Chapter 885: The Dragon Emperor Sent Flying (II)

Crunch!

The Dragon Emperor bit down and swallowed the upper half of the silver fish, which had grown to three hundred meters in length and was now covered in golden-red scales. At that moment, its struggling lower half went completely still.

Just as the Dragon Emperor devoured half of the silver fish, the energy within its body detonated, surging explosively. Seeing this, the true spirit beast lurking upstream in the River of Time finally reacted.

Wait a minute... What am I waiting for? These little beasts have already stolen several of my fish!

Finally coming to its senses, the true spirit colossal beast rose to its feet, causing the river to go into a frenzy of deafening roars.

Boom!

A massive tidal wave surged up tens of thousands of meters high from the River of Time behind the Dragon Emperor. Amid the crashing torrents, a heaven-shrouding dragon claw pierced through, cloaked in layer upon layer of folded spacetime.

The moment that claw appeared, an aura that stood above all of heaven and earth descended. It felt like a remnant from the past, summoned into the present. Just that wisp of aura crushed the void into nothingness. Heaven and earth trembled and principles thundered.

The moment that dragon claw appeared, the Dragon Emperor let out a thunderous roar. Strips of blood-red lightning exploded from its body, radiating a blinding red light.

Amid the endless scarlet glow, a dark-red colossal beast over 11,000 meters long emerged. Thick blood-red lightning, each strand hundreds of meters wide, coiled around its body, emanating a devastating aura that could annihilate entire worlds.

Behind the dark-red beast of destruction, flickering phantoms of crumbling worlds appeared and vanished, like echoes of extinction, terrifying beyond comprehension.

As the Dragon Emperor reached the peak of the titan level, its form had surpassed ordinary ancient creatures. Upon entering this Dark-Red Form, its power amplification became exponentially more fearsome.

Just the blink of an eye had passed from the moment the dragon claw appeared to the Dragon Emperor's transformation into its Dark-Red Form. Facing the strike from the true spirit colossal beast, the dark-red beast let out a savage roar. Rising upright like a dragon, it shoved the half-devoured corpse of the silver fish into the reverse scale on its neck, then stomped the ground with both feet.

Boom!

The void a thousand kilometers around the dark-red beast shattered, collapsing into layers of black shockwaves that blasted the Silver Colossal Dragon and the other two colossal beasts hundreds of kilometers away.

At the same time, all of the power within the dark-red beast condensed into a single force, which surged upward from its feet and tail, flowed along its spine, and gathered in both claws.

At that moment, the dark-red beast resembled a martial arts grandmaster. The muscles in its arms swelled to twice their original size. Then, with a burst of overwhelming strength, its claws rose toward the sky.

Beneath its glowing red claws, all things were annihilated. Spacetime dissolved, and even principles shattered. When the dark-red beast's claws collided with the descending dragon claw, heaven and earth fell silent.

Boom!

The entire Chaotic Region trembled violently. The void exploded in an instant, forming a rapidly expanding black hole. Wherever it passed, the laws of heaven and earth unraveled, and all order collapsed.

The black hole expanded to several thousand kilometers in a flash, and from it, a red beam of light shot out like a laser, instantly appearing over a hundred thousand kilometers away.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The dark-red beast streaked across more than a hundred thousand kilometers, pulverizing countless meteoroids along the way, and then slammed into a landmass ten thousand kilometers wide. Only then did the dark void erupt with a chorus of deafening explosions. The kinetic energy and impact released were like billions of crystalline hydrogen bombs detonating, unleashing a dazzling light that illuminated an area hundreds of thousands of kilometers wide.

The final landmass the Dragon Emperor struck was a massive Void Continent, which exploded like a planet upon impact. Scorching streams of matter and energy burst outward, forming a fan-shaped blast zone that stretched over a hundred thousand kilometers.

At the same time, the three colossal beasts, including the Silver Dragon, were once again swept up by the resulting shockwave and sent flying across tens of thousands more. Amid the cataclysmic explosions, that section of the River of Time gradually faded away.

At the same time, upstream of the River, the true spirit beast, already stretching a million meters in length with only half of its body exposed, once again showed a hint of surprise in its eyes. Just now, a claw strike containing only the tiniest sliver of its power was actually blocked for a moment by that little creature.

This little one... is it the offspring of some primordial colossal beast? And its parents must not have been ordinary primordial beasts either, otherwise it would be impossible to wield such power while still only at the titan level.

Amid its musings, the true spirit beast slowly sank back into the River of Time, preparing to go back to sleep.Since it immediately recognized the Dragon Emperor’s extraordinary nature, it didn’t pursue the matter of the stolen fish.

As a being that had lived for countless tens of thousands of years, this beast possessed wisdom far beyond that of most living beings. Aside from those born with a natural thirst for blood and violence, or drawn into conflicts of interest, many of these creatures were relatively peaceful. They only wished to slumber undisturbed, to cultivate, and to grow stronger.

Although the Dragon Emperor had an impressive background, the true spirit beast had no intention of offering it a few extra fish out of goodwill. These fish were created through its use of time-based principles. It had to shape illusory worlds, gather the aura of countless powerful beings from across time and space, and refine its bloodline to complete this creation process.

Each silver fish that managed to leap out of the river contained a faint trace of principle-based power of creation, and could allow the beast to become even more ancient. Although a single silver fish provided only a minor benefit to a being that had already reached the true spirit level, as long as these fish kept appearing in the unending stream, its strength would continue to grow.

***

Over a hundred thousand kilometers of scorching lava filled the void, blazing fiercely and casting a fiery glow that illuminated their surroundings. In front of the sea of lava, a red light seeped through space like fresh blood. It dyed everything in its path a deep, ominous red, and filled the air with an aura of misfortune.

Within the dazzling red glow stood a dark-red colossal beast over six thousand meters tall. It looked like a shattered porcelain figure that had been reassembled, with massive cracks covering its body.

Blood-red light seeped through these cracks as the Dragon Emperor used its lifeforce to quickly heal.

That colossal beast just now was so strong!

In the Dragon Emperor’s massive golden-red eyes, there was still a trace of shock.

Even after entering its Dark-Red Form and unleashing its full power, it had been slapped away by that colossal beast. Even the Dark-Red Destruction Principle, a fusion of ten high-level laws, had been shattered.

Such terrifying power had completely exceeded its expectations. The Dragon Emperor had never thought it would face a true-spirit-level colossal beast. When the Silver Dragon discovered the River of Time and the fish within it, the Dragon Emperor believed they would at most provoke an attack from a late-stage or even peak ancient titan.

After all, the Silver Dragon was only at the middle stage of the mythical level, and drawing the attention of a peak ancient titan was already an extreme outcome. While the Dragon Emperor couldn’t defeat a beast of that level with its current strength, it should at least be able to retreat intact with its immense defensive power.

However, what came out was a true spirit, and it was likely an extraordinary one. The Dragon Emperor felt that if its body hadn’t been sturdy enough, that one slap earlier might’ve blown it apart, costing it its life, and that was when the true spirit beast had no killing intent.

Sensing that the dangerous aura from earlier had now completely faded, the Dragon Emperor felt a lingering fear.

I can't take a risk like that again,

it thought to itself.

If that true spirit-level beast had actually held killing intent, then only it would have barely escaped with serious injuries by relying on its Law of Speed. The Silver Dragon and the others would have been as good as dead.

While pondering this, the cracks on the Dragon Emperor’s body had already healed. The blood-red lightning coiling around its body vanished, and its massive form began to shrink. Soon, it returned to its normal size of just over 4,100 meters, though its aura was somewhat weakened.

Huff!

With a snort, it exhaled a wave of scorching air, then spread its wings and turned into a streak of black light, tearing through the void in the direction where the three colossal beasts had been flung. Before long, it found the Silver Dragon, over eighty thousand kilometers away.

However, the Silver Dragon was injured. Its wings had been broken by the aftershock of that strike, most of its scales were shattered, and one of its front claws was snapped. What made things worse was that the lingering principle aura from the true spirit prevented its injuries from healing. Even the energy from the silver fish flowing through its body, which was supposed to evolve its bloodline, couldn’t help.

Seeing the Dragon Emperor flying toward it through the darkness, the Silver Dragon bared its teeth in a pained grimace and let out a weak growl.

Ao Tian, the great Saixitia is in so much pain...

This was the first time the Dragon Emperor had seen the Silver Dragon in such a miserable state. It could only growl softly in reassurance.

It’s alright. You’ll be fine soon.

As it spoke, its massive right claw gently reached out and carefully placed the Silver Dragon along the side of its back. The power of its law domain spread out, enveloping the Silver Dragon, and dissolving the lingering principle aura on its body.

Saixitia, rest on my back while we go find Thorsafi and Big Horn.

Lying on the left side of the Dragon Emperor’s back, the Silver Dragon instantly felt a deep sense of safety. Then it let out a fierce roar.

Damn it! That thing actually dared to attack the great Saixitia and Ao Tian! When we run into it again, Ao Tian, you must give it a brutal beating to get revenge!

Though the Silver Dragon was overwhelmed with pain and rage, deep inside it still felt profound respect and fear for the terrifying power the true spirit had displayed. Despite this, its desire to get revenge remained strong.

The possibility that they could lose next time simply never occurred. With the Dragon Emperor’s terrifying talent and rapid growth, the Silver Dragon believed it wouldn’t be long before it became even stronger. If the Dragon Emperor could block that creature’s claw once, then next time, it could thoroughly crush it.

Before long, the Dragon Emperor flew another fifty thousand kilometers, and in a field of shattered meteoroid debris from the explosion, it found the Golden-Blue Colossal Dragon.

Its condition was slightly better than the Silver Dragon’s. Although its wings were also broken and many of its scales were damaged, at least its front claws remained intact.

Seeing the black-and-red colossal beast flying over with the Silver Dragon on its back, the Golden-Blue Dragon let out a strained growl.

Thunder Fiery, you're here. The great Thorsafi knew you’d be alright.

The Dragon Emperor shook its head.

It’s a good thing that the true spirit had no killing intent. Otherwise, who knows what might have happened.

As it spoke, it gently placed the Golden-Blue Dragon on the right side of its back.

While the Dragon Emperor carried the two heavily injured colossal dragons and flew in another direction to search for the Single-Horned Kunpeng, the Silver Dragon lying on its back couldn't help showing a bit of discontent in its eyes.

Thorsafi, why do your injuries look lighter than those of the great Saixitia?

Enduring the pain, the Golden-Blue Dragon maintained a graceful posture as it lay on the Dragon Emperor’s back and growled,

Because, Saixitia, you’re too dumb.

Damn you, Thorsafi! You dare call the great Saixitia dumb again! The great Saixitia will—

Thump!

Just as the Silver Dragon was about to start a fight, a huge claw pushed its head down. The Dragon Emperor let out a low, muffled growl.

Stop messing around. If you want to fight, wait until your wounds are healed. Besides, even though your bodies were damaged, there’s a bit of good news. The power of those silver fish can now optimize your bloodline at a deeper level and further enhance your bodies.

The Dragon Emperor slowly lifted the claw that had been pressing the Silver Dragon’s head down.

As it watched the Silver Dragon simmer with rage while trying to hold itself back, the Golden-Blue Dragon stayed sprawled out lazily and chose not to mock it further. There was no longer any satisfaction in bullying such a fool.

Suddenly, a flicker of surprise appeared in its eyes. It keenly sensed that, ever since it started laying on the Dragon Emperor’s back, the life aura the Dragon Emperor emitted unconsciously was causing its own bloodline to become more active. Even without considering the ancient time power contained in the silver fish, its bloodline was undergoing a subtle, autonomous evolution just from being exposed to the Dragon Emperor’s life aura.

The Golden-Blue Dragon raised its head slightly and looked in the direction of the Dragon Emperor’s head, deep in thought. No wonder Ao Yiyi clung to Thunder Fiery and napped on it all day long. The Golden-Blue Dragon hadn’t expected Thunder Fiery’s bloodline to have become so powerful that it could influence the bloodline evolution of nearby creatures on its own.

Before long, the Dragon Emperor found the Kunpeng thirty thousand kilometers away. It was in the worst shape of them all, missing almost half of its body. The moment it saw the Dragon Emperor, it let out a wail.

Thunder Fiery, I’m in so much pain. This is miserable!

You’re fine. As long as you’re not dead,

the Dragon Emperor replied, grabbing its tail in one claw. Red and black destruction lightning danced along its talons, blasting the Single-Horned Kunpeng so hard it shrieked pitifully. At the same time, the lightning rapidly erased the remaining traces of principle aura from the Kunpeng's body.

The scene made the corners of the Silver and Golden-Blue Dragons’ eyes twitch.

After being thoroughly electrocuted, the Kunpeng’s weak aura suddenly surged. Its shattered flesh visibly regenerated, scales mended, and even the missing half of its body quickly grew back. However, once its body had fully healed, the Kunpeng turned its gaze toward the Dragon Emperor and the two colossal beasts resting on its back, and a look of envy filled its eyes as it thought,

Wow! Prioritizing these "girls" over your brother. We all risked our lives out there, so why the huge difference in treatment?

The Dragon Emperor impatiently growled,

Don’t look at me like that. Saixitia and the others aren’t the same as you. The dragon bloodline in their bodies reacted too violently to that power. They needed a gentler method to dispel it. And besides, Big Horn, you’re a tough, battle-hardened warrior. What’s a little pain? The more it hurts, the sooner it heals.

Of course, the real reason was that the Dragon Emperor didn’t want to carry this guy on its back. It could tolerate carrying two "little girls," but carrying a full-grown iron-blooded tough guy? No thanks. Just the thought gave it goosebumps.

Alright, Thunder Fiery has a point,

the Kunpeng thought to itself. It was a true iron-blooded man. It had been through fire and storm, taken all kinds of attacks. This was just a bit more painful than usual. The Kunpeng tried to believe the Dragon Emperor's words, but it was certain that Thunder Fiery had another motive. It'd noticed long ago that the Dragon Emperor treated the two colossal dragons a lot better than itself.

After tending to the Kunpeng’s injuries, the Dragon Emperor gently extended its right claw and carefully tapped the Little Purple Dragon nestled in its mane.

Little Yi, time to wake up.

Eeya, eeya!

The Purple Dragon, still half-asleep, blinked its eyes open in a daze. Right away, it spotted a gray crystal about ten meters wide floating in front of it, along with the half corpse of an unfamiliar creature over a hundred meters long.

Eeya!

The twelve-meter-long Purple Dragon's eyes lit up, and it instantly perked up, leaping forward with excitement to wrap its arms around the gray crystal.

Big brother, is this for me to eat?

Yes, it’s all for you,

the Dragon Emperor said, then turned to look at the Kunpeng.

Big Horn, this piece is for your wife. That creature was too strong, so I didn’t have time to catch another one.

It threw a chunk of silver fish meat to the Kunpeng. While this wasn't as nutritious as a full piece, it was already more than enough for an orca who hadn’t reached the mythical level yet.

There was also a larger chunk of fish meat inside the reverse scale space. Chen Chu wanted to see whether eating it would have any effect on himself. This venture had been risky, but the harvest was significant. The Dragon Emperor’s power had already reached the verge of a breakthrough.