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After chanting the incantation, Shawn Young's mystical weapon, Raikiri Dagger, erupted with a dazzling golden light so brilliant it was hard to keep one's eyes open. The blade soared into the air, radiating a surge of icy energy, spinning upward—then, with a sudden flash, transformed into a blazing orb of gold, slicing through the air with an unstoppable blade aura, heading straight for the massive body of the Celestial Horned Tiger that was plummeting from above.
Sensing danger, the Celestial Horned Tiger tried to twist away and dodge, but Shawn Young's Raikiri Dagger, now empowered by the Sharp Gold Divine Spell, was unstoppable. Spinning in midair—crack!—the blade struck the beast squarely on the forehead, the golden glow vanished—"Awooo—roar—howl—" The Celestial Horned Tiger let out a bloodcurdling shriek, its huge body instantly torn apart midair, pieces scattering to the ground, shredded by the razor-sharp golden energy. There was no way it could pull itself together again.
After circling in the air, the Raikiri Dagger suddenly—whoosh!—plunged downward, its blade embedding itself in the central node of the Celestial Ironwood Array. The shimmering blade continued to radiate a fierce, icy glow, casting a blazing halo of light, exuding an aura of overwhelming dominance—the true Emperor of Blades!
"Whoa! Amazing! I never imagined Raikiri could be this powerful! It's incredible—I guess my cultivation just isn't strong enough to unleash its full potential!" Jade Swann had watched the Raikiri Dagger utterly annihilate the Celestial Horned Tiger, and now she shouted in excitement, rushing toward the spot where the dagger had landed, eager to check it out.
"Hold on—not so fast, something still feels off—" Shawn Young quickly grabbed Jade Swann to stop her.
"Huh? You already broke the Celestial Ironwood Array, and those enchanted trees can't reform—what could possibly be wrong?" Jade Swann asked, puzzled.
Frowning, Shawn Young stared at the ground, not answering her. Suddenly, the earth beneath their feet began to bulge and ripple, gray-white misty clouds swirling up, accompanied by a rumbling noise like a locomotive. The sound echoed from deep underground, as if something was churning and writhing below—a truly eerie sight.
"Ah? What's down there? Don't tell me it's another terrifying monster?!" Jade Swann's voice trembled, her pretty face turning pale. She could sense the powerful force lurking underground—definitely not something mere mortals could withstand!
"I have no idea. Let's just be extra careful—" Shawn Young pulled Jade Swann back, retreating to the edge of the pit, close to the entrance of the tunnel. He was ready to run at the first sign of trouble.
Suddenly, the Raikiri Dagger embedded in the array's core began to hum—"bzzz—bzzz—"—then, with a loud "boom!" it shot up from the ground, hovering in midair and unleashing a blinding, icy blade aura that instantly enveloped the entire pit beneath the Dragon's Lair.
"Boom—boom—boom—" The earth around the array's core split open layer by layer, and a long, gray-white body suddenly burst out from the spot. Mud splattered everywhere, coated in some kind of transparent slime, and a strange earthy stench filled the air. The massive creature let out wheezing sounds—"wheeze—wheeze—"—like an asthmatic struggling to breathe, sending shivers down everyone's spine.
"Holy crap! That's one giant earthworm! I've never seen anything so huge!" Jade Swann shrieked as she got a good look at the creature, her scalp tingling in shock.
The thing emerging from the ground was over twenty meters long! Its whole body was gray-white, with folds and wrinkles along its sides, glistening with a layer of sticky, transparent slime. Its girth was as thick as two water buckets, long and soft, clawless, covered in gray-white scales. At the head, there was a round opening the size of a dinner plate, from which those wheezing sounds came, and every time it spasmed, it would spew out a cloud of gray-white mist—exactly like the kind emitted by those enchanted trees!
"This... this must be the legendary Thousand-Year Earth Dragon! I get it now—the Celestial Ironwood Array was formed and activated by this creature!" Shawn Young exclaimed, suddenly realizing the truth.
"Thousand-Year Earth Dragon? What's its story?" Jade Swann asked, her curiosity piqued.
"In geomancy, they say all elements have spirits—the Thousand-Year Earth Dragon is the earth element's phantom spirit! It's been cultivating here in the Dragon's Lair for thousands of years, absorbing the earth's essence to grow stronger. It started as a simple earthworm and evolved into this! We invaded its territory, so it activated the Celestial Ironwood Array to wipe us out!" Shawn Young explained.
As Shawn Young finished speaking, the Thousand-Year Earth Dragon let out another round of wheezing cries. Its bizarre head reared up, then suddenly dove back into the ground—"boom!"—sending dirt flying as its enormous body twisted and struggled, clearly trying to burrow back underground.
"Hmm? Is it trying to escape?" Jade Swann noticed something was off.
"Looks like it," Shawn Young said, frowning. Just then, an urgent, excited voice echoed in his mind—the fire dragon from the Heavenly Sanctuary: "Quick, grab the Thousand-Year Earth Dragon! If it escapes underground, you'll lose your chance!"
"Uh... How am I supposed to catch something that huge?" Shawn Young asked the fire dragon mentally.
"Your mystical weapon is its nemesis. Use it to threaten the Earth Dragon with your Daoist arts and force it to surrender! It's a phantom spirit—it can change size! Once you subdue it, it'll transform into mist and enter the Heavenly Sanctuary! Stop hesitating, it's about to get away—hurry up!" the fire dragon urged.