Chapter 175 [Dragon Burial Grounds]
The sudden roar at close range shook my consciousness so much that it almost turned into a fragile paper butterfly, scattering with the wind.
Having finally managed to gather her shattered thoughts, she turned her head, only to find a sharp claw blade closing in on her.
The startled Pegasus fluttered its wings wildly, but perhaps because it had been too frightened, the base of its wings was temporarily exhausted and it could not exert force properly. It could only stay on the ground, its limbs kicking wildly in the air, unable to move even an inch.
Left with no other choice, I held onto Pegasus's neck tightly to prevent it from falling off my back, while simultaneously casting defensive barriers to try and slow down its approaching claws.
This did have some effect, but unfortunately not much.
The dragon that attacked was far stronger than me. In addition, it was a surprise attack and it had been used to intimidate me beforehand. Even though I had a vague sense of danger, I was almost completely overwhelmed and unable to defend myself properly.
The layered barriers, like brittle glass of poor quality, were swiftly and decisively torn apart by the approaching claws amidst the creaking, unpleasant cracking sounds and the dazzling light of the shattering fragments.
The gentle breeze that had been lingering around me had long since dissipated, and I felt as if cold water was trickling down my forehead, but I had no time to care.
I gritted my teeth, struggling to maintain this almost one-sided battle of strength. The stench assaulted my nostrils, making my brain feel dizzy and numb.
There's no need to speculate further; it must contain a small amount of toxicity.
Logically, I should retreat in this situation to avoid this fatal blow, rather than foolishly staying in place to fight an opponent I can't defeat quickly. However, behind me are Hikari and her two companions, who are almost defenseless. If I step aside here, wouldn't I be putting their safety in mortal danger?
I can't do that.
Then there is only one option: to defend against the incoming attack.
However, there were a few things that made me vaguely suspicious.
Logically speaking, since entering the forest, my senses have been constantly circulating around me, and Shenxue's alertness to surrounding movements is no less than mine. However, until this behemoth attacked, neither of us detected much of its activity.
Even the Pegasus, a mythical beast far more familiar with the wild forest environment than we are, failed to notice the presence of a ferocious beast nearby, which is truly strange.
Secondly, the dragon that is attacking us now... although it used its legendary, intimidating roar when it first appeared, it has only used its claws and teeth to attack us since then.
Not to mention its thick, sturdy tail, there were no elemental spells or dragon breath, which are the hallmarks of dragons, and its scaled wings were always folded up at its sides.
Is there some unspeakable reason behind it?
Furthermore, how exactly were we discovered by the other side?
No matter how closely I examined the details of my journey, I still couldn't figure it out.
Perhaps their exploration area is larger than ours?
I was somewhat confused, and then, out of the corner of my eye, I glanced at Shen Xue, who had already decisively dismounted from the Pegasus and was stealthily rushing towards the dragon's back.
Yes, I've been waiting for her to make a move.
Needless to say, well-trained martial artists react far better in battle than in ordinary times.
At this moment, Shen Xue's state is less about approaching the pinnacle of martial arts and more about being a divine weapon that has been tempered and refined a thousand times, finally sharpening its edge.
The frosty white of the cold air rose from the earth like a crescent moon, leaving a frosty white mark in the chilly air.
The [Frost Sword], which had been gathering power, seemed to have completely broken free from the earth's gravity in that instant. It moved and turned as lightly as a snowflake, and then slashed down with unstoppable speed, bursting out with dazzling light!
I temporarily reinforced the barrier, but even so, many flying pebbles still pierced through, leaving small scratches all around me.
Through the transparent barrier that was flashing with dazzling light, I could vaguely glimpse what was happening behind it.
Without a doubt, the attack from the [Frost Sword] just now must have been effective.
The dragon's attack subsided almost the instant the sword flashed, then it roared furiously to the sky.
The dragon spread its tattered wings.
—This was the first time I had ever seen the true face of this giant dragon.
Contrary to my initial expectations, the dragon before me, despite its massive, hill-like body, was far less imposing than the dragon I had encountered before.
Its scales are like the finest obsidian, and its hard keratin layer shimmers with an orange-red glow in the sunlight. It has four pairs of curved horns, two pairs extending diagonally upwards towards the sky, and two pairs curving forward, guarding the sides of its protruding facial bones. Its eyes are like the entrance to a dark abyss, with terrifying majesty and arrogance swirling in its vertical pupils.
Its back is covered with two rows of sharp spines arranged in a neat and orderly fashion along the spine, and it has enough muscles to support its broad wings. The membrane of its dorsal scales looks majestic.
—However, this is assuming it is still alive.
Yes, the dragon before them was not a living creature, but something that had been dead for a long time.
One of its claws was already withered and thin, the flesh falling away to reveal a pale, thin skeleton covered with many small wounds; one of its eyes was no longer bright, but instead a few leaping, eerie blue flames leaked out from the gaps; its flesh was decaying, its long tail was rotting, and its majestic wings were so tattered that they were almost unrecognizable, covered in dust, and when they flapped, they would let out a whooshing sound.
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