novelraw Chapter 1144: Approaching the Battlefield
Chapter 1144: Approaching the Battlefield
When Luo Qiu returned to the living room, Luo Pianxian was no longer there.
Nero lay fast asleep on the couch in a pitiful, defeated pose that reminded Luo Qiu of Ren Ziling, while Gui Ying hadn’t moved from his spot since the beginning.
“Sorry to keep you waiting,” Luo Qiu said softly as he passed Gui Ying. A black card with a golden mark appeared and floated into Gui Ying’s suit pocket.
Gui Ying could move again in an instant—but remained wary and unsettled.
“If Mr. Gui Ying ever has the chance to visit my humble shop, I’ll give you a discount,” Luo Qiu added.
The black card was likely some kind of voucher… Gui Ying thought to himself. Now able to move, he stayed silent and made no move to fight.
He used to think that only the True Dragon of this world was invincible, or that places like Xuanyuan Palace held the greatest power—but now he knew of the existence of a “Boss” in the present world.
Luo Qiu walked over to Nero. She showed no reaction and kept sleeping. Whether it was due to her carefree nature or an easygoing attitude was unclear.
Luo Qiu watched her for a moment, then extended two fingers to tap her forehead, slowly sliding down to her eyelids. Now that Nero had become a Black Soul Envoy, the visual seed he had implanted was no longer of much use.
But Nero reacted. She suddenly reached out and grabbed Luo Qiu’s wrist.“Boss, if you wanted to touch me, just say so. It’s not like I’d refuse. Why wait until I’m asleep? Do you like the thrill of sneaking around~?”
“You’re awake—then let’s go. Things here are wrapped up.”
Luo Qiu ignored her and withdrew his hand.
Nero yawned, rolled off the couch, stretched, and squinted. “Next time I won’t move~ I’ll pretend I know nothing~”
Still ignored.
Boss Luo turned to Gui Ying and nodded, “Mr. Gui Ying, thank you for having us today.”
“Not at… all,” Gui Ying replied with effort.
As they were leaving, Luo Qiu once again passed Butterfly Demon Luo Pianxian in the hallway—she was still holding a slice of cake, just like before.
Only this time, it was steaming hot—likely freshly made.
“Boss, you’re leaving?” the little butterfly asked, a bit downcast.
“Yeah, everything’s done here.” Luo Qiu smiled, then took the plate from her and began eating the slice of cake.
Unlike Nero’s messy gorging, Luo Qiu ate neatly but without delay.
Don’t waste someone’s kindness—he remembered someone teaching him that once. After placing the fork back on the plate, he asked gently, “You used flower honey?”
“It’s winter honey. I gathered it from the garden and the wildflowers nearby,” Pianxian nodded, then quickly waved her hands. “I—I picked it with my hands! Not by sucking it out! Don’t worry, Boss…”
“As long as it tastes good.” Luo Qiu smiled. “Haven’t been to Chen’s bun shop in a while. If you’ve got time, come by. I’ll treat you to sweet buns.”
“Okay!”
“Go back. Your sister dragon is out.”
Pianxian reflexively turned around—only to find nothing behind her. But when she turned back again, Luo Qiu and Nero had already vanished.
She pouted, then collected the plate, only to suddenly remember, “Oh no! I forgot to let Boss take some cake back for sister You Ye… Luo Pianxian, you have no memory at all!”
She tapped her head in frustration.
Just then, she saw someone whose face practically screamed “I’m in a foul mood”—the real Long Xiruo, the True Dragon of Divine Land.
“Si-Sister! Sister dragon!! You’ve grown up!!” Pianxian exclaimed in shock.
“I’ve always been this size!” Long Xiruo snapped.
“So Boss was with you just now,” Pianxian realized. “No wonder he said things were taken care of.”
Veins popped on Long Xiruo’s forehead.
“Don’t mention that damn conman in front of me again!” she growled, pinching Pianxian’s mouth. “Say it once, no milk for a month!”
S-So scary! Sister Dragon was never this terrifying!
“Lady Long, you’re back?!”
Thankfully, Gui Ying showed up in time, letting Pianxian escape Long Xiruo’s claws—she patted her face, relieved.
Long Xiruo glanced at Gui Ying.
She had mostly been in her younger form lately, but now, with her full power restored, the sheer pressure reminded Gui Ying of her old self. He quickly lowered his head.
“Where’s Kui Qianyi and that brat?”
“Master Kui and the princess went out… they had something to do.”
“Forget it. I know exactly where they went,” Long Xiruo snorted. Then her body flashed with golden light, and she shattered the villa roof, transforming into a golden divine dragon that soared into the sky.
As she departed, a golden radiance enveloped the entire villa.
“Don’t leave this barrier,” she said. “No one can harm you here—except that damn conman!”
Gui Ying stepped outside, tapped the barrier, and sighed. True Dragon was back—was that good or bad?
“Big Sis… please don’t end up fighting Lord Long…”
---
A golden dragon streaked into the fog. Wherever it passed, the mist dispersed. In the cold night sky, stars and moonlight reappeared.
The dragon moved between mountains and rivers, bringing vitality back to all creation.
On the ground below, a man in yellow robes halted and looked up at the distant golden silhouette in the night sky.
“Honored One… this True Dragon of Divine Land is terrifying indeed. Just its presence makes me incapable of even thinking of resisting,” said Gong Fanxing, forcing a smile.
“The ley lines have shifted,” the yellow-robed man murmured, withdrawing his gaze and stepping into the dark forest.
---
“Big Bro, look!”
Mo Xiaofei and Windchaser were protecting a group of civilians in secret when they suddenly looked up at the sky—Windchaser, being a demon, could immediately sense the supreme power of the True Dragon.
“It’s Master!” Mo Xiaofei exclaimed with joy. “She must be here to handle this matter… Come on, let’s follow and see if we can help!”
“Uh… okay!”
Honestly, Windchaser preferred the excitement. Sneaking behind the Divine Land’s True Dragon to see what was happening ahead? Way more thrilling than escort duty.
---
“What was that?”
Song Haoran stared at the golden streak across the night sky. For some reason, he felt an overwhelming urge to kneel and worship—so instinctive it nearly buckled his knees.
Beside him, Princess Chuyang opened her eyes from meditation and looked into the distance. She whispered, “The dragon’s roar shakes the heavens. With the divine dragon’s appearance, peace shall return for ten thousand generations… Looks like it’s almost over here.”
Song Haoran blinked at her, clearly hoping for a better explanation—but Chuyang’s poetic comment didn’t quite cut it.
“You saw the guardian of Divine Land—the True Dragon of Divine Land—whose lineage goes back far beyond the history you know. The Chinese people have lived under the protection of the True Dragon. All you need to understand is that as long as the True Dragon stands upon this land, they are invincible. Even immortals of supreme cultivation would leave in defeat and regret.”
A dragon... At least, the one the ancient princess spoke of—Song Haoran had just witnessed it.
Young Master Song's eyes sparkled as he looked at Princess Chuyang. “Princess… are there really immortals in this world?”
Princess Chuyang paused in silence for a moment before slowly replying, “Yes.”
---
Croaching Dragon Estate.
Half in ruins from the battle between Mo Mo and the 71st generation of Heavenly Heart, in a side courtyard belonging to the Plain-Clothed Daoists—
As the overwhelming pressure spread across the sky, Lai Caisheng silently looked upward. Even when the golden dragon flew past, he did not shift his gaze.
“That’s… the True Dragon,” Miss Gong’s expression turned serious and focused. “She’s finally revealed herself after lying dormant for so long.”
“What’s meant to come will come eventually.” Lai Caisheng said calmly. “But the timing of her appearance far exceeds my expectations… She should’ve appeared much earlier.”
“Could it be… the True Dragon has sensed something?”
“She’s headed for the summit of Mount Tai,” Lai Caisheng shook his head.
At this moment, the thick fog dispersed—at least along the path the True Dragon passed. Though the source of the mist remained veiled, the moonlit night had returned to those areas.
“The stars are dimmed, arranged like an illusion…” Lai Caisheng muttered, “It’s as if an invisible hand is placing every star… arranging everything in this world.”
“Invisible hand?” Miss Gong looked at him in surprise. She had rarely—perhaps never—seen this kind of expression on Lai Caisheng’s face.
He was deeply puzzled.
“As if there is some will at work.”
“You mean… the Heavenly Dao?”
Lai Caisheng paused in silence before shaking his head. “Maybe… beyond that.”
At that moment, the door to the room behind him swung open. Demon Du Lin, pale-faced, walked out and knelt behind Lai Caisheng. “Honored One… it is done.”
“Thank you, Du Lin.” Lai Caisheng nodded.
Another figure walked slowly out of the room—the 71st generation of Heavenly Heart. But now, he no longer looked old.
He appeared 20 to 30 years younger, like a man in his forties.
“It’s almost midnight,” he said calmly. “Let’s begin the ritual.”
---
Atop Mount Tai, the battle raged on.
Though the united forces had many experts, they struggled to coordinate. Their enemies, on the other hand, fought like martyrs—burning their souls, one after another, unleashing one final blaze. The war formation led by the Thirty-Six Heavenly Spirits of Xuanyuan Palace was formidable, making the clash evenly matched.
“Cang Yuntian, you old geezers of the Four Celestial Spirits are going all out!”
Though past their prime, these Four Celestial Spirits Demons had unique advantages. Burning what remained of their life force, they now fought with strength that surpassed their peak.
Firecloud Evil God found himself at a disadvantage—he couldn’t go all out here.
The full release of the Tiger Soul Blade was too dangerous, harming both enemies and himself. Besides, the true mastermind hadn’t shown up yet. He couldn’t afford to burn his strength now.
“Firecloud, there’s nothing more to say! We are ready to die! We either succeed in this battle, or we die trying—there’s no third option!”
“Annoying bastards!!”
The fight continued—none of the Four Celestial Spirits Demons sought outright victory. Their goal was to stall him at all costs.
Yen Xiaoxi observed the battlefield, her expression grim.
Among the allied forces, the Daoists had yet to bring out even 80% of their strength, while the Demons were already showing signs of exhaustion.
“Chief, if this continues, our people will be worn down by those silver-armored freaks!”
“What about the other three National Heroes?” Yan Xiaoxi asked quietly.
“They’ve reached their designated positions,” her subordinate quickly reported.
Yan Xiaoxi nodded, then said solemnly, “All personnel, equip God-Killer Bullets! Remember—behind us is the capital! This spiritual energy awakening cannot be allowed to repeat. If it bursts again, Beijing will be destroyed! Don’t waste a single shot!”
“Understood!!!” his subordinate shouted, then spoke into his comm, “All units, ready your bullets! I don’t care if you’re sharpshooters or lucky shooters—no one’s allowed to miss! Miss, and you lose three years of pay!”
Then he looked to Yan Xiaoxi. “Chief, is that good enough?!”
Yan Xiaoxi shot him a glance, then suddenly slapped the freshly-loaded pistol onto his hand and said flatly, “Same goes for you. Miss, and it’s a deduction.”
“…Okay.”
Ignoring the sour expression on his face, Yan Xiaoxi accepted a modified AWM rifle from another soldier and aimed into the sky.
There, Firecloud Evil God was clashing with Mr. Blind and the four giant Demons of the Four Celestial Spirits.
As Yan Xiaoxi steadily pulled the trigger, the bullet fired with a crack that did not drown out the chaos atop Mount Tai.
Bang—!!
The bullet struck Cang Yuntian’s arm. At first, he didn’t take it seriously.
He’d heard the Bureau had developed powerful spell-infused bullets, but those posed little threat to him. He instinctively waved it aside.
But the bullet pierced his palm and embedded itself in his arm. The moment it entered his body, Cang Yuntian’s expression drastically changed!
His vast demonic energy suddenly ignited like fuel—burning wildly!
Instead of fueling him, the burn caused his demonic energy to evaporate uncontrollably!
Right then, Firecloud Evil God slashed at him with the Tiger Soul Blade. With his energy burning away, Cang Yuntian couldn’t defend—he was sent crashing into the Investiture and Sacrifice Ritual Platform, smashing into the stone stele.
---
Inside a cavern, the altar’s hidden furnace exploded, and the altar was instantly destroyed by the violent energy.
Within the crimson vortex of spiritual power stood Gongsun Shiyu, naked, his hair now completely red.
Finally, Gongsun Shiyu slowly opened his eyes.
His pupils—pure black.
“So you’ve finally come… True Dragon, I’ve been waiting for you for a long time!”
(End of Chapter)