Chapter 952: Great Calamity Demon

At the moment the cave dwelling exploded, those still inside saw that, outside in the depths of the sea, giant flood dragons were battling the former guests. Among these ancient dragons were even some millennia-old ones, whose cultivation was terrifyingly high. Though only a dozen or so, these flood dragons surprisingly held the upper hand, partly because many guests, confident in their own escape, abandoned others to their fate.

But when the monstrous demonic flames ignited, the flood dragons, demons, and immortal cultivators on the battlefield outside instinctively fled to the side as the flames continued to spread.

Boom! Boom!

The sea surface was now a maelstrom of strong winds, torrential rain, and raging waves, with lightning flashing and thunder roaring everywhere. Under the lightning, the dark, foam-covered sea surface was intermittently revealed. Even the Xuanxin Mansion's flying boat had stopped drawing starlight, having likely sensed the turbulent spiritual energy and departed early.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

The sea surface continuously erupted, as streaks of whistling light ascended from the dark waters.

"Roar!" "Don't think you can escape!"

Dragon roars and shouts echoed from the seabed.

Lightning again illuminated the sea, revealing fierce flood dragons pursuing from the seabed, their forms stark under the lightning's glare.

Boom! Crack! Boom!

Countless bolts of lightning, responding to the dragons' call, struck down from the sky towards the streaks of light flying in all directions, only to dissipate under the resistance of those within.

Rumble, rumble, rumble...

The sea surface continued to churn and explode as swaths of black flames erupted from the seabed. The battle, which had begun deep below, had finally spread to the surface.

"Ying Ruoli, do you think you are my match?"

Black demonic flames spread everywhere, and Beimu seemed to have no fixed form, his voice coming from all directions. The black flames occasionally transformed into humanoid figures, suddenly appearing behind Ying Ruoli to launch various attacks.

The Dragon Lady moved continuously, stepping on the waves. She either fanned herself to block attacks or leaped barefoot across the sea. Though she appeared to be avoiding the direct brunt of the demonic flames, she handled the surrounding attacks with apparent ease.

"Do you think you are Yinglong Jun, or that a mere sparring match will allow you to catch up to Ji Yuan? Not to mention you're willing to hinder your own cultivation, forced to open up the desolate lands for the selfish desires of the myriad aquatic creatures of the dragon race, hahahahaha..."

In the sky, the flood dragons pursuing opponents and those engaged in battle subconsciously slowed down, looking down at Ying Ruoli. Even their roars ceased. Apart from Beimu's confusing, humanoid shouts, only the continuous rumble of thunder could be heard.

A'ze leaned in the embrace of the female flood dragon beside him, moving with her on the sea surface to avoid the lingering demonic flames. Although he couldn't speak or move, he could sense that the woman beside him seemed to be in an unusual emotional state. He struggled to turn his gaze towards the sea, but the woman using the folding fan remained silent.

Splash!

Suddenly, a large quantity of black flames surged from the seabed, covering a vast expanse of the sea. Like a closing lotus, they enveloped the inescapable Ying Ruoli.

"Roar!"

The roar of a Chi Dragon emanated from within the black flames.

"My Lady!"

A'ze heard the woman beside him let out a startled shriek. In the sky, a dozen or so flood dragons also roared, all immediately flying downwards.

"Did this Queen ask you to come over?"

The Dragon Lady's cool voice echoed from within the monstrous demonic flames, halting the flood dragons. Although still enveloped by the flames, she let them know she was unharmed.

"Go do what you are supposed to do. Do not make me say it twice."

"As you command!" they roared.

The flood dragons again surged towards the sky. Although many had already escaped, the remaining ones were still worth pursuing.

Beimu, however, was completely unconcerned. In his eyes, Ying Ruoli was already fighting a losing battle. He could sense that the Chi Dragon's power was not abundant, likely due to the exhaustion from opening up the desolate lands. Since this occurred once a year, it was impossible for her to recover sufficiently, especially since this year's process had already begun.

"Hahahahaha... Ying Ruoli, why don't you transform? There's still a glimmer of hope if you do!"

If he could kill a true dragon here, especially Ying Ruoli, who was extremely close to Ji Yuan, then the terrifying inner demons rooted deep within Beimu's demonic heart might be shattered. His own cultivation would experience a surge, definitely surpassing his ancestors, and perhaps he could even truly contend with Ji Yuan.

For this, Beimu even ignored the underlying significance of the Dragon Race's desolate land endeavor, as that meaning was not truly important to him. His own cultivation was paramount.

"Beimu, you absolutely must not kill Ying Ruoli—"

Lian Ping'er's urgent telepathic message suddenly reached Beimu's mind. He was only slightly surprised that Lian Ping'er, who had been slapped by a true dragon, was not dead, but he had no intention of heeding her at all. He simply pretended not to hear and continued acting as he pleased.

The demonic flames surrounding Ying Ruoli continuously changed form, transforming into demonic insects and black snakes. They burrowed into the spherical water shield Ying Ruoli had formed around herself, then transformed back into flames, directly scorching her body.

"Do you think yours is the Samadhi True Fire? Against you, this Queen doesn't need to transform!"

The feeling of having contended with the Heaven-Tilting Sword Momentum in the book world flashed through her mind, and she remembered that reversing fan. Ying Ruoli surged her magical power, gritted her teeth slightly, and fiercely fanned upwards.

Boom!

The sea surface instantly exploded, as countless waters, along with Beimu's demonic flames, surged skyward.

Under the reversal fan, the monstrous demonic flames seemed to merge into the waves and were directly sent into the sky.

"I'll extinguish your fire!"

No sooner had the Dragon Lady spoken than the waves began to crystallize, freezing at an unimaginable speed to form a vast, sculptured ice surface. Frost covered the ice everywhere, and even the black demonic fire was frozen within the ice layer.

"Brother Beimu, it seems you still need our help," came a voice. "Hahahahaha, Old Bull is just itching for a fight! To battle a true dragon, even death would be glorious!"

Lu Shan Jun's indifferent voice and Niu Batian's earth-shaking laughter came from beneath the ice. The next moment, the entire ice surface began to crack rapidly.

The Dragon Lady's eyes flickered. She tapped her toes on the ice, her body rapidly ascending. The moment she left the ice layer...

Boom, boom, boom!

The ice layer exploded. A multi-tailed, human-faced giant tiger and a monstrous, muscular demon with a bull's face and horns rose from the sea.

"Moooo!" "Roar!"

Lu Wu's true form and Old Bull's demonic body appeared simultaneously, and the next moment, they directly attacked Ying Ruoli.

"Empress Ying, allow this Lu to experience your divine abilities."

"And don't forget Old Bull, hahahahaha..."

Terrifying sharp claws and sky-supporting fists descended together. Ying Ruoli raised her fan to block above her head, and the entire sea surface seemed to explode at the epicenter, sending a tsunami in all directions.

Lightning continuously struck down from the sky, but it seemed to merely tickle the two demons. The demonic flames, freed by the melting ice, did not directly attack Ying Ruoli. Instead, they rose into the sky and reformed into Beimu.

Beimu watched the battle below with some apprehension and uncertainty. He had just been trapped by Ying Ruoli, and while there was no substantial harm, it had given him a huge fright. If not for Old Bull and Lu Wu's sudden intervention, he wondered what methods this dragoness might have used before he could break free.

"Brother Lu, Brother Niu, this Ying Ruoli is still of great use to us. I also didn't dare to use my full power against her just now. Today's gathering is already void; we should withdraw quickly and not prolong the battle!"

Lu Shan Jun's telepathic message reached Beimu's ears. The latter didn't know how to react. Could these two ferocious demons actually harbor the terrifying thought of defeating a true dragon?

"Brother Lu, Brother Niu, quickly move closer to me!"

In the sea below, Ying Ruoli also seemed to be getting angry. Her eyes flickered with spiritual light, and her cool voice emerged from her lips.

"Have you had enough?"

The vast sea, surprisingly, calmed down amidst the strong winds and torrential rain, yet this stillness presented an even more terrifying contrast.

Old Bull suddenly hurled the flood dragon in his hand towards Ying Ruoli. Then, without warning, he and Lu Shan Jun transformed into streaks of light and flew skyward.

"Enough, enough! Battling a true dragon is such a thrill, hahahahahahaha..."

The laughter still echoed, but the one demon and two monsters in the sky had strangely vanished.

Ying Ruoli swept her folding fan, sending the dizzy flood dragon to the side into the sea. Her expression was calm, betraying no emotion. Yet she was never particularly pleased, so much so that none of the flood dragons dared to approach her.

A long while later, the Dragon Lady looked in one direction.

"Is A'ze all right?"

"To Your Ladyship, A'ze is completely unharmed!"

Ying Ruoli nodded, then looked in the direction they had left and said softly:

"Such a weak true demon is rare. Those two monsters, however, might become a great menace."

"Your Ladyship, the woman who impersonated Mr. Ji's Dao companion seems to have escaped."

"This Queen knows. I thought she had died in the demonic flames. She must have had a life-substituting item. To be able to hold her breath, endure, and then escape at the right moment—she is detestable, yet she possesses true skill."