Kai appeared behind the Zhen Lei Shenjiao, his hand blazing with fiery qi. He aimed a Flame Palm Strike directly at the beast's head, hoping to catch it off guard.
But the flood dragon was far from helpless. With surprising agility for its size, it suddenly leaped backward in a burst of lightning and its massive form sailed through the air, easily avoiding Kai's attack.
"Impressive speed, human," the dragon rumbled. "But my Thunderstrike Leap isn't so easily countered."
Kai blinked, momentarily disoriented. His Qi Detection skill was muddled by the residual qi in the air, making it hard to pinpoint the dragon's exact location.
No problem. I've got other tools.
He glanced at the map function floating in the bottom right of his vision and immediately spotted the beast's position. The flood dragon had landed some distance behind him, coiling its serpentine body for another strike.
Without wasting a moment, the Zhen Lei Shenjiao lunged forward, its jaws opening wide. "Taste my Divine Thunder Fang!" it roared.
Kai's eyes widened slightly, but he remained calm. He activated Lightning Step, his body briefly turning into pure electricity as he zipped to the side. The flood dragon's fangs snapped shut on empty air, sending out a shockwave of thunder that Kai felt in his bones.
That was close. Can't let it get that near again.
As he moved, Kai reached into his inventory, pulling out a set of throwing knives, he infused the blades with his qi, hoping to add an extra punch to his attacks. The knives glowed faintly with blue qi as he hurled them at the beast in quick succession.
The Zhen Lei Shenjiao didn't even try to dodge. The knives struck its scales and bounced off harmlessly, clattering to the ground.
Kai's eyes narrowed. Its durability is off the charts. I need to find a weak spot.
He studied the beast carefully, looking for any chinks in its armor. The scales seemed to overlap perfectly, leaving no obvious vulnerabilities. But as the flood dragon moved, Kai noticed something. There were small gaps where the scales met at the joints, particularly around the neck and shoulders.
That might be my best shot. But how to exploit it?
For a moment, Kai considered using his Qi Condensation skill to create multiple lightning rods around the battlefield. In theory, these constructs could attract and divert the Zhen Lei Shenjiao's lightning attacks, reducing its offensive power.
But he quickly dismissed the idea. My qi constructs won't last more than a dozen seconds, not to mention, the beast would easily destroy them. Even with Sky's Favor regenerating my qi, it'd be a waste of energy.
The flood dragon reared up and Kai recognized the signs of a major attack forming. The beast opened its mouth, and a deafening roar filled the air. The sound was more than just noise - it was infused with qi, capable of paralyzing enemies and disrupting their energy.
"Behold, the Heaven-Quaking Thunderclap!"
Kai didn't hesitate. He activated his Thunder Voice skill, his own roar rising to meet the flood dragon's. At the same time, he unleashed Heart of Thunder, sending out a shockwave of his own.
The two thunderous attacks collided in midair. The ground shook, and the air seemed to vibrate. For a moment, it looked like the Zhen Lei Shenjiao's attack might overwhelm Kai's defenses. But slowly, the wave of sound and qi began to dissipate.
When the air cleared, both Kai and the flood dragon stood their ground, seemingly at a stalemate.
A series of notifications popped up in Kai's vision:
Thunder Voice has leveled up! (Level 2)
You have gained 100 XP!
Heart of Thunder has leveled up! (Level 2)
You have gained 100 XP!
Nice, Kai thought, allowing himself a small smile. Every little bit helps.
The Zhen Lei Shenjiao regarded Kai with what almost looked like respect. "Impressive, human," it rumbled. "You've managed to counter my Heaven-Quaking Thunderclap. But can you withstand the full fury of a storm?"
The beast's body began to glow, electricity arcing between its scales. The air grew heavy with the scent of ozone.
This is going to be big, Kai thought, bracing himself.
The flood dragon reared back its head and roared, "Witness the Storm Dragon's Wrath!"
Above them, the clouds began to swirl, forming a massive vortex. Lightning crackled within the dark mass, growing more intense by the second. Suddenly, a bolt of electricity shot down from the sky, taking the shape of a colossal dragon.
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Kai's eyes widened. He had no time to dodge, the dragon was too big, he quickly formed a barrier of qi around himself, pouring as much energy as he could into the defense.
The lightning dragon crashed down, engulfing Kai in a sea of electricity. His barrier held for a moment, then shattered under the immense power of the attack. Kai felt the lightning course through his body, every nerve screaming in pain.
When the attack finally subsided, Kai stumbled, his clothes smoking and his hair standing on end. But he was still standing. His Lightning Resistance buff had protected him from the worst of the damage, though he could feel that he'd taken a significant hit.
Shit, Kai thought, his calm demeanor finally cracking a bit. I thought I could defeat it. I thought with my higher-level skills, I'd be able to fight a beast half a stage above mine. All those protagonists in those stories were able to do it, but I can't even make it bleed.
The Zhen Lei Shenjiao looked surprised to see Kai still on his feet. "You're resilient, I'll give you that," it said. "But you must see now that you can't win. Why not surrender? I promise to make your end quick. All you’re doing right now is wasting precious qi that I could use to breakthrough!"
Kai's eyes narrowed. He knew he might have to retreat soon, but he had enough left for one more attempt before running became necessary.
"Thanks for the offer," Kai replied. "But I think I'll pass."
Using his Qi Condensation skill, Kai formed a bow out of pure energy. Next, he created an arrow, infusing it with the energy of his Flame Palm Strike.
This is tricky, Kai thought, concentrating hard. Fire isn't my element. But if I can make this work...
He nocked the flaming arrow, aiming carefully at one of the weak spots he'd identified earlier - a small gap in the scales near the flood dragon's shoulder.
The Zhen Lei Shenjiao's eyes widened as it recognized the threat. "You leave me no choice, but to use more qi" it growled. "Storm-Warding Thundercloud!"
Instantly, a thick, roiling cloud formed around the beast's body. Lightning crackled within the mist, creating a constantly shifting defense that obscured the flood dragon's exact position.
Kai loosed his arrow, but the thundercloud absorbed and dispersed the attack before it could reach its target. He quickly fired several more, but each met the same fate.
Damn it, I can't get a clear shot through that cloud.
He glanced at his map, keeping track of the beast's location within the thundercloud. Suddenly, he felt a change in the air. A massive build-up of energy, not in front of him or behind him but above him. He looked up, his eyes widening as he saw what was coming.
A colossal hammer made of pure lightning was forming in the sky, far above the battlefield. The Zhen Lei Shenjiao's voice boomed from within the thundercloud, "Prepare yourself for the Divine Sky Hammer!"
Oh shit, Kai thought, his calm finally breaking. He tried to form another qi barrier while simultaneously retreating, but he knew it wouldn't be enough. The hammer was simply too big, too powerful.
The Divine Sky Hammer descended with terrifying speed. Kai poured every ounce of his remaining qi into his defenses, but it was like trying to stop an avalanche with a paper fan.
The hammer struck, and the world exploded into light and sound. Kai felt himself being driven into the ground, his body breaking under the immense force. Pain overwhelmed his senses, and then... darkness.
When the dust settled, all that remained was a crater in the rocky ground. At its center lay Kai's broken body, limbs bent at unnatural angles, his Legacy Disciple robes torn and scorched.
The Zhen Lei Shenjiao slithered to the edge of the crater, looking down at its fallen opponent. "You fought well for a human," it said, almost softly. "But in the end, this was inevitable. Your essence will serve me well in my breakthrough. If only you didn’t waste so much of that delicious qi…"
The flood dragon's serpentine body coiled around Kai's lifeless form, it opened its jaws wide and in one swift motion, it engulfed the corpse. There was a sickening crunch as bones were crushed between those powerful jaws.
After finishing its meal, the flood dragon made a strange face and muttered, "Strange... I sense something unfinished about you, human." It shook its massive head as if trying to clear an odd sensation. Then, its eyes narrowed to slits, glowing with intense focus as it growled, "But no matter, my breakthrough awaits!"