Sanctuary Paradise

Chapter 929 Drawing Lightning [5.1k words]

A gloomy sea of ​​clouds, heavy with oppression, surged across the sky. Thick fog, so dense that one could not see their own hand in front of their face, spread from the storm. Within that fog, one could vaguely see broken weapons stuck upside down, conveying a sense of desolation and sorrow.

There were no mountains or oceans, no sun or moon, no cheers or celebrations, only endless thunderstorms and gales, and a vast battlefield formed by thick fog and sea of ​​clouds.

This is the kingdom of the Ancient Dragon King, and the divine kingdom in the hearts of countless Ancient Dragon believers.

Legend has it that only the most powerful and devout warriors are qualified to ascend to this height high in the heavens and pay homage to the Lord of Ten Thousand Dragons who dwells above the sea of ​​clouds.

Legend has it that an unnamed king once visited this place with a vow to the storm, defeated the immortal and indestructible dragon of the end, and made a vow with it, thus establishing the first ancient dragon oath.

Legend has it that the Nameless King, who revered the ancient dragons, betrayed the faith of the Kingfire and devoted himself to the power of the ancient dragons. As a result, he was stripped of his name and exiled to this remote place where no firelight shines.

Many such legends are recorded in documents and books related to the Ancient Dragon belief. However, the sheer number of these records makes the accounts of the Ancient Dragon belief and the Nameless King exceptionally mysterious, as if shrouded in a thick fog.

And today——

The place where all the mystery and confusion originated has once again welcomed a seeker who wants to trace its origins.

Tap...tap...tap...!
The steady footsteps echoed from beneath the thunderstorm. Amidst the swirling fog and sea of ​​clouds, Xin Lailai walked step by step from afar. After surveying the vast battlefield before her, filled with an epic and magnificent atmosphere, she looked towards the faintly visible figure at the edge of her vision.

An invisible gale swept past from both sides, blowing away the thick fog that blocked their view, allowing them to see each other clearly.

It was a figure with disheveled hair, arms that revealed a hint of dragon scale texture beneath dark gold armor, and a body more than three meters tall. Just sitting there gave people a strong sense of oppression, and when it raised its head, its complete golden-red pupils, unlike ordinary ashes, directly proclaimed its true bloodline.

The Sun God Clan.

Just as the legends say, the Nameless King was not an ordinary human or a descendant of a god with weak bloodlines, but rather the most orthodox and theoretically extinct true sun god race.

"The one who is ashes..."

A hoarse, almost muffled murmur arose. On the throne formed by thick fog, the nameless king, who was also scrutinizing Xin Lailai, stared at the black-haired youth before him, his golden-red pupils reflecting a calm gaze devoid of joy or sorrow.

“Your gaze… is not that of one who thirsts for fire.”

"It seems... your true desire is not for the throne."

“But…now that you’ve come here, your stance…is no longer my concern.”

The tall, disheveled figure spoke as he walked step by step toward the throne, reaching out to grasp the rusty iron handle that was stuck upside down in front of the throne.

"The one who has turned to ashes... I will... prove it with this very body..."

Boom!

As soon as he finished speaking, a golden bolt of lightning crashed down from the sky with a deafening roar, striking precisely the long handle in the Nameless King's right hand. The Nameless King then swept the handle across the handle, and amidst the thunderous roar, the object in his hand was fully revealed.

It was a spear, or rather... something that resembled a spear but was more accurately described as a 'spear blade'.

Golden arcs of lightning danced from the double-edged spearhead. The unusually thick shaft and the chilling blade served as a constant reminder of just how dangerous Xin Lailai's weapon, which combined the advantages of a longsword and a heavy blade, was when wielded.

"Do you... possess the qualities of a king?!"

As the last words fell, the Nameless King suddenly swung his spear, took a step forward, and made a downward chopping motion from a distance of over a hundred meters in the surging sea of ​​clouds.

Boom!

The next second, a thunderous roar erupted, and a slashing beam of energy, over thirty meters high, shot into the sky, rushing straight towards Xin Lailai from the leaping golden lightning arc, reaching her in an instant.

boom--! !

Golden light burst forth. Faced with the Nameless King's grand greeting, Xin Lailai instinctively raised her sword to block, but her expression changed slightly after colliding with the slashing light. She let out a muffled groan and was cleaved backward, sliding several meters.

heavy.

Unlike the sword beams he had received in the past, the sword beam unleashed by the nameless man was, in terms of impact, the most powerful and heavy sword beam he had ever received!
Is it because of the difference in attributes?

No, that's not right, this feeling should be...

Boom—!

A howling wind rushed towards them, and the nameless man who had unleashed a powerful slash from a distance did not pause. He stomped heavily amidst the bursting thunder, transforming into a ball of golden lightning. With a dash and sweep, he intercepted Xin Lailai at the waist, forcing her to stop her retreat and raise her sword to block to the side.

clang! ! !
The extremely heavy impact rang out, and Xin Lailai's body bent backward like a broken straw under the force transmitted from the sword. She groaned again and slid several meters away from the tearing sound in her hand. Her heart sank to the bottom.

As expected, the reason the opponent's attack was so heavy was not because of anything else, but because—

"Sword intent..."

On the battlefield, Xin Lailai, who forcibly plunged her sword into the sea of ​​clouds beneath her feet to stop her retreat, looked at the Nameless King, who was more than half a head taller than her, and her expression became extremely solemn.

You can't go wrong.

Although there are some differences in the details, the feeling he got from the opponent's attack was almost exactly the same as the feeling he got when he was hit by a sword strike when he was sparring with Ling Yuzi!
Grandmaster.

Without a doubt, the Nameless King was also a master of technique who had reached the Grandmaster level, and he had even unlocked the restrictions on the use of 'momentum' with the help of the King's Soul.

We must stop them from building up their strength!
King's Sword - Instant Strike.

In a mere instant, Xin Lailai made a decision in her mind, took a decisive step forward, and with a muffled groan, charged towards the Nameless King with her sword, despite the surging sensation still churning in her internal organs.

As masters of heavy swords, they were well aware of the strengths and weaknesses of sword intent, and it was precisely because of this that they understood how terrifying it could be in direct suppression.

We absolutely cannot give the opponent too much opportunity to accumulate the power of a grandmaster; otherwise, let alone defeating them, it will be a question whether they can even get close to them.

Boom—!

A piercing sound swept across the battlefield. Faced with Xin Lailai's attack, the Nameless King's eyes flickered, but he didn't say anything. Instead, he turned around and, using the force of the first attack, swung out a double sweeping blow.

clang!
The clash of spears and swords resounded heavily across the battlefield, dispersing the thick fog. Xin Lailai let out another muffled groan, gritting her teeth and forcibly withstanding this blow, which was clearly less powerful than the previous two. She then mentally uttered:

"Spare leftovers!!!"

[The "Spirit Assimilation" state has been lost]

A pure white light flashed and disappeared in an instant. A petite figure exuding a strong chill appeared out of thin air behind the nameless man, grabbed a small heavy sword more than a meter long, and swung it toward his head.

Clang!
The longsword pierced the air, and upon seeing this, the Nameless King's burgeoning aura abruptly ceased. However, instead of turning around to block Ling Yuzi, he suddenly raised his right leg amidst the intense contraction of the two men's pupils.

"Lingyu! Come back!!"

With a heavy stomp, the next instant, a nearly tangible wave of air erupted from the spot where the Nameless King's right foot landed, transforming into a terrifying repulsive force that sent Xin Lai Lai, who had just re-entered the elven assimilation state, flying away with a deafening boom.

boom!
A shockwave, as if it were crushing his internal organs, erupted, causing Xin Lailai to cough up a mouthful of blood. His vision went black in an instant, and just as he fainted, the Nameless King, who was standing still, raised his spear and slammed it down in the direction where the black-haired youth was.

Boom!

A thunderous roar erupted, followed by another shockwave-like slash over thirty meters high. Just as it was about to strike the stunned black-haired youth, he seemed to come back to life, suddenly raising his head and using a magic chip to create a shield in mid-air to block the attack. Clang—!

A dull thud resounded, sending the black-haired youth flying through the air. He slid for several meters before finally coming to a stop.

"Lai Lai, are you alright?"

"It's alright, I was only knocked unconscious for a moment."

The exchange of information was completed instantly in her mind. On the sea of ​​clouds, Xin Lailai, whose seven orifices were gushing blood, wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth. After glancing at the life points that were slowly recovering under the effect of the Profound Divine Prayer, she fixed her gaze on the Nameless King not far away, and her mood became more and more solemn.

Can't go wrong.

That kick from the opponent was definitely a derivative ability of some kind of close combat master technique. Judging from its power, it was likely an extreme development of a sub-master technique, similar to their blocking master technique or Yamu's straight kick master technique.

Dual-skill mastery + powerful and heavy attacks + obvious attribute advantages.

Although Xin Lailai and her team had tried their best to estimate the Nameless King's strength before stepping into the sea of ​​clouds, the final state he presented still far exceeded their expectations.

It should be noted that the opponent has only shown three moves since the start of the battle, but these three moves, which are clearly not trump cards, have already almost driven them to the brink of despair.

"Tsk, if only I could regain my sword aura..."

Although the opponent was most likely not using a fully-fledged version of sword intent and derivative techniques, the difference between having a Grandmaster's ability and not having it is like heaven and earth. If they could also restore the use of sword intent, even if it was only 1/10, they wouldn't be in such a passive position now.

Boom——! !

With a heavy thud, the Nameless King, who had been gathering his strength for a full two seconds, charged out again from not far away. Amidst the deafening roar of thunder, he swung his four-meter-long spear blade and charged towards Xin Lailai's location with an unparalleled momentum.

As Xin Lailai watched this scene, she took a deep breath, lowered her eyes and gazed at the sight before her. In an instant, she made a decision in her mind, closed her eyes and sighed.

"There's no other way, Zero, let's use that move."

"Ah."

As soon as the words left his mouth, a howling gale accompanied by arcs of lightning rushed towards him, threatening to slice the black-haired youth in two at the waist—

Boom!
The unstoppable, heavy sweeping force collided with the golden light rising from the silver-white greatsword, and then, without any suspense, shattered it with a muffled groan from Xin Lailai, sending Xin Lailai and the sword flying.

Without pausing, the Nameless King, having landed a successful blow, spun the spear blade halfway around and, with a burst of power from his other hand, transformed the sweep into a slash, launching a long-range attack on Xin Lailai.

Wang Jian: Against the Trend

clang--! !

A wave of energy, crackling with golden lightning, erupted and collided with the simplified version of the sword technique, which was based on the "Return to Heaven" modification, in a fleeting golden brilliance. The sword was shattered by the force of the attack, amidst the uncontrollable spurting blood from Xin Lailai's ears and nose.

Boom!

The next second, thunder roared again. Not far away, the Nameless King, whose aura had increased significantly, raised his spear blade once more, preparing to unleash a sweeping slash that covered a wider area. Suddenly, an invisible wave spread out from the Nameless King.

Crystal Gravity Technique - Thirty Times.

Boom——! !

The sudden burst of gravity, thirty times stronger than normal, caused the Nameless King, who was already halfway through swinging his spear, to groan and stagger heavily. He then collapsed to his knees with a thud, his bones creaking and cracking.

Crystal Gravity Technique.

As the first self-created spell they developed after becoming grandmasters of magic, normally speaking, with their current level of magical control precision, they are far from meeting the requirements of this spell.

Just as they could forcibly restore a state of annihilation and assimilation using their magical knowledge, although theoretically they are not yet able to unleash this highly functional spell, that only refers to the version of the Crystal Gravity spell they used before.

It's important to know that this is a spell they created themselves. Every single detail in the spell model, down to the micrometer level, was calculated and built by them.

In other words, if they wanted to, with their current level of magic, they could easily lower the threshold for casting this spell by reducing various configurations and adding a lot of redundant structures, so that it could be cast by them at their current level.

only--

"Cough cough, that was quite a hard hit."

A cough filled with obvious pain rang out, and on the battlefield, Xin Lailai coughed up a mouthful of blood. His expression became distorted and ferocious due to the surging magical and spiritual power.

Even if they try everything to lower the threshold, with their current level, if they forcibly release this level of spell, it means that one of them will inevitably be forced to endure the intense burden and pain of having blood drawn from their forehead with a syringe as thick as an arm.

In contrast...

Pfft! ! !
A heavy thud echoed as the Nameless King, who had once again tried to stand up, groaned and knelt heavily on the ground, unable to move. Xin Lailai watched this scene, a somewhat frightening smile spreading across her blood-stained face.

"Hehe, what do you think? The gravity rules of this world are pretty good, aren't they?"

In the outside world, a mere thirty times the gravitational force, while capable of affecting the actions of a Tier 3 unit, would be far from enough to suppress it in place.

In the Ashes, a world where even flames feel heavy and the Lord of Cinder can't jump more than a hundred meters high, this thirty-fold gravity suppression is like sitting on the shoulders of someone who is already overburdened, easily pinning them to the spot.

If there's any drawback, it's probably that because it consumes so much mental energy and mental space, they can't use other spells temporarily once it's used.

This means that once this move is used, you can either use melee attacks to perform a palm strike that falls from the sky along with gravity, or you can use prayer to charge up a powerful attack to deal damage.

As for their choice... well, of course they'd use a profound prayer to deliver an unprecedentedly massive blow to each other!

"Doamne, ascult rugciunea mea...!"

"...!"

A melodious chanting sounded from the storm. On the battlefield, as Xin Lailai and the Nameless King were unable to spare any attention, Lingyuzi, the only one who could move freely, appeared directly in soul form. He flew to the Nameless King's side and quickly chanted a series of prayers that were somewhat different from the normal profound prayers.

Compound prayer.

According to their research, although there are multiple different systems of prayer in the Ash World, all of them are executed by the rules of blessing. In other words, theoretically speaking, whether it is the Prayer of the Deep or the Prayer of the Ancients, these seemingly different types of prayers all use the same 'repository of spells' in the rules of blessing.

Given this, what would ultimately result from combining the Deep Prayer, which targets the power of the abyss, with the Ancient Dragon Prayer, which culminates in the Boundary Lightning corrupted by the abyss?
Rumble——! !

A deafening thunderclap resounded, and as Zero Zi chanted, the previously somewhat gloomy sky above the battlefield was gradually shrouded in ominous, deep black clouds.

Upon closer inspection, one can see that within the dark clouds that shroud most of the battlefield, streaks of lightning remarkably similar to boundary lightning, but with an overall dark purple hue, are surging wildly, recklessly spreading an aura of corrosiveness and ominousness across the entire battlefield.

Just as the Boundary Lightning can greatly restrain abyssal creatures, there also exists something in the abyss that has a similar effect on elemental creatures.

While under normal circumstances, due to the world's elemental bias, such abyssal resources would be extremely rare, unfortunately, in this ash world severely corrupted by the abyss, they are currently the one thing that is abundant—

It's the Abyss Lightning from the deepest abyss!!!

……

(End of this chapter)