Chapter 63: Change of plans
The elder descended like an executioner from the heavens, his fury palpable, his killing intent thick enough to suffocate the air itself.
As soon as his feet touched the ruined earth, an overwhelming pressure erupted from his body.
It was not merely an aura—it was a force of nature, an invisible weight that bore down upon the entire battlefield.
The ground dragon, once an apex predator that had toyed with his disciples, now found itself crushed beneath an incomprehensible might.
Its massive body quivered, its knees buckling as it was forced to kneel.
Wei Long, still trapped within the consciousness of the bio-engineered dinosaur, felt a wave of shock.
This level of power… It was beyond anything he had encountered.
He knew that the instincts of the creature he inhabited did not tolerate submission.
It was designed, crafted, and bred to be the ultimate predator. And yet, before this middle-aged man, it was utterly powerless.
A deep, guttural growl rumbled through the dinosaur's throat, vibrating through the earth like a prelude to an eruption.
The creature's muscles strained, trying to fight against the suffocating aura, but its body refused to move.
Wei Long felt the boiling rage within its mind, an animalistic hatred toward anything that could dare to suppress it.
The elder's eyes burned with grief, but they held no mercy.
His gaze swept over the mutilated remains of his disciples, their lifeless bodies scattered like discarded dolls.
His breath hitched, and suddenly, he wept.
Tears rolled down his weathered face, but his fury did not wane.
Instead, it deepened, merging with his sorrow into something terrifyingly resolute.
"You killed them," he whispered, his voice trembling. "My disciples… my children… they were so young, so full of life…" His fingers clenched into fists so tightly that his knuckles turned white.
"Zhang Xugang… he was always the first to rise and the last to sleep, training until his body could no longer stand! And Qi Rong… oh, Yan Mei… she was kind, too kind for this world, but she dreamed of one day surpassing even the Sect Leader!"
The elder's voice cracked as he continued, each name spoken like a prayer, each memory a dagger to his heart.
"Xei Jun… he always laughed the loudest, no matter how hard the training was. Jiang Tao, he always made sure everyone ate before himself… They… they were good people! They were my family!"
His sorrow transformed into rage so intense it felt like the world itself trembled. The very air became heavier, crackling with spiritual energy. "And you… YOU TOOK THEM FROM ME!"
With a deafening roar, he struck.
A single punch sent the bio-engineered dinosaur crashing backward, its colossal body tearing through trees, shattering boulders, and carving a trench into the earth.
Before it could react, the elder was already upon it, his fists like divine hammers descending from the heavens.
Blow after blow rained down mercilessly, sending shockwaves through the land.
The earth quaked, the sky howled, and each impact was a thunderclap of raw power.
Wei Long felt the monstrous pain ripping through his very being.
Every strike cracked bones, ruptured scales, and sent electric agony through the creature's nerves.
The beast howled, its roars no longer triumphant but pained, enraged, humiliated.
Blood splattered the ground, staining the elder's robes, yet he did not stop.
He could not stop.
His disciples' faces flashed through his mind with every strike, fueling his relentless assault.
But something was wrong.
The longer the battle raged, the harder the blows fell, the more the elder's expression began to change.
He did not falter, nor did he hesitate, but slowly, something within him shifted.
His movements, which had begun with righteous fury, started to slow ever so slightly. And then… he froze.
His fists, raised high for another devastating strike, trembled in the air.
His eyes widened in horror as he looked down at the ground dragon beneath him.
"What… is this?" he whispered, his voice barely audible over the chaos of destruction he had wrought.
Elder Fu Shen stood still, his robes fluttering in the lingering energy of his unleashed aura.
His gaze was locked on the monstrous ground dragon before him.
Its massive body heaved with each breath, its scales marred with wounds from the relentless punishment he had delivered.
Yet despite the overwhelming force he had exerted, something about this beast sent a chill down his spine.
He could feel it.
Its cultivation was rising. Rapidly.
He clenched his fists.
"This... this isn't normal!" he muttered, his eyes narrowing.
Mortal beasts, even those that possessed rare bloodlines, never advanced at such an alarming rate.
He had fought countless spirit beasts in his lifetime, tamed creatures for the sect, and even slain rogue monsters that threatened their domain. But never had he encountered something like this.
A deep frown marred his face as he recalled the strict classifications of beasts in the cultivation world.
Mortal Qi, Mortal Awakening Qi, Mortal Adapting Qi, Mortal Foundation Establishment, and finally, Mortal Core Formation.
His disciples had been at the peak of Mortal Awakening Qi, mere steps away from breaking through to Mortal Adapting Qi.
And yet... this beast, this abomination, with his experience of observing beasts all his life, had probably started as a Mortal Qi beast when they first encountered it.
Now, within a matter of moments, it was already pushing into Mortal Foundation Establishment.
Elder Fu Shen's breath hitched. "No..." he whispered, his fingers tightening. "A beast with such potential... This is beyond Rare, beyond Especially Rare. Is it a Quasi-Unique? No... could it be...? A Unique Class?"
His heart pounded wildly at the thought. Unique Class beasts were only heard of in the strongest sects, those that reigned at the top of the cultivation world.
If he could tame this beast, if he could bring it under his control, then the Autumn Dragon Sect would rise!
They would no longer be a minor force, overshadowed by greater sects.
They could ascend, challenge higher realms, and dominate!
His grief for his fallen disciples wavered, pushed aside by an emotion far more consuming.
Greed.
He took a step forward, his hands crackling with Qi energy. "I will tame you," he declared, his voice echoing across the battlefield. "No matter how strong you become, there must be a limit! You will be my beast!"
The bio-engineered dinosaur, still crouched from the immense pressure, let out a deep, guttural growl.
Its golden reptilian eyes flickered with an eerie intelligence. It could feel the overwhelming strength of the elder, but deep within its very core, instincts raged.
A predator does not kneel.
A predator does not submit.
Wei Long, trapped within its consciousness, watched with fascination.
The beast's ability to grow stronger within its chosen territory had reached absurd levels.
It had become a force of nature, something even cultivators feared. But even so, against an opponent like Elder Fu Shen, it was still outmatched.
Wei Long could feel it. He could feel the instinct of the beast, its rage, its resistance to submission. But could it truly win?
The dinosaur roared, shaking the very earth beneath them.
It lunged forward, claws extended, aiming for Elder Fu Shen's throat. But before it could even reach, a massive force slammed into its body, sending it skidding across the battlefield, tearing through boulders like they were mere pebbles.
Yet it did not falter.
It roared again, charging with reckless abandon, its thick tail whipping towards the elder.
The force behind the swing could crush mountains.
Elder Fu Shen, however, remained unimpressed.
With a simple movement, he caught the tail with one hand, stopping the attack dead in its tracks.
The sheer display of power was suffocating.
The elder's expression darkened. "You are strong, yes, but you lack control! You are nothing more than a wild beast, unrefined, untamed! I will beat the arrogance out of you and make sure to train you like an obedient pet!"
And so, the brutal beating resumed.
Blow after blow landed upon the dinosaur's massive frame.
Each strike from Elder Fu Shen cracked its bones, shattered its scales, and sent shockwaves through the surrounding terrain.
The ground trembled, beasts from miles away fled in terror, and even the very air itself felt suffocating under the weight of the elder's fury.
Yet, despite the overwhelming pain, despite the agony that threatened to consume it, the dinosaur did not break.
It did not scream in pain.
Instead, its growls grew deeper, more guttural.
Its golden eyes never wavered, even as its body was reduced to a bloody mess.
It was as if, despite the punishment, it was enjoying this battle.
Elder Fu Shen gritted his teeth. "What... are you?" he muttered.
He had fought countless creatures, yet none had ever looked at him with such unyielding defiance.
Even spirit beasts of higher rank would bow in submission before his might. But this thing… it was different.
Then, suddenly, something changed.
The golden glow in its eyes flickered. Its body swayed. Its breathing slowed. And then, it collapsed.
A heavy silence settled over the battlefield.
Elder Fu Shen remained still, watching intently.
His instincts screamed at him, telling him that something was wrong. But what?
The beast had finally fallen.
Had its limits finally been reached?
Was it truly defeated?
He took a step forward, approaching cautiously.
The closer he got, the more uneasy he felt. Then, he noticed something—
A glint in the dinosaur's eyes.
It was weak, barely noticeable, but it was there.
The intelligence behind those golden pupils had not faded.
It was watching.
Observing.
A smirk slowly formed on its massive maw.
Elder Fu Shen froze.
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