Brandon Varnell
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STNS: Chapter 376
🕑 Added 2023-09-15 15:25:08 +0000 UTCThe phoenix dragon was a majestic creature, possessing the serpentine grace of a dragon, its scales shimmering with iridescent reds, golds, and oranges, reminiscent of a vibrant sunset. Yet it also bore flaming wings and a mane that seemed akin to the phoenix. He didn’t know what or how this creature had been born, though he suspected the phoenix’s power had something to do with it.
More than its appearance, its power was something to be wary of.
Wu Jian had already tried attacking this creature with everything he had. Not even cutting through space could harm this thing. The problem was simply that he lacked the power necessary to break through its hard shell.
The ability to manipulate space was esoteric and powerful, but that didn’t mean it was all powerful. To cut through something, he needed to have more chi than whatever he was attacking. This was why Wu Jian could slice through inanimate objects with such ease. They didn’t have any chi of their own to withstand his attacks, but the phoenix dragon was a different story. Its hard scales were not only as tough as diamonds, but they were covered in a layer of chi brought about by a creature at the Realization Realm.
Flames appeared all around the phoenix dragon. The heat was so great that Wu Jian broke into a sweat even though he was quite far from the creature. With a draconic roar that shook him to his bones, the monster launched all the fire toward him. Conical waves of death barreled at Wu Jian, who gritted his teeth as he tried to dodge.
It can control flames so easily!
The flames didn’t move in a straight line but twisted and curved, following Wu Jian even as he flew in complicated patterns. Several flames split off and attacked from separate directions. The phoenix dragon was trying to trap him.
“Jian Wu!”
At Huo Yulie’s call, Wu Jian raced toward his companion, who flew in his direction with wings of fire shooting from her back. With a mighty flap of her pinions, she appeared before him.
[Empyrion Dance]
Huo Yulie began dancing in midair. Her graceful movements were dazzling, but more important, as she danced, the flames that had been barreling toward him all curved around her. They began moving in sync to her own movements. It was like she had mesmerized the flames with her beauty and grace.
Now is my chance!
Wu Jian recognized an opportunity when he saw one and, in the blink of an eye, he appeared right next to the phoenix dragon. This was teleportation. Rather than traveling from one point to another, he was bending the space between them in order to instantly appear at his destination. Because this method of travel was instantaneous, the phoenix dragon had yet to notice his presence.
[Body of the Celestial White Tiger]
Knowing better than to hold back, Wu Jian unleashed the dormant power within him, awakening the blood of the mythical white tiger stored within his dantian. The blood burned white as, upon activation, an overwhelming surge of chi flooded through his body. His hair grew longer and turned pure white with black stripes. He gritted his teeth and snarled as his muscles expanded, ripping through his garments as they thickened and hardened like iron, as his stature grew more commanding and intimidating. His eyes morphed behind his mask. The pupils became slitted like a cat’s. Simultaneously, his hands and feet morphed into deadly claws, sharp and resilient, capable of ripping apart the toughest armors and shattering barriers.
The phoenix dragon had noticed him by now. It locked eyes on him, opened its mouth, and gathered flames to spew forth. Such an attack would easily overwhelm him.
But Wu Jian would not let that happen.
“RAAAAAAAGHHH!!!”
With a roar of his own that no longer sounded human, Wu Jian appeared underneath the creature and kicked. His upward punt slammed into the underside of the phoenix dragon’s jaw. Loud clacking echoed around him as the magical beast’s head snapped closed. The force of his strike was so great that the creature’s body curved backward.
The phoenix dragon tried to bring its head back around to launch its attack, but Wu Jian appeared once more by teleporting. He grabbed a hold of the monster’s mouth and forced it to remain closed. The veins along his arms bulged as he fought to keep the mouth shut, though he could already tell this was a losing battle. Whatever strength he had gained through his transformation was still not enough to overpower a creature two whole realms above him. All he could do was hold out until Huo Yulie came to help.
He fortunately did not have to wait long. While he had been struggling against this beast, she had been gathering all the flames that it had been controlling with her dance. The Empyrion Dance was normally a technique that created fiery strands like whips with which to attack enemies, but she was currently using it to gather the flames of her enemy into a tiny ball. Compacted into the size of a fist, the sphere hovering above her hand contained all the flames that had been roaring around them.
“Jian Wu! Retreat!”
Wu Jian used teleportation once more to move as far from the phoenix dragon as he was able. The creature opened its mouth and roared now that it was no longer being restrained. It began to seek him out, but that was also the moment Huo Yulie threw the sphere of pure destruction at it. The tiny ball moved so fast that it shattered the sound barrier. Numerous shockwaves burst through the air as it sped toward their foe and slammed into it with incredible force.
The resulting explosion left Wu Jian stunned.
The flames had slammed into the phoenix dragon’s muzzle. A deafening roar tore through the cavern as a shimmering fireball blossomed into existence. The very air seemed to shudder, unable to contain the tempestuous might that had been unleashed. Flames like fiery serpents writhed and coiled within the heart of the burgeoning inferno. Radiant tongues of orange and red lashed out voraciously, their insatiable hunger consuming all in their path. A burst of blinding light erupted from the core, casting long, sinister shadows against the ceiling above and boiling lake below.
Wu Jian was struck by the shockwaves that soon rippled through the cavern. He was sent tumbling end over end, his blood boiling as waves of heat washed over him. The world around him blurred as he struggled to right himself. The constant concussive blasting into him made that impossible, however, and he soon lost track of what was up and what was down.
“MASTER!”
A shout echoed in his ear seconds before black vines entangled him within their web, ensnaring him like a spider ensnared its prey. Wu Jian was about to struggle when he realized that what had wrapped around him were Youmei’s shadows. He stopped struggling as the shadows gently set him on the ground.
“Thanks… Youmei…”
“Are you okay?!”
“I… I’m fine…”
He was most assuredly not fine. His transformation had worn off and his muscles were screaming at him. Exhaustion seeped into his every movement and darkness crowded around the corner of his eyes. He would collapse soon if something wasn’t done.
Taking a restoration pill that he summoned from his storage ring and popping it into his mouth, Wu Jian quickly surveyed the scene. The phoenix dragon had also been blasted away. It lay embedded within a wall on the other side of the caver, cracks spreading from it like a spider’s web and growing steadily. Several stalactites broke off and plummeted to the ground, shattering like so much refuse.
Where’s Huo Yulie? Huo Shuchang?
He couldn’t find Huo Shuchang anywhere, though he assumed the man was somewhere underwater. Wu Jian and Huo Yulie were the ones battling the magical beast while he grabbed the yang chi lotus. That was the plan they had come up with.
It took several minutes of searching, but he soon found Huo Yulie lying on the ground quite a distance from him. He rushed over when he realized she was injured.
“Huo Yulie! Are you okay?!”
The woman did not answer. She lay inert on the ground, her body covered in bruises, the purple coloration marring her otherwise perfect skin. Blood leaked from her lips and trailed across her cheek. Wu Jian panicked as he knelt down and lifted the girl into his arm. She didn’t have any burns, which was to be expected, but the concussive force of the shockwaves had been more than enough to damage her. Huo Yulie’s body was strong thanks to her cultivation, but she still lacked the sturdiness of a body gained through intense physical training.
Which pill should I use here. What do I even have. Her injuries are not too severe. She has a concussion though, so I need something that can heal head injuries.
Wu Jian pondered for a moment and eventually summoned a small sphere with a rich oceanic glow. Gentle blue ripples like overlapping waves covered the surface. This pill was called the Gentle Rejuvenation Pill. Encased in a delicate, crystalline shell, this tier 4 pill embodied the essence of rejuvenation and renewal.
He pressed the pill into Huo Yulie’s mouth, but she couldn’t break the outer shell. Her mouth refused to move. He gently grabbed her jaw and moved it for her to break the outer shell. As the medicinal liquid flowed into her throat, Wu Jian helped her swallow by massaging her throat with his thumb and index finger. He kept his eyes on her figure as he did, eyes narrowed.
It’s working…
He sighed in relief as the contusions and bruising along her arms and neck slowly vanished, replaced with healthy vibrant skin. The Gentle Rejuvenation Pill was one of the less invasive pills. It didn’t heal under its own power, but instead accelerated the body’s innate healing processes, ensuring wounds mended rapidly without overburdening the body. It could also revitalize and detoxify a person, restoring stamina while at the same time purging harmful toxins.
“Huo Yulie… hey. Are you okay?”
Huo Yulie’s eyes fluttered, but she did not wake. Wu Jian bit his lip, glanced back at the phoenix dragon still embedded into the wall, then back at Huo Yulie. What should he do now? Their foe was currently dealing with a concussion of its own, from the look of things, but that wouldn’t remain the case for long. And he still didn’t know where Huo Shuchang was--
“Oi! Jian Wu! Is my sister okay?!”
Nevermind. Huo Shuchang was yelling at him, having emerged from the lake not long ago. He raced over to Wu Jian and knelt down. The concerned look he gave his sister was telling.
“She’ll be fine. Did you get the yang chi lotus?”
“Ah. Yeah, it’s in my storage ring.”
“Then let’s hurry up and leave before that thing wakes up.”
Wu Jian did briefly consider trying to kill it, but he already understood how tough that would be. Even unconscious, chi was still flowing through it, which meant he would not be able to break through its hard scales with anything less than his most powerful attack--and he currently lacked the chi to do that.
“Right. You’re right. Let’s go.”
Wu Jian lifted Huo Yulie like a bride in his arms and followed Huo Shuchang as the older man led the way. They quickly raced through the tunnel, hoping to escape before the phoenix dragon woke up, but an earth-shattering roar from behind let them know their hopes were in vain. Wu Jian and Huo Shuchang put on more speed in the hopes of at least escaping the cave before it caught up.
They were too naive.
“Shit! Jian Wu! That thing is barreling towards us!”
“Dammit! Grab a hold of me!”
“What are you gonna do!”
“Something stupid that may just get us out of danger! Now hold on tight!”
“Wait! What?! Hang on!”
Wu Jian bit his lip in concentration, tasting blood on his mouth. What he planned on doing was incredibly stupid, but if he did nothing, they were all dead.
I can do it this time. I’m stronger now. I have greater control. I can do this! I have to!
Huo Shuchang latched onto Wu Jian’s neck. He was holding too tight. Wu Jian couldn’t breath, but he didn’t have time to rebuke the man and he had said to hold on tight. Chi swirled around his body as he began manipulating the energies of space. The world around them distorted like a swirling nebula had engulfed them.
“Fuuuuuuuuuck--”
Just like that, Wu Jian, Huo Yulie, and Huo Shuchang vanished from the cavern.
Comments
Punt is actually correct. He used his feet, not his fists.
Bart Ursulla Van de Velde aka High Four
"His upward punt(punch) slammed into the underside of the phoenix dragon’s jaw." "Loud clacking echoed around him as the magical beast’s head(mouth) snapped closed." Great chapter again.
Kconraw
That was an enjoyable and amusing fight. Thx for the chapter.
