Chapter 162 - 98: Heaven-shaking Ferocity (Part 2)

Chapter 162: Chapter 98: Heaven-shaking Ferocity (Part 2)

But then, a long, earth-shaking roar came from Lieyun. Instantly, wind and clouds gathered with a howl as churning lightning blotted out the azure sky.

"What?" The Two Sword Monarchs were thrown backward. Their attack had failed to even leave a scratch, and their faces turned grim. Then, they saw roiling thunderclouds conceal the jiao dragon. From below, the deformed old freak shouted, "Don’t let it escape!"

The faces of the Two Sword Monarchs darkened, and they were about to charge their sword light back into the clouds. But then, they heard Song Yuming’s urgent shout: "Wait!"

The thunderclouds churned, and a voice like that of a Celestial God boomed from within: "What thieves dare attack me?!" Immediately, a thousand-zhang jiao dragon appeared from the clouds—it was Lieyun, revealing its true form, unseen for a very long time. Its eyes burned with a mixture of fury and excitement. With a single breath from its open mouth, hundreds of lightning bolts came crashing down!

The expressions of the Two Sword Monarchs changed. They hastily summoned a talisman tablet that rose to meet the lightning, shimmering with specks of spiritual light. But with each bolt that struck, a speck of light was extinguished. The faces of the Two Sword Monarchs twitched. In moments, the talisman was already about to shatter!

Song Yuming said gravely, "This jiao’s power is immense; it cannot be underestimated. Fellow Daoists, please, lend your aid quickly."

The Three Elders and Four Freaks were a tight-knit group. Immediately, two of them soared into the air: the deformed old freak and another cultivator leaning on a pair of crutches.

With a flick of his hand, the old freak sent a brocade handkerchief flying upward. Wherever it passed, the lightning bolts slid away harmlessly, like water rolling off a lotus leaf.

The Three Elders and Four Freaks all practiced unorthodox arts, many of them sinister and malevolent. Cultivators like them feared thunder techniques the most, so they had specifically acquired this Thunderproof Brocade Handkerchief to counter them. It was the perfect tool for the job.

With the handkerchief clearing the way, the two flew up in an instant. The Two Sword Monarchs’ talisman tablet had just reached its breaking point, leaving them about to be exposed to the endless barrage of lightning. They were brought under the handkerchief’s cover just in time and breathed a sigh of relief. Though their faces were grim, they still said, "Skull Dragon Elder, thank you."

The Skull Dragon Elder waved a dismissive hand. "This jiao is ferocious. We must deal with it together and capture it quickly."

The Two Sword Monarchs replied, "Our thoughts exactly."

Seeing its lightning unable to harm the three cultivators, Lieyun didn’t stop. Instead, it intensified the barrage. It turned its head and ordered its attendant disciples, "These are all Golden Core Cultivators. You’re no use here. Hurry back to the temple and report to the Master."

An attendant disciple quickly replied, "Martial Grand-Uncle, I have already used a Talisman Book to send a message to the sect."

Lieyun hadn’t been aware of this. It showed a flicker of surprise and said, "In that case, just get to safety."

The two disciples quickly complied, mounting their Magical Artifacts and flying off. Lieyun twisted its head and looked back at its attackers. It saw the three cultivators, protected by the Thunderproof Brocade Handkerchief, ascending to the top of the clouds. A vicious glint flashed in its eyes as it sneered, "You fools who court death! Daring to tug on my whiskers!"

The three cultivators assumed thunder techniques were Lieyun’s specialty. They had no idea this was merely a Divine Technique it had gained after refining the Jiao Pearl of Marquis Fuhai. When it roared across the East Sea, defying even the Dragon Palace, its true reliance was on its brutishly powerful jiao body!

Since its thunder techniques were useless and the three men had already reached the clouds, Lieyun sprang into action. Its massive jiao body charged forward, its three claws spread wide and glinting coldly as it swiped at the handkerchief.

The Skull Dragon Elder’s face fell. "Don’t let it destroy the Thunder-Resistant Brocade!" he yelled.

But the Two Sword Monarchs shouted, "Two Wand Monarchs!"

The Two Wand Monarchs knew what to do. One swung a staff, and the stopper on its gourd popped open, pouring out shimmering grains of iron sand. The other swung their staff, and a black wind blew from its gourd. WHOOSH! The wind swept up the iron sand and carried it toward Lieyun.

The sand and wind were a deadly combination. The iron sand was devastatingly powerful, able to flay skin and pulverize flesh on contact. The black wind was intensely poisonous—a single gust could cause dizziness and blurred vision, and one full breath was an incurable affliction.

A technique like this was perfect for subduing brutish beasts. But Lieyun was now a spiritual beast of a proper sect and had grown far more cunning. Unsure of the black wind’s nature, it refused to charge through recklessly. Instead, it twisted its body to dodge. Despite its enormous size, the jiao was incredibly agile, weaving through the clouds to launch an attack from a different side in the blink of an eye.

At that moment, however, the Two Sword Monarchs joined the assault, launching a black and a yellow beam of sword light. Aware of Lieyun’s tough scales, they aimed every strike at its vulnerable points—the eyes, nose, ears, and throat. Their attacks were not without menace.

As the jiao and the three cultivators battled, the sky churned with dark clouds and howling black wind. At this rate, capturing the jiao dragon alive was out of the question; it seemed the fight would not be decided any time soon. The onlookers below were all shocked.

This delay was by no means a good thing for the attackers. The remaining three elders and one freak exchanged a look and charged into the clouds together. Song Yuming’s brow was deeply furrowed. He turned and said, "You three fellow Daoists, please join me. Otherwise, I fear it will be too late."

Jiang Shicheng’s expression grew stern. "Junior Brother Taishi, Junior Brother Quan," he called. Quan Youfeng and Taishi Zhe both cupped their fists in response. Without further delay, the four of them soared into the air.

By this time, the three elders and the one freak had flown into the fray. The freak shrouded in black gauze waved a hand, unleashing innumerable hair-thin ropes that shot toward Lieyun. The three elders shook the coffins on their backs, causing the lids to fall open. A gold, a silver, and a copper refined corpse flew out, baring fangs and claws as they charged at Lieyun.

A glint flashed in Lieyun’s eyes, and it turned to flee. The cultivators gave chase at once. But after pursuing it for a few miles, Lieyun suddenly whipped its tail back around. The three refined corpses were the closest and scrambled to evade the blow, but the silver one wasn’t fast enough. CRACK! The tail strike mangled it beyond recognition. Instantly, one of the three elders coughed up a mouthful of blood, his figure swaying in the air.