Qi Xia knew that the Black Tortoise had no chance of defeating the Azure Dragon in the time that followed.
After all, the Black Tortoise had already given her all, while the Azure Dragon seemed to be toying with a helpless monkey.
At this moment, all the wounds on the Azure Dragon’s body were rapidly healing, while the Black Tortoise showed no signs of self-recovery. She stood there, slightly panting.
If the battle continued like this, the Black Tortoise would eventually be reduced to a pile of writhing flesh and blood fragments.
Qi Xia glanced at the Azure Dragon’s expression. Though the Black Tortoise hadn’t injured him, the current situation was still worthwhile.
How could rapid regeneration come without consequences?
The madness in his expression was growing more pronounced. The deeper his conviction, the greater the impact on him.
His mind would gradually spiral into insanity, which would positively influence the next phase of their plan.
The Black Tortoise paused, staring at the Azure Dragon, then flexed her grip on the strange “weapon” in her hand.
Her thoughts were simple: if she had wounded the Azure Dragon once, she could do it again.
If she could wound him, then he could die.
This wasn’t a question of difficulty—only of effort.
Her right arm dragged behind her, the attached spine trailing like the handle of a grotesque scythe.
The scraping of bone against the ground produced an eerie, grating sound.
“Hahaha…” The Azure Dragon grinned. “Just ‘Indestructibility’ and ‘Divine Strength’… how exactly do you plan to kill me?”
“I’ll find a way…” the Black Tortoise murmured. “I just need to try harder.”
The Azure Dragon had heard this absurd reasoning more than once before. No matter how impossible a task seemed, some people insisted that the only reason it couldn’t be done was “lack of effort.”
The Black Tortoise was like that. Qi Xia was like that.
They believed that with enough time and effort, mortals could even defy the heavens.
But the Azure Dragon found it laughable. If mortals could overthrow the heavens, what purpose did the heavens serve?
“Black Tortoise… from now on, I’ll show you what it means to be outmatched.”
“Out… matched?”
The Azure Dragon, his face twisted with madness, raised a hand toward the sky. The Black Tortoise cautiously lifted her grotesque “scythe,” bracing for his attack.
But what happened next was beyond her expectations.
Within the confines of the “Cangjie Chess” arena, strange black clouds suddenly coalesced in the darkness above.
The churning mass of storm clouds swirled like turbulent waves, countless flashes of lightning flickering within.
The Black Tortoise’s eyes widened slowly as realization dawned on her. This was the Azure Dragon’s “Thunderclap.”
A terrifying ability whispered among the “Divine Beasts” and “Zodiacs,” yet never truly witnessed—likely the most destructive of his “divine arts.”
**BOOM.**
“Black Tortoise, if you admit your mistake and leave now, continuing to serve as my dog, I’ll act as though nothing happened,” the Azure Dragon said.
To anyone else, his words might have seemed unconvincing. But for some reason, the Black Tortoise hesitated.
She had already defied him so brazenly—not only fighting him but even splitting his skull with his own spine. Could he really pretend it never happened?
If the Azure Dragon was telling the truth, leaving now would be the wisest choice.
Because facing him in this state, the Black Tortoise felt fear creeping in.
She realized she was doing something incredibly dangerous. For decades, she had wandered “Taoyuan” like a soulless husk, striking down anyone without hesitation—yet never once had she felt this kind of dread.
“Difficult,” the Black Tortoise said.
“Hm?”
“Life is difficult. ‘Taoyuan’ is difficult. Defeating you is difficult.” She exhaled slowly. “Even standing before you now… feels difficult.”
“If you can’t hold on, just fall,” the Azure Dragon sneered. “I’ll have the ‘Twin Flowers’ on the ‘Train’ continue healing you. But if you keep defying me, these wounds will never heal.”
**BOOM.**
“But I’ve finally gotten this chance,” the Black Tortoise murmured, lifting her head slightly. A cold glint pierced through her disheveled hair. “In decades, this is the first time I’ve been able to defy you. Do you know how rare that is for me?”
“Even if it means your own destruction?” the Azure Dragon asked.
“In ‘Taoyuan’… the first person I wanted to kill was myself. The second was you.” Her voice was low, resolute. “I never got the chance to kill myself… but I have the chance to kill you. How could I give that up?”
**BOOM.**
Thunder rumbled across the arena, as though the heavens themselves were enraged. Flashes of lightning illuminated their figures like spotlights on a stage.
“Wrong,” the Azure Dragon chuckled, shaking his head. “I think you wanted to kill me first, then yourself. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have guarded your vitals so carefully while fighting me.”
“Is that so…?” The Black Tortoise’s response was vague. “The best outcome… might be dying here together. But that’s… difficult.”
The Azure Dragon grinned, ready to strike—but then his gaze flickered upward again.
That strange sensation had returned.
Horrifying, absurd visions flooded his mind.
He saw himself breaking down at the front of the train.
His convictions shattered in an instant, his divine arts failing.
But the Celestial Dragon sat unharmed, unmoving. How could his beliefs collapse like that?
The Black Tortoise seized the moment of distraction and lunged forward with a “Leap.”
By the time the Azure Dragon snapped back to reality, irritation flared, and he casually swiped a palm outward. The Black Tortoise caught the strike with one hand but staggered back, nearly tripping over her own hair.
His expression darkened. He needed to check the front of the train—now.
If these illusions kept emerging from there, something was wrong.
Which meant the Black Tortoise had to be dealt with immediately. If the plan truly faltered, regardless of Qi Xia’s situation, his scheme to kill the Celestial Dragon would fail.
With that thought, the Azure Dragon raised his hand to the sky—and clenched his fist.
A deep roar echoed overhead before a deafening **CRACK** split the air. Lightning arced wildly, as though a colossal bolt was about to strike.
The Black Tortoise looked up, fear flickering in her eyes. Even with “Indestructibility,” she knew surviving a direct lightning strike was impossible.
After all, the most destructive force she had ever witnessed was the lightning that struck her village.
“Too difficult…” she whispered. “All of this… is too difficult.”
She shifted her stance, preparing to “Leap” away at the last possible moment.
But before her foot could land, “Soul Snatch” seized her again.
**BOOM!**
A blinding flash of lightning erupted, illuminating the entire arena like daylight.
Qi Xia forced his eyes open against the glare—and saw countless “doors” suspended in midair.
————
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