Shen Yuan stared in stunned disbelief at the dog glaring at him. What the hell is going on? Whose dog is this?!
But what truly baffled him was its fur color...
Orange? Dragon scale-colored?
Even more perplexing was that a Shiba Inu possessed spiritual sense. He distinctly remembered that dogs weren't listed in the Chinese Spirit Beast Ability Compendium during his last review. How is this even possible?!
Gazing at the dog before him, Shen Yuan gracefully brushed aside his bangs, a faint smile curving his lips.
As the youngest brother among the Platinum-Rank Dragon Cord Assassins of the Eternal Tomb—and the sixteenth-ranked assassin on the international wanted list—he still felt uneasy facing this dog.
He could sense its overwhelming aura, and that was what unsettled him.
Whatever! How strong could a Shiba Inu possibly be?
All they do is eat, sleep, and poop! I'm not afraid of it!
Shen Yuan gradually suppressed his own aura...
An invisible force suddenly descended from the sky, hurtling toward Xigua!
But the outcome was utterly unexpected.
Normally, such a force would have crushed a physical body into fragments.
Yet this force had absolutely no effect on the dog...
Even more astonishingly, the Shiba Inu released its own aura to confront him!
Shen Yuan instantly realized this dog wasn't here by chance; it was a guard dog meticulously placed by the academy!
Honestly, the academy couldn't care less about its students. Using dogs as campus guards? How low could they stoop?
Well, none of my business...
Faced with this sudden canine encounter, he sighed. As a Platinum-Rank Dragon Cord Assassin from the Phantom Net, he was determined to make those fools who underestimated them pay dearly.
Without warning, a Qi Blade Sword shot toward him with lightning speed!
To ordinary people, the dagger would have been as fast as lightning, but to Xigua, it moved absurdly slowly. Frankly, it was as slow as a snail's crawl. Even before transforming into a demonic hound, during his reign as the Dragon King of the Demon Realm, he had crushed land creatures far faster than this.
You think a blade like that can kill me? Keep dreaming...
Xigua lazily tilted its head, sneezed, and rubbed its nose. The dagger sliced through its fur and buried itself deep into the teaching building behind it.
Shen Yuan was stunned. He never imagined a dog could react with such agility! Before he could even process what had happened, Xigua vanished from sight, delivering a devastating flying kick that struck him squarely in the face, sending him flying several meters.
Shen Yuan rubbed his face as he scrambled to his feet. "Stupid dog... I'm going to tear your face off!"
Xigua wiggled his rear end provocatively.
Alright, you're dead, buddy!
Shen Yuan lunged at Xigua with renewed ferocity, deliberately and decisively drawing his Qi Blade Sword. "Die!"
Snap! The blade shattered, cutting off his words. "Huh? Huh?!"
Xigua had bitten through the sword! What the hell? Are this dog's teeth made of titanium alloy?!
Shen Yuan's face darkened as he faced the mixed-breed dog. He had expected an easy mission, but this... this stupid dog was here!
He leaped back several meters, creating distance.
Xigua raised an eyebrow and sneered. "Heh, running away now?" He spat out the broken blade fragments.
As he assessed the dog's strength, he realized it was at least at the Golden Core Stage, possibly higher. This kind of dog could rank at the top even in the Phantom Network...
Though Shen Yuan's voice was barely audible, Xigua heard every word clearly.
This guy isn't just pitifully weak, he's pretending to be an idiot too! A handsome, dashing Shiba Inu like me? I'm not afraid of you! If anything, the ladies are lining up to chase after me! After being humiliated by me countless times, you still have the nerve to show your face? Damn it, are you trying to get yourself killed?!
"Dragon Sword!" Realizing this dog was proving far more troublesome than anticipated, he roared, and a crimson, elegant spirit sword materialized in his palm.
Xigua instantly recognized the blade—a first-class royal sword crafted by Adidas. Such weapons were exceedingly rare, possessed only by a handful of elites worldwide. The name he had just invoked was that of the Sword Spirit.
Only Sacred Artifacts or swords forged by Immortals could sever the Dragon King's true form.
Yet even in this canine form, a kitchen knife could inflict grievous wounds.
Provided you could land a hit...
"Dragon Sword! Strike! Kill!" As the command echoed, the Sword Spirit materialized, a thousand blades surging forth behind it. The spirit, resembling a middle-aged man, immediately assumed a battle stance.
"Hmph. Let's see how you parry this, fool."
Xigua remained impassive. Fool? Kid, you're the fool here!
Just a Spirit Body—can it truly kill me?
Staring intently at the spirit, Xigua's eyes suddenly glowed, and a massive Formation materialized behind him. Then...
A deafening roar erupted!
Shen Yuan looked utterly bewildered. "What the hell are you doing?"
He had expected a beam-like energy attack, but all he got was a roar. Guess I overestimated him...
The Spirit Body froze in shock, recognizing the aura. The bark was undeniable proof! With that single roar, all the Flying Swords shattered and vanished into the ground.
F**k fighting! I can't even handle this!
It immediately turned to Shen Yuan and waved. "See ya!" Then, with astonishing speed, it leaped toward the heavens.
Shen Yuan: "..." What the hell is going on?!
Instinct screamed at him—Yeah, this isn't worth it!
He slowly turned to flee, but an invisible force field locked him in place. Xigua sneered. "Ha! Trying to escape? Where do you think you're going?" He had no intention of letting anyone leave...
Since the battle began, Xigua had been continuously absorbing surrounding energy and storing it in his core. Now, his energy reserves had reached their limit...
"Shit!" Shen Yuan realized the danger too late!
In an instant, the dog transformed into a colossal dragon, its terrifying form looming over Shen Yuan.
Holy shit! Is that Super Shenron from Dragon Ball Super?!
The dragon roared, smoke billowing from its nostrils.
Shen Yuan wet himself in terror. Memories flooded back...
This was the Dragon King who had attempted to invade Tianxu seven years ago!
But why... had he become a dog?!
In that instant, the Dragon King opened its maw and unleashed a torrent of radiant energy, a swirling vortex of endless light and shadow!
Shen Yuan's body began to float, his soul being forcibly extracted from its vessel...
Mom, Dad, Shen Qing, and Lu... I know I'm dying a virgin... but I love you all!
The entire sequence unfolded in the blink of an eye. Xigua reverted to his Shiba Inu form and burped.
"Golden Core Stage cultivators are so delicious..." Xigua yawned lazily as he collapsed onto the ground.
With all the assassins defeated, what would become of the Phantom Network now?