Chapter 149 What Fear Has the Dragon King

With a deafening crash, Ye Sansi slammed back-first onto the ground. Fortunately, his golden armor absorbed the brunt of the impact, though the shock still rattled his bones. Even so, the Dragon King had no intention of relenting, raising his halberd and charging straight at him.

Seeing this, Ye Sansi knew he was out of options. Having already sustained injuries, even evasion would not allow him to dodge three consecutive strikes from the Dragon King. Was he truly destined to perish here? Of course not. Ye Sansi had kept a trump card in reserve; escaping would pose no problem. Yet, in acting this way, he had a deeper plan in mind...

Aoli, watching Ye Sansi in mortal danger, cast all fear aside and rushed forward, planting a kick squarely against the Dragon King's chest.

Never had the Dragon King anticipated such a blow. Failing to raise a defense, he was driven backward several dozen yards before crashing onto the earth. Clutching his chest, he bellowed in rage, "Wretch! How dare this brat ambush me? It seems my plan to eliminate him was the right one. Leaving him alive will only spell disaster sooner or later."

Mid-speech, the Dragon King lunged forward once more. Aoli showed not a shred of cowardice, instantly transforming into his beastly form and lashing out with a claw straight at the Dragon King.

Reacting with swift agility, the Dragon King dodged and similarly transformed into his beast form—an Azure Dragon whose scales shimmered with golden light, presenting a formidable sight.

Yet, in terms of cultivation and martial might, Aoli held the upper hand. Otherwise, why would the Dragon King have gone to such lengths to eradicate this thorn in his side? Driven by concern for the safety of Ye Sansi and his companions, Aoli cast aside all notions of brotherhood and prepared to fight to the death.

Having repelled the Dragon King, Aoli hurried to Ye Sansi, brushed the dust from his shoulders, and asked softly, "Brother Ye, are you alright?"

"I'm fine, just sustained some minor injuries. That kick of yours was executed with absolute force; it seems you have finally learned to face things bravely. I leave the Dragon King to you now. The lives of the three of us rest in your hands. Show him no mercy or righteousness..."

Hearing Ye Sansi's words, all timidity vanished from Aoli's heart. He pressed his lips into a firm line and nodded with resolve. "Very well! He sought to take my life, going far beyond the pale, casting aside brotherly ties and caring only for the security of his throne. I renounce him today, and today I shall claim his life..."

Refusing to yield another inch, Aoli met the incoming attack head-on with his dragon skull, then swung a claw that grazed the Dragon King's scales. Sturdy though those scales were, Aoli's razor-sharp talons still left deep gouges across them. Though it dealt no real physical injury, his overwhelming momentum remained undeniable.

Stunned by this sudden reversal, the Dragon King let out a furious roar and charged again. An azure dragon and a black dragon became locked in fierce combat, their awe-inspiring aura surging as they traded blow for blow. Though the outcome remained undecided, Aoli clearly held the dominant advantage. If the battle continued, the Dragon King was bound to lose.

Possessed by a frantic fury, Aoli unleashed a flurry of claw strikes. Faced with such an overwhelming onslaught, the Dragon King could only evade while searching for an opening to counterattack.

Yet, after centuries of living together, how could Aoli be ignorant of the Dragon King's schemes? The Dragon King was vicious and ruthless, traits that had caused Aoli to suffer losses time and again. In today's battle, he had been waiting precisely for the other to attack, determined to make him pay dearly this time.

Just as Aoli had anticipated, the Dragon King seized a momentary opening in Aoli's claw strike, lashing out with his own claw straight at Aoli's head. In the past, Aoli would have dodged, allowing him to follow up with a counter-strike to the neck—not fatal to a dragon, but certainly a grave wound.

"Insolent wretch!" the Dragon King roared. "You die when this king commands it! To resist is treason, and in slaying you, I am merely upholding the heavenly mandate. I once banished you only for fear of public censure; now that my throne is secure, I can no longer tolerate the existence of your bastard seed."

"Damn you!" Enraged, Aoli shifted back into his human form, gathering crackling lightning within his palm. With a tight squeeze, the lightning forged into a pair of sabers, and he charged toward the self-proclaimed Dragon King.

The Dragon King raised his halberd, bracing for combat, but for reasons unknown, he suddenly froze for a mere two breaths. Those two brief breaths were all Aoli needed to close the distance. He drove his saber forward, and the Dragon King, failing to evade in time, was pierced straight through the chest.

A poignant swipe of Aoli's claw struck the Dragon King's neck. Channeling his strength once more, his talons bit deep into the flesh, tearing a jagged wound across the throat. The Dragon King let out a shriek of agony, a sudden flicker of terror crossing his eyes...

"You! Damnable fool!" The Dragon King shifted back into his human form, pressing a hand tightly against his bleeding neck. Gravely wounded, he bellowed in fury, "You wretched brat! You truly deserve death. Leaving you alive in this world is a calamity."

"A calamity? I think you are the true calamity! A dignified Dragon King who cannot bear the existence of any other of his kind growing stronger than him. You were of legitimate royal blood, and I never harbored any rebellious intent, yet you drove me to such extremes. Such petty actions—are you truly fit to be a monarch?"

Li Taiyi glanced at Ye Sansi, leaned in close, and whispered with a smile, "Brother Sansi, was that your doing?"

"What?"

"Don't try to fool me. I recognize that 'Dominating the Realm' technique anywhere. The spell that struck the Dragon King just now—that was undoubtedly your doing, am I right?"

Such a turn of events was entirely beyond Aoli's imagination. He had actually rid himself with his own hands of the elder brother he had feared for hundreds of years, and with such astonishing ease. Upon reflection, this Dragon King was not so formidable after all—he was even weaker than himself.

Aoli pulled his saber free and delivered one final blow to ensure all signs of life were extinguished before he finally relaxed. Muttering to himself, he said, "Elder brother, elder brother, why did you have to bring this upon yourself? I never wished to turn against you, but why did you force my hand?"

Seeing their sovereign slain, the remaining soldiers instantly lost all morale and scattered in every direction. Sensing no need to hunt them down, Aoli let them flee.

"Brother Sansi, look at what Aoli is doing."

They saw Aoli kneeling half-bent, placing his palm upon the Dragon King's corpse and channeling a spell to dissolve the body into dust and smoke. This was a traditional dragon funeral rite, ensuring the departed soul might find a favorable reincarnation.

When the smoke finally cleared, three treasures were left gleaming upon the ground: a dragon pearl, an exquisite halberd, and a divine bow. All of these had belonged to the Dragon King, and any one of them was a priceless treasure in the mortal world.

Ye Sansi laughed heartily. "You are clever, but keep that observation to yourself. Letting him slay the Dragon King with his own hands is the greatest encouragement he could receive. From now on, whenever he encounters members of his clan, he will possess true confidence and fear no longer."

Li Taiyi nodded in agreement. "My lips are sealed; I won't say a word. But Brother Sansi, you truly are a marvel. That 'Dominating the Realm' technique—it takes me an entire year before I can use it once, yet you have cast it several times in the span of a few short months?"

Rubbing the back of his head, Ye Sansi chuckled, "I know not why, but I am able to use it repeatedly. It is remarkably practical and has aided me numerous times. Channeling my strength into it, even the Dragon King could not withstand the spell."

These items belonged to the late Dragon King. If Aoli kept them, certain constraints would prevent him from using them, rendering such divine weapons wasted. Ye Sansi smiled and asked, "Aoli, if you intend to gift them to me, these weapons all appear quite formidable. Why not let me have them..."

"Hahaha!" Aoli laughed aloud. "Of course! They would be of no use left in my possession anyway. They are best wielded by Brother Ye. Take them all."

Aoli gently extended the weapons toward Ye Sansi.

Channeling his energy, Aoli caused the three divine weapons to hover in mid-air as he approached Ye Sansi and the others, smiling. "Brother Ye, are you alright?"

"Never better, completely recovered. I have you to thank—single-handedly engaging the Dragon King and striking him down. Truly impressive!"

Waving his hands in modesty, Aoli replied, "Brother Ye, you are too modest. From what I witnessed just now, had we not been fighting in the air, the Dragon King would certainly have been no match for you. By the way, these three weapons belonged to him. Have a look and take whichever suits you best. I have no use for them."

Hearing Ye Sansi's explanation, Liu Lingshuang pouted in disbelief, complaining, "You're infuriating! You only meant to frighten me. How stingy—if you didn't want to give it to me, you could have just said so. This young lady didn't want it anyway, hmph!"

Aoli quickly intervened, "Miss Liu, what Brother Sansi said is the absolute truth; he meant no intimidation. That bow is known as the Soul-Eater. It requires one's own spiritual energy as a guide to draw the string and condense an arrow. Because of that heavy toll, the Dragon King rarely used it."

Liu Lingshuang glanced down at the spirit-infused firelock in her hand and remarked, "So it functions much like my firelock?"

Ye Sansi extended his palm and flicked his wrist, causing the three weapons to dissolve into streaks of crimson light that vanished into his Jade-Hosting Bracelet. He bowed in gratitude.

Liu Lingshuang hooked her arm around Ye Sansi's and coaxed him coquettishly, "Sansi, that bow is so pretty. Can you let me use it?"

"Shuang'er, you cannot use it. You lack the mastery to control that bow; a single shot would completely drain your spiritual strength and might even consume your remaining lifespan. It is far too dangerous and entirely unsuited for you."

When Aoli inquired about the background of their mission, Ye Sansi recounted the whole tale. Upon hearing of Wei Feiliang's tyrannical atrocities, Aoli gnashed his teeth in fury and rebuked, "Such a man is utterly despicable! The mortal realm was originally pure and beautiful, yet because of such vile wretches, it has been soiled. Though I am an immortal beast, I am also of dragon lineage, and I ought to do something for these mortals..."

"Very well then, let us fight side by side once more!" With those words, Ye Sansi and the others soared into the sky on their flying swords, with Aoli trailing closely behind.

This desolate region was not far from Jianzhou City, and they reached its vicinity swiftly. Hovering in the upper air, Aoli considered transforming directly into his beast form and charging straight into the governor's mansion, reasoning that a few simple spells would suffice to dispatch mere mortal bodies.

Ye Sansi explained, "The spirit-infused firelock is quite pure and does not consume the user's lifespan. But if I were to fire that bow, I could manage at most three shots before my strength was completely exhausted; any further use would begin burning away my lifespan with no possibility of recovery..."

Aoli smiled dismissively. "Brother Ye need not concern yourself over such details. With your level of control, any spiritual energy expended can be fully restored. Having spent years away from the East China Sea, you are easily the most formidable mortal I have ever laid eyes upon."

Ye Sansi rubbed the back of his head with a grin. "Stop flattering me. The hour grows late, so let us hasten our journey. We shall use the cover of night to breach Jianzhou City and deal those armored troops a crushing blow, ridding the world of this pestilence."

Li Taiyi agreed that the plan was sound, and Liu Lingshuang nodded eagerly in approval.

Filled with apprehension, Liu Lingshuang asked, "Sansi, you intend to go in alone? It's far too dangerous. I'll accompany you."

"Lingshuang, wouldn't Brother Sansi be far more agile acting alone than if he had to look after you? Stay here in the air; without having to worry about your safety, Brother Sansi can handle matters more efficiently, and make a quick escape should the need arise."

Ye Sansi quickly intervened. "Brother Aoli, this mortal realm is not as it used to be. We cannot detect any demonic aura, so we must not act rashly lest we harm the innocent. Allow me to descend first and scout the situation. If those villains are truly within the city walls, we certainly shall not spare them."

Seeing that Lingshuang had acquiesced, Ye Sansi piloted his sword another mile forward, descended outside the city perimeter, and scaled the walls to slip stealthily into the city, wishing to avoid detection by flying overhead.

Once inside, Ye Sansi set off to find the blacksmith, hoping to inquire whether the Sword God Sect had detected any abnormalities...