The Black Dragon looked down at Dakon with narrowed eyes. Suddenly *SWOOSH* *BOOM* It swung its huge wings forward, creating a violent air current that devastated everything below.
" Ugh! " Dakon crossed his arms in front of his face as the powerful torrent slammed into him. Trees, pebbles, and rocks were ripped from the ground and hurled through the air, until finally " Agh! " Dakon himself was caught in it
" Ahh!! " He was sent flying, spinning like a rag doll through the air while rocks and uprooted trees rushed past him
The Black Dragon continued to swing its massive wings, its enormous yellow eyes never leaving Dakon. As it did, a fine purple aura began to surge around its colossal body
" Ugh… " Dakon crashed nearly half a mile away, skidding and rolling across the ground before stopping. Even from this distance, the Dragon's massive silhouette still dominated the sky
' Just a single swing of its wings caused all this destruction… ' Dakon thought grimly ' It truly is a 5-Star Golden Beast ' His eyes widened as he noticed the purple aura growing thicker around the Dragon's body " Oh no! "
*ROAR* The Dragon opened its massive jaws and fired a condensed purple beam that shot toward Dakon at terrifying speed
Dakon jumped to the side with all his strength, firing an energy blast beneath his feet to gain extra momentum. The next second *BOOOM* The purple beam struck the ground where he had stood moments earlier, triggering a massive explosion that shook the land for miles
" AAGH!! " Dakon crossed his arms in front of his face, shielding his head as the explosion engulfed him. Flames scorched his arms and legs, burning deep into his flesh. Being airborne spared him from the full force of the blast, but the shockwave still hurled him even farther away
A few seconds later *SPLASH* *BANG* Dakon skipped violently across the surface of a small lake before crashing into jagged rocks near the shore
" … " His consciousness faded as pain overwhelmed him, the combined damage from the explosion and impact proving too much
The Black Dragon continued to observe Dakon from above. Its eyesight was truly divine
After a moment, it lifted its gaze toward the heavens. Stretching its wings wide, it closed its eyes. Its massive body began to glow, slowly breaking apart into yellow light particles. Within seconds, the Black Dragon vanished as if it had never existed. It had ascended to the Immortal Realm
The next morning
" Ugh… " Dakon slowly came back to his senses. The pain and dizziness assaulting him were overwhelming
" Da-damnit… " He tried to stand, but neither of his legs responded. Worse, he couldn't feel them at all
" Grr… " With great effort, he lifted his head and looked down. His legs were still there, but the way his body refused to move told him the truth ' I broke my back… '
With a trembling arm, he raised his right hand toward his mouth ' Just one… and it'll be okay '
Activating his Spatial Ring, a Senzu Bean dropped onto his lips. Unable to keep his arm raised, he let it fall as he chewed. Every movement sent waves of pain through his body, but once he swallowed, relief washed over him as his injuries vanished
Dakon stood atop the pile of rocks, bowing his head in frustration. He clenched his fists tightly " …It's gone " His jaw tightened ' It simply disappeared… which means it ascended '
The Black Dragon had shaken him beyond belief. Not only had it grown monstrously powerful in an incredibly short time, but it had done it so effortlessly, without resistance, without strain, something that went against everything Dakon knew about beasts or cultivation
He also understood the truth. If the Dragon hadn't ascended, he would have died without any chance to resist
That realization burned
After a few seconds, Dakon shook his head and looked in the direction where the Raw Knowledge Gem continued to pulse
*SWOOSH* He leapt away, glancing at the devastation that the Black Dragon left behind
" Bastard… " he muttered. The crater made by the Black Dragon's beam was immense, easily large enough to swallow a small city. The forest had been completely erased. Fortunately, the swamp containing the Raw Knowledge Gem remained intact
Entering the swamp, Dakon followed the pulsing sensation until he found it, inside the pocket of a corpse
A young man. His face half-rotten, half-bone
Dakon stared at the body in silence ' This is the second time a dead person carried a Raw Knowledge Gem… the first was a young woman, and now this '
A thought struck him hard ' Wait… they had them because I was supposed to meet them? ' Whether for good or ill, meeting them would have helped him grow stronger
Dakon clenched the gem tightly, anger rising ' If I hadn't wasted time searching for useless people… I'd be stronger right now '
His teeth ground together. Then he looked at the pile of corpses and spoke in a quiet voice " Rest well. I hope you don't resent me "
He raised his left hand *BOOM* A ki blast reduced the human remains to dust. He did the same with the scattered corpses nearby, leaving only beast remains behind. Burying them would take too long, and he hadn't known them anyway.
" …Alright " He stepped out of the swamp, searching for a calm place to absorb the gem
Beneath a massive tree, Dakon examined it closely. This gem was unique, pink in color, with a form resembling two fused gems ' This one differs from the other two I have absorbed, how weird '
He placed it against his forehead, and pain flared as it melted into his skull. He grit his teeth as images flooded his mind.
' It has two techniques? Unbelievable, I wonder if that crazy bastard had more techniques than the ones he used in the tournament ' Dakon shook his head as he began to analyze the two techniques, and one of them made him feel insecure
He stood, pointed his right index finger at a nearby rock *ZOOM* *BANG* A thin yellow beam pierced straight through it, leaving a perfectly clean hole
' The Death Beam… ' He thought ' Its speed and penetration are incredible, even on my first use, it can do something like that ' From the memories, Dakon saw the devastation it could cause at its peak, so he thought ' This could become one of my strongest techniques '
The second technique was the one that made him doubt ' This one's dangerous… it could kill me if I lose control of it '
But his curiosity won out in the end, so he extended his arm, palm facing upward " Carefully…" *SWOOSH*A palm-sized pink disk formed, spinning violently and unstably despite its small size
Keeping it contained, Dakon hurled it at a nearby tree *ZOOM* *SHRRRK* The tree was sliced cleanly in half before crashing to the ground
Dakon attempted to guide the disk, moving his hand to redirect it ' Its reaction time is slow… and control is difficult '
After a few moments, he dispersed it ' Death Saucer… too dangerous for now. It needs serious training ' His thoughts shifted ' I still have the Final Flash… which I'm unable to use yet '
He frowned ' And I still need to find the Kaio-ken '
*SWOOSH* He leapt away, thinking ' I also need to retrieve my swords; they should be ready by now ' With that, Dakon vanished into the distance
---------------------------------------------------------------
Xuexin Empire
At the same moment, Wang Jun finally awakened
He lay in a luxurious room. Looking around, he found only Ren Bao seated nearby
" Elder Ren Bao " Wang Jun asked sharply " Where is my wife, Yue? "
Ren Bao looked at him with mild surprise. He had expected many questions, but not this one. Still, he couldn't entirely blame him; Ying Yue truly was a heavenly beauty
He shook his head " No one knows. Not even her sister "
Wang Jun clenched his fists ' She went to find him… she must know he's still alive! ' His expression twisted ' No… You can't leave me like that. You're mine. MINE! '
Lost in his thoughts, he ignored Ren Bao completely until the door opened
Ren Bao smiled. Wang Jun scowled
" Jun'er, you're awake. Good " Emperor Wang Wei entered with a pleased expression
Wang Jun snapped " Father, why didn't you stop my wife? Where were you when she left? "
The Emperor's smile faltered for a brief moment before returning " I needed to inform your brothers of what happened "
Wang Jun's eyes widened, then he shouted " I don't need their help! I can deal with that fat bastard myself! "
"No, you can't "The Emperor replied coldly " That's why I called them. You and your brothers will leave with Elder Bao for the Shang Continent to train. You've become a target because of your attachment and your foolish behavior "
Wang Jun trembled with rage but said nothing
Turning to Ren Bao, the Emperor smiled politely " My eldest sons will arrive in a few days. After that, they'll be under your guidance "
Ren Bao nodded, and the Emperor left the room, while Wang Jun glared at his departing back
Outside, the Emperor's smile turned cold ' While you're away… I'll find your precious wife myself and take good care of her ' He licked his lips as he walked down the hallway