Chapter 6, The Great Battle Against the Black Flood Dragon
The black dragon leaped up, its claws aimed directly at Yuer's face. Yuer had no time to retract her hammer; she raised her shield high with her left hand. Under the impetus of her true essence, the shield continuously expanded until it became slightly larger than the black dragon itself, at which point it came to a halt. With a downward strike, the black dragon was smashed to the ground like a garlic bulb.
Hong Lian squinted her eyes; this time she did not attempt to catch the black flood dragon's head, as its claws were thrashing about, and trying to grab its head would result in being injured by its claws. She sidestepped the black flood dragon's charge while a portion of the spiritual energy vortex within her body was directed to her palm blade, striking directly at the black flood dragon's neck with a palm blade. The black flood dragon was knocked down to the ground, its body completely sinking into the earth.
The demon pill was momentarily halted by the red lotus, and as the red lotus formed a circular shield, it launched a second attack.
Although demon cultivators also possess demon cores, they must first condense a demon core before they can begin their cultivation. Only after the spiritual energy enters and is refined within the demon core can true essence emerge. The larger the demon core, the stronger its ability to transform into true essence, and the greater the power of the attacks it can unleash. Therefore, the higher the cultivation level of the demon animal, the larger its demon core will be.
It is rare to encounter treasures that enhance spiritual awareness, and I did not expect to see two of them here. Treasures that amplify spiritual awareness are relatively obscure, and typically, the practitioners who most require such treasures are those focused on healing or, like Li Yi, specialize in spells and formations.
The magical artifacts of Nangong Hong and Xuanyuan Yuer can be used here, with the hammer and the Golden Left Fist continuously striking out light and shadow, knocking down the approaching black flood dragon.
The completely trapped black serpent took a while to emerge from the ground, violently spraying black water at the red lotus, which had completely enraged it
"I will strike with all my might in a moment; you all take the opportunity to escape. After the strike, I will no longer be able to care for you, so take care of yourselves." Hong Lian gritted her teeth and made her decision
The jade talisman unleashed a barrage of attacks against the demon core, yet the power of the demon core's combined technique was not significantly diminished. The attacks from the jade talisman were intercepted by the lightning on the surface of the demon core, failing to inflict any real damage.
The wealthy treat jade tokens as if they were mere trash, discarding them carelessly
The black dragons paused for a moment due to the tornado, watching as the flying sword emerged from the mist but only lingered within it, not daring to pursue further. Perhaps there are regulations that restrict the black dragons from leaving the mist
As the crowd gathered in the demon elixir formation, the temperature rose rapidly with the approach of the demon elixirs, and the paralyzing effect of the lightning became increasingly evident. Nangong Hong, dressed in a suit of exquisite gold, was the first to bear the brunt; the lightning coursed through the suit and struck her, causing her hair to stand on end as if it were about to smoke.
Yuer moved swiftly, dodging the incoming black water while simultaneously approaching the black dragon hammer, which was brought down upon the head of the black dragon. The black dragon lay on the ground, narrowly evading a fatal strike.
Four individuals restrained four black serpents, while another one charged directly at Hong Lian. As Hong Lian spread her feet, a gust of wind arose beneath her. Utilizing the Tai Chi technique, she grasped the head of the black serpent and with a flick of her energy, sent the serpent flying back. The black serpent halted its body and charged again, this time at a speed more than twice as fast as before, its claws dancing as it aimed to strike Hong Lian with a single blow.
The black dragon controlled the demon Dan fire, resembling a large black fireball, with the lightning crackling above the Dan fire. Under the control of the black dragon, the demon Dan rapidly charged towards the red lotus. The red lotus, watching the ever-expanding demon Dan, felt somewhat at a loss.
The two individuals found it difficult to contend against the numerous black serpents, as a large group of black serpents pursued them, intent on capturing the five on the flying sword. Hong Lian endured the excruciating pain in her chest, as the vortex of spiritual energy had nearly collapsed from her previous full-force strike, and now it was challenging for her to gather the spiritual energy and set it spinning again.
The silver light formed by the spiritual energy collided with the barrier wall of the demon core, causing the surrounding barrier walls to continuously retreat and then shatter
The black Dan fire is not to be touched; the heat of the Dan fire is beyond what ordinary treasures can withstand, let alone the flesh and blood of a living being. The lightning above can directly char a person.
The shockwave spread outward, and the back of the black dragon, which was engaged in battle with Xuanyuan Yuer, endured the impact. The black dragon spewed forth black water mixed with flesh and blood, suffering internal injuries. Xuanyuan Yuer was shielded by the black dragon in front of her, thus she was not affected; she was merely pinned to the ground by the black dragon. After a moment, she managed to bounce off the black dragon's body and escape.
I saw these five black serpents teasing a female black serpent, and feeling displeased at their even more lewd behavior than mine, I went over and punched each of them twice. At that moment, I didn't think much and just wanted to hit them, but unexpectedly, all five came at me.
With the excellent defense provided by Li Yifa's seal, Ximen Yue need not worry about being harmed by the black flood dragon. She exerted herself to wield the flying sword, and for a moment, the sword energy filled the sky with shadows of swords
"Hurry up!" Hong Lian shouted.
The demon pill is black, the body of the pill is black, and the pill fire burns, accompanied by strands of purple lightning. Cultivating demons is somewhat different from cultivating immortals; only when an immortal cultivator breaks through to the Golden Core stage will they condense the Golden Core in their dantian. All of their true essence will gather on the Golden Core for refinement, becoming purer and purer until the Golden Core shatters and transforms into the Nascent Soul
The golden fine gold helmet is engraved with defensive runes and consciousness amplification runes. The defense is unquestionable, and it can also enhance the consciousness to defend against consciousness attacks
Hong Lian continuously executed the Tai Chi footwork to evade the Black Water, appearing behind the Black Flood Dragon. When the Black Water splashed onto the ground, it created a black hole that surprisingly possessed corrosive properties
The body of the black dragon is indeed strong and robust; after being struck, it surprisingly bounced back energetically and continued to charge towards Yu'er. Yu'er, having experienced the quickness of the garlic smashing technique, set aside the hammer and instead used the shield to fend off the black dragon. No matter from which direction the black dragon attacked, it was always met with a shield, only to be struck back. With the Xuanwu Xuan Tie armor set, Yu'er maintained the upper hand.
The rotation speed of the spiritual energy vortex suddenly accelerated and continuously shrank, with Hong Lian putting in her utmost effort, leaving nothing in reserve. The spiritual energy vortex shrank to the size of a longan, and the highly concentrated spiritual energy was even more powerful than the golden core of the black flood dragon
The shield began to slowly deform upon contact with the demon core, and it seemed that the demon core was about to penetrate the shield. Hong Lian's Tai Chi hand suddenly changed, and the deformed shield perfectly enveloped the demon core. A massive stone adhered to the surface of the demon core, forming a large sphere, while Hong Lian's Tai Chi hand rotated the sphere, preventing the demon core from breaking through for the time being
You forced that black serpent to self-destruct its demon core? It seems you are not simple; I underestimated you, you little brat.
The crowd immediately shot out in all directions, attempting to break free from the encirclement of the four demon orbs. Just as they were about to escape, the four demon orbs resonated with one another, and four lightning barrier walls connected the orbs, completely surrounding the five members of the Red Lotus. Escape was no longer possible. The crowd quickly retreated and regrouped.
It is a combined skill of innate abilities, and it requires the cooperation of demon cores. Its power is twice that of a typical innate skill. With the overlapping effects of four demon cores, even a Golden Core stage cultivator would find it difficult to escape unscathed. Hong Lian's expression was as unpleasant as if she had eaten a dead fly.
The flying sword carried everyone back to the Eastern Emperor City, while Hong Lian, having exhausted the last trace of her spiritual energy to create a vortex, caused the spiritual energy vortex to collapse and was unable to condense another one, resulting in her cultivation level dropping to the mid-stage.
"With your little tricks, you think you can play games with me? I will make you regret it." Nangong Hong disdainfully struck a pose.
Previously, Honglian shot down one, so its power has been significantly weakened
"Enough with the nonsense, Li Yi cannot fight anymore. Both Wang Yu and I are injured, we need to think of a way to deal with this." Ximen Yue looked at the four black flood dragons not far away.
Li Yi and the others were not so fortunate. The shockwave struck the three-headed black flood dragon, and the shockwave, along with the three-headed black flood dragon, crashed into the defensive seal cast by Li Yi. The seal shattered, and the residual force of the shockwave hit the three of them. Nangong Hong was fine, as she had armor for protection. Ximen Yue managed to block a bit with her flying sword but sustained some minor injuries. Li Yi had no defense at all and was violently spewing blood as if it were worthless, losing all ability to continue fighting
Although the power has not diminished, the momentum has been obstructed and has not begun with the same urgency. The jade talismans continue to be hurled outward, and the black dragons, seeing the demon cores being hindered, are desperately urging the demon cores. The area within the demon core wall is becoming increasingly smaller, and without a countermeasure, they are on the verge of losing their lives.
Damn, you have caused our downfall. How could I have misjudged this? I brought in a useless person, what are we going to do now? Not only can you not help, but you also become a burden. Find a place to hide for yourself, we can no longer take care of you.
Hong Lian looked at the demon core in front of her, which was only the size of an egg, and a serious expression appeared on her face. Although the demon core was only the size of an egg, the energy contained within it was extremely terrifying. Just the pressure alone could overwhelm some cultivators with lower levels of cultivation, highlighting its fearsome nature
"The black flood dragon's self-detonation of the demon elixir, I did not expect it to affect you all." Hong Lian wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth
Xuanyuan Yuer has been engaged in a fierce battle with a black dragon. After being struck by the hammer several times, the black dragon seems to have become fearful and no longer confronts Yuer head-on, instead opting to swim around and evade. The hammer, glowing with a blue light, relies solely on brute strength without any semblance of technique.
Jade talismans are treasures used by practitioners who have learned spells, inscribing various attacks, incantations, and formations onto jade tablets for life-saving purposes in emergencies. They are divided into three main types: attack, defense, and communication. The jade talisman given by King Yu of the Hot Fire to Hong Lian is of the communication type
I do not possess any magical treasures, and even if I did, I would not be able to use them. I truly lack true essence and cannot utilize magical treasures. Hong Lian decided to take revenge on them for deceiving her
Just then, the opportunity arose, and Nangong Hong swiftly moved outside the法印, delivering a punch to the head of the black flood dragon. Perhaps the black flood dragon found him too lewd, as the nearby black flood dragon swung its tail, aiming to strike the lewd man.
Apart from the flying sword material of Ximen Yue, which is made of warm jade, all other magical treasures made of metal have become ineffective
"Wang Yu, what are you doing? Why is there such a commotion?" A few people gathered together, and Nangong Hong was panting.
This is your presumption; I have never claimed to be a cultivator with true essence. I am naturally a waste physique and cannot cultivate. I have also stated that I do not possess true essence, but you simply do not believe it.
Nangong Hong let out a sinister smile, as the golden right foot emitted a fierce yellow light. With one kick, it struck the sweeping tail of the black flood dragon, leaving a burn mark in the shape of a foot. This golden right foot surprisingly also had a burning effect. The black flood dragon writhed in pain on the ground.
"If you all come together, you will definitely fight all five of them. Isn't that just stating the obvious? Stop rambling; since you are here, there must be a winner and a loser." Ximen Yue nearly stumbled.
The black dragon wanted to turn around and bite its own tail, but under the influence of the high-speed centrifugal force, it attempted several times without success
Even with the presence of a spiritual energy defense shield, the Dan fire and lightning still penetrated through
Immediately taking action, the palm controlled the spiritual energy, which adhered to a stone with a diameter of half a meter. Under the attraction of the spiritual energy, the stone began to rotate with the movement of the palm. After repeating this process a dozen times, several large stones were manipulated by the Tai Chi technique, and the stones were laid flat on one side to form a circular shield half a meter thick.
It seems that to subdue this demon pill, one must use a magical treasure, but I do not possess any true essence magical treasures and cannot use them at all. Perhaps a stone could work against a stone, thought Hong Lian anxiously.
I call you more lewd than I am
Xuanyuan Yuer's shield and hammer are already in hand, and she also possesses a defensive treasure resembling a turtle shell, which looks exceedingly cumbersome. However, Honglian will not be deceived by appearances, as he has witnessed her agility and ferocity. The three-piece set of treasures in dark blue reminds Honglian of the Xuanwu Xuan Tie set he once saw in books, which seems to resemble this.
The crimson lotus moved swiftly, approaching the black flood dragon's body with a large sphere containing the demon core. Seeing that the demon core was under control, the black flood dragon attempted to evade but found it impossible to escape. Struck by the rapidly spinning sphere, it felt dizzy and crashed against the stone wall, unable to rise for a moment
The black serpent writhed in agony and fury, opening its mouth to spew a torrent of black water towards Yu'er
The condensed spiritual energy vortex exploded within the body, and a wave of silver light energy surged outward from the center of the red lotus. Honglian referred to this as dominance, where the spiritual energy rapidly rotated and was compressed before bursting forth.
Five dark shadows flashed quickly, and five black dragons landed on the central ground, precisely surrounded by the crowd
A flash of blue light suddenly shot out, propelling the dragon's tail away, and the hammer quickly followed, striking down on the dragon's tail, which was smashed into a meat pie
Hong Lian had no choice but to once again activate the vortex of spiritual energy, rapidly waving both hands to create a small tornado directed at the pursuing black flood dragon. With the backlash of the wind force, the flying sword's speed doubled, breaking through the mist in one swift motion
Xuan Yuan Yu'er and Nangong Hong put away their magical treasures and seemingly pulled out a jade talisman from nowhere, as if the jade talismans were free, and began to throw them towards the demon core.
Ximen Yue still only has one flying sword, which is hovering above his head and can launch an attack at any moment
"Here she comes, here she comes, everyone get ready." With a flash of golden light at the entrance, Nangong Hong has returned. Her entire body radiates with golden light, adorned in a complete set of yellow fine gold armor. The current Nangong Hong exudes no hint of lewdness, shining brilliantly like a divine being.
The rapidly spinning red lotus appeared from the outside like a tornado. After reaching a certain speed, the black flood dragon was flung out by a tremendous force, crashing against the mountain wall and creating a several-meter-deep hole. The red lotus gradually came to a stop, watching as the black flood dragon struggled to rise, repeatedly falling down, dazed and disoriented.
Hong Lian turned to look at the four black dragons, and to her astonishment, all four black dragons simultaneously expelled demon orbs. Four demon orbs appeared at once, and an astonishing pressure surged towards them. The demon orbs did not immediately launch an attack; instead, they surrounded Hong Lian and the others from the four cardinal directions of east, south, west, and north.
The hammer struck the ground, causing the entire surface to tremble. A pit measuring ten meters in diameter and one meter deep was created beneath the hammer, demonstrating its power
"Break!" Honglian shouted fiercely
Suddenly, Honglian felt the power of the demon core within the stone sphere surge dramatically, with an ominous wave of uncontrollable destructive energy spreading around. Feeling uneasy, it contemplated self-detonating the demon core, maximizing the vortex of spiritual energy from the stone sphere. With a powerful kick, the demon core stone sphere was driven into the stone wall for several dozen meters. Boom, Honglian temporarily lost its hearing as the shockwave, accompanied by the fire of the core, struck Honglian. Although the spiritual energy shield was activated, Honglian was still propelled a hundred meters away, blood gushing from its mouth.
As the demon core drew closer, Hong Lian momentarily found herself at a loss for a countermeasure. Clenching her fist, she unleashed a powerful strike, simultaneously activating the vortex of spiritual energy within her. A protective barrier of spiritual energy emerged, and her fist, shielded by this energy, struck the black demon core with the force of the sun, yet the demon core remained utterly unmoved
There are various types of jade talismans that can be discarded, with attack talismans being the most abundant and defense talismans relatively fewer. Attack talismans are triggered when encountering demon cores. Well, there are all kinds of attack types, including metal, wood, water, fire, earth, and poison, and the endless array of jade talismans left Red Lotus in a state of astonishment.
It was very hot and very numbing. Hong Lian quickly retracted her fist and retreated rapidly to maintain a certain distance. At the moment of collision, the pressure emanating from the demon pill caused Hong Lian's movements to slow down significantly.
Each time the hammer clashed with the black dragon's claws, the black dragon would always feel pain and quickly retreat. The black dragon dodged the hammer and swept its tail horizontally. Yu'er, unfazed by the situation, raised her left hand to block with her shield. The dragon's tail struck the shield, which remained unmoved like a mountain.
"No way, you really don't have any true essence? I thought you were concealing it with your techniques," Li Yi exclaimed in astonishment
"No way, that’s so impressive, could it be that he took Viagra? He knocked down the black flood dragon with just his bare hands. There’s no sign of true essence being activated, yet the power is so great with just a flash of spiritual energy. If he were using a magical artifact, it would be unimaginable. He claims he has no true essence, oh, so he really has no true essence, but don’t try to fool us like that. Just looking at his relaxed demeanor makes me want to hit him." The four of them took a moment to catch their breath.
"Why aren't you ready? Hurry up and summon your magical artifact." The four of them looked at Hong Lian, who remained motionless, and couldn't help but feel puzzled.
As the massive stone shield was just formed, the demon dan collided with it. Hong Lian was struck by the impact, unable to stabilize her body, and quickly attempted to retreat. While retreating, she continuously deflected the force to the side, preventing the shield from being shattered.
Nangong Hong, despite being in battle, did not change his lewd nature. Relying on the defense of Li Yi's法印, he suddenly darted out when the black flood dragon was not paying attention and swung his golden left fist, specifically aiming for the head of the black flood dragon
Li Yi, however, possessed no magical artifacts; he merely wore an additional necklace around his neck, a Xuanming jade bead that enhanced his spiritual awareness by fifty percent. This necklace had once sparked a fierce competition within the cultivation world, and it was unexpected that it ended up in his hands
Li Yi's barrier has also been set up, a hexagram flickering in and out of visibility
Xuanyuan Yuer did not waste any words; the hammer in her hand glowed with a brilliant blue light as she leaped towards the nearest black flood dragon to strike.
Li Yi and the four others closely followed behind, emerging from the concave mountain wall, and leaped onto Ximen Yue's flying sword, charging upward. The black dragon in Heijiao Valley noticed that all five individuals had mobilized to pursue the flying sword, moving even faster than the sword itself
"Now is the time, avoid the demon pill and hurry up." Saying this, Hong Lian had already taken the lead and rushed towards the exit of the concave mountain wall
The surface of the black flood dragon is covered with scales, and the damage from the flying sword is minimal; the sword energy cannot penetrate the body of the black flood dragon at all. Only physical damage can affect the black flood dragon. Although the black flood dragon is wounded all over by the flying sword, these are merely superficial injuries that do not harm its bones or tendons, only serving to enrage the black flood dragon
"How come there are five? Isn't it just one? How did you attract the monsters, you creepy guy?" Ximen Yue's eyes nearly popped out.
The four demon cores moved simultaneously, attempting to converge towards the center, aiming to crush Hong Lian and his companions within the formation
At the highest level of Heijiao Valley, the red lotus quartet remained on high alert, as Nangong Hong had been gone for quite some time now, and it was about time for her to return.
The yellow fine gold armor, although it possesses only one defensive magic seal, is the most material-intensive and the most difficult type of armor to refine. At the feet are the golden right boots, which lack a defensive magic seal but feature a strength enhancement magic seal and a speed enhancement magic seal. The golden sword in the right hand is not visible; otherwise, it would complete the entire set.
It turns out that these five black serpents are five brothers. If only one is used, it cannot utilize its innate skill; it requires the simultaneous summoning of two or more black serpents to unleash this innate skill combination technique. Of course, if all five black serpents perform the combination technique at the same time, the power will be at its maximum
It seems that these four individuals are all cultivators with backgrounds, perhaps descendants of some family or elites from a sect. Sets of magical treasures are quite rare, and those they possess are so renowned. Who are these people? I must have been deceived; how could such individuals not have the money to register and accept tasks?
Xuan Yuan Yu Er engaged in battle with the black flood dragon, while the other three fought against another three black flood dragons simultaneously. Li Yi continuously cast spells, with each incantation forming seals in front of the three, resisting the onslaught of the three black flood dragons. Xi Men Yue, positioned behind the seals cast by Li Yi, commanded the flying swords to launch a fierce assault against the black flood dragons.
With both hands grasping the tail of the black dragon, the spiritual energy entwined around the hands, and the spiritual energy on the feet increasing until it transformed into a blinding white light, the Tai Chi footwork was executed rapidly. The feet adhered to the ground, and the body began to spin faster and faster, with the black dragon being pulled around by its tail.
After a while of steadying itself, the black flood dragon, which was lying on the ground, suddenly had its belly swell. Following this, it opened its mouth wide and expelled a foul wind, after which a demon core the size of a chicken egg appeared before the black flood dragon.