First Acquaintance

For a moment, the powerful airflow generated from Ryuseki's body swept through the surroundings like a storm. The nearby bushes swayed violently, and flocks of birds were startled into flight, leaving the area. The airflow erupted outwards in wave-like circles, enveloping Ryuseki within these layered rings of energy.

"He's actually unleashing such immense power? Doesn't that bastard care about destroying his own body?" Slumber watched Ryuseki intently while also glancing around. "However, without that specific item, you can't fully control this power. Right now, you're all show and no substance." With that, Slumber crossed his arms over his chest, clenching his fists.

Similar airflow began to form in Slumber's hands, which then coalesced into the shape of two short blades. He tilted his head back, looking at Ryuseki, his legs adopting a stance ready to charge.

"Tch-heh~"

Slumber grinned and let out a laugh before launching himself forward with incredible speed, like an arrow released from a bowstring.

"~Soul Annihilation!~"

A bright white cross appeared on Ryuseki's chest. This slash tore through the layers of airflow in front of him. Just like the muscular guy before, Slumber appeared behind him with arms spread wide. Then, he opened his hands, and the airflow blades in his grasp vanished into thin air.

"Now I can confirm you're really here to steal what I'm protecting!"

Ryuseki turned to face Slumber, who realized his previous attack had dealt no damage. It had only cut through the airflow surrounding him. Slumber couldn't help but be wary of Ryuseki's next move.

But just as Slumber focused his attention on Ryuseki, a danger warning suddenly flashed in his mind. He quickly rolled to the side, only to see the claw of a transparent dragon descending from the sky.

"Where did that attack come from?"

Puzzled, Slumber followed the dragon claw's trajectory upwards, seeing it extend all the way to the sky and then spread out behind Ryuseki. It turned out Ryuseki had used himself as a decoy, extending the airflow around his body to attack Slumber.

The dragon-claw-shaped airflow quickly retracted, coiling around Ryuseki's arm. Ryuseki then charged at Slumber, his arm wrapped in the dragon-claw airflow as if intending to tear him apart.

Startled, Slumber leaped away to dodge the attack. However, the rocky ground was not so fortunate, being completely pulverized.

"This destructive power is truly astonishing. While that Demon Dragon isn't the strongest among the Eight Mythical Beasts, it's still one of them!" Slumber rolled up the sleeve of his left arm. "But I won't lose that easily. Bring it on, you Demon Dragon. I'll show you some of my real skills too." Then, Slumber was seen tightly gripping his left arm with his right hand, and a black circle appeared in the palm of his left hand.

Let's talk about the Eight Mythical Beasts here: The so-called Eight Mythical Beasts are the eight most powerful mythical beasts in this world, monsters that guard the eight world gates. They are: the Full Moon Dragon of Full Moon Tower, the Eight-Headed Serpent of Nine Dragon Mountain, the Phoenix of the Sun God Temple, the Jade Kirin of Kirin Spring Falls, the Netherhound of the Valley of Death, the Nightmare Baku of the Land of the Dead, the Maned Phoenix of Azure Cove, and the Nine-Tailed Forked Cat of the Forest of Bewilderment.

Of course, this vast world is not home to only these eight mythical beasts. There are many mythical beasts in this world, but the existence of these eight is particularly special. Only these eight mythical beasts possess the power to maintain the balance of the entire world, and conversely, they also possess the ability to destroy the world. They are truly terrifying beings.

Furthermore, the most powerful among these Eight Mythical Beasts is the Phoenix of the Sun God Temple.

Slumber's arm had changed significantly compared to before; it had visibly swollen considerably. Not only had his arm transformed, but the surrounding aura had also shifted slightly. The flowing airflow generated a gust of wind pressure, blowing away surrounding materials. Dust and sand from all around surged towards Slumber, or more accurately, towards the black circle in the palm of his left hand. The black circle was attracting and sucking in all the surrounding air and small particles that came near it. Moreover, Slumber's left arm became increasingly thick, appearing more than twice its original size, as if afflicted by some strange disease.

"Hey, what are you doing over there?" Ryuseki impatiently prepared for his next attack.

"Just shout while you still have the strength. You won't be able to shout later," Slumber replied through gritted teeth, struggling. At this moment, his arm had become disproportionately large compared to his body; his left arm had swollen to an unbelievable extent.

Ryuseki roared and charged forward: "I will protect everything I am meant to protect."

Slumber had no intention of dodging his attack. He strained to support his terrifyingly thick left arm with his right hand, aiming his left palm at Ryuseki. The moment Ryuseki charged forward, the black circle in his palm activated in reverse of its previous mode.

"Tch-heh~"

Like a gate opening, the long-accumulated energy poured out from the black circle. The erupting power could even be compared to a volcanic eruption. The immense impact made it impossible for Ryuseki to resist, and he was quickly engulfed by this energy cannon. Meanwhile, Slumber's left arm was visibly shrinking back to its normal size at an alarming rate.

Tens of seconds passed, and Slumber's arm returned to normal. The black circle in his left palm had also vanished. The surrounding dust slowly settled. Peering through the swirling dust at the impact site, one could see a devastating crater extending for several kilometers, as if a terrible disaster had occurred.

The power of this impact was truly terrifying; it was likely comparable to the cannons on a warship. Slumber's left arm twitched and trembled. He slowly lowered his arm, and far in the distance, Ryuseki could be seen lying on the ground.

"If it weren't for that monster's power, you would have died long ago. Tch-heh~" Slumber rubbed his left shoulder, took a deep breath, and walked towards Cheng Shun Gong, whom he had just kicked away. As he walked, he muttered to himself, "But if you still can't control this power, you'll die sooner or later."

As Slumber emerged from the large pit, he realized that because Ryuseki had initially used his body to block the attack, the impact had dispersed, causing the surrounding rocky ground to collapse entirely, creating an impact crater about seven to eight meters in diameter.

This battle was truly astonishing. Ryuseki was still lying several kilometers away, unconscious from the impact.

Slumber adjusted the hat on his head and disappeared into the twilight with the unconscious Cheng Shun Gong.

Not long after, Ryuseki gradually regained consciousness. He was astonished by everything that had happened before him. His head felt dizzy, but he still remembered what had happened, especially the bounty hunter named Slumber.

"I won't forgive that guy," he said, slowly getting to his feet. He looked at his hands, baring his teeth. "Where did that power just now come from?"

He slowly walked towards the large pit from which the impact had originated and stood by its edge, breathing heavily for a long time. Just then, a cold wind blew past, giving Ryuseki a chill.

"It's so late, and it's so cold!"

Ryuseki, apart from exhaustion, had sustained no injuries.