88: Chapter 88 The Dragon of the Blackwater Swamp Returns to Great Xia

"Hmph!"

Xia Jin stood suspended in the air, a cold glint suddenly erupting in his eyes as he stared fixedly at that black Dragon.

Having just achieved a Breakthrough to the Earthly Immortal realm, his spirit was at its Peak; how could he tolerate being berated to his face by a Yao Beast? Even if this Yao Beast was a Dragon likely possessing strength superior to his own!

"If you dare... say that one more time, telling this Prince to scram, just try it." Xia Jin's gaze turned cold. The pressure of the Land Immortal Realm caused the mire below to begin churning incessantly, with countless bubbles emerging from the swamp.

A trace of contempt flashed through the black Dragon's purple vertical pupils. It let out a low roar like muffled thunder: "Human, scram!"

"Hmph! This Prince was just worrying about not having a suitable sparring partner. Since you've delivered yourself to my doorstep, you shall serve as my practice target! I hope... you don't end up beaten to death by this Prince!" Xia Jin slowly clenched his fists, and his Battle Intent began to boil throughout his entire body.

His figure suddenly blurred!

The next moment,

"Boom!"

A ring of sonic boom clouds exploded at his original location, while his figure had already appeared above the black Dragon's head!

"Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!!!"

In an instant, Xia Jin's entire body was covered in golden light, and he had already unleashed dozens of punches toward the black Dragon's head!

Under the aftershocks of this terrifying punch force, the swamp below continuously kicked up monstrous waves of mud, and the small 'lake' was rapidly expanding!

Doubling, tripling, quadrupling!

"How is this possible? Such hard scales!..." Xia Jin stopped, breathing heavily, but his gaze remained fixed on the black Dragon opposite him.

His dozens of heavy punches had only left slightly indented fist marks on the opponent's scales! And as the light flowed across the black Dragon's purple scales, those fist marks were recovering to their original state at a speed visible to the naked eye!

The black Dragon glanced at Xia Jin, its purple vertical pupils seemingly carrying a trace of mockery.

It merely gave its body a violent twist, and its thick, massive tail whipped toward Xia Jin's chest!

Xia Jin's eyes suddenly narrowed. He had assumed that with such a massive body, the black Dragon's movements would be relatively clumsy, but he hadn't expected the speed to be unexpectedly fast! It was so fast that he had almost failed to react.

"Hmph! Let this Prince weigh just how capable you are, you Yao Beast..." Xia Jin had no way to dodge, so he crossed his arms, intending to take the black Dragon's massive tail head-on. But before he could finish speaking, he felt a tremendous force violently surge into his body.

"Bang!!"

Xia Jin felt as if he had been struck head-on by a massive meteorite. The Void Realm in front of him, at the very moment of impact, developed countless visible cracks that continuously spread outward.

"Pfft!"

He was sent flying backward like a cannonball, finally managing to stabilize his figure only after retreating several thousand zhang.

Xia Jin wiped the blood spilling from the corner of his mouth! He then glanced at his arms; his sleeves were completely shredded, and large patches of purple bruises had appeared on his skin, despite the fortification of his Vajra Indestructible Body.

"This black Dragon is actually this strong!? It's highly likely a being at the Peak of the Land Immortal Realm!" Xia Jin narrowed his eyes, and unknowingly, a long saber had appeared in his hand.

Man and Dragon stood in a standoff across a vast distance.

For the first time, a trace of astonishment flashed through the black Dragon's purple vertical pupils.

It had lived for a long time, its Physical Body tempered countless times by thunder and fire, its defense invincible among its peers. It was difficult for ordinary human Earthly Immortal Cultivators to leave even a single mark.

Yet, this human before it had managed to leave so many fist marks on its scales using only his fists, and was even able to withstand a tail whip at seventy percent of its power?

"Can a human's Physical Body truly be tempered to such a degree?"

"Hahaha..." Xia Jin suddenly burst into laughter. The long saber in his hand was sheathed with a "hum," and the Battle Intent surrounding his body subsided accordingly.

"Forget it! This Prince has learned of your prowess today, you black Dragon."

The black Dragon's vertical pupils contracted slightly, and its Dragon whiskers moved without wind; it seemed somewhat surprised by why this human Cultivator had suddenly stopped.

"This Prince is named Xia Jin. Remember this name. When I have time in the future, this Prince will return to this place to fight you again~!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Xia Jin's figure had already swept hundreds of miles away in an instant.

"This human! Interesting!" The black Dragon watched the disappearing Xia Jin. After a long while, it exhaled two streams of white mist mixed with the aura of thunder and fire from its nostrils, and its massive body slowly sank back into the mire below.

...

High in the sky, Xia Jin looked at the boundary of the "Blackwater Marsh" and couldn't help but stop.

To the north lay the Great Qian Imperial Palace, and to the east lay the territory of Great Xia.

Xia Jin glanced in the direction of the Great Qian Imperial Palace, but in the end, he did not choose to go directly there.

"Two old ghosts..." A cold sneer appeared on his face. "Consider yourselves lucky this time; I'll spare your miserable lives for now. When this Prince has thoroughly mastered this power, I will go to the Great Qian Imperial Palace and take both your lives!"

He did not linger any longer, turned his body, and sped off in the direction of the Great Xia Imperial Dynasty.

At the Earthly Immortal realm, his speed was incredibly fast; in less than half a cup of tea's time, the Great Xia Imperial Palace was already beneath his feet.

Xia Jin did not alert anyone, intending to descend into his Jin Wang Palace. However, in the pavilion in front of the palace, he caught a glimpse of two figures.

Leng Yuexi in white robes, and opposite her, Su Xuanji, who was slightly bowing her head with a crimson flush on her face.

The two seemed to be discussing something, and Su Xuanji's expression was quite unnatural.

"How did the two of them end up together!?"

Xia Jin's heart skipped a beat for no reason, and he felt a vague sense of unease, so he simply remained in mid-air, his gaze fixed on the pavilion below.

The two women didn't know what they were discussing. Suddenly, Leng Yuexi whispered a few words in Su Xuanji's ear, causing the other woman's cheeks, which were already slightly flushed, to turn even redder.

Su Xuanji hurriedly stood up, bowed to Leng Yuexi, and left the Jin Wang Palace with quick steps, though it was obvious that she seemed to be in a bit of a panic as she left.

After Su Xuanji left, Leng Yuexi gazed at the pool of clear water outside the pavilion and sighed softly.

"Husband, oh husband, I don't know how great your charm must be to attract so many women!? Even Miss Su has taken a liking to you!?"

But then, the image of Xia Jin appeared in her mind, and she couldn't help but smile slightly. Regardless of how many women liked Xia Jin, she alone held the position of Princess Consort Jin.

Just then, a warm and strong arm suddenly wrapped around her from behind, pulling her entire body into an embrace.

"Who? How dare you offend this Princess!!" Leng Yuexi's body stiffened instinctively, and she was just about to break free, but the next moment, that familiar aura made her instantly relax.

She turned her head in pleasant surprise, and what met her eyes was none other than Xia Jin's smiling face.

"Husband!!" Her eyes sparkled, but then she remembered something and gave him a coquettish glare.

"What's wrong? What were you sighing about just now?" Xia Jin asked with a smile.

Leng Yuexi swatted his hand away in annoyance: "It's all because of the trouble you've caused, you fellow!!"

Xia Jin had already vaguely guessed the reason, and couldn't help feeling a bit awkward, so he could only scratch his head sheepishly.

Unexpectedly, Leng Yuexi did not delve deeper into this topic.

She just looked at Xia Jin deeply, then suddenly leaned close to his neck and sniffed gently, a trace of confusion appearing on her face: "Husband, why... is there a very special scent on you?"

She frowned slightly, trying to find an appropriate description, "It's very comfortable, very fresh, just like... that's it, it's like the scent of nature."

"Do you want to know why?" Xia Jin was slightly taken aback, then said with a smile.

Seeing Leng Yuexi nod, he leaned into her ear and whispered a few words.

"Earthly Immortal!? Husband, you actually achieved a Breakthrough to the legendary Land Immortal Realm!!"