Chapter Seven: The Dragon

Faced with a horde of iron tortoises unable to rise—no matter that these were the fearsome Death Knights—the little demons unleashed boundless combat power, swiftly slaughtering every last enemy.

When the Bloody Mountain Stronghold’s army set out again, not only was every minion now armed with excellent weaponry, but each was also clad in the Armor of Darkness, forming a complete Legion of Dark Saints.

Gazing at the thundering army, Sun Licheng could not help but sigh. Upon his initial awakening, his subordinates had been little more than a ragtag peasant militia; now, they had become a legitimate military force.

“With this level of armament, capturing the Sanctuary shouldn’t be any problem,” he muttered, flapping his wings and soaring into the sky.

Invigorated by their newfound morale, Sun Licheng’s group moved rapidly, crossing the vast plains. Ahead of them lay the headquarters of the League of Justice, the very embodiment of light, and the last bastion of the Sanctuary.

With their objective in sight, the little demons were elated.

“Charge up the Holy Mountain! Grab the gold and the women!” bellowed Benboba, the Dark Dragon Saint.

“Catch the pretty boys! Catch Genbao!” shrieked Little Red Riding Hood, her piercing voice nearly shattering eardrums.

Sun Licheng covered his face, still not entirely used to having such subordinates.

“Thank goodness no one started playing the ‘Devils Enter the Village’ tune, or we’d be the very picture of comic-book villains,” he thought as he flew above the ranks.

...

“You’re saying the enemy is upon us? Nearly three thousand Death Knights were defeated just like that?” His Divine Majesty was astounded. He had never expected Sun Licheng, with his rabble who were hardly more than peasants, to utterly overturn the situation and destroy his heavy cavalry corps.

Nearly three thousand Death Knights—a force capable of waging wars of annihilation! And yet, against a band of unarmored infantry, they had been routed, and so speedily, too.

“Could it be that the other side possesses divinity as well? Is he, in fact, a deity?” His Majesty speculated.

At this moment, the messenger continued his report: “Your Majesty, the enemy is numerous, well-armed, and wearing some kind of special armor. Our forces are powerless to withstand them. Please, Your Majesty, send reinforcements at once.”

“I understand. Tell them to hold their ground. The dragon legion will set out shortly.”

His Majesty collected his thoughts, issued his orders calmly, and dismissed the messenger with a wave.

...

In the valley, the clouds overhead blazed like fire in the sunset, while the ground below roared with flame, shouts, screams, and the clash of steel.

Sun Licheng’s assault went smoothly; with superior equipment, the little demons displayed formidable strength, and with the protection of the Armor of Darkness, the enemy’s conventional weapons were all but useless.

Thus, large numbers of Sanctuary troops were routed, and the Bloody Mountain Stronghold grew ever stronger with each victory.

“Great King, once we break this low wall, the League of Justice’s fortress will be right at the foot of the mountain ahead,” reported Master Dongguo, clad in the mythic Dark Cygnus Saint Armor, brimming with confidence.

“Excellent. Tell the lads to push harder—storm the Sanctuary, let none escape!”

Sun Licheng nodded in satisfaction, issuing his command.

“The Great King commands: storm the Sanctuary—”

Before Master Dongguo could finish, a thunderous dragon’s roar cut him off, silencing the rest of his proclamation.

From the mountaintop opposite, a mighty dragon appeared, its hide black as night, charging toward the ranks of the Bloody Mountain Stronghold like the Grim Reaper himself. More of its kin soon took flight behind it.

In a matter of moments, the shadows of dragons blotted out the entire mountain’s base.

“Dragons! Run!” Little Red Riding Hood had barely begun to shriek when Pinocchio, the fifth chief—usually so fierce—shouted and turned tail, fleeing for his life.

At his cry, the ranks of the Bloody Mountain Stronghold erupted into chaos, all turning to flee.

But running on two legs cannot outpace dragons in the sky. Before long, the dragons gathered energy in their mouths, and with a thunderous roar, a wave of searing dragonfire engulfed the valley.

Those hit were instantly transformed into living torches, rolling on the ground and screaming in agony, trying in vain to extinguish the flames—the scene was harrowing.

Again and again, more than a dozen dragons strafed the valley with their breath, carving deep trenches of fire through the ranks of the Bloody Mountain Stronghold.

Chaos reigned. The little demons were utterly shattered. Even with their dark armor, they were powerless before the dragons; even Pinocchio was set alight.

In the face of the dragons, Sun Licheng, clad in mythic Aquarius Saint Armor, finally responded.

“Diamond Dust Fist!”

With a mighty shout, he unleashed a blizzard that enveloped the nearest dragon. The beast howled in pain as it was flash-frozen, plummeting to the ground as a massive block of ice.

But soon, the surviving dragons, sensing danger, increased their speed, evading Sun Licheng’s next few attacks.

As they adapted to his techniques, the dragons began their counterattack. Streams of dragonfire, brimming with annihilating energy, bombarded Sun Licheng like artillery shells, forcing him into a frantic defense.

“Heh, must I use my ultimate move?” Sun Licheng’s lips curled into a sly grin as he muttered to himself.

Suddenly, the dragons sensed imminent peril—the energy gathering at their throats flickered out. Before their eyes, Sun Licheng radiated a dazzling light, his armor transforming. In an instant, a mythic Saint Armor with a dual-faced helmet appeared on his body.

The dragons hesitated, but the will of His Divine Majesty could not be defied. After a brief pause, they summoned their courage and charged at Sun Licheng.

Facing the onrushing dragons, Sun Licheng—hovering in the sky—slowly raised his hands and shouted, “Galactic Crush!” Then, with a forceful motion, he crossed his arms above his head.

Instantly, it was as if the entire world was crisscrossed with countless fine lines, which suddenly exploded apart.

The detonation was so powerful that space itself warped violently. The dragons caught in the attack convulsed midair, thick torrents of dragon blood spurting from their bodies, and then, with drooping heads, they plummeted from the sky.

Two dragons, miraculously unscathed, were so terror-stricken that they forgot all about the Sanctuary’s orders—beating their wings furiously, they fled.

Watching the dragons fall like rain, the remaining little demons erupted in jubilant cheers. And then, out of nowhere, the strains of “Devils Enter the Village” echoed through the air.

“What in the—? What does this even mean?” Sun Licheng nearly fell out of the sky. The scene could not have been more surreal.

No matter—victory was theirs.

With a grand wave of his hand, and to the sound of “Devils Enter the Village,” Sun Licheng led the ranks of the Bloody Mountain Stronghold into the Sanctuary. There was nothing left that could oppose them.

...

Inside the fortress was chaos; the little demons scoured every corner for spoils.

“Why is there no one here?” Sun Licheng asked Little Red Riding Hood in confusion.

“We’ve searched everywhere—there’s truly no one,” replied Little Red Riding Hood, the Dark Aquila Saint, shrugging helplessly.

“How strange. Then whom have I been fighting?” Sun Licheng scratched his head.

At that moment, His Divine Majesty had already fled back to his virtual domain.

“That was close. Who would have thought that fellow’s consciousness was so powerful? I barely escaped—what a waste of my divine power,” he lamented.

Recalling the divine force he’d expended to escape, His Majesty’s heart ached.

It turned out that after the dragon legion was defeated, His Majesty’s courage failed him. After millennia of running, he’d lost the will to face unknown powers. He dared not confront Sun Licheng’s endless tricks head-on.

That man had, after all, transformed a bunch of peasants into a formidable conquering army.

Suddenly a thought struck His Majesty.

“If this fellow can defeat me in the sea of consciousness, perhaps in the real world he could overcome the other deities? He possesses knowledge from another world—maybe he really could suppress those bastards who don’t want me resurrected.”

The more he pondered, the more plausible it seemed. After ten thousand years of effort ending in failure, now, at rock bottom, perhaps it was time to take a gamble and look for a turning point.

Besides, Sun Licheng had proved himself in the dream-battle. Those dragons were powerhouses, able to contend with angels—yet he vanquished them, demonstrating the strength of a god, or at least a demigod.

Even if His Majesty still wished to destroy Sun Licheng, he had lost the confidence of certain victory. “If you can’t defeat them, join them”—the adage held true even in this world.

“Very well, let destiny’s wheel decide it all.”

Resolving quickly, His Divine Majesty decided to stop making trouble for Sun Licheng and instead watch in peace as Sun Licheng rampaged through the world on his behalf.

“So be it. Ah, how drowsy I am. That fellow’s cost me too much spiritual energy—I must rest. Little one, do your best. For me—and for yourself.”

Yawning, His Divine Majesty finished speaking and climbed into bed.

Two days later, Sun Licheng stood at the edge of the forest, gazing out at a great river.

The water, formed from melting snow atop the mountains, ran crystal clear and cold, winding its way gently from the snowy peaks into the distance. Far off, a majestic waterfall thundered, the sound faintly audible, a testament to the awesome power of nature.

“At last, water...” Sun Licheng murmured, leaning on his staff.