“Man, why does everything these days move so fast, I wonder? Like only a while ago I reset my cultivation, and now my power has already reached an all-time high,” Ling Xuan mused aloud as he sat on a rock he had fashioned with his own Qi. His eyes were fixed on the three Transmogrified Sect Masters struggling to stand before him. Each of the three was in a dire state, missing various parts of their bodies—one was without a limb, another had a gaping wound where a chunk of flesh had been torn away, and the third was barely holding on, half of his skull exposed.
“What do you guys think, eh?” Ling Xuan asked casually, his tone mocking. His question was met with silence. The Sect Master with half his skull exposed grimaced, his eyes burning with defiance. Gathering his remaining strength, he summoned a bow made entirely of Qi, drawing back an arrow that glowed with power.
God Piercer!
BOOM!
The air trembled, shockwaves rippling through the domain as the arrow shot towards Ling Xuan. Ling Xuan prepared to dodge, muscles coiling, when suddenly—
GRAAAAAAAAAOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMMM!
A deafening roar split the air, the entire domain quaking as cracks spiderwebbed across its surface. The shockwave of the roar was so powerful that the speeding arrow disintegrated mid-flight, shattering into shards of light that dissipated like embers in a breeze. The ground beneath them rumbled, and then, as quickly as it had begun, the roar faded, leaving a stunned silence in its wake.
Ling Xuan raised an eyebrow at the spectacle, then a slow grin spread across his face as understanding dawned on him.
“Looks like Father out there is having quite a battle,” he remarked, turning his gaze back to the three Sect Masters. Their faces were pale, their eyes wide with disbelief at the force that had just shaken their world.
“Well, if he is going all out, I guess I have to as well,” Ling Xuan sighed dramatically as he rose from his makeshift seat. He stretched his arms, feeling the power coursing through him. The pathways within his body—the Ox and Serpent Pathways, now complete, along with the Tiger Pathway still under construction—channelled Qi through his body with perfect efficiency, allowing not a drop of energy to be wasted.
“Let’s continue, shall we!” Ling Xuan declared. He vanished from his spot, a blur of motion as he launched himself toward the Sect Masters.
—------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Three old men stood in a silent, tense standoff, faint frowns etched on their faces. Li Zhongu, his eyes sharp as a hawk's, faced off against his two adversaries: the Emerald Throne Sect Master and the Master of Merchants. The atmosphere was thick with anticipation, each of them waiting for the other to make the first move. For a moment, it seemed as if the standoff would stretch on indefinitely, with neither side willing to break the silence.
But then, Li Zhongu's eyes flashed with sudden resolve. Without warning, he launched himself toward the two men like a bolt of lightning, his form blurring from the sheer speed of his movement.
“Hmph!” The Emerald Throne Sect Master snorted, his instincts honed from countless battles kicking in. He darted to the side, evading Li Zhongu's direct path and moving toward a corner of the battlefield. As he moved, his hand flicked out, releasing a sharp object—a concealed blade that gleamed in the air before flying toward Li Zhongu.
CLANG!
Li Zhongu barely spared it a glance, swatting the blade aside with a swift backhand. His eyes remained locked on the Emerald Throne Sect Master as he continued his advance. Sensing the threat closing in, the Master of Merchants acted. With a swift motion, he produced a tool that resembled a spear, its shaft gleaming with intricate carvings, and hurled it directly at Li Zhongu.
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BOOM!
The spear collided with a force that sent a shockwave rippling outward, muffling the explosive sound. Li Zhongu's form was momentarily obscured by dust and smoke. When the air cleared, his Draconic Form had emerged, scales gleaming with an otherworldly lustre. With one clawed hand, he had caught the spear mid-flight, the weapon trembling in his grasp.
“Got you!” came the triumphant cry from the Emerald Throne Sect Master, who had used the spear as a distraction. He appeared behind Li Zhongu in a blur, his hands poised to strike a fatal blow.
“But have you?” Li Zhongu’s voice rumbled like distant thunder.
With a sudden, fluid motion, wings sprouted from Li Zhongu's back. From those wings, several clawed hands extended, each moving with deadly precision. Before the Emerald Throne Sect Master could react, the hands shot out, wrapping around his wrists and neck, immobilising him in a vice-like grip.
Once again, the three combatants froze, their eyes locked in a silent battle of wills. Each of them was simulating the next series of moves, anticipating counters and counter-counters, their minds running at lightning speed. In this moment of tense stillness, the only sound was the faint rustle of their robes in the wind.
Li Zhongu’s eyes suddenly gleamed with cunning as he made his move. With a powerful twist of his body, he hurled the Emerald Throne Sect Master away, sending him crashing into a distant rock. The momentum of his throw propelled Li Zhongu forward like a coiled spring, launching him directly at the Master of Merchants, who had been standing just slightly out of reach. The Master of Merchants barely had time to register the attack.
BANG!
A sharp, resounding crack split the air as Li Zhongu's fist connected with the Master of Merchants' chest. The impact was so fierce that it sent the Master of Merchants flying backward, his body crumpling like a rag doll. He crashed into the ground, unconscious before he even hit the dirt, his limbs splayed awkwardly.
Li Zhongu straightened, dusting his hands off as if he had merely swatted a fly. His eyes now fixed on the Emerald Throne Sect Master, who was struggling to his feet, shaking off the impact of his earlier throw.
“Alright,” Li Zhongu called out, his voice a commanding bark that echoed across the battlefield. “Let’s skip the formalities. Transform. I’m waiting.”
And as if on cue, the bodies of the two began to transmogrify, muscles bulging and skin shifting. Li Zhongu stood still, his eyes narrowing with curiosity as he observed their transformations. He remained silent, only speaking when the metamorphosis was complete.
“Eh, I expected a bit more from your transformations,” Li Zhongu remarked, his tone casual, almost bored. “Judging by the look of it, I’d say it’s quite underwhelming, to be honest.”
“Who are you trying to fool? We know of your provocations!” The Emerald Throne Sect Master roared back, his voice echoing with a resonant power. A third eye, glowing with an emerald hue, opened on his forehead, radiating a sinister light.
Hills and Lakes Mythical Beast - Herald of Nirvana!
“We know all your tricks!” The Master of Merchants growled, rising to his feet despite having been previously knocked unconscious. His body had changed into that of a heavily armoured knight, gleaming with an ethereal light as Qi surged through the intricate designs of his armour.
Valleys and Rivers Mythical Beast - The Treasure Knight!
“Well, if you know all my tricks, you would’ve guessed what’s happening to you,” Li Zhongu said with a smirk. But before he could finish his sentence, a sudden, chilling sensation washed over him. He felt his energy draining, something intangible being sapped away from his core. His draconic form began to waver, shimmering and fading, until he was left in his human form, his wings retracting and his scales dissolving into nothingness.
“What the…” Li Zhongu muttered under his breath, glancing at his hands in surprise. Despite his calm facade, a flicker of shock crossed his features.
The Emerald Throne Sect Master and the Master of Merchants stared in disbelief, their own transformations still holding strong. For a brief moment, silence fell over the battlefield, the only sound being the rustle of the wind through the devastated landscape.
“Well, this wasn’t unexpected, to say the least,” Li Zhongu sighed, shaking his head as he took a step forward, regaining his composure. He looked at the two, who were still frozen in shock. “What are you staring at? Come on, let’s get on with this!”
His shout snapped them back to reality. Both the Emerald Throne Sect Master and the Master of Merchants roared in unison, their voices echoing through the barren landscape as they charged towards Li Zhongu, Qi blazing around them like wildfire.
Li Zhongu’s lips curled into a smirk. His mind raced with thoughts, contemplating the source of his sudden transformation. “Wait till I finish this and find out which of those three dared to take more of the Dragon Blood for themselves!” he thought, his eyes narrowing.