Chapter Twenty-Six: An Unexpected Encounter with the Demon Clan

Hei Yu swallowed hard, thinking to himself, “This little girl actually wields a sword, and… is this a joke? That sword is as long as she is tall, and it looks heavier than she is!” Down the center of the sword’s blade ran a groove. As Shen Zai Guo summoned her magic, waves of force, like boiling blood, surged from her body, flowed down the hilt, poured into the groove, and reached the tip of the sword. With a resonant clang, the sword seemed to awaken, trembling with excitement.

“Sacred Dragon Bloodline—Ritual of the Sword!”

Suddenly, as if she had gained endless strength, Shen Zai Guo hefted the massive sword and swung it effortlessly. While Hei Yu was still dazed, the little girl had already darted forward in a flash, her sword cleaving toward the giant lizard’s head. Ling Xiao Lei immediately provided support from behind, sending chains into the air that wrapped around the lizard, restraining its movements.

After an awe-inspiring display of dazzling swordplay, Hei Yu experienced firsthand that the fabled might of the Dragon Clan was no empty boast.

Every swing of her heavy sword struck true, slicing deep into the lizard’s tough hide, tearing open gaping wounds. She would then nimbly evade its attacks with the help of the dragon wings on her back, soaring out of reach before diving again for another blow. Even from a distance, she remained composed, breathing out streams of searing flame.

With Ling Xiao Lei’s chains binding the lizard’s four legs and tightening around its throat, the creature became even more sluggish. In the close-quarters battle, Shen Zai Guo’s dragon wings served as an impenetrable shield—those unbreakable bones could withstand anything, and even regenerate if damaged, each tipped with two razor-sharp claws. Her tail, bristling with spines, would lash out at just the right moment, making her defense seamless and without a single weakness.

Hei Yu watched, utterly dumbfounded. He recalled their first encounter on the streets of the Holy City—had she faced anyone other than a demon that day, no ordinary person could have harmed her at all.

But Shen Zai Guo had one flaw: she was still very young, with limited reserves of strength and magic. After several rounds of the hunt, her breath was clearly growing labored and her stamina was flagging.

“Dragonfruit, your wounds have just healed; don’t push yourself too hard,” Hei Yu said, stepping forward to take another blow from the lizard and switching her out of the fight.

Although she was barely holding on, Shen Zai Guo refused to withdraw, afraid that as a new member, she wouldn’t contribute enough and would drag the team down.

Ling Xiao Lei steadied her and said, “It’s fine—let him handle it. We’ll support from the side.”

Once Hei Yu joined the fray, the battle ended in a one-sided rout. This giant lizard, with only fifty years of cultivation, was no more than a warm-up for him. If Hei Yu unleashed his full power, the creature wouldn’t last a single strike of “Demonlight Slash.” Still, he made a point of striking a few flashy poses and delivering some spectacular, albeit showy, blows before finally ending the lizard’s life with a powerful crescent-shaped arc of black energy.

The lizard collapsed with a thud, and a soul essence with fifty years of cultivation floated above its head.

“Wow, Hei Yu, you’re amazing!” Shen Zai Guo’s eyes shone with admiration.

Ling Xiao Lei gave a quiet cough in Hei Yu’s direction, reminding him not to get carried away.

After landing with a sweep of his wings, Hei Yu put on a stern face and cleared his throat. “As captain, I’ve decided that from now on, we’ll take down beasts together, and each time, only one of us, in turn, will absorb the soul essence. This time, it’s Dragonfruit’s turn.”

“Thank you, Hei Yu!” Shen Zai Guo ran forward, delighted.

“Excellent,” Hei Yu thought to himself. “I thought she was just for show, but she’s actually quite impressive. With her on the team, we’ll be able to hunt beasts even faster!”

After absorbing the soul essence, Shen Zai Guo closed her eyes and focused. Rings of unfamiliar energy rippled from her body, and the power within her underwent a qualitative transformation. When she opened her eyes, she looked at Hei Yu, then at Ling Xiao Lei, and suddenly declared with excitement:

“I… I’ve broken through to the intermediate level!”

“What?!” Hei Yu and Ling Xiao Lei were both stunned.

“We’ve only just reached the early stage of intermediate mage ourselves, and it’s only your first day at school, yet you’ve already advanced to the mid-level?” Hei Yu felt as if the younger generation was destined to surpass the old.

Shen Zai Guo nodded. “Yes, it’s thanks to the soul essence you gave me. I’d already made some progress training on Dragon Isle—it’s the perfect place for our kind to cultivate—so I advance faster than others my age.”

“The Sacred Dragon bloodline truly is extraordinary,” Ling Xiao Lei said, hands raised in mock surrender.

“To think our newest member has already surpassed us. What does that say about me as captain?” Hei Yu sighed.

Shen Zai Guo offered comfort: “It’s easy to move from early to intermediate. Breaking through to the advanced stage is the real challenge, but you’ll both catch up soon!”

“If Yi Xin finds out the youngest in class broke through first, I wonder how he’ll react… Heh heh heh…” At that, Hei Yu couldn’t help but let out a mischievous laugh.

“Oh, right—Guoguo, that technique you used earlier, the ‘Blood Rite’—what kind of spell was that? It was incredible,” Ling Xiao Lei inquired, ever curious about magical theory.

“That’s a secret art of our Dragon Clan. Since we can’t use elemental magic, we channel the power in our bloodline into our weapons.”

“I’ve heard that the beast clans also can’t use magic, but instead fight using their own blood. They’re very powerful as well.”

“It’s probably the same principle. Both the beast clans and the Dragon Clan descend from ancient primordial creatures.”

“Let’s hurry and hunt a few more beasts!” Hei Yu urged. “I feel like I’m close to a breakthrough too. I can’t wait to rub it in Yi Xin’s face—I’m dying to see his reaction!”

“Alright, let’s head that way. I don’t sense any beasts left in this part of the forest,” Ling Xiao Lei replied.

They were about to move on when suddenly, Shen Zai Guo halted, signaling for silence. She cocked her head, listening intently to distant sounds, her ears twitching ever so slightly.

Ling Xiao Lei scanned their surroundings, but everything was calm; she detected no trace of any beast.

“What is it? There’s nothing unusual,” she whispered.

“It’s the beast clans,” Shen Zai Guo said with certainty. “They’re coming this way. Quick, let’s hide behind those bushes.”

At once, they all leapt into the roadside undergrowth, suppressing their presence and peering out through the leaves at the path.

“The beast clans? Are there beast clans even on the Central Continent?” Hei Yu wondered aloud.