The monstrous dragon's hideous head gaped open, and countless energies began to converge into its maw. But this time, the breath it unleashed was not directed at the assembled group.
The dragon's head tilted high into the sky, and the terrifying energy gathered in its mouth was released upwards.
The next moment, the energy shattered the red clouds that permeated the high heavens, exploding in mid-air.
Subsequently, countless points of light, like a torrential downpour, descended densely upon the ground, triggering wave after wave of explosions.
The group charging towards the dragon, dumbfounded, no time to think, could only dodge these dense light projectiles.
With a single move, their formation was disrupted, and their hard-won, re-integrated offensive instantly dissolved.
Not only that, but the shockwaves from the successive explosions aside, the raised dust alone deprived them of their vision.
Lost in the billowing dust and smoke, they were like lambs awaiting slaughter, stripped of their ability to resist.
Mò Shāng also hadn't expected their organized assault to be so easily shattered. Feeling the countless light projectiles raining down from the sky, piercing the dust and exploding all around, accompanied by the sounds of detonation.
Covered in dust, he gritted his teeth!
"Heroes must not flee from battle!"
Although he had long anticipated that victory wouldn't be smooth sailing, this situation still exceeded Mò Shāng's expectations. He had originally planned to save his final strike.
But now, he had no choice but to unleash it prematurely.
Though ill-timed, it was precisely the right moment!
Mò Shāng stabilized his body forcefully, then brought his dual pistols together, reassembling the shattered Herrscher Core.
The next moment, the complete Herrscher Core began to emit terrifying energy fluctuations.
"Come, this time I will load my own life into the barrel and be reborn in flame and destruction."
A massive amount of Honkai energy surged from the Herrscher Core, flowing down his arms and into Mò Shāng's body.
The excessive Honkai energy was too much even for his Honkai adaptation, and it began to continuously erode his body.
Mò Shāng felt as if he had been thrown into molten iron; every inch of his skin was suffering from the agony of burning, and even his internal organs were not spared.
He gritted his teeth and exhaled, feeling as if his throat were being cooked.
This was merely unlocking the Greatsword of Heavenly Fire form, and it was already causing him such distress. He couldn't imagine what unlocking the Jie Mie form would be like.
Mò Shāng's eyes were now bloodshot, as if filled with boundless rage. He glared fiercely into the dust-filled expanse ahead.
"Open sesame!!!"
Gripping the reassembled Greatsword of Heavenly Fire tightly with both hands, he twisted at the waist, swung the greatsword, and swept it forward.
The next moment, boundless Honkai energy transformed into endless flames, forming a terrifying slash that swept away all the dust in a single blow.
Then, with undiminished momentum, the sword light tore through the sky, destroying countless light projectiles and creating waves of violent explosions in the air.
const explosions sparked a conflagration, like the rising of the midday sun, dyeing everything around white.
Unaware of the situation, the group hadn't yet reacted when their vision was stolen by the blinding white light. Their eyes, forced shut, began to water.
The dragon's assault paused. It once again sensed the violent energy fluctuations; its delicious prey seemed to be beckoning it.
It spread its wings, preparing to ascend into the sky to observe the situation on the ground.
However, at this moment, Mò Shāng had already burst from the smoky area and was charging towards it.
"Trying to fly? Not a chance!"
Mò Shāng gritted his teeth and roared, "Unleash it to your heart's content, elemental power!"
Empowered by the Honkai energy from the Herrscher Core, Mò Shāng had entered a "high-combustion" state. It wasn't just his blood that was boiling, but also the Honkai energy and elemental power within him.
With almost no regard for the consequences, the grass elemental power was also fully released. Affected by it, countless vines, as thick as arms, extended from the ground, accurately entangling the dragon.
This was a small trick, but it was very effective.
The dragon Beelzebub, its ascent forcibly interrupted, was furious.
Just as it was about to break free from its restraints, precise shots echoed from the distance, one after another.
Even armor-piercing sniper rounds posed almost no threat to the evolved dragon. Not only could they not penetrate its defenses, but they would also be deflected.
But this time, the attack was clearly not so powerless, because the attacker was Tifasis, the long-range support member of the Ling Yan squad.
As a Qualified personnel, she possessed the ability to imbue objects with gravitational fields. When this ability was applied to bullets, they became Gravity Bullets.
Each bullet exploded on the dragon's body, creating small gravitational zones. Although the range of influence was limited, when their numbers increased, they could form an area of gravitational distortion.
The dragon clearly hadn't anticipated this. With its balance thrown off by gravity, its movements became uncoordinated.
The already tight vines now constricted even further.
Sniper bullets, with this kind of effect?
Mò Shāng only had a fleeting thought. His actions didn't stop. Instead, he seized this opportunity to leap high into the air and then thrust the Greatsword of Heavenly Fire into the dragon.
With a single blow, the hard blue-and-red bone armor seemed like crumbling mud before the Greatsword of Heavenly Fire, easily pierced.
The dragon cried out in pain, struggling even more violently.
At the same moment, Ling Yan and the others, a beat slower, also rushed out of the smoke.
Seeing that Mò Shāng had engaged the dragon with Tifasis's help, they also refused to be outdone.
"Little brother is so amazing! Carol is here to help too, take this Rising Dragon Fist!"
Carol leaped onto the dragon, using its body for leverage to launch herself. She clenched her massive mechanical fist and punched the dragon's neck.
She had originally intended to aim for its head, but unfortunately, the dragon's head was too far away, and she couldn't reach it.
"Want to fly? Then I'll break your wings first!"
Ling Yan's objective was more precise. She aimed for the dragon Beelzebub's wings, clearly understanding the consequences if it took to the sky.
Seizing this excellent opportunity, she intended to put an end to it once and for all.
The fully charged greatsword released an energy blade exceeding five meters. With an aerial strike, she slashed at the base of the dragon's wings.
Sparks flew.
The dragon's defense was far greater than before. Ling Yan hadn't expected that her full-power strike would only create a notch.
"It's finally my turn, watch this Swift Thunder—Slash!"
Xīngchén, the last to arrive on the battlefield, saw everyone fighting individually. She didn't have time to think. Her dual blades crackled with electricity as she engaged with incredible speed, unleashing a storm of attacks.
With its movements restricted and only able to passively endure the onslaught, the dragon was provoked. It began to gather energy in its mouth regardless of the consequences and unleashed it towards the group.
"Quick, dodge!"
Everyone was startled. They hadn't expected the dragon to be so ruthless that it would even attack itself.