Chapter 280: Death
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 280: Death
A death from ages past.
Bixi and Qiongqi clearly realized who the being before them was.
Their hearts pounded madly, and sweat poured from their bodies.
The two spirit beasts, known to be on par with the Profound Realm, felt a terror like herbivores facing a predator.
“It can’t be…”
They desperately denied it.
It was absolutely impossible.
Just moments ago, wasn't it just a lizard whose life was nearly extinguished?
Its appearance was certainly quite different from what they remembered.
But it was also different from the lizard from before.
The dragon scales had become sharper overall, and its blue eyes were stained red.
“Hah, are you truly the Old Death with a Tail?”
Qiongqi, who had been silent, opened his mouth.
He, who would speak rudely even to Bixi or the absent Jin-ryong, had no choice but to show respect.
Gomodo, as if not displeased by this, raised the corners of his mouth and replied.
“Let me start by thanking you. Thanks to you, I've escaped that tedious place.”
Bixi and Qiongqi instinctively knew their mistake.
They realized what had just happened.
The lizard they had fought earlier and the current Gomodo were indeed separate beings.
For some reason, it had been inside that lizard, and they were the ones who had awakened it.
Now everything made sense.
How a lizard not even two years old could wield power at the Transformation Realm level.
And why it had never given up and kept confronting Qiongqi.
It was a descendant of Gomodo.
“…Lord Gomodo, what will you do with us?”
First, they had to test the waters.
If the Gomodo that had appeared now could wield the same power as the one they remembered, resistance would be meaningless.
“There is a contract, so I have no choice but to kill you.”
A contract.
The words "contract established" had definitely appeared.
Qiongqi realized that the lizard from before had handed over its body in exchange for dealing with them.
“Hmm, still, the body hasn't changed much, which is inconvenient. It's small, and I can't move it as I please.”
That was a small bit of good news.
No matter if it was Gomodo himself, there would be limits in his current body.
It had been beaten by Qiongqi to the brink of death, and as the being said, the body itself hadn't changed.
“The eldest son of Jin-ryong, and a descendant of Soho. A fitting feast to be offered to me upon my return to the world.”
But Gomodo didn't seem to be considering defeat, let alone a difficult fight.
The reason he even mentioned his body's inconvenience was due to that confidence.
“Bixi. Why have you been out of it for so long?”
Qiongqi nudged Bixi, who was standing beside him.
He had been silent ever since mentioning the dungeon.
Those who knew Bixi and Qiongqi would find this scene unusual.
Their usual roles were reversed.
But it couldn't be helped.
Bixi had seen Gomodo's true form from the closest distance.
The sight of him slaughtering thousands of spirit beasts in a single blow and passing by Bixi, who was hiding in a pile of corpses.
“Ah, but still. It's not a satisfying level, but you've already fought a battle.”
Gomodo said, as if the thought had just occurred to him.
Qiongqi cheered inwardly.
The ferocity and killing intent were the same as back then, but the body was definitely weaker.
His talking right now might just be a ploy to buy time.
If he was resorting to this, it wasn't as if they had no chance of winning.
But the words that followed completely shattered Qiongqi's expectations.
“I shall grant you time to rest.”
“…To us, not you?”
Qiongqi's condition couldn't be called good either.
After all, he had lost a wing.
But it was nothing compared to the lizard from before.
“Yes. It is the first feast I will taste, so I wish to savor it a little more.”
Gomodo didn't even consider his own injuries.
He simply wished for his opponents to do their best.
“…Hey, Bixi. How long are you going to be like that?”
Qiongqi nudged Bixi, who was trembling beside him.
He knew their opponent was an immense foe.
But if two masters at the Profound Realm level fought together, the possibility of victory wouldn't be zero.
“If you want to get out of here alive, snap out of it. Stop looking so pathetic.”
Get out alive.
At those words, Bixi came to his senses.
The enemy before him was a ghost from the past.
A being called Death, but conversely, he was someone who had faced death and survived.
“I'll hold him down.”
“What?”
“My defense is a cut above, so it's right for me to hold him.”
At his words, Qiongqi laughed boldly.
“Hmph, you're finally back. So, how long can you last?”
Bixi didn't answer.
He simply walked toward Gomodo.
“…I will fear no longer.”
The giant dragon with the back of a tortoise faced the dragon of the earth with black scales.
“Uwoooooooh!”
Bixi let out a roar.
It was a sight even Qiongqi, who had fought him for ages, had never seen before.
His fighting spirit soared endlessly.
It was an abnormal power, enough to overwhelm even Qiongqi.
“Death! I will surpass you here!”
Seeing this, Gomodo shook his head.
“How can one with the status of a Divine Beast look so pathetic?”
Rather than a Divine Beast, he looked more like a Ferocious Beast.
He had taken Jin-ryong's Dragon Pill, so side effects were inevitable.
But Bixi had thought he couldn't face Gomodo without taking it.
“…Tch.”
Qiongqi created hundreds of metal blades.
The power of Metal would still be effective against Gomodo.
Bixi, with the power of Earth, was at a disadvantage in terms of elemental affinity.
That was why Bixi had charged in first.
Earth Generates Metal, Metal Overcomes Wood.
Earth nurtures Metal, and Metal cuts Wood.
Bixi's action was meant to amplify Qiongqi's power.
Knowing this, Qiongqi chose to conserve his strength and provide support from a distance.
Of course, even if it was just support, given their opponent, he used attacks he had never used before.
Kwagagagagak!
Swords, each larger than a full-grown tiger, rained down madly.
Bixi charged forward along with those swords.
He swung his claws at Gomodo, who stood on two feet on the ground.
Swaaaaah!
Thud!
But it didn't work.
Bixi's hand was simply deflected.
Sssss….
Qiongqi's swords corroded and vanished in an instant.
“Damn it, Bixi!”
It was a mistake.
The one who used the power of Wood was just the lizard from before.
The current Gomodo was not a being bound by Wood.
“Uwoooooooh!”
Bixi roared and continued his assault.
Kwaaaaaang!
The sight of the giant dragon throwing fists instead of claws was a spectacle to behold.
Each blow was powerful enough to shatter a mountain.
He unleashed enough power to overwhelm even Gomodo in close combat.
But he only had the upper hand in strength; he couldn't keep up with Gomodo's speed.
Crack!
With just a slight parry of his arm, he neutralized all of Bixi's attacks.
It was a completely different style of fighting from the lizard Qiongqi had faced.
“Bixi! Retreat for now!”
Although none of their attacks were working, Qiongqi thought they still had a chance.
Because Gomodo wasn't inflicting any significant damage on Bixi either.
Bixi was thinking the same thing.
The only difference was that Bixi had noticed Gomodo wasn't using his full power yet.
Look at those red eyes.
It was the expression of a predator wanting to feel the thrill of battle just a little longer.
The reason they seemed evenly matched was also due to Gomodo's attitude.
Bixi had also found a path to victory, but naturally, his opinion differed from Qiongqi's.
He believed the only way was to settle the fight now, while Gomodo wasn't going all out.
So he had no choice but to ignore Qiongqi's words.
“What are you doing? Fall back!”
Fwoooosh!
In an instant, the entire land turned into a swamp.
“Hmm, this is quite nice.”
It was meant to bind Gomodo's body and create an opening for Bixi to escape.
But Bixi had made up his mind.
To defeat Gomodo here.
Gomodo's carelessness. Qiongqi's support. With these two conditions met, it was time to make his move.
Bixi continued to press Gomodo.
The blades flying in at the right moments restricted Gomodo's movements.
But even after all this, they hadn't landed a single effective hit.
Not only did he dodge most attacks with his incredible speed, but even when an attack landed, it dealt no damage.
Bixi acknowledged his foe.
With that speed and defense, it was no wonder he considered this fight a mere game.
“I'm starting to get bored. When are you going to show me your hidden card?”
Bixi's brow twitched.
So he knew I wasn't using my full strength?
And knowing that, he wasn't taking advantage of it?
“That will be your downfall.”
Until now, Bixi had only used his fists and claws.
He had tried to slash Gomodo with his giant claws and delivered impacts to his armor-like scales with his fists, but he couldn't deal any damage.
Even for Gomodo, how could he be unharmed after taking a direct hit from Bixi, a being of the Profound Realm?
The reason was simple.
Bixi's true strength didn't lie in his fists or claws.
The tortoise-like dragon bent its knees slightly.
A curve drawn like flowing water.
With a smooth movement as if pushing the air, he extended his palm.
Just as Gomodo had been called the Grandmaster of the Tang Clan, Bixi too was a grandmaster in his own right.
Dragons are inherently lustful creatures and have numerous offspring.
Among them, the nine particularly strong children are called the Nine Sons of the Dragon.
And among those nine, only the strongest child can ascend and receive the name of Dragon.
That dragon is called the Ascending Dragon.
Eighteen Dragon-Subduing Palms, the Ascending Dragon with Regrets.
Jjeooooooooong!
The high-level martial art, said to be passed down only to the leader of the Beggars' Sect, was unleashed by the hands of a spirit beast.
He instantly withdrew the projected qi, shattering the enemy's feint.
“Hmph… Indeed, you are worthy of being called a delicacy.”
Gomodo's massive body staggered for a brief moment.
Not missing the opening, Qiongqi leaped in like a thunderbolt.
“You've really done it now!”
A giant hole opened in the earth and the sky.
The power of Metal connects to Qian and Dui.
Qian means heaven, and Dui means swamp.
Gyaaaaak!
The Prisoners of the Abyss reached out and pulled at Gomodo.
Swaaaaaaaaak!
A steel sword, even larger than Gomodo, fell from the sky.
It was the first time they had combined their attacks, but it fit together as if they were longtime comrades.
It was only natural.
Qiongqi and Bixi had been sworn enemies who had fought for hundreds of years.
His body was staggering, and his feet were caught.
The sword falling from the sky was an attack focused into a single blow, so even Gomodo would have to be affected.
Bixi thought he needed to add another blow to finish Gomodo for good.
Pababat!
Bixi leaped into the air in a single bound, using Qiongqi's back as a foothold.
A dragon that could not fly, but right now, he was a being truly worthy of being called an Ascending Dragon.
Eighteen Dragon-Subduing Palms, ultimate technique.
Flying Dragon in the Heavens.
The strongest attack Bixi could unleash in a state where all his power was in harmony.
Kuuuuung!
The power was so immense it resounded throughout the entire 100,000 Great Mountains.
“Death, behold! I have overcome you!”
At the same time, the sword from the sky struck Gomodo directly.
Kagagagagagak!
Just a little more.
With just a little more, they could finish Gomodo.
….
But how could they push any further from here?
“Tsk, if I don't block this, other guys will get swept up in it for no reason.”
Clicking his tongue, Gomodo stomped his foot.
Kkeuaaaaaaah!
The Prisoners of the Abyss summoned by Qiongqi wailed, and even the opened sky seemed to resent him.
A stomp incomparable to the one the lizard had used.
It was truly a step that could be called the origin.
“Heavenly Demon Sovereign Steps, my ass. Since when was this his technique?”
Kwajangchang!
The swamp of the Abyss evaporated without a trace, and the sword from the sky was also mercilessly shattered.
Puhwak!
Blood gushed from Qiongqi's seven orifices.
Swaeeeaek!
But after using such a technique, there was bound to be an opening.
Bixi aimed for that opening and struck Gomodo with his palm.
The profound principle of the Divine Dragon Swings its Tail burst forth.
Even Gomodo wouldn't be able to come out of that unscathed.
“A palm strike? With that body, of all things… Well, it's not bad.”
Ppeo-eoeoeok!
Bixi's Divine Dragon Swings its Tail was blocked.
Gomodo was also countering with a palm, not his claws.
Still, it wasn't completely nullified.
Qiongqi, having regained his senses, charged in, swinging his claws.
One of his hands was locked in a contest of strength with Bixi, so there was a good chance of success.
“Kkeuaaaaaaak!”
But Bixi couldn't help but scream in unbearable pain.
Crack.
Bixi's incredibly hard hand turned black and shattered horribly.
The most tyrannical demonic art and poison art.
A demonic art also called the ultimate of poison arts.
It was the Black Killing Demonic Palm.
The screams didn't end with just one.
“Kkeueo-eoeok!”
Qiongqi, who had charged in so boldly, also screamed wretchedly.
All of his claws were ripped out, and his body began to slowly freeze.
If the Black Killing Demonic Palm was the most wicked palm technique, this was the most wicked hand technique.
The ultimate hand technique, a demonic art that could also be called a divine art, accompanied by a dreadful yin energy and cold energy.
It was the Small Hand Demonic Art.
The black dragon slowly approached the fallen two.
“Little dragon, what was it you said you overcame?”
The Old Death feared by all spirit beasts loomed over Bixi and Qiongqi.