In the distance, Xia Lian's movements visibly slowed.
Her Ranger's Eye, ever vigilant of the battlefield, was now glued to Lin Qingyue's figure like iron filings drawn to a magnet, unable to move even a fraction.
In her line of sight, the silver-haired, gold-eyed figure's every gesture was so dashing it made her legs feel weak.
Silver hair, like a river breaking its banks, danced wildly in the turbulent air.
Beneath the snapping hem of her Daoist robes, black leather shorts and mid-calf boots outlined perfect lines.
Those long legs were filled with an explosive, healthy beauty.
Every kick drew a crisp sonic boom through the air.
Her movements were expansive and unrestrained, yet strangely possessed a Grandmaster-level freedom and elegance.
Her figure was a Black Bird dancing in a rainstorm, weaving through the encirclement of nine ferocious dragon heads.
Lethal.
And breathtakingly beautiful.
"Gulp."
Xia Lian swallowed hard.
A scorching current of heat shot from her neck straight to the crown of her head, instantly burning her cheeks.
Her heart rate had long since spiraled out of control, pounding so violently that she felt a wave of panic.
Her cheeks burned even more fiercely.
She drew her bow mechanically, instinctively blasting a Mudman that lunged at her.
Yet her mind was a complete mess, her lips unconsciously muttering to herself.
"This is bad... She's just too damn cool!"
"Even fighting can be this beautiful..."
"It's over, everything is over."
"When I look for a boyfriend in the future, if he doesn't have this earth-shaking skill, this aura of looking down upon all living beings, how could I possibly lay eyes on him?"
As soon as the words left her mouth, she shook her head violently, trying to throw out those extremely dangerous thoughts.
"Wait, if my boyfriend isn't even as handsome as Sister Qingyue..."
"Then what do I need a boyfriend for? To keep him as a family heirloom?"
The defenses of her reason had already crumbled under the crushing weight of a certain national-style older sister's violent aesthetics.
Xia Lian closed her eyes in despair.
Her standards for a partner hadn't just been raised.
They had been kicked straight into the stratosphere by Lin Qingyue!
In this life, she was destined to grow old alone!
Just as Xia Lian's heart was in turmoil, the battlefield situation suddenly changed!
"ROAR!!"
Driven to a complete dead end, its very incantations crushed into its stomach, the Spirit of Pride erupted in the final frenzy of a trapped beast.
Its right arm mutated and grew without warning, instantly transforming into a giant dragon claw covered in heavy obsidian scales, measuring a full ten meters in length!
Destructive dark-red light flowed at the center of the claw, carrying the terrifying kinetic energy to shatter mountains, as it struck straight down at the top of Lin Qingyue's head!
This was its dying blow, condensing all its rules and fury!
"GO! TO! HELL!!"
The air was squeezed into a piercing crack.
This strike was unavoidable.
"Sis!!"
Lin Xiyue cried out, instinctively wanting to raise her shield to help.
Facing this heavy blow with a forced suppression judgment, Lin Qingyue withdrew all her offensive moves.
The Ink-Wash Black Bird that had been circling behind her let out a high-pitched cry, its body suddenly disintegrating in the air.
A trillion black-gold streaks of light poured down like a waterfall, instantly condensing behind her into a pair of giant wings burning with flowing light.
[Ink Manifestation]!
"Break!"
The giant claw crashed down.
CLANG—!!
The sky-blotting dragon claw collided head-on with the seemingly fragile, black-and-gold wings!
The deafening roar of metal clashing against metal shook the Temple, the sound waves so fierce they made everyone's eardrums throb with pain.
The terrifying shockwave exploded like a tsunami, toppling circle after circle of broken stone pillars.
Only the three feet of ground beneath Lin Qingyue's feet remained completely still.
Not only that, but the divine light in her golden pupils flared violently. She crossed her hands and suddenly swept them upward!
An unbelievable scene unfolded.
The black-gold wings did not shatter. Instead, they absorbed the entire terrifying kinetic energy with a perfect force-deflection technique.
Then, they surged upward against the flow, returning it all in full!
"Full of openings!"
The massive obsidian dragon claw was actually forced back by this absolutely terrifying counter-shock!
The [Spirit of Pride] felt an irresistible, overwhelming force surge through its arm, instantly throwing its entire body out of balance.
It was forcibly launched into the air!
Suspended!
For a BOSS that had lost its point of leverage, this was a fatal opening lasting several long seconds!
Looking at the massive figure tossed into the air, a pleased smile curved Lin Qingyue's lips.
"Aerial Combo, the lesson begins."
The Ink Lotus beneath her feet exploded, and the wings behind her gave a sudden, powerful flap.
She herself transformed into a black-and-white streak of light that tore through the field of vision, soaring into the sky and instantly catching up to the stunned [Spirit of Pride]!
A simple, unadorned, yet blindingly fast Rising Dragon Fist slammed into the already injured jaw of the Spirit of Pride.
Bang!
Just as its massive body began to fall, it was launched back into the air by this monstrous strength.
The state of aerial stun was ruthlessly prolonged.
Next was a one-sided execution!
"The wind is strong up here."
Lin Qingyue's voice drifted ghostily into the BOSS's ear.
"Perfect for... waking up the mind."
Aerial, this was absolutely the time for a slaughter!
Lin Qingyue, now suspended in mid-air, completely tore apart the laws of physics.
She stepped upon the void, and each flap of the Ink Wings behind her whipped up a gale that tore through the air.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
A continuous series of dull thuds exploded densely in the air.
Xia Lian could only see a blur of black and white light spinning frantically around the BOSS, each contact erupting with the crisp sound of shattering bones.
Aerial chain kicks.
Ground-slamming heavy stomp.
Spinning side kick!
Every strike landed with absolute precision on the once-exquisite face of the [Spirit of Pride].
The Spirit of Pride's massive body was reduced to a punching bag in the air, trembling violently from the kicks as shards of its black surface flew in all directions.
It tried to counterattack.
But that strange "Ink Force" had already seeped into its entire body, leaving its internal energy flow sluggish and unable to organize any effective defense.
"This is it? Your movements are too slow!"
A kick collapsed its high-bridged nose.
"Your stance is unstable! Your core strength is this poor?"
A knee strike sent its lower spine groaning under the unbearable pressure.
"Your power is too stiff! You dare to call yourself perfect with this skill level? I'd say your skin is perfectly thick, though!"
Lin Qingyue's waist and abdomen erupted with astonishing power as she flawlessly completed a full 360-degree spin in mid-air.
Her right leg became a black warblade tearing through the night sky, leaving behind the perfect ink trace of a full moon!
Crack—!
An extremely crisp sound of breaking bone echoed through the entire area.
The Spirit of Pride's majestic dragon horn, the one on the left side of its head that symbolized the Dragon God's dignity and might, was kicked clean off at the base by this strike!
The broken horn spun through the air before clattering to the floor in the distance.
Clang.
The sound was crisp, even carrying a hint of a cheap, hollow echo.
Everyone froze.
The ultimate irony was that at the broken stump, not a single drop of noble dragon blood sprayed out, nor did any Divine Power leak.
There was only a ghastly white cross-section, like that of a cheap plastic toy.
The interior of the cross-section was filled with a black, gel-like substance that emitted a pungent smell of asphalt.
There were even a few rusty, rebar-like black skeletal frames exposed.
Ridiculous.
Laughable.
And utterly cheap.