Curse Reply: After choosing Nawa, the cursed spirit cursed me for being cruel.

Duanmu Yan tilted his head slightly, a helpless smile on his lips. "Is my strength only a dessert? That's really disheartening. But whether it's a dessert or a main course, before it's served, I have to see if you have the appetite for it."

Shi Liulong put his hands on his hips and introduced himself: "Shi Liulong, a sorcerer from four hundred years ago. My technique is to release sorcery power. Simply put, it's about firing sorcery power directly like a cannonball. There are no fancy techniques, it's just about quantity and quantity."

He paused, then changed the subject, his tone tinged with anticipation, "I listened to the story of the thief, and I was quite taken aback. I'm really impressed by his performance."

Duanmu Yan put his hands back in his pockets, looked up at him, and said casually, "If you want me to use the armor, you should prove yourself first, since you are the challenger."

Shi Liulong paused for a moment, then burst into laughter again, “That makes sense! Absolutely right! I didn’t understand the situation… I’m here to challenge you, so I should naturally show some sincerity first.”

Before he finished speaking, a dazzling blue light shone from the depths of his unique curly hair, which was combed forward into the shape of a cannon muzzle.

The curse power condensed at the tips of his hair, the whole process taking only a breath. Then, hundreds of curse power projectiles poured out from his cannon-like curls, raining down on Duanmu Yan.

Duanmu Yan looked up at the dense rain of light bullets and smiled slightly: "That's a bit exaggerated. Perfect, I haven't done any dodging training in a long time, so I'll use you as a practice subject."

He stretched twice and then took a step forward.

The first few flares grazed his ears and waist, the shockwaves ruffling his hair.

He turned to the side, and another shot grazed his chest; he tilted his head, and another shot flew past the tip of his nose.

The trajectory of the light bullet seemed as slow as flowing water to him; with each turn of his shoulder and each step, he precisely stepped into the gaps in the trajectory.

Instead of relying on speed to dodge, you can anticipate every weak point in the trajectory of a bullet and then move to a safe position.

This alone shows the difference in their strength. After all, he has now stepped out of the debate circle. It's already merciful of him not to just let it pass.

The hail of bullets grew denser, but his movements became increasingly smaller.

He spun close to the ground as three light-emitting bullets cut in from different angles, but he dodged them all at once. He leaned back to dodge, one bullet grazed his forehead, and another flew past the back of his head. The gap between the two light-emitting bullets was just enough for his body to pass through.

He moved through this web of interwoven light projectiles at an almost leisurely pace, each dodge perfectly timed, neither retreating an inch more nor yielding an inch less.

The final wave of light projectiles arrived. Shi Liulong left no gaps, compressing all dozens of light projectiles onto the same trajectory, sealing off all of Duanmu Yan's escape routes.

Just as Duanmu Yan dodged two sets of intersecting bullets, a dense barrage of light bullets appeared in his peripheral vision, and he started running.

The light blast followed his retreat and crashed down, exploding around him and blasting the spot where he stood into a deep crater emitting blue smoke.

Smoke and dust billowed, and gravel fell in a flurry.

Stone Dragon on the hillside reached out and stroked his still-smoking curly hair, tilting his head to look at the area engulfed in thick smoke. "This time it should have hit the target, but desserts only count if you actually eat them. If you can't even catch this, that would be too disappointing."

"Don't disappoint me, the strongest sorcerer of the modern era."

A figure flashed through the smoke, and in an instant, Duanmu Yan was standing beside Shi Liulong, so close that Shi Liulong could see a piece of green vegetable stuck between his teeth.

Shi Liulong's pupils contracted sharply, and he instinctively blocked with his right arm, but Duanmu Yan's knee strike had already entered his abdomen.

The force of the impact sent him sliding backward, his shoes carving two deep furrows into the gravel on the hillside.

Before he could even regain his footing, Duanmu Yan pressed close again, his right fist aimed at his head.

Shi Liulong dodged to the side and countered with his left fist, but Duanmu Yan gently deflected him with his wrist. Then he was hit in the chest with an elbow strike and staggered back several steps.

The two exchanged blows on the hillside, each collision sending the surrounding rocks flying.

But it's clear to anyone with eyes that Duanmu Yan has an absolute advantage in physical skills.

Duanmu Yan dodged Shi Liulong's straight punch by sidestepping, and then struck him on the shoulder with a backhand, sending him spinning halfway around.

He withdrew his hand, casually brushing the dust off his cuffs, his tone tinged with helplessness, "Could you please not be so reckless when you're fighting? It's not good to hurt the flowers and plants around us."

Shi Liulong steadied himself, wiped the blood foam from the corner of his mouth, and looked up at him. "Is this... enough? Can you tell a child to eat slowly and not rush when faced with a sumptuous meal?"

Duanmu Yan stepped forward and kicked him away again. Shi Liulong crashed into a protruding rock on the mountain wall, and gravel tumbled down. He clutched his stomach and slid down the rock wall, still smiling, waiting for Duanmu Yan's answer.

Duanmu Yan stood there in contemplation for a moment, then gave his answer seriously.

"Probably, since you have to chew your food slowly and carefully. Also, my kids all like to talk while eating, and they can easily choke if they eat too fast."

Shi Liulong stood up from the pile of rubble, clutching his stomach. He dusted himself off and looked surprised. "Really, that makes sense. My analogy wasn't quite right. But I didn't expect you to be so young and already have a child."

Duanmu Yan shook his head. "I wouldn't say he's my child, more like my guardian. But I'm already married."

Shi Liulong pulled a crumpled cigarette box from his pocket, shook it, and found it was empty.

He covered his forehead and sighed, his tone filled with genuine regret.

He inherited the memories of the original owner of this era, and he happens to be someone who is extremely receptive to new things. Cigarettes can give people a short-term sense of satisfaction, and he likes them very much.

"What a pity, I wish I could have one."

Chapter 217 It was delicious, I'm full.

"What a pity! I wish I could have another one!"

Shi Liulong clicked his tongue in disappointment.

Duanmu Yan took out a packet of Seven Stars from his pocket and casually tossed it over. Shi Liulong caught it, looked down, and raised his eyebrows.

"Oh, it's a high-end product. Someone like you smokes."

Duanmu Yan shook his head and smiled helplessly: "My wife won't let me smoke, and I'm not addicted to cigarettes."

"The main reason is that once you reach a higher status, you'll have a lot of social engagements, and when you meet elders, you'll have to offer them cigarettes. It's best to always carry a few packs with you, just in case."

Shi Liulong flicked out a Seven Star Sword, held it in his mouth, rubbed it between his fingertips with his incantation to create a small flame, and ignited it, taking a deep breath.

The smoke slowly dissipated in front of him, obscuring half of his face. He tilted his head back and exhaled a smoke ring, his tone carrying a hint of wistful reflection.

"It's great to live a modern life. But social obligations are such a hassle. In my day, having the means was enough, unlike now where it's all so complicated."

Duanmu Yan gave a wry smile. "After all, we have to consider other people's feelings. I'm not one to make decisions unilaterally; I'm a very humble person."

Shi Liulong tilted his head back and exhaled a large smoke ring, the smoke slowly dissipating in front of him.

"So you're really humble. Unlike me, when I had some strength back then, I always wanted to keep challenging myself, and I still am now."

His expression suddenly turned serious after the smoke cleared, the seven-star basil between his fingers flickering in the night, and his eyes were fixed on only one person.

"The strongest sorcerer in modern times, Duanmu Yan. I can sense how strong you are. As for me... I've never been full."

He flicked the ash off his cigarette. "This inexplicable hunger is really troublesome. Everyone looks at me like, 'What's wrong with you?' Just like this cigarette... After you finish it, the aftertaste is sweet, but it dissipates quickly."

He stubbed out his cigarette, and when he looked up again, his pupils burned with a hunger that had never been extinguished in four hundred years.

"My life is missing dessert."

Before he finished speaking, his figure vanished from the spot.

Duanmu Yan raised his hand and steadily caught the fist that came flying through the air.

The shockwave from the collision of fists and palms shattered all the rubble within a radius of tens of meters into dust.

"Why am I not satisfied... you should understand, right?" Shi Liulong's voice was filled with barely suppressed excitement. His fist was gripped by Duanmu Yan, but his offensive did not diminish. With his fist caught, he attacked with his elbows, legs, knees... with anything he could!

"I can feel it! You crave battle too! Because your desire isn't fulfilled, that's why I'm dissatisfied!!!"

Duanmu Yan parried with both hands, deflecting his combo attack one by one. Amidst the barrage of attacks, he spoke, "Is that so? You crave to be satisfied, how greedy..."

He kicked Shi Liulong in the stomach again, sending him flying into the mountainside opposite him.

The mountainside was dented by the impact, and rubble rolled down from the top.

"A guy who only cares about his own enjoyment..."

The next second, blue light exploded from the broken mountain, and a shockwave thicker than all the previous spell energy bullets blasted out from the pile of rocks, heading straight for Duanmu Yan.

Duanmu Yan did not dodge. He walked forward while facing the curse cannon. The shockwave hit him and was split by an invisible barrier, sliding to both sides and exploding into a sky full of blue light behind him.

His pace quickened, "But who can satisfy me?"

He quickly reached Shi Liulong again and punched him, smashing Shi Liulong through the ground and into the earth.

Shi Liulong burst out of the ground from the other side, blood dripping from the corner of his mouth. He clutched his chest where he had been hit, but a smile of extreme excitement lingered on his face.

"Ouch, that really hurts, Duanmu Yan!"

His curly hair lit up again, and even more spell energy projectiles poured out, covering the sky.

"Then it's your turn to try mine this time."

Duanmu Yan snapped his fingers, and golden flames appeared on his right hand.

The flame flickered in his palm, then split into the same number of small fireballs as the Stone Flow Dragon Curse Ball, which clashed head-on.

Blue and gold light collided and dissolved wildly in mid-air, each collision illuminating the night sky, and the aftershocks of the explosions repeatedly ravaged everything around them.

Shi Liulong couldn't help but laugh out loud, his laughter particularly exhilarating amidst the roar of their clashing magical powers: "That's more like it! This is the kind of battle I wanted!"

He clenched his fists, and his magical power output suddenly increased.

The blue light bullets instantly transformed into pure white, doubling in both speed and penetrating power. The line of fire, which had been locked in a stalemate in the middle, began to slowly shift towards Duanmu Yan.

"Delicious! It's absolutely delicious! This is the first time I've ever tasted such a feast!"

Shi Liulong unleashed even more spell energy projectiles, his face practically overflowing with ecstasy. "Summon your armor, Duanmu! Let me witness your true power!"

Duanmu Yan slowly shook his head in response to his invitation.

"Not enough, Shi Liulong, you haven't really piqued my interest yet."

He raised his other hand, and a vibrant green hurricane appeared in his palm.

Wind and fire intertwined between his palms, the fireballs were swept up by the hurricane, their speed increased dramatically, and their power was amplified. The previously suppressed line of fire was instantly pushed back, pressing down on the Stone Flow Dragon with overwhelming force.

"What--"

The carefully styled curly hair atop the stone dragon's head finally succumbed to the continuous, excessive output of magical power and collapsed with a crash.

The launch of the cursed bullets came to an abrupt halt. He instinctively reached for the comb in his pocket, but dozens of fireballs, each imbued with the force of a hurricane, had already crossed the space between them and were all in front of him.

Golden flames engulfed him, and the roar of the explosion echoed through the valley for a long time.

As the smoke slowly dissipated, Shi Liulong knelt in the center of the charred pit. Heat rose from every inch of his skin, his clothes were burned to shreds, and his once-proud curly hair had completely collapsed, hanging limply over his forehead.

He lowered his head, then laughed, his lips parting in a wide, hearty, and satisfied smile.

"This is so delicious, I...I'm full."

After he finished speaking, his body slowly leaned back and fell to the ground.

Duanmu Yan extinguished the remaining flames in his hand, and took a step forward, intending to check on his injuries, but suddenly stopped.

He tilted his head slightly and landed on a solitary, protruding boulder not far away. Lu Ziyun squatted on top of that boulder, hugging her knees and tilting her head.