The Ancient Tyrant Dragon

A blinding sword-light slashed through the forest, leaving trails of brilliant radiance in its wake.

Xiao Chen's injuries had slowed him. The Royal Celestial Maiden had finally caught up. Now there was nothing left but to fight for his life, blade to blade.

The great fire had been extinguished, and the mountain forest lay plunged in darkness, save for the occasional eruption of dazzling sword-light that shot up to meet the lightning, shattering trees and scattering debris.

Zhao Lin'er was a Royal Celestial Maiden, trained in the highest arts. Her technique was the famous Rainbow Sword Art. A resplendent rainbow coiled around her, making her appear peerless and divine in the rain-swept night as seven-colored sword-light streamed forth.

Xiao Chen's tangled hair flew wildly, his eyes cold as lightning. His long sword blazed like a rainbow as he met her assault with his wounded body. But he could not hold his ground. Forced back, he fled again into the darkness.

Though the boundless night gave him cover to escape, Zhao Lin'er's movement technique was too swift. She had cultivated the Floating Light Illusory Shadow Step, a peerless art rivaling the famous Bodhi Leaf Drifting Skill of the monk Bodhidharma. She moved like a banished immortal, graceful and relentless, locking onto Xiao Chen without fail.

In the endless blackness, the rain poured in torrents. Xiao Chen raced through the forest, blood welling up in his throat. His injuries were growing worse. But the murderous aura behind him pressed ever closer; the seven-colored sword-light was almost upon his body.

He leaped into the air, spinning as he swept out a brilliant curtain of light—like scattered stars falling from the sky. The light screen extinguished the incoming rainbow beams and dissolved the killing threat. Then he swung his sword again, and a blinding column of light rose up like a radiant silver dragon, as if trying to merge with the lightning splitting the heavens above.

The fierce sword-light forced Zhao Lin'er back. In that instant, Xiao Chen fled once more.

On this deep night of driving rain, all beasts had gone to ground. Beyond the wind and thunder, no animal cries could be heard.

Xiao Chen knew this could not continue. Something had to change, or he would surely die. He fixed his bearings and turned toward a dark, menacing stretch of forest ahead. Whether he lived or died would depend on this perilous gamble.

Other parts of the forest still showed traces of beasts, but this direction was utterly empty—not a single animal to be found. Though thunder rolled and rain poured, an inexplicable silence of death hung over these woods.

It felt like a land of great calamity.

Deeper into the forest, a fierce, baleful aura spread through the air, undimmed by the rain.

Xiao Chen pressed on without stopping.

Zhao Lin'er's heart shuddered. She sensed the terrifying凶煞 energy—the kind that could only be condensed from the slaughter of countless living beings. Great danger lay ahead.

But after only a moment's hesitation, she continued the pursuit. If she let this chance slip, she might never be able to kill Xiao Chen again. Now that she had begun, there was no turning back.

"Roar…"

Suddenly, a deep, rumbling bellow sounded from deep within the mountains. A blood-tinged gale howled through the forest, whipping branches into a frenzy as a wave of slaughterous energy surged forth.

Rain flew sideways. Leaves scattered. The earth trembled.

"Oooh…"

A tremendous roar drowned out even the thunder. The rolling mountain ridges shook. From the primeval forest, a colossal figure emerged.

Its vast body was shrouded in a faint cyan light, standing like a mountain peak. The boundless aura of savage murder radiated from it.

This was the same ancient beast whose appearance earlier had allowed Xiao Chen to kill Wang Zifeng and Liu Yue. Now, pursued with no escape, he had deliberately drawn it out to repel Zhao Lin'er.

But this time, even Xiao Chen was stunned. He finally understood what kind of creature could battle the Eight-Armed Malignant Dragon through half the night.

It was a legendary beast from ancient times—a Tyrant Dragon!

It was fifty meters long and fully twenty meters tall. A pair of immensely powerful hind legs allowed it to half-rear and run; its forelimbs were freed, ending in terrible claws that gleamed with piercing cold light.

Its enormous head was hideous and ferocious. A single cyan horn, six or seven meters long, glittered with a cold, sinister green light. Its cyan eyes were the size of millstones, radiating frigid, piercing beams. Its teeth hung like gleaming broadswords.

The crocodile-like cyan tail, over twenty meters long, could sweep aside any obstacle with the force of a thousand soldiers. Its entire body was covered in cyan scales that shimmered with an eerie light, looking especially uncanny in the dark, rain-soaked night.

Many terrible wounds marked its body, with large patches of scales missing—clearly the result of its battle with the Eight-Armed Malignant Dragon.

A fierce, slaughterous aura clung to it. One could imagine how many living creatures it had torn apart.

Legend said it was a prince among the ancient dragon race, unmatched in physical strength. It was known as the Tyrant King. It could spit clouds, breathe mist, command thunder and lightning, fly through the sky, and burrow into the earth—a being even gods were reluctant to provoke.

The clash of swords had clearly roused it. The brilliant sword-light had drawn its attention. It sensed intruders in its territory. With another roar that shook the mountains, its colossal body moved like a small hill toward Xiao Chen and Zhao Lin'er.

Zhao Lin'er's face went pale. Gazing at Xiao Chen not far ahead, she felt a surge of fury, but she gripped her sword and advanced again.

Xiao Chen gritted his teeth and had no choice but to run toward the ferocious dragon.

As the ancient beast drew nearer, the ground quaked violently. Both cultivators staggered, struggling to keep their footing as they ran.

The legendary Tyrant Dragon was almost upon them. Finally, frustrated and regretful, Zhao Lin'er turned and fled. Such a legendary beast was too dreadful; every second of delay threatened her life.

Xiao Chen felt a chill run down his spine. He had come within fifty meters of the Tyrant Dragon. Three or four more steps and the colossus would be on him. Its huge, cyan-green eyes had already locked onto him through the trees.