As though they had witnessed something inconceivable, the Bluefin White Whales scattered in terror and vanished in a flash, leaving Yi Chen sitting all alone on the beach.
"Huh?"
Yi Chen stared in surprise, then shook his head. "Forget it. I have nothing else to do anyway, but I can't be bothered to chase them."
The blood of a Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon contained a wealth of essence. For humans, it was a treasure that could yield tremendous benefits.
For Yi Chen, however, its effects on purifying his bloodline and tempering his body were far less impressive.
His main purpose this time, though, was to save A Nan and A Yun.
Both possessed unusual aptitudes, so Yi Chen had helped them along the way. The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon's Soul Ring was intended for A Yun.
But just after reaching shore, before he could leave, Yi Chen frowned toward the sea with the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon slung over his shoulder.
The sea churned, waves rolling over one another as countless Bluefin White Whales thrashed and roared on the surface, as though some enormous creature were overturning rivers and seas beneath the water.
Yi Chen narrowed his eyes. He did not believe the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon had caused this.
The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon was formidable, but its influence did not extend that far.
"Could some vicious creature be wreaking havoc out at sea?"
No sooner had he spoken than a terrifying attack pierced the water and shot straight toward the surface. It exploded with a thunderous boom, sending countless blue arcs of lightning flying. A visible ring of force spread outward, battering countless Bluefin White Whales senseless and sending them splashing back into the sea one after another.
Alarmed, Yi Chen hurriedly leaped onto a hill and gazed into the distance.
An enormous blue dragon emerged on the surface. Gleaming black scales armored its entire body, and rows of vicious spikes were faintly visible along its back.
This was the first time Yi Chen had seen a real dragon.
"Roar!" The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon unleashed an earth-shaking roar. With a sweep of both claws, an enormous black pillar of light, a thousand feet thick, howled through curtain after curtain of rain and hurtled toward Yi Chen.
Yi Chen opened his mouth and roared in fury. An invisible shock wave shattered the rain filling the sky and slammed into the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon.
The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon let out a shrill cry. Its scales were torn open, leaving gashes two or three feet deep that oozed thick, black-red blood. Its injuries were extremely severe.
Yi Chen sprang up and raced across the waves, reaching the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon in an instant and throwing a punch.
With a dull thud, the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon was knocked back several steps. Yi Chen seized the opening to close in, swinging his dagger again and slashing at its neck.
The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon jerked its head aside, avoiding the fatal blow, but Yi Chen's dagger still sliced across its neck. Blood sprayed wildly from a wound more than a foot deep.
The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon roared in fury and swept its enormous tail across, knocking Yi Chen away.
Yi Chen stumbled onto the beach and stared at the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon in bewilderment. This thing actually survived. My dagger is anything but ordinary-even its scales couldn't stop it... Whatever the case, I'll take it down first.
Yi Chen broke into a sprint, and the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon charged toward him like a maddened beast. The two became locked in combat.
Relying on his agility and strength, Yi Chen inflicted devastating damage on the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon with every attack.
Just then, a figure suddenly appeared nearby!
He was a man who was not particularly old, with black hair streaming freely in the wind. Over six feet three inches tall, he had a lean, well-proportioned build, regular features, sharply defined cheeks, and eyes as keen as swords. A long robe draped his body, lending his entire presence an air of cutting intensity.
Yi Chen's heart lurched. He quickened his steps while driving a heavy punch toward the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon's head.
The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon instinctively turned its head and snapped at Yi Chen's right fist.
The wind hissed past his ears. Yi Chen pulled back his right fist and jabbed a finger of his left hand into the bridge of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon's nose.
The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon howled in agony, blood mist spraying from its nostrils as it lost its balance and fell.
Yi Chen sneered and kicked the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon in the chest, sending it crashing into the sea with a heavy splash.
Yi Chen immediately rushed to the shore and pressed a palm against the ground. A huge, condensed sphere slowly rose and enveloped him, wisps of gray haze wrapping around his body. Standing effortlessly upon the earth, he picked up a round pebble the size of a millstone with one hand.
With a crack, the pebble crumbled into powder. Yi Chen casually flung it out, and the pebble streaked through the air in a blur, whistling as it struck the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon's back.
The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon howled in agony, but instead of fleeing, it swam to the man's side and looked at him plaintively!
"Where did you come from? You've got some nerve, daring to hunt a Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon!" The man frowned slightly and looked at Yi Chen. "You don't look like a bad person, but you're courting death."
Yi Chen looked at him indifferently and muttered, "Who are you?"
The man froze, then burst into laughter. "You're asking who I am? Hahahaha! You don't even know who I am, yet you dare kill a Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon?"
Yi Chen shrugged. "So what? I'll kill it if I want to. What can you do about it?"
The man's gaze grew increasingly dark. He said, each word distinct, "My name is Yu Yuanzhen, and I am a member of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan. Every Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon on the continent belongs to our Family. Don't you know that?"
Yi Chen curled his lip and lifted his eyes, speaking with utter nonchalance. "The strength of a Titled Douluo? You seem decent enough, but I suggest you don't invite trouble upon yourself. Leave at once!"
Yu Yuanzhen flew into a rage. With a long, piercing cry, his body abruptly swelled to at least three times its original size. Thick black scales covered him from head to toe, and a finely scaled, hard claw thrust out, stabbing toward Yi Chen amid a powerful rush of wind.
Yi Chen snorted coldly. With a flick of his right hand, a short blade dropped into his grasp, then flashed out of sight. With a ripping hiss, it sliced a deep gash into Yu Yuanzhen's right arm. A gleam of silver flashed across his body, and Yi Chen had already vanished from where he stood.
Yu Yuanzhen froze. Looking down at his slashed sleeve, he murmured, "What a fast sword strike... Too bad my scales provide such strong protection. Otherwise... Hmm, I'm injured?"
The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon's tail swept toward him. Yi Chen checked his movement, narrowly evading it, then reversed his grip on the blade. With Thunderous Might, he hacked viciously into the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon's flank. A wound deep enough to expose bone abruptly appeared, and great streams of blood gushed out.
The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon's anguished cries echoed across the island. It struggled with all its strength, trying to break free of Yi Chen's control.