When the black dragon first appeared, Jiang Ningxian had indeed been worried.
Yet once the two clashed and Lu Yuan took complete command of the fight, she gradually set her worries aside, thinking that the outcome this time would be no different from before.
In fact, events had unfolded just as expected. Even that black dragon, an existence that had lived for an unfathomably long time, had been completely outmatched in combat, even after unleashing its full might.
Thus, Jiang Ningxian had never imagined that Lu Yuan could lose, or even be injured. Seeing this scene now was naturally bewildering, as it truly had not crossed her mind.
It was merely a single drop of black blood, yet it possessed such terrifying power that even someone of his strength could not withstand it.
In truth, not only Jiang Ningxian, but Yinglong as well was thoroughly shocked. Yet the one most bewildered was Lu Yuan himself.
For he could feel how bizarre that black blood truly was. No matter what power he wielded, he could not stop it from hurtling forward, particularly after it had entered his body.
Two diametrically opposed forces ran rampant inside him, at times making him feel engulfed in blazing fire, at other times as though he had plunged into the frozen hells of the Netherworld.
He activated the Furnace of Heaven and Earth and channeled all manner of divine abilities, yet none had any effect. He had never experienced such a sensation before.
It felt as if his soul and physical body were being targeted simultaneously.
"Cough, cough, cough—" In the next moment, another intense wave of discomfort washed over him, racking Lu Yuan with violent coughs. The power within his body was utterly beyond his command.
"Lu Yuan, are you alright?" Beside him, seeing this situation, Jiang Ningxian was overcome with anxiety. She channeled her own power to probe his current physical condition, wanting to see where the problem lay.
Yet to her dismay, doing so proved entirely futile. Lu Yuan's body was like an unfathomable abyss.
"It is useless. That is my ultimate trump card. No matter who comes, they can only watch," the black dragon spoke at that moment, still in human guise.
Yet unlike before, its body was now desiccated to the absolute extreme. Even its aura seemed on the verge of extinguishing at any second; its condition was exceedingly poor, its flame of life flickering.
Evidently, expelling that black blood had taken a heavy toll on it as well; otherwise, it would not have ended up in such a state.
"What did you do to him?" Jiang Ningxian's gaze turned sharp, her words thick with murderous intent. She knew all too well that Lu Yuan was in dire danger, and that she had to do something.
"What I did does not matter. What matters is that he is about to become my food—and of course, that includes you two as well." Greed surfaced in the black dragon's eyes as it spoke.
Even though its current condition was dreadful, it still possessed immense power. Neither Jiang Ningxian nor Yinglong was a match for it.
"You two leave first. Leave the rest to me," Lu Yuan spoke again at this moment. Even though the power throughout his body was suppressed by that black blood, he could still muster a portion of it.
He genuinely feared that Yinglong and Jiang Ningxian would be put in jeopardy in the moments to come. Thus, bracing himself, he forced his body to stand upright.
"Your willpower is formidable indeed, able to momentarily disregard even that blood and remain conscious. But just how long can you sustain such a state?" The black dragon paid it little mind.
For once its measure took effect, the outcome was already sealed. Even if this method had cost it dearly, what did that matter? Right now, the most critical thing was to preserve its life. Only by staying alive could it achieve anything more.
"Say no more. His condition is terrible as well. If I step into the Immortal Realm, I may well be able to slay him," Jiang Ningxian spoke, the murderous intent in her eyes growing even thicker.
In truth, with her current foundation, she was fully capable of breaking directly into the Immortal Realm; it was only because of the suppression in this world that she had held back from doing so. She had chosen not to take that step until now, but with Lu Yuan in danger and the black dragon's strength being nothing to scoff at, Jiang Ningxian knew what she had to do.
"Now is not the right time," Lu Yuan said, rejecting her outright. Then, without a shred of hesitation, he took a step forward.
His figure vanished, and when he reappeared, he was already right in front of the black dragon, delivering another punch.
He had assessed the situation: the other party had been suppressed for countless years, and with the passage of time, its cultivation realm had long since fallen, roughly equivalent to an Immortal. On top of that, forcing out the black blood had definitely cost it a massive toll.
Under such circumstances, turning defeat into victory was entirely within reach. And as long as he could slay this black dragon, dealing with the aftermath would be straightforward. As for the black blood, there would always be a way.
"You still dare strike?" Seeing this, the black dragon was momentarily stunned, but soon sneered. In such a state, just how long could he keep going?
Without another word, it engaged him in battle. Even knowing its own body was weak, both of them were in similar straits—and with that black blood possessing an unfathomable, terrifying might, the final victory would undoubtedly belong to it.
Boom—
Their fists collided head-on. A tremendous roar echoed throughout the entire Dragon Prison. The great battle continued, though it was no longer as fierce as before.
Especially as time passed, Lu Yuan found the power emanating from the black blood within his body growing stronger and stronger, while he himself grew increasingly weak.
Thud—
Finally, he began to falter. Under the impact of the other's punch, he was forced into a rapid retreat.
This was not due to a lack of strength on Lu Yuan's part, but rather that the black blood was far too sinister and eerie—a power not belonging to this world.
It completely locked down all the power inside him, making it difficult to unleash even a fraction of it.
Pfft—
Under yet another punch, a streak of blood spilled from the corner of Lu Yuan's mouth as he stumbled backward.
"I indeed do not possess the power of my peak, but having been struck by my greatest trump card, you still delusionally dream of turning the tables? Absolute wishful thinking. Give up. To serve as my food and nourish my power is your honor," the black dragon said. Its condition was also terrible, but at this moment, it had ultimately gained the upper hand.
Facing Lu Yuan, it strode forward step by step, shifting back into the form of a black dragon. A vicious, cruel aura erupted from its body; just as it had proclaimed, it was preparing to feast.
"How dare you!" Jiang Ningxian cried out in fury, stepping directly in front of Lu Yuan. At the same time, Yinglong moved in from the side, shifting into its dragon form.
In Yinglong's view, it had brought the two of them here, and this was taking place within the Dragon Palace. If they fell into peril, it could never absolve itself of the blame. Thus, at this critical juncture, Ao Ze did not hesitate in the slightest.
"Hmph, overestimating yourselves!" Seeing this, the black dragon paid them no heed at all. It let out a roar, and tremendous power erupted from its frame.
It prepared to deal a fatal blow. But right at that moment, a wisp of purple radiance suddenly appeared before everyone's eyes.
And that radiance was emanating from Lu Yuan.
Chapter 364