C314 Hitting the Net to Kill the True Dragon!
Slender and luminous space rifts shot out in all directions, resembling interwoven bolts of lightning. Contrary to shrinking, the space rifts torn open by Shen Feiqing dispersed into her very flesh and bones before scattering wildly. This phenomenon defied the crowd's understanding of the "Ancient Echoes of the Void."
The prematurely matured Phaseblossoms were reduced to dust. Yet, only a few observed that when the powdered Phaseblossoms entered the space rifts, they burst into even finer grains of crystal. These grains, clear as red agate, were imbued with the purest essence of vitality from the commander.
The Forgeroses sect, at the height of its glory, was renowned for its unique techniques in forging the body. Once the foremost among the seven lower sects, it possessed the prowess to challenge the three upper sects, relying on powerful spells capable of rivaling the dark arts and evilkind.
The most celebrated of these spells was the "Ancient Echoes of the Void," a mysterious and magical mantra that even Demon Gods and archdemons regarded with awe. Shen Feiqing was practicing this very spell, now deemed forbidden.
Each drop of her vitality essence, meticulously refined through arcane methods, encapsulated a translucent remnant soul. Imprinted with soul intent and infused with immense spiritual energy, her lifeblood rivaled the vital essence of demons!
As her vitality essence merged with the space rifts, these previously uncontrollable fissures transformed into extensions of her own limbs. With this newfound mastery, she could effortlessly manipulate the rifts to strike down her chosen targets at will.
With a sharp "Crack!" the space rifts, like blades of light, harvested lives indiscriminately. Dragon Attendants from Dragon Lake, fleeing cultivators from the Sunblessed Empire aboard the Golden Ship, and covert visitors from the Thunder Sect and Winter's Bite, all became sacrificial lambs.
Every so often, a dazzling streak of light would leave behind a burst corpse. Shen Feiqing's armored Lunar Spirit hovered motionlessly just above her, while several of the brightest and most slender space rifts interlaced behind her spirit and physical form, forming an eerie web.
The web, spun from space rifts torn asunder, shimmered with complexity.
An extraordinary current of air seeped through the rifts, causing palpitations in the hearts of those brave enough to approach or those who dared to release their remnant souls.
Yu Yuan stood by Dragon Lake, his demeanor relaxed and unconcerned.
With Shen Feiqing having initiated this bloody spectacle, and with the covert guidance of both himself and the High Oracle, Yu Yuan was relieved of further concerns.
Flanking him were the twin jewels of the Silvermoon Empire.
These two renowned beauties, long desired by countless men, fixed their bright gazes upon him.
His behavior was exceedingly out of character.
Both Yuan Lianyao and Lee Yuchan, who had extensive interactions with him, were intimately familiar with his ways.
Yu Yuan's current conduct was a clear indication that he was implicated in the eerie shifts unfolding before them, if not an active participant, then certainly an informed one.
"Those deadly space rifts..."
Yuan Lianyao observed them intently before trembling slightly with realization. "They are not erratically darting about without order!"
Her revelation awakened the Silvermoon Empire's female general: "Shen Feiqing can control them!"
In that moment, all those secretly waiting and hoping, grasped the truth.
"Shen Feiqing!"
Bai Shuang, the Silverfrost Dragon, unleashed an enraged draconic cry and within moments reverted to her true Naga form.
Witnessing her Dragon Attendants, loyal companions for years, being annihilated by the space rifts, Bai Shuang's fury was genuine.
The bond between Dragon Attendant and dragon was symbiotic.
The dragon's breath assisted the Dragon Attendant in breaking through realm bottlenecks, nurturing their remnant souls, while their own dragon blood tempered the Dragon Attendant's flesh.
The spells practiced by the Dragon Attendant depended on the Nagas.
Likewise, the ascension of a Dragon Attendant's realm reciprocally strengthened the Nagas.
Take Bai Shuang, for instance; should a Lunar Spirit or Spirit Walk emerge among her Dragon Attendants, her draconic lineage would surge, propelling her to new heights of power.
The Nagas, sensing the rapid rise and strength of the human race, discovered a new path during their years of seclusion. By nurturing Dragon Attendants, they could leverage human advantages to benefit the bloodline of the Dragon Clan.
Shen Feiqing had personally selected the Dragon Attendants that she had slain. She had expended her own dragon's breath and lifeblood to brand their essence and remnant souls with her mark. Before these attendants could reciprocate and aid in strengthening her bloodline, many were killed.
Despite the Nagas' longevity, which allowed them to select and train new Dragon Attendants, they still had to invest dragon's breath and lifeblood, nurturing them as one would a child. For the new group of attendants to reach the level of those lost would take at least a century of her efforts.
How could she endure such prolonged periods of waiting, century after century? With each delay, when would her seventh-level bloodline finally advance?
Following a thunderous roar, Bai Shuang lashed her Silverfrost Dragon form, her neck's silver scales bristling. She unleashed a breath of frost towards Shen Feiqing on the mid-lake island. The frost cascaded down like a broad, silver waterfall, mingling with her silver dragon blood and the secret blood magic inherent in her lineage since birth.
The cultivators from Thunder Sect and Winter's Bite, both adepts of the Spirit Walk, were taken aback at the display. "Extreme Frost!" they cried out together, feeling the icy power of Bai Shuang's breath and blood magic.
As the frost descended like a waterfall, it drew in the flesh, blood, and lingering remnant souls of the fallen Dragon Attendants. From every direction, deep red glimmers of lifeblood and dark gray soul threads were pulled toward it.
The space above Shen Feiqing began to crystallize and harden under the frigid assault of the silver cascade. Her Lunar Spirit, separated from her body, became sluggish, clearly hampered by the frost. But this lasted only a moment.
Without opening her eyes, Shen Feiqing, seated in meditation, casually swung her fist. Her punch cleaved through the heavens. One after another, five pillars of crimson light, as red as blood, soared skyward. Midway, the five pillars intertwined, merging into a single, formidable force.
With a thunderous roar, the heavens appeared to be shattered.
Bai Shuang's dragon's breath, infused with her blood magic, and the expansive silver cascade were violently dispersed in all directions by the space rift.
Simultaneously, Shen Feiqing's armored Lunar Spirit seized the moment, wielding a dazzling net woven from space rifts and casting it toward Bai Shuang's true form of the Naga.
In that instant, all onlookers were certain: Shen Feiqing had mastered the fearsome space rifts!
"Today, witness my net ensnare and slay a true dragon!"
Shen Feiqing, clad in armor, grew in stature until she towered like a mountain, resembling a deity from ancient lore. With a massive net in hand, she hurled it over Bai Shuang.
Bai Shuang's nearly hundred-meter-long body, resplendent with silver scales, was ensnared by the vast net in a mere moment.
The silver scales, tempered over millennia and perpetually steeped in dragon blood, shattered upon contact with the net's mesh.
Within the immense web of space rifts, Bai Shuang writhed and wailed as her flesh and blood were rent asunder.
The Silverfrost Dragon, a seventh-level being, met Shen Feiqing's Lunar Spirit and was caught in the net after a brief encounter, thrashing helplessly and only hastening its demise.
Jiang Moyan and Zou Jin, the Lunar Spirits from Thunder Sect and Winter's Bite, wore looks of grave concern.
Shen Feiqing, who wielded the space rifts to vanquish the dragon, had a profoundly different grasp of the "Ancient Echoes of the Void" than what they had been led to believe.
Where was the weakened Shen Feiqing, reeling from backlash?
Clearly, she was empowered as if by divine favor, her combat prowess soaring to new heights!
"Excellent!"
Yu Yuan applauded with a hearty laugh.
Drops of dragon blood and chunks of flesh plunged into the lake, vanishing without a trace.
He was well aware that Yan Qiling and Yu Zhu, concealed within the lake's depths, were jointly casting spells to ensure that every drop of dragon blood and every fragment of flesh from the seventh-level dragon would be put to good use.
A dragon of such stature was a trove of treasures; its remains in the lake would not only aid in his alchemical pursuits but also in the refinement of his own flesh and bones during the Veil Breaking stage.
"Yu Yuan, tell me the truth! Which side should our Silvermoon Empire stand on?" Lee Yuchan asked earnestly.
