Chapter 1652: Short-lived Dragon

The Barbarian arrived, as formidable as ever. His hair, now black, remained a tangled mess. Beneath his animal hide clothes, his muscles were as strong as a hornless dragon, his bronze physique hard and taut. He carried a great bone club, emanating a wild, untamed aura.

This was a formidable individual!

This was everyone's first impression, sensing his formidable aura. From his gleaming white bone club, faint roars of primordial beasts could be heard, indicating that this weapon was forged from the essence of sacred bones.

"Aoooh!"

The Old Dragon, with his immense stature, had his eyebrows bristling. He covered vast distances with each stride, powerful and domineering. As a Quasi-Emperor, master of life and death in the human realm, and a supreme figure across all myriad domains, he possessed the confidence to immediately strike down the Barbarian.

"Bang!"

The Barbarian was unfazed. He thrust his bone club forward, blocking the Old Dragon's path. The roars of ancient beasts echoed through the world, as the bone weapon emitted a wild power that shattered the void.

To dare confront a Quasi-Emperor? Everyone was astonished!

The Barbarian was incredibly powerful; the force he unleashed was unparalleled. Any Great Saint who dared approach would surely perish. This was a level of combat prowess beyond their comprehension.

How powerful was the Old Dragon's body? Dragon blood coursed through him, and now as a Quasi-Emperor, his strength was world-shattering. From his humanoid form, a pair of sharp and chilling purple dragon claws extended.

"Clang!"

The dragon claws collided with the bone club, sending sparks flying. The sky ripped open, and large stars directly disintegrated, falling from above!

The beam of light from their strike astonished the heavens, piercing through everything above and below. It was like a dazzling galaxy cascading downwards, incredibly brilliant and awe-inspiring.

A Quasi-Emperor!

Everyone cried out in their hearts. The Barbarian was also a Quasi-Emperor, and his cultivation seemed even more profound. His physical strength allowed him to directly contend with the ancient Old Dragon, a Quasi-Emperor himself.

The bone club was a Quasi-Emperor artifact, refined to an unknown, terrifying degree. It seemed even tougher than the Old Dragon's claws. With such a collision, the Old Dragon's nails trembled slightly, emitting a metallic clang.

In the brief moments of flashing sparks, the two exchanged dozens of blows. Yet, the Barbarian's feet were planted like nails in the void, not moving an inch. The Old Dragon, however, struck him with sixty-four ringing blows, only to be repelled each time, his claws bleeding.

Everyone was shaken. How powerful was a race that flowed with dragon blood, representing a pinnacle of evolution, and they were such beings in their true forms. Moreover, the Old Dragon was eight thousand years old; such immense accumulation was terrifying. Once he became a Quasi-Emperor, he was surely unparalleled in his era!

Despite all this, he was at a disadvantage in their initial clash, suffering considerable losses, with blood dripping from his claws.

"You... a Quasi-Emperor!"

He gasped in surprise, flying backwards. He had initially believed he could devastate the Barbarian tribe and eradicate Dongfang Taiyi. He never expected the Barbarian to have already entered this realm.

"Indeed, many years before you," the Barbarian replied, standing there with his great club, a beast-like glint in his eyes. He was incredibly dangerous, scrutinizing the Old Dragon from head to toe.

The crowd was awestruck; the Barbarian seemed like an ancient tribal chief preparing to hunt a large, primeval beast.

The Old Dragon's heart sank at that moment. No one understood the Barbarian's terror better than he did. Years ago, it took many talents to subdue Dongfang Taiyi, and now he faced him alone, his expression grave.

"You've just completed your tribulation. I'll give you time to consolidate your power. Go bathe in the essence of the sun and moon, and the power of the stars," the Barbarian said. "That way, your dragon body will taste better when roasted."

Everyone present was petrified. This elder was utterly savage; he wanted to eat a Quasi-Emperor? What kind of person was this, truly like a primitive man hunting a dragon, fiercely "messed up."

"You're asking for death!" the Old Dragon roared in fury. His purple hair bristled, and his violet eyes shot out like two spear-beams, sharp and menacing.

"Don't waste time, I'm hungry," the Barbarian said.

Everyone was dumbfounded, including many Imperial Scions among the powerful figures in the area. They all stared blankly. What kind of opponent was this? If defeated, they would be eaten!

Inside the Black Pearl, the group was elated, especially Dongfang Ye, who nearly howled with delight. "The Ancestor arrived just in time! It saves that old geezer from getting cocky!"

"Heh, now we're in for a treat," the Black Emperor said, licking his lips.

Huahua also drooled, pressing his palms together. "Amitabha on the left, Shakyamuni on the right, Master above! Wine and meat may pass through my gut, but the true Buddha resides in my heart!"

The formation patterns partially receded, and they were ready to strike and act at any moment.

A bunch of foodies!

Someone nearby saw them and was somewhat astonished, as these people seemed like hungry individuals waiting for rice to be cooked, their eyes glowing green, which was a bit frightening.

Everyone was somewhat dazed. How could an entire ship's crew be like this? It truly was a lineage, all wanting to eat a Quasi-Emperor!

The Old Dragon sneered, then turned and left. He truly went to consolidate his power. Why wouldn't he improve his strength after just completing his tribulation? He wasn't afraid of a sneak attack, as the Myriad Dragon Bell was nearby, deterring any threats.

With a roar, waterfalls cascaded from the sky. Countless starlit rivers poured down from the cosmic void, drenching his body, filling his bottomless physique and replenishing his energy.

His originally shriveled body began to swell, submerged in the essence of the sun and moon. His entire being radiated an indescribable sacred aura.

Much later, the Old Dragon let out a long roar, his power significantly greater than before. He had accumulated for eight thousand years, and the transformation after successfully passing the tribulation was unparalleled, incredibly violent, with his full potential unleashed.

"Kill!"

With a fierce cry, he charged towards the Barbarian. Above his head appeared a large purple bell, his weapon, ready to fight Dongfang Taiyi to the death.

"Clang!"

The great bone club swept across the sky, colliding with the large bell. No one expected that their second confrontation would begin with such a life-or-death struggle.

There were no signs of a drawn-out battle; this was a fight to the death to be decided in mere moments, with brutal methods.

As the bell waves spread, everyone retreated, daring not to approach. Rippling purple light erupted between the two as they fought into the cosmos. Those light waves were bell waves, shaking the stars, causing them to crackle and fall like ripe fruit, constantly exploding.

This was the unreserved might of a Quasi-Emperor, terrifyingly boundless and irresistible.

In the fierce collision, bell waves resonated through the cosmos, as purple dao patterns swept across the eight directions, shattering all things.

However, the Barbarian was even more ferocious. Wielding his bone club, he swung it with unparalleled fury, like the God of Thunder.

The great club descended, striking directly at the Old Dragon's head. Each blow landed on the great bell, disrupting its waves and emitting rapid metallic quivers.

The Old Dragon's eyes were grim as he fiercely activated his great bell. Dragon blood flowed within him, and this bell was not only refined by him but was an ancestral Quasi-Emperor artifact, nurtured within his body. At this moment, it had fully awakened, brimming with divine power. He refused to believe that the Barbarian's mere bone club could possess such might.

"Clang!"

The resonant bell sound echoed through eternity, inflicting pain deep into the soul. Any cultivator who heard it, no matter how far away, felt their spirit about to shatter.

Even across the vastness of space, many found the pain unbearable and had to seal off their senses, unable to focus on the battle, lest their own spirits be destroyed by the residual bell waves of the Old Dragon.

The rapid clanging of the great bell continued incessantly, exactly one hundred and eight times, followed by a violent eruption.

Like fireworks exploding, people witnessed a purple light cluster bloom in the starry sky, vast as a mushroom cloud, engulfing the cosmos.

"What?! The Old Dragon's weapon was shattered by the bone club!"

In terms of weaponry, the Old Dragon's artifact was definitely superior to many, yet it was broken by the Barbarian's seemingly inferior weapon. This was a clear demonstration of power!

What was even stranger was that the fragments of the bell body were completely pulverized, turning into purple light that merged into the bone club, promoting its evolution. This was truly astonishing.

This bone club was extraordinary; to be able to evolve in such a way explained why it could gradually become a Quasi-Emperor artifact from mere bone. Its terrifying growth potential far surpassed many divine weapons in the world.

An imprint of a bell appeared on the bone club, alongside the marks of Kunpengs, Azure Dragons, Blood Phoenixes, and other mythical beasts, becoming part of the dao patterns etched onto the bone.

The Old Dragon's expression turned ashen. This was a significant blow; even after becoming a Quasi-Emperor, he was no match for the Barbarian, and the gap in their power was considerable, leaving him deathly pale.

Suddenly, before the Barbarian could act, the aura of an Ancient Emperor erupted. The Dragon Maiden, her purple hair swirling, her eyes as sharp as sword beams, flew in like a purple celestial being, her robes fluttering. The Myriad Dragon Bell transformed into a true dragon, suppressing heaven and earth.

The Barbarian shifted his position, instantly retreating a hundred thousand li. Though ferocious, he did not confront the attack head-on, knowing when to exert full effort in a life-or-death struggle.

The hearts of those on the Black Pearl sank. This was an Ancient Emperor artifact, the most terrifying item in the present age. Almost all Emperor artifacts had been destroyed in the dark turmoil; what could possibly counter this?

Ye Fan stepped forward, holding the Primal Chaos Green Lotus, ready to enter the fray!

However, to everyone's surprise, the Barbarian remained calm, his eyes flickering. He did not retreat; instead, he fixed his gaze on the Dragon Maiden, a hidden killing intent emerging.

Quasi-Emperors were terrifying; if one did not reach that level, it would be extremely difficult to kill them, even with an Emperor artifact.

As the Dragon Maiden advanced, the Barbarian retreated. He did not directly engage her but also did not leave the area; he was seeking an opportunity to eliminate both individuals from the Myriad Dragon Nest.

This was the confidence of a Quasi-Emperor: even if they couldn't win, they could maneuver. Their magic power and dao cultivation were as vast and unfathomable as the ocean.

"I'll do it!"

The Old Dragon's face turned livid. The opponent was too arrogant, completely unafraid of the Ancient Emperor artifact, refusing to leave, and still intending to eat him, filling his heart with immense indignation.

However, at this moment, Ye Fan moved. If the Old Dragon were allowed to wield his weapon, the Barbarian would undoubtedly retreat immediately, making a direct confrontation impossible and forcing them into a clandestine hunt.

With a resounding rumble, heaven and earth trembled violently. Ye Fan tore open the void, holding the Primal Chaos Green Lotus between the Dragon Maiden and the Old Dragon, severing their connection.

"Aoooh..."

A dragon's roar shook the nine heavens. The great dragon formed by the purple Myriad Dragon Bell swooped down, terrifying to the extreme, its Ancient Emperor might vast and awe-inspiring.

Ye Fan's heart was far from calm; after all, he was facing an Imperial artifact. Yet, he had to try. He met it with the Green Lotus in his hand, unleashing a burst of primal chaos energy.

"What?! Weren't most Emperor artifacts in the world destroyed? How is there another one?" Many were shocked.

However, the Primal Chaos Green Lotus possessed no offensive power; it merely passively blocked the Myriad Dragon Bell. The surrounding starry sky collapsed, and the great dragon shattered the heavens.

At this very moment, the Barbarian moved, vanishing instantly and reappearing before the Old Dragon.

"Boom!"

He raised his bone club and brought it down, overwhelmingly powerful!

The Old Dragon was terrified, his soul almost fleeing his body. He turned and fled, rapidly retreating, rushing towards the Dragon Maiden, seeking the protection of the Imperial artifact.

However, Ye Fan, holding the Primal Chaos Green Lotus, withstood the might of the Imperial weapon, preventing the Dragon Maiden from intervening!

The Barbarian's speed was incredible. With the intertwining of his Lunar and Solar divine arts, his body flashed between black and white, then erupted with brilliant light, instantly catching up to the Old Dragon.

"Thud!"

Blood splattered. The Old Dragon was struck, his bones shattered, his spirit fragmented within his head. Though his Quasi-Emperor laws were formidable, they were all crushed, and his life force was completely extinguished.