Chapter 131
Meanwhile, Kui Zong narrowed his dark yellow eyes, his pupils narrowing to slits. “Where did that woman go? How could she just vanish like that?”
A portable world artifact was beyond the understanding of most. Even Great Emperors might not possess one, let alone a junior cultivator. Hence, it never crossed his mind as a possibility.
“Did she use some spatial escape artifact?” he mused. “No matter, you were always my primary target.”
Kui Zong stood with his hands behind his back, a faint smile on his face as his thick dragon tail swayed. He was waiting for Lin Qi’an to succumb to the poison. According to the Jiao Dragon clan, this young man had many protective artifacts, making him difficult to defeat. Caution was necessary.
However, Lin Qi’an had no intention of waiting. The rare chance to battle someone at a higher cultivation level was thrilling, a perfect opportunity to test his true strength.
The higher one’s cultivation, the harder it became to fight across realms because the disparity in power grew exponentially. This was a universal truth. Many prodigies could challenge higher realms in the Transcendent stage but found themselves like helpless chicks when facing a Dao Transformation expert after reaching the Celestial stage.
Dao Transformation signified a deeper resonance with the Dao of Heaven and Earth, merging oneself with the Great Dao. Advancing to this stage required overcoming a tribulation, and even those who failed were stronger than those who hadn’t attempted it.
Successfully transcending the tribulation put one on a completely different level, looking down on others as if from a great height.
…
Lin Qi’an unleashed the “Illusory Dragon Divine Art,” one of the techniques derived from the Dragon Bone Treasure Arts. A massive, ethereal dragon made of spiritual energy manifested in the air above him, its wings like iron and its claws like hooks.
Its bronze-yellow eyes rotated slowly, exuding the supreme aura of a sovereign overlooking all life.
“This… this is…” Kui Zong nearly fell to his knees. Under the terrifying pressure of the Ancestral Dragon’s aura, he trembled uncontrollably. A cold shiver ran up his spine, spreading through his entire body.
“The aura of the Ancestral Dragon… How could this be?!” Kui Zong, though a member of the Kui Dragon race with ancient dragon lineage, was still a step below the Azure Dragon. Above the Azure Dragon was the Ancestral Dragon, the progenitor of all dragonkind, a supreme and unrivaled existence.
The Ancestral Dragon’s legacy was something all dragons sought their entire lives. Even the tiniest sliver of its power could elevate one to the status of a Dragon King. Yet this human boy had it?
The absurdity of the situation overwhelmed him. A Dao Transformation expert like Kui Zong was almost driven to his knees by a mere Celestial Realm boy. How could this be?
“Wait… why haven’t you succumbed to the poison?” Kui Zong finally realized something was wrong. His eyes filled with disbelief, slowly turning to fear. “Impossible… this can’t be…”
The venom was potent enough that even quasi-Saints couldn’t resist it. Kui Zong himself had taken an antidote beforehand, yet this boy had been breathing it in for so long without showing any symptoms? How could he remain so calm?
Shock after shock hit Kui Zong like tidal waves. The situation was rapidly spiraling out of control.
“Go!” Lin Qi’an commanded, and the ethereal dragon spread its wings, charging forward. Its presence rippled through the space around it.
Kui Zong struggled to stand under the crushing aura of the Ancestral Dragon. He transformed into his true Kui Dragon form, engaging in a brutal clash with the ethereal dragon.
The two dragons tore into each other in mid-air. Kui Zong’s powerful, muscular body bulged as he exerted enough strength to crush boulders weighing thousands of pounds. The earth shook, and debris rained down from the ceiling. The only thing keeping the cavern from collapsing was the reinforcement it had received over the years, though even that wouldn’t last much longer.
The deep rumble of dragon roars echoed continuously through the cavern.
“Is that all you’ve got?” Kui Zong roared as he slammed the ethereal dragon into the ground, a smug grin on his face.
“Its aura is impressive, but its strength is pathetic. What a waste of such power. Better to let me devour it and claim the Ancestral Dragon’s might for myself!” Kui Zong sneered, believing the ethereal dragon to be no stronger than a typical Celestial stage entity.
“Is that so?” Lin Qi’an said calmly. “Then let me up the ante.”
Lin Qi’an summoned the Nine Yang Divine Fire. The golden flames, like molten gold, flowed into the ethereal dragon’s body. Instantly, the dragon’s translucent form was tinged with a dazzling golden hue, and its aura surged to terrifying new heights.
“Roar!” The dragon’s roar caused the temperature of the damp, dark cavern to spike by dozens of degrees.
For the first time, Kui Zong felt true fear, as though every organ in his body was trembling. The fire dragon was now several times stronger than before!
The scorching dragon’s breath erupted, and the overwhelming golden flames nearly illuminated the entire dragon cave. In the blink of an eye, Kui Zong’s body was charred black—this was the true dragon’s breath combined with the Nine Yang Divine Fire, and its power was unimaginable.
“Don’t rush, we can take our time,” Lin Qi’an said with a smile.
It was a pity that the place couldn’t withstand the summoning of the Purple Heaven Divine Thunder; otherwise, infusing the phantom dragon with thunder would have unleashed its full potential.
“You wretched brat!” Kui Zong finally grew enraged, holding back no longer. His entire body erupted with an endless surge of lightning, crackling arcs of electricity coiling around him like a divine beast.
The Kui Dragon, also known as the Thunder Kui, ruled over lightning. The entire Kui Dragon Clan practiced thunder-based techniques. The terrifying power of lightning filled the dragon cave, turning the ground beneath them into a sea of thunder, as the air became thick with the scent of destruction.
“Die!” With a roar, three thousand bolts of thunder surged forth!
From the sea of thunder, countless lightning bolts shot towards Lin Qi’an, crawling all over his body, enveloping him completely in violet lightning, obscuring him from sight.
“Thanks for the gift,” Lin Qi’an chuckled.
“You… you!” Kui Zong’s eyes widened in horror as he realized that the lightning he had summoned was rapidly being absorbed.
What was happening?
All the lightning was being drawn into Lin Qi’an’s sword, a once-imperial weapon crafted by a Thunder Emperor! Playing with thunder in front of Lin Qi’an was a grave mistake—even Tai’an’s royal princess, Zhao Yunji, and her world-shaking Purple Heaven Divine Thunder couldn’t compare. What could this mere Kui Dragon’s thunder do?
Raising his sword, Lin Qi’an channeled all the gathered lightning into the phantom dragon. Violet light and golden flames intertwined, crashing together like the explosion of stars, forming a terrifying, awe-inspiring aura that seemed to ripple through space. The power of the phantom dragon surged once more, now comparable to a true Dao Transformation cultivator!
The Dragonbone Mystic Art truly lived up to its reputation.
If it could absorb other elements in the future, perhaps it could evolve into an ultimate monstrosity. But for now, dealing with this Kui Dragon would be easy.
“Tear it apart,” Lin Qi’an commanded calmly.
The phantom dragon spread its wings and instantly closed the distance between itself and Kui Zong. With a single swipe, the massive force tore one of Kui Zong’s wings clean off. What followed was a grisly scene not suited for the faint of heart—a living Dao Transformation expert was ripped apart piece by piece!
Dark blood rained down in large drops, the thick scent of iron and decay filling the dragon cave. Lin Qi’an stood in the midst of the bloodstorm, yet his white robes remained pristine, untouched by the carnage.
…
Inside the Lotus Realm, Yu Yi, though not present physically, sensed the events through her spiritual perception. The Crown Prince, having just entered the Celestial Realm, had torn apart a Dao Transformation expert by hand…
If this news spread, storytellers across the land would turn it into the stuff of legends, passed down as terrifying tales. If she hadn’t witnessed it herself, Yu Yi would never have believed it.
Lin Qi’an hadn’t even exerted his full strength, yet he had already effortlessly killed a cultivator far above his realm. If he unleashed his full power, what heights could he reach?
Moreover, the poison that should have incapacitated him had no effect at all. Though Yu Yi had watched Lin Qi’an grow up, she realized that lately, even she couldn’t quite fathom his full potential anymore.
Lost in thought, Yu Yi’s focus returned when Lin Qi’an re-entered the Lotus Realm. At that moment, she was still using her spiritual energy to suppress the poison in Lu Miaoyin’s body.
“It’s done. Let me handle the rest,” Lin Qi’an said as he gently lifted Lu Miaoyin’s soft body, his expression cold and unreadable. “And as for the Jiao Dragon Clan—they can be wiped out.”
Outside, the poisonous fog from earlier had already dissipated during the battle. Now, with Yu Yi free to act, the Jiao Dragon Clan was in for an unpleasant surprise.