Star Phoenix Demonic Dragon clutched its head, wailing in agony. Its eyes were mismatched, one clear, the other pitch black. It seemed as if two beings controlled a single body.
"Kill me quickly, please," it cried.
"You, go back! This body belongs only to me. You can only be suppressed by me forever."
"Hurry and strike! If I fail, the entire world will be plunged into darkness."
"Shut up!"
Two distinct voices emanated from the Star Phoenix Demonic Dragon. The suppressed consciousness was awakening and clashing with the Demonic Dragon's own. However, judging by the current situation, the awakened consciousness was at a disadvantage, having been suppressed for too long. Chen Tian's intention was precisely to reawaken the original consciousness of the Star Phoenix Demonic Dragon.
Chen Tian shook his head helplessly and moved behind the Star Phoenix Demonic Dragon. His elemental long sword pierced through, sinking into its body with a *thud*. Streams of black energy flowed from the wound.
The elemental long sword was enveloped by the black energy and shattered. Chen Tian did not give up; he condensed another sword in his hand and struck repeatedly.
The Star Phoenix Demonic Dragon roared in fury, "Brat, you're courting death! You're courting death!"
It saw through Chen Tian's intention. Chen Tian's attacks were actually helping to expel the evil spirit energy within. The more the energy flowed out, the weaker its internal power and consciousness became.
The Star Phoenix Demonic Dragon was currently battling another consciousness. As Chen Tian attacked, the black energy covering its body began to fade. Its eyes regained clarity, followed by its entire form, bathed in starlight.
The Star Phoenix Demonic Dragon transformed into its true form, its phoenix wings of starlight unfurling. The immense black energy surged towards the heavens.
As the evil spirit energy departed, a different Star Phoenix Dragon appeared before Chen Tian.
"Brat, thank you. I've finally reclaimed my body."
The Star Phoenix Heavenly Dragon looked immensely relieved, having not had control of its body for a long time.
"Brat, I will kill you! I will kill you! You obstructed the Master's plan. You will all die, all of you!"
"Evil Spirit Manifestation!"
The black energy that had been expelled by the Star Phoenix Demonic Dragon now floated in the sky. Thunder crackled, the heavens seemed to weep, and dark clouds gathered.
The black energy coalesced, forming a black point of light. The Star Phoenix Heavenly Dragon said sternly, "You three little ones, hurry and leave! He's about to materialize."
"What about you?"
"Me? I can still resist him for a bit."
"No, you going in that state is suicide."
"Then do you have another solution? Only by sacrificing myself to create a barrier can I trap him for ten thousand years, perhaps."
The Star Phoenix Heavenly Dragon had made its resolve. It absolutely would not let this creature escape. Such an embodiment of evil was the apocalypse for the world.
Chen Tian said calmly, "I have a method to deal with him, but you must agree to one condition."
"What condition? As long as it can save the world, I will agree to anything."
The Star Phoenix Heavenly Dragon asked without hesitation, choosing the world over itself.
"Become my summoned pet and fuse with me. Including other pets and Number, our combined strength can contend with him."
Chen Tian's gaze was firm. He did not wish to use the fusion function; the cost was too great. Power always came at a price. Chen Tian understood this well. The Star Phoenix Heavenly Dragon did not refuse, agreeing within a second.
Chen Tian shifted his class to Summoner, placing his hands on the Star Phoenix Heavenly Dragon's head. A magic circle appeared behind Chen Tian, then vanished. The Star Phoenix Heavenly Dragon was absorbed into the pet space.
"Number, prepare!" Chen Tian shouted.
Number had already recovered its full strength, having observed from the sidelines for too long. Number and Chen Tian looked up at the sky. The black energy coalescing in the sky continued to expand. The oppressive atmosphere made it seem as if the end of the world had arrived.
Number asked Chen Tian, "Chen Tian, do you have confidence?"
"Before, I didn't. But with the addition of the Star Phoenix Heavenly Dragon, our chances are sixty percent."
"Sixty percent? I'll bet with you!" Number decided without hesitation. It was a gamble, a bet on that sixty percent chance. If Chen Tian hadn't subdued the Star Phoenix Heavenly Dragon, the odds would have been less than twenty percent. The Star Phoenix Demonic Dragon was at Level 30 of the Emperor Rank, far exceeding Chen Tian and Number.
The Sea Dragon Hunt map did not restrict player levels, nor did the boss levels. Players from other worlds could participate on the fourth floor, leading to a situation where high-level players and lower-level players coexisted. Boss levels were not capped, allowing players to handle bosses of similar levels themselves, preventing high-level players from monopolizing low-level bosses. Furthermore, high-level players killing low-level bosses would have their rewards halved. This was the game's ultimate design to prevent players from endlessly grinding low-level monsters and bosses for experience.
Above the sky, the point of light exploded, and a figure emerged. Chen Tian's divine eyes opened, but the information was blank. His divine eyes couldn't discern it. *This newcomer is not simple*, Chen Tian thought. The opponent's information was like the Star Phoenix Heavenly Dragon's; his divine eyes could see it, even their names. This demonstrated the opponent's power, no wonder the Star Phoenix Heavenly Dragon had made such a resolve.
The figure approached. As the black mist dissipated, it revealed a strange creature with a human-like form, similar to Chen Tian and Number. It had skeletal wings on its back, a black scythe on its left arm, a black dragon claw on its right, bone spurs covering its legs, armor all over its body, and four eyes on its head.
"What is this thing?" Chen Tian and Number admitted they had never seen such a creature before. Did the Evil Spirit race have such beings?
"Brat, I will kill you!" The Shadow Evil Spirit roared. It took a step forward, and Chen Tian and Number felt an immediate sense of crisis. Before they could react or defend, they were slammed to the ground. Two craters appeared. Chen Tian and Number flew out of them. They had witnessed the attack. The speed was incredible, exceeding the theoretical limits of time. The entire event had occurred in less than a millisecond.
"Oh? You survived my attack? It seems this world still has some remarkable individuals." The Shadow Evil Spirit sneered. Chen Tian and Number nodded. Then, Number's body exploded into countless starlight. A giant furnace appeared in the sky, and it descended, absorbing both Number and Chen Tian.
The Shadow Evil Spirit understood their plan and attacked directly. Its left scythe swung, a reaping of death. The furnace merely shook slightly. This time, it was the Shadow Evil Spirit's turn to be astonished. What kind of technique was this? Its attack barely made it budge. The Shadow Evil Spirit, disbelieving, swung its scythe repeatedly, but the furnace remained intact.
*What a joke! Even Chen Tian himself would fear the system's power. It's just an Evil Spirit, and it's not even the system's full power.* This was terrifying. The system was Chen Tian's variable, and some events had exceeded his expectations.
The furnace exploded, and a transformed Chen Tian stood in the sky. Eight pairs of wings unfurled behind him. His left eye, gray and white, represented chaos; his right eye, colorful, represented the order of laws. His skin was as white as snow, his blood flowed like a river, and his nerves were like lotuses. His aura was extraordinary, and he was several heads taller than before. Chen Tian had fused with all his subordinates, methods, and abilities, adopting Number's form. His presence now matched the Shadow Evil Spirit's.
The Shadow Evil Spirit was somewhat surprised. *Is this still the human from before? It's only been a moment. What kind of technique was that, to reach my level so quickly?*
Chen Tian spoke, "Now, let us have a fair fight!" This state of Chen Tian came at a great cost: he would be unable to enter the game world for half a month. This was unbearable for Chen Tian. In half a month, he could have reached countless levels. The half-month here was calculated based on real-world time. However, it did not affect Chen Tian; he could use this time to clear out the Evil Spirit race in the real world and exterminate them. Since the time was nearing anyway, it was fine to resolve it early.
"Brat, don't think you can contend with me. This is just a temporary boost from a secret technique; it's not truly yours." The Shadow Evil Spirit scoffed.
Chen Tian remained silent. His divine eyes opened, and the Shadow Evil Spirit's information appeared. With the gap in strength bridged, he could now see the opponent's information.
Shadow Evil Spirit
Identity: Avatar of the Shadow Evil General
Realm: Immeasurable
Origin: Primordial race of the Myriad Realms' Evil Spirit race.
Note: The host's life origin is too different from the opponent's, thus the system cannot probe further information.
Chen Tian looked at the information. Immeasurable realm, and its origin was merely an avatar? *Good heavens, this is just an avatar!* Chen Tian dared not imagine how strong the main body would be. But none of that mattered, as the Shadow Evil Spirit attacked. While Chen Tian was examining the information, its right dragon claw lunged. Chen Tian extended his index finger. It was a simple, ordinary move, but his fingertip met the dragon claw. Chen Tian flicked his finger, and the Shadow Evil Spirit felt an immense force surge from Chen Tian into its clawed arm. The Shadow Evil Spirit was forced to retreat, breaking its grip. Chen Tian retracted his finger.
"It seems I still need to familiarize myself with this power." Chen Tian sighed. Since the Shadow Evil Spirit was here, it could help him get accustomed to this power. The Shadow Evil Spirit, sensing Chen Tian's thoughts, remained outwardly calm, but inwardly, rage boiled. Chen Tian, while possessing this power, was not familiar with it. He had never encountered such immense strength and needed time to adapt. The previous move with his index finger was a result of him not controlling his power; he had unleashed all of it. Otherwise, Chen Tian would never have dared to face the dragon claw with just a single finger. It was a tragic flaw in combat to not control one's power.
Chen Tian and the Shadow Evil Spirit looked at each other, their eyes emitting a fierce light that collided. It was like a clash of currents; the battlefield was incredibly intense.