Chapter Twenty-Eight: The Dragon Spear of the Eight-Eight Treasure Camel

Thunder Xiang surged his spiritual power beneath his feet, maneuvering the black Swiftstep in a spinning arc to narrowly evade the sneak attack of the golden light. Unexpectedly, the golden light possessed a peculiar intelligence; after a violent tremor, it swiftly expanded, enveloped entirely by a mass of golden mist ten yards wide, turning to pursue Thunder Xiang.

What sort of monster is this?

Thunder Xiang slapped his storage pouch, summoning five flaming tridents that ignited with four clusters of white fire between their prongs, thrusting straight into the golden mist. There was neither sound nor resistance—the tridents sank into the mist as if vanishing into water. Thunder Xiang instantly threw up a beast-hide shield for defense, his gaze fixed intently on the golden mist.

Suddenly, the golden mist churned and spat out a heap of metallic fragments—astonishingly, it was the five flaming tridents, forged from steel, now chewed to pieces without a sound. Thunder Xiang's eyes grew solemn as he flicked out a black-blue talisman—the very black death talisman he had recently developed.

Once the black death talisman appeared, Thunder Xiang rapidly performed a spell, then pointed at the golden mist. The talisman hovered above the mist, emitted a soft snap, and exploded, raining ink-black droplets upon the mist without waste.

Thunder Xiang watched calmly, confident in the black death talisman, for it was infused with poison from the Black Miasma Ravine, potent enough to break even the Blood Curse of Ten Thousand Demons.

A furious roar erupted from within; the creature seemed grievously wounded. The golden mist surged violently, then teleported in front of Thunder Xiang, extending a three-foot-long eagle claw in a lightning-fast swipe.

A muffled thud—the beast-hide shield was pierced instantly. Thunder Xiang, already poised, darted aside using Swiftstep. “Unknown enemy, not wise to linger,” he muttered.

With a howl, the black Swiftstep sped southwest, the golden mist in relentless pursuit.

Ahead, Thunder Xiang suddenly snapped his thumb and forefinger, launching a jade thumb ring toward the golden mist. It expanded rapidly in midair, swelling to over ten yards, encasing the mist. A soft green glow suppressed the golden light completely.

A beastly roar sounded as the golden light intensified, green and gold clashing fiercely. After three or five exchanges, the golden light suddenly surged an extra foot, the jade ring struggling to contain it.

A brittle crack—the golden mist broke free from the jade ring’s control. Thunder Xiang hastily retrieved it for inspection, finding minute cracks upon it. His heart ached; this was a supreme-grade artifact acquired from High Heaven Remnants. It confirmed from another angle that whatever was within the golden mist was extraordinary. The flaming tridents, Black Miasma poison, jade ring—none could subdue it. Only escape remained.

Escape would not be easy. Thunder Xiang tried several spells, pushing Swiftstep to its maximum speed, yet the golden mist could not be shaken off. Gritting his teeth, he unfastened a red storage pouch and hurled it away.

A surge of red light burst forth from the pouch, spraying hundreds of talismans, all assaulting the golden mist.

From the mist, two more three-foot eagle claws emerged, batting and blocking effortlessly, neutralizing the attack. Thunder Xiang was dumbfounded. So many fire-type attack talismans could only slightly delay its speed, causing no harm whatsoever. This was truly defiant of the heavens.

Thunder Xiang gritted his teeth, slapped his storage pouch, and a white beam shot out. The golden mist behind exploded with a thunderous roar, powerful spiritual energy overflowing. The mist was completely dispersed, and Swiftstep, borrowing the blast from the Sky Crystal, accelerated forward.

Suddenly, a surge of wild spiritual energy pulsed from behind. Thunder Xiang turned to look—the dissipated golden mist had transformed into a golden dragon over ten yards long, its reverse scales bristling in rage.

How could there be a golden dragon in such a remote corner of the Fiery Kingdom?

The dragon soared, two lustrous pearls beneath its jaw gleaming, shooting twin bolts of lightning that instantly sealed Thunder Xiang’s every retreat.

Thunder Xiang remained composed, performed a spell to retract Swiftstep, and let himself drop straight down, thus evading the dragon’s laser-like attack. No sooner had he landed than the dragon descended on clouds, its three-foot claw striking down fiercely.

Running on land meant certain death.

In a desperate scramble, Thunder Xiang rummaged through his storage pouch, hoping to find a suitable artifact. His hand closed around an oval object—without a second thought, he threw it. It was his final gamble: the Blue Lotus Dish. If this failed against the dragon, he would accept his fate.

The Blue Lotus Dish did not enlarge but struck the descending dragon claw precisely. A thunderous roar—the claw was forcibly bounced back. From the sky, someone uttered a soft exclamation.

Thunder Xiang, standing his ground, revealed a small tiger-tooth smile. He knew his gamble had paid off. The Lotus Dish, a relic of the immortal-demon war ten thousand years ago, was no ordinary item. Besides its power to replicate objects, though its other uses remained unknown, it certainly surpassed mortal artifacts in rank.

The golden dragon suddenly twisted, shrinking abruptly to just over seven feet, transforming into a dazzling golden spear. The spear was shaped like a dragon: the tip its tongue, protruding from the mouth; the hilt its whiskers; the eyes were pearls; the shaft its reverse scales; the pommel its tail. The entire spear hovered in midair, emanating boundless spiritual energy.

Thunder Xiang was absorbed in admiring the spear when white smoke began to swirl around the dragon’s horns, forming a diminutive old man in green robes. Barely over a foot tall, his face deeply wrinkled, the elder appeared and, without a word, pointed a finger, sending a green light toward Thunder Xiang.

Thunder Xiang reacted instantly, deploying his beast-hide defense, but the green light was faster, dodging the shield and drilling directly into his forehead.

Thunder Xiang was horrified. The green light entered his consciousness, traversing his spiritual channels, and he felt powerless to control himself, forced to stand motionless. Never before had he been so helpless; against any previous foe, he always had some chance to retaliate, but now he could only watch.

Opposite him, the old man’s white aura gradually dimmed, but his expression was ever-changing—sometimes ecstatic, sometimes frowning, sometimes solemn, sometimes bewildered. No one could guess his thoughts or intentions.

At last, his face settled into calm, and he spoke in a low, raspy voice. Thunder Xiang’s first impression was that, if this elder lived in Thunder Xiang’s original world, he would have thrived in the rock music scene.

“Don’t speak, just listen. First, let me introduce myself. I am Xuan Tianzi, a cultivator at the Core Formation stage, not the spirit of this spear. I’ve been here for about a thousand years, waiting for the destined one to inherit the Xuan Tian Fiery Array. Meeting you today means our fates are entwined. I’ve just used a secret method to fully evaluate you, and you are basically qualified.”

“Your name is Thunder Xiang, yes? Judging by your aptitude—tempered by lightning, broad meridians, you’re at the fourteenth layer of Qi Refinement, already comparable to a Foundation Establishment cultivator. Moreover, you’re sharp-witted, but even more valuable is your strong mind, calm and decisive in adversity, with exceptional absorption. From your memories, I can tell your nature is kind: you avenged Elder Lei, rescued myriad talismanists, rebuilt Oxford’s mind, and saved Lan Xi from the Ten Thousand Demon Blood Curse. All these prove your humanity.”

“As for your techniques, your spiritual sense is formidable, your sealing arts advanced, and your partitioned consciousness is novel. Regarding your main artifact-refining method, I’ve never seen its like, but it perfectly complements the Xuan Tian Fiery Array. During the chase, I observed your beast-hide defense and black death talisman—both crafted by you, I presume? Honestly, impressive. At your age, I only knew to practice diligently; I never thought to innovate.”

“Lastly, your Blue Lotus Dish—I don’t know its name, but I sense its immense power. It’s likely a treasure above ordinary artifacts, perhaps even a celestial artifact. Since you were able to bind it by blood, your connection with it is profound…”

Every word the old man spoke was accurate, as if he had lived through it himself. Thunder Xiang began to admire him.

A gust of wind stirred, blurring the old man’s form. This reminded Thunder Xiang of his master Zhu Chi—“Could he also fear the wind?”

“Heh, you’ve guessed. I am but a strand of consciousness. Once this matter is settled, I must depart. After waiting so many years, I am delighted to finally meet someone who can wield the Xuan Tian Fiery Array. Child, henceforth the array is yours, along with this Eight Treasures Dragon Spear. My only wish: do not disgrace the array.”

At that moment, Thunder Xiang felt a gentle spiritual power infuse him; he regained control of his body and nodded with a smile. Then he sensed something being deposited in his mind, but before he could examine it, the old man continued.

“All information on the array and the Eight Treasures Dragon Spear has been imparted to your mind; study it at your leisure. Additionally, I bestow upon you a mark, proof that you are appointed by Xuan Tianzi, sole inheritor of the Xuan Tian Fiery Array.”

With a few swift gestures, the withered finger traced symbols in the air, which then merged and entered Thunder Xiang’s mind. “At last, my task is fulfilled. I must attend to my own matters…”

Before his voice faded, the white light dimmed, and the old man vanished.

Thunder Xiang bowed reverently, then sat in meditation, reviewing the materials. Three categories emerged: first, the seals of the Xuan Tian Fiery Array; second, a textbook of ancient script; third, instructions for the Eight Treasures Dragon Spear.

With keen interest, Thunder Xiang beckoned the floating spear into his hand, verifying its features one by one. The spear was forged from purple-gold mystical iron, and had eight major abilities, each emulating a magical treasure, hence its name.

First, the spear transforms into a dragon; second, the dragon’s mouth spews fire; third, the hilt releases dragon whisker needles; fourth, the shaft provides reverse scale defense; fifth, the pommel is engraved with the Dragon Tail rune, boosting attack speed; sixth, arcs of lightning discharge between the dragon’s horns; seventh, the tip absorbs blood; eighth, the dragon’s eyes emit lightning.

Thunder Xiang exhaled lightly. The Eight Treasures Dragon Spear could withstand the Blue Lotus Dish, proving its exceptional grade. If the Blue Lotus Dish was but a component of a celestial artifact, then the spear was surely its equal. With so many artifacts and talismans lost in this encounter, a single Eight Treasures Dragon Spear was ample compensation.