The battle was locked in a stalemate. The Demon Dragon Cult Leader’s colossal form darted about like a fighter jet gone rogue, soaring high and plunging low, covering a thousand li in a blink, slicing arcs of bizarre, dazzling light across the sky that were impossible to follow.
On the ground, Starfield, Xing Zhan, and I dared not slacken for a moment. Our lightning fireballs chased the Cult Leader’s wake like surface-to-air missiles, hurtling at astonishing speeds.
However, the Cult Leader’s speed was simply too great; the launched fireballs always fell short by the narrowest margin, easily evaded by him.
Yet, after failing to land a decisive blow, the Demon Dragon Cult Leader grew frantic! He roared repeatedly! Becoming exceptionally volatile.
Swish, swish! The two lightning fireballs released by Xing Zhan were once again dodged by the Cult Leader with a sudden, sharp change in direction!
His massive body flashed past our heads with an agility and nimbleness unimaginable to ordinary men, like lightning. But instead of continuing his flight path into the distance, after passing directly overhead—he flapped those colossal wings once more!
Thump! Boom! A powerful wave of air crashed down. The Demon Dragon Cult Leader had instantly altered his trajectory again, shooting straight upward like a rocket blasting off, ascending vertically into the heavens. In the blink of an eye, he vanished into the thick cloud cover!
“Such speed!” This bizarre maneuver left everyone utterly dumbfounded.
“Is he running away?” Starfield asked nervously.
“If he were this easy to dispatch, he wouldn’t be the Demon Dragon Cult Leader,” I said, my voice low. “It seems he’s found a countermeasure. The vertical direction directly above us is the hardest position for us to defend or launch an attack.” Knowing that my signature technique, the Nine Heavens Star River Sword Art, relies fundamentally on aerial warfare against the ground, I understood exactly what vector offered an advantage in such a scenario.
The high, vertical position above was the most advantageous angle for an attack, a fact the Demon Dragon Cult Leader, a grandmaster of aerial combat, could not possibly overlook! I continued, “The previous attacks were merely probing; they were designed to test our reactions and speed. Now that he has adapted to our rhythm, it’s time for his counterattack. Be ready to defend.”
“Yes.” Starfield and Xing Zhan acknowledged in unison, gazing tensely at the expanse above.
Swish, swish! Amidst the blinding sunlight overhead, a hazy ball of light and electricity rapidly grew larger before our eyes! What followed was a dragon’s roar that shook the very heavens! The intense sonic wave made our eardrums throb and our qihai churn, nearly forcing us to vomit blood.
“Watch out, he’s coming!” Feng Qingtian shouted loudly.
The indistinct point of light instantly ballooned to an immense size, blindingly bright, crashing toward the ground like a falling sun, carrying an aura of terror capable of obliterating everything!
Only then did I clearly see that the Demon Dragon Cult Leader’s enormous body was enveloped by a radiant shell of light, shimmering like an eggshell!
“Is that protective Dou Qi?” Starfield gasped in surprise.
“He’s trying to break through by force,” Xing Zhan said tensely.
“Stop him!” I roared. The Cult Leader’s intent was unmistakable: relying on powerful protective Dou Qi to bolster his defense, he intended to smash through our interception and the defenses of the Demon Luo Sacred Shield! If he managed to breach our formation, the consequences would be catastrophic!
But neither Starfield nor Xing Zhan would let him succeed so easily!
“Jade Linked, Pearl Matched!” (Zhu Lian Bi He!)
Almost simultaneously, Starfield and Xing Zhan dropped their stances, lunged forward, and slashed their Blood Drink blades toward the sky.
Thump! Swish! Two massive lightning fireballs shot into the air almost indistinguishably close together! This time, to maximize their ultimate magical power, our attacks were aimed at the exact same point. Almost as soon as they launched, the two fireballs collided, immediately erupting into an all-encompassing halo of light! It was as if a shield of flame had suddenly been erected in mid-air!
This move was precisely the combined skill taught to Starfield and Xing Zhan by Mo Hui and Matcha—a fusion of Dou Qi known as Zhu Lian Bi He.
One must remember that Mo Hui and Matcha had trained together since childhood, their long-term coordination having brought them to a state of telepathic understanding, enabling them to execute such a pinnacle maneuver. However, when it came to unity of mind, the twin siblings Starfield and Xing Zhan were in no way inferior to Mo Hui and Matcha, allowing them to effortlessly unleash this mutated, enhanced version of Zhu Lian Bi He! It carried the undeniable potential to surpass the masters!
But this time, instead of Dou Qi, powerful lightning magical energy fields were at play. This lightning magical energy field, gathering the strength of ten thousand people, when wielded by the siblings in tandem, displayed astonishing might!
The colossal light shield expanded and simultaneously swept upward, stirring up curtains of shimmering light that filled the sky, an awe-inspiring spectacle that seemed to consume mountains and rivers! The intense magical fluctuations even compressed the air until it nearly burst, emitting strange tearing sounds! Patches of distorted waves and ripples appeared instantly before colliding with the Demon Dragon Cult Leader, who was plummeting like a blazing sun! Thump! Boom! This was followed by a series of muffled concussions!
The violent impact generated an explosive shockwave that instantly illuminated the bright sky, making it blaze with a light so intense it forced everyone to squeeze their eyes shut! Even more terrifying were the wildly raging shockwaves; though detonated a hundred meters aloft, the violent oscillations shook everyone uncontrollably, forcing them back several steps! The fragments of the magical explosion, raining down like meteor shards, smashed against the barrier of the massive Demon Luo Sacred Shield like heavy bombs, eliciting violent ripples and echoes.
The magical debris that landed outside the formation blasted gaping, horrifying craters into the solid ground, causing everyone’s expressions to shift drastically!
“My heavens,” Mo Hui said, his face pale. “That really is Zhu Lian Bi He.”
“What a terrifying explosion,” Matcha, inside the formation, broke out in a cold sweat. “Truly worthy of our disciples; that destructive power is extraordinary.”
“……” The others dared not even take a breath, staring fixedly at the falling shards of the magical detonation high above.
Considering that these fragments, falling from a height of a hundred meters, possessed such terrifying destructive power, the damage inflicted upon the Demon Dragon Cult Leader, who took the full impact of the flame shield, must have been immense. This was beyond human imagination!
Everyone watched the sky tensely.
The Demon Dragon Cult Leader’s body, encased in its Dou Qi shield, was violently thrown back upwards the instant of impact! Simultaneously, a world-shaking shriek tore from his throat. And the dazzling protective Dou Qi vanished in an instant, like a burst balloon! It was clear that he had gained no advantage in that direct clash! Not only that, but his protective Dou Qi had been shattered!
I, who had been ready and waiting, would never let such a rare opportunity pass!
“Die!”
The moment the Cult Leader was blasted back, the Dragon Shadow Sword whirled furiously, spitting out a lightning fireball! The speed and angle of this fireball were perfect, and the timing was chosen precisely for the instant the Cult Leader’s shield was broken and he was recoiling from the shockwave! The timing was utterly flawless!
Swish! The massive golden stream of light pierced through the dazzling debris of the light curtain, streaking like lightning toward the body of the recoiling Demon Dragon Cult Leader! To achieve maximum destructive potential, I even risked using the King Kai Fist technique, which I hadn't employed in a long time. This fireball’s power was in no way inferior to the Zhu Lian Bi He unleashed by Starfield and Xing Zhan combined! With his protective Dou Qi gone, if the Cult Leader was struck now, it would mean certain death!
As the colossal golden fireball neared the Demon Dragon Cult Leader’s body, everyone involuntarily widened their eyes, and I stared fixedly at his figure. Please! Hit him!
“Roar! Damnation.” Unable to evade, the Demon Dragon Cult Leader suddenly roared furiously. The massive wings on his back retracted sharply, folding together like an enormous, tightly shut clam shell! His entire body was sealed impenetrably between the two wings!
Thump! Boom! The lightning fireball, whose power rivaled a nuclear weapon, smashed violently against the wings wrapped tightly around the Cult Leader.
The brilliant firelight once again blinded the onlookers, and the dull, explosive roar made everyone’s heads ache, threatening to split their skulls! Such intensity demonstrated the astonishing power of this lightning fireball. The Cult Leader’s body, now ball-shaped and completely encased by his wings, was launched like exploding shrapnel into the high clouds, vanishing instantly!
“Ah!” Starfield cried out. “Is he dead?”
“No.” Even now, I could sense the Demon Dragon Cult Leader’s furious, savage killing intent. “Damn it, those wings have incredible defensive power.” Had I not witnessed it myself, I could never have imagined the Demon Dragon Cult Leader could withstand the full force of one of my lightning fireballs head-on.