From the end of the world

Chapter 700 VS Meng Zhang 1
Clad in cyan robes, with long, jet-black hair, the ends of which were faintly tinged with a luminous cyan by magic, and his entire body crackling with cyan sparks of electricity, Meng Zhang, the lord of Peach Blossom Village, appeared before me, just as I had seen him before. His eyes were cold and indifferent, as if he were looking down upon all things from the clouds.

Upon closer inspection, one could sense a different meaning in his eyes. It seemed that some immense, unseen will lurked deep within them, observing the world from a perspective beyond the reach of insignificant humanity. This will possessed no emotions we could comprehend, nor did it reveal its attitude towards the world; it simply gazed upon it with detached indifference. Even though I and the likes of the Great Impermanence, the Water Master Xuanwu, stood here, we were not particularly noticed by this unusual will.

The "Shangri-La" seems to be observing the outside world through the eyes of Meng Zhang, the lord of Shangri-La.

"The Dog of the Dog... he really did betray us," Meng Zhang said calmly. "How foolish. He was only one step away from the love of his dreams, yet he chose to betray us at such a crucial moment. It was definitely a mistake to have any expectations of him."

"He has now reunited with his true love, not with a fabrication from your dream," I said. "Now, the offspring of the Vermilion Bird, Black Tortoise, Azure Dragon, and White Tiger have all gathered here. All the living successors of the Yin-Yang lineage are gathered together. Let me ask you this first: are you willing to temporarily set aside your current plans and join us in dealing with the Mountain Yin-Yang?"

“There’s no need for that,” Meng Zhang said. “To kill Shan Liangyi, all you need is the ‘Shangri-La’ created based on the Azure Dragon’s seed, and me, the descendant of the Azure Dragon. The Black Tortoise and the White Tiger are superfluous, and might even become resources for Shan Liangyi. You, the Vermilion Bird, are even more so.”

"The greatest help you can provide in killing Yama Ryougi is to be killed by me here."

He seemed to disdain hiding his identity as a descendant of the Azure Dragon, revealing it clearly in his words.

With a probing mind, I said, "If Xuanwu and I die, the three power seeds will not disappear with us, but will automatically fly to Shan Liangyi's side... Are you sure you want to fight us to the death?"

“No matter how powerful the Four Symbols Seeds of the Mountain Yin-Yang are, they are ultimately scattered entities. They may possess extremely high status, but they do not have overwhelming magical power. Therefore, they can be suppressed by sufficiently powerful forces.” Meng Zhang looked up at the azure sun again. “Moreover, in terms of status, my ‘Shangri-La’ is absolutely no less powerful than the Mountain Yin-Yang itself. As long as I use this power, suppressing your Four Symbols Seeds after killing you will be nothing more than a matter of course.”

The naval commander Xuanwu said coldly, "Easy for you to say! Although you make it sound like killing us is effortless, don't forget... who your real nemesis is!"

In the end, the plaza suddenly shattered. A large amount of black water gushed out from underground, forming a vortex that trapped Meng Zhang. The naval master Xuanwu also instantly moved into the air and fired black water cannons at the center of the vortex from above.

At the same time, I seized the opportunity, entered my corona form, and sprinted at high speed, crashing into the black water vortex and attacking Meng Zhang with unstoppable momentum.

In an instant, Meng Zhang transformed into a lightning-fast blue bolt of lightning, dodging my attack and attempting to escape the black water vortex.

Meng Zhang, the lord of Peach Blossom Village, is a master in the realm of speed. Purely in terms of maximum speed, I don't think he's faster than the Qilin I once fought, but the Qilin needs time to reach its maximum speed; Meng Zhang, on the other hand, has a significantly higher initial speed than the Qilin, and it would be very difficult for me to detect him with my own perception.

However, this does not mean that he can quickly escape the black water vortex by virtue of his speed advantage.

The Water Master Xuanwu possesses the White Tiger lineage, and the black water he wields has a metal element attribute bonus. During his earlier ambush, because metal is countered by fire, he likely mitigated his weaknesses by playing to his strengths; but now, facing Meng Zhang, who is countered by metal, he seems to be consciously highlighting the metal element of his magic. The black water vortex appears to be mixed with countless silver-white metal fragments, shimmering with a dense, silvery-white phosphorescence like a galaxy within the darkness.

In a daze, I seemed to be hallucinating. Countless silvery-white phosphorescent lights seemed to transform into beams of light, binding the freely soaring blue lightning. This phenomenon did not actually occur in reality, but the blue lightning's movement speed was indeed slowed down to a point where I could catch up with it.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, I fired a fiery beam at the target. The azure lightning swiftly transformed into a human form, unleashing a lightning strike like a swimming dragon. A massive explosion resounded, its aftershocks sweeping across the boundless distance. The two attacks were evenly matched and canceled each other out.

"..." Meng Zhang looked at me with a stern gaze.

There was a time when I was unable to even defeat Meng Zhang's avatar, then could only watch Meng Zhang and Liu Shuying fight, and now I can fight Meng Zhang to a standstill. The person who can most directly feel my evolutionary journey is probably the man in front of me.

I once again charged up my cannons and launched a series of attacks on Meng Zhang; at the same time, the Xuanwu naval force on the other side seemed to be preparing a new move as well.

Water nourishes wood, and originally, the Water Master Xuanwu should have been an unseen ally for Meng Zhang. Perhaps in the past, to prevent Meng Zhang's advantage from becoming too overwhelming, Ying Lingyun was unwilling to let the Water Master Xuanwu know about his relationship with Meng Zhang, avoiding any opportunities for the two to interact. Now, the Water Master Xuanwu possesses the attribute of restraining Meng Zhang, making it both a blessing and a curse. Whether both will take effect simultaneously or remain silent at the same time is still uncertain.

However, one thing is certain: the synergistic relationship can also be seen in the fact that the Black Tortoise Seed will become an enhancement device for the Azure Dragon Seed after Meng Zhang obtains it, while the antagonistic relationship can be seen in the fact that the White Tiger Seed will strongly restrain the Azure Dragon Seed in battle. The former will only take effect if Meng Zhang takes away the Black Tortoise Seed, while the latter will take effect immediately.

The combat power of the Water Master Xuanwu is significantly inferior to mine and Meng Zhang's by at least one level, but the elemental advantage allows him to be useful in this battle. If there is any regret, it is that the Water Master Xuanwu's magical power is still primarily water-based, with metal being merely a supporting element. He is still unable to directly confront Meng Zhang, but his ability to provide assistance from the sidelines is extremely useful.

The raw strength between me and Meng Zhang is roughly equal, but the existence of the Navy's Xuanwu is a major factor that could tip the scales.

While two against one may not suit my aesthetic, I've always been ruthless in my pursuit of victory.

I was even a little emotional. In the past, Huang Quan and the Great Demon Xuanwu joined forces to besiege me, and the black water cannons, which were like natural enemies, made my life miserable; but now I am allied with the Water Master Xuanwu, and those black water cannons that used to give me a headache are now being fired at the enemy along with my flames.

"—Do you think you're the only ones with a numerical advantage?" Meng Zhang's expression changed.

A massive amount of azure magical power surged forth from different directions, coalescing into five gigantic azure hands. The avatars of Meng Zhang, who had been relentlessly pursuing us, reappeared.

This is not beyond my calculations. If Meng Zhang's avatars can appear in other places, why can't they appear on our battlefield? And I have my own plans for this.

Before arriving at Meng Zhang's location, I had already discussed the specific battle plan with the naval master Xuanwu. As the five avatars of Meng Zhang appeared, I launched large fireballs in five directions. Meng Zhang seemed to have seized the opportunity of my distraction, attempting to launch a lightning attack; while the naval master Xuanwu manipulated the black water vortex, drawing out the black water to provide me with powerful defense.

But just as I launched my attack, a new change occurred on the battlefield. The five avatars of Meng Zhang, upon appearing, instantly transformed into azure lightning, converging at a single point. In an instant, they reformed into a ferocious and majestic avatar resembling a gigantic dragon claw.

My five large fireballs suddenly changed direction and focused on their target, while an equal number of cyan lightning bolts followed closely from afar—Meng Zhang hadn't actually intended to launch a surprise attack on me; instead, he had specifically intercepted and detonated my fireballs. The cyan dragon claw avatar then unleashed a surge of magical power far exceeding its previous level, rapidly grabbing towards the Water Master Xuanwu.

Who could have imagined that those avatars of Meng Zhang could actually combine to fight? If the previous avatars of Meng Zhang were only at the same level as me when I first became the Great Impermanence, then now they possess the same density as Fa Zheng and Jian Feixian, who do not wield divine weapons of humanity, and their power scale far surpasses that of the former. The dragon claw was wrapped in dense, destructive blue arcs of electricity, forcing the naval Xuanwu to hastily move and dodge.

The azure dragon claw displayed an incredible accuracy unique to Meng Zhang's avatar in this place, swiftly and accurately seizing the naval Xuanwu, and then shot away like a cannonball, escaping the battlefield between me and Meng Zhang.

"Now you have no help. Zhuang Cheng, what do you have left to fight me with?"

As Meng Zhang uttered those words, the azure sun in the sky suddenly shone even brighter than before. He had clearly received magical support from the "Shangri-La," his magical energy surging even more violently, and his terrifying speed was no longer restrained. He moved swiftly around me, unleashing thunderbolts from different angles, each as majestic and terrifying as divine punishment.

The bolts of lightning were like spears projected by the gods. I couldn't keep up with their speed, so I could only counterattack and deflect the incoming lightning while dodging with all my might, and trying to catch Meng Zhang's figure with my own strength.

Having no helpers suited me just fine. I sharpened my spirit even further and asked myself, "Do you think you can get support from external forces on your own?"

"Hmm?" Meng Zhang paused slightly.

An endless sea of ​​fire exploded on the ground, instantly engulfing the entire area I could perceive, even burning towards something intangible—

(End of this chapter)