Chapter 2 The Second Mountain Range
Within the second mountain range, Chen Tian slowly reached the summit. At the top, a young man sat in meditation, as serene as an old monk. Chen Tian observed the youth, who exuded a strange, transparent black aura, and cautiously readied himself.
Simultaneously, the young man slowly opened his eyes, his gaze fixed fiercely on Chen Tian. A sinister voice echoed, "Heir of the Ancestral Dragon, die!"
The youth possessed black eyes, black and gold hair, and black and gold skin. His hands had transformed into lion claws, also black and gold, their tips gleaming with an eerie sharpness. With a swift step, he was before Chen Tian.
Chen Tian crossed his arms and blocked the incoming claw attack. However, he was still knocked back.
Surprised, Chen Tian checked his status panel. He saw that his opponent possessed the "Repel" and "Diffusion" traits. He knew he had to be careful.
"Die!"
The young man regarded Chen Tian and erupted with incredible speed. Chen Tian, not to be outdone, activated his Dragon Transformation and charged at his opponent.
Nine-colored dragon claws clashed against black and gold lion claws. They traded blows relentlessly, exchanging punches.
It was like an "Ora" versus "Muda" battle, their claws flying. Chen Tian was again repelled, a trickle of blood appearing at the corner of his mouth.
He muttered, "Ten levels higher than me, truly a case of one level dominating another!"
Wiping the blood from his lip, his health bar slowly replenished. Fortunately, the damage was not significant; otherwise, this direct confrontation might have been his undoing.
Chen Tian calmly regarded the NPC before him, Long Shitian, the second Dragon Son. His true form was a Golden Mane Dragon Lion, but due to demonic influence, he had become a Black-Gold Lion. Their essences were now intertwined, inseparable. Chen Tian knew he had to defeat him to grant him release.
Chen Tian's nine-colored scales glowed with renewed brilliance. A thin layer of purple-ice crystalline armor formed over his body. His dragon claws shimmered with faint nine-colored dragon claw projections.
Ability: Enhance.
This was an ability of the Ancestral Dragon, capable of strengthening any part of the body, increasing stats and defense. In his current Dragon Transformation state, Chen Tian could now trade blows with Long Shitian.
He took a step forward, and his magnificent nine-colored wings slowly unfurled. He transformed into a streak of nine-colored light. Long Shitian, too, unfurled black and gold wings behind him, resembling those of a bird of prey.
Long Shitian also became a beam of black and gold light. They resembled orbs of light, colliding, grinding, and spinning as they ascended from the ground into the air. With a boom, they fully spread their wings. Chen Tian charged forward, his Ancestral Dragon Claw extended, the nine-colored claw imbued with terrifying power, seeming to tear through everything. The surrounding air seemed to shatter, the blue sky collapsed, and the white clouds dissipated.
Long Shitian extended his legs, which instantly transformed into colossal beastly limbs—lion's paws. He stomped on the sky, and terrifying shockwaves radiated outwards in concentric circles.
Seeing this, Chen Tian pulled his wings together, forming a protective shield around himself. The ferocious shockwaves struck his nine-colored wings, and Chen Tian was continuously pushed back.
Combined with "Diffusion" and "Repel," Chen Tian took no damage but groaned as he was forced backward.
As the shockwaves subsided, Chen Tian spread his wings. A figure appeared before him, a fearsome lion's claw aimed at his face. Chen Tian reacted swiftly, lifting his left leg and delivering a full-powered kick. His leg struck the claw, and both figures were propelled backward.
Chen Tian looked at Long Shitian. This opponent was even more troublesome. With his "Diffusion" and "Repel" abilities, a direct physical confrontation was impossible.
The "Diffusion" ability allowed any of his actions to generate shockwaves and inflict damage, while "Repel" forcibly pushed opponents away. Combined, these two abilities formed a perfect synergy.
Every clash with Long Shitian meant enduring the damage from "Diffusion" and the effect of "Repel," putting Chen Tian at a significant disadvantage in close combat.
"It seems I need to change my strategy."
Chen Tian pondered, then altered his approach. If close combat was not viable, he would resort to ranged attacks.
His hands transformed into dragon claws and extended. Blue flames appeared, the Divine Fire manifesting. Two azure fireballs materialized in Chen Tian's hands, which he hurled forward.
Long Shitian opened his maw and unleashed a barrage of sonic waves from the air, causing the mountain range below to tremble. The sonic waves surged towards Chen Tian's Divine Fire orbs.
They exploded, releasing azure smoke. Chen Tian extended his claws, and a longbow formed from blue flames appeared in his hands. With his right hand, he pinched his fingers, and an arrow materialized between them. Chen Tian nocked the arrow onto the flame bow and let loose a shot. The arrow, composed of Divine Fire, shot forth, casting a faint blue glow across the sky, making it resemble a starry river.
Long Shitian watched the flame arrow hurtling towards him. His eyes shifted, and his fur began to radiate a black-gold light. His fur bristled, standing on end, making him resemble a porcupine. Countless fine black-gold hairs shot out like needles, aimed at Chen Tian.
Chen Tian's Divine Fire arrow was pierced by the dense rain of black-gold hairs and instantly shattered. Chen Tian slowly opened his hands.
A purple-ice shield materialized before him. With his left hand, he fired a volley of purple-ice crystals, like a shower of amethysts.
Black-gold hairs, needle-fine, a torrential downpour, wild and boundless.
Purple crystals, crystal clear, extreme cold, freezing heaven and earth.
Both unleashed their skills and techniques. The countless purple crystals and black-gold hairs collided. The purple crystals shattered, the hairs were frozen, yet their attacks did not cease.
Divine Ice appeared in Chen Tian's hand, and a flurry of purple crystals shot out from it. The dense golden hairs struck the Divine Ice shield before Chen Tian, causing only a few cracks to appear.
As their attacks dissipated, they stood on opposite sides, gazing at each other. Chen Tian held Divine Fire in his left hand and Divine Ice in his right. With both present, immense power filled the sky. Auras of red and blue erupted from Chen Tian's body, enveloping him.
Chen Tian's left hand became a blue fiery sun, and his right hand became a purple-ice sun. He held these two suns above his head, and the ice and fire suns slowly merged.
A translucent, crystal-like sun of blue and purple emerged, as large as the actual sun. It appeared to be composed of amethyst, shimmering and bright, radiating terrifying purple-blue flames.
Chen Tian slowly raised his hands and performed a throwing motion. Instantly, this colossal sun plummeted towards Long Shitian.
Purple sun, blue-purple flames, like raging fire, like the sun, like a dark shadow.
Skill: Ice-Fire Radiant Heaven, Third Stage.
Chen Tian had developed the "Ice-Fire Radiant Heaven" skill to its third stage, this being its form and manifestation.
Long Shitian gazed at the blue-purple flaming sun before him, a faint black-gold light emanating from his body. His eyes grew darker and deeper.
Just as he was about to move, his body became immobile.
Then, one of his eyes regained clarity, and he said, "Ancestral Dragon, I beg you, grant me release with this strike."
Long Shitian's original essence consciousness was struggling against the control of his body. Instantly, Long Shitian was completely unable to move.
"Damn it, you should have been suppressed by me, why? You want death? Impossible, this body will be my puppet forever."
The other half of Long Shitian's face twisted into an evil grin. A faint black light emanated from him, and his golden eyes flickered erratically.
"No, no, what are you doing? You're burning your own essence to stop me? No!"
This time, it was the other half that was astonished. Long Shitian was actually burning his own essence to prevent him from acting.
Instantly, the blue-purple sun enveloped and consumed Long Shitian. Long Shitian's body, unable to withstand the Divine Fire and Divine Ice, was incinerated within seconds.
A system interface appeared before Chen Tian, but he paid it no mind. What concerned him was Long Shitian's willingness to self-sacrifice. Once his essence was completely burned, it meant he could not reappear.
In the game "Epoch of Time," the essence of beast races, as long as it wasn't entirely consumed, could be reborn even after death, albeit after hundreds of years.
This was a trait possessed by top-tier beast races, similar to the Ancient Moon Fire Phoenix he had encountered earlier. Its essence was undamaged, but it died and transformed into an egg, needing to undergo rebirth and live another life.
Chen Tian looked at the interface before him, a hint of confusion in his gaze. He then ignored it and said, "It seems the task is only two-sevenths complete for now!"
Chen Tian then left the area.
As Chen Tian departed, he had traversed numerous mountain ranges. Just as the mission interface indicated, the remaining five Dragon Sons had already left.
Their states were similar to Long Shitian's, and they did not wish to experience their essence resisting their bodies during a battle with Chen Tian. This not only limited their strength but rendered them incapable of fighting.
Essence fusion meant one individual controlled half of the body's will, and only complete suppression of the other could achieve full control. Long Shitian's case was a temporary suppression. He had believed it wouldn't affect the battle, but unexpectedly, his consciousness had awakened, preventing him from resisting Chen Tian's ultimate attack. He was the most ignominiously defeated Dragon Son.