Craaaash—!
The creature’s massive jaws opened wide, lunging toward him.
Thud!
It crashed into the wall, shattering it completely. With a limp arm, he barely managed to evade it.
Moving underwater was highly inconvenient.
Tsk…
Clicking his tongue, he scowled. His damaged body was problematic, but there was an even bigger issue right now.
[Hand yourself over to me quietly!]
Every word the creature shouted reverberated painfully in his mind.
Was it attacking him mentally, directly targeting his psyche?
What a nuisance.
Physical issues were one thing, but now it was attacking his mind as well, which only made it more aggravating.
What is this thing?
He was used to carrying odd things clinging to him, so it wasn’t exactly surprising if something else had appeared. But its sudden emergence left him with questions.
A demonic beast resembling a snake with blue scales. Its enormous body and sharp fangs left an impression.
What a strange-looking creature. Arrogant as hell, too.
Despite everything, he felt an oddly familiar energy coming from it.
Ssshhh—!
“…!”
Sensing movement from his left, he raised both arms.
Thud!
As soon as he raised them, the creature’s attack struck him, as if waiting for that moment.
“Gah!”
A heavy weight pressed down on his forearm—the creature had struck him with its tail.
The force sent him flying back.
Slam!
The pain was so intense, he questioned whether this was really happening underwater. Knocked back, he collided with the wall, unable to avoid it.
“Damn… it’s strong.”
A hollow laugh escaped him. No matter how he looked at it, the situation was dire.
How could it be this bad?
One arm was chewed up, his Qi wasn’t responding properly. Was it because the vessel had broken? Maybe.
He was hardly an ordinary person, yet he couldn’t demonstrate even a fraction of his usual ability.
To face a creature like that in this state…
What a nightmare.
It was truly an absurd predicament.
He twisted his body.
Crack!
The creature’s claws embedded themselves where he’d been moments before. He tried to create some distance, but it wasn’t easy.
His forearm throbbed. Was it fractured?
Maybe not.
Without his protective Qi, his defenses were weak.
Blocking wasn’t safe, so he had to dodge somehow.
Slam!
But even that was impossible. His battered body flailed helplessly.
“Ugh.”
The impact shook his insides. Though he managed to shield his head, his injured arm twisted further.
Damn, that hurt like hell.
He struggled to pull himself together and refocus his scattered mind.
Clench—!
The creature’s claw shot forward, grabbing him and pinning him to the ground.
Thud!
The shock reverberated around him, bubbles rising from the impact. The sensation of bones shattering made him bite his lip.
[Pathetic inferior.]
[As a noble superior, I showed you mercy, yet you don’t know your place.]
[Did you really think you could win? You, a mere mortal destined to live for a fleeting moment?]
“Oh, shut up! Can’t you speak normally?”
His ears buzzed from the sheer arrogance.
Crack! He tried to wrench himself free, but the creature’s grip held fast, refusing to let go.
[Cease this futile struggle. You have no hope. Give yourself to me.]
“You want my body?”
[Exactly.]
Hearing this, he smirked. The creature had repeated the same demand several times now.
Claiming to be great and powerful, urging him to give up his body. Promising peace if he submitted. Claiming there was no way to win, so he should surrender peacefully.
Yet, the more he listened, the more questions arose.
“So… why keep asking for it?”
[As I said—]
“If you’re so powerful, why not just take it, you bastard?”
[…]
At his words, the creature froze momentarily. He noticed and smirked.
He wasn’t a fool, and he could sense the truth after just one encounter. In this state, he couldn’t defeat it.
Even in his current predicament, it was obvious.
But then why…
“Why keep begging for it?”
Seeing the creature’s constant demands, he began to suspect something.
Looking into its uninjured eye, he spoke.
“You… can’t take it by force, can you?”
Growl…
“You need me to give it willingly, right?”
There was no response, only a low growl.
But that was more than enough.
The creature had an overwhelming advantage and seemed to want his body. Yet all it could do was threaten him, unable to take it by force.
Moreover, it seemed to be holding back, ensuring he didn’t die.
“So you can’t kill me or take it by force, can you?”
It became clear that the creature was limited in what it could do to him. Was he certain? Not entirely.
But the more he observed, the more certain he became. The creature’s reactions were telling.
Its viciously twisted face, its increasingly ragged breaths. And yet, it refrained from further attacks.
This thing couldn’t do anything to him.
Its only recourse was to break his spirit and make him give up willingly.
Of course, it could be hiding other tricks, but…
Does it need to?
Even so, it would need a compelling reason to try.
Perhaps as a result of this realization, he felt the pressure holding him down lessen slightly.
He twisted his body. While escaping entirely was impossible, he managed to free one of his hands.
Now, the question was what to do.
I know the problem…
He understood the creature’s issue, but that didn’t solve his predicament. Ultimately, he’d have to deal with it himself to put an end to this.
How?
If only I knew.
If he did, he wouldn’t still be struggling here.
All he had was the certainty that he wouldn’t die.
But he still had to figure out a way to overcome this situation.
He couldn’t rely on brute strength.
If only my Qi was circulating…
His insides felt empty, making that impossible.
Damn it.
This was a total disaster.
As he twisted his body, his fingers brushed against the creature’s skin.
In that moment—
Thrum—!
“…!”
[…Grrr!]
He felt something invade his body. Simultaneously, the creature released its grip, flinging him away.
Whoosh!
He sailed through the water again. Though it was similar to before, this time he didn’t crash into the wall.
He twisted his body and landed lightly against the wall.
He immediately checked his condition.
…My Qi’s flowing?
He noticed a faint resurgence of energy in his body, just a small amount, but enough to make him smile.
“So… that was it.”
Grrrr…!
Though his body was wrecked and his mind was worn down, he felt slightly less stifled.
Sensing the tiny amount of Qi returning, he looked at the creature.
For a creature he’d never seen before, it felt oddly familiar.
“So that’s what you are.”
He finally realized what the creature was.
It was—
Blood Qi.
It was unmistakably Blood Qi.
The energy flowing from the creature was clearly Blood Qi, and that familiar presence confirmed it.
Though he didn’t understand why it took on this form…
Growl—
The creature’s identity as Blood Qi was clear. Looking at its snarling face, he spoke.
“Sleeping so quietly all this time… why the sudden tantrum?”
It wasn’t just anyone’s energy, but the Blood Demon’s energy that had been planted in him.
When used, it granted immense power, though it came with a severe backlash.
Knowing it came from the Blood Demon, he had avoided using it as much as possible.
He couldn’t understand why this power, which he’d sealed in his dantian, was acting up now.
“What are you?”
[Do not be mistaken.]
“What?”
[It was through my presence that you gained the chance for transcendence. That body rightfully belongs to me.]
The creature’s words made him frown.
He’d gained the chance for transcendence because of this thing?
Transcendence.
What could that mean? It was something the Blood Demon had also mentioned. It seemed related to the death of his humanity.
What would happen if he achieved transcendence?
A superior being, huh.
Was it really something beyond humanity, as it claimed? “Superior being”… even the word itself felt off.
He must have frowned more than he realized, as the creature continued to speak, as if displeased.
[You are unworthy of becoming a Dragon , you pitiful thing.]
Dragon.
The word the Blood Qi used struck him.
A dragon…
Hearing it made him reconsider the creature’s appearance.
The long, snake-like body with limbs, the sharp, slashed mouth, and fangs. Its massive frame.
It resembled a dragon from legend.
Which made it even stranger.
Currently, in the Central Plains, “dragon” referred to—
All of them are white-ranked demonic beasts.
It was a term used to describe the white-ranked beasts that had emerged through the White Abyss Gate.