Seeking Truth with a Sword

Chapter 726 - 656: Friends

The gale howled as the sky’s dark clouds twisted spontaneously, resembling an immense black eye staring intently down upon the Human World. The edges of the clouds flickered with transient streaks of lightning.

Canglong suddenly reared back, gazing down at the tiny human figure charging toward it like an ant shaking a tree, fixating on the Dragon Fall Spear in Li Ang’s hands.

It felt an unprecedented threat, a fear different from the sharp Sword Intent of Cui Yixian or the overwhelming Telekinesis of Xi Yangyu.

Thus, Canglong continued to retreat and raised its dragon claw.

Lightning strike!

The center of the dark clouds erupted with brilliant light, and dozens of azure bolts of lightning roared downward, merging into one in mid-air, instantly piercing the heavens and the earth, and also piercing through the figure of Li Ang.

"Damn!"

From a great distance, the Academic Palace Disciples hiding on the other side of the back mountain couldn’t help but cry out in alarm.

Too far to see Li Ang’s face clearly, they could still imagine he was there to save the day, and they all prayed for him silently.

As the lightning dissipated, Li Ang’s figure sank and began to fall downward, causing everyone’s heart to rise to their throat.

A few students unconsciously stepped into the Vajra Demon Suppression Circle, causing the surrounding bells to tremble incessantly. However, the teachers responsible for looking after the students were too preoccupied to stop them, as they clenched their fists and looked towards the night sky over the mountain.

BUZZ—

As he fell, Li Ang felt a buzzing in his ears piercing into his mind, resembling the chaotic cacophony of various instruments in an ICU ward from an Otherworld’s memories, and yet also like the long school bells he heard while studying at the Yizhou State School.

He exhaled a hot breath and steadied his body, stomping heavily beneath his feet. He propelled himself off the stairs formed from Telekinesis, shooting out like an arrow once more.

SWOOSH.

The carbonized and charred skin on his body was peeling off in the wind, revealing the threads of Mo Si buried within his skin—the lightning was too swift and fast, leaving no room to dodge.

The only way was to use Mo Si to weaken the force of the lightning, to take a direct hit and use it to close the distance.

Like now, with Canglong within arm’s reach, Li Ang could clearly see the slowly drifting dragon whiskers and the dazed expression of Li Shan standing atop the Dragon Head.

CLANG!

The Dragon Fall Spear pierced through the scales under Canglong’s neck, stabbing deep into the flesh.

With great effort, Canglong raised its head, barely breaking free from the spear to avoid a fatal throat slash, but it still couldn’t prevent Li Ang from riding the momentum to cut a long and deep wound along its body. In an instant, blood gushed like a fountain.

Worse still, the spear seemed to carry a venomous effect. The blood mist sprouting from the wound rapidly changed color, first to brownish yellow, then to bluish green, and eventually turned thick black.

The deep wound under the dragon’s neck quickly began to rot and decay, and the surrounding Dragon Scales fell off.

Fortunately, the residual effect of the Azure Spring Water was still there, and by continuously drawing on its Life Force, it managed to contain the spread of decay.

"Is that..."

Above the ground, Wei Shanjun, looking battered and bruised, leaned against a tree to stand up and hesitated upon seeing this scene, "Dragon Fall?"

He had spent his life studying Hundred Beasts Studies, and naturally, he could guess what happened. Only that legendary weapon could have such a miraculous effect on the Dragon Clan.

Meanwhile, Cui Yixian and Xi Yangyu exchanged glances, with even more shock and hesitation in their eyes.

"Roar!!"

In pain, Canglong furiously roared and flew upwards while twisting its body, swiping down with its claw enveloped in lightning.

The attack’s speed was slowed by the injury. This slight deviation allowed Li Ang time to react.

He didn’t retreat but advanced, grabbing onto a Dragon Scale to swing himself, somersaulting onto the dragon’s back. He then controlled Mo Si to emerge from his boots, transforming into barbs to firmly anchor between the gaps of the scales, enabling him to stand steadily on the dragon’s back.

Draw the spear, stab down.

The spear plunged through as if splitting bamboo, half of its length buried into the dragon’s back. The sensation of nailing into bone vibrated up the spear and clearly transmitted to his hand.

"Roar—"

The roar no longer soared. Canglong arched its back in agony. The overhead dark clouds, as if summoned, haphazardly sent down hundreds of bolts of lightning, but all missed their mark, either igniting the trees on the forest floor or being intercepted by the people on the ground.

Several bolts struck Canglong accurately, shattering more scales.

And as the dragon’s spine arched, Li Ang, standing on its back, found himself inverted, head down and feet up. He looked down towards Li Shan. Their eyes met.

Without need for words, there was no turning back at this point. The only option left was to kill the other.

CRACK.

The barbed hooks on the soles of his boots retracted in unison. Li Ang drew his spear, unleashed his Telekinesis, and accelerated his descent.

The night sky was bright as day, lit by flashes of lightning. The Dragon Fall Spear in his hand, gaining speed every second, shone with brilliant red light, like a meteor.

"Mother, brace yourself."

As Li Shan watched the red star plummeting toward him, he muttered to his mother, then drew the short sword at his waist and charged toward the heavens.

CLANG—

The clash of gold and iron resounded across the mountains, followed by a series of sparks from the ferocious sword-and-spear duel.

Li Shan’s swordsmanship was learned from the Imperial Palace Tributors, his Sword Intent from the masters at the Academic Palace, unparalleled in its purity. He even possessed a Cloud Patrol High Realm cultivation level that outstripped most of his peers, which he had deliberately concealed until now.

Unfortunately, he was not facing an ordinary man, and this was more than just a friendly contest.

After several exchanges, accompanied by a sweep of the spear hitting Li Shan’s wrist squarely, his sword was sent flying away. Violent Telekinesis gripped Li Shan, rendering him immobile.

Expressionless, Li Ang held onto his former friend’s collar with one hand and the Dragon Fall Spear with the other, continuing to plummet downwards.

Until the spear pierced into the dragon’s back.

BOOM!

Canglong recoiled as if struck by lightning, its body stiffening, then collapsing limp as if all its bones were extracted. The massive dragon fell slowly along its flight path until it crashed into the mountainside, flattening a swath of trees.

Dust filled the sky. Xi Yangyu and the others rushed over but were blocked by barriers, hovering in the air. They saw Canglong still breathing.

Perhaps the blow was too swift, for it completely awakened the Azure Spring Water within the dragon’s body. As blood spurted, it rapidly regenerated.

Its already massive body swelled even more. The newly formed scales took on a gold hue, while its Dragon Head aged further, the whiskers turned white, and its eyes clouded with a faint cataract.

"Roar!!"

The giant dragon let out a tremendous roar, its terrifying presence spreading across Xia Mountain.

All birds and beasts ceased their movements at the same time. The students on the other side of the mountain had no idea what was happening; they only felt their hearts pounding, their faces turning pale. Even in Dongjun Tower, where for centuries not a single twig had changed, the Mechanical Servant Puppets, normally stiff and dull, seemed to sense something, stopping their work and turning their heads towards the back of the mountain.

In the midst of the dust clouds, Li Ang slowly stood up straight. He did not look at the miraculously surviving Wu Guifei or the bound Crown Prince. Instead, he silently picked up Li Shan by the neck, pressing his hand against his face.

Telekinesis radiated from his fingertips, tearing Li Shan’s skin open and peeling off his entire face.

Then, he placed it on his own.

The blood was warm.

Li Ang changed into his former friend’s clothes, tossed him aside, and stepped onto the Dragon Head. When he spoke, it was with Li Shan’s voice, "There, there. It’s me."

The giant dragon, already on alert, relaxed when it saw its master’s face through blurred vision and heard that familiar voice. Its aging, hesitant mind felt joy once more.

Carefully, it lifted its head, nuzzling the human’s palm with its nose, just like when it was a young dragon seeking affection from its master in the Dark River beneath Chang’an Ghost Market. It did not notice the spear pressed against its forehead.

SHUNK—

The spear thrust forward, piercing through the brain, fatal in a single blow.

The giant dragon’s eyelids fluttered; it was unable to react—Li Ang’s Telekinesis spread along the shaft of the weapon, instantly blowing apart its brains.

The clustering dark clouds in the heavens ceased their churning; the thunder building up dissolved into nothingness.

The clouds parted to reveal the moon; the starry sky was resplendent as if everything were an illusion, like a peaceful night in Chang’an of old.

Li Ang peeled off the face, looking down at the Mountain Master Jade Pendant he had seized from Li Shan, gripping it tightly.

The jade shattered with the pressure, the sharp fragments slipping through his fingers, falling into the soil below.