Chapter 443: The Hybrid of the Sea Tribe

"Reigning Over Nine Heavens" () Find the latest chapter!

The Holy Sanctuary has the Dragon Group, and the Saint is the leader of the Dragon Group... Members like Jiaoxi and Gule are only part of the second tier within the group, or even just considered reserves. The true core members, aside from those who stay with him in the Holy City year-round, number no more than seven or eight across all 108 Holy Sanctuaries. And Huokun Amogan is one of them.

He naturally knew Amogan very well and was more than happy to enlighten Lucky Heaven: "It's the conversion of fire energy into arcane, and then arcane into ice energy. Arcane is the purest energy in this world, with strong compatibility—this was also the reason the Sea Clan once ruled the Nine Heavens. Amogan is indeed exceptionally gifted. Fire and water are incompatible, yet he achieves perfect transformation through a unique constitution. There are many hybrids, but his condition is unprecedented."

"It's no secret anymore. He has one-third mermaid bloodline and one-third rare Kun lineage—perhaps a mutation occurred," the Saint said with a smile. "But it's said he never met his parents as a child. The Fù family adopted him. To be precise, he is water, fire, and arcane—tri-elemental, forging a truly unique talent. Even in the Holy City, he's quite renowned."

"Haha, the Holy City is truly a gathering of talents. The Saint has recruited quite a few experts," the Ninth Prince chimed in, seemingly in praise.

"Kun lineage?" Lucky Heaven's eyes flickered slightly, showing a bit more interest.

In her master's prophecy, the descent of darkness might very well be a feast for those vanished races—and the Kun clearly belonged to this category.

They were once the overlords of the waters, one of the royal clans of the sea. But during the civil war among the Sea Clan, they were purged by the current three great royal clans, falling from grace and disappearing for over a century. Occasionally, legends of Kun descendants surfaced in the world, but most were baseless rumors or wild exaggerations. Who would have thought there was a hybrid right here? After all, Saint Roy's words carried considerable credibility.

"An already extinct species," Long Jing interjected with a faint smile. "But perhaps we should consider the opposite—could the Sea Clan harness the power of land through the Kun's traits?"

"Your Highness Long Jing is overthinking it," the Saint responded with a faint smile.

"Haha, the Kun were wiped out, and many say their demise foretold the end of the world. Groups like the Celestial Master Sect and Shadow Island have similar legends, not to mention the Dark Hall's Qiān Jué Qiān..." Long Jing laughed. "I’ve always been one to shirk my duties, indulging in odd curios and gossip. Naturally, I pay more attention to these mystical tales."

"Your Highness Long Jing has quite the taste for leisure. But these wild tales are best enjoyed as stories," Lucky Heaven said with a faint smile. She had been overly concerned—thinking her master’s prophecy had been leaked, but it was just a false alarm.

The Saint glanced at Long Jing a few times, genuinely admiring his ability to navigate any situation. He had even found a way to strike up a conversation with Lucky Heaven... Otherwise, given his rakish persona, no matter his status, Lucky Heaven likely wouldn’t have exchanged more than a few words with him. He chuckled lightly and said, "The Celestial Master Sect is nothing but a cult preying on people’s fears. The Dark Hall’s Qiān Jué Qiān is a madman. These absurd doomsday tales are fine for idle chatter among the ignorant, but for someone of Your Highness’ stature to lend them credence is rather surprising."

"What can I say? I lack ambition—just a free-spirited wanderer," Long Jing laughed heartily. "Without the burdens of great figures like you, I don’t bother overthinking. I say what I want, play as I please. Haha, I’ve always been this way—I hope the Saint and the Princess won’t take offense."

Lucky Heaven inclined her head slightly with a smile. It was hard to dislike someone like him.

Saint Roy smiled faintly but remained inwardly cautious. With Long Jing’s background, if he truly lacked ambition, how could he have built the vast mercantile empire of Nine Gods and thrived in the complex power struggles of Zhen Xiang? It would be difficult even to remain a leisurely prince!

The more someone indulges in self-deprecation, the greater their vision often is. The world only sees this Ninth Prince of Nine Gods, hidden behind the scenes, as greedy for wealth. But after some interaction, the Saint suspected there was more to him.

After a round of probing, the two opponents in the arena had roughly gauged each other’s strength, reassessing their strategies internally.

After a ten-second standoff, Winnie seemed hesitant, delaying her offensive, while Amogan was the first to swing his ice sword.

The second round began!

A flash of cold light shot forth, transforming mid-flight into dozens of tiny ice spikes.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

Winnie flipped backward repeatedly, her movements lithe. Wherever she passed, the ground was left studded with ice spikes. But these embedded spikes didn’t mark the end of the attack—they heralded the true artistry of ice and fire!

Boom—

The remnants of the spikes suddenly dissolved in an instant, gathering in liquid form and morphing into two massive hands that lunged for Winnie’s ankles.

Winnie retreated again, evading the grasp, but the hands erupted into flames the moment they missed, lashing out like fiery tongues that licked at her unprepared face.

By the time she leaped away, her dark makeup had turned into a sooty mess. She had barely escaped—the erupting flames had now solidified into a fiery ice sculpture on the ground. Had she been even a fraction slower, her adorable face might have been frozen too.

A single strike had unleashed four or five layers of extended attacks. Before Winnie could catch her breath midair, Amogan swung his hands again.

The flaming ice sculpture melted instantly, evaporating into countless tiny water droplets that rose like mist. And the next moment—Amogan crossed his hands.

Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack!

In an instant, countless hovering fireballs, ice spikes, and arcane energy bullets—hundreds of varied attacks—surrounded Winnie, who was still mid-air.

It turned out that every tiny droplet in the rising mist was an energy core, and based on this, hundreds of attacks condensed in the blink of an eye!

Frankly, at the Tiger Peak level, whether it was ice, water, fire, or lightning-based Witchcraft, the attack patterns and power followed predictable rules. For instance, no fire spell could pierce like ice spikes, and no ice projectile could rival the area-of-effect and sustained damage of fire-based Witchcraft... Thus, defending against a single type of Witchcraft with targeted countermeasures wasn’t particularly difficult for experts—this was one of the inherent limits of Tiger Peak capabilities. But how do you defend against someone who can switch at will?

It was as if fireballs gained the penetration and speed of ice spikes, while ice-based Witchcraft acquired the explosive lethality of fire energy. The constant shifts between hot and cold, fast and slow, made it utterly unpredictable—how could one defend against it? This was already a combat style of the ghost level!

‘Quasi-ghost level’ was no empty boast—Amogan absolutely lived up to the title.

This time, it wasn’t a decoy that was surrounded. Amogan smirked faintly. If ice chains couldn’t restrain her, then overwhelming force would suffice. Their earlier exchange had given him a sense of Winnie’s skill level—this degree of attack shouldn’t kill her.

Winnie’s expression shifted slightly as she transformed into a streak of blue light, streaking downward. Her speed and agility allowed her to weave through the dense barrage of fireballs, ice spikes, and energy bullets, finding gaps in the onslaught. Yet a glint of sharpness flashed in Amogan’s eyes.

—Kunlong·Thousand Star Ice-Fire Barrage!

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

Winnie was still moving at high speed, but all the attacks chased after her like guided projectiles. No matter how fast she ran, she couldn’t outpace them. The air became a web of streaking light—flames, ice shards, and rippling water energy clung to her like a curse, exploding around her in a haze of smoke and steam.

Though the exact scene within the mist was unclear, Winnie was clearly still holding out, as the trajectory of the Thousand Star Barrage continued tracking her. But her movements were slowing, until she came to a complete stop—still a full ten meters away from Amogan.

Gui Zhicai watched with keen interest. Hah, this half-breed sea clansman’s got some skill.

A few years back, there were rumors about an arcane wizard from the Holy Sanctuary who mastered water, fire, and arcane energies, but Dark Demon Island hadn’t bothered with him. Now, listening to the chatter in the arena, it turned out this kid was also a mixed-blood descendant of the Kun Clan. Speaking of which, Dark Demon Island had always had a special interest in these "exotic" talents! The Third Sister, who controlled the Path of Asura, would probably adore him. Maybe after the match, he could 'recruit' him? Hmm...

Gui Zhicai suddenly realized the two brothers who had been chattering nonstop beside him had gone quiet. Weren’t they just yammering about their sister a second ago?

Before he could finish the thought, his expression abruptly turned grave. He sensed two waves of barely restrained killing intent.

Unable to resist, Gui Zhicai glanced over. The Li brothers, who had been all smiles moments ago, now wore expressions of icy solemnity. Their eyes were so cold that even Gui Zhicai—a Dark Demon Island elder who spent his days surrounded by "abnormal humans"—felt a chill down his spine. Hell, these brats might’ve racked up a higher body count than him...

Fortunately, the relentless barrage in the air didn’t last forever. A blue dome flared to life from the center of the attacks, swelling to two meters in diameter in an instant. Every fireball, ice spike, and arcane energy bullet that struck it was absorbed into the glowing barrier, which continued to grow.

Gui Zhicai could feel the coldness in the brothers’ eyes vanish instantly, as if the weather had shifted in June. Li Xuanyuan exclaimed in surprise and delight, "Wow! When did little sis learn Old Seven’s Spirit Devourer Shield? She couldn’t do it back in Dragon City, right?"

"Not bad, not bad! Seems like her month on Dark Demon Island has brought huge improvements!"

Blue Flame—Spirit Devourer Shield!

It devoured incoming energy to strengthen itself!

A ridiculously strong defense. Yet Amogan showed no surprise, nor did he halt his seemingly 'charitable' assault. Instead, he intensified them.

If he didn’t even know about the Li Clan’s Spirit Devourer Shield after all these years as a bounty hunter, he should hang up his bounty hunter badge. This thing wasn’t truly invincible—its power boost had a ceiling. Once the devoured energy surpassed the caster’s capacity...

Boom!

The shield detonated in a burst of energy across the arena, its defense shattered! But in that very moment, Winnie’s eyes at the center gleamed brightly.

Her defensive act had all been to lure him into this exact spot.

Ten meters away!

As the Thousand Star Barrage scattered and the shield burst apart, gold flashed in Winnie’s grip.

"Come forth, Jiao Baba!"

A blue summoning rune flashed faintly beneath Amogan's feet, followed by an earth-shaking tremor as a terrifying creature over four meters tall instantly appeared within the runic array. Its entire body burned with blue flames even more intense than Winnie's, radiating crushing dominance that seemed to lock the very space around it, halting the flow of air.

Boom!

A massive bear paw slammed down like swatting a fly, instantly crushing Amogan into a pulp—wait, no, into a puddle of water!

Amogan's body dissolved into liquid, while Winnie's eyes widened in shock, almost vomiting: *Holy shit, how cautious is this guy? I gave it my all, and he still sent a damn clone!*

Before Winnie could react, a figure hovered phantom-like in the air—it was Amogan!

Placing his right hand on his left forearm, his entire left arm instantly turned mercurial silver. Then, flipping upside down midair, he dove downward, slamming his shimmering silver left hand toward Jiao Baba below.

—Kunlong: Earth Cage Water Prison!

Spirit Beastmaster—that was Winnie Lee's earliest renowned profession. And this blink-summoning Spirit Beast attack? She had already used it at Xifeng Holy Sanctuary. Amogan was prepared.

Eliminating her Spirit Beast would force her to retreat—the least antagonistic way to handle the Lee family.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

Sixteen water pillars erupted from the ground, encircling the newly summoned Jiao Baba and surging skyward.

Splash...

Water, formless by nature, is the most malleable. After rising five or six meters, the sixteen pillars curved inward, interlacing and rapidly freezing into a solid, soul-numbing ice cage!

The icy prison radiated a sinister cold, each rime-encrusted bar etched with dense, glowing runes. Jiao Baba roared in fury, sensing the threat as its spirit power detonated fiercely.

Boom!

Blue flames surged wildly across its body, but the moment they touched the ice cage, the runes flared in unison.

Cold mist sealed every gap and crevice, forming a transparent "lid" that effortlessly contained Jiao Baba's spiritual flames, not even an ember's worth leaking out. Then...

"Shrink, shrink, shrink!"

Amogan said with casual amusement.

The massive ice cage instantly contracted, then continued shrinking relentlessly.

"Roar! Roar! Roar!"

Jiao Baba raged like a caged beast, ramming into the cage with terrifying force, yet even its brute strength couldn't so much as scratch it. Each impact only brightened the runes further, until they engulfed the cage in glacial radiance. As the prison shrank, Jiao Baba soon couldn't even move, crushed into a ball!

Roar... Its growls grew weaker, nearly silent now. It felt its body on the verge of bursting—terrified, enraged, and helpless.

The crowd erupted in cheers. The Witchcraft of the Fire Witch had failed, the Spirit Beastmaster's Demon Bear brought to heel—Amogan had schooled her from bell to bell.

What was true strength? What was a yawning chasm? What did it mean to be making it look easy? Amogan this match was the very definition of it!

Bang!

At the last moment, Winnie managed to recall Jiao Baba—but its energy was dangerously faint. The opponent might not dare kill her, but a Spirit Beast? No holds barred there. To everyone, it was time for Winnie to concede, giving the Lee family an out.

…………

"Biggest underdog in history? Still a straight 3-0 shutout."

"True gold stands the test of fire. Rose is decent, but not in the same league."

"Haha, if it weren't for Sakuman suffering heavy losses and having to compete with Rose on the Thunder Road, or if Dark Demon Island hadn’t gone easy by skipping the match altogether, Rose would never have reached the Holy Sanctuary with this kind of performance."

"Sigh, I was really looking forward to seeing Tianzhe Yifeng in action," someone lamented. "Too bad—now he doesn’t even get to make an appearance."

"Ha! Even if Tianzhe did appear, it wouldn’t be much of a spectacle. It’d be over in one move anyway, right?"

The spectators in the stands were now completely at ease, chatting and laughing. Indeed, at this point, even the dimmest spectator could spot the huge gap in strength between the two sides.

"Little sister has grown a lot. Honestly, the gap doesn’t seem that huge—it’s more about being countered," Li Fusu remarked thoughtfully. "That ice cage was just disguised as rune-based Witchcraft, but its core essence was arcane energy... Humans are still clueless about the arcane."

"Well, isn’t there a saying?" Gui Zhicai chimed in with a smile. "If it weren’t for the Supreme Sage Teacher confining the sea folk to the ocean, they’d have ruled the world by now."

Arcane energy, devoid of elemental attributes, is an entirely different system from human Witchcraft and remains the sea folk’s greatest secret and advantage. For over two centuries, humans—whether from the Nine Gods or the League of Blades—have tirelessly sought to master the arcane, establishing secret research institutions for it. Yet, they’ve gotten nowhere, and the conclusion remains the same as two hundred years ago: "humans are unsuited to practicing the arcane, just as orcs are unsuited to cultivating soul power."

The Li Xuanyuan brothers wholeheartedly agreed, but now was hardly the time to dwell on it. Li Xuanyuan shouted through his hands, "Little sister, you’ve improved so much! But that’s enough—you’ve already done great! After this, I’m taking you out for a feast!"

Every overprotective brother knows the golden rule for cheering up their little sisters: promise them a feast!

Amogan smiled. If the match ended this way, it would be the best possible outcome. The VIPs in the stands and the Holy Sanctuary’s supporters were all laughing in relief.

"True, she’s done enough. If a girl is too strong, it’ll be hard to find a man stronger than her—she might even henpeck her husband."

"Haha, she’s still just a kid under fourteen. Given Amogan’s age, this was just picking on a kid."

"That Li family girl has real potential. With proper training, she could hit ghost level someday for the Lis."

"Like the Lis give a damn about more ghost levels? What they lack is a beloved princess..."

The crowd buzzed with chatter. Rose’s supporters had long fallen into despondent silence, powerless against the chatter—until a low, furious roar suddenly cut through the noise.

"SHUT YOUR DAMN MOUTHS, EVERY LAST ONE OF YOU!"