Chapter 522: Backstab and Reaction

Forcing the planting of one Ice Tree requires consuming 50% of one's internal spiritual essence.

Given Rod's absurd recovery ability, where a single deep breath restores nearly half his spiritual essence.

Eighty-six 【Wailing Ice Trees】 is not the limit.

It is merely that, considering future battles, Rod avoids appearing fatigued from frequently draining and suddenly recovering his essence, so he is forced to control the frequency.

Excluding the guaranteed twelve Ice Trees, planted at a rate of one every five minutes.

In one hour, he forcibly drained half his spiritual essence a total of seventy-four times.

This rate would seem absurd even for an Eighth-Rank Spiritual Warrior, though Rod himself is not satisfied with it.

In the end.

It is simply that the body is not strong enough!

However, the +4 【Yudian's Ice Blade Domain】 reaching a 430% additional amplification should be sufficient.

Pfft—

A foul, hot wind suddenly surged into the relatively narrow canyon fissure.

Rod opened his eyes.

He looked up.

From that 'narrow' sky, he saw a crimson red dragon diving wildly, its broad wings spread.

Its angry eyes and majestic dragon horns exuded immense pressure, naturally carrying arrogance and disdain.

Its vibrant scales were like a burning furnace; merely approaching it made one feel the heat boiling.

Red Dragon Nas!

Behind it followed closely the Black Dragon Mikhail, its wings injured.

"Roar!!!"

The dragon roar thundered down.

A violent air current, carrying the terrifying majesty of the giant dragon, wildly assaulted Rod's nerves at the canyon bottom.

Rod stood motionless.

Behind him, a massive amount of blue-white soul mist spread out recklessly, and the huge white dragon body coalesced at a visible speed.

Although his White Dragon War Soul was scaleless.

Under the covert cooperation of the Halfling Lily using 【Phantom Giant Dragon】 and the Illusion Domain, these external flaws were completely filled in.

A white dragon possessing ice-like white scales and a fierce, wild appearance descended suddenly.

Like a beast, it raised its head without fear.

It let out a dragon roar at Red Dragon Nas!

"Roar!!!"

In the canyon.

The air currents from the dragon roars of the two giant dragons, one above and one below, collided.

The former carried inherent scorching heat, like lava on a volcano.

The latter, spreading an ice domain, already carried the chill of frost in every move.

One hot, one cold.

The moment the invisible air currents collided, they suddenly exploded into a huge mass of white water vapor.

The portion flowing back toward Red Dragon Nas instantly evaporated.

The portion flowing back toward Rod's side condensed into mist and quickly dispersed throughout the canyon.

Mikhail behind him laughed outright.

Those without brains are just fierce!

But the stronger the white dragon, the better! The stronger it is, the higher their chance of defeating Red Dragon Nas!

Nas! Your era is over!

Hahahaha—

Rod was not as excited and agitated as that old scoundrel Mikhail.

Because what he was about to face.

Was the most violent and fierce flame breath among the Five-Colored Dragon breeds.

The white ice mist above blurred that crimson dragon silhouette.

Rod, possessing the 【Insight Demon Eye】, would naturally not have his vision obscured by such trivial ice mist.

He saw the red dragon in the sky heave its chest, orange-red light shining through the gaps between its scales, with spiritual essence moving within its body like molten rock.

"Roar—!"

With a roar that shook heaven and earth, the red dragon suddenly opened its massive mouth, and a torrent of scorching flame erupted like a wild dragon.

Rod cast 【Dragon Scale Technique】.

He was just about to follow Black Dragon Mikhail's suggestion and choose to dodge when facing the first flame breath.

However.

A long-awaited new amplification on the panel made him pause slightly:

【Tree Armor Technique (Enhanced to 'Dragon Scale Technique'): A special enhancement for individuals with the 'Tree Blessing' when casting Tree Armor Technique, corresponding to different abilities based on the type of trees in the forest.

Current Trees: Wailing Ice Trees

Amplified Skill: Frost Burst】

【Details: The individual's ice-type skills gain the 'Frost Burst' attribute once every 5 minutes, increasing burst damage by 110%.】

Once he finished reading.

Rod burst into wild laughter, advancing instead of retreating.

"I've been charging that ice tree for so long — it'd be a waste not to trade a blast with you!"

He instantly surged all the spiritual energy in his body, channeling every last drop into 【Udian's Ice Blade Domain】.

The White Dragon war-soul's even more bestial head whipped about on its thick neck.

Then it suddenly wrenched its massive jaws open.

The next instant.

A pillar-shaped breath combining the pale-white cold air with an eerie deep blue slammed head-on into the fire breath laced with the heat of warped space.

"Fool!"

The Black Dragon Mikhail witnessed all of this.

He immediately cursed in his heart at the brainless, reckless idiot — didn't I tell you to dodge the first dragon breath first?!

Red Dragon breath is notorious for its ferocious power.

Not to mention frost is already at a disadvantage against the fire element — trading blasts head-on is just asking for a beating!

But the moment he saw clearly, his eyes went wide.

The frost tinged with that eerie deep blue exploded violently the instant the two collided.

It actually blasted the Red Dragon's fire breath back a good distance.

How is that possible?!

An advantage???

That's way fiercer than my acid breath!

The Black Dragon was still staring dumbfounded.

Then he saw the frost breath clearly run out of steam, rapidly pushed back by the flames.

Only then did he settle down.

Thank goodness, thank goodness.

Just a strong burst — still pretty good, White Dragon brother.

And precisely because of that one violently explosive blast of frost, this exchange of breaths ended up in a brief equilibrium, and once both sides' spiritual energy and fire sacs were completely drained, no damage was dealt at all.

Rod gave a cold snort.

He stepped out of the Spiritual Overload state.

【Spiritual Overload: After active use, enters the 'Overload' state. Consumes a small amount of spiritual energy per second. All spiritual arts cost increases by 15%. Base attributes enhanced by 20%. All spiritual arts effects enhanced by 30%.】

The 【Love Grass Bracelet】 in his hand had also turned a dull gray.

【Love Grass Bracelet: A bracelet steeped in deep affection, capable of amplifying the power and effects of spiritual arts and spells by 2-5 times.】

This one-use magic item obtained from the cat-sprite witch cat had finally had its debut.

Although in the end it didn't exactly earn any great merit.

Damn!

A dragon's breath really is freaking fierce!

But then again, Rod was just unlucky.

The 【Love Grass Bracelet】 only rolled the lowest amplification of 2x — otherwise he really might have won the breath exchange.

He watched the Red Dragon in the sky let out another roar.

Just as the Black Dragon had said, it dove down for a melee brawl.

Rod sucked in a deep breath, instantly replenishing the spiritual energy he'd spent.

He drove the White Dragon war-soul to charge in.

【War-Soul Charge】!

The Red Dragon Nas shuddered all over, an angry look appearing on his majestic, domineering dragon face.

Using the inertial force of his charge, he drove the war-soul back step by step.

"Is that all you've got?!"

The Red Dragon taunted with a roar.

Rod didn't answer — he knew the Black Dragon would make his move soon.

Sure enough, just as the Red Dragon launched another attack.

The Black Dragon Mikhail, who had been slacking off and watching the fight, suddenly dove, viciously pouncing onto the Red Dragon Nas's back from behind.

However.

The Red Dragon Nas, as if he'd foreseen it, suddenly whipped his head around and lunged back hard.

He displayed Gao Chao-level deflection and brawling skill, twisting with the momentum to slam the Black Dragon Mikhail, who'd ambushed from behind, down against the towering cliff face.

His massive dragon body slammed into it with a thunderous crash, sending dust billowing and stones flying.

The rock on the mountainside couldn't help but show cracks and collapse.

Mikhail's eyes nearly split with rage, utterly terrified.

"You think I don't know the little tricks you've been playing, Mikhail?!"

The Red Dragon Nas roared furiously at him.

"I, the Red Dragon Nas, have been waiting for this moment to finish you both off at once!!!"

(End of Chapter)