A Single Spark

[Ancient Cosmos Dragon, Combat Power: 150] Deep in a fissure on the ground, a massive vertical pupil suddenly flashed. Immediately after, a colossal black tail erupted from the earth, its tip spinning like a drill as it lunged swiftly toward Yu Xian in midair. Under the sunlight, the dragon scales—originally pitch-black—shimmered with iridescent hues. Every single scale was breathtakingly exquisite. How did the saying go? For a certain amount of profit, a capitalist would dare to do anything; if the profit was high enough, a capitalist would risk life and limb without hesitation. To the Ancient Cosmos Dragon, the benefits of defeating Yu Xian were simply too immense—so immense that taking this gamble was well worth the risk. Had it not obtained the Sharpness trait, that would be one thing. But now that it had gained the ability that suited it best, it had no reason to let such an exceptional opportunity slip by. When ordinary people consumed a Forbidden Fruit, their utilization of its power was roughly one part in ten thousand. The more powerful the living being, the greater the effects unleashed by the fruit. Although the Ancient Cosmos Dragon's Combat Power was inferior to Yu Xian's, the Sharpness trait was more than enough to bridge the gap. From the moment the Ancient Cosmos Dragon struck to Yu Xian merging and taking flight, and then to the tail bursting from the ground, only about a second had passed. Seeing the tail hurtling toward him, Yu Xian immediately condensed a spiral spear in his right hand and hurled it from afar. Midair, the tail collided with the spiral spear. In an instant, the spiral spear shattered, detonating like fireworks. Amidst the blaze, the tail pierced through the flames and continued lunging toward Yu Xian. *There's something wrong with those scales!* Yu Xian's sharp eyes immediately noticed that the scales on the tail were far too hard—and far too sharp. His mind stirred. He instantly plucked an Adamantine Feather from the tip of his wing. Passing through a bubble at his fingertips, the feather lengthened to a meter in an instant, resembling a golden saber etched with silver patterns. White flames flowed along his arm and enveloped the Adamantine Feather, reinforcing it once more. "Ha!" Gripping the Adamantine Feather with both hands, Yu Xian brought it down with all his might against the approaching dragon tail. When the feather clashed with the tail, the surrounding air shuddered violently. At the point of impact, lightning crackled and thunder rumbled; both the white flames and the dragon scales vibrated frantically. The white flames covering Yu Xian's body were actually a synthesized power—a fusion of True Crimson Power, the power of True Intent, and righteous intent, further purified by the Six Ding Divine Fire. Yu Xian had dubbed this power "Single Spark." Because this flame represented the trust countless people placed in him, as well as an affirmation of goodness and justice, naming it after the idiom "a single spark can start a prairie fire" could not have been more fitting. Single Spark possessed extraordinary defensive strength—vastly superior to merely fusing True Crimson Power with the power of True Intent. Yet, to his shock, Yu Xian discovered that the Ancient Cosmos Dragon's tail was gradually slicing through Single Spark. That tail was unnaturally sharp. *Is it really that unhinged?* Yu Xian had already harbored a suspicion. He suspected the Ancient Cosmos Dragon had forged its own scales into a Star Divine Artifact. But that was like a Transcendent peeling off their own skin to craft a Star Divine Artifact—it was sheer lunacy. Yet the collision between the Adamantine Feather and the dragon scales forced him to confront reality: there really were people that crazy in the world, and dragons just as unhinged. Mad as the deed was, the payoff was extraordinarily immense. A tear was finally ripped into Single Spark. The moment the dragon scales touched the Adamantine Feather, a notch immediately chipped into the blade. Yu Xian decisively teleported away, refusing to clash head-on any further. However, he did not flee far. Just as the Ancient Cosmos Dragon coveted his power, he had now set his sights on the dragon's scales. Since the dragon had already forged its entire coat of scales into a Star Divine Artifact, killing it and gathering the scales would yield top-tier, ready-made materials, drastically lowering the difficulty of reforging the Dragon Shield. "Big Bro, should we make a run for it?" Just then, Little Nora poked its head out from Yu Xian's shoulder. Though it was furious and deeply heartbroken that its meat had been ruined by the Ancient Cosmos Dragon, surviving in the wild from a young age had made it a realist. When outmatched, no matter how angry one was, running away was the only option. Only by surviving did one earn the right to nurse one's frustration later. On his other shoulder, Single Spark condensed into the likeness of Little Huangquan. She asked worriedly, "Big Bro, is the enemy too strong?" "Run? The one who should be running right now is that lizard!" Shrinking the Adamantine Feather, Yu Xian slotted it back onto his wing and glared down at the dragon's tail. He raised his right hand. Instantly, an enormous white fireball expanded in his palm. Since the Ancient Cosmos Dragon was hiding underground and dared not show its face, he would force it out into the open. *Go!* Yu Xian hurled the massive white fireball straight toward the ground. *Whoosh!* The Ancient Cosmos Dragon's tail immediately stabbed toward the fireball, attempting to intercept it before it could strike. Yu Xian, however, flickered right in front of the tail, his fists coated in Single Spark as he unleashed a flurry of rapid punches. Single Spark was indeed not as hard as the tail's scales and could not completely block their cutting edge, but as long as he pulled back immediately upon contact, the scales could not easily slice through it. It was just like dipping a finger in water before touching an egg in boiling water—as long as the contact was brief enough, the heat wouldn't scald. With Yu Xian holding it back, the white fireball plunged smoothly downward. Before it even struck, the earth began to burn. By the time every combustible material was reduced to ash, the ground had already turned into a scorched black expanse. Then, as the fireball drew within ten meters, the ground swiftly liquefied into magma, surging up to meet the crashing white sphere. It was apocalyptic. Countless bird-dragons beat their wings frantically to flee the forest, while herds of dinosaurs bolted across the plains. In truth, any creatures within the immediate vicinity of Yu Xian and the Ancient Cosmos Dragon had vanished long ago; those fleeing now were beasts several kilometers away from the battlefield. The next moment, the land ruptured. Countless pillars of white fire erupted into the sky, towering columns of flame incinerating all life in their path. Numerous hunting teams searching for Forbidden Fruits realized that Star Rank powerhouses were locked in battle. Without a second thought, they turned and fled. Some even summoned airships, boarding them to escape this world fragment altogether. Hundreds of kilometers away, a pillar of fire soared into the sky, sending the members of the Kaman Hunting Group scattering. Chun Mu glanced back toward the sky, his gaze locked onto Yu Xian in midair even across hundreds of kilometers. Though Yu Xian wore a mask, his attire had not changed, and the patterns on his wings matched Little Nora's down to the finest detail. Chun Mu easily recognized his identity. "Lord Salty Fish... is actually a Star Rank powerhouse," Chun Mu murmured in shock. The other members were equally stunned, but before long, they could no longer bear the soaring temperatures all around them. "Chun Mu, stop staring! We have to get out of here first!" "Understood." Shaking off his astonishment, Chun Mu turned and followed the team in fleeing the battlefield. Yu Xian's strike covered an immense area, incinerating vast numbers of beasts in an instant. But it had also reduced the earth to a molten sea of magma, leaving the Ancient Cosmos Dragon no choice but to burst out from underground. It rocketed from the earth straight into the heavens. Upon reaching the airspace above Yu Xian, it suddenly dove down with ferocious speed, streaking like a supersonic arrowhead. Tornado Storm! As the Ancient Cosmos Dragon closed in on Yu Xian, its body spun rapidly. Countless scales turned their razor-sharp edges outward, instantly forming a black tornado possessing terrifying slicing power.