Compared to those clunky steel machines, Dream Monroe moved with real agility. Every time she spun gracefully, the Shadow Dragon Jet had to zoom way off and loop around in a giant arc just to get back on her tail. She fought as she moved, turning the whole chase into a dizzying spectacle. But even the best have their limits—unlike Mr. Yang, who’s basically running on infinite energy, Dream’s stamina was burning out fast.
Sure, Dream Monroe introduced herself as a 'Level One Unlimited Goddess of the Valhalla Celestial Palace,' but Jill Young knew she wasn’t a real god—at least not like the Black Death Emperor. Back in the day, Jill might’ve had her doubts, but after meeting Gandalf and the other Maiar, and witnessing Sauron’s overwhelming power at the Gates of Divinity, she was absolutely certain.
Maybe Dream Monroe’s got some mysterious tricks up her sleeve, but as long as you’re not a bona fide god, I’ve got plenty of ways to deal with you!
Ha ha ha, Shadow Dragon Jet, chase her down! Go hard, don’t let up—I want to see how long she can keep this up!
Whoosh—Dream Monroe shimmered as she drifted across the blue sky, finally realizing things were getting dicey. But with a quick twinkle in her eye, she hatched a plan. She made a hand sign, and six Star Crystals switched from manual cannon mode to full-auto. The barrage wasn’t as sharp as before, so the Shadow Dragon Jet wasn’t in much danger anymore. But Dream didn’t care—she spun midair and suddenly dove straight for the blue ocean below.
She spread her wings wide, plummeting toward the sea like a meteor, full speed ahead—no sign of slowing down. Forget about hitting the brakes; even if she were just free-falling from that height, the water would be as unforgiving as concrete. Total splat. But Dream Monroe wasn’t scared or hesitant—she had her own tricks.
Buzz—starlight swirled into a halo, encircling Dream Monroe. The Starlight Halo spun around her, forming a protective shield that kept her safe. But she wasn’t done yet—Dream gripped her left hand, bent her right arm, and drew a bow as bright as the moon. Limitless starlight gathered on the bowstring as she aimed her Star Bow straight at the ocean below.
She shot a quick, sharp glance at the black jet barreling down after her, eyes full of mockery: "Once I’m in the water, let’s see you keep up!"
Thwack—the bowstring snapped back, shooting a bolt of starlight like lightning straight into the sea. Oddly enough, the spot she hit didn’t explode—it just opened up, revealing a round portal of light right at the edge of air and water. Like a magical doorway, it swung wide for Dream Monroe.
In the next instant, Dream Monroe slammed right into that portal. Plop—like a bubble merging into a bigger bubble, not even a splash. She slipped into the sea and vanished without a trace. The Starlight Gate disappeared in a flash, leaving nothing but ordinary waves rolling on the surface.
Beneath the cool ocean waves, Dream Monroe popped up a hundred meters deep. She turned and looked up at the surface, just in time to see that jet—black as midnight—swerve hard, carving a dangerously sharp arc and skimming away along the water.
"Hmph!" Dream Monroe couldn’t help but let out a proud little laugh.
But the next moment, the surface split open with a massive gash. From Dream’s angle, the water above looked like a windshield that’d just been smashed with a sledgehammer—spiderweb cracks spreading everywhere. Even underwater, the explosion was deafening, with tons of white bubbles charging in like a dragon. At the center of those bubbles, a dark golden light flickered. In a blink, it pierced through fifty or sixty meters of water, and it was still coming fast.
"Seriously? You followed me underwater?" Dream knew exactly who it was.
She furrowed her brow and bit her lip, spreading her wings and diving deeper. Light streamed from her wings like the most advanced zero-mass engines, letting Dream swim faster than a mermaid, sleeker than a tuna.
Dream Monroe knew all about Mr. Yang’s skills. To her, his ancient martial arts path had its strengths and weaknesses. Up close and on land, he was a powerhouse. But unlike the wizards, he couldn’t adapt to every environment—especially since martial artists rely on the ground for power. If their feet aren’t on solid earth, they’re only running at ten percent.
Given how close Mr. Yang and Jill Young were, their abilities had to be pretty similar. So if Mr. Yang couldn’t do something, Jill couldn’t either—or so Dream reasoned, totally convinced she was right. But when she glanced back, her expression changed instantly.
A dark golden glow sliced through the sea like a torpedo, with rings of water rippling around it—straight-up sci-fi stuff. Jill Young was like some high-tech super torpedo, charging after her with razor-sharp energy, and moving way faster than Dream. In a blink, she’d already closed a huge gap. And when Dream looked back, that menacing grin just kept getting bigger, like a slasher villain in a horror flick.
How is this even possible?!
"Just a tip, you picked the wrong battlefield, girl." Jill Young’s voice cut through the water and went straight to Dream Monroe’s ears. "I’ve spent nearly a year soaking in the deep sea, munching on every kind of sea monster you can name. I’m practically half marine life myself. Want to race me in the water? You’re barking up the wrong tree!"
With a kick, Jill Young sent a dull boom through the water—like a World War II depth charge going off. Using that burst of power, she shot across the sea and reached for Dream Monroe. Her fingers spread wide, inner strength surging, and she whipped up a swirling vortex underwater. It wasn’t huge, but it packed a punch, pulling Dream Monroe closer and closer. "Come on, just jump right into my bowl!"
Dream Monroe immediately clenched her teeth.
This chapter isn’t over yet ^.^—click to read the next page!
Snap! The bowstring sliced through the water, power bursting out like a wild bouquet, cutting along the vortex and even messing with Jill Young’s view for a split second. At the same time, Dream Monroe made another hand sign, gritting her teeth and casting another spell. And she didn’t forget to snap back, "You’re the one jumping into the bowl!"
Whoosh—a crystal-clear beam shot out over the sea, slicing through the surface and hitting a spot way up in the sky. Buzz—her form flickered, Dream Monroe turned from phantom to solid, instantly warping out of the ocean and landing right where the beam hit. It was so cool and flashy, like a Star Trek-style teleport that just broke all the rules of physics.
But clearly, this teleportation trick wasn’t something she could use willy-nilly. Dream Monroe tumbled out of the void, flapping her wings as she hovered in midair, pale and panting. No time to catch her breath though—she leapt into the clouds and started casting again.
Beams of light refracted around her, sketching out a sleek, fantastical Star Crystal. When the last stroke was drawn, the Star Crystal wrapped her up completely. With a flash, both the crystal and Dream Monroe vanished like a dream, impossible to spot.
She’d barely disappeared from the sky when a column of water shot up like a lone peak piercing the clouds. Jill Young, riding the waves, leapt high. The Shadow Dragon Jet swooped in and caught her—perfect teamwork. Engines roaring, the jet curved toward the spot where the beam had hit. But when they dove into the clouds, it was just empty sky—no sign of Dream Monroe anywhere.
"Huh?" Jill Young shaded her eyes, scanning the whole sky and ground in an instant, but came up empty. Surprised but also excited, she grinned: "Now this is getting interesting."
Not worried at all, Jill raised her right hand to her brow, golden light flashing as she decided to call for backup: [Hey, Woodhead, hurry up and help out! Otherwise your wife—wait, my wife? Whatever, our wife—is about to escape!]
When she was on Earth, Mr. Yang was off in some unfathomable chaos—no way to communicate like when they were in the same world. In fact, she’d never once gotten a reply from him when reaching out. Borrowing power from him was hit-or-miss, and Jill Young never really expected it to work—she was just giving it a shot.
But to her own shock, as soon as her thoughts reached deep into her mind, she actually felt a surge of power flowing in. Her spirit flooded like the Qiantang tidal bore, and the two-petal flower on her brow, which was only half-open before, now bloomed completely with this support.
The flower spun endlessly, like a divine eye, a magical eye, a wise eye—able to see through mysteries that regular folks could never crack.
"How is this possible!" Dream Monroe, hiding in the clouds, was nearly shocked speechless. She knew exactly what Jill Young’s Lunmai Technique meant—after all, Maggie Monroe herself taught it. This kind of magical eye wasn’t just for show, and Dream Monroe knew it. "Uh-oh, simple illusions aren’t gonna cut it anymore!"
Thinking fast, Dream Monroe tried another move. But right away, she heard Jill Young’s big laugh: "Mwahahaha, still trying to run? Let’s see where you think you’re going!"
Boom! Her words hit like thunder. Legend has it Buddha’s Lion’s Roar sounded like thunder, which is why his temple was called the Great Thunder Monastery. Jill Young’s own Lion’s Roar didn’t hurt Dream Monroe physically, but it sure broke her concentration. Dream was caught off guard—her head spun, her body wobbled.
Star power rushed in and quickly cleared away the side effects, but when Dream Monroe looked back, Jill Young was already riding the jet, charging right up, shouting like a Peking Opera villain: "Hey, birdbrain! Where do you think you’re going?!"