At that moment, across the empty void, two pairs of intense eyes met, each gaze sharp and unwavering. The Dragon Girl's delicate brows furrowed as she studied the man before her.
She confirmed it with a glance—this was someone she probably couldn't beat.
And yet...
A little thrill sparked within her.
Hold up. This person...does he look a bit wealthy?
Yes, yes!
Her companion, the Thunder Spirit, exchanged a quick, knowing glance with her, nodding eagerly.
This guy didn't just look rich—
He was also strikingly handsome.
The Thunder Spirit eyed Chu Wuchen and then looked down at the spiked club gripped in its clawed hand. A mischievous thought crept into its mind:
If I whacked this guy right on the back of the head, wouldn't that feel way more satisfying? Such a nice-looking head...
The Thunder Spirit couldn't help but imagine the result—a huge, cartoonish lump rising up, almost adding to his appeal. The more it thought about it, the more excitement bubbled up within.
If we robbed him, wouldn't we be free to live it up for a good while?
Yeah, exactly.
This guy had money—loads of it, probably, and who knew what treasures he had on him?
So...should we take him out?
Yes!
But he seems strong...if it came down to a fight, you might not be able to beat him, you know, the Thunder Spirit whispered, a flicker of worry in its voice.
What if we tried to rob him, and instead, the Dragon Girl ended up in real trouble?
No worries. Trust me, guys like this are usually all show...
The Dragon Girl cast a sidelong glance at Chu Wuchen, her lips curving in a sly, almost daring smirk.
...
The two continued to speak in silent signals, secretly transmitting their intentions to each other, both growing a little more bold and brash with every glance.
Meanwhile, Chu Wuchen took in the scene—a chaotic crime site sprawled before him.
A Dragon Girl...
A Thunder Spirit...
A spiked club…
And dozens of young elites sprawled unconscious across the ground, each sporting one, no, eleven bumps on the back of their heads.
He could pretty much piece together what had happened. It turned out, people like this really did exist outside of novels.
However, he could also sense the pair's unusual essence. The Dragon Girl was no ordinary being; there was something unique, maybe even ancient, stirring in her bloodline. And as for the Thunder Spirit—
It was an extraordinarily rare being, born of lightning itself, its strength fed by devouring heavenly thunder, its potential boundless. Such creatures were the favored children of the universe, their growth unrestricted and full of promise. In the vast realm of the Immortal Domain, rumors of Thunder Spirits hadn't been heard for eons, and yet here was one—caught red-handed in such dubious activities.
Tsk, tsk!
The notion of capturing the Thunder Spirit and giving it a little...education briefly crossed Chu Wuchen's mind. Or perhaps—
The thought grew darker.
He could train it as his own, or...well, simply consume it and refine its essence. Both seemed like very tempting choices. He leaned toward the latter.
Then again, the Thunder Spirit could harness incredible speed; it would probably outpace even his most advanced movement techniques. Could he use himself as bait?
Chu Wuchen's eyes narrowed as he turned his gaze back to the pair, plotting his next move.
"Oh, by the way," the Thunder Spirit suddenly chimed in. "I just remembered who he is."
"Who?" asked the Dragon Girl, curiosity sparking in her eyes.
"He's that double-pupil guy...something...Wuchen."
"Chu Wuchen?"
"Right!"
A voice interrupted their mental conversation.
"So, have you decided?"
The sudden sound of Chu Wuchen's voice jolted the two out of their plotting, and they looked up, startled.
"Huh?"
The Thunder Spirit shifted uneasily. "I'm getting the feeling he might want to take us out instead…"
A slight smirk played on Chu Wuchen's lips, the hint of amusement making it all the more unsettling.
"What's wrong? Afraid now?"
"Afraid? Us? Never!"
The Dragon Girl and Thunder Spirit shared one final look, and both saw the same resolve burning in each other's eyes.
Take this guy out, swipe his treasures, and we're free to roam!
Sure, this guy looked dangerous.
But where there's wealth, there's risk worth taking.
If they landed this heist, they'd be set for ages.
"Hmph!" The Dragon Girl let out a disdainful scoff, and in that instant, her aura exploded with full force.
Boom!
The heavens themselves seemed to tremble as violent winds rose, clouds whirling into a stormy vortex. Infinite waves of mana surged and twisted, forming runic lights and glyphs that wove together above her, taking the shape of an enormous scarlet dragon.
It was hundreds of meters long, its colossal form stretching across the sky.
Roar!!
With a thunderous roar, a formidable aura burst forth from the dragon, sweeping through the heavens and earth. The sheer pressure of its presence made nine jade-scaled dragons nearby emit low, reverent growls, as if their very blood resonated with it.
Chu Wuchen raised an eyebrow, mildly surprised; he hadn't expected her to be quite this formidable in a fight.
Boom!
Taking a single, measured step forward, the entire space around him seemed to shift and respond. He didn't even make a move to attack; he simply stood there, calm and unyielding, atop a white jade dragon.
But suddenly—
A fearsome sword aura erupted around him.
Buzz!
The very fabric of reality seemed to hum in response, the void trembling. Different forces of the great Dao coalesced around him, forming sword after sword—each one a manifestation of universal laws, each floating behind him, silent but deadly.
It wasn't quite three thousand swords—just a thousand, casually summoned.
Chu Wuchen didn't need to exert his full strength.
But the sword technique itself was a thing of beauty: the Great Dao Sword Formation, capable of conjuring three thousand swords that could be merged and manipulated at will, their transformations limitless.
Roar!!
The mana dragon let out a fierce growl, and with the Dragon Girl's sweeping motion, it charged at Chu Wuchen with terrifying speed.
Slash!
At the same time, the thousand swords shot forward like a silver storm.
Bang!
Bang!!
Bang!!!
The impact rocked the void itself, each collision a furious burst of energy, the space between them thick with the clash of their forces. The thousand swords and the mana dragon clashed, and in moments, they dissolved into nothingness, caught in the fury of their exchange.
It seemed like a draw, but even an outsider could see that Chu Wuchen hadn't really been trying.
He's...strong.
The Dragon Girl's heart skipped a beat, a surge of anxiety flickering in her chest.
Did they just bite off more than they could chew?
She squinted through the aura of light, desperately trying to see Chu Wuchen, but he was nowhere to be seen.
"Your strength...seems to fall a bit short."
The mocking voice came from behind her, thick with amusement and a dangerous edge.
Her expression changed dramatically.
How...how had he moved so fast?!
Boom!
From the void, a massive silver hand condensed, descending toward her with the might to crush an entire world.
No way. I was planning to do one last heist before retiring, and now...
The Dragon Girl's heart pounded.
This guy was too strong.
Without a second thought, she swung her arm back in a desperate counter.
Her fist, shrouded in scarlet light, crackled with mana, glyphs appearing and weaving together to form a powerful fist of flame. But the instant it came into contact with the silver hand—
It shattered, as if made of fragile glass.
The hand didn't even slow; its runes gleamed with an even greater intensity.
Boom!
It continued its path, pressing down on her with unstoppable force.
In that moment, the Dragon Girl truly felt Chu Wuchen's overwhelming power, a power that was entirely different from before. She still had some tricks up her sleeve, but she knew none of them would be enough.
From high above, the Thunder Spirit decided it was time to make a move.
It gathered countless bolts of heavenly lightning, merging them into a colossal lightning prison that descended over Chu Wuchen.
Crash!
A deafening sound filled the air.
To everyone's surprise, the lightning prison actually managed to trap Chu Wuchen inside.
"Watch this!" The Thunder Spirit's beady eyes sparkled with excitement, and the Dragon Girl blinked in shock.
Boom!
Boom!!
Within the lightning prison, a thousand bolts of lightning crackled and exploded, their destructive energy seemingly set on burying Chu Wuchen under waves of thunder.
But that wasn't the real attack.
The Thunder Spirit's true weapon was in its hand—a spiked club, ancient and dark, emanating an ominous glow.
In a flash, the Thunder Spirit moved with blinding speed, following the path of the lightning to appear right behind Chu Wuchen.
It was lightning-fast.
Raising the spiked club, it aimed it squarely at the back of Chu Wuchen's head.
"Stop! Don't do it!