The Golden Dragon King flashed into the sky, brimming with fighting spirit. He'd originally planned to duel Evan Chu, but after learning that this guy was actually a Nine-Clawed Golden Dragon, he absolutely didn't dare challenge the Dragon Clan's most precious bloodline—and couldn't even if he wanted to. That overwhelming bloodline pressure sapped more than half his combat strength.
But now, this Golden-Winged Roc was the perfect outlet for his frustration. He could use the opportunity to show off in front of Evan Chu—maybe someday he'd even earn heavy trust and responsibility.
Evan Chu glanced at the Golden Dragon King but said nothing. He knew the dragon would probably lose to the Golden-Winged Roc—after all, the Roc was a demigod-rank powerhouse, far beyond a late-stage Immortal Emperor.
As for why a demigod-rank hadn't ascended to the God Realm or triggered a thunder tribulation, Evan Chu found it strange. If he wanted answers, he'd have to ask the Golden-Winged Roc—but given the tense situation, that seemed unlikely.
The old man transformed from the Golden-Winged Roc was furious to be singled out for a challenge—especially on his own turf. If he refused to fight, it would look like he was losing face. Just as he prepared to take to the sky and duel the Golden Dragon King, another middle-aged man who'd come with him spoke up.
"King, why should you personally deal with this little mud eel? Let me handle him for you. Other races might fear the Dragon Clan, but my Golden-Winged Roc Clan certainly doesn't. Today, I'll show him our true strength—maybe it's time to revise the immortal beast rankings!"
"In that case, go ahead. Teach this arrogant guy a lesson—let him know dragons aren't the only kings among immortal beasts," the old man said.
To the Golden Dragon King, those words stung worse than death. With a dragon roar, he instantly transformed into his true body—a terrifying beast thousands of meters long. If he opened his mouth wide enough, he could probably swallow everyone on the ground in one gulp.
"You think transforming into your true body means I'm afraid of you?" the middle-aged man retorted. Golden light flashed around him as he transformed into a gigantic bird with wings spanning several hundred meters—this was the true form of a Golden-Winged Roc.
When Goldwing spreads his wings, they're less than a hundred meters across—maybe he's not showing his full power. But now, with the Golden-Winged Roc and Golden Dragon King locked in a life-or-death battle, neither side will be holding anything back.
With a single flap of its wings, a massive gust of wind swept over the mountaintop. The force was on par with Glasswind itself—a testament to the Roc's terrifying strength. Its enormous form shot into the sky.
The Golden Dragon King spat out a stream of golden vapor—dragon flame, highly corrosive. If it touched the Golden-Winged Roc, it would inflict serious damage.
But the Roc's massive wings flickered several times, unleashing bursts of powerful wind that scattered the dragon flame. Its golden feathers then radiated dazzling light, and in an instant, hundreds of feather-arrows shot toward the Golden Dragon King.
The Golden Dragon King seemed unfazed by the feather-arrows. His massive tail swept up to meet them head-on, filling the air with crackling sounds as golden arrows struck his golden scales, throwing off sparks—some even pierced his flesh.
The pain was real, but the tail's counterattack was devastating too. The sound of wind and thunder echoed nonstop as he struck the Roc, sending it flying thousands of meters before it managed to steady itself.
No one expected the Roc to be knocked back in a single exchange. But really, it was a draw—after all, dozens of feather-arrows were embedded in the Golden Dragon King's tail, golden dragon blood dripping steadily and making him suffer.
The Roc's wing was broken by the blow, making flight difficult. It had to revert to human form, blood at the corner of its mouth, one arm hanging limp, and its face pale as ash.
It could still fight, but its strength was greatly reduced. The Golden Dragon King howled skyward, his dragon roar shaking the air and making the whole space tremble.
A flash of golden light burst from his body, forcing out every feather-arrow embedded in his flesh. Golden dragon blood sprayed from each wound like a fountain.
Evan Chu frowned slightly. It looked like the Golden Dragon King was struggling to keep fighting. He hadn't expected things to get this dire so quickly—the Roc had underestimated its opponent, while the Golden Dragon King relied too much on his own defense and ignored the attacks.
Neither side expected things to end in mutual injury, but the Golden Dragon King was still as arrogant as ever, shouting from midair, "Golden-Winged Roc, it's your turn now! So much for your clan's legendary attack power—looks pretty ordinary to me!"
The old Golden-Winged Roc glanced at the Golden Dragon King and said, "If you look down on my clan so much, then today I'll make sure you vanish from Godfall Valley." With that, he flashed into the sky.
"Old man, looks like you've got the wrong opponent. The one you're supposed to fight is me, not him," Evan Chu called out, quickly flying into the sky himself.
"Golden Dragon, stand down. Let me handle this old guy—you're not his match. He's a demigod-rank powerhouse, way beyond what you can handle right now, especially while you're seriously injured," Evan Chu told the Golden Dragon King.
The Golden Dragon King didn't protest—he wouldn't dare ignore Evan Chu's words. He quickly moved aside. The old Roc King then said, "Kid, you seem pretty confident. You're from the Golden Dragon Clan too, aren't you? Should we fight like this, or transform into our true bodies?"
"However you want—I'll accompany you to the end," Evan Chu replied with a smile.
"Then let's fight in our true bodies. Let me see how many claws your Golden Dragon form has, since you're so arrogant," the Roc King said.
Golden light flashed, and suddenly a giant bird with wings over a thousand meters long appeared before Evan Chu. Seeing its true body, Evan Chu was shocked—it was far more terrifying and powerful than he'd imagined.
With a dragon roar, Evan Chu transformed as well—into a Nine-Clawed Golden Dragon that made all who saw him look up in awe. Instantly, a wave of primordial might flooded the sky, making the Roc King shudder. "Kid, you—you really are a Nine-Clawed Golden Dragon? How is that possible?"
"There are plenty of impossible things in this world, old man. If you regret it now, it's not too late—otherwise, don't say I bullied you with my bloodline. If you feel my true form is too oppressive, transform into human shape and I'll do the same. I don't need any unfair advantage," Evan Chu said, then reverted to human form.
For Evan Chu, fighting as a Golden Dragon wasn't actually his strongest style—he might even lose to the Roc King that way. But in human form, he'd win for sure. He said all this on purpose, to make sure the Roc King had no way to back out. It was his plan from the very beginning...