"Charging Dragon!"
"Tiger-Strangling Art!"
"Hahaha, you fell for it, Long Tengyun!"
Inside a fortress, several guards were playing a game. They conjured all kinds of animals and pitted them against one another, wielding energy with exquisite precision.
Beneath the fortress, it was said, an extraordinarily evil monster lay sealed away. If it ever broke free, it would deal a devastating blow to the world. For hundreds of thousands of years, generation after generation of guards had stood watch here, silently protecting the seal.
"Longxiang, when you go out there, don't disgrace our Guard Corps. Show those useless windbags we're not just here to draw a salary." A bearded guard sent a leopard made of energy attacking a huge dragon-elephant, which struck back with its trunk.
The guard at the other end was young. Wearing a confident smile, he said, "Got it. First place in the Great Saint Martial Tournament is mine."
"Hahaha, that's what I like about you, kid. That confidence." The bearded man laughed.
Just then, an alarm sounded from below. The bearded man and the young guard named Longxiang both froze. The alarm had not sounded in hundreds of thousands of years!
"Something's wrong! Everyone, on guard! The seal has changed!" The bearded man reacted, dispersed his energy, and rose with a roar.
The guards sprang from their chairs. Some grabbed weapons; others donned armor.
Longxiang stood up. "Captain, I'll go down and take a look."
"Don't be reckless. Old Chen, William, Little Ma, come with me. Longxiang, wait here. Don't do anything rash!" the bearded man said at once.
Longxiang refused. "I'm still a member of the Guard Corps. It's my duty to stand watch. Please let me come!"
"You kid... Fine. But don't act rashly. You've got a bright future. Don't throw it away here," the