Chapter 150: Earth Dragon

"Scoundrel!"

Accompanied by a roar that shook the surroundings, the aura emanating from the Earth Dragon began to plummet.

He was filled with extreme fury, glaring fixedly at Fang Qingyun below, his teeth clenched so hard they were on the verge of shattering.

The other kings exchanged glances.

Even though they harbored deep mutual hatred and wished nothing more than to slaughter one another, faced with the Earth Dragon's predicament, they unanimously displayed undisguised schadenfreude.

As a top-tier king, the Earth Dragon desired the Source, leaving the three major races with no room for refusal.

Furthermore, they were compelled to facilitate his acquisition.

When the Source was being partitioned across the combat zone, the Earth Dragon had already seized a massive advantage, claiming the lion's share.

In addition, possessing an innate and intense perception of the Source, he practically turned the entire combat zone into his personal domain.

Although it was nominally a joint contest between the three major races and the Earth Dragon, everyone knew that once the Earth Dragon intervened, the competition ceased to be fair.

The Earth Dragon alone claimed at least seventy percent of the Source, while the three major races evenly split the remaining thirty percent.

Yet, even from that meager thirty percent, the Earth Dragon still intended to skim a portion off the top.

And they were powerless to resist.

Who could blame them? The Earth Dragon possessed overwhelming strength, and as a neutral party, offending him would result in even greater losses.

But now, look at him.

The Earth Dragon had lost six avatars in one fell swoop!

How long would he have to cultivate just to break even?

Void Behemoths enjoyed exceptionally long lifespans and formidable power, but their cultivation speed was agonizingly slow.

Even through step-by-step, orthodox cultivation, it would take at least several centuries.

Although he had acquired a considerable amount of the Source, absorbing such energy inevitably entailed some loss and dissipation.

Twelve fragments of the Source were simply not enough to make up for six destroyed avatars.

At least twenty fragments were required!

How many pieces of the Source had the Earth Dragon managed to secure in this entire contest to begin with?

Not to mention, elsewhere, things had not gone entirely swimmingly for him.

Genius fighters from the other three races had also hunted down several of the Earth Dragon's avatars.

Calculated this way, the Earth Dragon's losses were staggering...

The Earth Dragon shifted his gaze toward the Prime Minister of the Heavenly Kingdom.

"What is it?" the Prime Minister asked with a beaming smile. "Earth Dragon, do you wish to have a bout with me? I've actually been rather curious about just how strong you truly are."

"Hmph!"

The Earth Dragon let out a heavy, cold snort and remained silent.

Had it been only the Prime Minister of the Heavenly Kingdom, he naturally would not have hesitated to intervene.

However, standing right beside him was Xuanji, along with the Spider King and the Demon King.

Not to mention the countless other powerful beings lurking in the shadows!

The moment a fight broke out, Xuanji would be the first to strike him.

And the second he sustained any injuries, the Spider King and the Demon King would inevitably join the fray.

Furthermore, there were certainly no shortage of powerful entities eyeing him with hostile intent; for all he knew, even the Demon Emperor and the Spirit Emperor might make a move.

If that happened, he wouldn't even be able to run if he wanted to!

"I simply want to see whether that little brat from the Human Race is truly as formidable as he claims!"

The Earth Dragon stated coldly.

The next moment, a scene that astonished the numerous powerful onlookers unfolded.

Within the barrier, one Earth Dragon avatar after another abandoned their search for the Source and began speeding toward Fang Qingyun's location.

"Earth Dragon!"

Xuanji bellowed in fury.

The Earth Dragon looked at him with cold eyes and sneered, "What? Want to make a move against me? Go ahead and try!"

Xuanji's gaze turned glacial, his aura steadily climbing, yet in the end, he did not strike.

The Spider King and the Demon King looked on coldly from the sidelines.

Fight!

It would be best if they killed each other!

And it would be even better if the Prime Minister of the Heavenly Kingdom died along the way.

Once that man perished, the overall situation of the Human Race would inevitably collapse entirely, and perhaps they could reduce humans back to being their livestock.

"Enough!"

The voice of the Prime Minister of the Heavenly Kingdom rang out.

"Let's not interfere in what happens within the barrier, provided their strength does not exceed the Divine General tier."

"But..."

Xuanji was filled with unwillingness.

Fang Qingyun was remarkably exceptional; even Xuanji found himself tempted to recruit him.

And what had this beast of an Earth Dragon done?

He had actually mobilized all his avatars to encircle and annihilate a mere General-tier cultivator.

This bastard was truly capable of anything.

He had thrown away all his shame!

In truth, had Fang Qingyun lacked his subordinates, a single avatar from the Earth Dragon might have been sufficient to dispatch him.

Yet now, he had mobilized at least thirty avatars!

Combined, this overwhelming force was nearly enough to sweep across the entire battlefield.

"Heh, no need to rush!" The Prime Minister smiled faintly and said, "Who knows, he might just be delivering food to their doorstep!"

What?

The various kings fell into a brief silence.

More than thirty Earth Dragon avatars, and you are telling me there's a chance Fang Qingyun might counter-kill them?

Ha, let alone the fact that Fang Qingyun was still merely at the General tier—even if he had already advanced to a Divine General, he would not have the slightest shred of a chance.

That was an absolute certainty!

Thirty Earth Dragon avatars were more than enough to contend with an upper-tier Divine General.

Yet the Prime Minister did not elaborate, continuing to watch Fang Qingyun with lingering interest.

"Let's see how you handle this one..."

...

Fang Qingyun's transformation was still ongoing.

The continent's Source and the Earth Dragon's Source were equally precious, each providing him with a massive amount of Source points.

Moreover, even though Fang Qingyun attempted to convert all the absorbed Source into his personal Source points, a considerable amount still permeated his physical body.

His physique began undergoing an advancement.

All his attributes were steadily rising.

Originally, Fang Qingyun had planned to increase all his attributes by 2 points and then halt the process.

However, under the influence of the infiltrating Source, nearly every single attribute increased by an additional 1 point.

Furthermore, having obtained such an enormous quantity of Source points for the first time, Fang Qingyun upgraded other aspects as well.

For instance, his swordsmanship!

It was elevated to the King tier.

As for swordsmanship covering bladed weapons, sabers were omitted.

Sabers and swords shared certain commonalities; at worst, he could simply wield a saber as if it were a sword.

His mastery of spiritual energy was also elevated to the Advanced tier.

He required higher-tier spiritual energy bullets.

The most significant upgrade, however, was his summoned beast.

Consuming 100,000 Source points, Fang Qingyun's summoned beast successfully evolved into an Imperial Lion.

This was the largest single expenditure of Source points he had ever made!

He was deeply curious about just how powerful Little Hei had become after advancing into an Imperial Lion.

A Divine General?

That would be its lowest possible tier.

His spiritual energy level had also successfully advanced, reaching the Ninth Stage of the General tier.

[Host: Fang Qingyun]
[Occupation: Martial Artist]
[Level: Ninth Stage General Tier]
[Strength: 53 (+)]
[Speed: 53 (+)]
[Constitution: 53 (+)]
[Spirit: 59 (+)]
[Spiritual Energy: 2600 (+)]
[Marksmanship: King Tier]
[Sabre Technique: Beginner (+)]
[Swordsmanship: King Tier]
[Traps: Intermediate (+)]
[Spiritual Energy Mastery: Advanced (+)]
[Technique: Slaughter Art (30 Revolutions) (+)]
[Summoned Beast: Imperial Lion]
[Source: 18443]

Nearly all of his attributes were now approaching the Divine General tier.

His spiritual energy was short by just one stage!
His spirit was short by a mere single point!

Yes, just one single point!

With his spirit having reached 59 points, Fang Qingyun was utterly certain that 60 points constituted the threshold of a Divine General.

His four fundamental attributes, including strength, had likewise reached 53 points.

These figures were similarly close to the Divine General tier.

Translated into spiritual energy grading, 53 points represented the peak of the General tier.
To be precise, anywhere from 50 to 59 points fell under the umbrella of the peak General tier.
A score of 59 meant one had placed half a foot across the boundary of a Divine General, with the potential to break through at any moment.

Of course, for Fang Qingyun, that final step could simply be bridged using Source points.

Finally, after an unknown passage of time, Fang Qingyun slowly opened his eyes.

In an instant, the people guarding him let out a collective sigh of relief.

At that moment, they felt as though they could finally breathe again.

During Fang Qingyun's breakthrough, they had been forced to retreat step by step, eventually withdrawing nearly a hundred meters away from him.

Even so, they had been suppressed to the point of suffocation merely by the unconscious aura radiating from his body.

Now, everything had finally come to an end.

The crowd gazed at Fang Qingyun with complicated expressions, letting out low, faint sighs.

Had he absorbed all of the Source?
Was Fang Qingyun now a Divine General?
He surely must be!

After devouring that much Source, if he still wasn't a Divine General, he would practically be a pig!
Does that mean he would now have to leave the Source Contestation?

"Crack!"
"Crack!"

Fang Qingyun stretched his limbs, feeling the surging, swollen power within his body.

With the slightest movement, torrents of energy felt as though they were about to detonate.

This sensation was truly familiar.

The corners of Fang Qingyun's lips curved upward slightly.

"Kid, you're still smiling?"

At that moment, a grand voice echoed in Fang Qingyun's ear.

"Hm?"

Fang Qingyun's brows twitched as he turned his head to scan his surroundings.

"Don't look around, listen with your mind!"

The grand voice rebuked him before stating, "Listen closely, run immediately! You've killed the Earth Dragon's avatars, and that old bastard has gone completely mad. He has mobilized over thirty avatars to hunt you down—get out of here right now!"

The voice gradually faded away, but the message it conveyed caused Fang Qingyun's eyes to narrow into slits.

The Earth Dragon?
He had sent out avatars again!

Splendid!

Only, to dispatch so many avatars in one breath—had that old fogey been driven insane by him?
Well, that was quite likely!

As for the person who had warned him, without a doubt, it must have been one of the kings keeping watch over the Source Contestation from the heavens.

"Let's move!"

Fang Qingyun gave a loud shout and dashed straight into the distance.

"Huh?"

The people around him froze in bewilderment.

Move?

Hadn't he just broken through? Shouldn't this be the moment for him to deliver a few inspiring words and then lead them on a glorious rampage across the battlefield?

However, Fang Qingyun's strict adherence to orders still held immense sway.

Though his subordinates found it utterly baffling, they nonetheless tightly followed on his heels.

...

"Hmph!"

Up in the sky, the Earth Dragon let out a cold snort, casting a sideways glare at Xuanji.

Xuanji maintained a placid expression.

The Earth Dragon sneered, "What's the meaning of this?"

Xuanji retorted, "Earth Dragon, what are you referring to? Your avatars? Or perhaps those demons and spirits that were just now besieging the geniuses of my race?"

With a single sentence, he completely blocked any responses from the Earth Dragon, the Spider King, and the other powerhouses.

The Earth Dragon's avatars clearly acted under his direct command.

As for the spirits and demons that had just attacked Fang Qingyun, how could they have accurately located him without hints from the Demon King and Spirit King?

Everyone had played their dirty tricks, so the pot had no right to call the kettle black.

At that moment, the Prime Minister of the Heavenly Kingdom suddenly spoke up, fixing his gaze on the Earth Dragon as he slowly said, "Earth Dragon, your avatars seem to possess the strength of Divine Generals."

"So what if they do?" the Earth Dragon replied indifferently, showing not the slightest bit of concern. "That is merely raw power. In terms of tier, my avatars remain strictly at the General tier."

He glanced toward the demon and spirit factions and added, "Not just me; the demons, the spirits, and even your human race—don't you all have individuals who can erupt with Divine General-tier might while remaining at the General tier?"

The Demon King slowly chimed in, "There is no need to debate this point. A Divine General is a Divine General, and a General is a General. Exerting the power of a Divine General while at the General tier does not elevate a General into a Divine General."

The Prime Minister smiled faintly and said no more.

The various kings exchanged glances.

Something was amiss!

Yet, where exactly did the problem lie?

Could it be that the Human Race still possessed some formidable little fellow capable of unleashing terrifying attacks?

Even with such suspicions lingering in their minds, now that the words had already been spoken, could they possibly go back on them?

The Prime Minister of the Heavenly Kingdom was not someone easy to deal with!

Besides, they possessed absolute confidence in their own people!

Especially the Earth Dragon, whose face was wreathed in a continuous, mocking sneer.

Forget about a mere General erupting with Divine General-level attacks—even if he were a genuine Divine General, he would grind him into dust!

Especially this little scoundrel!

The Earth Dragon shifted his gaze back to Fang Qingyun.

His thirty-five avatars were already closing in on the kid.

However, what on earth was this little fellow doing?
Was he setting up traps?

A flash of mockery and suspicion crossed the Earth Dragon's eyes.

Fang Qingyun and his subordinates had already halted their advance, erecting a massive barrier that completely enveloped their current location, thereby blocking the sight of the Earth Dragon and the other powerhouses.

Yet, could mere traps truly be effective against dozens of Earth Dragon avatars that exceeded the General tier and reached the quasi-Divine General level?

The various kings had no idea.

If they were in his shoes, facing the current predicament, what would they do?
Run away, in all likelihood!

Given Fang Qingyun's strength, fleeing and gradually wearing down the enemy over time would be the most logical choice.

Apart from that, there seemed to be no other viable method.

The Prime Minister's gaze swept over the General-tier subordinates accompanying Fang Qingyun.

Normally, these powerful individuals would serve as Fang Qingyun's helpers, but when faced with an overwhelmingly powerful enemy, these subordinates would instead become a hindrance.

Ordering them to scatter and flee for their lives would be the wisest course of action.

...

"My lord, the traps have been fully set!"

Inside the barrier, a high-tier General approached Fang Qingyun, dropped to one knee, and said in a deep voice.

His name was Li Zhan, and he was Fang Qingyun's most formidable warrior.

"Very good!" Fang Qingyun opened his eyes, looked down at him, and asked, "How many layers have you set up?"

"Three layers!"

"Not enough!"

"This..."

Li Zhan froze in astonishment.

Three layers weren't enough? Just how many did he need?
What on earth was he planning to do?

"Keep going!" Fang Qingyun stared intently at Li Zhan, his tone solemn. "Set up as many as you possibly can—ideally, more than twenty layers!"

Li Zhan took a deep breath and replied, "Understood, my subordinate will proceed immediately."

"You must understand," Fang Qingyun said, gazing at his subordinate with profound meaning, "all these preparations are made for your sakes. If things truly become uncontrollable, I can easily escape on my own."

"Understood!" This time, Li Zhan's tone carried a much heavier weight of gravity.

Who on earth could the person be, capable of driving Fang Qingyun to such extremes?
Could someone have violated the rules and smuggled a Divine General into the contest zone?

"Take these items with you as well!"

Fang Qingyun gestured toward the box resting before him.

Curious, Li Zhan stepped forward, received the box, and opened it. His expression changed instantly.

"My lord, these items are..."

"I hope these will help you understand just how formidable our enemy is this time!"

Fang Qingyun said with deep implication.

"Yes!"

Acknowledging the order in a loud voice, Li Zhan turned away to resume his preparations.

Fang Qingyun gazed into the distance and let out a cold laugh.

Earth Dragon...
I am waiting for you!