“Form up! Protect the Princess!”
A’Long forced down the piercing pain in his soul and roared hoarsely.
Together with the other two guards, he mustered the last of their inner strength, forming a crude triangular defense formation to shield Margaret, Qingzhu, and the dying Old Zhang behind them.
But deep down, they all knew—their defense was nothing but paper before those four terrifying puppets.
The battle was about to erupt.
At the same time, deep within Penglai Island, inside a lavish palace—
The banquet of wine and flesh continued, the music of indulgence echoing through the hall.
Without a sound, Ao Kun’s figure appeared once more on his massive white jade recliner, as though he had never left.
“Big brother has returned?”
The effeminate man paused his playing of the zither and looked up with a smile.
The robed man and the stunning woman beside him also turned their eyes toward Ao Kun.
Ao Kun ignored them. He reclined lazily, accepting a cup of fine wine from a courtesan at his side, yet his gaze shifted toward the center of the grand hall.
There, where nothing had been moments ago, a vast mirror of shimmering ripples now floated in midair.
Within its surface appeared a clear reflection of the Jade Pool’s core—the white jade platform—
and on it, Dustin, standing ready, facing the four dragonblood war puppets that radiated murderous energy.
“Oh? So that’s the boy who humiliated Bai Chan and shattered the Illusory Mirage of the Siren Maiden?”
The man in the Daoist robe leaned forward with interest, eyes gleaming as he looked at the mirror.
The beautiful woman covered her lips and chuckled softly.
It would be such a bore if he were torn apart right away.”
The effeminate man plucked a teasing note from his zither.
Let’s see what tricks he’s hiding.”
Ao Kun took a slow sip of his wine, eyes cold and detached as he watched Dustin in the mirror—
as if watching a gladiator in an arena, nothing more.
On the white jade platform below, Dustin stood before the four puppets, their killing aura blending into a single suffocating storm.
He knew—there was no point in testing them.
He drew a deep breath, and the nearly depleted Xuanqing true energy within him roared to life once more.
The sword intent surrounding him no longer hid itself—
it burst forth like a divine blade drawn from its sheath, slicing toward the heavens!
“ROAR!”
The four Dragonblood War Puppets, seemingly enraged by his sword intent, let out inhuman shrieks.
Their bodies blurred into four dark-red afterimages, charging in from different directions with power strong enough to rend space itself.
Their speed was terrifying—each claw swipe tore faint distortions in the air!
Dustin’s eyes sharpened.
He did not retreat—he advanced.
The longsword in his hand sang with a dragon’s cry, its blade blazing with bright azure light.
“Azure Lotus Sword Domain!”
With a low shout, countless threads of sword energy exploded from his body, blooming outward like lotus petals.
In an instant, they formed a sword domain several meters wide—
a realm of pure blade and spirit.
Within the domain, sword energy wove into an impenetrable lattice—no gap, no mercy.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The four puppets lunged in.
Their claws clashed against the swirling sword energy, sparks flying like rain on banana leaves.
Though the sword aura bit deep, it could barely scratch their metallic flesh—
the blades left only faint white marks, too shallow to truly pierce.
Worse still, the dragonblood miasma coating their claws corroded the sword energy itself,
causing the once-fluent rotation of the domain to stutter.
“Such durable shells,” the robed man remarked before the water mirror, raising an eyebrow.
The stunning woman chuckled lightly.
Ordinary sword qi could never harm them.”
Back on the platform, Dustin realized the same.
His sword intent shifted—
abandoning wide-range attacks for surgical precision.
He became a blur among the four war puppets, his body weaving like a ghost.
The sword in his hand became a streak of condensed blue lightning—
every thrust, pierce, flick, and sweep striking exactly at their joints, eye sockets, or other weak points!
“Xuanqing Barrier Break!”
At the sword’s tip gathered a burst of radiant, purifying energy—
a strike designed to counter the corruption of dragonblood.
Psshht!
The sword light pierced one puppet’s eye socket.
The crimson glow within it dimmed instantly, its movements freezing for a heartbeat—
but the remaining three puppets’ claws were already slashing toward his back!
Without turning, Dustin swung his sword in a smooth, circular arc.
“Circle of Harmony!”
A perfect arc of sword energy burst forth, deflecting all three incoming blows.
Yet the sheer force of impact sent Dustin staggering backward several steps, blood churning within his chest.
The battle had reached its fever pitch.
Dustin’s swordsmanship, movement, and command of the Xuanqing true energy were pushed to their absolute limits.
Amid the storm of claws and blades, azure sword light and crimson shadows tangled and collided again and again,
each impact shaking the entire white jade platform.
The shockwaves forced A’Long and the others back repeatedly; they could barely stay on their feet.
Before the mirror, Ao Kun remained expressionless, sipping his wine in silence.
The zither player’s rhythm quickened slightly,
as if even he could not help but be drawn into the intensity of the fight.
The robed man and the beautiful woman’s mockery faded; now they watched in genuine focus.
he might have already destroyed them one by one.”
The woman nodded.
In a prolonged battle, defeat is inevitable.”
As if to prove her words, Dustin was struck backward in a heavy clash.
Blood trickled from the corner of his lips, and his breathing grew unsteady.
Sensing weakness, the four Dragonblood War Puppets roared in unison.
The crimson miasma around them flared like flames,
their killing intent intensifying further.
Their next assault came faster, heavier—merciless.
Dustin’s eyes hardened. He knew—there was no longer any room to hold back.
He drove his sword into the white jade floor before him.
Both hands moved in a blur, weaving ancient and complex seals before his chest.
An immense, primordial power began to stir around him—
vast and boundless, as though summoning the very stars of the heavens to respond.
He was about to unleash his true trump card. - Marinien
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