Chapter 51: Great Wilderness Dragon Script (Chi), the Rash Ao Run

The flood-dragon roared, its dragon horns flashing with a sudden, blinding brilliance. A surge of azure light blasted apart the flood-dragon’s head, and breaking free, the fierce creature went wild. It snapped open its jaws, revealing fangs several feet long, and savagely clamped down on Ao Run’s neck. Those monstrous fangs sank deep into her flesh, unleashing a torrent of biting frost that instantly froze the flood-dragon’s neck and head solid.

"Damn it!"

Su Yu was startled. Without a moment’s hesitation, he drove his twin swords to wheel about and plunge straight at the azure flood-dragon’s head.

"Flare!"

The Yanshi Sword rapidly turned blindingly white, flashing across the blue dragon’s eyes.

The azure flood-dragon’s sapphire-like pupils instantly flared with a droplet of crimson, which quickly spread across the surface.

"Roar!"

A violent, chilling tide of the noon-yin surged outward in an explosion, blasting Ao Run away as well.

Su Yu immediately sent her a mental message:

"Get back here!"

Yet, instead of retreating, she charged forward all over again, hurtling right back into the fray.

"Damn it!"

Having no other choice, Su Yu could only drive his twin swords to launch a ferocious onslaught.

In less than five minutes, Ao Run’s health pool had plummeted to under one million five hundred thousand, but the azure flood-dragon’s health had also been shaved down by nearly two million through their coordinated assault.

"Good thing there are so many people, or this would genuinely be unbeatable."

Of course, it was also fortunate that Ao Run was desperately holding the flood-dragon down; otherwise, if the creature had freed its hands, a single breath would have decimated a vast area. Its 50,000-damage AOE could wipe out a whole crowd in a single second.

Two minutes later, Ao Run’s health was left with just over one million, while the flood-dragon had lost another million, leaving it with barely over a million HP remaining.

"We can win this!"

Su Yu caught a glimpse of dawn's light on the horizon, for the flood-dragon’s valiant and ferocious display had attracted even more players to the scene. By now, over a thousand people had gathered to besiege the beast, among whom were several high-level magnates over level one hundred. Sword rainbows exceeding a hundred meters in length slashed downward, carving massive, gaping wounds into the flood-dragon's body.

Under normal circumstances, a few breaths of the noon-yin tide would have instantly killed the majority of them.

Yet right now, Ao Run was fighting to the death to entangle the creature, preventing it from freeing its limbs. Unable to run, it could only passively endure the crushing onslaught.

Two minutes later, the tightly bound azure flood-dragon met its end, overwhelmed by the siege of a thousand players.

By this time, Ao Run was also at her last gasp, covered entirely in gruesome wounds. Flesh was missing here and there, her dragon claws were snapped, and even her jaw was horribly warped.

Still, they had won.

The moment the azure flood-dragon died, Su Yu instantly gained 1.72 million slaughter experience points and 112 points of Daoist cultivation. At the same time, the corpse’s brilliance converged, transforming into eight streaks of light that shot off in all directions. Su Yu was allotted two spoils of war.

One was 124 scales of the azure flood-dragon, which could be used to forge magic treasures and were worth a dozen or so gold pieces.

The other was a rune condensed from azure light, which felt icy cold when cradled in the palm.

Upon checking its attributes, Su Yu nearly cried out in surprise.

Great Desolate Dragon Seal (Azure): A dragon-type rune imbued with mysterious power. It can grant additional power to dragon bloodlines and bestow extra strength upon equipment and magic treasures.

At that moment, a wretched, massive dragon head—so battered he could barely recognize it—propped itself right in front of him, looking at the rune in his hand with intense yearning.

Su Yu couldn't help but reach out to stroke her miserable-looking form, asking with a twinge of heartache:

"Is this what you want?"

She nodded repeatedly.

Su Yu pressed his hand against Ao Run’s brow, and the Great Desolate Dragon Seal dissolved into an azure stream of light that sank into her body.

The next second, an infinite array of microscopic runes materialized into a bursting wave of blue light, enveloping her within a shimmering barrier.

Her form rapidly shrank down to the thickness of an arm, and she plunged straight into the spirit cage at his waist.

Su Yu sank his consciousness into the spirit cage space, where Ao Run’s figure was no longer visible; there was only a contracting cocoon of light.

"Is she evolving?"

Withdrawing his consciousness, Su Yu felt quite expectant.

However, the evolution would not finish in a short while. Collecting his thoughts, he cast his gaze toward the distant battle.

His twin swords pierced through the river water, sweeping up and executing wave after wave of hostile aquatic troops.

Without Ao Run to protect him, Su Yu didn't dare run around recklessly anymore, choosing instead to linger in the rear and farm ordinary mobs.

Time gradually drifted by. Under the joint suppression of tens of thousands of players, the millions of aquatic troops slowly dwindled in number. Many enemy generals had fallen in battle, while the survivors gathered the remaining elite aquatic troops to form battle formations, currently glaring at each other across the lines.

"Rumble!"

A rolling peal of thunder echoed from afar, followed closely by surges of violent undertows sweeping across the riverbed.

Magic treasures caught in the undertow instantly suffered a drop of two to three thousand points in defense.

Numerous players began to retreat in succession. Su Yu caught up to one of them and asked:

"Brother, why is everyone leaving?"

The man cast a strange look at him and said:

"Those two bosses are starting to fight. You waiting around to die?"

"Oh!"

He followed the crowd as they surged out of the water. The first sight that greeted him was a sky full of blazing divine thunder and lightning spheres over the surface of the river. Upon closer inspection, the guilds supporting the original water god and those supporting the immortal-decreed water god had also plunged into a chaotic melee. Divine thunder flew across the heavens in all directions, and the sounds of explosions rose one after another.

Every so often, a warship would have its defensive barrier blasted apart under concentrated fire, whereupon swarms of guild players would charge forward to slaughter the players fleeing from the vessel.

This kind of chaotic skirmish was hardly something solo players like them could participate in. Everyone watched from afar, not daring to approach.

Right in the center of Cangshui River, the two aquatic generals whose levels exceeded two hundred had already engaged in combat.

One was a black carp spirit, and the other was a giant alligator. Both had revealed their true forms, stretching over a thousand meters in length with health pools numbering in the tens of millions. Lock in mortal combat within the river, they continuously whipped up towering waves over a hundred meters high.

The attack power of such terrifying entities was estimated to be in the hundreds of thousands; anything below level one hundred would die instantly upon contact, with zero chance of survival.

As for the river god, he had yet to make an appearance, likely hiding somewhere unseen.

Yet no one wished to see the river god anyway. Although the river god was also over level two hundred, his strength far surpassed these two generals by an unknown margin. Coupled with the divine throne's augmentation, his combat prowess within his home turf of Cangshui River would certainly not be inferior to an ordinary immortal.

Next came the show. It was a rare sight to witness such a massive battle, and Su Yu lost all desire to farm mobs, finding a good spot to squat down and watch the spectacle.

Of course, not everyone obediently squatted to watch the show; several powerful players were currently hiding not far from the central battlefield.

The two major bosses over level two hundred were fighting. If someone managed to snatch the final blow, the rewards would undoubtedly be insanely thrilling.

Su Yu was tempted as well, but when he glanced at the dozen or so figures daring to head over—all of whom were high-level experts above level one hundred, with not a single one below it—he knew that such cheap gains were not something he could lay claim to.

As time ticked by, the battle grew increasingly fierce. Warship after warship was sunk in the ferocious clash, and countless guild players died in action.

These guilds had definitely accepted the river god's guild quests, and the rewards must have been extraordinarily lavish to drive them to fight so desperately.

Yet no one paid attention to the guilds; nearly everyone’s gaze was locked onto the super whirlpool, over ten kilometers in diameter, right in the middle of Cangshui River. The battle between the two aquatic generals had also reached a fever pitch.

"Boom!"

A bursting pillar of water shot thousands of meters into the air.

"Crash!"

The shockwave generated by the collision of two thousand-meter-long great demons pushed hundred-meter-high waves surging in all directions.

Wave after wave of giant rollers rushed outward, even impacting the guild forces a dozen kilometers away, where smaller warships were frequently overturned by the swells.

Unconsciously, half an hour passed. Su Yu’s eyes began to strain from watching. The two thousand-meter-long great demons were still tearing into each other, as full of vitality as ever. Their health pools remained consistently above ninety percent, regenerating at a blistering speed.

He muttered speechlessly to himself:

"Just how long is this fight going to last?"

A man beside him heard this and chuckled, saying:

"Hard to say. Sometimes they fight for over a dozen hours, and sometimes it cuts off after just a few."

Su Yu asked curiously:

"Does it end in a draw?"

"It's hard to separate them. Level two hundred great demons have way too much health, and their recovery is too formidable. Unless they're swarmed, it's very hard to determine a victor in a one-on-one."

Hearing this, Su Yu cast an astonished look at the dozen or so high-level experts over level one hundred in the distance, asking quizzically:

"Then why did they go over there?"

"Waiting for an opportunity, of course. Sometimes the river god calls for a troop retreat after just a few hours, but there are also times when they fight for over a dozen hours. When both sides are battered and exhausted at that point—that’s their chance."

"If they can fight for over a dozen hours, it means the two river gods are also trading blows. There'll be a window of opportunity then. As long as one of them is brought down in a siege before the river god can free his hands, a decisive victory is achieved, and huge profits can be reaped."

"Hmm—"

Just as Su Yu prepared to ask more, a muffled chime suddenly rang in his ears, followed by a sigh from behind him:

"Nothing left to see. The river god has ordered a retreat."

He turned back and saw that the two thousand-meter-long great demons in the middle of the river had already broken apart.

The two allied guild factions locked in fierce combat across the river surface also lowered their banners and drumbeats, their interlaced warships separating one by one.

"Is it over just like that?"

Still, it was only natural. Under the circumstance where the two river gods matched each other in strength, they could only rely on their subordinate aquatic troops.

If the aquatic troops were also evenly matched, they could naturally only slowly wear each other down.

However, with players as an uncertain variable, the two river gods certainly couldn't fight to the bitter end; that would easily allow a third party to reap the benefits of the fisher.

With the battle concluded, there was nothing left to watch. The spectator players gradually dispersed, and Su Yu left as well, flying along the upper reaches of Cangshui River.

The day was still young, and he still had time to continue leveling up.

Along the way, he first made a trip to the riverside town, visiting the River God Temple to turn in his quest and receive 1,260 points of River God reputation.

He glanced at the redeemable items. At most, he could only exchange for a tier-three flying sword magic treasure, though if he wanted equipment or materials, he could reach tier four.

Reflecting that he would be leaving this place in a month and likely never returning, keeping the reputation was useless. Thus, he picked out and redeemed a piece of tier-four equipment.

Azure Fish Stone Pendant (Tier Four): Necklace, a pendant crafted from the spirit stone of an azure fish spirit.

Attributes: Mana upper limit +200, Mana regeneration +2.

Equipping the pendant, Su Yu took to the air and flew toward the distance.

He flew four to five thousand kilometers upstream before halting and plunging straight into the water. Having lost the River God's buff, the names of the aquatic spirits and monsters in the river had shifted from neutral yellow to hostile red.

Taking a light breath, Su Yu summoned his Yanshi and Qingque swords to plunge into the depths, embarking on his leveling grind.

He farmed in one breath until evening, only leaving to return to his quarters when the sky had turned pitch black.

From then on, he left early and returned late every single day, immersing himself in Cangshui River to grind levels while honing his swordsmanship.

Finally, on the eighth day, at a certain moment, his sword Qi was at last refined and compressed to the ultimate degree. The width of the sword Qi was compressed to under an inch for the very first time, and then his system interface flashed as he comprehended the second realm of swordsmanship: Condensing Sword Qi into Silk.

Condensing Sword Qi into Silk: Compresses and condenses sword Qi into strands like silk, drastically enhancing sword Qi strength and sharpness.

Initial Mastery: Sword Qi strength +20%, Armor Piercing +1.

"Very nice!"

This armor-piercing effect could stack perfectly with the armor-piercing properties inherent to flying swords.

The Yanshi Sword carried armor piercing +3, and combined with Condensing Sword Qi into Silk (+1), it resulted in armor piercing +4, which was equivalent to ignoring 40% of the target's armor.

With the armor piercing +1 here and the 50% bonus from Sword Qi Thunder Tone, the two stacked together, causing his output to elevate by a massive margin compared to the previous assessment.

"Next, I just need to accumulate enough slaughter experience to elevate the Sword Scripture to the seventieth tier, and this grand assessment will be securely in the bag."

Closing his interface, Su Yu soared into the air, bursting out of the water and flying toward the direction of Chiqiao Sword Peak.

Xiao Qingli had mentioned before that whenever he comprehended Condensing Sword Qi into Silk, he could go find her.

Returning to the manor, he immediately sent a message to Xiao Qingli:

"Senior, I have already comprehended Condensing Sword Qi into Silk!"

Yet, after waiting for a moment, there was no reply.

He thought for a moment and then contacted Chu Xinyue, but received no response there either.

Su Yu scratched his head and contacted Chu Xiaoyu. After quite a while longer, she finally replied:

"You came at such a coincidence. My mistress is undergoing her heavenly tribulation; whatever the matter is, talk about it the day after tomorrow."

"The guild leader is undergoing a tribulation?"

Closing the communication interface, Su Yu wore a look of utter astonishment.

Chu Xinyue was actually undergoing a heavenly tribulation.

"Given her strength, armed with supreme treasures and guarded by close friends, she should be able to get through it!"

He rubbed his chin, deeply hoping that she would successfully survive the tribulation.

Throughout the journey, her help to him had truly been substantial. If she could successfully survive the heavenly tribulation and advance her strength further, her status would undoubtedly rise as well, giving him a much more powerful backing within the sect so he wouldn't be easily bullied.

Remaining in the manor for less than a quarter of an hour, Su Yu couldn't sit still any longer. He turned around and headed out, preparing to continue leveling.

However, he stopped when he passed through Chiqiao City. He remembered Chu Xiaoyu suggesting previously that he could go try out the Sword Testing Stage in the city when he had free time, pitting himself against other swordsmen to hone his swordsmanship.

"It's just afternoon anyway; I wouldn't be able to farm for long."

Entering Chiqiao City, he headed straight for the Sword Testing Stage located in the eastern district.

The so-called Sword Testing Stage was a public arena where anyone willing to pay the 10-silver registration fee could step up to issue challenges.

One could either challenge others or act as the arena master to face swordsmen coming from all directions.

If one could successfully defend the stage in a consecutive streak, defeating 36 opponents in a row, they would earn the title of Sword Testing Stage Master, granting them a 5% discount on all consumption within the city for a full year.

However, practically no one had any interest in discounts; the vast majority of swordsmanship experts defending the stage for the title primarily did so to show off.

The massive white jade Sword Testing Stage floated suspended in mid-air, eight thick iron chains hooked to its eight corners while their opposite ends plunged deep into the ground, locking it firmly in place.

Su Yu flew up to the Sword Testing Stage, seeing that the white jade platform was covered by an inverted bowl-like light barrier. Inside were four arenas, with people sparring in swordsmanship within every single one of them.

Simultaneously, a light screen popped up before his eyes, displaying several lines of text—precisely the rules of the Sword Testing Stage.

Su Yu glanced over them, quickly committing the rules to memory.

His gaze swept across the four arenas, soon landing on the third arena.

Inside, two men were sparring with swords, each manipulating a green and an azure sword light that entangled in mid-air. Though they were ordinary tier-one flying swords, in their hands, they moved with exceptional agility.

The green and azure sword lights crossed back and forth, continually colliding, pressing against each other with the faint sound of wind and thunder.

Striking, thrusting, pointing, toppling, parrying, lifting, wrapping, twisting...

Neither of them pulled out flashy sword techniques; every single sword movement was the application of basic sword stances, a sight that made Su Yu’s eyes shine brightly.

"These are real experts!"

He was much the same way; when farming mobs nowadays, he had long stopped using fancy sword techniques. Whether it was the sword moves attached to the original Cold Light Sword Canon or the Thirteen Paths of Demon-Slaying Sword Art, he rarely used them, relying instead purely on the application of basic sword forms.