Chapter 348: Might of the Dragon

“Careful.”

Just as Su Nian was about to fall completely into the illusion, the man’s voice, laced with concern, rang in her ears.

As she was pulled into his arms, feeling the familiar embrace and scent, everything before her eyes became real again. 

The humiliating illusion shattered instantly.

‘Saved.’

She had to admit that because of her past after being defeated, the illusions of the Bridge had a significant impact on her.

Su Nian clung tightly to the man before her, gasping for breath. 

She was drenched in sweat, looking as if she had just been fished out of the water.

At this moment, the young woman’s cheek was pressed firmly against his solid chest. 

Her nose was filled with his familiar, domineering, and clear scent.

Shame, anger, resentment… and a trace of reliance that she was unwilling to admit even to herself.

“Favorability +1%”

“Corruption Value +1%”

“Humiliation Value +80,000”

“Annoyance Value +80,000”

Demon Chu Tian did not let her go. 

He held her in a half-embrace, leading her step by step across the remainder of the bridge.

Terrified of the bridge’s influence, Su Nian gripped the man—who felt more real than reality itself—with one hand. 

Only by doing this could she avoid fearing the version of him within the illusions.

Finally, her feet stepped onto solid ground.

They had crossed the Bridge.

Before them now lay a massive cavern, appearing like an entire underground world.

The air was thick with dense, pure elements.

With every breath she took, the Magic within her body surged joyfully.

Su Nian finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Then, remembering something, she pulled away from Chu Tian’s embrace. 

Her cheeks still held a faint flush, but her expression had returned to its usual coldness.

Since her parents weren’t around, she had no reason to continue playing the role of a “loving couple.”

She needed to clear this strange secret realm and finish the mission as quickly as possible.

Su Nian looked around.

The space was so vast that it didn’t feel like it was underground. 

It was large enough to hold an entire city, even allowing Little Green to fly in its original form.

With a thought, the Starry Sky Vortex in her right eye lit up again.

“Roar—!”

Stretching its massive green wings, Little Green appeared out of thin air, its body length exceeding 25 meters.

Each of its scales shimmered with brilliance under the light. 

Every flap of its wings stirred up a violent gale.

Su Nian leaped up, landing lightly on Little Green’s broad back.

Being high up allowed her to regain a sense of control over the situation.

“This should be the final trial of the Dragon Lock Abyss.” Riding Little Green, Su Nian used her superior vision to spot a giant altar in the distance. 

Before the altar stood two rows of massive stone statues.

Based on her experience playing games in her past life, it was only logical for a final Boss to appear there!

Two people and one dragon flew toward the towering altar in the center of the cavern.

The altar was built from ancient black stone, and at its peak, a three-dimensional magic circle composed of countless lines of light was slowly rotating.

That was the Energy Gathering Magic Circle!

However, the moment they drew within 100 meters of the altar…

“Crack! Crack!”

The stone skin on the surfaces of the eight statues, each dozens of meters tall, began to crack and peel away.

Beneath the stone was a body gleaming with a metallic luster, with blue soul fire burning in the eye sockets.

Eight magical puppets!

Eight powerful and cold Saint Level pressures erupted simultaneously, locking onto Su Nian in the air and Chu Tian on the ground.

“Little Violet!”

Su Nian didn’t hesitate for a moment as she gave a sharp cry.

A bolt of Purple Lightning exploded out of nowhere, and the proud Purple Domain Spirit Cat appeared on her shoulder. 

Its body was wreathed in Thunderlight as its feline eyes narrowed at the puppets below.

“Four against eight, the advantage is still mine!” Su Nian bit her lip.

Though they were outnumbered, she had confidence in her Contract Beasts.

Besides, there was that bastard Chu Tian. 

She remembered he had a Death Knight as well.

That made it five against eight!

The battle was about to begin!

Little Green let out a furious roar and flapped its wings violently. 

Countless green wind blades converged into a dense Wind Blade Storm, raining down upon the group of puppets.

Little Violet’s figure turned into a streak of purple lightning, moving at high speeds between the eight puppets. 

Its sharp Dimensional Claw left deep gashes on their hard metal bodies, sending sparks of energy flying.

On Chu Tian’s side, his actions were even simpler.

First, he summoned the Death Knight and ordered it to charge.

Then, he raised his hand, making a crushing motion toward a puppet charging at him.

An invisible force descended instantly.

The Saint Level puppet, forged from hardened magic-conducting metal, came to a dead halt. 

Its entire body emitted the ear-grating sound of metal twisting.

An intense battle erupted in the massive cavern.

Dragon Roars, thunder, the clashing of metal, and the sounds of magical explosions blended into a chaotic mess.

Standing on the dragon’s back, Su Nian’s fingertips surged with Magic. 

Powerful Saint Level spells flew from her hands one after another, accurately striking the puppets’ joints and vital points.

Not a single word was exchanged between her and Chu Tian, yet their cooperation was incredibly seamless.

One conducted large-scale suppression and precision strikes from the air.

The other carried out unreasonable, violent crushing on the ground.

Finally, the last puppet was completely melted into a pool of molten iron by Little Green’s Dragon Breath.

All eight puppets had reached the Saint Level, which spoke to the difficulty of this illusion, but for Su Nian’s group, the pressure wasn’t particularly overwhelming.

Silence returned to the cavern.

Su Nian jumped down from the dragon’s back and walked toward the ancient altar.

This time, there were no more obstacles.

The light of the Energy Gathering Magic Circle flooded into her body.

Just as she had predicted, this formation could only be obtained by a descendant of the Su Family.

She had succeeded!

But her joy didn’t last for even one second.

“Hahahaha—!”

A piercing, greedy laugh echoed from the entrance of the cavern.

Su Changhai strode in, accompanied by several assassins sent by the Third Prince.

He looked at Su Nian, who was pale and clearly exhausted, then glanced at the “Chu Tian” who had also just finished a major battle. 

The grin on his face grew more twisted.

“My dear niece, you’ve worked hard to recover this hundred-year-old treasure for our Su Family!”

His gaze was like a venomous snake, fixed firmly on the back of Su Nian’s hand.

“The old man didn’t lie to me. He really told your branch of the family the Su Family’s greatest secret!”

“But now, all of this belongs to me!” Su Changhai’s eyes were filled with insane greed. 

“Hand it over and offer it to the Third Prince. That will be a monumental achievement!”

The black-clad assassins behind him spread out silently, blocking all paths of retreat like ghosts. 

A cold killing intent instantly filled the air.

Su Nian didn’t look at the assassins.

Her gaze simply fell calmly on Su Changhai’s face, which was distorted by greed.

She didn’t even turn around.

However, she could clearly feel the man beside her looking at her. 

There was no worry in that gaze, nor any intention to interfere. 

In his eyes, Su Changhai’s behavior was nothing short of a death wish.

Their gazes met silently.

No words were needed.

In that moment of eye contact, Su Nian read a trace of indulgent, amused mirth in those deep eyes.

It was as if he were saying: ‘Your business, you handle it.’

Su Nian inwardly complained about his “spectator” attitude.

But… he was right.

This was her business, and she would handle it.

It was time to make a final decision.

“My dear niece… I advise you to stand by your uncle’s side. Join the Third Prince and offer up this formation. I can guarantee you a lifetime of wealth and glory,” Su Changhai said sinisterly.

Offering the Su Family’s secret formation was a great feat, but offering up Su Nian was an equally great one.

If he could achieve both, it would surely grant the Su Family… grant Su Changhai absolute power!

Su Nian’s lips parted slightly as she spat out a cold phrase: “Are you even worthy?”

Before her voice had even faded, she sent out a mental command.

“Little Green!”

“Roar—!”

A furious Dragon Roar that shook the entire cavern was her response!

The green Saint Dragon perched near the altar suddenly raised its head. 

Its golden vertical pupils reflected the figures of Su Changhai and his men, who looked as tiny as ants.

It didn’t even stand up.

It simply opened its massive maw.

In an instant, the light in the entire cavern seemed to be sucked into the depths of its throat.

The next moment, a storm of destruction composed of extremely compressed wind elements erupted!

It wasn’t just wind.

It was a blade storm capable of instantly slicing steel into powder!

“Protect me! Hurry, protect me!”

The smile on Su Changhai’s face froze instantly, replaced by boundless terror.

His scream turned shrill and thin as he scrambled pathetically behind the black-clad assassins.

The assassins reacted extremely quickly.

Several of them immediately formed a battle array. 

Layers of pitch-black Qi and dark magical shields expanded in front of them, attempting to construct an indestructible defense.

However, in the face of a Saint Level dragon’s absolute power, all these defenses were as fragile as bubbles in the sunlight.

“Thud! Thud! Thud!”

There were no screams.

There wasn’t even a proper sound of impact.

Where the green storm passed, everything was flattened.

The black-clad assassins, who had survived countless slaughters, didn’t even have time for the cold expressions on their faces to change. 

They, along with their shields, were torn into a million pieces by the violent green wind blades.

The thick scent of blood, mixed with the stench of entrails, instantly overwhelmed the fresh elemental air and spread throughout the cave.

How could ordinary people withstand the might of a dragon?

When the storm dissipated.

At the cave entrance, only Su Changhai remained, slumped on the ground, heavily injured and terrified to the point of incontinence.

Blood geysered from his severed limbs, quickly pooling into a viscous puddle beneath him.

Su Changhai writhed helplessly in the blood like a crushed maggot.

“Niannian… Niannian… don’t kill me…”

He looked at the approaching Su Nian, the greed in his eyes replaced by the most primitive fear of death.

“For the sake of… for the sake of our bloodline… I am your uncle…”

Tears and snot streamed down his face. 

His voice was hoarse as he begged with the last of his strength.

“That’s right, Niannian, you know Healing Magic. I was wrong… save me, quickly save me.”

Bleeding profusely, Su Changhai felt his life slipping away. 

Looking at the only spark of hope before him, he began to plead desperately.