Chapter 432: Slaughtering the Steed

Zhang Lie flapped his wings and soared into the air. Xuechi didn't let him go. He sent the bloodwinged dragon flying after him.

"[Fists of the Silent Sea: Soar]!" Zhang Lie released an attack that sent waves of energy rippling into the distance, one so intense that it warped the very space itself. He clashed against Xuechi a second time.

As the ripples of energy spread from Zhang Lie, Xuechi and his steed was knocked aside.

He called out, "You're an impressive human, to be able to survive one of my blows! Revel, human—revel that you may die at my hand!"

Zhang Lie smiled. He dematerialized the four runic tablets that had been restraining Xuechi's blood-red lance, which shot out like a bullet the moment it was freed. Its target was its owner, the sura king Xuechi!

When Xuechi felt the imminent danger, he turned around, reacting so quickly that he was able to rotate in mid-air and counter against the attack with his own lance. With the sura king's back turned, Zhang Lie took the opportunity to strike, raising his hand and sealing the sura king's actions for a moment. By the time the sura king realized what was going on, he was too late.

Xuechi's thoughts crawled to a halt, and his body froze up. The lance in his hands was knocked aside, and the gleaming red lance pierced his chest and sent him flying with the remaining momentum.

Xuechi had hardly expected that he would one day be harmed—and possibly even killed—by his own weapon.

How could he bear such shame?! His gleaming red lance had always been a trump card up his sleeve, a supercharged long-ranged attack that could pierce through anyone and anything, and he had used it to great success against any number of strong foes and even the most well-defended cities.

The blood waves that poured out upon impact with the lance could kill the lifeforms within an entire city, but Xuechi had never truly experienced the strength of his own weapon for himself.

The lance that pierced through his chest crushed flesh and bone. Its surprising momentum sent his body flying, and it discharged waves of blood that ravaged his body.

Xuechi spat out a mouthful of blood.

Zhang Lie followed quickly behind the sura king, sending a punch toward him with his left arm. "[Fists of the Silent Sea: Fade]!

The punch took the form of a dark serpent that circled the sura king and shot toward him from the front in a pincer attack that would trap him between the serpent and the lance. If Zhang Lie's attack succeeded, Xuechi would be annihilated by the combination of the two attacks, but it did not succeed.

Zhang Lie had neglected the last variable in this battle: the bloodwinged dragon on which Xuechi rode. Protecting its master, it smashed into Zhang Lie's serpent with its body.

The bloodwinged dragon was a peak-grade lifeform, and it barely lost out against the dark serpent. It opened its maw wide and bit down on the serpent's body even as the serpent's dark-attuned genetic energy corroded its body.

The sura king Xuechi was knocked off his steed by his lance. He smashed into the ground like a meteor, cratering it in his wake.

"[The Boundless Blade: Expulsion]!" A gigantic blade tore apart the serpent's body before striking the bloodwinged dragon. Blood fountained out of the dragon's forehead. Golden light emanated from the wound and scorched the dragon, causing it to howl in agony.

A gleaming golden sword had appeared in Zhang Lie's arm, a manifestation of his post-peak-grade golden-roc soulshard. After combining with a regular peak-grade golden roc soulshard, it had evolved beyond the limits of a regular peak-grade weapon.

He was about to behead the dragon when he suddenly felt killing intent coming from behind. Flapping his wings, he soared up into the air to find a red lance heading his way.

The red lance tore through the air, gleaming with a blood-red light. Its source was none other than the wounded sura king lying on the ground.

His body had been mutilated; his face was gray with dust. Blood had solidified by the corners of his mouth, and half his bones were broken. A lance pierced through his left chest; if it had struck a few centimeters to the right, he would have perished.

The sura king was somewhat lucky that his heart had narrowly avoided the lance's trajectory. As he forced himself to climb out of the crater he had landed in and saw the ongoing battle in mid-air, he threw one of his last remaining lances in rage.

The lance dyed the entire night sky a lurid red.

The bloodwinged dragon reacted instantly, trying to dodge the lance as it flew away, but someone else reacted even more quickly.

"[Rune: Control]!" Zhang Lie raised his arms to the sky, and the image of a dragonturtle appeared before him. The two gravity-controlling tablets appeared by either side of the bloodwinged dragon, twisting the local effect of gravity.

The bloodwinged dragon, caught in its effect, found itself incapable of any movement. The lance pierced through its belly, and it fell from the sky with a pained howl.

Xuechi's face was stoic as he pulled out the lance from his chest, ignoring the blood that spurted out of the wound. A gaping hole was left behind on his chest.

Zhang Lie slowly landed from the sky. He glanced at the corpse of the bloodwinged dragon and sighed, "What a nice mount! Isn't it a shame?"

Xuechi flicked away the blood on the tip of his lance, his eyes filled with killing intent.

The blood that flowed out of the gaping hole in his chest dyed his entire body red. His blood was rather unusual; it coagulated rapidly and seemed as viscous as glue.

"To think a human was able to cause me such damage—it looks like my godfather's intelligence wasn't up to date. I'll believe that you managed to kill Xueju with brute strength, but you're still far too weak to best the likes of me!"