THE DRAGON GOD AGAINST THE HEAVENS

10.

The question flashing through his mind did not linger for long. As the Ancient Divine Dragon Blood boiled even more furiously inside his veins, an absolute comprehension suddenly flooded Wang Chen's awareness. This event seemed to activate a muscle and soulful memory that had been embedded within his lineage for thousands of years.

Wuuuush!

The method of channeling energy, the angle of his footwork, down to the exact point of Qi release at his fingertips... everything suddenly felt so familiar, as effortless as breathing!

Boom!

In that desperate plight, Wang Chen's memory did not just stop at a single technique. His mind, which had been unlocked in every aspect, began to synchronize with the other technique he had utilized previously.

His brilliant brain worked at extreme speed, connecting the essence of the Dragon Shadow Step with the Thousand Thunder Step technique.

Wuuuuuush!

“In that case, let’s combine them!” Wang Chen cried out in his heart.

BZZZZZZT!

The air around Wang Chen's feet suddenly distorted. The golden energy that had initially flowed calmly in his meridians was now compressed and erupted into blue-golden electrical sparks. A faint rumbling sound of thunder began to echo with every friction of his steps.

Wuuush! Sreeet!

Right when the sharp horn of the giant crocodile in front of him almost impaled his chest, Wang Chen’s body shifted half a step. The movement was so blindingly fast that it created an illusory afterimage left behind in his place.

CRAAAASH!

The crocodile's horn slammed only into an empty shadow. In that exact same second, Wang Chen’s true body was already at the creature's left side, moving as fast as a bolt of lightning striking in the dark of night.

"Take this, you damn monster!"

The innocence and fear of the youth had now completely evaporated, replaced by a burning courage. Wang Chen clenched his right fist. He concentrated the entirety of his pure Qi energy into that fist, forming a dense, shimmering protective layer of energy shaped like a Dragon's claw.

Without a single shred of hesitation, Wang Chen slammed his fist straight toward the lower jaw of the Staghorn Crocodile, which was renowned for being as hard as steel plates.

BOOOOOOM!

A violent explosion of energy resonated across the bottom of the abyss. The black scales deemed immovable shattered into splinters under the pressure of Wang Chen's five-star Initial Fighter Qi.

The giant crocodile's jaw disintegrated instantly, and its body—massing hundreds of kilograms—was thrown violently backward, crashing into the other crocodiles, causing the rest of the pack to let out low growls.

Grrrr! Grrrre!

Wang Chen looked at his hand, which was completely uninjured, then stared at the dozens of pairs of red eyes around him that were now beginning to radiate a sense of dread.

A thin, confident smile slowly etched itself onto the face of the youth who had once always been oppressed.

"So... I'm actually this strong?" Wang Chen whispered, staring at his fist which was still enveloped by the crackling remnants of golden energy.

Seeing one of their comrades collapse in a single blow, the pack of Staghorn Crocodiles froze momentarily. However, the aroma of fresh blood wafting into the air instead triggered the madness of their bestial instincts. Those hundreds of pairs of red eyes flared back to life, and with a deafening roar, they simultaneously lunged to pounce from every direction!

ROAAAAARRRR!

"Come at me! Today, you all shall become the stepping stones for my rise!" Wang Chen shouted, his eyes flashing sharply, radiating an absolute aura of dragon suppression.

BZZZZZZT! BOOM!

Wang Chen stomped his foot against the ground. The combination of the Thousand Thunder Step and the Dragon Shadow Step resonated flawlessly under his increasingly mature control. His body's speed increased exponentially; even if a cultivator were at the same realm, they would be completely unable to perceive his speed.

Sreeet! Wuuuush!

Because Wang Chen's movement was so blindingly fast, the air at the bottom of the abyss seemed to split open. In the eyes of the crocodile pack, Wang Chen’s body suddenly vibrated violently, then miraculously split into two identical figures!

Both figures of Wang Chen moved in opposite directions with a speed matching a flash of lightning. It was no ordinary optical illusion. Rather, the manipulation of Qi energy released through the Dragon Shadow Step caused both afterimages to radiate an energy fluctuation that was just as real, completely deceiving all the senses of the ancient monster pack.

CRAAAAASH!

As the figure of Wang Chen on the left streaked toward the crowd of crocodiles, his fingers hardened, forming a claw due to the manifestation of the Qi he had shaped. He now gripped the head of a five-meter-long crocodile and ripped its steel scales as easily as tearing wet paper.

Slasssh!

From the opposite direction, the other figure of Wang Chen spun in mid-air, slashing his hand wrapped in pure Qi, decapitating two crocodiles at once until dense, black blood sprayed into the air.

BOOM! CRAASH! BOOM!

The floor of the Abyss of Despair instantly transformed into a one-sided slaughter stage. Wang Chen moved nimbly like a ghost dancing amidst the darkness. His two figures continuously flashed in a zig-zag pattern, shifting from one point to another in the blink of an eye.

Every time his feet struck a rock, the rumbling sound of thunder accompanied his onslaught. Every time his hand moved, the life of a Staghorn Crocodile claimed. Roars of agony and the crushing of the giant reptiles' bones echoed to fill the entire valley.

“More! Not fast enough!” thought Wang Chen, who was now completely immersed in the sensation of battle.

His comprehension of the techniques improved drastically in the midst of this life-or-death battle storm. His Qi control, which had initially been crude, now became incredibly refined and efficient. The illusory afterimages he created even began to increase in density, causing the pack of crocodiles to snap at empty air in sheer frustration until their toxic teeth shattered to pieces from crashing into their own comrades.

Within a matter of minutes, the hundreds of Staghorn Crocodiles that had initially surrounded him so arrogantly had now piled up into a mountain of carcasses. The damp earth at the bottom of the abyss was now flooded with foul-smelling black blood.

Wuuush...

The two figures of Wang Chen finally merged back into one as he landed gracefully atop a large boulder.

His breathing was slightly hurried, but his eyes radiated a satisfaction he had never felt in his entire life.

Out of the hundreds of crocodiles that had attacked him earlier, now only a few remained at the far end of the path. The crawling beasts, notorious for their ferocity, were now trembling violently, backing away with their tails tucked. In their eyes, the youth before them was no longer a mortal human to be preyed upon, but rather like a raging dragon.

"Want to just leave like that? Fighting you guys seems to sharpen my abilities... So don't just walk away after you've hunted me!"