Chapter 72: Baxia
Chapter 72: Baxia
The Mirage-Masked Maiden stared with wide eyes, her hand flying to cover her mouth without thinking, stifling a gasp.
The newcomer’s face bore three bizarre masks, tangled, intertwined, and clashing, as if fighting for control of his features.
What chilled her more was that all three masks were extraordinary!
The Mirage-Masked Maiden was a careful person. She had prepared in advance, making a point to investigate the types and ranks of dragon qi masks.
The most common and ordinary were Beast Faces. Above these were masks of creatures with draconic bloodlines, like the “Mirage” or “Flood Dragon” mask she wore. Higher still were the “Nine Sons of the Dragon” masks, one in a thousand. And at the very top were Dragon Visage masks, which appeared only once in a hundred years.
The three masks on the youth before her were actually the “Yazi”, “Baxia”, and “Chaofeng” masks – all “Nine Sons of the Dragon” masks!
These masks, said to be “one in a thousand”, numbered a full three on this one person’s face!
“Just who is this person? Weren’t the stories that Heaven’s Pride would never set foot in such a dangerous place?” The maiden clearly knew some secrets. She took the pale green longbow from her back and adopted a defensive stance.
Aroar!
A deep, drawn-out roar suddenly erupted from within the youth’s body, like an ancient and prolonged bronze bell, rumbling and echoing, mournful and long-lasting.
“There’s something strange about this person!” The maiden’s heart beat faster. She took another step back.
Amidst the long roar, the Yazi and Qiu Niu masks seemed unwilling, struggling a few times before collapsing and scattering, leaving a single Baxia mask that gradually took shape.
Only then did the youth raise his head, look around, notice her, and seem momentarily stunned.
“I came here for other matters. I have no interest in the Six Strategies Qi…” The maiden held her bow, bent slightly, and retreated slowly, keeping her drawn bow at the ready as a deterrence. “We have no conflict of interest. If you don’t attack me, I will absolutely not provoke you!”
“You may go. I have no interest in women,” the youth said flatly. His voice, muffled by the mask, was hoarse and unpleasant.
Hearing this, the Mirage-Masked Maiden let out a long, silent sigh of relief, but was not yet ready to let her guard down. Only after putting more than twenty meters between them did she turn and leave quickly.
“A Mirage-Masked person, actually so afraid of me? Is my mask perhaps some kind of primordial beast?”
After a long while, the youth rubbed his chin and murmured softly to himself.
This youth was naturally Li Yi.
His Sumeru Ring flashed, and a mirror appeared. He took a look and said to himself, “Baxia? The Baxia creature resembles a turtle and bears heavy loads. That’s rather fitting for my…”
In that instant just now, he had clearly felt various forces within his body stirring three distinct Rules.
The three were: Ancient Alligator Qi, Dragon-Turtle Qi, and, unexpectedly, even that waist token from the Jianpao Wang Clan.
Originally, the most ferocious Ancient Alligator Qi held the upper hand. But then, his “Bearing the Stele” bloodline actually unleashed a vast, roaring sound that disrupted the Rule. Finally, the Dragon-Turtle Qi succeeded, evolving into the Baxia Mask.
“This Jianpao Clan token can also stir a Rule? Well, that’s a little interesting…”
Li Yi took out the Jianpao Clan token, turned it over in his hand, examined it carefully, but couldn’t figure out its method. He shook his head and put it away again.
He closed his eyes, slowed his breathing, released his soul fluctuations, letting his perception spread. After a while, he opened his eyes, his gaze odd.
“This… how to explain it?”
Six towering, pillar-like surges of aura, like bonfires in the deep darkness, were terrifyingly conspicuous in his perception.
It was as if the Six Strategies Qi was actively calling to him.
“Could it be… I’m the legendary ‘Chosen One’?”
Li Yi muttered self-mockingly, his eyes wary, his tone thought-provoking.
He instinctively felt that so-called “recognized ones” were definitely not that simple.
In past Dragon Raising Head events, the highest mortality rate, nearly one hundred percent, was among these so-called “recognized ones”.
Refining it required a full day and was a massive spectacle. They were practically living human targets!
Li Yi had no desire to become one of them.
“The nail that sticks out gets hammered down… Even if I were to contend, now would definitely not be the time.”
Li Yi hummed a tune, suppressing the sliver of longing in his heart. He looked around, identified a direction, and headed towards a giant Dragon skeleton.
The Six Strategies Qi – he would compete for it if he could. As Huang Yu said, preserving his own life was the most important thing.
Besides, since he was here, he might as well settle in. Li Yi had already planned to observe the “Dao Patterns” on the Dragon skeleton.
These patterns were the refined essence of the Laws upon the six great Dragons. Even comprehending one ten-thousandth of them would benefit him for a lifetime.
Perhaps, if he truly became an Armament Master one day, he could even materialize these patterns.
Thinking about this, he felt calmer and more relaxed.
However, a shadow lingered in his heart, like a snake watching covetously. This feeling was very uncomfortable.
…
The War Beast skeleton drew closer.
This skeleton should belong to the earth-attribute, title-holding “Leixu” Outer Realm Dragon, one of the six War Beasts.
Its bones were yellowish-brown, similar to the earth, standing firm and towering, giving a feeling of steadfast, majestic grandeur.
As he approached bit by bit, he physically felt his body growing heavier, an invisible burden weighing him down, making each step a struggle.
This skeleton had been dead for who knows how many years, yet it could still affect the gravity Rule!
Li Yi was secretly astonished.
An ordinary Mage would have likely been overwhelmed long ago. Having trained his body into a Mammoth physique, he only felt slightly strained.
“Hmm?” His ears twitched. Li Yi turned his head, a faint gleam flashing in his eyes – it was his Dawnlight Eyes.
The faint light in his eyes faded. Li Yi surveyed the area, then with a single flying step, concealed himself within a large, lush tree.
Not long after, a Badger-masked warrior holding a sword arrived hurriedly, stepping with sharp, forceful strides.
“Don’t waste your energy. You bear my mark. Even if you flee to the ends of the earth, it’s useless.”
A sinister voice came from the distance. Though masked, it was clear the speaker’s voice must be cold and malicious.
“Oh? I see. How clever, trying to use Leixu’s gravity Domain to wear down a Mage like me? Too bad you forgot what kind of place the Abyssal Erhai is…”
“Abyssal Erhai?” Li Yi’s heart stirred. “To think I’d encounter something from there so soon.”
Following the words, a Scorpion-masked Mage arrived leisurely, black light floating beneath his feet. He seemed unhurried but moved as fast as a galloping horse.
This was definitely not Wind Stride Spell. Most likely, it was one of those so-called “unorthodox spells”!
“This feeling is really strange. I rarely kill bad people… Not out of principle, but because good people mostly can’t afford to hire me. Tsk tsk, your deeds absolutely appalled me. A thirteen-year-old girl? You could go that far?”
These words, like a soul-chasing chant, made the warrior turn sharply. Beneath his Badger mask, his gaze was fierce and murderous.
“Oh? Preparing for a life-or-death fight?” The Scorpion-masked Mage stopped his feet and remarked playfully.
“It’s either you die, or I die!” Blue light scattering from his feet, the Badger-masked swordsman roared angrily. Windwalk swept out a series of cold, sharp afterimages. His form was like lightning, covering distance instantly as he chopped down.
Windwalk, combined with Slash, his movements skilled, the vast momentum like the sky itself collapsing!
On the sword’s edge, blue light shimmered and floated, vaguely coalescing into sword radiance!
It was important to know the hallmarks of Great Sword Song were, first, Battle Aura armor, and second, surging sword light, blades producing sword radiance.
This was enough to show that this Badger-masked warrior, though a Sword Song, was perhaps only a hair’s breadth away from the next level.
“Oh?” The Scorpion-masked Mage was truly long-winded, not forgetting to bombard with his magical speech even during combat. “Slash? As a ‘Golden Carp’, do you not even have a proper secret skill to rely on? To be as pitiful as you are…”
As the sword radiance reached him, he raised his right hand. Two colorful poisonous snakes appeared from his sleeve, left and right, shooting out like powerful arrows!
“Dammit, so annoying!” The Badger-masked warrior had no choice but to change his move. His elbow twisted, shifting from a downward chop to a horizontal sweep. The sword radiance howled as he slashed towards the Mage’s waist.
“Annoying? You’ve seen far too few Erhai Mages…” The Scorpion-masked Mage spoke while pressing down with his left hand. A crimson scorpion appeared and, with a clanging sound, actually blocked the sword blow outright!
His movements didn’t pause. His right palm lunged forward, the two snakes following. It turned out they weren’t two separate snakes, but a single two-headed snake!
“Damn! Whirlwind Spin!”
The Badger-masked warrior had no choice. His figure transformed into a blade whirlwind, countless sword lights radiating outwards.
But before he could fully execute it, his body tilted stiffly and he collapsed onto the ground.
It turned out three silver-backed centipedes, silently and unnoticed, had drifted out from beneath the Scorpion-masked Mage’s feet and bitten his ankle.
Most likely, the Scorpion-masked Mage’s bizarre, step-less movement relied on these three silver-backed centipedes.
“Wow, these Erhai Mages are too terrifying!”
Li Yi’s scalp tingled. The various eerie methods of the Scorpion-masked Mage before him were downright spine-chilling.
“You’ve watched long enough. It’s time to show yourself, isn’t it!”
The Scorpion-masked Mage turned his head, his sleeve lightly waving. Countless poisonous bees shot out like hidden projectiles.