Chapter 286: Chapter 229: Douji Ascending Dragon!

In the fortress corridor, two masked mansion soldiers were patrolling with iron lanterns.

This was a very tedious job, the scenery never changed, always the same route. But precisely because of this, any slight change would immediately catch their attention.

"Old Che and his crew are on the main duty tonight, right? Why haven’t they come back yet?" The soldier looked at the entrance to the commander’s courtyard, where aside from a carriage full of powdery fragrance, there was no one. The so-called main duty involves guarding the entrance to the commander’s courtyard, a short time with a chance to show their face, occasionally even receiving rewards from the commander. It’s the best assignment in the military mansion.

"Maybe the commander called them for something else?"

"But this is taking too long, we’ve been back and forth twice and they’re still not back..."

"Why don’t you take a look?"

"... Forget it, we’re almost off duty, why bother?"

...

...

"As expected of... Your Majesty’s former rival."

Ying Rushi was fleeing everywhere, as agile as White Fox on the snow, her steps were ghostly and unpredictable like the shadows. It was almost impossible to ascertain her exact position with just the naked eye. If this were an open area like a forest, even a hundred divine archers wouldn’t be able to harm her.

But this was the room inside the barrier, and Li Long was not a divine archer... he was far more terrifying than archers, a cannon!

Li Long’s hands hit the air continuously, unleashing a ceaseless stream of purple flame colored Gang Qi. The Purple Flame Gang Qi exploded upon hitting walls, floors, and ceilings, dismantling most of the room in no time. If the barrier didn’t block the sound, the commotion here would have alarmed the entire Chang’an Military Mansion!

Ying Rushi felt as if she wasn’t facing a single person, but battling an entire battery of stone-throwing cannons that could fire continuously! Even though her body technique was skillful enough to evade the Purple Flame Gang Qi, the explosion of the Qi inflicted area damage, inevitably affecting her, and her defense barrier was continuously eroded.

Conversely, Li Long seized the gap in his attack to take out two strands of white jade, wrapping them around his hands, generously unleashing his spiritual power! This showed one of the advantages of a Mountain Messenger: because both hands were free, they could replenish spiritual power while attacking, making them more confident in engaging in long battles!

Most Mountain Messengers were only adept at close range, but no one expected Rising Dragon Hand Li Long to go against the norm, having concealed an incredibly potent long-range attack! Using this Purple Flame Gang Qi, he kept Ying Rushi at bay beyond five steps, intending to exhaust her spiritual power with brute force.

This revealed that Li Long wasn’t as reckless and impulsive as his appearance and speech suggested. Despite other thieves having entered the Secret Realm in the dungeon, and that at any moment a thief could sneak out with the treasure stone treasured by True Man of Locking Dragon for a hundred years; moreover, the White Fox thief in front of him was a relative of Ying Le, whom he detested the most. He had ample public and private reason to capture the White Fox thief as swiftly as possible.

But he didn’t.

After she drew the Legendary Token, Heaven-Swaying Sword, Li Long afforded her the highest respect as an enemy: giving no chance whatsoever!

Since you can’t handle the murderous wave, then let this move ensnare you to death!

’It seems he has an item that reduces spiritual power consumption. Prolonging the fight is meaningless.’ Beneath the White Fox Mask, Ying Rushi felt no anxiety, a mad blood-red glint appeared in her pupils: ’I can only... kill directly!’

When Li Long unleashed another murderous wave, Ying Rushi didn’t dodge, instead charging head-on against the wave... at an unimaginable speed! Before Li Long could react, she was already behind him, the Heaven-Swaying Sword swooped like a swallow skimming the water’s surface, stirring ripples in his defense barrier.

One sword stroke, two sword strokes, three sword strokes... nine sword strokes!

Li Long tried to chase the White Fox thief’s figure, but just as he would turn his head, the White Fox thief was already elsewhere, sometimes even leaping onto the ceiling or walls, attacking from various unimaginable angles. Within a few breaths, she swung nine sword strokes, the ripples grew larger, and the sword tip’s light grew fiercer!

"Three-Turned Rare, Shadow Spider Boots!" As an experienced Third-Turned, Li Long instantly identified the core token of the White Fox thief’s combat strategy.

Though merely a rare token, the Shadow Spider Boots possessed a capability rivaling even rare mobility tokens: instant leap!

Once activated, the soles would burst with immense kinetic energy, propelling the messenger in the designated direction without any precursor, and without cooldown time. In theory, as long as the messenger has enough spiritual power, they can unleash unimaginable speed with the Shadow Spider Boots.

But theory is theory; in practice, the Shadow Spider Boots have an insurmountable flaw: they’re too fast.

Being too fast makes it difficult for the messenger to accurately stop. Although manageable on flat ground, if there are obstacles or anything else, there’s a high probability of crashing or even stumbling. It’s fine for traveling but in combat, it’s a fatal error.

It’s said there was an expert in Qi Kingdom skilled in Shadow Spider Boots, but he never participated in border conflicts, always remaining in the Inner Army Town, and had long since passed away. Thus, Li Long never imagined that a mere Third-Turned Rare Token could be used to such terrifying effect, practically inescapable.

In the Shadow Spider state, Li Long couldn’t capture White Fox’s figure; she’d only appear in Li Long’s blind spots, calmly and ruthlessly swinging her sword. Li Long felt his protective barrier rapidly diminishing, its pace accelerating... This was no longer combat, but a slow ritual, a festivity for kings, where the criminal is skinned, bones and muscles extracted, and blood drained!

No wonder the White Fox thief dared to stay behind to fend me off alone. Just as my recent murderous wave suppressed her approaching, now her Shadow Spider jumps hold me off from countering... Right?

As Ying Rushi leapt again behind Li Long for an attack, Li Long suddenly let out a loud shout. He didn’t turn around, nor did he attack behind, instead staring at the empty space ahead, his right hand conjuring a golden dragon-shaped Gang Strength!

You think being behind me means I can’t hit you?

Rising Dragon is not such a cumbersome thing!

Dou·ji·Ascending·Dragon!

The Dragon-shaped Gang Strength suddenly expanded a hundredfold, engulfing Li Long completely, and even Ying Rushi was affected by the airflow of the Dragon-shaped Gang Strength, unable to escape! Li Long’s punch covered all angles around him, anyone standing within three steps of him would surely be hit!

With your life, witness my ultimate skill!

Boom!

The golden Dragon-shaped Gang Strength completely flipped the ceiling, and the shattered pieces hit an invisible barrier, creating ripples. Ying Rushi crashed through the wall and flew out, leaving a human-shaped hole in the wall!

Li Long’s whole body was steaming with Qi Blood, yet his face turned deathly pale, weaker than the debauched men on Red Candle Street. As his bottom box trick, Douji Ascending Dragon combined with Secret Technique, Token, and Profession Traits was a lifelong achievement, consuming not just his Spiritual Power, but his life.

His third-turned profession, Mountain Messenger, had a core trait ’Zhen Yu’, where the longer he stood on the spot, the attack and damage range of the Token would increase significantly, at best increasing attack by 50% and the attack range doubling!

But that alone was not enough, the core of Douji Ascending Dragon was Secret Technique·Douji!

Douji is a rather peculiar Secret Technique; although its effect is merely strengthening the attack range of fist-palms tokens and one’s resilience, it allows the messenger to squeeze the essence as much as possible to enhance the Secret Technique’s effects. This Secret Technique originated from Liang Kingdom, rumored that over a hundred years ago, the ’Heaven-Soaring General’ once destroyed half of Chang’an County Town with a single strike using this Secret Technique!

If Li Long consumes one-tenth of his essence, he can double the Ascending Dragon range, if he consumes nine-tenths of his essence, the Ascending Dragon range can increase twentyfold!

After years of training, Li Long could squeeze his Qi Blood to ninety-nine percent, relying on Douji and Zhen Yu traits, enhancing the Ascending Dragon range a hundredfold.

Within three steps, one can fight a country!

But the cost was long-term weakness; squeezing the essence would cause Qi Blood to drop, taking Blood Replenishing Pills wouldn’t work, only time would slowly restore.

But it was worth it.

In the Secret Realm, with one move, he could kill all the gathered monsters;

In reality, no one could escape the flawless Ascending Dragon!

Li Long immediately threw a wave of killing intent towards where the White Fox Thief crashed out; if he guessed it right, the White Fox Thief’s defense barrier should be broken... The highest respect for an enemy is to utterly destroy them!

Unexpectedly, the White Fox actually ran back into the room through another hole; for a moment, Li Long thought she was worried he would go to the Secret Realm to deal with her companions, trying to rush over and stop him... However, when the White Fox once again entered Shadow Spider state and slashed continuous sword light on him, Li Long immediately reacted, secretly praising.

Indeed, running away was meaningless, Li Long could throw out killing intent waves; the further away, the more she becomes Li Long’s living target, but staying closer was safer, as Li Long could absolutely not throw out a second Douji Ascending Dragon.

At this moment, Li Long suddenly smelled a strange fragrance, with a bloody sweetness, was it the blood-grease powder from the White Fox Thief? It seemed her barrier was indeed broken.

But your barrier is broken, mine is not!

Li Long still couldn’t catch up with the White Fox Thief’s speed, so he changed his attack target: the ground!

He directly used the wave of killing intent to blast beside his feet, though it affected him, the White Fox Thief without a defense barrier simply couldn’t withstand such area damage!

Sure enough, the White Fox Thief had to evade, but she dared not move far, could only leap upwards, but the ceiling was just gone, she didn’t dare to activate Shadow Spider Boots, otherwise she’d become a mid-air target, could only leap.

The weakness is too obvious!

Well-prepared, Li Long looked up, catching the White Fox Thief face to face; he saw beneath the White Fox Mask, a pair of crimson eyes with a vertical iris. Li Long suddenly had a strong sense of déjà vu, but he didn’t have time to think more, reached out and grabbed the White Fox Thief’s neck in mid-air, then pressed her whole body against the ground, right fist condensing Purple Flame Gang Qi.

For the strong, there’s the never-yielding Rising Dragon Hand, for the defeated, there’s the utter-destroying Hidden Dragon Fist!

"Hidden Dragon!"

Li Long roared, the Purple Flame fist dropped like a hammer, smashing the floor into web-like cracks, the White Fox Thief’s head deeply sunk in, completely silent.

"Ha, ha-ha."

Li Long staggered up, looked towards the sky and shouted: "Ying Le, this time, it’s my victory!"

"So in your eyes, you’ve won?"

What——

Li Long suddenly felt his vision blur, the body of the White Fox Thief in the hole disappeared, he looked down only to see a sword.

A sword piercing through his chest.

Exotic fragrance filled the air, making one intoxicated. Li Long slowly turned his head, saw a White Fox Mask with a sardonic smile, and beneath it, a pair of crimson vertical pupils filled with boundless malice!

"Divine Martial Demon Blood..." His pale lips slightly trembled: "Red Dust Eye!"