Ji Changyan had already drawn his weapon when he asked for Li Tianming’s name. It was a fiery lance about two meters in length, its body covered by burning dragon scales. One look, and anyone would know that it was a top-tier grade five beastial weapon!
The weapon pointed at Li Tianming was called the Crimson Dragon Lance.
Ji Changyan was quite glad to meet such an opponent on the Abyssal Battlefield, especially one that was stupid enough to let his lifebound beast refine manna on the spot. That was no different from serving him the manna on a silver platter.
“Speak, what is your name!” Ji Changyan’s eyes shone, ready to strike the moment Li Tianming replied.
While Jiang Feiling was still nervous about the impending fight, Li Tianming laughed out. “I’m your father, the Torch Dragon King. Son, do you not recognise your own daddy?”
Ji Changyan snickered. “Alright, that just answered the question of whether I should defeat or kill you.”
In the Abyssal Battlefield, they were all rivals, opponents. The only problem was that no one knew what the rules were yet.
“Tian Zhu, come out.” As the prince charged towards Li Tianming, a huge lifebound beast leapt out of his body. It was a huge snake, its body covered in blood-red scales! On closer inspection, the snake had talons, making it look more like one of those mystical dragons. The only thing lacking was a horn on its head, making it an incomplete picture.
“Ever heard of the ‘Volcanic Torch Dragon’ from the royal Torch Dragon Clan?” Ji Changyan sneered.
“What Volcanic Torch Dragon? I’m pretty sure that is not a real Torch Dragon, looks more like a Volcanic Drake to me.” Li Tianming shrugged.
For any member of the royal Torch Dragon Clan, it was an insult to call their Volcanic Torch Dragon a lesser drake, and Ji Changyan flared up almost instantly.
“Your lifebound beast can’t battle, so you may as well speak your last words now,” Ji Changyan said.
Li Tianming frowned. “What for? None of us knows the rules yet. Killing me might be pointless. Besides, your lifebound beast is already seven-stars, so you have no use for the manna.”
It was true that the Volcanic Drake was a seven-star beast, making it a menacing foe. However, Li Tianming did not mention that he had an royal manna, or their conversation might have just ended right there. All that Li Tianming wanted was to see if Ji Changyan knew anything more about the Abyssal Trials than he did, and to make sure that he wasn’t the only one kept in the dark.
“Even then, I have my reasons to kill you, not just because it means one less competitor for me, but also because you are from Vermilion Bird!” For thousands of years, the two nations had not seen eye to eye, and many clashes had happened between the two.
“Prepare to die!” Ji Changyan leered, confident with a numerical advantage.
“Ling’er, don’t worry, the two of us have nothing to fear.” Responding to Ji Changyan's attack, Li Tianming drew his Blazing Dragon Chainblade and dashed forward. The chainblade resonated as it swung towards Ji Changyan, the screeching metallic sound enough to give people chills.
“Alright, big brother!” She was indeed worried at first, since she had never had to face such vicious people in her life before. But with Li Tianming by her side, she could pick up her courage and put her faith in him.
It was the Abyssal Battlefield, and each battle was one of life and death. She had been protected well in her formative years, and in such a scenario, she had to be terrified. Perhaps the only thing that could calm her down was the soothing, regular beat of Li Tianming’s heart. She could feel his composure, his determination.
“Do as I say and use the Temporal Field!” Li Tianming said, before clashing with Ji Changyan.
“Alright!” Jiang Feiling activated her second ability, and an invisible sphere enveloped the region. The Temporal Field was as mysterious as the Spiritual Attachment, and Ji Changyan’s movements instantly slowed.
Ji Changyan could never imagine that there was a power to control time in this world. From his point of view, he and his torch dragon weren’t the slow ones, and instead, it was Li Tianming that was too fast. This was partially the case since Li Tianming was indeed faster now, not to mention that he was also boosted by the invisible Celestial Wings and his Flaming Shadow Flash!
Jiang Feiling was working at full power, with the Spiritual Attachment, Temporal Field, and Celestial Wings all activated at full blast! Ji Changyan thought it was a two on one battle, and it was true that if he was only against Li Tianming, then he didn’t even need his torch dragon to kill Li Tianming. But with Jiang Feiling here, things were different!
“Die!” With a twist of his hands, Ji Changyan used the ‘Soul-Piercing Draconic Lance’, an advanced source-ranked art. The flurry of piercing lances were like a cyclone, ki blasting out and striking at Li Tianming from all angles.
At the same time, the Volcanic Torch Dragon dug into the ground, and the land within fifty meters of it began to burn. It was one of its spiritsource abilities, ‘Scorched Earth’! It didn’t end there. The raging inferno began to converge, creating dragon-shaped flames that closed in on Li Tianming. It was its second spiritsource ability, the Volcanic Dragon Breath! With Ji Changyan’s identity, his seven-star lifebound beast probably knew seven different kinds of spiritsource abilities, making it a troublesome opponent!
And yet, Li Tianming was immune to fire. While that didn’t equate to being invincible to all of Ji Changyan’s attacks, Li Tianming was fearless when it came to fire attacks. He would still die if his opponent’s weapon pierced into him, but Scorched Earth felt like a tickle to him.
Just then, a fireball shot out from the ‘secret chamber’ behind him and wrapped around Li Tianming. It was Ying Huo’s spiritsource ability, the Infernal Armour. Even though the little chick was focused on refining the manna, it could still find a way to help Li Tianming. With the Infernal Armour on his body, Li Tianming was even less afraid of the Volcanic Torch Dragon, since most of its attacks were now useless on him!
“Thanks bro!” Li Tianming wasn’t even scared of Ji Changyan to begin with, but now that Ying Huo had given some help...
While Li Tianming was still trapped inside the Scorched Earth ability, Ji Changyan continued to attack from various angles, each of his stabs fierce and deadly! The torch dragon had also emerged from the ground many times to attack Li Tianming with its beastial arts, some of them narrowly missing Li Tianming.
What’s the point? We just met, after all. Li Tianming shook his head and asked, “Are you really planning to kill me?”
“I was planning on just defeating you and letting you live if you had a strong family background. But I’ve changed my mind!” Ji Changyan’s eyes were bloodshot.
“Why?” Li Tianming asked.
“Can’t you see? It’s called the Abyssal Trials, and only one person will live through the trials! One of us is not leaving this place alive!” Ji Changyan hissed. “Only the survivor has the right to go to Heaven’s Elysium! I’m not sure what the others think, but I’m not giving this chance to anyone else! I was born in Torch Dragon, and perhaps it's my fate to stay there for the rest of my life. But this is my only chance to escape from that destiny! Therefore, I shall kill everyone else in this Abyssal Battlefield, until I’m the only one left alive in this Azure Domain! Once that happens, who else can the Elysium choose then?”
“You said that there are no rules to this game? Well, here are the damned rules!” Ji Changyan screamed hysterically as he continued to wave his lance at Li Tianming.
His coordination with the Volcanic Torch Dragon was superb, but for all their efforts, nothing could pierce through Li Tianming’s Infernal Armour! His attacks were already a lot weaker since elemental damage was ineffective, not to mention that his movements were also slower than usual.
“Ji Changyan, I know not what the rules to this game are, nor do I want to make random guesses or refute your argument. But I can tell you that if you want to kill every single person in this Azure Domain, then the first one to die will be you!” Li Tianming made a move as he finished speaking.
At this moment, the Volcanic Torch Dragon swam through the ground, leaping up from beneath and biting onto Li Tianming’s legs! But Li Tianming had the nfernal Armour, and it nearly scalded its own tongue.
At the same time, Li Tianming lowered his left hand, the Bewildering Eye on it facing the torch dragon. Beast ki flowed through the eighty-one spirit veins on the eye as he used it, and the effects showed immediately.
A ghost seemed to whisper in its ears a moment later. Combined with the illusion abilities of the Bewildering Eye, the torch dragon sank into a nightmare immediately.
Soulless Seven Howls, first stance!
The Blazing Dragon Chainblade ripped across the torch dragon’s body, tearing open its skin!
With a shriek, the Volcanic Torch Dragon plunged back into the earth like a worm, leaving behind a bloodsoaked patch of land.
“Just die already!” Ji Changyan approached from the side.
The Blazing Dragon Chainblade struck again with a wicked howl, the tip flying towards Ji Changyan. The body of the chainblade wrapped around the Crimson Dragon Lance, while the Blazing Dragon Fang stabbed into Ji Changyan’s arm!
“AHH!” Crying from the pain, Ji Changyan let go of the lance, which Li Tianming pulled and sent it flying into the air!
The next instance, the torch dragon reappeared, a stream of flame flowing out of its mouth towards Li Tianming. It was its third spiritsource ability, the Magma Blast!
Metal shrieked again. With another swing of the Blazing Dragon Chainblade, the sound of evil ghosts rang in the torch dragon’s ears, renewing the mental torment. The torch dragon slowed for the briefest of moments, which was more than enough for the chainblade to prepare its next strike.
The moment the torch dragon opened its mouth to use the Magma Blast, Li Tianming’s Blazing Dragon Chainblade plunged into the flames, into its mouth and down the throat! The torch dragon stiffened — the chainblade had pierced through its inwards.
With one last whimper, the Volcanic Torch Dragon collapsed onto the ground, lifeless.