The wind blade slashed against the purplish-gold shield of light. The shield did not budge in the slightest, whereas the wind blade—capable of shattering Dominator-grade props—crumbled the very next second, collapsing into a gale that swept across the entire arena. Fury of the Hurricane did not even get the chance to manipulate airflow and replenish his blade.
The Level 8 Wind Mage froze on the spot, utterly unable to accept that the wind blade he had condensed with the aid of the Crown of the Wind King had collapsed in such a fashion.
Wind blades were a Wind Mage's primary offensive ability, and one of the Crown of the Wind King's greatest functions was "Wind Blade Augmentation," condensing a blade of unprecedented destructive power.
In past battles, this colossal wind blade had helped him slay countless enemies; even a Knight's "Wall of Protection" could not block it.
Looming above, the eleven Dominators turned their gazes one after another toward the purplish-gold shield in Jumang's hand, looks of shock or greed flashing in their eyes.
Winnie and Chris were equally flabbergasted. Jumang had yet another Dominator-grade prop in his hands? Just how many Dominator props did he have? He was only a Saint!
Could Fu Qingyang really be generous enough to give him so many Dominator-grade props?
"Stick to the plan!" Fu Qingyang's low voice sounded in everyone's ears. "Hunt the Wind Mages at all costs! We must eliminate members of their ranks, or we might not last until the President arrives to rescue us."
After merely an initial exchange, he had abandoned all thought of hunkering down on the defensive.
The reason was simple: setting aside Desire, whose offensive power was weak, and Eternal Night, whose attacks were mutually destructive, the enemy still had ten Dominators.
Among them were two peak Dominators.
If they chose defense, their side would become sitting ducks. A joint assault from ten Dominators packed a terrifying intensity they had no hope of withstanding. A single Fury of the Hurricane had already neutralized his defensive prop.
Only by whittling down the enemy's numbers would they have a chance to survive.
The Palace Master's resurrection and healing abilities increased the team's margin for error, while Panxi Edison, with his vast array of props, enhanced the group's staying power and utility.
Furthermore, none of the Dominators present on their side were defensive types, especially Heavenly King Demonic Eye. Direct combat was the true way to unleash a Bewitching Demon; holing up on defense was effectively crippling a powerful ally.
Chris said nothing. She had already seen reality clearly: defending in place was an unwise decision.
Yet she was just as pessimistic about going on the offensive. Wind Mages were inherently fast, and with Alcoholics supporting them, reaching Fury of the Hurricane or Seraph seemed impossible.
As for the Lightning Mages, they possessed the life-preserving skill of "Electric Form."
"Change the target," Zhang Yuanqing suddenly spoke up, lowering his voice. "Pick a Lethal Alchemist."
Fu Qingyang glanced at him and nodded. "All right!"
Winnie and Chris showed looks of astonishment once more. They could not fathom that, in a battle of such gravity, Fu Qingyang would adopt and heed a Saint's advice without the slightest hesitation.
Even more unbelievable to them was that neither Heavenly King Demonic Eye nor the Palace Master of Halting Slaughter voiced any objection. Not a word of protest...
As they spoke, Stephen Simpson and the other two Great Fiends suddenly ballooned in size, tearing their clothes to shreds. Their pupils slit into crimson verticals, while the whites of their eyes turned black.
Deep-purple scales sprouted across their exposed skin, their legs transformed into thick reptilian hind limbs, and sharp claws erupted from their hands.
In an instant, the three Great Fiends transformed into Western dragons. Two membranous wings shrouded in poisonous smoke sprouted from their backs, and their deep-purple dragon scales were etched with twisted, intricate occult symbols that formed a perfect, natural array.
From their jagged, fanged maws dripped highly corrosive saliva, and plumes of purple fumes snorted from their nostrils.
The Hell Wyrm, Colchis!
One of the Ten Demon Scions.
Colchis's ability was toxic smoke. In the sacred texts of the Biological Alchemy Society, the Hell Wyrm was the deity's greatest instrument for cleansing the mortal realm; within its body lay boundless toxic fumes, spewed endlessly toward the heavens.
The scriptures described such a scene: purple clouds blotted out the blue sky as the deity rained down a world-ending deluge.
Spreading their membranous wings, the three Hell Wyrms crouched upon the spectator stands, their colossal frames sweeping aside all the surrounding tables and chairs. Lowering their heads, they spewed viscous, billowing streams of toxic fumes toward the center of the colosseum.
A peak Dominator coupled with two Level 8 Dominators—the potency of this toxic smoke was enough to slay any Dominator below Level 9.
In an instant, the poisonous mist surged forth like a tidal wave.
Heavenly King Demonic Eye chuckled, the corners of his lips curving upward. "Right up my alley!"
He immediately puffed out his belly, drew in a deep breath, and with a roaring whoosh, spewed out a dense, grayish-white fog.
The thick fog swiftly billowed outward, intertwining with the toxic smoke and surging toward the stands, blanketing the entire colosseum in an instant.
Piercing shrieks of wind rang out as gales rose from the ground, sucking up the dense fog and toxic fumes before hurling them into the night sky.
The ones who had acted were the two Wind Mage Dominators.
Whether the Great Fiends' toxic smoke could kill the Dominators of the orthodox faction, they could not say, but if the Mist Lord's fog was allowed to blanket the entire arena, someone among their Level 8 Dominators would definitely return to the Spirit Realm.
Belonging to the evil faction themselves, they knew all too well how terrifying an Ancient God of War was inside thick fog.
Teleporting through mist, mist transformation that ignored physical attacks, unmatched close-quarters combat prowess, and bizarrely potent demonic eyes—if the fog were permitted to spread, Heavenly King Demonic Eye could slaughter a Level 8 Dominator with ease.
Heavenly King Demonic Eye scoffed, gazing mockingly at the Dominators looming high above.
His purpose in unleashing the fog had been to force the Wind Mages to blow away the toxic smoke. Of course, if the enemy Wind Mages proved stubborn, he would have gladly shown the Dominators of the First District just how frightening an Ancient God of War could be.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Pillars of lightning descended one after another, crashing into the orthodox ranks.
As before, Winnie raised both arms high, turning herself into a lightning rod to draw in the heavenly thunder.
Panxi Edison raised a cross shield, blocking the remaining two lightning pillars. At the same time, he swiftly pulled out a horn bow and a bronze plaque. He first tossed the bronze plaque toward Cowboy Locke, once again trading away the man's "Distortion" ability.
Then he threw the horn bow to Heavenly King Demonic Eye. "Take it and use it! The usage fee for this battle is five hundred thousand Federal dollars. If you're not dead when the fight is over, remember to return the prop and pay the fee!"
Heavenly King Demonic Eye caught the longbow. Taking a closer look, his grin widened.
"Good bow!"
Stepping forward into a lunge, he hauled back the bowstring with all his might. Blood-colored mist erupted from his fingertips, congealing into a crimson arrow.
Thwack, thwack, thwack... The bow roared like a clap of thunder, string snapping violently. Demonic Eye's drawing motion was swift as an afterimage. In two seconds, he loosed eleven shots, his vital qi condensing into arrows as if it cost nothing, raining down upon the enemy Dominators.
Every single arrow was condensed from the vital qi of an Ancient God of War.
He automatically ignored Catherine, considering it a thankless task to target a class whose self-preservation was virtually impregnable while its offensive threat was negligible.
The two Dominators of Chaos raised their hands with a dismissive sweep, altering the trajectories of the twelve arrows so they missed their marks entirely. Yet as though endowed with sentience, the arrows banked sharply, curving around in midair to strike their targets once more.
The arrows carried the Bewitching Demon's "Mark," homing in automatically. Though not on par with Fu Qingyang's art approaching the Dao, they were not something that could be casually dismissed.
Thwack, thwack, thwack... Demonic Eye kept drawing the bow without pause, one blood-colored arrow after another screeching through the air.
Streams of crimson light whistled and darted across the colosseum.
Seizing the opening while the enemy Dominators were evading or defending, Fu Qingyang donned the Swordmaster Cloak and swallowed a bead glittering with starlight. The next second, he dissolved into starlight and vanished.
Dreamlike starlight welled up beside the Hell Wyrm whose Spirit Realm ID was "Hell Wyrm."
Flap! The cloak snapped in the wind as Fu Qingyang drew the gleaming Jade Dragon Sword and delivered an unremarkable, plain slash toward the dragon's neck.
In that instant, sensory disorientation, loss of direction, revelry, and other powerful crowd-control skills rained down on Fu Qingyang all at once.
Two pale beams shot from Stephen Simpson's eyes, striking straight toward Fu Qingyang's face.
Lightning pillars crashed down; wind blades whistled through the air.
The Dominators of the evil faction focused their fire on Fu Qingyang simultaneously.
Panxi Edison teleported between the pale beams and Fu Qingyang, holding a small mirror that deflected the petrification beams unleashed by the peak Dominator.
The clatter of hooves rang out as Chris rode a steed formed of flowing water, bringing Heavenly King Demonic Eye to the rescue, the mount moving as swiftly as a bolt of lightning.
Chris grabbed Demonic Eye by the shoulder and hurled him forward with all her might.
Mid-somersault, Demonic Eye manifested an avatar with three heads and eight arms, blocking the oncoming swarm of wind blades. Eight arms brandishing sabers, spears, swords, halberds, and shields wheeled into motion, shattering every last wind blade.
At the same time, the vertical eye on his forehead blasted a golden-red beam of light toward the two Wind Mages.
Winnie Berrent transformed into bright-blue electric current and charged into the spectator stands of her own accord, two lightning spears coalescing in her hands. One she hurled at Hamburger Fried Chicken, the other she thrust toward Federal Inspector.
She was taking on two Level 8 Lightning Mages all by herself.
Going all out, holding off two Dominators of the same level and class for a brief period was not impossible; the price was that she had to withdraw safely before exhausting her strength, or death was certain.
The Hell Wyrm's massive body spasmed violently. Its limbs, torso, and brain seemed to have wills of their own, each wanting to dodge in a different direction.
There was no dodging it!
The Jade Dragon Sword cleaved downward. With a flash of sword light, that hideous, massive dragon head slowly tumbled off, a geyser of reeking crimson blood spurting forth.
Yet the dragon's body did not fall. At the ragged stump of its neck, flesh squirmed and quickly sprouted two canine heads, while its draconic frame shifted into the pitch-black body of a hound.
In the blink of an eye, the Hell Wyrm transformed into the "Purgatory Demon Hound," Cerberus—another of the Ten Demon Scions. Legend had it that the Purgatory Demon Hound was the great entity guarding the gates to the realm of the gods.
It had three heads, each head representing a life.
Fu Qingyang seemed to have anticipated this and calmly raised the Jade Dragon Sword.
A chill gripped Hell Wyrm's heart. Only after experiencing the legendary art approaching the Dao firsthand did he truly understand how terrifying Fu Qingyang's strike was.
Just as the Jade Dragon Sword rose, Fu Qingyang suddenly lost his sense of direction, slashing inexplicably toward his left.
In the distance, Cowboy Locke had cast the loss of direction skill from his "Chaos" arsenal upon him. Although his ability to "distort rules" was continuously being traded away by Edison, his other skills remained intact; he merely couldn't fire his gun.
Fu Qingyang was a Level 8 Puppeteer endowed with an Iron Will. A Level 8 Dominator of Chaos might not have been able to control him, but Cowboy Locke could achieve absolute crowd control.
Seeing this, Hell Wyrm spewed out toxic smoke without hesitation, enveloping Fu Qingyang. Immediately after, the two canine heads' six eyes flared with petrification beams, piercing into the dense smog.
Given a Puppeteer's frailty, the combination of toxic fumes and petrification beams was more than enough to claim his life.
Just then, a dazzling miniature sun rose, shedding clear, brilliant golden light that illuminated the nocturnal colosseum bright as day.
The exclusionary nature of the divine power of the sun made the Dominators present intensely uncomfortable, feeling like needles were pricking their backs.
Suspended above Zhang Yuanqing's head was the Golden Crow Seal, activated at the critical moment.
Golden flames burned across his body, his skin glowing bright red like heated iron.
Sizzle, sizzle...
Beneath the sunlight, the deep-purple toxic smoke hissed like boiling oil, swiftly evaporating and purifying to reveal Fu Qingyang trapped within.
His clothes were tattered, his exposed flesh ulcerated and oozing pus, while half of his body was coated in a pale, stony luster.
Under the pure, limpid radiance, the petrification on Fu Qingyang's half flaked away, and Cowboy Locke's "Chaos" ability was nullified.
With no debuffs burdening him any longer, Fu Qingyang struck instantly, aiming to lop off Hell Wyrm's second head.
"Fu Qingyang!"
At that moment, a voice speaking pure, authentic Chinese rang through the entire arena.
The hand Fu Qingyang held aloft with his sword stiffened abruptly. Blue-black scales sprouted across his body, his hair fell out, rigid ox horns grew from his head, and lumps swelled on his back, bursting open into a pair of dripping membranous wings.
His pupils narrowed into scarlet slits; his sanity receded, replaced by madness and cold malice.
In the blink of an eye, Fu Qingyang aberrated into a monster.
The clear, limpid sunlight cast by the Golden Crow Seal shone upon him, restoring a shred of humanity to those cold, frenzied slit eyes, but failing to restore his human form.
A mere name caused the boss to aberrate? Zhang Yuanqing looked in horror toward the source of the voice, catching sight of a six-meter-tall demon. It was humanoid, covered from head to toe in horn-like carapace, with a slender, feminine build. The carapace covering its face resembled a glamorous mask, beneath which blazed a pair of glowing golden eyes.
The Abyssal Banshee—Scylla!
The corresponding honorable name surfaced in Zhang Yuanqing's mind. Scylla was one of the Ten Demon Scions, whose ability was aberration.
Uttering a name could cause the target to aberrate—even a Spirit Realm ID. If it were a true name, the intensity of the aberration would be far greater.
This Scylla was the transformation of Stephen Simpson. Only the power of a peak Dominator could instantly aberrate Fu Qingyang, who possessed an Iron Will.
Without hesitation, Zhang Yuanqing activated the Incineration skill within the Golden Crow Seal. All the sunlight gathered back in, and after a brief buildup of power, the Golden Crow Seal unleashed a blinding, scorching ray.
The Ten Demon Scions each possessed unique abilities, and Scylla's defense was not strong.
The towering Scylla swiftly altered its demonic form, turning into a glittering golden lion, roughly three meters long and one meter tall, looking as though cast from solid gold.
The lion opened its maw and roared, erecting a golden barrier before itself that blocked the scorching ray.
"Give it to me..."
As Zhang Yuanqing was locked in a struggle against the golden lion, a warm breath brushed his ear, sending a tingling numbness coursing through his entire body.
Catherine drifted over like a phantom. Seizing the opportunity while Demonic Eye and the others were entangled with enemies and the rear guard was vulnerable, she moved in, attempting to snatch the Golden Crow Seal from Zhang Yuanqing's hands.
Under the suppression of her higher tier, Zhang Yuanqing's mind faltered in an instant.
"Hmph!"
The Palace Master of Halting Slaughter raised her hand and grasped at empty air. Seeming to catch hold of something, she wound it swiftly around her snow-white wrist.
She had tied Zhang Yuanqing's red string to herself.
Whoever had their red string bound to her was compelled to fall madly in love with her.
This was fighting magic with magic.
Zhang Yuanqing's mind cleared instantly. He swung the scorching ray immediately toward Catherine.
Catherine's expression shifted, looking on the verge of tears as she gasped, "Don't..."
Zhang Yuanqing froze again. Catherine shot a resentful glare at the Palace Master of Halting Slaughter, then glided backward, unwilling to take any further risks and waiting for the next opportunity.
Seeing this, Zhang Yuanqing switched the Golden Crow Seal's ability, allowing golden sunlight imbued with purifying power to bathe every corner of the arena.
The Palace Master of Halting Slaughter raised her slender, snow-white neck and released a soaring, crystalline dolphin note.
Her song was like a clear spring pouring into parched earth, giving Fu Qingyang's spirit an instant lift, while the pure, limpid golden light rapidly restored his body to human form.
Bearing the trauma of his injuries, Fu Qingyang seized the moment while the purifying power dispelled all crowd control and his allied Dominators risked their lives to hold back the enemy. Taking a stride forward, he poured all the sword qi and spiritual force throughout his body into the Jade Dragon Sword, unleashing a slash toward the Hell Wyrm fleeing into the distance.
After advancing to Dominator, his slashing range had expanded to fifty meters!
Chapter 762