge me…" her gestures pleaded.

"I will do neither," the Bull Thork declared, crushing her hopes. But then, he added, "However, now that my lair has been disturbed, I can't allow these… pests to escape."

The Crimson Fang Hound mother's fear-stricken whimpers turned into growls of delight as she realized her revenge would be brutal.

But for the human hunters, the bull's pronouncement was a sentence of impending doom.

…

"Mhm."

"Mhm."

Tien Ha and Gerald exchanged worried glances after hearing the Golden Bull Thork's declaration. They knew they were outmatched.

"The Calamity won't let us off easy. We need to retreat now!" Tien Ha yelled, then grabbed the unconscious Tajmani with one arm and then he swoop down to lift Lin up into his other arm.

Gerald reacted by quickly lifting Mei who was dizzy from the pressure.

Using their bloodline powers, they turned and shot through the tunnel like rockets propelled by an unseen force. The speed at which they hurtled backwards was astonishing. They resembled a blur of crimson and silver against the icy walls.

"Hmph! Trying to escape? How audacious!"

SPLASH!

The Golden Bull Thork slammed a massive hoof against the surface of the Fire Pool, which sent out strange and dangerous ripples.

"No prey has escaped me in thousands of years." The bull's arrogance was not unwarranted.

…

At the same time, in another section of the tunnel, Raphael was cautiously making his way forward. Suddenly, he glanced up and saw the Silver Blood Knights flash past overhead with the princesses in tow.

"What the…?" He barely had time to react before the force of their passage knocked him off his feet. He rolled backward several meters.

"Huh, that boy…" Gerald paused mid-flight upon recognizing Raphael. He made a move to turn back, but Tien Ha urgently grabbed his shoulder.

"Leave him, Gerald! We can't delay! Every second counts!"

"Oh, right!" Gerald reluctantly obeyed and resumed their escape.

"Wait! Don't leave me!" Raphael cried out desperately with outstretched arms.

Then he heard a sound behind him. He turned and saw multiple streams of liquid fire erupting from the tunnel floor, chasing after the fleeing knights and rapidly gaining on his location.

RUMBLE!

The tunnel began to collapse as the fire ravaged its structure.

"Dammit! When will this hell show end!?"

Raphael tossed aside Tajmani's bag and ran as fast as he could, but it was no use. A stream of molten fire shot up beside him and the ground collapsed beneath his feet.

"ARGH!"

He screamed as he descended into a hell of molten rock and searing heat.

"Hmm?" Looking back, Gerald saw Raphael's descent and then noticed the fire stream rapidly catching up to them.

"Tien Ha, we need to go faster! That attack is almost upon us!"

Tien Ha pushed their speed to the limit.

"Fly faster, please! We're going to die!" Lin and Mei were screaming for their survival.

Their escape was now a desperate race against a wall of fire. The knights dodged and weaved through the crumbling tunnel.

The Golden Bull Thork had no intention of letting them live to tell the story.

…

Back at the Fire Pool, the Crimson Fang Hound mother watched the escaping humans and the following wall of flames with hopeful trepidation. She whimpered in anticipation as if to ask the bull if the humans were dead yet.

"Hmph!"

The Golden Bull Thork hated to be questioned, especially by those whom he deemed lesser than him. In response to the hound's query, he let out a haughty snort and then submerged himself entirely into the Fire Pool, leaving the hound to wait anxiously.