Chapter 1077: Six-Winged Radiant Dragon Knight
Chapter 1077: Six-Winged Radiant Dragon Knight
Xu An'yu thrust his dragon spear into the air, and a resounding dragon roar echoed across the sky. His expression remained utterly focused; there was not the slightest hint of carelessness despite facing Tang San. As the spear surged forward, its tip left behind a brilliant golden trail that became a piercing beam flying straight at Tang San, accompanied by an overwhelming eruption of radiant light energy
Tang San raised the Black Tortoise Shield in his left hand, covering his entire body. The swirling whirlpool-like dim light once again appeared on the shield's surface. The golden spear light was instantly devoured upon contact, so cleanly that it didn't even sound like an impact at all. At the same time, Tang San's Holy Dragon Spear shot forward, a blast of orange-golden spear light flying straight toward Xu An'yu.
Xu An'yu chuckled. "I told you already, your holy energy nourishes my light energy. It seems you still don't trust me fully, Brother Jin."
As he spoke, a golden hexagon-shaped pattern that looked like an array lit up beneath his feet. Light energy ignited in an instant and clashed directly with Tang San's holy energy. Immediately, the light aura surrounding Xu An'yu surged upward like oil meeting fire, becoming even more intense and blazing.
"Radiant Light!" Xu An'yu raised his dragon spear to the heavens, summoning a pillar of mighty brilliance that descended upon Tang San.
"And you, Brother Xu, are trying to kill a tree with light. I feel like this is a rather futile endeavor," Tang San's calm voice echoed back. Behind him, the projection of the Ancestral Tree flared to life, and under the cover of the holy light, the aura of life grew even more dense and vibrant.
Seeing this, Xu An'yu was pleased rather than surprised. He had anticipated this outcome, and it only confirmed that his investment in Tang San had been the right choice. Both had been probing each other's strength, and now it was clear: Their attributes weren't in conflict but complementary. So much so that the other's very presence seemed to enhance their powers!
"As expected, we should be allies rather than opponents. It seems we'll have to settle this with brute force," Xu An'yu said with a relaxed smile.
After their brief exchange, it became apparent that neither could suppress the other through elemental affinity alone. Xu An'yu, it seemed, had anticipated this.
A thick aura of light enveloped his entire body, but even though he had just stated that brute force was the solution, he remained in human form rather than returning to his dragon form. The light gathered rapidly around him, forming a dazzling suit of armor—armor consisting entirely of condensed light energy.
The radiant dragon armor glowed with a pure white hue, only interrupted from place to place by shimmering golden patterns. Even his dragon spear transformed accordingly. Behind him, his Light Sprite grew larger and spread her arms toward him in an embrace. A moment later, the sprite vanished, replaced by six glowing wings that unfurled from Xu An'yu's back, transforming him into a six-winged warrior.
The sheer power of his aura had been causing the air around him to hum, and as the wings spread open, that hum rose to a piercing roar. A massive, solid-looking dragon-projection took form behind him—no, it was not just a bloodline projection, but something far more tangible. The radiant dragon swooped down and positioned itself beneath him, lifting him up with its head.
Gasps rippled through the audience. This ability was something Xu An'yu had never revealed. Not even against Jiang Chenchou had he unleashed his full strength. Yet now, facing Jin Miaolin, he revealed his ultimate form. Was this a show of respect?
As she sat on her throne watching them, Mei Gongzi's expression grew somber. She could feel the staggering strength radiating from Xu An'yu. Though he was not yet an Emperor, once bonded with his dragon mount, his power already reached that level. The radiance of light energy no longer leaked from him; it had fully integrated into his being.
Could she really defeat someone like this?
Xu An'yu didn't attack right away. After completing his transformation, he addressed Tang San in a calm tone. "Brother Jin, this is my true trump card, the Six-Winged Radiant Dragon Knight form. You see, when I was young, I was born into the Puppet Dragon Corps. But I didn't stay there long, and even the elders of the legion probably no longer remember me. It was Her Majesty the Crystal Demon Emperor who took me from there and personally trained me, helping me get to where I am today.
"I am a mutant dragon, but the mutation in my bloodline isn't related to its energy attribute. It's just that… I was born with two hearts. The differing rhythms of those two hearts nearly killed me. It was the Crystal Demon Emperor who used her immense power to stabilize me and help me gain control over them. Then, she forged one of the hearts into a divine item—my personal lifebound divine item, the Heart of Radiance.
"Through it, I can summon another version of myself. I call this the Radiant Twin Dragon. So what you're about to face is essentially two of me, two that can merge into one. After this match, if we get the chance, perhaps you could bring out the Scourge Dragon, and we could face each other as fellow Dragon Knights. That would be truly exciting. But for now, though your defenses are strong, the energy at your disposal isn't on par with mine, let alone if there are two of me. So I would advise you to surrender. I don't want to hurt you."
Xu An'yu's voice was sincere, and loud enough for every powerhouse present to hear.
From atop Council Mountain, the Tenebrous Demon Emperor's expression shifted. Even before ascending, Xu An'yu had already earned the full backing of the dragon race and could challenge an existing Emperor. Now that he had become a Crown Prince, he no longer needed to hold back.
His choice to reveal this secret wasn't only to pressure Tang San; it was a warning to the Tenebrous Demon Emperor. He was announcing to all the powerhouses present, and to the dragon race itself, exactly how deep his foundations ran.
With two hearts as one, once he reached the Emperor level, Xu An'yu would be fearsomely strong; in fact, there was a high chance he would surpass the Tenebrous Demon Emperor himself the very moment he ascended.
Then, there was one other thing: His full power was actually suppressed by the planar laws due to his mutation being too powerful. This was one of the key reasons he was so determined to win the championship. Only as an Emperor would he be able to somewhat ignore the suppression of the plane's will and unleash his full power, and only with assistance from others would he be able to ascend.
And if a single Xu An'yu was already this powerful, what kind of strength would two possess?
Watching this unfold, even the Sunborne Nymph Emperor felt a pang of regret. He regretted not insisting that Jin Miaolin be allowed to use the Scourge Dragon. With its support, perhaps he would have stood a chance. But now, armed only with two divine items, and with the Holy Dragon Spear offering no significant edge, how could he possibly contend with this?
What Mei Gongzi had sensed, the Sunborne Nymph Emperor and Undying Demon Emperor could sense as well: Xu An'yu had already reached a level where he could contend with the lower-level Emperors. Once he ascended, he would undoubtedly become a pillar of the dragon race, and even as a fresh Emperor, he would be among the top.
The dragon race truly lived up to its title as the strongest race on the continent. With their full support behind him, Xu An'yu's rise to prominence was well-earned.
The real problem was… If Xu An'yu ascended, would there still be three Emperor seats to go around? Would Jin Miaolin, the last of the three, still have enough of the continent's fortune to ascend as well?
This was a situation none of the Emperors had foreseen.