“Kill every last one of you, and no one will ever know I have a bad temper.”

  Zhulong murmured softly after erasing a Nascent Soul with a single finger.

  Her voice wasn’t loud, but it carried clearly, sending chills down every spine.

  Too arrogant!

  She spoke as though these twenty-three Nascent Souls were nothing at all!

  The Azure Dragon maintained perfect composure on the surface, but its dark-golden eyes blazed with excitement.

  Big Sis is unstoppable!

  Down below, Dantai Xuan clenched his fists and laughed wildly. Those domineering words were music to his ears.

  Go ahead and slaughter them, Lady Zhulong! We saw nothing—we have no idea you have a temper!

  Nie Changqing and Jing Yue stared in a daze.

  In that moment, they seemed to see the faint shadow of a white-robed youth in a wheelchair overlapping with her figure.

  That style… it was exactly like the Young Lord!

  On the Tianyuan side, shock rippled through the ranks.

  The battle had barely begun, and one of their Nascent Souls was already gone—dispatched by Lei Liushui to hold the Azure Dragon, only to have his forehead exploded by Zhulong’s casual finger.

  Even his infant Nascent Soul had been annihilated.

  “So strong!”

  Every Nascent Soul hovering above Buzhou Peak felt ice in their veins.

  In a single instant, a Nascent Soul had vanished forever from the world.

  It was terrifying.

  And her words only deepened the unease.

  “Insolence.”

  Lei Liushui’s voice was low and cold. His checkered robes flapped violently. His hair whipped in the wind, his skin glowing as lightning crackled from every pore.

  His eyes turned pure azure, thunder raging deep within the pupils.

  His Heavenly Thunder Eyes seemed to summon heavenly fire—eerie and overwhelming.

  “Pin the Azure Dragon down.”

  He sent two greater accomplishment Nascent Souls to deal with the dragon.

  Far from frightened, Zhulong’s strength only made him hungrier.

  The two Nascent Souls floated cross-legged, sliding sideways to confront the Azure Dragon.

  The dragon roared, claws lashing out like divine whips, cracking the air.

  Lei Liushui moved.

  The fight ignited in an instant.

  The moment Zhulong killed that Nascent Soul, he could no longer sit still.

  Lightning beams shot from his Heavenly Thunder Eyes, tearing through space.

  He strode forward across the sky like a god or an immortal sovereign.

  He bellowed.

  His eyes widened in fury, thunder raging within.

  BOOM!

  Thunder crashed down, turning the space above Buzhou Peak into a lake of lightning.

  The aura unique to Nascent Soul battles exploded outward.

  All of Northern Prefecture seemed shrouded in apocalyptic pressure.

  Imperial dragon qi flared around Dantai Xuan, shielding him from the suffocating might. He stared at the thunder-choked peak, fists clenched tight.

  Overlord and Sima Qingshan were locked in their own brutal fight against the South Dou sect master.

  That battle was just as fierce.

  The sect master was livid—he was a Nascent Soul in his prime, yet two Golden Cores were holding him at bay.

  Overlord was understandable—raw, overwhelming power—but that painter?!

  Every brushstroke summoned ink-black mountains that crashed down, blocking attacks and paths alike.

  Waves of formation energy rippled from the paintings!

  Fighting a puppet master who controlled the battlefield from afar was infuriating!

  The sect master’s Nascent Soul hovered above his head, smashing mountain after mountain with furious punches.

  Ink exploded across the sky.

  Overlord roared, demonic qi coiling as he leaped.

  At Seven Extremes Heavenly Lock, he was a demon god incarnate.

  With profound-tier axe and shield, he actually suppressed the sect master for a time.

  The sect master howled in rage.

  His Nascent Soul burst from his skull, eyes blazing.

  Overlord swung his axe.

  The sect master met it with layered fist strikes—boom after boom—finally sending Overlord flying.

  Overlord’s armor dented deeply.

  If Sima Qingshan hadn’t painted a mountain to block the follow-up, Overlord’s head would have been pulp.

  The sect master’s eyes boiled with fury.

  That damned painter was going to be the death of him.

  “Disgusting artist!”

  He abandoned Overlord and shot toward Sima Qingshan.

  Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  First kill the controller—then Overlord would be easy.

  Overlord flipped to his feet.

  Seeing the sect master change targets, he exhaled slowly.

  He removed his helmet.

  And with it… his head.

  Many onlookers froze.

  The next instant—

  Headless Overlord slammed axe against shield.

  A sonic boom thundered outward.

  Demonic qi surged like a tidal wave as the headless tyrant charged the sect master.

  …

  At the peak of Buzhou, lightning churned like a cauldron.

  Halfway up the mountain, demonic qi boiled and ink mountains flew.

  But all eyes were drawn to the summit—the battle that would decide everything.

  BOOM!

  Countless bolts rained down.

  Zhulong stood motionless on the green stone, serene as a statue.

  CRASH!

  Heavenly thunder struck.

  Zhulong’s figure blurred and vanished.

  When she reappeared, she was floating in the sky.

  Lei Liushui said nothing—he treated her as a true equal now. That single exchange had shown him her strength was at least his match.

  Zhulong kept her eyes closed. She would not open them lightly.

  Lightning fell in endless torrents, yet she walked through it like a girl strolling beside a lotus pond.

  Lei Liushui’s thunder couldn’t touch her.

  Then she was in front of him.

  She raised her hand and slapped.

  The slap cracked the air like a divine whip, sonic booms ringing out.

  Lei Liushui narrowed his eyes. Lightning coiled around his arm as he threw a punch without fear.

  Fist met palm.

  BOOM!

  It sounded like two mountains colliding. Brilliant ripples surged outward in endless waves from the peak.

  Figures were hurled backward.

  Lei Liushui, clad in thunder armor, was the one sent flying!

  Zhulong’s lashes trembled.

  She shot through the lightning arcs and slapped again.

  CRACK!

  Lei Liushui roared, raising his arms to block.

  Another explosion—his flesh tore, lightning burst from his wounds.

  He was smashed away once more.

  Pure physical collision—he was utterly outmatched!

  Lei Liushui had never imagined a body this powerful existed.

  He felt like he was fighting an ancient primordial beast, not a delicate girl!

  “Everyone—attack!”

  Lei Liushui roared.

  The remaining twenty-two Nascent Souls moved.

  Twenty-two streaks of light dove toward Zhulong.

  At Nascent Soul, flight came naturally—a liberation from mortal chains.

  Twenty-three Nascent Souls, including Lei Liushui, surrounded her in the center like a cage.

  The Azure Dragon faced two greater accomplishment Nascent Souls and held its own.

  Its combat power was roughly equal to greater accomplishment level—neither side could dominate.

  It had only played dead against Nan Yuefeng because he was perfected Nascent Soul.

  This time…

  Big Sis was being ganged up on.

  The Azure Dragon decided it was time to step up!

  Two wooden swords slashed in.

  The dragon met them with claws—terrifying shockwaves erupted.

  The two Nascent Souls grew solemn, forming profound seals from opposite sides that tried to cage the dragon.

  But the Azure Dragon feared nothing. Among the eight heavenly dragon seeds, it was second only to Big Sis—it would uphold their pride!

  Clank!

  The two Nascent Souls summoned infant forms above their heads, power cascading down.

  Strange chains forged from rare materials shot out, trying to bind the dragon.

  Cold light flashed in the Azure Dragon’s eyes. Cyan dragon breath blasted forth, clashing with both opponents.

  Surrounded by twenty-three Nascent Souls, Zhulong floated calmly, cyan hair dancing.

  Her beautiful face showed no joy, no sorrow—as though nothing could stir her heart.

  “Formation!”

  Lei Liushui’s voice was grave. Only by trading blows did he truly understand her power. That slender body contained force beyond comprehension.

  Yet the stronger she was, the more feverish he became.

  It had to be those eyes!

  If he could transplant them, he would shatter his shackles!

  Even surpassing Infant Transformation wouldn’t be a dream!

  Lei Liushui took the central position.

  Twenty-two Nascent Souls formed a grand array around him, each drawing their natal spirit tools.

  “Kill!”

  BOOM!

  Twenty-three spirit tools unleashed the first wave.

  Blinding beams of light engulfed Zhulong.

  The explosion shook Buzhou Peak as though it might collapse.

  Countless boulders were hurled into the sky.

  When the smoke cleared…

  Zhulong stood untouched.

  But her lashes trembled harder than ever.

  Slowly…

  Her pale eyelids lifted.

  Every Nascent Soul felt doom descend.

  They wanted to unleash their strongest attacks, but Lei Liushui stopped them.

  He stared with near-maniacal focus at the girl opening her eyes.

  Sizzle…

  Two beams of thunder shot from his Heavenly Thunder Eyes toward Zhulong.

  He would test her ocular art with his own!

  Just as the beams were about to strike—

  Zhulong’s eyes opened fully.

  No beams came from her.

  Only black… and white.

  Endless black, infinite white.

  BOOM!

  Heaven and earth lost color. Yin and yang swirled.

  Lei Liushui stared dumbly at those eyes—one sun, one moon…

  His proud Heavenly Thunder Eyes were laughable before them—like fireflies beside the moon.

  Black and white swallowed him.

  Crack! Crack! Crack!

  Explosions erupted from every Nascent Soul’s body.

  Muffled groans filled the air.

  When the light faded…

  Silence.

  Only the sound of dust settling.

  Lei Liushui crashed into the ground, chest caved in, flesh melted away to reveal white bone, blood pouring.

  One eyeball had burst.

  Coughing blood, he crawled from the rubble, looking wretched beyond words.

  Yet his remaining eye burned with mad excitement.

  “Like the divine ability of an immortal!”

  “Pity… that move didn’t kill us!”

  He clutched his chest—he was gravely wounded.

  The other twenty-two sat pale-faced on the ground, pulling out jade bottles and swallowing healing pills.

  Lei Liushui swallowed his own. His wounds began to knit.

  He stared at Zhulong and laughed.

  “Such an ocular art… how many times can you use it?!”

  “It must take ages to recover, or you wouldn’t keep your eyes closed.”

  He was certain he had seen through her.

  She was at the end of her rope.

  As a fellow ocular art user, he knew the soul-draining cost.

  Above…

  Zhulong closed her eyes again.

  Her serene face unchanged.

  Hearing the sound of pills being crunched below, she suddenly felt a craving.

  She pulled out a jade bottle of her own.

  Out poured sugar-coated Body Tempering Pills—the ones she had confiscated from Little Yinglong during his “training.”

  …

  Lake Heart Island.

  Little Yinglong’s eyes went wide as saucers.

  Those were the pills he had sweet-talked out of Ni Yu with his cutest acts!

  Big Sis had taken them all!

  Watching her pop the pills that still carried his warmth, Little Yinglong covered his snout with a claw and sobbed silently.

  Ni Yu patted him sympathetically.

  Then, in front of him, she ate the very last sugar-coated pill she had hidden.

  Crunch.

  Now they were even—no one had any left.

  …

  “NOW!”

  “Don’t give her time to recover!”

  Lei Liushui roared, surging upward with the twenty-two others.

  Spirit tools blazed with dazzling light.

  Zhulong drifted back down to the green stone and sat.

  Crunch.

  Sweet candy coating shattered, filling her mouth with happiness.

  She had opened her eyes once and not wiped them all out.

  Unexpected, but unimportant.

  As for Lei Liushui’s talk of massive energy drain—she felt nothing of the sort.

  She had stronger ocular arts.

  But these people weren’t worth it.

  “Daddy said…”

  “A girl should maintain the cold dignity of an iceberg…”

  “And end fights quickly.”

  So…

  Zhulong decided to beat them to death.

  BOOM!

  As Lei Liushui and his twenty-two Nascent Souls rose again, hovering above the peak—

  A chill gripped Lei Liushui’s soul.

  Dense spiritual energy turned to mist and swirled.

  When it cleared, the quiet girl on the green stone was gone.

  “Where—?!”

  A sonic boom tore the air.

  Iridescent dragon scales flashed like a rainbow across the sky.

  CRACK!

  Space exploded beside Lei Liushui!

  A Nascent Soul with a spirit tool above his head burst into a cloud of blood mist!

  His treasure fell dull and lifeless.

  His infant Nascent Soul fled in terror.

  What the—?!

  Lei Liushui’s blood ran cold.

  Then he saw it.

  A colossal dragon coiled around Buzhou Peak like a pillar.

  Its head… was the girl—long hair flowing, eyes closed!

  CRACK!

  The dragon whipped its tail.

  Another Nascent Soul popped like a mosquito—blood mist blooming.

  Another infant Nascent Soul fled for its life!

  Lei Liushui finally understood.

  They weren’t being killed by some technique.

  They were being swatted to death by a heavenly dragon’s tail!

  “You… you…”

  Lei Liushui sucked in a horrified breath.

  He floated frozen in the sky.

  The girl…

  Was a dragon?!

  Zhulong?

  Candle Dragon!

  This was the Buzhou Peak dragon gate—she was its guardian dragon seed!

  Like the Azure Dragon, the Red Dragon…

  Only far, far stronger!

  CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!

  The sound of tail whips filled the air.

  Blood mist blossomed one after another like fireworks.

  Lei Liushui saw the crimson clouds rushing toward him.

  No!

  Stay away!

  He screamed inwardly.

  His body shot sideways.

  But space shattered—a seven-colored tail whipped through, black spatial cracks sucking in air as it came.

  Lei Liushui roared.

  Lightning exploded from his remaining eye, cascading into thunder armor.

  At the brink of death—

  He broke through!

  His Nascent Soul turned one-eyed, wrapped in lightning.

  Infant Transformation!

  Lei Liushui achieved Infant Transformation in his moment of greatest peril!

  “Hahaha!”

  He laughed maniacally.

  Thunder converged into war armor.

  He threw a punch at the incoming tail!

  Zhulong seemed to sense the change.

  Her rainbow tail turned milky white in an instant.

  Primordial chaos gathered.

  CRACK!

  A massive blood mist explosion lit the night sky.

  Brighter and more gorgeous than all the rest.

  The most dazzling crimson firework of the night.