Chapter 184: Rock Dragon General

This miraculously self-created profound art became a glimmer of hope for Yun Che in his desperate situation. He shifted his attack focus to the Rock Dragon Archers in the distance. As his heavy sword swung, it blasted away the nearby Rock Dragon Warriors, while phoenix-shaped flames shot out, obliterating the Rock Dragon Archers one by one.

Yun Che's roars, the whistling of his heavy sword, thunderous impacts, and the low cries of the phoenix intertwined into a tragic symphony in this isolated valley. Yun Che's vision gradually blurred, and his entire body became almost completely numb, so numb he could barely feel his arms. Yet, his right arm, tightly gripping the heavy sword, continued to swing mechanically. After dozens of phoenix cries, all the Rock Dragon Archers fell, and over half of the five hundred-plus Rock Dragon Warriors had also collapsed. The heavy sword's swings did not stop, causing more and more Rock Dragon Warriors to fall… three hundred… four hundred… five hundred…

Boom!!!

With an explosive roar, the earth cracked. As Yun Che unleashed his last ounce of strength in a single attack, all the surrounding Rock Dragon Warriors were sent flying far away, instantly creating a vacuum zone of about fifteen meters around him. After this strike, Yun Che's vision finally went black, and he sank to his knees… if not for the support of his heavy sword, he would have collapsed face down. However, his left arm still held the little fairy tightly… his entire arm was covered in over twenty cuts from knives, swords, spears, and arrows, drenched in blood, with scarcely a single intact spot. Yet, protected by this arm, the little fairy remained unharmed, her clothes only stained red by his blood.

Under Yun Che's final strike, the last group of Rock Dragon Warriors also fell. The breath he had desperately held also escaped as his body collapsed, leaving him unable to stand or even gasp for air. Though his eyes were open, he could only see a vast blur of white.

He himself could barely believe that he had managed to endure the ninth wave of Rock Dragon Warriors. The details of the process, however, he could no longer recall.

A heavy dragging sound came from in front of him, making him instinctively lift his head. Through his blurred vision, he saw a Rock Dragon Warrior in the distance, one that had fallen from his last strike, slowly stand up. It then raised its spear and ran towards him, ready to thrust.

"There's still… one…"

Yun Che bit down hard on his tongue, his body jerking upwards… but his body felt as heavy as lead. Despite his full effort, he couldn't stand; instead, he was wracked with piercing pain throughout his body. His heavy sword was impossible to lift, almost impossible to even budge.

The Rock Dragon Warrior was now mere inches away, thrusting directly at him… He had already slain nine full waves of Rock Dragon Warriors, numbering in the thousands. But this final one seemed to become an insurmountable chasm.

If this Rock Dragon Warrior's spear had been aimed at Yun Che, it might have indeed killed him instantly. But its spearhead was pointed at the little fairy.

The rock spear, aimed at the little fairy, violently struck a sensitive nerve within Yun Che. He found strength from who knew where, his left hand shooting out like lightning, seizing the spearhead firmly. His right hand clenched into a fist, striking out fiercely. With a heavy thud, he smashed straight through the Rock Dragon Warrior's chest.

With a "thud," the Rock Dragon Warrior fell heavily to the ground. Yun Che's vision went black again, and he couldn't even maintain his kneeling posture. With a gasp, he fell backward onto the ground.

He had become a complete man of blood, covered from head to toe in countless wounds and gashes. He himself couldn't believe that after suffering so many injuries, losing so much blood, and even overdrawing his life force, he was still alive… "No wonder all previous trial-takers had perished here…" Yun Che closed his eyes and let out a weak, bitter laugh. This was only the first stage of the trial, and it might not even be over. Even he, possessing various divine powers and profound arts, was in such a state. For anyone else, perhaps the fourth, or even the third wave, would have been impossible to endure. As for what came next, it would simply be an increasingly terrifying wave of nightmares and abysses.

Was this truly a trial? How could such a terrifying trial exist in the world… The difficulty of this trial exceeded the Phoenix Trial not by ten, a hundred, or even a thousand times, but far beyond.

"Yun Che… Yun Che!" the little fairy called out softly, but received no response.

At that moment, the voice of the Primordial Azure Dragon resounded from above. "Very good, young human. To have come this far, you have already created an incredible miracle. If not for the girl beside you, you would have had it several times easier, at least not falling into such a dire state. However, the first stage of the trial is not yet over. The final wave, and the most difficult challenge, will arrive soon. Before that, I grant you sixty breaths to recover… No, given your current injuries, these sixty breaths might not allow you to recuperate; instead, they might cause you to lose even more life due to your severe wounds… Everything depends on your own fortune."

Yun Che lay there, motionless, his eyes open but lifeless, as if he hadn't heard the Primordial Azure Dragon's voice at all. Just as his consciousness was about to sink into silence, Jasmine's voice, like a morning bell or evening drum, startled him awake.

"If you don't want to die, quickly use the Great Way of the Buddha to stabilize your injuries!"

Yun Che's eyes instantly regained their luster. His body stirred slightly, and the Great Way of the Buddha silently activated. In less than ten breaths, the bleeding from all his wounds stopped.

"Little fairy, don't worry, I'm fine…" Adjusting his breathing, Yun Che turned his face, revealing a smile, and comforted the little fairy: "You heard it just now, didn't you? There's only one more wave left… Victory is almost within reach. I… we will definitely get through this!"

"If… if it weren't for me, you… at most… would only have suffered minor injuries… at least, you would have retained thirty percent of your strength… to face the subsequent trials… You… are truly… foolish…"

"Haha…" Yun Che chuckled. This laugh immediately pulled at countless wounds on his body, causing his facial muscles to twitch violently from the pain. "Since I've been foolish until now, I might as well be foolish to the very end. But please, never speak of abandoning you again. Otherwise, wouldn't all these injuries I've suffered be for nothing?"

The sixty breaths of time quietly passed.

The mountain wall directly ahead suddenly rumbled at that moment. Amidst the sound, a mountain gate nearly ten meters high abruptly opened on the wall. From within the gate, a towering silhouette slowly emerged, taking heavy steps. As it fully stepped out, the stone gate behind it closed completely with another rumbling sound.

The figure's appearance resembled that of a rock dragon, but it was much larger than a regular Rock Dragon Warrior, standing over three meters tall. Its entire body was clad in heavy golden armor, and the weapon in its hand was particularly striking… It was an entirely gray greatsword, even larger than Yun Che's Overlord's Heavy Sword, with a twisted blade shaped like an alien dragon bone. The tip of the sword menacingly depicted a roaring dragon.

Both this gigantic Rock Dragon Warrior and the sword in its hand radiated an extremely terrifying aura… an aura several times more terrifying than when over five hundred Rock Dragon Warriors appeared simultaneously.

The final trial of the Dragon God's Trial's first stage had only one opponent—the Rock Dragon General!

Yun Che gently set the little fairy down, then straightened his body and placed his hands back on the hilt of his heavy sword. If there was only one enemy, as long as he could keep it at a distance, he wouldn't need to hold the little fairy and could fight with both hands, giving his full effort.

The strength from every part and every cell of his body was being desperately squeezed out. He let out a low roar, stood up again, gripped his heavy sword with both hands, and held it horizontally in front of him.

"You are no match for it… Spirit Profound Realm Level Five. Even at your peak, you would have no chance of defeating it, let alone in your current state," Jasmine said in a low voice. "And… do you see the sword in its hand? That sword is even more terrifying than this gigantic Rock Dragon Warrior, because it's a heavy sword, and it's a genuine… Sky Profound Artifact!"

Yun Che: "..."

"Even if I can't beat it… I'll fight! I've come this far; I have no reason to give up or surrender!" Yun Che roared softly. To keep the battle as far away from the little fairy as possible, he actively moved towards the approaching Rock Dragon General. To conserve some strength, he dragged his heavy sword, its weighty blade carving deep furrows in the ground.

The Rock Dragon General had no emotions, no words, only attacks. When Yun Che entered its detection range, the eyes beneath its golden helmet suddenly gleamed. Its footsteps abruptly quickened, and it swung its heavy sword, striking down at Yun Che.

This was the first enemy Yun Che had ever faced who used a heavy sword just like him. However, he was certain that the Rock Dragon General's mastery of the heavy sword could not possibly compare to his, as he possessed the Heavenly Wolf Imperial God Art. Having mastered the general principles of the Heavenly Wolf Imperial God Art, Yun Che was well-versed in all the advantages of a heavy sword, and equally aware of its disadvantages. He absolutely could not clash head-on with the Rock Dragon General's heavy sword. His only chance of victory lay in relying on speed and guerrilla tactics, exploiting openings after its swings.

As the Rock Dragon General's heavy sword swung down, Yun Che's eyes flashed, and he swiftly retreated with a Star God Broken Shadow, completely evading the strike. He was now at the end of his tether, extremely weak. Although he dodged, the mere overflowing sword wind was enough to make him lose balance, nearly causing him to fall.

The Rock Dragon General advanced, swinging its heavy sword in a continuous barrage, delivering four or five strikes, all evaded by Yun Che with Star God Broken Shadow… But all he could do was evade. His body, dulled by weakness, found no opportunity to launch a counter-attack.

His body was too heavy, and his sword was too heavy. The Rock Dragon General's speed was not fast. After several attacks failed to hit Yun Che, it seemed to grow enraged. It suddenly raised its strangely shaped heavy sword high and let out an extremely harsh hiss.

As the hiss rang out, chaotic yellow lights suddenly flickered in different locations. Within the yellow light, over thirty Rock Dragon Warriors, wielding various weapons, appeared in different positions… Some were close to the little fairy's location and charged directly at her.

Yun Che never imagined that this Rock Dragon General could actually summon Rock Dragon Warriors. Seeing the Rock Dragon Warriors charging towards the little fairy, he let out a furious roar, his entire body surging with power. He rushed forward at top speed, then swung his sword, blasting away all the approaching Rock Dragon Warriors. He then moved his left arm from his heavy sword, swiftly reaching out to re-embrace the little fairy to his chest.

At that moment, a terrifying storm suddenly bore down from behind him. As he rushed back, the Rock Dragon General closely followed behind him. As he picked up the little fairy, its terrifying heavy sword mercilessly struck Yun Che's back. At this moment, Yun Che couldn't dodge, nor could he even fully turn his body. He could only hold the little fairy tightly with his left arm, half-turn his body, grit his teeth, and with his right hand gripping his heavy sword, unleash all his strength to meet the Rock Dragon General's heavy sword.