Chapter 82: Feint in the East, Strike in the West
Xu Han stared at the massive lizard before him. This enormous creature stretched dozens of meters in length, its back rising high in jagged ridges that looked like piles of stone. It resembled a small mountain.
Xu Han activated the Eye of Insight. A faint golden sheen spread across his eyes, and the creature’s attributes appeared before him.
[Name: Rock Dragon]
[Race: Lesser Dragonkin]
[Level: 35]
[Skill 1: Dragon Scales LV.5 (Passive: Reduces all damage by 20%)]
[Skill 2: Rockfall LV.3 (Summons a boulder to crush enemies; if shattered, the fragments continue to attack, dealing massive damage. Cooldown: 3 minutes)]
[Skill 3: Rending Dragon Claw LV.3 (Shreds enemy defenses, inflicting massive damage. Cooldown: 2 minutes)]
[Skill 4: Dragon’s Might LV.1 (Passive: The Rock Dragon’s innate dragon aura reduces all attributes of other beasts by 20%)]
[Skill 5: Stone Wall LV.3 (Summons a rock wall to block damage. Cooldown: 4 minutes)]
[Skill 6: Stone Prison LV.4 (Summons stones to form a cage trapping the enemy, then summons stone spears to impale them. Cooldown: 5 minutes)]
Gazing at the Rock Dragon’s attributes, Xu Han frowned slightly. A level 35 gold-tier boss—almost an invincible presence in this secret realm. Even if all the other players joined forces, they might not be able to defeat it. The greater the level gap, the harsher the suppression. Once the gap exceeds ten levels, the likelihood of inflicting negative status effects drops dramatically. Add to that the formidable defense of dragon scales, and whether physical or magical, almost no attack could threaten this behemoth.
Yet Xu Han’s gaze remained calm and unwavering as he stared at the Rock Dragon. “No matter what level boss you are, that Earth Dragon Flower will be mine!” he said slowly.
The Rock Dragon let out a low growl, raised its claw, and slammed it down at Xu Han. Xu Han leapt lightly, landing easily on the creature’s claw. The Frost Blue Blade flashed with icy light, leaving a bloody gash on the Rock Dragon’s paw!
The beast roared in anger, its massive body charging at Xu Han like a tank.
...
At that moment, everyone’s eyes were fixed on the giant screen at the sports field. The screen was broadcasting Xu Han’s battle with the Rock Dragon. Cries of astonishment rose from the sophomore and junior students in the stands.
“Is this kid crazy? He’s challenging the Rock Dragon one-on-one? That’s a gold-tier boss!”
“Remember that year when someone formed a hundred-man team to take on the Rock Dragon in the secret realm? The whole squad was wiped out.”
“Damn, that’s brutal.”
“No kidding. The Rock Dragon might be lesser dragonkin, but its power far surpasses other gold-tier bosses of the same level!”
“And with level suppression, there’s no way a freshman could beat it.”
Feng Qingyu’s eyes burned with excitement as she watched Xu Han. Her fists clenched tightly, and she murmured, “Excellent! This is the kind of student I want! Fearless and bold—he’s mine!”
Beside her, the sorceress Zhang Ling, clad in a deep blue robe, sneered. “You’d want a reckless student like that?”
“Well, he’s a lot like you, after all.”
“Challenging the Rock Dragon alone—does he have any sense of self-preservation?”
Several other instructors nodded in agreement.
“The Rock Dragon’s offense and defense are both top-tier in the secret realm. Only that creature at the very center is stronger.”
“This kid’s courage is admirable, but he’s too impulsive. He doesn’t consider the opponent’s strength at all. That won’t do.”
“His journey in the secret realm ends here. Overreaching fool.”
Feng Qingyu’s brows knitted. Her fiery red eyes remained fixed on Xu Han, full of determination. Deep down, she had a strong hunch—Xu Han would defeat the Rock Dragon.
...
Within the secret realm, Xu Han was locked in a fierce duel with the Rock Dragon. Minutes passed, and the beast’s health bar dwindled by a tenth. Xu Han, meanwhile, was covered in dirt, having taken a few hits from the dragon’s claws. Fortunately, his constitution was strong; the attacks had dealt no serious harm.
Xu Han’s gaze never left the Rock Dragon, his brows furrowed. He looked past the creature, toward the Earth Dragon Flower behind it. He knew the Rock Dragon’s defenses were formidable. He could whittle it down, but it would take too much time. His true goal was the flower.
He had tried several times to snatch it by speed, but every time he approached, the Rock Dragon sensed him and immediately returned to guard—making it impossible to get close.
He needed another plan.
With a wave of his hand, Little Tiger appeared at his side. Xu Han issued an order: “Little Tiger, distract it and obscure its vision.”
The beast growled and sprang toward the Rock Dragon. A gale whipped up, sending a storm of sand and dust swirling toward their foe.
The Rock Dragon’s vision was blocked by the sandstorm. It watched its surroundings warily, on guard for Xu Han’s attack.
“Frost Assault!”
A furious wind swept in from the other side, blending with the sandstorm. In an instant, a thick layer of ice enveloped the Rock Dragon.
Thunder rumbled overhead. Bolts of lightning crashed down from the sky, shattering rocks on the dragon’s back. Yet its health bar barely budged.
In the stands, the crowd shook their heads.
“Xu Han has plenty of tricks, but the Rock Dragon’s hide is just too tough—he can barely scratch it.”
“He’s wasting time here. He should be hunting other beasts to rack up points. He doesn’t know how to weigh his options.”
“He’s just giving the Rock Dragon a massage! There’s no real damage at all.”
...
The Rock Dragon stood like a mountain in the swirling sandstorm, unmoving and unshaken. Xu Han grinned, glancing toward the Earth Dragon Flower. Through the whirling dust, a figure could be faintly seen—a skeleton warrior in battered armor now stood beside the flower. Its pallid bony hand reached out, seized three blossoms, and tore them free.
Success!
Xu Han’s grin widened. This was his true plan. While he, Little Tiger, and Little Eagle attacked head-on to draw the Rock Dragon’s attention, the summoned undead warrior quietly slipped behind to pick the flowers.
The undead had no life force, and the sandstorm masked any movement. The Rock Dragon never noticed its precious treasures being stolen. It looked at Xu Han with disdain, as if mocking his overconfidence.
The skeleton warrior returned and handed the flowers to Xu Han, who tossed them to Little Tiger. The beast opened its massive jaws and swallowed them in one gulp.
The ground began to tremble. Stones rose up, encasing Little Tiger in a gigantic boulder that grew larger by the second.
Xu Han’s heart leapt with joy. At last, Little Tiger’s bloodline could be purified once more—one step closer to the legendary Titan Divine Tiger.