Chapter 34
Li Ji's body swelled like an overinflated balloon. His frame, already tall, now easily surpassed two meters. Thick cords of muscle bulged beneath his skin, and feral veins coiled around them like writhing snakes. His eyes faded into an eerie, pale shade, leaving behind only the faintest trace of gray in his pupils.
With a thunderous roar, Li Ji's aura surged again, its pressure growing denser and heavier, rising even higher than before.
Locked in the Red Dragon's claws, Li Ji twisted his body. He pried apart the dragon's massive fingers, braced his feet against them, and shot out like a slippery fish, darting straight toward the dragon's face.
His fist moved lightly, almost lazily, but before it even landed, a deafening bang rang out. The Red Dragon's enormous body hurtled backward, skidding hundreds of meters through the air before it managed to steady itself. A shallow crater-like fist mark was left on its abdomen.
Staring at Li Ji in disbelief, the dragon barely had time to react before Li Ji vanished.
When Li Ji appeared again, his hand was already clutching the dragon's head. His fingers, like iron claws, sank deep into the dragon's thick, scaly hide. Without hesitation, Li Ji yanked the Red Dragon down with him, crashing both of them into the nearby lake. A wall of water, hundreds of meters tall, exploded into the air.
At the bottom of the lake, Li Ji's left hand condensed an air bomb and forced it down the Red Dragon's throat.
A dull, muffled boom sounded within the lake's depths. For a moment, the surface remained unnervingly calm—then, an enormous shockwave erupted outward, sending waves crashing in every direction and submerging the surrounding plains.
Far above it all, Li Ji calmly hovered, two air bombs floating at his sides, watching it unfold.
The water rolled back to reveal the Red Dragon's form half-submerged at the bottom. Then, with a sharp crack, the beast's massive body launched skyward, its wings flinging water everywhere as it ascended.
Its movements were still fierce, but a gaping hole marred its abdomen, spoiling the dragon's otherwise imposing figure.
"You're quite something, Trialist," the Red Dragon snarled, hovering before Li Ji.
Li Ji smirked without a word, his fingers slowly rotating as the two air bombs spun around him. His gaze fixed on the wound in the Red Dragon's stomach, clearly intending to deliver another blow.
Sensing danger, the Red Dragon's wings trembled as it shot toward the volcano's crater.
"Allow me to show you the true power of the Red Dragon."
The beast opened its jaws wide, generating a terrifying suction force that drew the roiling magma from deep within the volcano into its maw. As it devoured the molten rock, the color of its body darkened, and the wounds on its flesh slowly knit themselves back together. The very air around it grew hotter.
Li Ji crossed his arms, his expression indifferent as he watched the transformation.
"You didn't try to strike me while I recovered? That's… unlike you." The Red Dragon's form had fully shifted, its body now dark crimson, the gashes and fist marks gone. Only its eyes remained changed — once bright and ruby-like, now they were dull and muddy, like crimson gravel.
"Your state seems unstable," Li Ji said flatly, "but it doesn't matter."
"You underestimate the power of the magma-infused Lava Dragon," the beast growled, smoke curling from its nostrils.
But Li Ji clearly wasn't interested in hearing the rest. In a flash, he kicked off the air, unleashing a streak of invisible force that struck the Red Dragon's tail, leaving a pale mark.
"Is this your new trick?" The Red Dragon's tail flicked, brushing off the attack like a minor irritation.
Li Ji's expression turned serious. After transforming, the Lava Dragon's strength had increased sharply. Its defenses were far beyond what they'd been before. Earlier, his punch could pierce clean through. Now it barely left a dent.
"A good technique," the Red Dragon mocked, "but the wielder's power falls short."
Li Ji's face remained cold. Without hesitation, the two air bombs darted toward the Lava Dragon.
The dragon turned midair and struck with its wings, batting the bombs off course. They crashed into the ground far below, erupting into twin craters hundreds of meters wide.
But Li Ji wasn't fazed. His qi burst outward as he teleported near the back of the dragon's head, a larger air bomb forming in his hand.
"Do you think the same trick will work twice?" the Lava Dragon snarled, its massive head twisting 180 degrees to glare at Li Ji. Its blood-red eyes glinted ominously.
Li Ji thrust the bomb forward, aiming for the creature's eye.
The Lava Dragon opened its mouth. A torrent of searing flames erupted, engulfing Li Ji in an instant.
"You should realize your limits," the Lava Dragon growled, rising higher into the sky. Its wings beat the air as it opened its jaws once more, unleashing a barrage of hundreds of blazing fireballs.
"Ahhh!" Li Ji's furious shout echoed as his qi flared, dispersing the flames around him. But the fireballs came down like meteors.
He felt something scalding in his trouser pocket, but there was no time to check it.
Li Ji's figure blurred as he rolled and leapt backward dozens of times, narrowly dodging the falling fireballs. A massive boulder, several meters wide, lay ahead. With a sweep of his leg, he sent it hurtling toward the Red Dragon at terrifying speed.
Using the rock as cover, Li Ji dashed forward, hoping to land a decisive blow.
"Pointless!" the Lava Dragon spat a stream of blood-red flames. The rock liquefied on contact, molten droplets splashing dangerously close. A few landed on Li Ji's thigh, searing his flesh.
His right leg throbbed in agony.
"The speed again… you're getting faster," the Red Dragon muttered, narrowing its eyes.
It could sense Li Ji's growth. Despite the mounting exhaustion, his strength had risen four or fivefold since the battle began.
No — this has to end now. Something about him feels… familiar. And it's starting to piss me off.
The Lava Dragon's hostility spiked.
With a single flap of its wings, it shot forward like a crimson meteor. Li Ji's body flickered, weaving through the air, his speed blinding, but the Lava Dragon's gaze tracked him at every turn.
The burn on Li Ji's leg worsened. He couldn't land for even a moment — the dragon would catch him the instant he touched ground.
"Got you," the Lava Dragon snarled.
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