Chapter 63: Number Three, Get In Here!
Chapter 63: Number Three, Get In Here!
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Inside that strange space, the giant black sphere continued its rhythmic, pulsating movements, but it was speeding up now, as if it might burst through its confines at any moment.
“Haha, haha! To think that I, Azure Dragon, trapped here for five thousand years, could see the light of day once more! Haha, you puny human lad, I am so very grateful to you! I am going to refine your soul and make you suffer a fate worse than death! If it weren’t for that damnded bastard Tang Ni years ago, I would have escaped ages ago! Haha, so unexpected, so sudden! Fortune descends so unexpectedly!”
The little snake inside the giant black sphere darted about joyously, looking every inch the creature about to reclaim its freedom.
Especially when he recalled the torment he’d endured day and night for these five millennia, that excitement became overwhelming. Years ago, through immense hardship, he had finally found his chance at escape. But at the crucial moment, a human named Tang Ni had arrived. Though that small human Cultivator was only at the Core Formation level, he had possessed the means to reinforce the Seal. If Azure Dragon’s confinement hadn’t gradually weakened again recently, he could never have lured Tang Jinbiao’s group here. Even more impossibly, he wouldn’t have had the opportunity to goad Tang Jinbiao into removing those two Tiny Swords.
Regardless, the mere thought of finally seeing the light of day and regaining his freedom made it impossible for Azure Dragon to rein in his elation.
Buzz… Buzz… Buzz…
Right at that moment, however, a faint, mosquito-like whine abruptly filled the space.
“What?”
Azure Dragon inside the sphere seemed to sense it. He froze mid-dart, stopped in his tracks, a look of shock crossing his face as he stared fixedly towards Tang Jinbiao’s location.
Buzz… Buzz… Buzz…
As Azure Dragon looked over, the pair of formerly inert Tiny Swords—one black, one white—lying on the ground suddenly stirred. Slowly, they began drawing closer to each other, like two magnets irresistibly attracted.
“What? Impossible!”
Seeing the two Tiny Swords, black and white, moving at that very instant, Azure Dragon’s face twisted into a strikingly human expression of absolute horror, and he cried out in alarm.
“I have to get out! I HAVE TO GET OUT! Damned Nirvana technique! Fire Phoenix! Just you wait until I get back! I’ll fuck you a thousand times over! If it weren’t for your fucking Nirvana technique, I wouldn’t have been trapped all these years!”
Seeing the two swords showing signs of merging into one, Azure Dragon panicked. Simultaneously, he began desperately slamming himself against the surface of the immense black sphere, intent on forcing his way out right then and there.
“I need to get out! I haven’t lived enough! I’m still young!”
“I haven’t conquered the Demon Realm yet!”
“I haven’t…”
Over and over, Azure Dragon hurled himself against the dark shell of the sphere, punctuating his assaults with furious, desperate roars.
Click!
Just as he was desperately battering against the shell, the two swords suddenly snapped together with a crisp sound. Immediately, their colors began to shift and blend rapidly, looking like they were truly fusing into a single entity.
“Dear heavens, dear earth, dear mother of dragons! NO! I DON’T WANT TO DIE YET!”
The instant the two swords fully joined, utter despair flashed across Azure Dragon’s face. Yet, he didn’t give up. Again and again, relentlessly, he kept ramming the barrier.
Buzz… Buzz… Buzz…
Then, yet another ethereal chiming sound resonated. Hearing it, Azure Dragon’s face went ashen. But moments passed, and the fused sword remained inert. It lay peacefully on the ground, but the merger had completely changed its form. Gone were the pure white and black; it was now a single Tiny Sword, with one side stark white and the other jet black, appearing profoundly bizarre.
“Hm? That… that wasn’t its sound!”
Discovering the sword wasn’t reacting, a flicker of confusion crossed his expression. But right as puzzlement set in, a tiny black sphere suddenly shot out from Tang Jinbiao’s Storage Pouch.
“Huh? What’s that?”
Seeing the tiny sphere emerge, Azure Dragon’s face registered even deeper bewilderment.
Whoosh!
The black orb transformed into a streak of ghostly light, sharp as a blade. With a soft shink, it pierced through the colossal black sphere and flew into its very center.
“What?”
Seeing the small black orb break the massive sphere so easily, the Azure Dragon’s face twisted in shock, his eyes bulging wide as an ox’s.
“Cut that ‘what’ crap! This venerable elder needs a mount. You look quite suitable. Yeah, exactly right. You’re the one! Number Three! Get in here!”
While the Azure Dragon was reeling in horror, a gravelly, lecherous voice echoed from within the black pearl.
“F-F-F-forebear… I’m just a small…” The Azure Dragon, overwhelmed by the terrifying aura, stammered incoherently. But before he could finish his sentence, he vanished.
Whoosh!
Immediately after, a burst of yellow light exploded from inside the black pearl. The Azure Dragon was engulfed by the yellow radiance, instantly transforming into a gray shadow that was sucked into the pearl. At the same instant, a stream of yellow light shot fiercely towards Tang Jinbiao’s body.
Hiss!
As the yellow brilliance surged into Tang Jinbiao’s body, he let out a soft moan. Signs of him waking flickered across his features in that instant.
Whoosh!
The black pearl, having swallowed the Azure Dragon, transformed back into a streak of ghostly light and flew back into Tang Jinbiao’s Storage Pouch.
Boom!
“Damned beast! How dare you harm a member of my Tang Family!”
Just as Tang Jinbiao was about to awaken, an area of the cavern wall exploded violently elsewhere. Chunks of rock flew everywhere. A streak of twilight flashed, and the Great Elder charged in, roaring with fury.
“Huh?”
Once inside, however, the Great Elder was met with an uncanny sight. The cavern was completely empty. Aside from Tang Jinbiao, who lay struggling on the floor about to wake up, there was absolutely nothing else.
“Hmm?”
The Great Elder’s gaze swept around and settled on the Tiny Sword beside Tang Jinbiao’s body. He was looking at its white side. With a single beckoning gesture from his hand, the Flying Sword gave a sharp shink as it shot directly into the Great Elder’s grasp.
“What?!”
Once the sword was in his hand, the Great Elder naturally saw the small characters inscribed on its surface. His face instantly paled with shock.
“Ah!”
At this moment, Tang Jinbiao groaned, clutching his head as he struggled back to consciousness. Yet, in his dazed state, a sudden sense of wrongness shook him. ‘This is bad!’ he silently cursed, lurching backwards in an attempt to roll away.
“Hmph! Brat! Who gave you permission? Who sent you here?”
The instant Tang Jinbiao moved, he felt an immense, binding force suddenly wrap around his body, making further movement impossible.
“Heh heh, your grandson Tang Jinbiao pays his respects to the Great Elder. Blessings upon the Great Elder!”
Seeing escape was impossible, Tang Jinbiao abandoned the struggle. Instead, he offered a flattering smile and bowed respectfully.
Though his face showed obedience, Tang Jinbiao’s mind raged internally: ‘What the hell? Wasn’t I just screwed over by that Azure Dragon? Where’d it go? Didn’t I vaguely hear “Number Three, get in here”? What in blazes happened? Did the Great Elder obliterate it with some thunderous method?’ He felt utterly bewildered. He’d merely blacked out for a second, blinked, and was awake again. Especially seeing the colossal black sphere that was the Azure Dragon gone now, he had absolutely no clue what had transpired.
“Speak! Who sent you? And the Demon Creature that was Sealed here—where is it?”
The Great Elder held the Tiny Sword, casting uneasy glances around as if fearing something unseen, while simultaneously keeping a wary eye on Tang Jinbiao.
“Heh heh, Great Elder, we were just swimming here at night with Ah Hu and the others to kill time. Never expected this weird thing to happen! Just ask them if you don’t believe me!”
Tang Jinbiao’s thoughts raced. Though utterly clueless about what had actually occurred, he spun the lie without a trace of shame.
Had Huang Biaozi witnessed Tang Jinbiao’s performance today, he’d have been immensely satisfied. He’d have roared with delight, proclaiming: “Mhmm, not bad at all! The boy shows promise! The first step in the Way of Deception is telling lies. Well done, kid!”
“Hmph! Still being stubborn at a time like this? Seems I must show you some color, or you’ll truly believe yourself unrivaled under heaven!”
The Great Elder stowed the Tiny Sword into his Storage Pouch, his face darkening as he barked. With a casual flick of his sleeve, an immense force instantly sent Tang Jinbiao flying.
“Ahhh!”
Struck by the Great Elder’s negligent backhand, Tang Jinbiao soared through the air like a ragdoll. A pained grunt escaped him as he crashed into a corner and tumbled over…
…
As the Great Elder disciplined Tang Jinbiao, the Elders hovering above the Azure Dragon Pool outside exchanged bewildered glances.
“This…?”
“What happened?”
“I don’t know!”
“I don’t know either!”
The Elders were completely baffled. One moment, the sky had churned with apocalyptic fury, and the next, the phantom vision overhead vanished without a trace — not even the faintest wisp of aura remained. It was simply too abrupt.
“Third Elder, send a message immediately! Say all is well, just a false alarm!”
After a brief pause, the Second Elder snapped back to reality, urgently instructing the Third Elder beside him.
“Oh! Right, right, right!”
The Third Elder jolted from his daze and reacted swiftly. He patted his Storage Pouch once more, and another gleaming golden Message Talisman materialized in his palm. He activated and dispatched it in an instant.
Though inwardly, the Third Elder murmured: Great Sage… did you subdue that Demon Creature?
“That’s right! Fourth Elder, Fifth Elder — both of you, return at once. Notify the Sixth Elder to recall the clansfolk! The evacuation is canceled! And tonight’s events must be sealed! No one leaks a word!”
Seeing the Third Elder’s talisman depart, the Second Elder issued further commands.
“Understood!”
The Fourth and Fifth Elders nodded. Instantly, they transformed into two streaks of Escape Light, streaking toward the Tang Family estate.
“Third Elder, we’ll await the First Elder here. He should emerge shortly! A false alarm, it seems!”
Assured the crisis had truly passed, the Second Elder let out a slight, relieved sigh.
“Hmm.”
The Third Elder nodded, yet turmoil still churned within his heart.
Swoosh!
As they waited, a streak of Escape Light erupted from the water’s depths…