"What tremendous strength."
Miao Jun leaped off the beast's back the instant it rolled.
His gray robe snapped in the wind, and the wine in the Purple-Red Gourd at his waist sloshed with rapid glugging sounds.
He turned halfway around in midair, lightly tapping his right foot against the beast's spine to launch himself away.
He drifted down on the other side of the Arena like a gray-white feather.
"Good."
Miao Jun straightened after landing, brushed the dust from the hem of his robe with his left hand, and gave the short whip in his right a gentle shake at his side.
"You're a better fighter than I expected. Blackscale and the Beast Soul Guide alone won't bring you down."
He reached for the stopper of the Purple-Red Gourd at his waist with his left hand, flicked the red cloth stopper free with his thumb, and brought the opening to his lips for a long swig.
The instant the wine slid down his throat, an amber glow lit up his eyes.
A faint flush rose in his cheeks, and his aura abruptly surged.
He stoppered the gourd and hung it back at his waist, then slashed his left hand through the empty air before him, opening a golden rift half a zhang long.
Brilliant golden light poured from the rift, accompanied by an earthshaking dragon's roar.
The roar rang out from deep within the rift, making the ground of the entire Arena tremble faintly.
The laws within the Coiling Dragon Pillar resonated rapidly in unison.
A golden dragon flew out of the rift.
The dragon was covered in dazzling golden scales, each as large as a palm.
Dense dragon patterns flowed across the scales, refracting flecks of golden light in the sunshine.
The dragon's body was as thick as a