Volume One: The Awakening of the Dragon Soul Chapter Twenty-One: The Waltz of the Sword

“Give up the struggle—you’ve lost.” The one speaking was the healer from the Red Team, the commander of the entire tactical maneuver just now.

“This is so dull, a total stomp.” The Red Team’s berserker shrugged. “Let’s hurry home and call it a night.”

“This Mo Xing isn’t all that impressive,” the Red Team’s heavy knight laughed. “And yet there are still people in the stands cheering for him.”

“Heh, all hyped up by others,” the Red Team’s archer sneered. “But in the end, he’s fallen to us.”

The Red Team’s gunner said nothing; he had spotted someone emerging from the smoke, twin swords in hand.

“There are actually so many people in the audience cheering for him?” The referee raised his megaphone, about to announce the match’s end, but was startled by the uproar outside the arena.

“Ref, don’t announce it yet—something’s changed.” Teacher Tianqi frowned deeply, his eyes fixed on the dazzling blue light shining from the stage.

“At last, he’s here.” Teacher Longlian also smiled.

“You brainless fans—your Mo Xing already lost! What are you still cheering for?” Several people in the stands shouted at fans holding up glowing signs.

“You don’t understand a thing! Mo Xing is the beacon of hope for all of us—he won’t give up so easily!” The fans clearly wouldn’t back down, firing right back.

“Enough, everyone! Look at the big screen!” Someone shouted from another row.

“It’s Mo Xing! He’s back on his feet!”

“Not good! Fall back and defend!”

The gunner shouted. As the others snapped to attention, two streaks of blue light whipped past them.

Mo Xing, swords in hand, flashed in front of the archer. The archer hastily retreated, trying to open up distance, but a strange force slammed him right off the stage.

“What’s going on?” Everyone gasped in shock.

“Plan A! Surround Mo Xing!” The healer barked new orders. The remaining three quickly closed in.

A glint of blue-violet flashed in Mo Xing’s eyes. Raising his swords, he murmured:

“Grasp of Coldwater!”

The dragon god’s power within him took form—a massive claw of water element, which instantly dragged the distant healer to his side. The other three froze in astonishment.

“Help me!” the healer cried.

“As the saying goes, capture the king to catch the thieves!” Mo Xing commanded the water-formed claw to hurl the healer straight off the stage!

Mo Xing’s mind was razor-sharp. He knew his current power was overwhelming; there was no need to injure them. As long as he knocked them all out of the arena, by the rules, it would still count as victory.

“Isn’t he an elemental mage? Why does he have swordmage skills?” the berserker shouted.

“Forget it! Don’t think—just act!” The gunner focused energy at his cannon’s mouth, unleashing the “Converging Ray!”

The Converging Ray—one of the gunner’s offensive skills—gathers a high-energy laser to strike the opponent. Its damage isn’t high, but it carries a blinding effect. As long as it hit Mo Xing, the three could launch a fierce assault!

Mo Xing smiled, leaping into the air and spinning his twin swords, drawing the air currents into his motion.

“Coldwater: Spiral Storm!”

He spun through the air, evading the Converging Ray, and suddenly dropped down in front of the gunner, lifting him off the ground with his blades.

The Converging Ray was a straight-line attack—easy to dodge with a bit of agility. Most gunners were slow to cast and move, leaving a perfect window for counterattack just before and after skill activation. Mo Xing had read all this in books, and now, in live combat, it was even clearer.

“Iron Shield!” The gunner gathered metal element, releasing a steel shield to enclose himself—a semi-transparent metallic sphere.

“Now!” the gunner shouted.

“Counterstrike Storm!” The heavy knight burst from behind, wielding a sharp spear and a sturdy shield, wind swirling around him.

Mo Xing grinned, sidestepped, and released “Grasp of Coldwater,” seizing the airborne metallic sphere and hurling it at the heavy knight behind. The knight was knocked clean off the stage by the metal ball.

A cheer erupted from the stands.

“No way! He can do that?”

“The whole scene’s been turned upside down!”

“Mo Xing is incredible!”

“I’m a new fan now!”

“So, not a stomp after all?” Mo Xing waved his swords and smiled faintly.

The berserker opposite him dropped to his knees, eyes wide with astonishment.

“You’re amazing, my idol!” Li Xiangcao darted over, chirping excitedly like a little sparrow.

“Referee, you can announce the results now!” Teacher Tianqi patted the referee’s shoulder.

“R-right, I’ll do it now.” The referee exhaled in relief, picking up his megaphone. After all these years judging matches, he had never seen a two-on-five team battle turn around like this.

“Get up—there’s no need to kneel like that.” Mo Xing extended his hand. “A man’s knees are worth their weight in gold.”

“Heh.” The berserker chuckled, pulling a small bottle of capsules from his pocket and twisting off the cap.

“What are you doing?” Mo Xing frowned.

“I want to win! I want power! I have to stay!” With that, the berserker swallowed all the capsules in one gulp, and black smoke began to pour from his body.

“What’s happening?” Li Xiangcao sensed something was wrong and clung tightly to Mo Xing’s sleeve.

“Get away from him! He’s taken forbidden drugs!” Teacher Longlian suddenly shouted from the edge of the arena.

“I’ll crush you all!” The berserker let out a beastly roar as his eyes turned black, charging straight at Mo Xing and Li Xiangcao.

“Ice Pillars!” Around Mo Xing, a ring of frozen columns crashed down to seal the demonized—no, monstrous—figure before him. But the ice was quickly dissolved by the black smoke, and the corrupted monster lunged again. Mo Xing hurriedly swept Li Xiangcao into his arms, using “Coldwater: Spiral Storm” to pull them back to safety.

As the monster tried to charge again, a magnetic force locked it in place! Mo Xing turned to see Teachers Tianqi and Longlian jumping onto the stage to help.

The stands broke out in chaos.

“What’s going on?”

“Why is he giving off black smoke?”

“Even the teachers are up there!”

“What happened?”

“Roar!” The corrupted monster bellowed, black smoke billowing from its mouth, slipping free from magnetic restraint.

“Rage Burst!” Teacher Longlian, ruler in hand, gathered fire elements around him. With a swing of his ruler, six streaks of blue-green flame erupted, igniting the black smoke in midair, which shrieked with a chilling scream.

“Ion Shield!” Teacher Tianqi raised his cannon, firing a blast of ion energy that instantly formed a sphere of ionized protection, containing the burning black smoke within.

But the smoke was unwilling to be subdued, slamming repeatedly into the ion shield.

“Mo Xing! Use your power to hold that black smoke in place!” Teacher Longlian shouted.

“Ah—alright!” Mo Xing let go of Li Xiangcao, swung his twin swords, and unleashed “Grasp of Coldwater,” pinning the ion shield sphere to the ground.

Within the burning shield, the twisted face of the black smoke appeared, screaming out:

“Our king, Kalentis—”

Thunder crashed across the night sky. The black smoke, consumed by blue flames, uttered its final words before being devoured:

“—will return again!”