I, the Dragon Slayer, Will Draw My Blade Today! Draw My Red Blade!!

But there was nothing.

There were no monsters that could turn invisible like the Lunastra; truthfully, this cave, constantly filled with yellow-green miasma, was no different from the mist released by a Lunastra.

Xingyan rapidly sliced the air around him, the yellow-green miasma being constantly divided and then reassembled until he felt at ease.

Plink.

Hiss--

He heard the sound of liquid dripping from his body, followed immediately by the hissing sound of the liquid hitting the ground.

Xingyan turned his head and saw viscous, yellow-green liquid dripping down the surface of an Air Sac Carapace on his side. Where it flowed, the carapace hissed and emitted puffs of white smoke, and the liquid that had already dripped had even corroded the rocks at his feet into twisted pits.

Boom!!

Another explosion.

Xingyan watched with his own eyes as the Air Sac Carapace on his body, which had just been emitting white smoke, seemed to have its surface corroded through, and in the next second, it suddenly exploded.

Case closed, it's strong acid.

The Sulfur Dragon Slayer living in Miasma Valley had lost the Flame Sac that a Dragon Slayer should possess, and in its place was a strong acid—the Sulfur Dragon Slayer's sword tail could secrete an extremely corrosive strong acid.

In the game, the result would be a decrease in the Hunter's armor defense, but in reality, it meant that the Hunters' armor would be corroded into a useless pile of scraps, just like Xingyan's Air Sac Carapace.

When the mineral crystals covering the surface and the thin outer shell of the Air Sac Carapace were corroded through, it was not surprising that it would explode.

In the attack just now, the Sulfur Dragon Slayer had swung its sword tail, flinging out this highly corrosive strong acid. Xingyan had to admit, he was a bit disgusted.

His Air Sac Carapace had far less defense than a normal carapace in order to trigger an explosion in the shortest possible time after being attacked. This situation meant that as long as the Sulfur Dragon Slayer continuously sprayed its strong acid during combat, once the number of attacks reached a certain level, all the Air Sac Carapaces on his body would eventually detonate.

The most crucial point was that unlike dragons that needed to constantly rush forward and attack at close range with their teeth, claws, tails, or physical collisions, the Sulfur Dragon Slayer could attack from a very long distance with its long sword tail.

This meant it could chip away at Xingyan's durability for free.

How satisfying it was to bully other dragons with his long, thick, and sharp weapon before; Xingyan was now experiencing the same discomfort. Was this how the dragons he had disgusted before felt?

This was the armor I painstakingly built up by eating!

I can't let it be ruined like this!

Xingyan realized that the Sulfur Dragon Slayer had probably discovered the secret of his carapace. Because since a moment ago, this guy had stopped making any offensive moves and was instead using its sword tail to absorb force or block his attacks—and then it would frantically spray acid!!

Sulfur crystal!

As it swung its blade, its tail blade would secrete a large amount of strong acid. Even if Xingyan blocked the Sulfur Dragon Slayer's tail blade, it wouldn't prevent the strong acid from swinging towards him with inertia.

Xingyan could see it clearly now. This was no beautiful Dragon Slayer, it was purely a shrew!!

Purely a shrew!!

It wasn't his imagination; the Sulfur Dragon Slayer opposite him seemed to be smiling smugly.

Boom!!

Another Air Sac Carapace exploded because it was corroded through by the strong acid, making Xingyan's heart ache so much he couldn't breathe... this was top-quality Yin Dragon material.

This couldn't go on any longer. With a shift of his thoughts, Xingyan made a decision. Since the Sulfur Dragon Slayer was unwilling to have a proper, fair, and upright duel between two Sword Masters for mutual improvement, then he didn't need to concern himself with any methods.

It's a Great Sword Dragon, huh? Then I'll be Miyamoto Musashi!

Being late for a duel, making the opponent anxious, spreading rumors to attack the opponent's psyche... I don't care about any of that, the point is to win!

He leaped up from the ground again and swung down a powerful slash. As expected, the Sulfur Dragon Slayer caught the blow, but this time, Xingyan didn't try to retreat or change his sword stance to pursue like before. Instead, he turned his head and spat out a huge fireball.

Caught off guard.

Completely unexpected that Xingyan would suddenly spit out a fireball. For the Sulfur Dragon Slayer, which lived in Miasma Valley year-round and had never seen a proper Dragon Slayer, this fireball was a completely new version it had never encountered.

Because the Sulfur Dragon Slayer itself had long lost the ability to breathe fire, it had no idea that its somewhat strange kin possessed such a skill. It had no defenses whatsoever.

The fireball Xingyan spat out was very fast. In the blink of an eye, it reached the Sulfur Dragon Slayer. At this moment, the Sulfur Dragon Slayer was still holding up Xingyan's descending sword tail in a backward swing.

Boom!!

A Dragon Slayer's breath weapon was not mere flame; it was a mixture of lava stored in the Flame Sac and the impurities removed and ground from the tail blade each time—like a mass of half-melted nails, it would explode.

The scorching lava fireball let out a loud bang upon hitting the Sulfur Dragon Slayer's body, but it was immediately followed by another deafening explosion.

Boom!!!

The molten slag and magma scattered like glowing, translucent dough all over the Sulfur Dragon Slayer's body. Xingyan's sudden breath attack directly hit its left chest. For a moment, the Sulfur Dragon Slayer's carapace seemed to be melting, turning black and charred.

Especially the heat dissipation shell on its back; a large mass of molten magma directly covered a protruding sharp horn in the explosion. The air carried a scorched smell, a scent that even the miasma couldn't mask.

However, compared to the damage caused by this sudden breath attack, the greater harm to the Sulfur Dragon Slayer was the fireball itself and the bright light it released when it exploded.

Burning to high temperatures, the translucent orange-yellow light was at least dazzling enough in the stone cave area of Miasma Valley, this dim and dark area that could only rely on glowing moss for illumination—it fiercely flashed into the Sulfur Dragon Slayer's eyes.

But for Xingyan, all this was just the beginning. The Sulfur Dragon Slayer's movements showed a flaw, so it was time to strike while the iron was hot!

Having learned the essence of Hunter swordsmanship from the Sword Master, Xingyan was like a boy with a new toy. Coincidentally, he encountered a fellow Dragon Slayer with a sword, and the idea of a sword duel arose.

Hmm, but he didn't expect this fellow Dragon Slayer's sword to be poisoned, and it was solely focused on attacking the armor he had painstakingly built up.

Since that's the case, there's nothing more to say. I wanted to interact with my kin as an ordinary dragon, but what I received was a dirty trick—I'm done pretending. I, Xingyan, am not a good dragon either!

From the day I hatched from my egg, I haven't known what shame or pride is. Whether it's ambushing cubs, setting traps, or bleeding out enemies, I'm skilled at all of them. The most important thing is to survive and turn others into dung, rather than being turned into dung by others!

In other words, Xingyan only respects victory! For the sake of victory, no matter how unseemly or disappointing it may be, no matter what other dragons say or think, he only wants victory, he only needs to survive!

Heh, I definitely have to survive.

Forced to stumble back a few steps from the pain caused by the sudden flash and explosion, Sulfur Dragon Slayer knew the situation was dire. The tail blade it had previously used to block Xingyan's sword tail strike was now missing the opposing force.

Straining its eyes, in a blurry world still tinged with white halos, Sulfur Dragon Slayer spotted another slash from Xingyan!

Sweep Fire!

Using the ground as resistance for momentum, this move, also known as a Dragging Blade Slash, directly swept from below at an angle towards the underside of Sulfur Dragon Slayer's foreleg. Sulfur Dragon Slayer, not to be outdone, brought its retracted sword tail down with lightning speed, smashing it heavily onto Xingyan's sword tail.

Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang--!!

Rapid consecutive slashes!

Quickly retreating to distance itself from the approaching Xingyan, Sulfur Dragon Slayer, worthy of being a dragon modeled after a katana, struck quickly and smoothly. Its slender tail blade drew invisible arcs in the air like a dancing water bird, continuously keeping Xingyan, who thrust out its sword tail, at a safe distance.

In this moment of life-or-death crisis, Sulfur Dragon Slayer seemed to be using its full strength. Compared to Xingyan's broad and powerful swordsmanship, its own was much faster and more agile.

Like two storms, one cyan-blue and one yellow-green, colliding, in the dimming light, the cyan-white and yellow-green sword tails engaged in several breathtakingly fierce clashes in an instant.

The piercing friction and collision sounds between the tail blades were like two blacksmiths forging steel with all their might. It was no illusion; both Xingyan and Sulfur Dragon Slayer had parts of their tail shells near the blade edges chipped away.

Especially the sulfurized crystals secreted by Sulfur Dragon Slayer from its sword tail, which continuously formed and were then shattered and flung away amidst such intense collisions and impacts. It was as if the cave was experiencing a corrosive acid rain, with rocks hissing and corroding wherever the sulfurized crystals fell.

This was also a choice Sulfur Dragon Slayer had to make. Xingyan's offense was ferocious, each slash carrying immense power and momentum, and most importantly, it was fast. This required Sulfur Dragon Slayer to diligently parry or deflect every single one of Xingyan's strikes.

But even deflecting required Sulfur Dragon Slayer to guide the force with its own sword tail. For Sulfur Dragon Slayer, whose tail blade was originally more slender than Xingyan's, this was a difficult choice.

To sever Xingyan's sword tail, it would have to be done when Xingyan spewed lava and made its sword tail red-hot. But severing Sulfur Dragon Slayer's sword tail was not that troublesome; even in its normal iron tail state, its tail blade would break off on the spot if subjected to a sufficiently strong attack.

To withstand Xingyan's continuous, storm-like, fierce, and powerful offensive, Sulfur Dragon Slayer had to add more sulfurized crystals to its tail blade. Only then could its tail blade become heavier and harder, preventing it from snapping in half during these head-on collisions.

The price was that the sulfurized crystals it expended to secrete were now being scattered everywhere like they were free. Xingyan, however, was not to be outdone. His method of occasionally spitting out a fireball during powerful chopping attacks was extremely unconventional, akin to two people agreeing to a deathmatch with cold weapons, only for one of them to suddenly pull out a handgun and start shooting at close range.

Sulfur Dragon Slayer was suffering greatly, but Xingyan was enjoying the fight more and more.

This is the feeling—this is the taste!

Much of the swordsmanship knowledge and techniques of the Ape Dragon Species learned from the Sword Master were unusable by Xingyan. Nor could the Sword Master, like Xingyan, lift his helmet and spit out fire while fighting.

Therefore, he could only borrow. He could only borrow.

The knowledge and skills acquired during that period of swordsmanship training were rapidly melting into the current battle with Sulfur Dragon Slayer, seeping into every slash Xingyan made—so smooth, so natural.

Vertical slash, horizontal cut, then a wild, diagonal dance; his entire body's muscles condensed into a single entity at this moment, power flowing through Xingyan's body and finally reaching his tail.

With a full-body powered spin, Xingyan swung its sword tail into a perfect circle, slashing at Sulfur Dragon Slayer!

Clang!!!

The circular slash struck the middle section of Sulfur Dragon Slayer's tail blade heavily. But that wasn't the main point. The main point was that after Xingyan's slash was blocked, as its heavy sword tail rebounded due to the feedback force, he smoothly spun again, using the rebounding force to unleash another slash!

But this slash—this slash's tail blade was faintly emitting a pale yellow glow!!

It worked!!!

This pale yellow glow was exceptionally noticeable in the dimly lit cave, especially as it traced a massive yellow arc.

Blade Sharpened!!

An unprecedented sense of joy and satisfaction instantly filled Xingyan's mind. I did it! I succeeded!!

He broke through the wall that had been troubling him for so long, channeling the Life Energy and vigor within his body into his external weapon with incredibly fluid and smooth swordsmanship—concentrated on his sword tail!

Sharper, and harder!

"Roar!!!"

Roaring with excitement, Xingyan's current state couldn't be better. He unleashed a second, third, and fourth slash in succession!

Frenzy!!

The chaotic swordplay forced Sulfur Dragon Slayer to retreat repeatedly. It breathed rapidly, white steam erupting from the heat-dissipating shells on its back.

But it wouldn't flee!!

When two Dragon Slayers meet in the same area, unless it's the breeding season and both have the desire to breed, such a meeting will only result in one outcome—one party dies or its tail blade breaks!!

Cruelty and a love for battle were not a joke, even for a subspecies like Sulfur Dragon Slayer. This was an instinct ingrained in the Dragon Slayer species!

Fight!!

Sulfur Dragon Slayer was also enraged. It could not tolerate being constantly suppressed in this situation; it was a disgrace! Something the bloodline of a Dragon Slayer could absolutely not accept!

But regardless of all that, Xingyan was now somewhat afraid that Sulfur Dragon Slayer would collapse under his attacks, or perhaps turn and flee.

He hadn't had enough slashing yet!

Let me slash some more! Until I'm satisfied!