The golden blade light cut through the air, carrying a sharp edge as it slammed heavily into the monster's body.
BOOM!
With a massive crash, a deep wound was carved into the monster's leg. Deep grey death energy gushed out from the gash, spreading through the air like black blood.
However, the monster's movements didn't seem particularly hindered; instead, it was provoked. It let out a deafening roar, and its giant claw swiped down fiercely at Po Kong.
“Tsk, the hide on a monster this size is really thick! Even with a Saint weapon, it's hard to hit a vital spot!”
Po Kong complained as he retreated a few steps, attempting to dodge the claw strike.
But he clearly underestimated the monster's reactions and speed. Before he could move to safety, the claw radiating death energy was already before his eyes.
Seeing he couldn't avoid the blow, Po Kong quickly raised the Sacred Wood Phantom in front of him, bracing for the impact.
But the giant claw halted mid-air less than a meter away from him. Stunned, Po Kong glanced to the side and realized Yserazor, who had been standing in the back, had made his move.
“Stop... right there!” Yserazor growled. He raised his hand slightly, silver light flickering in his palm. The hundred-meter-tall monster was frozen in place by an invisible layer of spatial power.
“Stay your hands for a moment. This fellow... feels familiar.”
After restraining the monster, Yserazor reached out to stop Starlight and Moen, who were preparing to strike.
Starlight and Moen stopped immediately upon hearing this. Starlight frowned and asked in a low voice, “You know this monster?”
Yserazor didn't answer immediately. Instead, he strode toward the monster bound by spatial power.
The monster seemed to sense the approaching danger and began to struggle frantically to escape his control.
But in the hands of the Rift Dragon King at his peak, even using all its strength only allowed its body to tremble slightly within the spatial lock. Only its crimson eyes, hidden beneath the death energy, darted around incessantly.
Yserazor's gaze swept over the monster's body with an ill-tempered expression, finally settling on its upper chest.
He reached out and made a grasping motion from a distance. The death energy surrounding the monster's chest was instantly stripped away, revealing the azure scales beneath.
At the center of the scales, Starlight could see a Dragon Tongue rune glowing with a faint golden light, flickering slightly.
“As I thought...” Yserazor's face turned exceptionally grim. His voice was low and cold, as if suppressing an endless rage. “This isn't ordinary corruption; it has been forcibly twisted by some power. It seems someone is making a move against our Dragon Race...”
“You know this guy?” Starlight and the others asked as they approached Yserazor.
“Do you see this?” Yserazor pointed to the golden rune on the monster's chest. “This is the bloodline record I mentioned earlier. You can think of it as an identification document in the human world.”
As his finger traced through the air, the rune began to glow.
“All dragons born in Dragon Valley must have their respective titles recorded by the Dragon King of their clan. This is also a management method for us to ensure every dragon's identity and bloodline can be traced.”
“The fellow before us is Ikana of the Blue Clan. He is considered an adult Blue Dragon and is the right hand of the Frost-Glow Dragon King—a respected warrior among pureblood dragons...”
“What?! He's a pureblood dragon?” Po Kong's eyes widened as he looked up at the monster in disbelief.
“But... how did he end up like this?” Lian asked softly, a trace of fear in her eyes. “Aren't adult dragons supposed to have excellent magic resistance?”
Yserazor's expression darkened further as he clenched his fist. “I don't know. I never imagined any power could turn an adult dragon into this. However... Ikana seems to retain some shred of consciousness, so I intend to get the truth from him.”
With that, Yserazor flicked his finger. The spatial power binding Ikana's head quietly dissipated. Simultaneously, the death energy covering Ikana's head was stripped away, revealing his original appearance.
Once the grey shell was removed, Starlight and the others saw the monster's true face.
Although the original azure scales had become riddled with holes and lost their luster under the corrosion of death energy, his draconic features were still faintly recognizable.
His lofty head still maintained draconic dignity, but his eyes were so red they looked like they might drip blood, forming a sharp contrast with Yserazor and Little Gold.
“Ikana...” Yserazor called out in a low voice. “If you can still hear me, tell me, what happened? Who turned you into this?”
“Where did my sister, Frost-Glow Dragon King Cantia, go? Does she know about any of this!?”
As he asked, Yserazor's aura as a Dragon King instantly erupted.
Under the suppression of the Dragon Might, Ikana's head trembled slightly, and a flicker of struggle flashed in his blood-red eyes.
A low whimper came from his throat, as if he were trying hard to suppress something.
A moment later, his festering mouth opened slightly, and a broken, raspy voice emerged: “L-Lord... Yserazor... run... quick... they... are here...”
“They? Who are they?” Yserazor pressed.
However, before Ikana could finish, his body shook violently. Pain and madness surged in his bloodshot eyes, and his voice became distorted and hideous: “No... I can't say... I can't... ARGH!”
A shrill roar erupted from his throat, as if some power were forcibly suppressing his consciousness.
Immediately after, his body began to struggle violently, even causing the spatial lock to show signs of cracking.
Deep grey death energy gushed from his body again, attempting to recover his head.
“Watch out, Yserazor!” Starlight warned loudly. He realized Ikana was on the verge of exploding. The deep grey death energy swirled frantically around his body as if it might go out of control at any moment.
Yserazor noticed this as well, but he didn't give up, trying to buy more time.
He stared intently at Ikana and roared, “Ikana, hold on! Tell me, who did this to you?”
But in the next second, a low roar came from Ikana's throat, and a foul grey breath erupted from his mouth, heading straight for the group.
The breath was saturated with dense death energy, corroding even the cold air and making a sizzling sound.
“Dammit!” Yserazor snorted, a flash of anger in his eyes.
He raised his palm abruptly, and invisible spatial power instantly sealed the mass of grey breath. The breath was rapidly compressed in the air, eventually turning into a fist-sized grey orb floating in his palm.
“Hmph, a mere parlor trick dares to be so insolent before me?” Yserazor said coldly, then glared at the mindless Ikana. Spatial power surged again, and Ikana's head was firmly bound, standing there like a statue, unable to move again.
“It seems the enemy left some kind of restriction in his soul. Once it touches on critical information, it forcibly suppresses his consciousness.” Moen had analyzed the situation. “This method is very sophisticated; I have no way to break it.”
“Noah, do you have any ideas?” Starlight thought silently.
Of everyone present, the one with the most knowledge of souls was undoubtedly Noah, who was a soul himself. Starlight naturally thought of him first, hoping to gain some valuable insight.
[Image below]
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