At that moment, a blinding golden light surged through the hall, shaking the stone structure. Everyone was thrown back. A Kunlun iron sword shot out, protecting Hua Hong and Mu Jiu, while Chong Zhao held Bai Shuo tightly, sheltering her from the falling rubble. Stones struck Chong Zhao’s back, and he grunted in pain, but he didn’t budge an inch.
When the golden light finally faded, the hall stopped shaking. They looked up, stunned.
A colossal black dragon rose from the blood pool, exuding an unmatched dragon aura that filled the hall, pressing everyone to the ground. This was the true power of a dragon god. A chill ran through each of them.
Outside the city, the dragon’s roar filled the sky, and dark energy burst forth from the dragon’s shadow, breaking through the barrier and reducing everything it touched to ash. The celestial beings’ eyes filled with terror as Jin Yao transformed into his true Bai Ze form, roaring and using his half-divine power to hold back the rampaging dragon soul.
In the stone hall, the dragon’s ferocious gaze fixed upon the bloodied young man kneeling at the hall’s center. With a resounding roar, the dragon raised a claw to strike down Fan Yue.
“Mumu!” Bai Shuo pushed away from Chong Zhao, running toward Fan Yue without hesitation.
“A-Shuo!” Chong Zhao’s face turned pale.
“You crazy girl! That’s a dragon god!” Mu Jiu shouted, but Bai Shuo paid him no mind. She tossed out her dimensional pouch, and dozens of paper talismans flew out, flaring up as they charged the dragon’s claw like moths to a flame. A flicker of celestial light appeared in her hand, and two tortoiseshell plates clashed against the dark energy surrounding Fan Yue.
In a burst of chaotic explosions, Bai Shuo didn’t stop, lunging toward the kneeling youth on the ground.
Chong Zhao tried to grab her, but she slipped from his grasp. As he watched her sacrifice all her enchanted items to reach Fan Yue, his Dao heart, unshaken since he’d begun cultivating, fractured ever so slightly.
In the vortex of dark energy, Fan Yue’s consciousness was fading. With great effort, he lifted his head, seeing a familiar face rushing toward him.
“Master, are you looking for someone you love?”
“No, Master is searching for a benefactor.”
“Then I’ll come with you.”
“Come with me for what?”
“To find him together.”
The tortoiseshell finally broke through the dark energy surrounding Fan Yue. Bai Shuo forced herself through the narrow gap and reached out.
And held him.
The thin body collapsed into her arms, and Bai Shuo’s eyes stung with tears. She feared death, but at that moment, she was even more afraid of Mumu dying in front of her.
The paper talismans continued exploding in the air, disintegrating like ashes under the dragon’s claw. Just as Bai Shuo embraced Fan Yue, the dragon’s claw came crashing down over their heads. Fan Yue summoned every last bit of strength to shield Bai Shuo, bearing the force of the claw with his own body.
Bai Shuo closed her eyes, trembling with terror. Was this really the end?
The dragon’s claw struck, but instead of the expected crushing pain, there was only a flash of light. Dazed, Bai Shuo looked up and met her disciple’s gaze. His bloodied eyes held an emotion she couldn’t quite decipher.
“Hey, you two! A little help here!” came a strained voice from nearby. Bai Shuo turned to see Hua Hong, Chong Zhao, Beichen, and Mu Jiu standing before them, holding up the dragon’s claw above their heads with all their might.
“True friends indeed,” thought Bai Shuo, eyes brimming with grateful tears as the thrill of survival wiped out any lingering tremor in her heart.
But their relief was short-lived. Enraged by the blocked attack, the black dragon in the blood pool let out a thunderous roar and rose to strike again. Though it had no mind, it could still feel fury, and to it, the people in the hall were no more than ants daring to make it exert its full power.
As the dragon’s claws bore down on them, a blast of demon light erupted from Chong Zhao, causing the dragon to hesitate. No one but Chong Zhao saw the burst of demon light take the form of a blood-red, spectral flower.
High above the city, as the blood mist flower exploded, Fu Ling’s expression changed drastically, and she sank to one knee. Jianyu cast a calm, indifferent glance at her, his face emotionless.
Back in the hall, the dragon hovered just above them. Taking advantage of its momentary pause, Mu Jiu turned to Bai Shuo and shouted, “Darn girl! The evil dragon wants a god! Where’s this ‘god’ supposed to be, huh?!”
Bai Shuo looked at her young disciple, hearing Mu Jiu’s angry roar echo in her ears. As the dragon’s claws descended again, she no longer hesitated. Drawing a blade, she slashed her palm and pressed her bleeding hand to the boy’s forehead.
The boy’s eyes widened in shock, and he struggled to pull away. “Master… no… please…”
“Hao Yue Hall Master! Wake up!” Bai Shuo’s voice trembled, and she held tightly to the boy, unable to meet his eyes.
In the instant her blood made contact with his spirit platform, the black dragon paused in mid-air, as if sensing that special bloodline’s aura. A faint divine light flickered in its eyes, momentarily piercing through the veil of dark energy. It was…
At that moment, the blood infused the boy’s spirit platform, and a dazzling red light erupted like flames, filling the stone hall. From the heart of the flames, a figure emerged. The silver chain on the ground trembled joyfully and flew into his hand.
In mid-air, the figure swung the chain at the black dragon. A radiant burst of divine light struck the dragon, making it howl in agony as its body shattered, sending streams of black energy erupting from its form and releasing the spirits of countless Yiren, who flew up through the stone hall’s domed ceiling.
Amid the divine light, the figure—clad in crimson—slowly knelt and looked down at Bai Shuo, a faint smile touching his lips.
“So, it turns out you’ve known how to awaken me all along.”
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