215: Chapter 216 The Golden Gate Symbolizing the [Future]: The Third Showdown and the Human King's Spatial Staff

Before the golden and gem-encrusted gates of the royal castle, blood-stained gravel and broken soldier swords lay scattered across the bridge spanning the castle moat, where two legions of vastly different temperaments met.

One side was led by Bai Ye, a legion of elves and Treants exuding a fresh, natural aura, with green wood element motes of light drifting down from the Treants' canopies as they moved. The other side was led by Gray, a Dragon legion exuding a thick, bloody scent, where Dragonmen wielding dragon-slaying weapons wore bloodthirsty smiles.

Bai Ye raised the elf greatsword held tightly in his hand, its tip pointing directly at Gray as rainbow elemental glimmers flowed along the blade. With one hand, he removed the green mask from his face and casually tossed it onto the canopy of the Treant commander behind him; his long white hair was tied back, and his gaze was sharp as he looked at the grey Dragon before him.

Gray landed in front of the Dragon legion. As his massive grey Dragon wings folded, the Dragonmen, Sub-dragons, and Earth Dragons behind him let out roars to welcome their Dragon Emperor. His grey Dragon scales shimmered with an eerie cold light under the midday sun, and the six elemental gems between his brows released astonishing elemental energy. A terrifying dragon pressure pressed down on Bai Ye's side like a physical force, causing even the elements in the air to tremble violently.

The gazes of the man and the Dragon collided in mid-air, and an invisible Battle Intent instantly enveloped the entire Royal Capital. Without a single word of nonsense, past hatred, the bonds of destiny, and the future of their races were all condensed within this silent confrontation.

Bai Ye gripped the elf greatsword as the seven-colored elements around him suddenly surged, causing Gray's dragon pressure to falter slightly. "Last time, I let you escape by luck. Meeting again this time, you must have come to destroy the Human Kingdom. Whether it is battle or cooperation, my elf race fears nothing."

"Last time, I was almost killed by you." Gray's voice carried the characteristic low rumble of a Dragon as his Dragon tail swept casually toward the stone railing of the nearby moat; the solid granite shattered into powder in an instant. "This time, I will not only slaughter all humans but also thoroughly crush you, your race, and that tree in the Underground World into dust."

As soon as he finished speaking, the man and the Dragon charged at each other simultaneously. The shockwave from the collision of the elf greatsword and the grey Dragon claw kicked up a vast cloud of dust that obscured their vision.

Gray's figure quickly flew backward out of the dust and hovered in mid-air. His grey Dragon wings unfurled, and with a powerful flap, he blew away the dust on the ground.

With a sharp whistle that pierced the air, Bai Ye held the elf greatsword and slashed at Gray in the sky, shattering the earth element Rock skin wrapped around the Dragon claw into pieces.

Gray opened his Dragon maw and spat a rainbow Dragon breath composed of the six main elements at Bai Ye's head (because the elements strengthened by the [dragon emperors crown] do not include the wood element). Bai Ye tapped his toes and drifted back like willow catkin, while simultaneously swinging the elf greatsword. A condensed rainbow Sword Qi slashed directly at Gray's descending flaming Dragon claw. Everywhere the Sword Qi passed, the air was torn into a faint vacuum trail, and the roar of the sonic boom caused the elves behind him to cover their ears.

"Clang—!"

The Sword Qi and Dragon claw collided, producing a massive sound of clashing metal. Gray's Dragon claw went numb from the shock of the Sword Qi, and the flames wrapped around it were dispersed, causing his figure to pause slightly. Bai Ye was pushed back several meters by the counterforce, flipping gracefully in the air before slowly landing; however, the stone slabs beneath his feet cracked into spiderweb-like patterns due to the force he redirected.

"[True · Elf · Divine Sword Technique — Seven Element Consecutive Slashes]!"

Seizing the opportunity, Bai Ye Advanced instead of retreating. The elf greatsword slashed rapidly in his hand, and rainbow Sword Qi poured down toward Gray like a rainstorm. Each strand of Sword Qi contained a different elemental power: the burning of fire element Sword Qi, the freezing of water element Sword Qi, the gravity of earth element Sword Qi, the cutting of wind element Sword Qi, the purification of light element Sword Qi, the erosion of dark element Sword Qi, and the proliferation of wood element Sword Qi. The seven elemental powers wove into a dense, airtight web of rainbow Sword Qi, completely sealing off the space in front of Gray.

A hint of disdain flashed in Gray's eyes. The yellow gem between his brows suddenly lit up with a powerful light, and countless earth elements condensed in front of him into a massive, thick Rock shield.

"Bang bang bang—!"

The rainbow Sword Qi struck the Rock shield one after another, erupting in a series of roars. Although the Rock shield was blasted with countless cracks, it never shattered because Gray continuously replenished it with earth element energy; it even grew thicker as it was constantly repaired.

Just as all the rainbow Sword Qi was blocked, the red gem between Gray's brows lit up. He swung his flame-wrapped Dragon claw and slapped forward violently. The Rock shield, which was already several times thicker than when it first condensed, shattered into countless fragments. Wrapped in flames and burning, they shot toward Bai Ye like cannonballs. Simultaneously, a sphere of green wind element Dragon breath condensed in Gray's mouth and was spat out toward Bai Ye with a sharpness that could cut through anything.

Bai Ye's eyes narrowed. The elf greatsword drew an arc in front of him, condensing into several circular rainbow shields. The burning Rock fragments, like small meteors, smashed the shields one by one until they shattered, while the wind element Dragon breath acted like countless bone-scraping steel blades, instantly slicing through all the remaining shields. Bai Ye focused and swung his sword down, instantly cutting the approaching wind element Dragon breath into countless drifting green elemental motes.

"Die!" Gray roared, his body crashing toward Bai Ye like a cannonball. His Dragon claws shimmered with a black-and-white light from the Fusion of light and dark elements, piercing straight for Bai Ye.

"Thud—!"

Although Bai Ye raised the elf greatsword in time to block Gray's close-quarters attack, he was still struck until he spat blood and flew backward. He crossed the castle moat and crashed heavily into the golden gate of the castle. With a dull thud, a human-shaped indentation appeared on the golden gate, and the colored gems embedded in the gate fell to the ground one after another.

Gray pursued his advantage. With a flap of his massive grey Dragon wings, he instantly flew in front of Bai Ye and lunged his Dragon claw toward Bai Ye's chest. Bai Ye endured the sharp pain of his broken ribs, sidestepping the Dragon claw. The elf greatsword stabbed into the gap between Gray's Dragon claw scales, but it was deflected by the thick skin, leaving only a faint white mark.

"Your sword is not sharp enough!" Gray bared his sharp Dragon teeth and gave a sinister smile, his Dragon tail whipping violently toward Bai Ye's waist. Bai Ye didn't have time to dodge again and could only parry with the elf greatsword. With a "clang," he was sent flying again by the Dragon tail, and the elf greatsword nearly slipped from his hand.

Just as the two were in the heat of battle, a barrier composed of space elements instantly enveloped the castle area, trapping Bai Ye and Gray within.

A red-haired Human King stood at the highest point of the castle, holding a [space staff] modified from the [Element Scepter] of the Dark Elf race from a thousand years ago. As the [space element gem], a crystal of human wisdom embedded in the staff, shimmered with a colorless light, a delayed voice reached the ears of the man and the Dragon.

Divine-Grade space element magic — [Space Partition]

The transparent gem embedded in the Human King's staff instantly emitted a crisp crack, and a long, thin fissure ran across the entire space element gem.

Bai Ye and Gray stopped their movements simultaneously and looked with annoyance at the red-haired human who had interrupted their battle. Gazing at the golden crown worn on his head, the man and the Dragon instantly understood this person's identity—the King of the Human Kingdom.

With unspoken understanding, the man and the Dragon simultaneously launched a ranged attack. The rainbow Sword Qi and the rainbow Dragon breath reached the King at the same time. The King waved his space staff, and two portals appeared in the path of the Sword Qi and Dragon breath. The moment they were swallowed, a portal opened above both the man and the Dragon, returning the attacks to them.

Advanced space element magic — [Space Teleportation]

The man and the Dragon casually shattered the attacks returned from the portals. Feeling insulted, they shared a knowing glance.

Bai Ye kicked off the ground with force, shooting toward the King like a cannonball, the rainbow elements on his elf greatsword flickering. "True · Elf · Divine Sword Technique — [Seven-Colored Streamer Slash]."

Meanwhile, Gray flapped his Dragon wings vigorously and flew rapidly toward the King, his Dragon claws likewise wrapped in seven elements. "Advanced Seven-Element Dragon Magic — [Sevenfold Reinforcement]."