He Yuzhu returns in Siheyuan

Chapter 884 Dragon Slayer God's Help

In an instant, a dragon and a human clashed in battle atop the clouds. Long Jiao's claws clashed with Zhang Lei's longsword for dozens of rounds, sparks exploding and extinguishing in the thick clouds, the deafening roar like rolling thunder. If Long Jiao were at her peak, with the dragon race's powerful physique and the ability to summon wind and rain, Zhang Lei would be no match for her. But now, her old injuries hadn't healed, her spiritual energy flow was sluggish, and every exertion aggravated her internal injuries; the dull pain in her ribs made her breath tremble. Even so, she still relied on her innate dragon fighting instincts to entangle Zhang Lei, sometimes transforming into a dragon to charge, sometimes condensing into human form to cast spells, and for a time, the battle was evenly matched, neither able to gain a decisive advantage.

The situation on the ground was even more dire. The demon race's defenses were crumbling like a receding tide, their once-stable formation being torn apart time and again. A monkey demon wielded a gleaming iron rod, smashing a cultivator's magical artifact in two, only to be struck in the shoulder by another talisman, leaving a charred wound deep enough to expose bone. A tiger demon roared and pounced, tearing open the clothes of two cultivators, but a short knife pierced its lower back, blood staining its gray fur crimson. Despite their desperate efforts, they were still unable to withstand the fierce onslaught of the third group of human cultivators. This group of cultivators was clearly the elite of the elite, clad in armor inlaid with spirit jade, their magical artifacts gleaming with high-level spiritual light, and skilled in forming defensive formations—twenty people per group, their footwork shifting rapidly, each attack carrying earth-shattering power. Lesser demons fell in droves, even the fiercest wolf demons were swept by the beams of light and instantly reduced to ashes. The monkey demon and the tiger demon were gradually losing their strength. They were getting more and more wounds, and their movements were slowing down. They were about to give up.

High above the clouds, Long Jiao caught a glimpse of the carnage below, her heart burning with anxiety. She saw the tiger demon, protecting several young foxes, bravely withstand a pillar of light before its massive body crashed to the ground; she saw the monkey demon surrounded by three cultivators, its iron rod slipping from its grasp, kicked to the ground in a pool of blood. She knew that if this continued, not only would she be worn down by Zhang Lei, leaving her vulnerable after her spiritual energy was depleted, but the entire demon race would likely perish, without even giving Long Tian a chance to awaken.

"Roar—" She let out a sudden dragon roar that shook the heavens, and her golden scales suddenly burst open with intense light, illuminating half the sky. Ancient runes appeared on her dragon horns, a sign that the dragon race was burning its primordial spiritual power—even if she burned out her last bit of spiritual power, even if her cultivation was completely destroyed after the battle, she would tear open an opening for her people and strive for a sliver of life.

Upon seeing this, Zhang Lei's expression changed drastically. He could feel the sudden surge of power carrying a destructive aura. He quickly sheathed his sword and returned to defense, pouring all his spiritual power into the longsword. The light on the sword was so bright that it was almost blinding.

The next moment, Long Jiao transformed into a golden streak of light, ignoring Zhang Lei's thrusting sword, and charged straight towards the cultivator formation on the ground—she intended to use herself as bait to draw away the strongest attack, buying time for the demon race to retreat. Dragon blood drew a dazzling arc in the air, a final, desperate act by the dragon race.

At this critical moment, a figure in black robes swept through the thick clouds like a ghost, stirring up turbulent air currents before landing steadily behind Long Jiao. The newcomer was surrounded by a faint dragon's might, like a reef submerged in the deep sea, its aura even more profound and weighty than Long Jiao's own, subduing the surrounding wind. He reached out, his well-defined fingers gently pressing on Long Jiao's trembling shoulder. His tone was as calm as a deep pool, yet carried an undeniable power: "There was no need to use this move. You should understand that once your primordial spiritual power is exhausted and your dragon core shatters, all that awaits you is annihilation, without even a chance for reincarnation."

Long Jiao shuddered, turning around abruptly as if scalded. When she saw the newcomer's face, her golden vertical pupils contracted sharply, a flicker of surprise and wariness crossing her eyes. She recognized the face—Long Shishen, a dragon of her generation, yet always like a solitary figure, rarely appearing among his clan in a thousand years, always radiating an unyielding aloofness. She instinctively tensed, her claws slightly raised, the dragon energy at her fingertips almost solidifying: "You…how did you get here? Did you…come to kill me?"

Upon hearing this, Long Shishen's lips curled into a faint smile, a smile as subtle as light reflected off ice, not reaching even his eyes: "If I wanted to kill you, I wouldn't have stopped you just now. Wouldn't it have been easier to watch you burn out your spiritual power and perish, turning into stardust in the sky?" As he spoke, his gaze swept over the wound on Long Jiao's side, where dragon blood was trickling down the gaps in her scales, spreading a faint golden-red hue in the clouds.

His words carried a hint of mockery, yet they only deepened Long Jiao's suspicions, like ripples spreading across a lake after a pebble has been thrown in. She stared intently at the dark gold dragon patterns embroidered on Long Shishen's black robes, patterns even more flamboyant than those of the clan elders, her tone thick with unwavering wariness: "Then what exactly do you want? The affairs of the Dragon Clan are none of the business of someone who wanders the world all year round."

Long Shishen glanced at Zhang Lei, who was still locked in combat with Long Jiao's afterimage—the man clearly hadn't realized his opponent had changed, still slashing at the air with his sword, his eyes sharp yet tinged with a laughable stubbornness. He then casually glanced at the demons on the ground who were gradually losing ground. The monkey demon was being attacked by three cultivators, its iron rod deformed from the blows, while the tiger demon lay on the ground, half its body charred, on the verge of collapse. He said slowly, "I'm not in a hurry to say what I want to do. I'll deal with these troubles for you first, and then I'll talk to your brother, Long Tian. There are a few things I need to say. About... how he willingly locked himself in the deep-sea ice prison to protect you back then."

Long Jiao wanted to press for more details about the "Deep Sea Ice Prison," but Long Shishen had already turned around, his black robes fluttering in the wind. His gaze fell on Zhang Lei in front of him, his tone tinged with impatience, as if swatting away annoying mosquitoes: "Alright, let's deal with these useless trash first. I really don't know how your dragon clan raises its members; they can't even handle this kind of situation. They're practically a bunch of hothouse babies, utter waste."

Although these words carried an undisguised sarcasm, Long Jiao couldn't refute them. She clearly remembered that Long Shishen had hatched at almost the same time as her, but his cultivation had advanced by leaps and bounds, as if he had been propelled by a rocket. A hundred years ago, he was able to single-handedly withstand the siege of ten human cultivators, and now his power was unfathomable, leaving her far behind by countless realms. Every time they met, she could feel the abyss-like dragon power within him, causing her to feel an indescribable sense of oppression from the bottom of her heart, and she even had to hold her breath.