Chapter 49: Charles Kilvish Last Stand
Charles turned his gaze upward. Behind him, the celestial Sword Maiden shimmered like a divine spectre, her presence sustained by the very flames of his dwindling life force. Each breath he took scorched his lungs, yet his eyes held unwavering determination.
Then he looked at Adaeze, who hovered in the sky with arms folded, his body wreathed in a storm of lightning.
"If my life is the price to take down one of the Ten Heavenly Dragons," Charles said with a weary smile, "don’t you think it’s worth it?"
Adaeze raised an eyebrow and then let out a booming laugh, sharp as thunder. "Just because you left a scratch on me... You believe you can take my life?"
His Qi surged violently. Bolts of black lightning danced across his body before coalescing above him into the monstrous form of a dragon, sleek, serpentine, and brimming with destructive intent. Its eyes crackled with malice, and each beat of its wings tore the clouds apart.
"Let me break your little fantasy," Adaeze said coldly. "The title of Heavenly Dragon isn’t ornamental. It wasn’t given to ten people on this planet as some symbolic honour. It’s an acknowledgement that even without stepping into the Divine Realm, we can fight Divine Realm cultivators."
His voice was laced with pride and absolute certainty.
Charles, however, did not flinch.
He knew better than most what Adaeze meant; his wife, Bella, the Divine Ice Dragon, was one of the Ten Heavenly Dragons. He had witnessed her might, her Dao, and her indomitable spirit. That title was no exaggeration.
"You’re right," Charles said softly. "Even with my life force burning, I’m no match for you in power."
Then he extended his hand, and a golden formation plate appeared in his palm.