Bachelor [EN]: Chapter 97

A moment later, a resounding boom, like that of a giant bird, echoed as a ring appeared directly above the monster’s head. Before the monster could even react, the Vermilion Bird Ring began to shrink, instantly constricting the horned dragon’s body and emitting intense heat. “Hurry! We can’t hold the horned dragon for long!” Although the Vermilion Bird Ring was tightly binding the horned dragon, the girl’s expression remained stern. The Eomwol Sect disciples were unaware of why the black serpent had transformed into a black horned dragon, but this didn’t stop them from casting the spells they had prepared in advance. “Attack!” Under the command of a relatively older woman in white, a dozen or so beams of light, combining red and blue energies, struck the immobilized horned dragon with a deafening roar. ‘Kwakwakwang!’ Following a series of explosions, the beams of light collided with the faint black mist surrounding the monster’s body just before impact, causing them to burst apart. “Keep attacking! The horned dragon’s barrier can’t hold out for long!” The girl quickly issued commands, enhancing the Vermilion Bird Ring’s magic to make the flames erupting from the ring even more ferocious. As the orders were given, the Eomwol Sect disciples continuously shot streaks of crimson and blue light into the air. Although they couldn’t penetrate the horned dragon’s barrier, the monster thrashed and writhed, desperately trying to break free from the Vermilion Bird Ring’s restraints. However, as the girl exerted her full power to maintain the seal, the ring remained unyielding, tightly binding and constricting the horned dragon. Han Li was already in a state of panic. The sight of the cultivators unleashing beams of light in unison was something he had never witnessed before, and the spectacle of a magical artifact battling a powerful monster was truly astonishing. However, his course of action was clear. Whether the monster killed them or the Eomwol Sect disciples captured the monster, he would quietly slip away after everything was over. As he was thinking this, a massive tremor suddenly emanated from the horned dragon, and he could feel the monster writhing in agony. Han Li refocused his gaze on the horned dragon. The black mist had completely vanished, revealing a body covered in smooth black scales. The scales were stained with fresh blood, indicating that the horned dragon had been struck by the Eomwol Sect disciples’ beams of light. The horned dragon was struggling in pain. ‘Are the Eomwol Sect gaining the upper hand?’ “Careful! I can’t hold the horned dragon much longer!” Just as Han Li thought the Eomwol Sect had gained the advantage, he heard the girl’s voice. It seemed the outcome was still uncertain! The Eomwol Sect disciples froze at the girl’s words. Based on their experiences over the past two days, once their senior sister sealed a monster, it never escaped the magical restraints. Yet, the horned dragon before them was trying to break free. Though they were surprised, they couldn’t ignore their senior sister’s warning. As they tensed up, the intensity of the crimson and blue beams of light they emitted increased. In an instant, a dozen or so wounds appeared on the horned dragon’s body, and streaks of bright red blood flowed, staining one side of the marsh crimson. Enraged, the horned dragon opened its mouth and let out a desperate scream, causing the underground world to tremble and making those who heard it feel nauseous. ‘Shhhhrrr’ A strange grinding sound echoed, and everyone’s faces changed as they looked up. The ring-shaped magical artifact was still floating in the air, but the horned dragon that should have been trapped inside was gone! Only torn black scales were left fluttering in the ring, revealing that the monster had shed its skin and escaped. The girl’s face darkened, and she looked quite flustered. Her warning to be careful was not because she had predicted this situation. The horned dragon’s power was so immense that her Vermilion Bird Ring was reaching its limit. The monster must have also noticed the ring’s power weakening, but she couldn’t understand why it had resorted to such a wasteful act. ‘Could it be!’ A bad premonition made her face pale. She hurriedly searched for the horned dragon, hoping her guess was wrong. “Over there!” One of the Eomwol Sect disciples with sharp eyes shouted, spotting the monster writhing incessantly at the top of this underground world. The horned dragon had completely changed, taking on a new form. Its black skin had turned as white as snow, and its body had grown to about six times its original size. The wounds on its torso were barely visible, leaving only faint traces. Most astonishingly, a black horn had sprouted on its triangular head, emitting a soft glow, and white claws had grown on its belly, making them look sharp. No one could have imagined that the horned dragon would transform into a dragon before their eyes. It looked exactly like the legendary dragons. The Eomwol Sect disciples were so shocked by the transformed dragon that they nearly lost their minds, but they still waited for the orders of the girl who led them. However, another shocking command was issued to them, who were already pale. “Everyone, retreat from here immediately! The horned dragon has shed its skin and reached the mid-stage of the Foundation Establishment realm [a significant stage in cultivation]. Even if we combine our strength, we can’t defeat it, so I’ll hold it off for a while while you all retreat!” The girl finished speaking with a grave expression and immediately summoned the Vermilion Bird Ring to prepare for defense. The male and female disciples hesitated for a moment. No matter how many times the monster shed its skin, how could its magical power increase so rapidly? The white dragon suddenly lowered its body and arrived above the Eomwol Sect disciples like lightning. The dragon’s mouth opened, and a purple liquid seemed ready to be spewed out at any moment. “Hurry and flee! Don’t confront it!” The girl shouted anxiously, enlarging the Vermilion Bird Ring dozens of times. The agile disciples quickly turned and leaped into the limestone passage, while some hid under the protection of the enlarged Vermilion Bird Ring. However, about half a dozen disciples who remained, trusting in the power of their magical artifacts, were trying to confront the purple liquid with their shining spells! “Those idiots!” The girl’s face turned pale with anger as she saw the disciples who had disobeyed her orders. However, she was also at her limit, unable to expand the range of her magical artifact any further. It seemed she had no choice but to watch them destroy themselves. As the girl had said, the purple liquid, having bypassed the defense of the ring-shaped magical artifact, poured down on the remaining disciples with tremendous force. The magical artifacts they held were all extraordinary items, but they melted away without a trace the moment they collided with the purple liquid. And by the time the Eomwol Sect disciples’ screams were heard, they had already vanished. A pit filled with purple liquid was left where they had stood, making the faces of the survivors turn pale. As the Eomwol Sect disciples were killed, the monster’s ferocious aura subsided. It closed its menacing mouth and looked down at the girl with its cold gaze, as if it knew she was its only worthy opponent. “Why are you standing there like idiots instead of running away? It just transformed into a dragon, so it shouldn’t have much of its elixir left! It won’t be able to spew it out recklessly!” Even as the dragon glared at her, the girl issued commands with a cold expression. “How dare a mere serpent be so arrogant in front of me. If I had maintained my true magical power, I would have already cut you in two!” The remaining disciples, seeing the traces of the vanished disciples and hearing the girl’s heated muttering, no longer hesitated and leaped towards the limestone passage. They fled madly, leaving behind only the monster’s roars and the woman’s voice, which indicated a fierce battle was taking place. The disciples trembled with fear as they hurried up the stairs. They had clearly heard their senior sister say she would hold it off for ‘a while.’ If they hesitated even a little, they would either be devoured by the dragon or melted by the purple liquid they had just witnessed! Meanwhile, the girl was flying in the air, battling the black dragon. The Vermilion Bird Ring, under her control, constantly harassed the black dragon, and the monster was unable to do anything against the girl’s extremely agile movements. She clearly seemed to have a hidden move, but while controlling the Vermilion Bird Ring with one hand, she was focused on recovering her magical power by placing her other hand on a red spirit stone. After a while, when she felt it was enough, she put away the spirit stone and grasped a golden talisman [a magical charm or paper]. Without further thought, she took advantage of the monster’s attention being diverted by the Vermilion Bird Ring and flung the golden talisman. Just before the gold touched the monster, countless lines instantly bound the black dragon’s body. The immobilized black dragon let out a furious roar. The girl sneered at the black dragon, then looked at the golden chest floating in the pavilion with a wistful gaze before moving towards the passage. It was a pity, but she knew that she couldn’t hold the beast for long with just a mid-grade talisman. The best course of action was to get out of here as quickly as possible. There would be other ways to retrieve the treasure in that chest. As she reached the passage and was about to step onto the limestone, a thunderous roar, as if lightning had struck, echoed down from the passage. A dazzling blue light surged down the passage, and at the same time, the limestone seemed to come alive, closing together and sealing the passage without a single gap. At this sight, the girl gasped as if she had seen a ghost. “Small Five Elements Sumeru Restriction Formation…” The confidence she had shown earlier had vanished from her pale face. Behind her, the black dragon, which had been bound by golden lines, was also breaking free, ready to burst out at any moment. The girl, turning to look at this scene, seemed lost. In the stone hall outside the passage, a dozen or so Eomwol Sect disciples were all glaring at a woman in white. She was the same woman who had called herself one of the Eomwol Twin Sects in the desert. Her face was pale, and she looked like she had no idea what she had done wrong. “Senior Sister Jo, what are you doing! You threw a talisman into the passage, and now it’s blocked! Are you trying to harm Senior Sister Nangong!” The Eomwol Sect disciples, filled with bewilderment, questioned her one after another. The current situation was not something to be taken lightly. If their senior sister couldn’t come out alive because of that talisman, a terrible fate awaited them. Having their magical power abolished and being expelled from the sect was a given, and they could even be beaten to death. They were extremely tense because they knew what it meant for the sect to lose a Foundation Establishment cultivator. “I didn’t do it on purpose! I just put a mid-grade Small Five Elements Talisman there to activate if that monster chased us up!” The woman in white was also too flustered to know what to do. The thought of their senior sister being trapped there made her feel like all the blood in her body was turning cold. “Stop talking nonsense! We need to open the passage and save Senior Sister Nangong!” One of the older male disciples shouted. The Eomwol Sect disciples seemed to snap out of it at his voice, and they all hurriedly took out various magical artifacts and began attacking the passage. Several hours later, in the underground area below, the girl was staring wide-eyed at the young man who had suddenly appeared. He was holding seven golden blades in one hand and a black shield in the other, blocking the black dragon’s blasts in front of her. Surprisingly, the little boy from Huangfeng Valley she had seen a few days ago had saved her from danger, as she had exhausted her magical power after a long struggle with the black dragon. # 99