Chapter 162: Chapter 157: Trapped Dragon

Isaac couldn’t remember the last time he had used the Power of Law.

The last time, he vaguely recalled, was over a hundred years ago.

His opponent had been an Elf, if he remembered correctly, who had ultimately died beneath his claws.

Most other times, he relied on his formidable physical body and Dragon Breath to crush any lesser races that dared to defy him.

Even someone at Golden Peak could be dealt with in a single swipe of his claws.

Anyone slightly stronger would be instantly reduced to ash by a single blast of Dragon Breath.

Who would have thought that today, facing a weak Elf Clan without a single Legendary Powerhouse, he would be forced to use the Power of Law for the first time in ages?

This infuriated him.

Isaac changed his original plan.

’Once I break this Array, I’ll enslave every last one of these Elves. I’ll send them to toil in the harshest mines, letting them slowly march toward death in endless pain and torment.’

The Giant Dragon, now serious, underwent an earth-shattering transformation in its aura.

A light interwoven with ash-white and blazing red seeped from the gaps in his Scale Armor, like a dormant volcano awakening from a long silence. Magma flowed slowly beneath the rock, carrying a sense of repressed, violent power about to erupt.

The aura wasn’t just scorching hot; it held an indescribable quality.

It felt as if life itself was rapidly draining away.

As if everything was destined to return to dust.

Isaac raised his draconic claw and brought it down silently upon the cyan light screen.

The grayish-red light coiling around his claw tips resembled dying embers. It appeared dim and faint, yet it concealed a terrifying power capable of turning all to ash.

HISS!

A faint sound, like embers stirred by the wind.

The cyan light screen trembled violently.

The point of impact dimmed at a visible rate, its vibrant cyan rapidly turning to a withered yellow, then to ashen white, and finally to a dead, dark shade.

It was as if that section of the light screen had lived out its entire life cycle—from vibrant life to decaying extinction—in a single instant.

Anton’s brow twitched. He instantly recognized the Law Isaac was using.

’Embers!’

’A mid-tier Law belonging to the nature category.’

’Its essence is the "transitional state" in the cycle of nature.’

’Not the violent elemental phenomenon of "combustion," but the "state after combustion."’

’This is a rule of material transformation in the natural world, falling under the domain of natural evolution.’

’If "combustion" is the ultimate release of energy, then "embers" are its aftermath.’

’It retains the residual heat of combustion while also embodying the tendency to turn to ash and return to the earth.’

’Therefore, this Law represents both destruction and rebirth.’

’Of course, for its enemies, they would only feel the former.’

The land at the edge of the forest was caught in the aftershock of Isaac’s attack, charring at a visible rate.

Bushes, flowers, and grass instantly curled, blackened, and crumbled, scattering as fine powder.

The color of the ground’s surface shifted from grayish-brown to a deathly gray, as if the very last wisp of Life Force had been drained from the soil.

Within a radius of several hundred meters, not a single blade of grass remained.

HUM!

The Runes on the light screen flickered wildly. Energy converged from all directions through the Array’s patterns, annihilating and neutralizing the corrosive force.

Watching this, the Great Elder and the others let out a sigh of relief.

The Great Derivation Cyan Profound Array had not disappointed them; it had steadily blocked the Radiant Ash Dragon’s Power of Law.

Anton, however, narrowed his eyes.

He could clearly sense that the Great Derivation Cyan Profound Array’s energy was being rapidly consumed.

’Although the Great Derivation Cyan Profound Array can block Isaac’s attacks, its energy is not infinite.’

Anton wasn’t worried that Isaac could deplete the energy of the Eternal Tree and the Life Spring Water right now, but excessive consumption would create problems for the near future.

’The Array’s defensive strength has been tested enough. Next, let’s try the Cyan-Lock Dragon-Trapping Formation.’

Anton raised his hand. A golden seal slowly spun in his palm, its oak-like patterns suddenly blooming with a gentle cyan light.

In the next instant, countless cyan vines burst forth from the ground within the forest.

They were as thick as a grown man’s waist and jade-green all over. Intricate Runes flowed across their surfaces, moving as the vines extended.

Innumerable cyan vines rose from the ground, climbed up tree trunks, and weaved through branches and leaves. Like a giant net woven from living things, they converged on the Giant Dragon in the sky from all directions.

Isaac sensed something was wrong and flapped his wings, trying to gain altitude.

But the vines were incredibly fast and numerous. They closed in from all sides, weaving together into an impenetrable cyan dome that sealed off all his escape routes.

In just a few breaths, Isaac was wrapped in layer upon layer of cyan vines, like a fly caught in a spider’s web.

The cyan vines coiled around his limbs, neck, wings, and tail. They even climbed onto his back, attempting to lock down every inch of his body.

However, the moment the vines touched the grayish-red light on his body, they would turn to ash and dissipate.

But each vine could hold on for that one instant.

And faced with their overwhelming, seemingly endless numbers, even a momentary delay was enough for more vines to swarm him.

As a result, Isaac actually found it difficult to break free from the vines’ restraints for a moment.

From a distance, the Giant Dragon looked as if it were trapped in a massive cage woven from cyan vines.

At this moment, the Cyan-Lock Dragon-Trapping Formation displayed a power that perfectly matched its name.

The Elves were already dumbstruck.

Even the highest-ranking members of the Clan were aghast, their mouths hanging open, unable to speak.

They never expected the Great Derivation Cyan Profound Array to possess such a capability.

To be able to push the Radiant Ash Dragon, who was using the Power of Law, into such a sorry state.

For a moment, the Elves were both shocked and overjoyed.

Anton’s expression, however, did not relax in the slightest.

’The Legendary Tier is the Legendary Tier, after all. It won’t be that easy to deal with.’

’The Cyan-Lock Dragon-Trapping Formation can certainly trap Isaac, but at most, it will only cause him some trouble. It can’t truly threaten his life.’

’The Great Derivation Cyan Profound Array can block the Radiant Ash Dragon, but it cannot defeat it.’

Thinking this, Anton had already made up his mind.

The Sword Pill suddenly leaped from his chest, transforming into a streak of profound gold light that enveloped his body. Like a meteor, he shot through the cyan light screen and sped toward Isaac.

Anton’s sudden move startled all the Elves, drawing a wave of gasps.

Elena was the first to react, crying out, "What is Anton planning to do?"

The other Elves were also completely baffled, not understanding why Anton had suddenly rushed out when he was perfectly safe.

Isaac might seem helpless against the Great Derivation Cyan Profound Array, but that was only because they held a tactical advantage.

The mere thought of a direct confrontation with a Legendary Tier Giant Dragon made one’s skin crawl.

Why would he leave the safety of the Array to take such a risk?

The three elders, however, seemed to have vaguely guessed Anton’s intentions. They exchanged a look, all of them frowning deeply.

Eleanor and Romance had also figured out Anton’s plan.

The former looked worried.

The latter’s face was tense as well.

The normally carefree girl showed no trace of a smile. Her jaw was clenched, and her eyes were fixed on the sky, unblinking.

「In the sky.」

Isaac was growing increasingly irritated by the cyan vines.

Although the vines couldn’t truly harm him, they were like an endless swarm of mosquitoes that he couldn’t drive away, infuriating him to no end.

Just then, he caught a glimpse of an Elf charging out from behind the cyan light screen. He was startled for a moment, and then a mixture of joy and anger surged within him.

He was joyful because while he was helpless against the strange Array, it was a completely different story if his opponent willingly left its protection to come to him.

He was furious because this move clearly showed that the Elf had no respect for him.

’Does he really think he can fight me head-on just because some Array caused me a little trouble?’

’Utterly reckless!’

The very instant this thought formed in Isaac’s mind, a streak of profound gold light shot up from below.

The contempt and disdain in his vertical pupils froze. He instinctively sensed a threat and dodged to the side.

HISS!

The profound gold sword-light grazed past his neck, leaving a deep gash in his scales.

Dark red blood sprayed from the wound, glistening with a scorching heat in the sunlight.

Isaac’s entire body trembled, his vertical pupils constricting violently.

Pain.

He couldn’t remember the last time he had felt pain.

And now, the one who had wounded him was a member of a lesser race who wasn’t even a Legend!

"How dare you..."

Isaac’s furious roar boomed like thunder, making the very air tremble.

But before he could finish, a second, a third, a fourth... a total of eight streaks of sword-light followed in quick succession.

They came from different directions, their trajectories cunning and unpredictable, so fast it was impossible to follow them all.

Isaac had no choice but to stop talking and block with his claws.

But the restraint of the cyan vines made his movements sluggish. The streaks of sword-light were as nimble as living creatures, slipping through the gaps in his defense every time to leave yet another wound on his body.

The sound of cracking scales was clearly audible in the sky.

Dark red blood rained down, landing on the cyan light screen with a sizzling sound.

In the forest, all the Elves watched, stunned.

What were they seeing?

’Lord Anton... is overwhelming the Radiant Ash Dragon?’

Cedric, Elena, and Darian were frozen in place, their expressions shifting from worry to shock, and then from shock to utter disbelief.

They stared intently at the streak of profound gold sword-light in the sky as the same thought surfaced in all their minds.

’That sword-light...’

’That signature fighting style...’

’It’s Canglan!’

’The man who single-handedly forced the Dragon Race to cower in Dragon City!’

’The powerhouse widely acknowledged across the Eldron Plain as the number one expert below the Legendary Tier!’

’He’s... Anton!’

Elena whipped her head around, her gaze sweeping across the faces of the three elders, Eleanor, and Romance.

Without exception, none of them showed the slightest hint of surprise.

Realization dawned on Elena. "Great Elder, you all knew that Anton was Canglan?"

The Great Elder nodded slightly, but his gaze never left the two figures battling in the sky.

Eleanor pursed her lips and said nothing.

’Ever since I started on the path of the Dao and learned about Sword Cultivators and the Sword Pill, I suspected that Anton and Canglan were the same person. I just kept it to myself.’

Elena, Cedric, and Darian looked at each other, all wearing wry smiles.

So it turned out only the three of them were kept in the dark.

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