In the distant sky, thunder and lightning roared. A massive dark blue dragon hovered mid-air, its entire body wrapped in lightning, eyes fierce and domineering.
With a dragon's roar, a colossal bolt of lightning descended, seemingly slicing the sky in half.
Lin Jichen recognized it immediately. It was the strongest boss of the Thunder Marsh, the Thunder Dragon, his target for this journey.
However, the Thunder Dragon was already surrounded by disciples of the Ten Thousand Demon Sect. A man with a rebellious aura and delicate features was engaging it in battle.
The man's strength was formidable, and the Thunder Dragon couldn't gain any advantage against him.
Lin Jichen recognized this man as well.
Li Xinghun, the Young Sect Leader of the Ten Thousand Demon Sect, a rising star of the demonic sect that would cause great losses to China in the future.
Currently, Li Xinghun's strength was at the peak of the Golden Elixir stage. In five years, after the fusion, his power would become even more terrifying.
The Thunder Dragon was also a late-stage Golden Elixir boss, but it stood no chance against Li Xinghun.
Knowing it couldn't win, the Thunder Dragon had been trying to escape, but it was still captured and surrounded by the Ten Thousand Demon Sect.
At this moment, realizing escape was futile, the Thunder Dragon decided to fight desperately.
It opened its mouth, a brilliant light like intense lightning blossoming from deep within its throat. This was the dragon's breath, a scorching blast!
Li Xinghun didn't dodge. He stepped forward in mid-air, his body surging with purple energy, shining brilliantly!
"Beast, surrender and die!"
Li Xinghun sneered arrogantly, throwing a punch with the force to suppress the earth!
The air was pierced layer by layer, producing explosive sounds.
A massive fist struck the Thunder Dragon.
In an instant, the surrounding airflow stilled, solidified, and then collapsed.
Blinding light shot skyward, dazzling and radiant.
The Thunder Dragon roared in pain, struck heavily.
Its entire body of lightning condensed into a giant, blazing white lightning sword.
The lightning sword slashed towards Li Xinghun.
A silver spear appeared in Li Xinghun's hand. Gripping the spear, he channeled his spiritual power, and the world suddenly dimmed, as if all the white light converged at the spear's tip.
As Li Xinghun thrust the spear forward, white light surged!
The terrifying power pierced through the Thunder Dragon's body with a single strike!
Dragon blood splattered, gushing out wildly.
Li Xinghun sneered disdainfully, "You call yourself a dragon? What a joke."
The Thunder Dragon howled and fell from the sky.
Just as it tried to run, Liang Baiye drove it back.
Surrounded by thousands of Ten Thousand Demon Sect disciples, the Thunder Dragon had nowhere to escape.
Liang Baiye diligently guarded the Thunder Dragon for Li Xinghun, repeatedly flattering Li Xinghun's profound cultivation, declaring him the inevitable leader of the demonic army.
Li Xinghun laughed heartily, clearly pleased.
The Thunder Dragon had already become their prey.
However, seeing no hope of escape, the Thunder Dragon's ferocity was ignited, and it began a desperate counterattack.
Li Xinghun remained calm, entangling the Thunder Dragon in battle, slowly wearing down its vitality.
Liang Baiye enthusiastically boosted Li Xinghun's power, making him even more unstoppable.
The Thunder Dragon's death was inevitable, its wounds multiplying.
Finally, under the combined assault of Li Xinghun and Liang Baiye, the Thunder Dragon fell!
The massive dragon body collapsed into the swamp, covered in mud, blood flowing everywhere, lifeless.
Beside it lay a Soul Burial Mound of the Thunder Dragon.
"Young Master, this swamp is too filthy. Let me retrieve the Thunder Spirit Heart and Soul Burial Mound for you," Liang Baiye fawned like a sycophant.
Knowing his identity was exposed, he had fully joined the demonic sect, and Li Xinghun had even made him a protector of the Ten Thousand Demon Sect.
This filled Liang Baiye with motivation, vowing to serve the sect loyally.
"Go ahead," Li Xinghun smiled contentedly.
Liang Baiye took the order, eagerly approaching.
At that moment, the ground suddenly began to shake.
From all directions, a large number of beasts appeared, charging towards them.
Li Xinghun frowned slightly, "Could it be a Beast Tide?"
He looked down from the air, realizing it wasn't a Beast Tide, as there were only a few hundred beasts, not even enough for a small tide.
"Hmph, have the beasts of the Thunder Marsh gone mad? Deal with them," Li Xinghun ordered his subordinates.
The disciples of the Ten Thousand Demon Sect immediately began slaughtering the beasts.
While their attention was diverted, a hidden figure slipped through their encirclement, sneaking in.
Seeing the beasts were merely there to die, Liang Baiye continued towards the Thunder Dragon's corpse.
He was about to retrieve the Soul Burial Mound and the Thunder Dragon's body.
But just as his hand was about to touch the Thunder Dragon's body, before he could use his storage ring—
The Thunder Dragon's body suddenly vanished!
Liang Baiye was stunned, thinking he had already stored the Thunder Dragon's body, instinctively reaching for his ring.
But upon checking, there was nothing.
What was going on? Was this Thunder Dragon from void? Nothing at all?
Perplexed, Liang Baiye hurriedly checked his storage ring, only to find the Thunder Dragon wasn't there!
How was this possible?
Frantically, he checked the storage space again, turning it inside out, but found no trace of the Thunder Dragon.
Even the Soul Burial Mound was gone.
Sweat beaded on Liang Baiye's forehead as he searched around, even stepping into the swamp, digging through the mud with his hands.
By now, the hundreds of beasts were dead, and Li Xinghun's attention returned to Liang Baiye, seeing him in the swamp, acting strangely.
"Protector Liang, what are you doing?"
Liang Baiye, drenched in cold sweat, looked up, trembling, "Young Master, the Thunder Dragon... is gone..."
Li Xinghun's eyes turned fierce instantly. He descended, scanning the surroundings, indeed finding no Thunder Dragon corpse.
Liang Baiye was sent flying, vomiting blood.
Before he could recover, his neck was grabbed, and he was lifted by Li Xinghun.
"I didn't expect you to have such guts, daring to steal from me?"
Veins bulged on Liang Baiye's neck, his face pale, struggling to breathe.
He squeezed out a difficult voice, "Young Master, it wasn't me. I wouldn't dare do such a foolish thing... Please, believe me..."
Li Xinghun, suspicious, took Liang Baiye's storage ring and threw him into the crowd of subordinates.
"Make him cough it up."
The subordinates immediately began beating Liang Baiye, surrounding him.
Though Liang Baiye's strength far surpassed theirs, he didn't dare resist, not even using a spiritual shield, enduring the beating with his body.
Liang Baiye's screams echoed continuously.
Li Xinghun examined the storage ring, finding no Thunder Dragon corpse.
It made sense; Liang Baiye wouldn't do something so self-destructive.
But what happened? Where did the Thunder Dragon go?