103: It seems that we need to seal this Huangquan Shadow
Though small, this rift was like the first ray of morning sun, igniting a glimmer of hope for Zhou Chao and the others.
As power was unleashed, the dark clouds in the sky gradually dispersed, and a figure in a green robe slowly appeared, as if descending from the immortal realm.
He was not burly, but his entire being exuded a gentle aura like a spring breeze, yet also carried an inviolable majesty that made it difficult to look directly at him.
This person was precisely the Azure Dragon of the Star Constellation Society.
The Azure Dragon stood with his hands behind his back in the clouds, his robes flapping in the wind.
Beneath his mask, his eyes twinkled like stars, deep and distant.
He looked down at the rampant bronze giant hand below and sighed softly, "In the end, I was still a step too late."
Just then, a deafening roar suddenly came from the seabed, and twelve massive bronze gates began to vibrate violently.
Black, viscous liquid oozing from the cracks in the gates rapidly ascended into the air, condensing into countless distorted humanoid shadows that shrieked piercingly, as if to tear apart the entire sky.
At the same time, the landscape within dozens of kilometers became eerie—the seawater glowed with a ghostly green light, and on the ruins of the island nation, some people who had already died actually rose again.
After awakening, they first looked around in confusion, then fell into a frenzy, and finally lost all reason, madly attacking the remaining Life around them.
The Azure Dragon stood in the clouds, his gaze sweeping across the chaotic ruins like lightning.
Those resurrected dead were mutating at an astonishing speed, their bones piercing through their skin, transforming into hideous and terrifying monsters.
"The pollution of Netherworld Projection has begun to spread," the Azure Dragon's voice was deep and powerful, like thunder from the heavens, causing ripples across the sea.
"This Netherworld Projection must be sealed immediately!"
As soon as his voice fell, he formed hand seals, and a lifelike azure dragon shadow gradually emerged behind him.
However, at this very moment, the bronze giant hand suddenly changed direction, and a dazzling blood-red light burst from the vertical pupil in its palm, aiming directly at the Azure Dragon's face!
"Watch out!" Zhou Chao urgently shouted when he saw this.
Although he knew nothing about the identity of this mysterious person, judging from his actions, the other party was clearly here to help, and his strength was extraordinary.
Since that was the case, a warning was always good, even if its effect might be limited.
However, the Azure Dragon did not panic because of this; he merely snorted coldly, and the dragon patterns on his mask instantly burst forth with dazzling light.
The blood-red light exploded with a roar three zhang away from him, turning into a sky full of blood rain that sprinkled down.
When these blood drops fell onto the sea, immediately… the sea surface was corroded into pits and holes, and black-smoking orifices appeared exceptionally horrifying.
"All of you, retreat further," the Azure Dragon waved his sleeve, and an azure barrier instantly pushed Zhou Chao and the others several miles away.
"This level of battle is not something you can participate in."
From the depths of the seabed came a bone-chilling chewing sound, as if some monster was devouring something unknown.
Immediately after, twelve massive bronze gates opened simultaneously, and countless ink-black chains shot out like venomous snakes.
At the end of each chain, a foul-smelling, decaying corpse was tethered.
These corpses rapidly combined in the air, forming a terrifying giant a thousand meters tall in the blink of an eye!
"Oh, is this the Gatekeeper of the Netherworld?" The Azure Dragon narrowed his eyes, a hint of disdain in his tone.
"It seems the toys released by those fools from the Calamity Court are nothing more than this."
The giant let out a deafening roar; hundreds of arms suddenly extended from its decaying chest, and each palm had a gaping, blood-red mouth.
It stepped towards the coastline, and wherever it went, the seawater violently boiled, sending up rolling black smoke.
The Azure Dragon stood in the clouds, his azure robe moving without wind.
He slowly raised his right hand, condensing a crystalline, jade-like dragon scale at his fingertip.
"Go," he commanded, and the dragon scale left his hand, tracing an elegant arc in the air.
Its seemingly gentle flight path, however, erupted into an earth-shattering dragon's roar the moment it touched the giant.
"Roar—!"
Azure light waves spread out in a ring, and the giant's body stiffened abruptly.
Its decaying arms began to wither rapidly, as if all their essence had been drained.
However, the next second, the bronze gates at the bottom of the sea trembled violently, and more black liquid gushed out, continuously injecting into the giant's body.
"It's useless, you know~" Lord of Deception had appeared silently beside the Azure Dragon at some unknown point, his voice carrying a hint of playfulness.
"As long as the Netherworld is not destroyed, these guys will never truly die."
The Azure Dragon didn't even glance at him, merely spitting out a single cold word: "Scram."
As soon as the word fell, an azure bolt of lightning struck from thin air, directly cleaving Lord of Deception's body in two.
But quickly, his shattered remains transformed into purple butterflies that scattered and flew away.
"So irritable~" Lord of Deception, who had reformed in the distance, patted his chest and said with a playful smile, "I came here with good intentions to help, you know~"
Just then, a spine-chilling sound of bones grinding suddenly came from the seabed.
The massive bronze hand slowly lifted, and the original vertical pupil in its palm suddenly split into countless tiny eyeballs, densely covering the entire palm.
"Watch out!" Zhou Chao shouted loudly again.
He felt that those eyeballs were terrifyingly clear, each one seemingly containing enough energy to instantly obliterate him.
"These eyes will—"
Before he could finish his sentence, all the eyeballs simultaneously closed, then abruptly opened.
The next second, thousands of scarlet beams of light poured down like a violent storm!
The Azure Dragon quickly formed hand seals, and an azure glow condensed into a barrier in front of him.
The light beams struck it, stirring up layers of ripples, but a few still broke through the defense, grazing his robes.
The areas hit instantly turned scorched black, even emitting an eerie green light and an aura of corrosion.
"Is this the power of the Netherworld?" The Azure Dragon looked down at his damaged clothes, a slight curve on his lips.
"It's rather interesting."
He pressed his hands together and chanted an ancient incantation, his voice echoing between heaven and earth.
In an instant, the sky became incredibly gloomy, dark clouds rolled, and lightning intertwined.
"Azure Dragon Seven Constellations · Heavenly Punishment!"
With a sharp cry, seven dazzling azure pillars of light descended directly from the heavens, accurately striking the critical points of the bronze giant gates.
The giant gates emitted a piercing, twisting sound, and their frames began to crack.
Just then, a blurry black shadow shot out from the deep sea, moving with such speed that it was difficult to catch.
The Azure Dragon dodged sideways, just about to counterattack, but the black shadow had already retreated to a safe distance.
This was a monster entirely encased in black bone armor, half its face hidden beneath a bronze mask, revealing a disturbing smile at the corner of its mouth.
"How strange," the Black Armored Man's hoarse voice sounded, like countless people whispering in one's ear.
"At this point in time, this planet can still give birth to a strong individual like you."
"Your luck is good; you just came out and met a genius like me," the other party chuckled, his tone full of possessiveness.
"However, I want your body."
Upon hearing this, the Azure Dragon was secretly startled.
He had originally thought this was just an ordinary battle, but he didn't expect such an unexpected gain.
A thought flashed through his mind; he understood that there was no point in pretending anymore.
In an instant, a vast and terrifying power erupted from his body, like a volcanic eruption, sweeping in all directions.
This power was like a torrent from the abyss of hell, mixed with an aura of destruction and oppression, causing the entire space to tremble.
A gloom foreshadowing the end of the world once again enveloped heaven and earth, as if even the air had become heavy.
As everyone held their breath, the Azure Dragon's body suddenly underwent an incredible transformation.
His figure expanded at a visible speed, instantly transforming into a massive and eerie giant dragon.
This giant dragon was entirely black, yet with a hint of transparency, like a nightmare in nothingness, exuding a suffocating pressure.
That aura seemed to declare: its mission was to utterly crush this world.
However, this terrifying scene did not last too long.
The next moment, the Azure Dragon suddenly erupted with a dazzling azure energy, like a bolt of lightning cutting through the darkness, rapidly sweeping over his entire body.
This energy was like a sacred barrier, completely obscuring his original terrifying black appearance, replaced by an entirely different sense of existence.
In the blink of an eye, the Azure Dragon completed another transformation—he transformed from a black giant dragon symbolizing destruction into an azure giant dragon radiating a clear, cold light.
Sunlight shone on his scales, reflecting a sharp azure glow, and every inch of his skin appeared indestructible.
His dragon whiskers danced in the wind, each flick accompanied by a crisp sound like air exploding.
He coiled high in the sky, looking down at the insignificant Black Armored Man below, his eyes filled with disdain and contempt.
"Hmph! Just a filthy creature birthed by the Netherworld, daring to covet this Seat's physical body?"
The Azure Dragon's voice boomed like thunder, soaring into the clouds.
As his words fell, a powerful azure aura gushed out, like the Milky Way pouring down, shattering the surrounding void.
The Black Armored Man stared blankly at all this, their eyes wide with shock.
He could not understand why this person in front of him had become so powerful in an instant.
This power, beyond their comprehension, filled them with unprecedented fear and despair.