Chapter 108: The Great Battle

My master was completely unruffled. The moment the golden dragons lunged, he had already vanished from where he stood. By the time he reappeared, those golden dragons had been scattered into nothing but wisps of mist. My master’s movements were fluid and devoid of the slightest hesitation. Seeing this, Ao Long charged directly toward him. My master turned his gaze upon the beast and met him head-on. The two began to trade blows in a display of physical combat. Ghost Mountain and Zuo Long, who were watching from the sidelines, intended to intervene, but I had already prepared for their advance. The Yin-Yang fish darted toward Ghost Mountain’s group, while I stood before Zuo Long, brandishing my Heavenly Chant Breaker.

This dragon was massive and had yet to take on human form. My master had once said that monsters incapable of shifting into human form possessed little strength; at least to me, dealing with him should be more than enough.

I wasn't worried about the Yin-Yang fish. At this point, I had fully surrendered control to them; every motion I made was guided by their will. Standing before Zuo Long, I felt no fear despite his gargantuan size. With the Heavenly Chant Breaker strapped to my back, I spoke: "This is the first time I've ever seen a dragon. Honestly, you aren't as impressive as I imagined. I always thought dragons were benevolent creatures—what a pity!"

Zuo Long’s massive form drifted in the air, his golden eyes filled with murderous intent as he retorted, "Human brat, I suggest you stop blocking my path, or I shall show you the true meaning of a dragon's wrath!"

"Wrath? Ha! Anyone can spout empty threats. Come on then, show me this wrath of yours. In the past, your dragon race bowed to us; how dare you bite the hand of your master now?"

The word "wrath" amused me. Some might say that a person without heaven-defying skills daring to provoke a true dragon is simply courting death, but I knew my own limits—I was confident enough to hold Zuo Long at bay.

Zuo Long exhaled heavily, his whiskers twitching as he swam through the air toward me. I gripped the Heavenly Chant Breaker and sent a bolt of silver lightning straight at him. Zuo Long chuckled coldly at the sight, sneering, "Lightning? Do you think I fear that?"

Boom! No sooner had he spoken than the silver bolt struck him, leaving a charred mark across his hide. Zuo Long halted, staring at me in shock. I didn't say a word, merely offering a cold smile. Once I had landed the hit, I charged, pushing off the ground and launching myself into the air. Spinning the spear above my head, I thrust it downward with one hand. Zuo Long dodged to the side, and I struck nothing but air. Before my feet touched the ground, I glanced at him, unleashed a Dao seal from my palm, and with another deafening blast, the golden power of the seal smashed into the top of his head.

Zuo Long shrieked and recoiled. I gave him no respite; I pivoted, manifested the seal again, and vanished from sight. Zuo Long looked around in a panic, whispering, "Folding space into inches!"

Before the words had left his lips, I appeared above him. I swung the Heavenly Chant Breaker, and with a crackle of silver lightning, it struck his head once more. Just as I prepared to vanish again, his tail whipped around and struck me, sending me flying through the air until I crashed into the ground with a thud.

I coughed up blood, stood up, wiped my mouth, and glanced at the back of my hand, cursing, "Damn, I let my guard down."

Zuo Long was in agony, having been struck by my techniques in the exact same spot repeatedly. A gruesome crater had been beaten into his skull, and dragon blood flowed incessantly. Distracted, he saw me fall and assumed I wouldn't recover so quickly. To his surprise, I launched myself at him again. I hurled the Heavenly Chant Breaker straight at his right eye. Startled by the sudden projectile, he instinctively raised a dragon claw to block the cold, gleaming tip. I arrived at his side an instant later. Having recalled the Yin-Yang fish, I used them as a platform to leap into the air, summoned the spear back to my hand, and shouted, "Zuo Long, you have lost!"

With that, I drove the spear straight into his left eye. A heaven-shaking howl erupted. I landed on the ground, twisted the shaft, and rotated the blade 360 degrees within his eye socket. His wails grew even more piercing as he thrashed about indiscriminately. A gale-force wind kicked up, blowing dust into the air and obscuring my vision. I leaped backward to safety. Summoning the spear once more, it cut through the murky, dust-filled void with a cold glint and landed firmly in my grasp. I frowned, and as the dust settled, I saw Zuo Long collapse to the ground with a heavy thud. His abdomen continued to rise and fall; clearly, he had been severely wounded and had lost consciousness.

Ao Long, who was locked in combat with my master, saw Zuo Long fall and knit his brows. He unleashed a blast of dragon qi toward my master. My master swung his Azure Lotus Sword, cleaving the qi in two, and both retreated. Ao Long flew to his son’s side, saw the hollow void where his eye had been, and let out a savage roar. He turned his gaze toward me, and my master stepped to my side. I gripped my spear, and my master turned slightly, asking, "Are you alright, kid?"

I shook my head and said I was fine. My master nodded. Ao Long stood up, an astonishing aura of dragon qi radiating from him, whipping his robes about. He growled, "To dare harm my son—you all deserve to die!"

With that, a wind even more violent than the last surged forward. I shielded my face, leaning back against the force. My master stood firm, a lotus flower blooming beneath his feet to anchor him. I drove the shaft of my spear into the ground to keep from being blown away. I forced my eyes open to look at Ao Long. He had descended into a state of absolute fury; a terrifying dragon shadow loomed in the darkened sky. The pressure of his aura grew heavier, and I felt my breathing grow shallow, as if the dragon qi were suffocating me. Fortunately, the Yin-Yang fish and the Dao seals were ancient relics; they seemed to handle the pressure with ease, and under their protection, my breathing gradually steadied. My master looked at me and said, "Kid, he’s serious now. Be careful. I’ll go first; you provide support."

I nodded, but I had my own plans. I glanced at Ghost Mountain’s group; the three of them were sprawled on the ground, staring at Ao Long in terror, completely devoid of fighting spirit. I had nothing to fear from them. My master tightened his grip on his sword, and lotus petals manifested around him, transforming into flying blades. He prepared to strike, but I was faster. My master paused, watching me charge forward, and shouted, "You brat! I told you to provide support, why are you rushing in? Do you have a death wish?"

Before he could finish, he joined the fray. I had already reached Ao Long, swinging my spear in a horizontal arc. Ao Long blocked the attack with one hand and blasted me back with a surge of dragon qi. I spun in mid-air and landed steadily, but I didn't stop for a second. The Dao seal flew from my palm and hovered above my head. I flicked my fingers, and the golden seals bombarded Ao Long one after another. He seemed to recognize the aura of the ancient seal and no longer looked down on me, raising a barrier of golden dragon qi. Even under the continuous bombardment of my seals, the barrier showed no signs of cracking. Ao Long flicked his sleeves, causing the golden qi to expand and shatter my seals into fragments. I stood in the rear, frowning—this was the first time I had ever seen my seals shattered so easily.

Seeing this, my master stopped holding back. A giant golden eye manifested in the sky. He swung his sword at Ao Long, sending a fierce blade of qi sweeping out. Ao Long raised a hand to block it. My master raised his other hand, and the golden eye snapped open, unleashing a beam of light more terrifying than any dragon qi, bathing Ao Long in its glow.

Only then did Ao Long feel threatened. As he turned his attention to the eye, I refused to be outdone, summoning the Dao seals around me once more. Ao Long turned his gaze back to me, his brow furrowed. He stomped on the ground, and a surge of golden dragon qi manifested into a massive golden dragon that hovered behind him, eyeing my master and me with predatory intent.