Chen Wuya stepped out of the cocoon of light, his feet crunching softly over the shattered stones. He raised a hand. The water dragon, a stream of blue-white energy coiling around his wrist, was still there, though it had grown a full circle thinner than before. The meridians within him still throbbed with pain, as though something were repeatedly pulling them apart.
He had no time to regulate his breathing.
Bai Zhi's Sword Qi had already fallen into disarray.
Three black shadows had surrounded her, their blades carving dark red arcs through the air, every strike carrying a putrid stench. Her flexible sword blocked two attacks, but the third forced her back half a step, exposing an opening at her left shoulder. One enemy immediately lunged forward, his blade grazing her sleeve and ripping a tear through the cloth.
Chen Wuya charged over.
Before he could get close, a line of text suddenly appeared in the system in his mind:
[Canglang Dragon Transformation Art initially mastered. Sea beasts may be summoned briefly.]
He froze.
Sea beasts?
He stood at the edge of the altar. Beneath his feet lay the blasted stone platform, seawater seeping through its cracks. He tried pressing his palm to the ground and closed his eyes to sense it. The sound of the tide came from afar, wave after wave crashing against the reefs.
His palm suddenly grew hot.
Three tiny crabs crawled out of the sand. Their shells were not even the size of a palm, their pincers opening and closing as they crawled to his feet and stopped.
The foreign clan leader stood five paces away, clad in silver armor with a cold sneer on his face. When he saw the three crabs, he first stared blankly, then burst into laughter. "This is