Stage 2!

Yu Long charged at Bai Ling at high speed, catching him off guard and sending him flying into the wall with a powerful strike.

She then gathered energy in her hands, gradually forming a crystal spear.

"Sacred Weapon: Crystal Dragon Wind Lance"

It was a weapon never recorded in history—one she seemingly created herself using her scales and bloodline.

Bai Ling got back up, cracking his neck with a grin as he looked at Yu Long.

"Interesting. I hope you can entertain this old man."

Yu Long said nothing and lunged forward, spinning her lance 180 degrees before launching a series of lethal thrusts.

Bai Ling swiftly dodged them all. He then clapped his hands together, generating a fierce gust of wind that forced Yu Long backward.

Unfazed, Yu Long sprouted a dragon tail and swung it toward Bai Ling with immense force.

Bai Ling leaped onto the massive tail, running along its length—his target: her chin.

Yu Long's eyes glowed as she swung her lance, unleashing an icy wind that dropped the surrounding temperature by several degrees.

As Bai Ling closed in, his feet suddenly froze to the ground, giving Yu Long the perfect opening.

"Heavenly Technique: Fish-Cleaving Blade"

With just those words, Yu Long's instincts activated at full force.

She instinctively pulled back her hand, and in an instant, her lance was shattered into pieces.

The ice restraining Bai Ling was also destroyed, and he charged forward like a runaway train.

With a single strike, her reinforced arm—covered in sturdy dragon scales—began to crack and was even rendered useless.

Yu Long started sweating, trying her best to escape Bai Ling's attack range.

But before she could react, Bai Ling's hand touched her head, and he smirked.

"I've won—"

"NOT YET!!"

He had forgotten about someone.

From the ground, an earthen blade shot up, stabbing into Bai Ling's arm just as it made contact with Yu Long.

Bajie leaped in, wielding her Nine-Tooth Rake, and severed his arm in one clean strike.

Bai Ling recoiled in shock, staring at the pink-haired girl gripping her weapon, ready for another attack.

Quickly, he transformed into wind and retreated to avoid further damage.

Bajie stood in front of Yu Long, looking at her.

"Not used to that power, huh?"

"...Yeah."

"Then go protect Master! Let this Senior Sister handle him!"

"But I was inducted right after Senior Sister Wukong. You should be my junior."

"Oh, shut up!"

Hearing that, Yu Long ran toward Tang Sanzang, who was unconscious.

Meanwhile, Bajie locked eyes with Bai Ling, her face full of anger and hatred.

"I, Zhu Bajie, will give you a wonderful pass away!"

"Wrong choice of words. You mean a painful death, right? Haven't you learned basic literacy?" Bai Ling mocked while trying to stop the bleeding from his severed arm.

"SHUT UP!!!"

Zhu Bajie's face turned red as she fiercely raked the ground with her weapon.

Round 2—The She-Pig and the Fisherman—Begins!!

While checking on her master, Yu Long suddenly sensed something strange.

She touched his hair—only to find that a quarter of it had fallen out.

"..."

Was this the price for using his mysterious power? How cruel!

Losing hair was as good as losing one's soul!

Without hesitation, Yu Long hoisted her master onto her back and dashed toward a safe location.

ROAAGHHHHHHHHH!!!!

A powerful and eerily familiar roar echoed through the air.

The tightly shut gate was violently torn apart as a grotesque dragon burst forth, radiating ominous energy.

Even Bajie and Bai Ling, locked in battle, paused to look at the monstrous creature.

Yu Shen, who had lost his sanity, suddenly turned toward Yu Long, his eyes glowing red with fury.

He charged at her, his grotesque body secreting a corrosive liquid that melted everything in its path.

'I don't think I can fight that thing...' Yu Long thought, tossing her master aside and preparing for battle.

'But I won't die—especially not after everything Master has given me.'

Gripping her sacred weapon tightly, she radiated an aura as if she were ready to go all out against Yu Shen.

Just as the two were about to clash—

A massive staff came crashing down onto Yu Shen's head, shattering it completely.

"..."

The three fell silent, staring at the blonde-haired girl descending from above—with a very, very, very angry expression.

Uh oh, she was done being chill.

She then turned to Bai Ling, who, for the first time, looked more excited than ever.

"You sh*tty c*nt little annoying F*CK! I'll devour you alive and savor every scream of agony—just like you did to me."

"Honestly, that sounds fun."

Without hesitation, Wukong lunged at Bai Ling, slamming into him. The two crashed through the wall and vanished from the battlefield.

"...Is it over?" Bajie wiped her sweat, staring at the grotesque dragon that had just been slain in such an anticlimactic fashion.

But the moment of relief was short-lived.

The foul liquid from the dragon's corpse began pooling together, forming into an egg.

"H-Huh?!"

The egg soon cracked open, revealing a handsome man with long black hair and dark horns.

He opened his eyes—the same ocean-blue color as Yu Long's.

"I've fully absorbed everything… Splendid. This is… PERFECTION!" he laughed maniacally, raising his hands and clawing at his face.

He scratched so hard that black, grotesque liquid oozed from his body. Slowly, he turned to Yu Long.

"Oh, you're still alive? Wonderful. I was hoping to paint you in blood."

Yu Shen, The Freak Dragon, had entered Stage 2!