Chapter Forty-One: The Dragon Clan

If it hadn't already been opened by someone else, it would have taken us quite some effort to do it ourselves.

As we stepped into the Sword Tomb, a broad platform stretched out before us, and atop it stood a solitary figure.

This person stood with his back to us, his stature towering over two meters, his hair cascading down his shoulders.

He must be the mysterious stranger Wu Xin spoke of. But is he truly human? The more I looked, the more he seemed like a fiend.

Xiao Ling was bound to a pillar nearby. Upon seeing us, she cried out, sobbing, “Sister Wei Yan, there’s a bad person here…”

She had barely finished her words when the mysterious figure slowly turned to face us.

He appeared about the same age as Feng Zi Mo, but half his face was covered in scales, grotesque and terrifying.

He showed no surprise at our arrival, as if he had anticipated it all along.

“Who are you? Let Xiao Ling go!” I demanded.

But the stranger ignored me, instead reaching out and pointing at us, counting quietly, “One… two… three… four…”

“Did you hear what I said?” I repeated.

Suddenly, his expression darkened. From over ten meters away, he drew me toward him in an instant.

His hand gripped my neck, his voice icy, “I told you, I despise being interrupted while I’m counting.”

Struggling against the suffocating pain, I managed to force out a broken sentence, “When… did… you… ever… say… that… you… old… bastard…”

Seeing me caught in his grasp, Lin Wei Yan’s Crimson Dawn sword flashed as she charged forward.

Feng Zi Mo followed, wielding his Sky Halberd.

The mysterious figure tossed me aside and turned to engage them.

I took several deep breaths, rising from the ground.

Purple lightning sprang from my hand, striking out toward him.

But it was useless—he was immune to my abilities.

Now I understood: the Nine Palaces Ghost Technique was nowhere near as powerful as the Emperor had claimed.

I abandoned it in favor of the Universe Mirror.

Chanting the incantation, I unleashed a bolt of lightning at the stranger.

After being struck, his body trembled slightly.

The Universe Mirror had some effect, so I didn’t hesitate—another bolt followed swiftly.

Yet, unexpectedly, my aim faltered, and the lightning missed him, grazing past his side.

The stranger seemed unwilling to waste more time with us; his speed suddenly multiplied.

Feng Zi Mo and Lin Wei Yan could barely defend themselves. Within a few exchanges, they were knocked to the ground.

My lethal Soul-Piercing Arrow was now unusable. Was I truly forced to resort to the Devouring Technique?

Though powerful, the Devouring Technique carried dire risks; if my own cultivation couldn’t contain the power I absorbed, I would suffer a fatal backlash.

I weighed the stranger’s cultivation—far beyond the Phantom Demon, by several levels.

Could I truly devour him? The answer was no.

But what choice did I have?

I summoned the Black Jiao to hold off the enemy.

The Black Jiao burst forth, did not disappoint: wild like a raging dragon, it forced the mysterious figure to retreat repeatedly.

Feng Zi Mo and Lin Wei Yan rose, and together we pressed our attack.

For a moment, the stranger was overwhelmed.

Just as I began to feel hopeful, something changed—the stranger seemed to consume a frenzy pill.

He roared, “Dragon Zither, Eight Directions!”

Suddenly, he unleashed a mysterious power, blasting us back ten meters and leaving us severely injured.

An ancient zither appeared before him, and its melodious notes resonated in our ears.

Despite his hideous appearance, he played beautifully.

The enchanting music captivated us all.

Drawn by the zither’s melody, memories of the past flooded my mind.

“Wake up! Don’t be bewitched by the music!”

Wu Xin slapped my face, but I felt nothing.

My mind remained lost in blissful recollections, immersed in the deepest impressions of my student days.

Those years, I secretly admired a girl in my class. Though I never confessed it to anyone, her image lingered in my heart.

Even now, that memory remains indelible.

If only I had summoned the courage, if I had studied harder, if I had…

Perhaps everything would be different now.

But does fate grant us so many ‘ifs’? All it gives us are memories.

Wu Xin slapped me again, but I still didn’t awaken.

Meanwhile, countless little demons appeared around us, encircling our group.

Wu Xin, seeing I could not be roused, tried to wake Lin Wei Yan and Feng Zi Mo, but to no avail.

“Combine Heaven’s Third, invoke the Gate of Life; divine concealment brings celestial blessing. If both guest and host fail, summon the Six Ding from the heavenly disk, spirit… spirit… spirit…”

As Wu Xin finished the incantation, an invisible Eight Trigrams shield enveloped us, isolating the zither’s melody.

No longer hearing the music, we instantly regained our senses.

“What just happened?”

We all wore expressions of confusion, save for Wu Xin.

“You were bewitched by the zither. If I hadn’t used the formation to wake you up, you would have all committed suicide within moments.”

Hearing this, I realized the stranger’s terror exceeded all expectations.

I looked at the gathering horde of demons around us—the scene was frightening.

The stranger alone was difficult enough; with the addition of these monsters, victory seemed impossible.

He continued to play, oblivious to our actions.

With Wu Xin's protective formation, we were temporarily safe.

But how were we to defeat the stranger? Who was he, and why was he so powerful?

Midnight drew closer; if we failed to destroy him before then, once he seized the Azure Cloud Sword, we would all perish.

His hands played faster and faster, becoming mere shadows.

Each note from the zither transformed into a deadly weapon, striking the formation.

Each impact rang out with a muffled thud.

Wu Xin constantly altered the pattern of the formation, preventing the stranger from breaking it.

Sweat beaded on Wu Xin’s brow, and my own anxiety grew, yet I could do nothing to help.

Several times, Lin Wei Yan tried to charge out, but I stopped her.

To step outside now meant certain death.

“Master!”

The voice of the Black Jiao echoed in my mind.

“What is it? Are you hurt?” I asked.

The Black Jiao replied, “I am unharmed, but master, do you know what manner of being this stranger is?”

“You know?” I asked.

The Black Jiao said, “Based on my encounter with him, he is of the Dragon Clan.”