Chapter Twenty-Four: Scoundrel Sun, Your Grandfather Is Still Alive!

A tremendous force sent Wang Xiao soaring through the air, while a savage gash was torn across his abdomen by the barbs on the dragon-man’s knee. The scene was witnessed by Xia Mengsi and her companions; tears streamed uncontrollably down Xia Mengsi’s face. In an instant, Yang Ming’s eyes turned crimson—he entered a frenzy.

The pressure on the fourth-tier lizardman, who had previously handled Yang Ming with ease, suddenly intensified. With a careless move, the lizardman’s shoulder was pierced by Yang Ming’s spear. Yang Ming twisted the weapon, the spearhead puncturing through the lizardman’s shoulder, and with a violent jerk, he tore the entire arm off, sending it spinning through the air.

Yet the fourth-tier lizardman did not even grimace in pain; instead, he let out a hideous, guttural laugh. “Cool, cool, cool!” Dark mist billowed from the stump at his shoulder, and in the next moment, a new arm sprouted forth. Ji Weijie could hardly believe his eyes, but the newly grown limb left no room for doubt.

Yang Ming did not pause. The spear in his hand darted like a dragon, striking mercilessly at the lizardman’s vital points. The dragon-man showed no concern for his subordinate; if one of his men couldn’t even defeat a third-tier human, then such a subordinate was hardly worth keeping.

Meanwhile, Wang Xiao’s ascent slowed, reaching its apex. He felt as though every bone in his body had been shattered; he could not so much as move a finger. The only part of him that seemed to stir was the wound in his abdomen, which gaped open and closed, bleeding continuously. The excruciating pain kept him from losing consciousness—if anything, Wang Xiao’s mind was painfully clear.

Though Xia Mengsi and the others worried for Wang Xiao, they had no chance to come to his aid. Fifty dark knights had been reduced to just over a dozen by another fourth-tier lizardman. The pressure on Little Bone was even greater—enough ants can bite an elephant to death.

The dragon-man leapt upward, soaring even higher than Wang Xiao. The veins on his hands bulged as he interlaced his fingers and brought his fists crashing down. The sound of bones shattering rang out—this time, it was Wang Xiao’s spine.

Ji Weijie’s eyes widened in disbelief. No one could survive a blow like that, could they?

A scream tore from his lips as Ji Weijie poured all his strength into his attacks, uncaring if the lizardmen’s spears stabbed into him; he fought recklessly, trading injury for injury. Xia Mengsi brushed the tears from her face, her sorrow swiftly transforming into fury, and adopted a similarly desperate fighting style.

As for Yang Ming, he had always fought as though he had nothing to lose. His power only grew with each passing moment, and now he single-handedly suppressed the fourth-tier lizardman and several of his third-tier kin.

A massive crater had formed in the ground where Wang Xiao landed, while the fifth-tier dragon-man cracked his neck, preparing to deal with the remainder of the group. Ji Weijie was seized by despair—if even their strongest, Wang Xiao, had been so easily defeated, what hope did the rest of them have?

Though Ji Weijie’s heart was filled with hopelessness, his attacks only grew fiercer, determined to take down as many as he could before falling. The dragon-man’s gaze settled on Yang Ming—the only one currently gaining the upper hand. He decided to eliminate him first.

“You bastard! Your grandpa isn’t dead yet!” Wang Xiao’s voice rang out. Aside from the tattered remains of his clothing, there wasn’t a single wound on his body.

“Yes! Brother Wang, you’re amazing!” Ji Weijie, like a beast injected with adrenaline, redoubled his efforts, his grip tightening further. Xia Mengsi’s eyes brightened, and she finally regained the assassin’s composure she was known for.

Yang Ming’s lips curled into a faint smile, but his spear did not rest—instead, his attacks grew only more vicious, each thrust aimed at the lizardman’s vitals.

As for Little Bone, upon seeing Wang Xiao unharmed, he rose to his feet. His bones shifted and transformed until he stood as a giant of bone. In this form, he lacked the defensive prowess of his earlier tortoise shape, but his offensive power soared, and his movements became swifter. With a single swipe, he flattened a swath of lizardmen against the earth. The fourth-tier lizardman’s eye twitched at the sight—a blow like that would maim, if not kill.

Hearing Wang Xiao’s voice, the dragon-man turned his attention.

[Name: Dragon-Man (Variant)
Race: Beastkin
Level: Fifth Tier
Abilities: Unknown
Assessment: Possesses a powerful bloodline, having inherited some of the dragon race’s power, perfectly fused with his own species.]

“So it’s a fifth-tier creature—no wonder he’s so strong,” Wang Xiao muttered, glancing down at the scraps of cloth clinging to his body. “Youngsters these days have no sense of honor—ambushing like that!”

Wang Xiao unleashed all his powers, his stature quickly swelling to match the dragon-man’s. His gleaming, crystalline exoskeleton shimmered with shifting light.

The initial confusion in the dragon-man’s eyes was gradually replaced by disdain. Where did this human get his confidence?

The two hurtled toward each other—strength against strength—but Wang Xiao was overpowered once more, sent flying as cracks appeared in the exoskeleton over his fists. This time, however, Wang Xiao managed to steady himself after sliding back a dozen meters.

Now it was the dragon-man’s turn to be surprised; the hand he’d just struck with was trembling ever so slightly—a detail unnoticed by the others. Glancing around and seeing his subordinates losing ground, the dragon-man realized he could not wait. If the others finished their fights, he would be doomed. He had to eliminate one of them immediately.

He turned away from Wang Xiao, intent on killing Yang Ming. Yang Ming’s strength was growing with every exchange—he was on the verge of breaking through to the fourth tier. That was something the dragon-man could not allow.

“Bah! Is this all you’ve got? I expected so much more!” With perfect aim, Wang Xiao spat a mouthful of blood-flecked phlegm right into the dragon-man’s face. The damage was slight, but the insult was monumental.

A wave of boundless rage surged up from the dragon-man’s core, eclipsing all reason. How could he endure such humiliation?

The dragon-man roared—a sound uncannily reminiscent of a dragon’s bellow—sending a shudder through all the lizardmen present. None of them had ever seen their leader so incensed.

Yang Ming seized the opportunity. The spear in his hands shimmered, taking on the form of an eastern dragon.

Heaven and Earth As One!

In this moment, Yang Ming felt as though a gate within him had been flung open; new power flooded his body. He channeled all his might into this single thrust—a strike that promised certain death.

The ice-blue spear tip loomed ever larger in the eyes of the fourth-tier lizardman.

With a hiss, the spear pierced straight through the lizardman’s skull. There was no chance for regeneration; the creature died on the spot, for the strike carried the power of ice, sealing its fate.

It died a fitting death.

Wang Xiao burst into laughter. With that, there was no more suspense.

“Go help Little Bone!” Wang Xiao called, stopping Yang Ming as he moved to join him. The dragon-man, now blinded by wrath, had not given up his desire to grind Wang Xiao’s bones to dust, even with his most capable subordinate dead.

“Heh, a hundred percent taunt—quite effective,” Wang Xiao chuckled.

As the dragon-man charged toward him, Wang Xiao lunged forward, embracing him in a move that was, frankly, an eyesore. Black flames erupted from Wang Xiao’s body, engulfing both himself and the dragon-man.

The black flames inflicted not only physical pain but spiritual torment. Wang Xiao was nearly driven mad by the agony, yet seeing the dragon-man suffer, he could not help but laugh.

“Bastard! Are you afraid of pain? Let your grandpa show you what pain really feels like!”