Chapter 438: Ten Consecutive Victories

Chapter 438: Ten Consecutive Victories

Everyone in the audience, except for Tai Coblan and Tai Cobing, had the same thought: What kind of dragon is this?

This dragon was petite, even smaller than a young dragon, with a slender body, wings, and scales that shone with a dark golden hue. It was a familiar sight in the True Dragon Dynasty, resembling the End of Days Dragon.

"Annihilator Dragon!"

"It's the Annihilator Dragon!"

Almost simultaneously, a few people at the banquet exclaimed in surprise.

This immediately caused an uproar.

One of the Seven Great Dragon Species, and the rarest and most mysterious among the Divine Dragon Species, how could the Annihilator Dragon appear here?

Soon, everyone recalled the rumors from a few days ago. The champion of the Dragon Festival, a wildling, had chosen an egg in the Tai Co Nursery, but it turned out to be a dead Annihilator Dragon egg, which everyone had treated as a joke.

Now, they realized that they had been the joke all along.

The Annihilator Dragon had truly hatched!

In the crowd, Tai Co Xu felt embarrassed and uncomfortable. He had mocked the most harshly, never expecting the boomerang to come back so quickly. He felt like the gazes of others were like palms, slapping his face relentlessly.

Those who had taken pleasure in his misfortune now wore stiff smiles, their faces contorting in discomfort.

Cang Ya and Cai Xia were both stunned.

Gu Xingli stared fixedly at the Annihilator Dragon above, not even blinking.

Although Tai Cobing had prior knowledge, witnessing the Annihilator Dragon in person still left her deeply shaken. She gazed upward, her eyes never leaving the dragon, and occasionally turned to look at Ji Xinghuo, a strange gleam in her eyes.

"I knew it!"

Tai Co Zhenhe muttered to himself, "I should've trusted my instincts and chosen that dragon egg back then..." But then he felt incredulous, "You actually managed to hatch the Annihilator Dragon, ah!"

The banquet fell silent for a few seconds before erupting into a complete frenzy.

"An Annihilator Dragon!"

"The End of Days Dragon has awakened! I can't believe it's been so many years since a new Annihilator Dragon was born in the Dynasty, and it appeared in Tai Huan City of all places!"

"Jin's luck is incredible. This is a Divine Dragon Species."

"The Annihilator Dragon egg has been in the Nursery for so long, we've all seen it, but why didn't anyone dare to try and hatch it?"

"It was said to be a dead egg, who would take the risk?"

The spectators discussed the Annihilator Dragon, their emotions a mix of envy, jealousy, and even hidden malice. However, no one dared to underestimate Ji Xinghuo anymore.

A Dragon Master who possessed an Annihilator Dragon, even if they were previously a wildling, now belonged to the most noble dragon lineage. Moreover, with Jin's innate talent and strength, his future achievements would surely surpass most True Dragon Humans, challenging even the Star Saints.

Of course, there were still some who remained unconvinced.

"It's just an Annihilator Dragon." Tai Co Xu regained his usual arrogance, "It's not stronger than the Tai Cobalt Dragon, they're both Divine Dragon Species after all."

Hearing this, the crowd secretly sighed.

You have the Tai Cobalt Dragon, of course, you would say such things. But we don't!

Ji Xinghuo glanced at Tai Co Xu but didn't bother to respond. He flew up and landed on Doomsday's back. The Annihilator Dragon's body was only ten meters long, slender in proportion, but the connection between its wings and body was just right for a person to ride.

He reached out his hand.

A dragon spear appeared in the air and landed in his palm.

This was his first time holding a dragon spear, which weighed around 350 kilograms. It was hard and resilient, appearing similar to a long spear at first glance, but its internal structure was intricate, a product of etheric and physical technology combined.

To Ji Xinghuo, the weight of the spear felt a little light, but it didn't affect his ability to wield it.

He tried infusing star power into the spear, activating it.

A lightning-like mixture of blue and purple light burst from the spear, solidifying into a hundred-meter-long form. However, the weight of the dragon spear remained unchanged.

When he withdrew his star power, the spear immediately dissipated.

After a few attempts, Ji Xinghuo mastered the usage of the dragon spear. The amount of star power he injected each time determined the length of the spear, and it was inversely proportional to its hardness. To change the length, he would have to withdraw his star power and activate it again.

The dragon spear could transmit power and conduct star force, making it effortless to wield.

Witnessing this, the crowd realized that he had never used a dragon spear before, and some couldn't help but shake their heads inwardly. It would be difficult to win even with an Annihilator Dragon in one's first dragon spear battle.

However, they merely doubted his chances.

Jin's display of martial arts during the Dragon Festival had left a deep impression, and no one present dared to claim they could surpass him.

"Are you ready?" Tai Co Keming asked in a low voice.

He already had a bad feeling about this. Although he was a Sixth Stage Dragon Master and had reached the third level, in a dragon spear battle, star power and stage position couldn't give him a crushing advantage, especially when facing the Annihilator Dragon.

"I'm ready."

Ji Xinghuo nodded, holding the dragon spear upright.

"Tai Co Keming, Sixth Stage, Third Level."

"Annihilator Jin, Fifth Stage, Second Level."

Following the procedure for dragon spear battles, both parties introduced themselves, stating their names and evolution stages.

Their voices echoed across the sky.

"Annihilator Jin..."

Upon hearing this name, the spectators by the lake burst into a wave of astonished cries. Then, they saw a small yet graceful dragon fly out from the rooftop and enter the dragon spear arena above the lake.

"Annihilator Dragon!"

"Look!"

"The End of Days Dragon has awakened! We have an Annihilator Dragon Master participating in the dragon spear battle tonight. Who is this Annihilator Jin? I've never heard of him before."

"I think he's the Dragon Festival champion, Jin!"

"The Annihilator Dragon is so tiny, I can barely see it." Someone tried to widen their eyes, but their vision wasn't good enough.

Someone quickly explained, "The strength of a dragon isn't determined by its size. The Annihilator Dragon is naturally one of the smallest dragon species. This size is normal for it!"

"But I can't see clearly, it's too far."

"Me neither..."

Soon, Ji Xinghuo and Tai Co Keming reached their positions in the dragon spear arena, about five kilometers apart and over seven hundred meters above the lake.

This distance was not considered far for either party, as they could clearly see each other's expressions, every change evident.

Ji Xinghuo remained calm.

Although Tai Co Keming tried to calm himself, his eyes still betrayed a hint of nervousness. His right hand, which held the dragon spear, kept loosening and tightening, and his gaze shifted back and forth between Ji Xinghuo and the Annihilator Dragon.

He had never faced an Annihilator Dragon in a dragon spear battle before, but he knew that the most fearsome aspect of the Annihilator Dragon was its dragon breath.

Any Divine Dragon Species held an absolute advantage in dragon spear battles.

Tai Co Keming's mind raced as he tried to devise a strategy to defeat his opponent, but he couldn't settle on a plan.

Ji Xinghuo, on the other hand, was as calm as still water.

"Doomsday."

He and the Annihilator Dragon shared a mental connection, and with a single thought, Doomsday flapped its slender wings and accelerated. Its translucent wings traced golden trails in the air, its figure blurring as it shot toward its opponent like a beam of dark golden light.

Nearly everyone's gaze was fixed on the Annihilator Dragon, captivated by its first impression.

Smaller dragons typically held an advantage in speed and agility.

The Annihilator Dragon was no exception.

Moreover, being a Divine Dragon Species, its speed was noticeably quicker than that of the Thunderclap Dragon. As they rushed towards each other, instead of clashing at the midpoint, the two dragons approached each other closer to Tai Coblan's side.

In the blink of an eye, they closed in to a distance of one kilometer.

A dark golden glow illuminated the Annihilator Dragon's mouth, no larger than a fist, too small for most spectators to discern.

"Annihilator Beam!"

The guests at the banquet felt their hearts leap as they sensed the aura of destruction.

Among the Seven Great Dragon Species, the Annihilator Dragon was renowned for its fearsome and deadly dragon breath. The Annihilator Beam harnessed the very essence of annihilation, where the collision of matter and anti-matter instantly converted into pure energy, unleashing devastating destruction.

In a dragon spear battle, this was an undeniable killing move.

No one would dare let their dragon withstand the full force of an Annihilator Beam! Not only would the dragon perish, but with bad luck, the dragon master could meet the same fate. While the rules stated that killing an opponent during a dragon spear battle bore no consequences as long as it wasn't intentional, who could truly tell if it was accidental?

Once a life was taken, what meaning was there in pursuing retribution? It was always an option to concede defeat if one couldn't prevail.

However, Tai Coblan had no intention of surrendering. As a proud genius of the True Dragon Humans, he couldn't bring himself to yield without a fight, especially with Tai Cobing and so many peers and talented onlookers watching.

He had to dodge!

Tai Coblan frantically urged his Thunderclap Dragon to evade, his gaze locked onto Ji Xinghuo atop the Annihilator Dragon, extending his dragon spear to a hundred meters in length and aiming its tip directly at Ji Xinghuo's chest.

"Why isn't he activating his dragon spear?"

The spectators noticed that the distance between the two dragons had shrunk to around two hundred meters, well within striking range, yet Ji Xinghuo's dragon spear remained unactivated.

In the blink of an eye.

The two dragons, one large and one small, with a size difference of several dozen times, seemed destined for a head-on collision. Just as Tai Coblan's spear tip was about to pierce Ji Xinghuo, the Annihilator Dragon suddenly rolled sideways, turning upside down, and then surged forward, narrowly avoiding the Thunderclap Dragon's lightning dragon breath by a hair's breadth.

Tai Coblan's dragon spear swept upwards.

Suddenly, his Thunderclap Dragon's eyes widened in terror, and it frantically flapped its wings to change direction, trying to veer away from the Annihilator Dragon's head.

Caught off guard, Tai Coblan's dragon spear veered upwards, and his body's center of gravity shifted.

But it was just a false alarm.

The Annihilator Dragon didn't unleash the Annihilator Beam. At this proximity of less than a hundred meters, which was virtually face-to-face in a dragon spear battle, the Annihilator Dragon had already closed in.

Ji Xinghuo, poised and upright, thrust his dragon spear with precision.

The spear tip instantly extended a hundred meters, its radiance solidifying as if it had substance, first striking the rear section of Tai Coblan's dragon spear.

Boom!

Ji Xinghuo's Electric Spiral Force erupted with astonishing power, shattering Tai Coblan's dragon spear. The immense force caused his hands to go numb, but the spear tip, riding on the momentum, pierced Tai Coblan's chest. The armor was penetrated, revealing a layer of silver-gray Tai Cobalt Dragon scales, and his entire body transformed into that of a Tai Cobalt Dragon to withstand the damage.

However, the Electric Spiral Force penetrated the tough dragon scales and dragon body, exploding within Tai Coblan.

Puff...

Tai Coblan was flung off the dragon's back, spewing blood from his mouth.

The injury wasn't severe, and Tai Coblan quickly regained his balance in mid-air. He watched as a dark golden dragon silhouette flashed before him, the aura of destruction lingering overhead. He looked up to see Ji Xinghuo riding the Annihilator Dragon, soaring past him.

In that fleeting moment, their gazes locked.

Ji Xinghuo's eyes were calm, like a deep ancient well, unperturbed and serene, exuding an air of authority and detachment, reminiscent of his demeanor when Tai Coblan had treated him with condescension at the entrance of the Dragon Nursery.

Only now, their positions were reversed, and Tai Coblan found himself on the receiving end of that aloof attitude.

Tai Coblan stood there, stunned.

"I lost."

He suddenly realized he had lost this dragon spear battle, and that too, in a single exchange. Anger and shame surged within him, and he didn't know how to face this turn of events.

By the time Tai Coblan regained his senses, Ji Xinghuo had already left the arena and returned to the banquet on the rooftop of the building.

The spectators by the lake applauded wildly, cheering loudly.

"Amazing!"

"What a decisive victory! I can't believe this is Annihilator Jin's first dragon spear battle!"

"The Annihilator Dragon's dragon breath is too intimidating. The Thunderclap Dragon didn't dare to engage in a direct clash."

"Regardless, Tai Coblan's loss is justified."

"Perhaps only the Tai Cobalt Dragon would dare to take on the challenge now..."

The spectators were enthralled, eager to witness more battles involving the Annihilator Dragon, especially if it were against the Tai Cobalt Dragon, a showdown between two Divine Dragon Species.

Doomsday hovered outside the top floor of the building, its wings occasionally vibrating, its posture graceful.

All eyes were on Ji Xinghuo.

Mounted on the dragon's back, he reached out and plucked the Terminal Dragon Eye from the table, leaving behind the Scarlet Emperor Blood Crystal. His gaze swept across the many geniuses at the banquet, and he asked, "My wager remains the same. Is there anyone willing to take me on?"

The dragon masters looked at each other, but no one responded.

Unlike the spectators by the lake, each of them possessed exceptional eyesight. While Tai Coblan's defeat was largely due to the intimidation of the Annihilator Dragon, the move that Ji Xinghuo had executed left them feeling utterly outclassed.

The timing, strength, star power, and technique of that strike were all flawless!

Even without the Annihilator Dragon, if it had been any other Heavenly Dragon Species, Annihilator Jin would still have had a high probability of winning the dragon spear battle.

The Annihilator Dragon had only made his victory more effortless.

"Since no one here dares to face me, then let me take on your challenge."

Gu Xingli stood up. Unburdened by the same concerns as the other dragon masters and with a good relationship with Ji Xinghuo, he eagerly said, "I don't have any expansion curios left, so I'll wager a thousand ether crystals. What do you say?"

"Deal."

Ji Xinghuo agreed.

Gu Xingli grabbed a dragon spear, and a dragon shadow dove down from the skies above Ti Huang City, swooping through the starry night to arrive at the banquet on the rooftop.

This was a Celestial Feather Dragon, newly promoted to the Radiant grade, possessing two pairs of dragon wings and adorned with bluish-gray feathers. With a wingspan of about forty meters and a sharp dragon head resembling a beak, the dragon's head boasted a cluster of feather-like horns, and only the ends of its lone pair of hind limbs bore massive claws. Its overall form blended the characteristics of a dragon and an eagle, exuding an air of lightness and agility, clearly indicating its incredible speed.

"Annihilator Jin, Legend Second Stage."

The two went through the procedure for the dragon spear battle, and the Celestial Feather Dragon transformed into a green beam of light, flying into the arena. Many of the spectators couldn't even keep up with its speed.

Ji Xinghuo also mounted the Annihilator Dragon and took to the field.

Then, they charged towards each other.

In less than ten seconds, they clashed at the five-kilometer mark, neither of them instructing their dragons to breathe attacks or engage in close combat. Instead, they chose to clash with their dragon spears, using the dragons purely as mounts.

Clang!

The dragon spears activated, extending to a hundred meters in length, and the tips collided miraculously at such high speeds, like a needle against a chisel.

Both spears exploded almost simultaneously.

What others couldn't perceive was that, in the instant the dragon spears exploded, a spiral of electric light coursed through the spear body, conducting a terrifying force into Gu Xingli's hand, causing his body to stagnate and lose control for half a second.

The Celestial Feather Dragon immediately flapped its wings and changed direction, vibrating at a high frequency in an attempt to confuse its opponent. However, Ji Xinghuo was unfazed.

The Annihilator Dragon shadowed its movements, synchronizing its turn.

Ji Xinghuo, on the Annihilator Dragon's back, was quicker to reactivate his dragon spear. With a flick of the spear, he swept out dozens of shadow images that lashed towards Gu Xingli. Gu Xingli finally raised his spear to block, but he was too late.

Boom!

As the two dragons crossed paths, Gu Xingli was swept off the back of the Celestial Feather Dragon.

The outcome was clear.

Gu Xingli hovered in mid-air, looking at the dent in his chest armor. Clearly, Ji Xinghuo had held back, and he shook his head, sighing, "I'm just a Legion, and a single clone is no match for you."

"My apologies."

Ji Xinghuo offered a perfunctory response.

The two left the arena, and Ji Xinghuo collected the thousand ether crystals, feeling pleased. This earning rate was much faster than hunting, and if he could win a few more battles, it would be equivalent to months of hunting.

"Anyone else?" Ji Xinghuo asked loudly.

"I will!"

Tai Cobing stepped forward.

Her dragon had mostly recovered, and seeing such a formidable opponent, she was eager not to miss this opportunity to engage in a dragon spear battle. She immediately challenged him, "A thousand ether crystals, do you accept?"

"Sure." Ji Xinghuo agreed; after all, they were just giving him money.

Tai Cobing mounted her Thunderclap Dragon and entered the arena.

Half a minute later.

Tai Cobing looked utterly dejected. Like the others, she had lost in the first exchange and forfeited a thousand ether crystals.

"Anyone else?"

"Me!"

Another dragon master stepped forward and proposed the same wager of a thousand ether crystals, only to suffer the same fate.

"Who's next?"

In ten consecutive dragon spear battles, Ji Xinghuo emerged victorious in every clash, with none of his opponents able to withstand a single round. Moreover, the Annihilator Dragon hadn't breathed the Annihilator Beam a single time, nor had it been injured by any of its opponents.

In ten battles, both man and dragon remained unscathed.

The number of spectators by the lake continued to grow, exceeding a million, with many flying in the air to watch from afar. The crowd was massive, and each person was engrossed in the spectacle. Every victory of Ji Xinghuo's elicited cheers like a tidal wave.

Ji Xinghuo was in high spirits.

In less than half an hour, he had earned a Terminal Dragon Eye and nine thousand ether crystals. Making money had never been easier!

"Anyone else want to challenge me?" Ji Xinghuo asked once more, mounted on the back of the Annihilator Dragon.

There was no response for a long time.

At this moment, all the guests at the banquet, whether they were legendary geniuses or the esteemed dragon masters, felt hesitant to face Ji Xinghuo's challenge, and they all became dull and insignificant in comparison.

Tai Coqing could only stare at the man on the dragon's back, her heart beating faster, and she found herself unable to look away.

At this moment, Cang Ya slowly stood up.

She seemed to have considered it for a long time before making up her mind. She said, "I won't take advantage of you. I'll wager two portions of the Essence of the Azure Sea."

"I accept." Ji Xinghuo didn't hesitate.

Cang Ya possessed two dragons.

One was the Cang Dragon, which wasn't suitable for dragon spear battles, and the other was a legendary Ice Soul Dragon, also a Divine Dragon Species. It was over fifty meters long, with translucent dragon scales, its entire body resembling an ice sculpture, beautiful yet deadly, exuding a chilling aura.

However, they were no match for him.

In the first exchange, Ji Xinghuo thrust his spear, piercing right through Cang Ya, who fell from the back of the Ice Soul Dragon.

Cang Ya had expected to lose, but she hadn't anticipated such a humiliating defeat. Her face turned pale, and she clenched her teeth, unable to utter a word.

Ji Xinghuo rode the Annihilator Dragon closer to her and asked with concern, "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine."

Cang Ya glanced at him and shook her head slightly, then silently returned to the back of the Ice Soul Dragon and flew out of the arena.

Ji Xinghuo watched her dejected figure and thought to himself that he hadn't been ruthless. Why was she reacting so strongly? She wasn't the first or the last to lose; there was no need to feel so ashamed.

He returned to the banquet on the rooftop and collected the two portions of the Essence of the Azure Sea.

"Anyone else want to challenge me?"

Considering that some might not be able to accept their losses and would be afraid to challenge him again, Ji Xinghuo softened his tone. However, to the listeners, it felt even more disheartening, as if he had lost interest in the dragon spear battles.

Seeing no response, Ji Xinghuo thought for a moment and added, "I can guarantee that I won't use the Annihilator Beam, and my opponents won't have any restrictions."

The dragon masters exchanged glances, at a loss for words.

This was humiliating!

Many dragon masters felt, for the first time, that the rules of dragon spear battles were boring and ridiculous, and a battle without suspense was utterly joyless.

Ji Xinghuo's gaze swept across the core members of the Tai Cobalt Family: Tai Cozhen, Tai Cobing, Tai Coblan, and Tai Coqing, the four most renowned geniuses of the younger generation of the Tai Cobalt Family.

"If it were a sparring match, I'd be delighted, but for a dragon spear battle, I'm afraid I'm not your match." Tai Cozhen conceded directly.

Tai Cobing smiled and shook her head.

Tai Coblan was a man with a cold and handsome appearance. He didn't respond to Ji Xinghuo's provocation and remained aloof from start to finish.

Finally, there was Tai Coqing.

Ji Xinghuo's gaze rested on him, and all the guests turned their eyes towards him as well. They recalled his previous mockery of Ji Xinghuo, how he had laughed uproariously and without restraint, but now, he couldn't bring himself to laugh at all.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end