Chapter 329: Dungeon Master VS Ling Tianlong (1/2)
”We've already given you face, but you chose to cross the line. This is my last warning – Open the path for us to return, or I'll smash your little underground kingdom and bury you in hell as you wished.”
Ling Tianlong's pupils narrowed like snake's eyes, and his killing intent soared. He brandished his sword and walked toward the center of the room.
”I'll be counting to three.”
The golden words on the wall taunted him.
[Oh, I'm so scared. I'm wondering what a trashy 4th-stage cultivator like you can do against me and my dungeon.]
Ling Cao shook his head and sighed, ”Take it easy, Lingtian. We're still underground.”
Ling Tianlong smirked, ”I know. Well… Three.”
The protagonist's broadsword pierced the floor, and he shoved it into the ground.
As soon as the blade sunk into the floor, Ling Tianlong finally revealed one of his powers.
”Awaken, Plum Monarch!”
The sword trembled. Then, the ground shook, generating the force of a Richter 7 earthquake.
BOOM
The sword, which had pierced into the ground, transformed into a plum tree's roots. A large trunk of the tree emerged from the ground and shot through the ceiling, expanding and growing without limits!
The plum tree absorbed Qi and Essence from the dungeon and continued growing larger. At the same time, the roots dug through the underground levels, scanning and searching through the dungeon's lower floors.
This was the effect of Ling Tianlong's immortal-grade sword, the Plum Monarch. It contained the spirit of the ancient world tree, which could transform Ling Tianlong's Wood Element Qi and Life Essence into seeds of Primordial Monarch Plum Trees.
These trees had another nickname in the immortal realms. Many immortals and dao gods called them [The Blood Plums of Calamity], one of the Seven Calamities that all dao gods had worked together to remove from their planes and planets.
Wherever these trees grew, no cultivator could thrive as the trees always monopolized natural Qi and Essence in the air into their leaves. Moreover, the roots, tree branches, and their leaves had sentience as they sought mortal and immortal blood to nourish themselves.
As such, most planets populated by these trees were considered inhabitable, and the trees became taboos in the immortal and god realms.
But now, Ling Tianlong had planted one of the trees here!
After the tree had emerged, the dungeon master didn't reply as usual. However, the dungeon floor rotated, attempting to drain back their lost energy from the tree while the enhanced bricks continued to crush weak roots and tree branches, disabling them from expanding.
The tug-of-war began as two protagonists contested the power of their familiars.
As Ling Tianlong and the dungeon master couldn't pay attention to other things, the north gate revealed the changes in the maze – Instead of having random passages and rooms, it changed into a long white corridor, stretching over several kilometers.
Ling Cao expanded his senses and activated his domain ability, surrounding his disciple and himself with a storm of plum flower petals, using them as shields against the unknown attack.
Nothing happened after the maze had transformed. Aside from the tug-o-war between the dungeon master and Ling Tianlong, the changes stopped.
Curious, Ling Cao slowly approached the long corridor.
But Ling Tianlong yelled in a panic, ”MASTER!! DON'T ENTER THAT PASSAGE!! IT'S A TRAP!!”
Ling Cao paused his feet. His right foot was only 10 centimeters away from the entrance.
Receding slowly, Ling Cao walked backward, retreating from the suspicious passageway.
However, it was too late.
TATATATATATATA
Hundreds of bullet heads flew from the other side of the corridor and hit Ling Cao's plum petal shields. The impact and the force of each 150mm shell pushed the 7th-stage cultivator back ten steps before one of the shells punctured through the shield and hit the elder's chest.
BOOM
Ling Cao was sent to the other side of the wall with the large shell. Fortunately, the elder blocked it with his arms, but his bones and ribcages were crushed by the impact.
The elder coughed as he gazed at the bullet head that he had caught. It still emitted the strange metal-like element Qi, but it seemed a lot stronger.
”Metal element stone? Wait… I sense fire element Qi…”
A second later, it turned red and ignited.
”MASTER!! THROW IT AWAY!!”
Hearing Ling Tianlong's warning again, he tossed the shell away. The next second, it exploded and covered everything in the room in flame.
The plum blossom petals were weak against flame. Upon getting touched by the fire element Qi, they were burnt to ash.
Ling Cao and Ling Tianlong braced the flame by covering themselves with their basic pseudo aura barrier. Still, their skins reddened from the burn as common essence barriers couldn't protect themselves against element Qi skills.
The flame didn't last long. After the 10 seconds of scorching explosion, the flame subsided.
RUMBLE
Yet, the master and disciple couldn't afford to relax as they heard footsteps of something large approaching from all sides.
VIIIIIII
Two sections on the walls opened, showing long corridor passages from the west wall and northwest corner. Combining with the north corridor, now, three paths had opened before Ling Tianlong and Ling Cao.
Unfortunately for them, this was their bad news. They saw two giant golems with strange long black metals in their arms, pointing weird barrels at them.
Behind Ling Tianlong, golden words formed on the south wall, mocking the duo again.
”You've picked to the wrong house, fool!”
”!!!”
BANG BANG BANG BANG!
The thunderous sound of gunshots came from the giant metal golems, followed by long pins of light that hit Ling Tianlong's chest, head, and legs.
Like his mentor, the protagonist was sent to the other side of the wall!
However, none of the bullets managed to pierce into his skin… rather… green dragon scales.
Ling Tianlong had decided to reveal his true power by transforming himself into Earth Dragonewt. His snake-like eyes stared at the metal golems with hatred.