Recap
A spark of dragon breath ignited in Long Shiyu’s palm, a tiny flame that defied the encroaching darkness. The scene seemed to slow, the light illuminating his face and the grotesque forms surrounding him. A scythe lifted, claws extended, a barbed tail poised to strike. Their eyes, even in shadow form, held a mixture of malice, madness, and a desperate hunger.
Long Shiyu recognized most of them, past rivals and those he had never faced. They had boasted of their ambitions, their desire to overthrow the Dragon King, to rule the universe. But none had dared claim the title of king since he ascended.
Dragon breath flared, Long Shiyu’s eyes burning gold. “A mere rabble,” he scoffed.
Before the flames could erupt, golden snowflakes fell from the sky. Long Shiyu stared, momentarily stunned. He turned and saw the unwavering flame of an oil lamp at the far end of the bridge.
Shen Chaomu, his expression grim, adjusted his black gloves. He slowly walked toward Shen Di.
Golden light flakes sliced through the shadows surrounding Long Shiyu. The restless darkness momentarily receded, and in the sudden light, they saw each other clearly.
Shen Chaomu recognized the face instantly. The legendary dragon-slaying hero, Shen Di. Even now, his tales were recounted with awe. Back when the Hunter Association and the Alliance were still developing, the ten dragon-hunting families had devised rigorous training programs for their members, including brutal trials like wilderness survival, sleeping with ghouls, drifting at sea, and swimming with dragon whales. Though closely supervised to prevent fatalities, the training was notoriously harsh.
Shen Di had been among the first generation to undergo these trials. His achievements were legendary, his records unbroken for years, even after Shen Chaomu’s arrival. Young recruits would study recordings of Shen Di’s trials, hoping to emulate his methods and envying his powerful spiritual energy.
He was a legend. There was no mistaking him.
But in those recordings, Shen Di had always been a vibrant young man with a sunny smile. The figure standing across the tilted bridge was pale and gaunt, his aura unsettling. Only his formidable spiritual power remained unchanged.
Shen Di’s eyes widened in surprise at the sight of Shen Chaomu, but he quickly recovered his composure. “Well, well,” he said with a smile. “If it isn’t the young genius of our family. I’ve heard so much about you.”
“Likewise,” Shen Chaomu replied. “I’ll call you ‘senior’ for now. Why did you try to destroy the Yermak? Your spiritual residue is in the engine room.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Shen Di’s smile didn’t falter. He gestured toward Long Shiyu. “I’m just here for the dragon.”
Shen Chaomu’s expression remained neutral. “Shiyu, come here,” he called.
Long Shiyu hesitated, glancing between Shen Di and his princess, before folding his wings and landing beside Shen Chaomu.
Shen Chaomu placed a protective arm around his shoulders, his gaze fixed on Shen Di. The oil lamp beside him flickered, its flame growing stronger.
Shen Di sighed theatrically. “Has our family fallen so far that we must join forces with dragons? Shen Chaomu, I saw myself in you, so young and talented. But if someone I admire chooses a different path, I must distance myself. It’s a necessary sacrifice.” He removed the rose from his lapel, holding it up to the distant lights of the warships, their glow illuminating the delicate petals.
“All good things wither,” he said with a chilling intensity. “If that’s the case, I choose to be the one to destroy them.”
“The family stories never mentioned your penchant for melodrama,” Shen Chaomu observed dryly.
“Perhaps it’s age. I’m prone to sentimentality now.” Shen Di crushed the rose in his hand, his gaze returning to them. “Your arrogance towards your elders is just like mine back then. So, it’s good that you two are united…”
He didn’t finish his sentence. A wave of chilling energy erupted around him. The mantises raised their scythes, their combined spiritual power warping reality. They couldn’t materialize their power as fully as Wilpan, but they could still manipulate their surroundings.
The solid bridge deck beneath Shen Di’s feet turned to mud, and countless barbed limbs, like those of a predatory mantis, erupted from the mire, reaching for his legs.
But the barbs failed to find purchase.
The corrosive spiritual power clung to Shen Di as the distorted shadows reappeared. Even the combined might of the mantises was no match for it. The insect limbs withered like dying flowers. Shen Di casually plucked a petal from the air, and the grotesque shadow lunged at the mantises.
This power was different from what Long Shiyu had witnessed before. Each encounter with Shen Di revealed a different level of strength, sometimes overwhelming, sometimes fragile. The only constants were his appearance and his inevitable return.
Golden light flakes surged forward, illuminating the bridge like fireflies escaping their nest.
“Are you really going to attack a hero?” Shen Di taunted.
“Hero or not,” Shen Chaomu replied with a chilling smile, “let me learn from him.”
The light flakes closed in, but a cacophony erupted from the terminal, punctuated by panicked shouts. “The mermaids are swarming!”
Shen Chaomu whirled around. The calm sea was now a churning mass of pale bone, the siren’s song echoing across the waves as skeletal mermaids surged toward the warships. They poured from the base of the pillar, their numbers overwhelming. The lair’s foundation hadn’t been destroyed, and the mermaids continued to spawn. Who knew how many corpses lay piled beneath the bridge, breeding this monstrous army?
And the missile wouldn’t be ready for another fifteen minutes.
Lu Shanhuai was frantically trying to deploy other weapons, but their range or power was insufficient against the star-black iron. All hunters on the defense line were engaged in combat, their frantic shouts filling the comms channel. Shen Chaomu couldn’t abandon his position.
His golden light flakes flowed like a river, when suddenly, he sensed a subtle shift, a quick movement like a fish darting through the water. If not for his exceptional spiritual sensitivity, he would have missed it.
The corrosive attack targeted Long Shiyu.
The oil lamp flickered, and a wave of protective energy erupted around him. The two spiritual forces clashed, most dissipating harmlessly. But Shen Di, seizing the opportunity while Shen Chaomu was distracted by the mermaids, unleashed a vicious attack. Sharp shards of spiritual power, laced with shadowy tendrils that devoured the golden light, hurtled toward Long Shiyu.
Long Shiyu reacted, but without his own spiritual power, he was a fraction too slow. He could overpower Shen Di physically, but Shen Di was a master manipulator of spiritual energy, his skills honed to perfection over countless years. This was why Long Shiyu had been wounded before, why he couldn’t track Shen Di’s energy signature for long.
Shen Di’s attacks flowed like a dark, corrosive river.
Before Long Shiyu could unleash his dragon breath, he felt a sudden weight on his shoulders, a warmth spreading across his back.
Blood splattered, staining his face.
Shen Chaomu’s grip tightened on Long Shiyu’s shoulder, pulling him back. The blow missed its intended target, and blood welled from Shen Chaomu’s hand. Seconds later, his golden spiritual power gained the upper hand, suppressing Shen Di’s attack.
Long Shiyu’s eyes widened. Rage surged through him. Ignoring Shen Chaomu’s restraint, he unfurled his wings, a whirlwind of motion that brought him face-to-face with Shen Di. His claws, now fully transformed, flashed with deadly intent.
The shadows under Shen Di’s feet reacted instantly, yanking him away from the blow. Spiritual power erupted, a chaotic dance of energy. Normally, such an attack would be difficult to counter, but golden light surged around Long Shiyu, forming a protective shield.
Realizing he had an ally, Long Shiyu adjusted his attack, his powerful tail whipping towards Shen Di with a terrifying speed that the shadows couldn’t match. Each scale was now a sharpened point, gleaming silver.
The blow struck Shen Di’s shoulder. Without spiritual armor, his bones were no match for the dragon’s strength. His shoulder shattered, and his hand was severed, the rose flying from his grasp, splattered with blood. Long Shiyu’s tail slammed into the bridge deck, cracking the metal.
He lunged again, but his feet left the ground. Shen Chaomu had lifted him by the collar.
“Ying!” Long Shiyu protested, though he knew further violence was unnecessary.
Shen Di, his body consumed by the shadows, rotted into a skeletal form, a chilling smile frozen on his face. The bloodstained rose fell to the ground. As Long Shiyu’s gaze fell on it, Shen Chaomu crushed it under his boot.
The mantises hissed their farewells and took flight, disappearing into the vastness of the sea. Shen Chaomu, without a word, strode to the edge of the bridge and looked out at the chaos below.
The skeletal mermaids raged, their numbers overwhelming, the siren’s song echoing across the waves. In the distance, the silhouette of an icebreaker was visible.
The Yermak. Its engine room destroyed, it had been under tow towards the shipyard until the salvage operation for the Pied Piper began.
“Use the Yermak,” Shen Chaomu said, his voice calm but firm.
“What?” The commander’s confused voice crackled through the comms.
“Use the Yermak. If you’re not afraid of destroying the core, overload the engine. Its tonnage should be enough to collapse the bridge.”
Panic and confusion erupted in the channel, punctuated by Lu Shanhuai’s urgent commands.
Shen Chaomu turned to tell Long Shiyu to retreat, but Long Shiyu had already launched himself into his arms. He wore only a thin shirt, yet his body was warm. He gently took Shen Chaomu’s injured hand.
Shen Chaomu’s spiritual power had neutralized the worst of the corrosive energy. It was a simple wound, a clean cut across his palm, bleeding slowly. First aid spray would stop it; it wouldn’t even leave a scar. He had suffered far worse.
“It’s just a scratch…” he started to say, but Long Shiyu’s actions silenced him.
The young man brought his hand closer, and warm lips closed over the wound. It was reminiscent of that desperate moment when he had bitten Shen Chaomu, driven by his injuries, but this was different. This wasn’t about taking, but about giving.
Long Shiyu’s tongue gently soothed the wound, tracing the lines of his palm, his touch lingering over Shen Chaomu’s sensitive fingers. He accepted each drop of blood with a tenderness that sent shivers down Shen Chaomu’s spine.
Long Shiyu’s face was hidden in the shadows, but his golden eyes shone with an intensity that startled Shen Chaomu. He reached out, his fingers tracing Long Shiyu’s cheekbone. Long Shiyu leaned into the touch, nuzzling his palm, his eyelashes brushing against Shen Chaomu’s skin. He continued his ministrations, his golden eyes filled with a complex mix of emotions—anxiety, guilt, and something deeper that Shen Chaomu couldn’t quite decipher.
Their gazes locked, and Shen Chaomu felt a jolt of recognition, a fleeting memory of a similar scene from a distant past. He moved his hand, as if to speak, then hesitated. As if compelled by an unknown force, he gently cupped Long Shiyu’s face.
Long Shiyu’s eyes fluttered closed, his breath warm against Shen Chaomu’s palm. He nuzzled closer, his touch a silent plea.
It wasn’t lust, but something far more profound. A yearning that resonated with a primal force, a connection that transcended words.
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