NOVEL NEXT Chapter 529: The Serpent-Turtle Reveals Its Fangs
Ethan hesitated for only a heartbeat before the battlefield shifted again. One of the Blood Clan warriors who had been hammering away at the old man in yellow suddenly feinted, then broke off and streaked straight toward Dragon Child. She was already surrounded by three opponents and looked to be at her limit.
Ethan surged forward. There was no room for hesitation; this crisis demanded action. His figure cut silently through the air, leaving no ripple behind. Yet just as he was about to intervene, he caught a glimmer in Dragon Child's eyes. For someone supposedly cornered, her expression was far too calm, even sly, the faint curl of her lips almost mocking.
Something clicked. Ethan thought back on what he had witnessed from the ground. Dragon Child had seemed on the verge of being overwhelmed for hours, but she had relied only on water techniques, all defensive, never once showing her true edge. Even when the third Blood Clan fighter joined in, she gave the illusion of being desperate, but her enemies hadn't been able to land a decisive blow.
Ethan knew full well that water skills weren't her only arsenal—her command over space itself was far deadlier. The realization struck him: she had been luring them in this whole time.
At that same moment, the old man in yellow cast aside all pretense. He dropped his defenses, letting the two Blood Clan elites slam into him with attacks that split the air and shook the battlefield. Explosions thundered in every direction. But instead of collapsing, the old man closed in and seized both enemies by the shoulders as though their strength meant nothing.
Ethan nearly stopped midair. At that level, even a casual strike could split mountains, yet their combined assault hadn't left so much as a scratch. That defense was inhuman. Then Ethan understood: this was no ordinary fighter. He had to be the Serpent-Turtle, a creature said to have lived for ages uncounted, its shell more unbreakable than iron.
Before Ethan could marvel further, the old man's neck stretched, his head twisting and reshaping into that of a serpent. His jaws gaped wide. With one horrific bite, he sheared both Blood Clan warriors clean in half. Ethan's heart skipped. So this was the strength of a creature that had weathered millions of years. The man had been feigning weakness, drawing them in, then striking like a predator lying in wait. Between him and Dragon Child, the so-called invincible Blood Clan elites were being played like puppets.
"Ethan, are you still planning to spectate?" Dragon Child shouted over the clash, her hands never pausing. "We've kept up this act for three days, afraid that killing them too soon would draw even stronger enemies. But you're awake now, so I'm done holding back. What's your plan?"
Her voice carried sharp confidence. Clearly, she had sensed his presence long ago—maybe by his aura, maybe by subtle shifts in space itself. After all, space was her domain.
A ripple tore through the air. Space itself buckled and shuddered, splitting into barriers. In the blink of an eye, the three enemies surrounding her were each locked into separate prisons. "One apiece," she called, "let's end this fast!"
Before Ethan could reply, his body unraveled into sparks, scattered, then reformed inside one of the barriers. Standing across from him was a Blood Clan warrior with leathery bat wings. The creature wasted no time; it lunged, claws glowing red, straight at Ethan's chest.
"Hell, I wasn't ready for this!" Ethan cursed. Being yanked in by Dragon Child had shattered his stealth. His chance for a sneak attack gone, he braced for impact. "That's a Voidbreaker-rank!" he shouted in protest. "I could barely handle that ancient monster before, and you want me to kill this thing quickly? You've lost your mind!"
But even as he raged, his hands moved instinctively. The Twilight War Spear flared into existence. With no time to gather energy, Ethan fell back on the spearwork Uncle Jed had drilled into him, clashing head-on with the Blood Clan powerhouse.
Dragon Child's mocking voice carried from her own fight. "Complaining already? You absorbed all the life force from that grand array yourself. If you can't handle a single bat, then how do you expect to live with yourself?"
Ethan blinked in shock, nearly missing a strike. Wait… all the energy Yaya poured into that array went into me?
The thought barely formed before sharp claws ripped across his chest. His shirt shredded with a sound like tearing canvas. Pain flared hot, forcing him back hundreds of feet. He glanced down: three vivid claw marks, red and raw, yet not a drop of blood. The skin hadn't broken.
"What the hell… it didn't pierce me?" Surprise turned to elation. His body, once battered and nearly ruined, had recovered beyond his expectations. He wasn't as impervious as that old turtle, but even the claws of a Voidbreaker couldn't break him now. He grinned fiercely. He could probably take a rocket to the chest and still walk away.
Raising his spear, eyes blazing, Ethan charged. He became a beast loosed from its chains.
"Cleave the Mountain… Cleaving Tempest… Serpent's Coil Strike…" Each move flowed into the next as he called out the forms, unleashing a storm of strikes. The battle turned in an instant. His opponent, once so confident, was forced onto the defensive, dodging frantically as the spear drilled bloody holes through its body.
"Don't run!" Ethan snarled.
The Blood Clan fighter darted with its wings, its face twisted with something Ethan never thought he'd see in such creatures: fear.
"Rulululu…" The creature spat out a strange, guttural sound, its voice high and mocking.
"Oh, you think that's funny?" Ethan snapped. He tightened his grip. "Force Resonance!" Power surged through him, doubling his speed in a burst. He became a blur, his spear landing blow after blow. The Blood Clan warrior screamed, "Rulululu!" again and again, as if taunting him while refusing to die. Its regeneration was monstrous; even with a spear through its chest, it refused to fall.
"I'll give you something to mock…"
The Twilight War Spear dissolved into light. In its place, two massive claws snapped into being—Ursar's Claws, brutal weapons forged for shredding. Cold light gleamed along their tips as Ethan lunged forward. He seized the Blood Clan warrior's arms before it could react.
"Die!" His muscles swelled as he roared, every tendon straining. "Lacerate!" The claws ripped deep into its flesh. Force Resonance thundered through him, amplifying the strike.
The Blood Clan fighter shrieked, but this time, there was no "rulululu." Only pain.