Chapter 174 - Slaying the Dragon? Who Is The Real Winner? The Pursuit Begins

Boom!

Boom boom!

Boom boom boom!

Seeing that no one appeared, the hidden Di Shitian immediately flew into a rage.

He suddenly unleashed countless palm strikes, targeting those hidden throughout the area.

In the next moment!

Screams echoed across the surface of the sea.

Many people were forced to retaliate.

One after another, they were shaken out of hiding.

"Damn it, Di Shitian, do you intend to make an enemy of everyone?"

"You dare attack us without reason? You must have a death wish!"

"Insolent insects dare speak such arrogance?"

Cultivators from the Heavenly Human Realm, Mythical Realm, and even God Demon Realm revealed themselves one by one.

Anyone who had cultivated to such heights was not one to be provoked lightly.

Now that Di Shitian had attacked them without provocation, their expressions darkened.

The Land Immortals from the Qin Dynasty, Sui Dynasty, Song Dynasty, Ming Dynasty, and other nations all appeared in turn.

Among them were no shortage of Great Grandmaster Realm cultivators.

There were at least several dozen strong figures.

Roar!

High in the sky, the Divine Dragon was startled to see so many "ants" appear at once.

A look of shock flashed in its dragon eyes.

It quickly turned to fury.

These insects had hidden in the shadows, clearly intending to surround and kill it.

They were courting death!

Roar!

A dragon's roar rang out, spreading a terrifying soundwave.

Those below the Land Immortal Realm clutched their ears in agony.

But it was no use.

Boom!

A massive dragon tail swept across.

Several Great Grandmaster Realm cultivators and a Heavenly Human Realm cultivator were caught off guard.

They were instantly struck.

Blown apart in midair.

Blood flew everywhere, raining down into the ocean.

"Everyone, attack together!"

"Kill it first, then the Dragon Essence will go to whoever can claim it!"

"No one fights amongst themselves until the dragon is dead. We strike as one!"

Boom boom boom!!

Terrifying waves of energy surged forward.

They struck the Divine Dragon, causing it to let out a painful cry.

As if its fury had been ignited, the dragon unleashed its full speed and strength.

Any Great Grandmaster Realm who came near was killed instantly.

Even Heavenly Human Realm cultivators found themselves in grave danger.

Only those at the Mythical Realm and God Demon Realm had a relatively better chance of surviving.

==========

"Husband, are we not going to join the fight?"

Empress Wu Zhao and Zhu Houzhao were both at the God Demon Realm, so Di Shitian's techniques were ineffective against them.

They remained hidden.

Closely observing the developments.

"Why would we join in?"

"We came to enjoy the show, and to see which Land Immortals still exist in Nine Provinces."

"I didn't expect this many to show up. It's more than I imagined."

"I've never even heard of some of them before."

"Nine Provinces run deep."

"Even now, I'm not completely confident in calling myself invincible."

Zhu Houzhao spoke in a serious tone.

Perhaps there were still many hidden Land Immortals who had not yet revealed themselves.

==========

Boom boom boom boom!!

Explosions rang out without end.

The Divine Dragon was terrifying and unbelievably powerful.

Almost every attack it unleashed injured or killed one or two people.

It had gone completely berserk.

Its savagery left everyone in awe.

Even Di Shitian and Yin Zhong were forced to retreat repeatedly under its assault.

They could barely protect themselves.

But numbers were in the humans' favor.

While the dragon held the advantage at first, the tide turned as the humans coordinated their attacks.

The dragon gradually fell into a disadvantaged and surrounded position.

Time passed slowly.

Ten minutes, twenty minutes.

One hour.

Two hours.

The battle dragged on for most of the day.

Almost everyone present was injured.

Even those at the God Demon Realm, like Di Shitian, were no exception.

Those at the Mythical Realm and Heavenly Human Realm were even more pitiful.

One misstep meant serious injury or death.

As for the Great Grandmaster Realm, most had either died or fled.

They no longer had the strength to fight.

Roar roar roar!!

"Quick, this beast has gone completely mad."

"This is its final counterattack before death. Don't let it escape or everything will have been for nothing!"

Everyone's eyes lit up.

"Cut it down!"

"Kill it!"

In an instant, sword energy, blade energy, punches, and palm strikes.

A barrage of powerful attacks rained down on the dragon's reverse scale.

With a final, mournful scream.

The dragon's body fell from the sky.

"Hahaha, it's dead!"

"Finally, it's dead!"

Di Shitian's eyes lit up.

His figure flickered and he appeared next to the dragon's corpse.

He swiftly slashed with his right hand.

He skillfully reached into the dragon's body.

In the next moment.

A glowing energy orb the size of a watermelon was pulled out and held in his palm.

"The Dragon Essence is finally mine!"

Di Shitian laughed wildly and arrogantly.

"The Dragon Essence is mine!"

"Attack!"

"We all contributed to killing the dragon. We can't let him have it all!"

"That's right, I helped too and was badly injured. I must get my share!"

"You dare hog it all? Just because you're at the God Demon Realm, you think we fear you?"

"Not a chance!"

Everyone stared at Di Shitian with fierce expressions.

In the next instant.

All attacks were aimed at him.

During the dragon hunt, the group had managed to cooperate for a time.

Some focused on attacking, others on intercepting!

Some had kept their eyes locked on the Dragon Essence.

Waves of energy struck the Dragon Essence.

In the next moment.

With a loud pop, the watermelon-sized Dragon Essence shattered.

It split into seven smaller orbs, each about the size of a ping pong ball, flying in different directions.

In an instant, the formerly united group lit up with excitement.

Everyone darted off in pursuit of one of the seven Dragon Essences.

"My Dragon Essence!"

"Damn it, you're all dead!"

Di Shitian burned with rage. He had been so close to claiming the entire Dragon Essence.

He immediately unleashed all his fury on those who hadn't gotten far.

Activating the Sacred Heart Art to its full power.

With each strike, he killed someone.

In just a short span, he had slain over a dozen people before finally calming down.

Then, he locked onto one of the Dragon Essence fragments and sped off in pursuit.

"So tragic, far too tragic!"

"How many people just died?"

"I counted, no less than fifty!"

"There were quite a few Heavenly Human Realm cultivators too!"

"Terrifying. If I hadn't dodged in time, I'd be dead as well."

"Sigh, what a pity. With my strength, there's no way I'll get a share of the Dragon Essence."

"I bet those seven Dragon Essences ended up in the hands of Mythical Realm or God Demon Realm cultivators."

"Even if someone at the Heavenly Human Realm obtained one, it would just be stolen by the higher realms. They might not even survive!"

Many heavily wounded individuals still remained on the scene.

Their eyes revealed both longing and regret.

95% of the Divine Dragon's essence was concentrated in the Dragon Essence.

Now, they no longer had the strength to fight.

Those who survived were already lucky.

The unlucky ones were either dead at the bottom of the sea or had been smashed into pulp by the dragon.

"Everyone, there's still the Divine Dragon's corpse here. While it can't compare to the Dragon Essence, it still contains powerful effects."

"Shall we divide it?"

"That works. I wonder what dragon meat tastes like?"

"It'll make for a good story later. We'll be able to say we've eaten dragon meat."

"I don't want much dragon meat, just a hundred jin will do!"

"You all can have the meat, I only want the dragon's head!"

"The four dragon claws are mine!"

"I want the dragon tendons, and half of its bones!"

Everyone began voicing their requests and quickly launched into negotiations.

Perhaps due to the brutal battle earlier, and the fact that they were all Heavenly Human Realm cultivators or even Mythical Realm cultivators, there was no real conflict over the dragon meat.

They negotiated with one another.

Not long after, each person claimed their share of the spoils.

It wasn't a wasted trip after all.

"Gentlemen, now that everything is settled, I must return to heal. Farewell!"

"Aren't you curious to see who ended up with the Dragon Essence?"

"And what if I do see it? Since I can't obtain it, it's better not to dwell on it and bring unnecessary trouble upon myself!"

"Same here. Even if I held the Dragon Essence, I doubt I could keep it. I'd probably end up dead!"

There were still a few clear-headed individuals among them.

After a bit of thought, they took their spoils and left this place of trouble.

It was likely that an even bloodier battle would erupt soon.

The matter of the Dragon Essence wouldn't be resolved so easily.

In the end, who would come out on top would depend not only on strength but also on wisdom.

Otherwise, they'd just end up dead at someone else's hands.

==========

"Eastern Sovereign Tai Yi, put down the Dragon Essence in your hand!"

In the direction one of the Dragon Essences had fled, a loud shout echoed.

At the front, a man in black robes, Eastern Sovereign Tai Yi, was clutching a blazing red Dragon Essence tightly in his right hand as he fled rapidly.

Behind him, several Land Immortals from the Qin Dynasty were in hot pursuit.

Among them were Bei Mingzi of the Dao School Heaven Sect, Xun Kuang of the Confucian School, and even Wang Xu of the Diplomacy School.

There were also many other Heavenly Human Realm cultivators, none willing to give up.

As long as they consumed the Dragon Essence, they could break through their current realms and ascend to greater heights.

They might even gain eternal life.

And in the future, have more chances to ascend.

Such a heaven-sent opportunity would never be easily abandoned.

"Bei Mingzi, Xun Kuang, and even Wang Xu, help me hold off the others. Once I consume the Dragon Essence, I will surely reward you handsomely in the future!"

"Heh, Eastern Sovereign Tai Yi, that Dragon Essence is not something you're qualified to use. You'd better give it up!"

"Bastards, not only do you refuse to help, you even kick me while I'm down."

"From today on, the Yin Yang School will be mortal enemies with you!"

"Try surviving and making it back to the Yin Yang School first!"

"Everyone, attack together! We cannot let him escape!"

In the next moment, a flurry of attacks exploded, striking Eastern Sovereign Tai Yi.

"Ah!"

Eastern Sovereign Tai Yi screamed in pain.

But even so, he refused to let go of the Dragon Essence in his hand.

If it weren't so scalding hot, he would have already swallowed it.

Why else would he still be holding it in his hand?

Eastern Sovereign Tai Yi cursed inwardly.

Once he consumed the Dragon Essence and broke through to the next realm, he wouldn't spare a single one of those who had caused him trouble today!

"Hahaha, I didn't expect one of the Dragon Essences to end up here!"

"It's mine now. You pathetic ants aren't qualified to possess it!"

A man wearing an ice mask darted through the air.

His figure flickered like countless afterimages.

In the next instant, he appeared in front of Eastern Sovereign Tai Yi.

Boom!

Eastern Sovereign Tai Yi barely caught a glimpse before a devastating attack slammed into his chest.

Pfft!

A mouthful of blood burst from his lips.

His body was sent flying backward.

Yet even then, he still clutched the Dragon Essence tightly, unwilling to let go.

"Oh? Interesting!"

"Too bad it's pointless."

Di Shitian gave a cold, indifferent smile.

A slash of sword energy flashed.

"Ah!"

A piercing scream echoed, sending chills into the hearts of many nearby.

One by one, they stopped their pursuit and stared in shock at the scene ahead.

Eastern Sovereign Tai Yi's arm, the one holding the Dragon Essence, had been severed.

Boom!

The Holy Heart Art erupted on the severed arm, reducing it to dust.

With a single pull of his right hand.

The Dragon Essence flew into Di Shitian's palm.

"Hahaha, I finally got one!"

After a burst of arrogant laughter.

Di Shitian cast a disdainful glance at the people around him.

He did not go on a killing spree.

Instead, he turned and left immediately.

He still had to pursue the remaining Dragon Essences.

He had no time to waste on these ants.

Bei Mingzi and the others looked at the pitiful Eastern Sovereign Tai Yi and fell silent.

They felt a deep sense of sorrow.

Compared to the truly powerful God Demon Realm, they, these so-called ancestral figures, were still painfully weak.

Even someone as strong as Eastern Sovereign Tai Yi had been defeated in an instant.

And now, he has lost an arm.

He was completely crippled.

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List of Characters:

Number One Under Heaven ( 天下第一 )

・Zhu Houzhao ( 朱厚照 ) — Emperor of Ming Dynasty

Sun Moon In The Sky ( 日月当空 )

・Wu Zhao ( 武曌 ) — Empress of Ming Dynasty

Wind and Cloud ( 风云 )

・Di Shitian ( 帝释天 ) — Master of Heaven Gate

Qin's Moon ( 秦时明月 )

・Tai Yi ( 太一 ) — Master of Yin Yang School

・Bei Mingzi ( 北冥子 ) — Former Master of Dao School Heaven Sect

・Wang Xu ( 王诩 ) — Master of Diplomacy School

・Xun Kuang ( 荀况 ) — Elder of Little Sage Manor