Chapter 17: Veils

The investigation was going nowhere. It has been over a week since he fought Raven, and he has been looking all over for any clues. He has checked various casinos, brothels, and even walked around scanning the ground with his soul power. The investigation had hit a complete dead end. There was nothing else to do except practice. Fortunately, he has been steadily combining his wood and fire techniques. At the rate he was deducing the new technique, he should be able to finish it in a year and have a preliminary version with the sun, wood, and fire techniques in a couple months. This was his first time being exposed to the moon and star energies and combining everything into one was tricky, which was an understatement.

With nothing else to do, he started to look for the Earth Core Tempering Milk. He scanned the many mountains and searched for the Snow Demon Ape in his memory. However, it was decades before the time when Xiao Yan found it. As he continued searching in the Mountain Range, he sensed something that made his Battle Qi more active. He soon got closer to the place of the treasure before being surprised by a fourth-order Blood Horn Flame Flood Dragon. However, its horn shone with a golden light unlike the usual members of its race. In addition, there was a strong intelligence in its eyes.

As Fa Ma approached the source of the energy that made his Battle Qi surge, he suddenly found himself face-to-face with a massive Blood Horn Flame Flood Dragon. The creature's scales gleamed with a deep crimson hue, and its horn shone with an unusual golden light. Fa Ma could sense that this was no ordinary fourth-order beast - it was on the cusp of advancing to the fifth order, which would put it at the Battle King level.

The dragon's eyes locked onto Fa Ma, intelligence and ferocity swirling in their depths. Without warning, it let out a deafening roar and lunged forward, its massive jaws snapping at Fa Ma's position.

Fa Ma barely had time to react, using his superior speed to dodge the initial attack. He quickly assessed the situation, realizing that despite being two cultivation levels behind him, this dragon was a formidable opponent due to its impending breakthrough and the natural strength of its species.

Knowing he couldn't afford to underestimate his foe, Fa Ma summoned his full strength and channeled it into his spear. The weapon began to glow with an intense light as he infused it with his newly developed combination of wood and fire techniques.

The dragon, sensing the threat, reared back and unleashed a torrent of flames from its maw. Fa Ma spun his spear in a rapid circle, creating a barrier that dispersed the flames. However, the sheer heat of the attack forced him to take a step back.

Seizing the opportunity, the Flood Dragon charged forward, its horn aimed directly at Fa Ma's chest. At the last moment, Fa Ma sidestepped and brought his spear down in a powerful arc, aiming for the dragon's neck.

The beast was faster than he anticipated, however, and managed to twist its body to avoid a fatal blow. The spear scraped along its scales, drawing a line of blood but failing to inflict serious damage.

Fa Ma gritted his teeth, realizing that this battle would push him to his limits. He began to circulate his Battle Qi more rapidly, feeling the power building within him. With a shout, he unleashed his spear momentum, the invisible force rippling through the air.

The dragon faltered for a moment, its movements becoming sluggish under the pressure of Fa Ma's technique. Taking advantage of this opening, Fa Ma launched into a flurry of attacks, his spear becoming a blur of motion as he struck at the dragon's weak points.

The beast roared in pain and anger, its tail whipping around to catch Fa Ma off guard. He managed to block the blow with his spear, but the force sent him flying back, crashing into a nearby boulder.

Wincing from the impact, Fa Ma quickly regained his footing. He could feel his energy depleting rapidly, and knew he needed to end this fight soon. Concentrating all his remaining power, he channeled it into one final attack.

As the dragon prepared to unleash another blast of flame, Fa Ma charged forward, his spear glowing with an intense light. He dodged the stream of fire, feeling the heat singe his clothes, and thrust his weapon directly at the dragon's golden horn.

There was a tremendous crack as the spear connected, and a shockwave of energy exploded outward. When the dust settled, Fa Ma found himself standing over the dead form of the Blood Horn Flame Flood Dragon, its horn cracked and no longer gleaming.

Breathing heavily, Fa Ma reached into his spatial ring and pulled out a healing pill. As he swallowed it, he felt his injuries begin to mend and his energy slowly replenish. It had been a close fight, one that reminded him of the constant dangers in this world.

However, as he got closer to the cave, he couldn't find the treasure that he was feeling. Frustrated, Fa Ma returned home with the corpse of the Flood Dragon. It was back to the grind as Fa Ma waited for new developments in the case.