549 Chapter 549: Coiling Dragon (2/2)

Staggering back, the vampire tried to shatter the ice that now encased her arms, but I advanced on her, slashing mercilessly. Fortunately for my opponent, her surviving teammates descended upon me from either side, hoping to catch me in a pincer attack.

How naïve.

”Leo, Regulus.”

They had completely forgotten about the Constellation spirit I had just summoned. The lion bounded toward my side, his body flashing blindingly. Before the vampires knew what was going on, the entire space around them warped and disappeared in a fiery pillar of golden light. Four of the vampires who, in their hasty eagerness to attack me, were too far forward and thus unable to retreat in time when the fiery spell expanded. They shrieked for a brief second before they were completely disintegrated by the golden light. Seeing their teammates' demise, the rest of the vampires quickly retreated.

Then they vanished when Rossetti and Vermillion Phoenix unleashed their flames upon them.

”Richard! Are you all right?”

Rossetti landed gracefully beside me, crouching down as she held her chakrams out, almost as if they were fans.

”Yeah. Now all we have left is that fella.”

”That and the survivors!” Kufa called out as he dueled with another vampire. I nodded, but glanced at my prime target.

”Blood Hydra Claws!”

The nine serpents materialized and attempted to wrap around Green Dragon. Clenching his fingers, Xu Wu Cheng transformed them into garrote wires of blood.

”Blood Hydra Whip!”

Green Dragon grunted as the blood wires stretched taut over his armored body, attempting to cut through his diamond-hard scales with immense pressure. Fortunately, they didn't pierce through and he merely cut the whips apart with razor leaf blades.

”…!”

Dismayed that his signature attack had failed, Xu Wu Cheng fell back, but he still wasn't out of tricks. As Green Dragon pursued him, he dove and slammed his palm against the ground.

”Crimson Sphere Blood Lances!”

Countless Blood Stakes speared out of the ground, slamming into Green Dragon's armored scales. His immense bulk made it difficult for him to dodge, but fortunately my Celestial Guardian was extremely durable. More annoyed than injured, he growled and entombed the battlefield of blood spears in overgrowth of shrubs, vines and plants before having them consume the blood in a single, brutal movement.

”You just won't go down, will you?”

Xu Wu Cheng huffed as he continued to withdraw, perspiration dripping down his handsome face. Gritting his teeth, he clenched his fist and conjured more crimson mana.

”As expcted of a monster…”

He was pretty resilient himself. As much as I hated to admit it, Xu Wu Cheng was proving to be quite the formidable foe. Not that I would ever tell him that to his face. I didn't underestimate him, but he was proving far more challenging that I had anticipated. I guess I didn't take into account how much stronger he would become after drinking so much blood.

I was hoping that Green Dragon would finish him off quickly in a one-on-one battle, but Xu Wu Cheng was unexpectedly drawing the battle out longer than I would have liked. And while he continued to stall for time, the rest of his surviving cronies were closing in on me, Rossetti and Vermillion Phoenix.

I exchanged a glance with Rossetti, and the both of us moved out. Spreading his wings, boosted by Rossetti's dance and my mana, Vermillion Phoenix annihilated the remaining vampires in an instant.

”You…!”

Howling in rage, Xu Wu Cheng tried to dive at me, but Green Dragon blocked his way. Gnashing his teeth in frustration, the red-haired vampire sent another armada of blood lances from the ground that failed to pierce Green Dragon.

I didn't waste any time. While Xu Wu Cheng's attention was focused on Green Dragon, I struck.

”Getsuga Tenshou!”

Okay, that was a joke. A serious one, though. Black mana wreathing Hei Yue, I swung my black sword and blasted Xu Wu Cheng from behind. He stumbled, his body fuming, and then I thrust Bai Ri forward.

”Ugh!”

Xu Wu Cheng screamed when my white blade pierced him from behind, blood spurting from his chest and freezing as the red fluids were enveloped by my icy azure mana. The whole place exploded with white frost, the ice expanding and entombing everything within a frozen grave.

”Bastard…”

Blood dribbled from Xu Wu Cheng's mouth before freezing into red crystals. He struggled frantically, turning his head slightly to glare at me, but I gripped my sword firmly, twisting it deeper into his back and sending his body into violent convlusions.

”Stabbing me in the back…attacking me from behind…have you no honor?”

”Honor?” I snorted in laughter. ”Coming from a guy who tried to overwhelm me with numbers? Even with my friends here, you easily outnumbered us a hundred to one. Not only that, you're the guy who blackmailed a girl and turned her into your servant. And you want to talk about honor? Also, who was part of a vampire clan that launched a terrorist raid on a school full of students who weren't fully trained, without giving them any warning? I don't want to hear about honor from someone as despicable as you.”

”I'll never forgive you.”

I actually burst out laughing at that. How rich! This guy, who committed all sorts of atrocities, was acting like he was the victim here. Had he gone out of his mind?

”I don't need your forgiveness. And just a side note, I will never forgive you either. I don't care about what you did to Ji Yan, but the moment you made me your enemy, your fate was sealed.”

With that retort, I blasted his body apart from the inside by infusing my white sword with mana. Xu Wu Cheng let out one final cry of defiance before he blew up, his red-blood mana erupting with tremendous force. As I rolled away, stunned from the sudden impact, Xu Wu Cheng turned on me, clutching the gaping hole in his bleeding chest. Already the hole was beginning to close up as he forcibly channeled large amounts of mana into regenerating himself.

His regeneration skill was on a totally different level from the other vampires.

”What are you, a cockroach?!” I demanded as I glared at him, feeling more irritated at his unbelievable tenacity than cold dread.