BANG!
Space itself trembled as Ling Feng's staff collided with the clenched fist of the Old Beggar. The impact was like a cannon shot, sending shockwaves rippling through the air and distorting the landscape around them. The ground beneath their feet cracked, fissures spreading out like a spider's web. Ling Feng barely had time to brace himself before a golden-hued flame shot towards him from the side, its heat so intense it seemed to warp the air, leaving a sizzling trail in its wake. Ling Feng’s eyes flicked towards the incoming attack, and he twisted his body, narrowly avoiding the searing flames with a graceful backward step.
“You look quite well, Pill King,” Ling Feng taunted, a smirk playing at his lips as he spun his staff in his hand, the weapon humming with latent energy.
“Shut up, you barbaric fool,” the Pill King spat back, his voice dripping with venom. The Pill King was not the frail, scholarly figure that one might expect from a master alchemist. Instead, his body was a testament to his unique cultivation, his muscles perfectly defined, glistening with sweat in the light of the golden flames that danced ominously in his palm. His eyes burned with an intense, almost fanatical light as he glared at Ling Feng.
Ling Feng’s smirk widened, his eyes narrowing with a dangerous glint. “I guess he really did you a favour, eh?” he mocked, his voice carrying a cutting undertone that pierced through the Pill King’s composure.
The Old Beggar’s and the Pill King's faces contorted in rage, their expressions twisting into masks of fury. Veins bulge visibly on their foreheads, pulsing with barely restrained anger. It was clear that Ling Feng’s words had struck a nerve, dredging up hidden insecurities and doubts they didn’t want to acknowledge.
“What’s the matter?” Ling Feng continued, his tone dripping with sarcasm. “You don’t appreciate the gifts your mighty lord has bestowed upon you? This is what you wanted, isn’t it? Power? Strength? Or is it the cost that bothers you?”
Blood trickled from the corners of their mouths as both men bit down hard, their frustration boiling over. The Old Beggar’s eyes blazed with fury, his body vibrating with barely contained Qi.
“You!” the Old Beggar snarled, his voice a ragged whisper of rage. His body tensed like a coiled spring, and in the next instant, he shot forward with blinding speed, his fist cocked back, ready to strike. He moved like a blur, his robes billowing around him as he closed the distance between himself and Ling Feng.
Ling Feng met the Old Beggar’s charge head-on, his staff a blur of motion in his hands.
Abyss Shattering Fist!
The very air seemed to crackle and groan as the Old Beggar’s fist tore through it, a dark streak aiming straight for Ling Feng’s face. Ling Feng watched the fist come, and just as it was about to connect, he twisted his body, narrowly dodging the strike. His movements were fluid, almost like water, as he pivoted and brought his staff down in a powerful arc, slamming it into the Old Beggar’s abdomen.
THUD!
The Old Beggar’s eyes widened, and his breath left him in a gasp as the force of the blow reverberated through his body. He staggered back, clutching his stomach, but his eyes burned with undying resolve.
“Is that all you've got?!” Ling Feng taunted, charging towards the Pill King, who stood a short distance away. The Pill King, seeing Ling Feng approach, wrapped his arms in a golden flame.
Ling Feng’s staff came down like a hammer, but the Pill King caught it with his flaming hands. For a moment, they struggled, the Pill King’s muscles straining against the weight of the staff. But then, his eyes widened in shock.
“What is this?” he exclaimed, struggling to hold the staff as its weight increased exponentially. The golden flames around his hands began to flicker and die down, unable to withstand the pressure.
“This, O Mighty Alchemist, is a staff that was given to me by the Emperor,” Ling Feng grinned, leaning in as he pressed the advantage. “You want to know what it’s made of? Bones of The Dragon of Celestial Might!”
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At the mention of the name, the Pill King’s eyes widened in surprise, but they quickly hardened into a look of resolve. “Very well, if you’re using that, I shall use the power given to me by my Lord as well!” he declared, and the flames around his arms began to change colour, shifting from gold to a deep, ominous purple.
Ling Feng raised an eyebrow, a grin spreading across his face. “Now this is how you do it!” he shouted, and with a surge of Qi, his form began to change. Scales sprouted along his arms and neck, and his eyes glowed with a reptilian light. His body expanded, muscles rippling as he transformed into his Draconic Form.
Valleys and Rivers Mythical Beast Transmogrification – Master of the Amethyst Mansion!
The Pill King’s flames fully enveloped him, casting a violet hue over the battlefield. Meanwhile, the Old Beggar had undergone his own transformation, his body growing larger, more muscular, his skin turning a dull green.
Valleys and Rivers Mythical Beast Transmogrification – The Mighty Ogre of Numerous Caves!
“Let’s get on with this!” Ling Feng roared, his voice booming, now deeper and more resonant due to his transformation. His massive wings unfurled, stretching out behind him like a dark shroud, and with a powerful beat, he propelled himself forward. The force of his leap was like a thunderclap, his foot colliding with the Pill King’s chest in an explosive impact. The Pill King was sent hurtling backward, his body skidding across the ground, plowing through rubble and debris as he struggled to regain his balance.
Ling Feng didn't pause to admire his work. He spun around, his eyes locking onto his other opponent, the Old Beggar, who was clawing his way toward him with feral intensity. Ling Feng gripped his staff tighter, channelling his Qi into the weapon as he swung it down with lethal precision.
“Nope!” Ling Feng shouted, his voice cutting through the chaos. His staff descended in a blur, but just as it was about to connect, a spear made of amethyst and blazing with violet flames shot through the air and struck him square in the chest.
BOOM!
The force of the impact was immense, sending Ling Feng crashing back to the ground, his body skidding across the shattered terrain, leaving a trail of dust and debris in his wake. He groaned, his vision swimming as he struggled to shake off the force of the blow. His chest ached where the spear had struck, the pain radiating through his ribs.
“You dare to ignore me!” a voice thundered. Ling Feng looked up to see the Master of the Amethyst Mansion approaching, his steps echoing like the tolling of a great bell. The Master's body was encased in a gleaming suit of amethyst armour, each plate glowing with an inner light, and golden flames danced along its surface, casting an eerie glow in the dust-filled air. In his hand, he held a spear forged from pure flame and amethyst, its tip glowing hot with lethal energy.
Ling Feng staggered to his feet, brushing off the dirt. “Ahhh. That was something,” he muttered under his breath, shaking his head to clear the dizziness.
“Hmph!” The Master of the Amethyst Mansion snorted, unimpressed by Ling Feng’s resilience. With a surge of power, he launched himself forward, the spear in his hand thrusting toward Ling Feng with the force of a battering ram.
BANG!
Ling Feng met the attack head-on, his staff colliding with the amethyst spear. Space around them rippled from the clash of their immense powers, sending shockwaves through the battlefield. Dust and debris were swept up in a violent whirlwind as the two warriors struggled for dominance, their weapons locked together.
RAWWWWWWWRRRRRRRRR!
A guttural roar erupted behind Ling Feng. He barely had time to turn his head before the Old Beggar charged, his massive fists raised to strike. Ling Feng's eyes widened, and he gritted his teeth, swiftly backing away to dodge the oncoming attack. His movements were fluid, his wings beating to lift him from harm’s way. But in his effort to evade the Old Beggar, he left himself vulnerable for just a split second.
“Die!” The Master of the Amethyst Mansion bellowed, seizing the opportunity. He and the Old Beggar struck simultaneously, their combined might crashing down on Ling Feng. The force of their dual attack was like a tidal wave, overwhelming and unstoppable.
Ling Feng brought his staff up in a desperate attempt to block, but the sheer power of their strike sent him reeling. He was hurled backward, his body tumbling through the air before slamming into the ground with a bone-rattling thud. The impact carved a trench through the rubble, and a cloud of dust erupted around him.
The Old Beggar grinned as he watched Ling Feng struggle to stand, his expression a twisted mockery of sympathy. In contrast, the Master of the Amethyst Mansion frowned, his brow furrowing with suspicion. He stepped forward, his amethyst-armored form towering over the battered Ling Feng.
“You should not be so... weak,” the Master of the Amethyst Mansion sneered, his voice tinged with disdain. A sudden realization struck him, and his eyes widened. “Could it be?”