The Dragon Scales
Xiao Yan surged forward again.
Fury burned through his veins, drowning out pain, doubt, and exhaustion. The God-Destroying Sword gleamed in his grasp as he closed the distance between himself and the Ansha.
With a fierce cry, he swung.
The blade sliced through the air with terrifying force, aiming directly at the Ansha's back.
But the moment the sword struck—
It stopped.
A metallic resonance echoed across the battlefield.
The blade had not cut flesh.
Instead, it struck something impossibly hard.
Xiao Yan's eyes widened.
A deep bluish layer of armor covered the Ansha's body.
Dragon scales.
Ancient.
Dense.
Unbreakable.
The realization froze Xiao Yan for a split second.
That moment was all the Ansha needed.
The Ansha turned slowly, his eyes glowing faintly with celestial power.
Then he struck.
The blow landed like a falling mountain.
Xiao Yan's body was hurled backward through the air, crashing violently into the ground. The celestial surface cracked beneath him as he rolled to a stop, blood spilling from his mouth.
The Ansha's voice thundered across the battlefield.
"Is this what you've been doing all these years?!"
His words echoed like rolling storms across the Celestial Realm.
"A century of peace—and yet you still call me your enemy!"
LuQi roared back instantly.
"Shut up!"
His voice carried rage strong enough to shake the air itself.
"You didn't attack because you knew we were no match for you!"
LuQi pointed his blade toward the sky.
"You're just full of pride!"
But the accusation barely moved the Ansha.
He remained calm.
Hovering mid-air.
His posture was almost casual—one leg bent at a perfect ninety-degree angle while the other extended downward without touching the ground.
Gravity itself seemed irrelevant to him.
His eyes swept across the battlefield.
Then he advanced again.
Saints, disciples, and demons rushed forward to stop him.
Spells exploded.
Weapons flashed.
But it was useless.
With a single sweeping strike of his hand, the Ansha released a wave of crushing force.
Bodies were sent flying in every direction.
Cultivators slammed into floating rocks and shattered fragments of celestial ground. None could even slow his progress.
Amid the chaos—
Xiao Yan struggled to stand.
His vision swam.
His ribs ached.
But the fire in his chest refused to die.
Suddenly—
A figure appeared beside him.
Nem.
Without a word, Nem extended the sword toward him.
The God-Destroying Sword.
Xiao Yan grasped the weapon again.
The moment his hand closed around the hilt, a powerful surge of energy rushed through his body.
The sword felt alive.
As if it recognized him.
As if it had been waiting for this moment.
Around him, the battered disciples saw him rise.
Hope flickered once more.
"The Ansha!" Xiao Yan called out.
His voice rang across the battlefield like a challenge.
The Ansha stopped and turned.
A faint smile appeared on his lips.
"You're awake."
Xiao Yan moved.
In an instant he launched forward, his speed like a streak of lightning cutting through the heavens.
The God-Destroying Sword slashed downward.
The Ansha met him head-on.
Their powers collided violently.
Lightning, celestial force, and demonic energy exploded outward as their strikes met again and again.
Shockwaves scattered the clouds of the Celestial Realm.
Floating islands trembled.
The sky itself rippled under the impact.
Behind Xiao Yan—
Nem extended his hand.
Dark energy surged from his body.
The power of a devil god flowed into Xiao Yan like a raging tide.
The sudden boost tipped the balance.
For the first time—
The Ansha was pushed back.
Ten meters.
His body slid through the air before he regained his footing.
A thin line of blood appeared at the corner of his lips.
The battlefield froze.
Xiao Yan landed heavily on the celestial ground.
But he remained standing.
Unbroken.
For the first time since the battle began—
The Ansha had bled.