This was a massive abyss, a colossal pit filled with the remains of countless dragons, their corpses stacked upon one another like towering mountains.
Among the fallen were dragons from the Nine Heavens, as well as those from beyond this realm. The pit resembled a vast burial ground, an eerie monument to a war long fought and lost.
On the periphery of this graveyard, countless figures, like ants in comparison to the titanic remains, toiled to drag the fallen dragons. Among them, only a small fraction belonged to the Evil Dragon Clan. The majority were foreign draconic beings, exuding an aura both sinister and otherworldly.
At the very heart of this mountain of corpses, a gathering of powerful figures sat in a tight circle. Even with Dragon Dust’s composure, the sight of them sent a chill down his spine.
Tens of thousands of warriors, each possessing the terrifying might of nine hundred and ninety-nine Emperor Flames, filled the air with suffocating pressure. The sheer scale of their presence was overwhelming.
Amidst them, one figure stood out. Unlike the others, he bore no Emperor Flames, yet behind him, a blazing fire churned, its heat distorting the very air around it.
Dragon Dust’s pupils contracted slightly. The depth of this man’s aura was unfathomable—like a slumbering behemoth, his presence radiated the promise of devastation should he awaken fully.
“Three-Nine Convergence… It looks like he succeeded.” Dragon Dust’s heart tensed with vigilance.
Yet, as he observed the dragon-shaped runes swirling beneath them, the immense power of fate coiling through the air, he understood. By extracting Emperor Flames from countless God-Emperor experts to fuel their cultivation, it was no wonder their progress was so rapid.
The man’s aura surged wildly, shaking the very ground beneath them. It was his energy, turbulent and uncontained, that had ruptured the earth itself. However, the constant flickering of the flame behind him suggested that his fusion was still incomplete.
At that moment, the rift in the earth exposed Dragon Dust’s position.
“It’s Dragon Dust!”
A startled cry rang out, filled with both shock and an eerie delight. If not for their grotesque expressions and the bloodthirsty gleam in their eyes, one might have mistaken their reaction for joy at meeting an old friend.
“Whoosh!”
One of them reacted instantly. The moment he spotted Dragon Dust, he abandoned his meditation and lunged forward, his entire being shifting into battle mode.
To them, Dragon Dust was not a person—he was a treasure trove, the embodiment of the legendary Kunlun Cauldron. The greatest prize in the entire battlefield of the Heavenly Domain.
“Swish! Swish! Swish!”
One after another, they abandoned their cultivation, rushing toward Dragon Dust like a flood of ravenous beasts. Even those dragging the dragon corpses cast aside their burdens to join the slaughter.
“Wow, what enthusiasm,” Dragon Dust muttered with a wry smirk, watching the horde descend upon him like locusts.
“Hand over the Kunlun Cauldron, and we’ll grant you a swift death.”
A warrior, faster than the rest, reached Dragon Dust first. His dragon blood roared as he unleashed a colossal palm, blotting out the sky as it came crashing down.
Dragon Dust sighed, shaking his head. “Borrowed power will never be truly yours. Even if you wield nine hundred and ninety-nine Emperor Flames, you’re nothing more than a slightly stronger fool.”
The warrior’s mind was consumed with thoughts of the Kunlun Cauldron. So much so that, even as he stood face-to-face with Dragon Dust, he failed to sense the danger looming over him.
A shadow flickered—black lightning streaked through the air.
“Boom!”
The massive hand was shattered instantly, and before the warrior could comprehend what had happened, a devastating fist slammed into his skull. His head exploded in a mist of crimson.
He had been fast, but his death had come even faster. He never even understood how he had died.
“If power is not earned through your own efforts, it will never truly be yours. Even if you are handed the heavens, you won’t have the strength to grasp them.” Dragon Dust exhaled, shaking his head.
From that single strike, he could already discern the problem. The dead man’s Emperor Flames were chaotic, riddled with foreign energy that did not align with his bloodline or soul. Despite their intimidating auras, their actual combat strength was far weaker than it appeared.
By Dragon Dust’s estimation, even after reaching the pinnacle of nine hundred and ninety-nine flames, they would need time to refine and integrate that power. Eventually, the incompatible energy would dissipate, and their realms would fall—perhaps back to nine hundred and ninety-eight flames, or even lower.
“Boom! Boom! Boom!”
Canglu flickered through the battlefield, unleashing a massacre. With every flash, another supreme warrior fell.
Though the enemy forces recoiled in alarm, they quickly noticed that Canglu was alone. Their hesitation vanished, and their bloodlust surged anew.
“Boom!”
A deafening impact erupted as one warrior met Canglu head-on. The clash sent both figures hurtling backward.
“Oh?”
Dragon Dust’s gaze narrowed. This one was different. His aura was far more stable than the others, his foundation much more solid. To exchange blows with Canglu and remain unscathed—his strength was formidable.
However, this sudden resistance only sparked greater panic among the others. Fearing that someone else would seize Dragon Dust first, they erupted in a frenzy.
“Kill him!”
A deafening roar shook the battlefield. Whoever captured Dragon Dust would obtain the Kunlun Cauldron—and with it, the power to defy destiny itself.
Most of them didn’t even understand that Dragon Dust only possessed the Earth Cauldron, not the true Kunlun Cauldron. But that didn’t matter. In their greed-clouded minds, logic had long since been abandoned.
“Whoosh!”
At that moment, Canglu’s grip tightened, and a fearsome halberd materialized in his hands—the Blood Fiend Halberd. The weapon’s baleful aura erupted, instantly amplifying his strength several times over.
Canglu had become a puppet, but the halberd’s spirit still retained its full intelligence. Their fusion created a terrifying synergy, magnifying their power exponentially.
“Slash!”
The warrior who had just clashed with Canglu found himself obliterated in an instant, his body and weapon alike reduced to fragments.
“Boom! Boom! Boom!”
Canglu rampaged through the battlefield, a streak of black lightning, sweeping aside all who stood in his way. Blood sprayed through the air as he carved a path, his sole purpose to shield Dragon Dust.
To the onlookers, he seemed like an unyielding guardian, while Dragon Dust appeared as a helpless lamb besieged by a pack of rabid wolves. And the wolves, driven mad by their own swelling greed, rushed forward without hesitation.
“The rapid surge of power has inflated their desires beyond reason.” Dragon Dust’s gaze turned icy. “They no longer wish to cultivate patiently. They only crave shortcuts.”
To them, obtaining the Kunlun Cauldron meant reaching the peak of the heavens in a single step.
But if that were truly possible, Dragon Dust would have ascended to the Nine Heavens long ago. Instead, here he stood, surrounded on all sides.
“Boom!”
As the battle raged, more formidable warriors entered the fray. The true predators, having watched from the shadows, finally made their move.
A colossal bell came crashing down upon Canglu.
“Clang!”
Canglu’s halberd struck, shattering the bell’s advance. Yet, unlike the others, this artifact did not break—proving it was no ordinary divine weapon.
Canglu faltered for a brief moment.
And in that instant, the fortress crumbled.
“Kill!”
With a frenzied roar, countless enemies surged through the gap, charging straight for Dragon Dust.
“Whoosh!”
A storm of crimson petals erupted, forming a barrier around Dragon Dust, sealing him within its protective embrace.
Comments
Post a Comment