55: Chapter 55: The Legendary Mount's Debut! Everyone else is putting on an act, only I'm padding my stats.

High atop the cliffs of the Black Wind Mountain Range, the wind whistled fiercely.

Qin Ji rested one hand on the hilt of the sword at his waist, while the other slowly raised a black horn that radiated a bone-chilling cold.

"Though it's only a thirty-minute trial card, it should be enough for travel and making an entrance."

A playful curve tugged at the corner of his mouth as he took a deep breath and forcefully blew into the [Abyssal Demon Dragon's Horn] in his hand.

"Woo——!!!"

The desolate, ancient, and tyrannical sound of the horn instantly pierced through the layers of mist in the Black Wind Mountain Range, soaring straight into the clouds.

In the next second, the sky, already shrouded in twilight, turned completely dark.

Crack! Crack!

Within the Void Realm, a massive pitch-black rift was forcibly torn open by two giant claws covered in black-and-blue skeletal remains.

Immediately after, a colossal dragon head poked out from the rift, its eyes burning with ethereal blue Soul fire as it looked down upon the tiny Qin Ji.

Boom!!!

A terrifying Dragon Might, accompanied by an Aura of extreme cold, swept outwards. Withered trees within a hundred-meter radius were instantly frozen into ice sculptures before crumbling into fine powder in the gale.

[Abyssal Demon Dragon · Frost (Legendary)]

[Rank: 0 (Suppressed by Rules)]

[Loyalty: 100 (Absolute Loyalty)]

"Roar——!!"

The Dragon roared, seemingly venting its dissatisfaction at being summoned or its rage at the rules of this world suppressing its power.

But the moment it saw Qin Ji, that tyrannical Aura instantly vanished. Its massive body crouched obediently at the edge of the cliff, and its giant head even nuzzled Qin Ji's palm in a fawning manner.

"Good boy."

Qin Ji patted the cold dragon scales and leaped onto its back. Feeling the broad and solid texture, the data streams in his eyes flickered wildly.

Although its Rank was suppressed to 0, these panel attributes...

[HP: 12,000,000 / 12,000,000]

[Attack Power: 12,000]

[Movement Speed: Aerial +500%]

"Is this the true value of a Legendary creature?"

Qin Ji clicked his tongue. If these attributes were revealed, they would probably scare the guild leader of the so-called "Divine Court" into deleting their account on the spot.

"Let's go, to the Royal Capital."

Qin Ji pointed toward the brightly lit city in the distance. "There's a grand performance there, and it's just waiting for the protagonist to make an entrance."

"Roar!!"

The Abyssal Demon Dragon flapped its wings, its massive body instantly turning into a black-and-blue streak of light that tore through the sky, racing toward the Star Kingdom.

...

Star Kingdom, the heart of the Royal Palace.

Well of Shattered Stars.

The battle here had reached a fever pitch.

"Kill! For His Majesty the Devil King!!"

Hundreds of "Night Walkers" who had been lurking for a long time now completely tore off their disguises. Their eyes were blood-red as they launched a suicidal charge toward the sealing Formation like crazed beasts.

Their movements were incredibly fast, their techniques eerie, and their coordination seamless.

In just a single encounter, a gap was torn through the outer perimeter of the Royal Guards.

"Presumptuous! How dare you strike within the palace's Forbidden Ground!"

Leona stood before the Formation, a sharp cold light flashing in her eyes.

She took a step forward. This was her home turf; Frost elements instantly obeyed her command, spreading wildly with her at the center.

Crack, crack, crack!

Before the seven or eight Night Walkers in the lead could even swing their blades, their bodies stiffened instantly. A thick layer of Frost covered them, turning them into lifelike ice sculptures.

"Shatter!"

Leona shouted coldly and snapped her fingers.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The ice sculptures exploded violently. Shards of ice mixed with flesh flew everywhere as several elite Night Walkers perished on the spot.

"Is this my third sister's strength? Impressive indeed."

Not far away, the Second Princess Qing Fuyun seemed to be praising her, but her movements were sluggish.

She held a magnificent staff in her hand, murmuring obscure and difficult incantations, looking as if she were preparing some world-shaking ultimate move.

In reality, the spells she cast were all "fireworks"—full of visual effects but with pathetic actual damage.

Only when a few Night Walkers occasionally rushed in front of her would their bodies suddenly explode, turning into chunks of ice scattered on the ground.

"Second Sister! Stop holding back!"

Leona knocked an assassin away with her sword and turned to shout anxiously, "If the Seal is broken and the Son of the Demon King is revived, we will all die!"

"I know! I'm chanting a Forbidden Spell!"

Qing Fuyun wore an "I'm trying hard" expression, yet she quietly took half a step back, intentionally letting an eerie shadow slip past.

Just then!

From among the Night Walkers, a woman with an agile build wearing tight leather armor suddenly turned into an afterimage and surged forward!

She was the ace assassin among the Night Walkers!

"Swoosh!"

With a flick of her wrist, a flying dagger glowing with a faint green light shot out from her hand.

The flying dagger split into nine in mid-air, then from nine into eighty-one, instantly enveloping the squad of Royal Guards ahead.

Puh, puh, puh!

After being hit by the daggers, the guards didn't bleed; instead, their bodies instantly turned into grayish-white stone, frozen in place in terrified poses.

"Medusa's Poison?!"

Qing Fuyun's expression changed drastically. This was a lethal poison that could even kill high-level practitioners instantly!

She didn't dare slack off too obviously anymore. She swung her staff violently, and eighteen ice crystal chains erupted from the ground, attempting to bind the female assassin.

But the female assassin's speed was absurdly fast. Her body twisted eerily in the air several times, managing to dodge all the chains, and in the blink of an eye, she teleported behind Qing Fuyun.

"What?!"

Qing Fuyun was horrified. Unable to defend in time, her body instantly exploded, turning into countless snowflakes that drifted away.

This was her life-saving skill—[Frost Substitute].

A moment later, she reformed her body ten meters away, fine beads of cold sweat already seeping from her forehead.

If her reaction had been a split second slower, she would be a stone statue by now!

"Damn it! These lunatics!"

Qing Fuyun cursed under her breath, a hint of wariness flashing in her eyes.

Meanwhile, the female assassin, having missed her strike, did not pursue. Instead, she pushed off the ground and lunged toward Leona like a venomous snake.

"Ice Purgatory!"

Leona reacted swiftly. With a press of her hand, a massive ice magic circle instantly formed above the female assassin, and countless sharp icicles rained down like a storm.

The female assassin tried to dodge, only to find her legs already frozen by the cold air spreading from the ground.

"Bang!"

At the brink of life and death, the female assassin proved to be ruthless. She actually smashed the ice on her shins with a palm strike, using the recoil to turn into an afterimage, charging through the icicles to reach Leona.

Too fast!

A mage being closed in on by a high-agility assassin is the start of a nightmare.

Especially now, when there were no powerful shield guards protecting Leona.

"Die!"

Bloodthirsty light flickered in the female assassin's eyes as her poisoned dagger lunged straight for Leona's throat.

"Ding!"

A crisp sound.

A translucent ice shield blocked the dagger at the critical moment.

Crack!

The ice shield was instantly covered in cracks before shattering violently.

But this brief moment of obstruction was enough for Leona to pull back.

After forcing Leona back, the female assassin did not continue the pursuit. Instead, she pivoted and headed straight for the already cracked Well of Shattered Stars!

Her goal from start to finish was not to kill, but to—destroy the Seal!

"Stop her!!"

Leona's eyes nearly burst with rage as she roared loudly.

In the distance, Qing Fuyun raised her staff, preparing to release a crowd-control skill.

But at the very moment her magic was about to surge, her movement faltered imperceptibly.

She had heard Grelorlinssen's screams clearly earlier.

If Leona truly managed to kill the Son of the Demon King from a distance, her prestige in the kingdom would reach its peak, and the succession to the throne would have nothing to do with Qing Fuyun.

But if... the Seal is broken and the Son of the Demon King escapes?

Then Leona would be the kingdom's criminal!

In a split-second evaluation, greed triumphed over reason.

Qing Fuyun intentionally slowed the rhythm of her incantation, pretending to be magically exhausted and panting heavily.

"Bastard!!"

Leona saw through her intentions, her heart burning with rage, but there was nothing she could do.

She had to do it herself!

"Frost Wings!"

A pair of transparent ice wings suddenly unfolded behind Leona, and she turned into a streak of light, charging toward the female assassin.

However, just as she was about to catch up, a pitch-black tentacle suddenly reached out from the darkness, tightly coiling around her ankle.

"Dark Magic? Another ambush?!"

Leona was shocked and furious. The ice elements around her body instantly exploded, forcibly shattering the tentacle.

But this brief one-second delay was already irreparable.

The female assassin had already reached the two white-robed elders maintaining the Formation!

"Go to hell!"

The dagger sliced through the air with lethal determination.

The two white-robed elders remained calm, not even lifting an eyelid.

Just as the dagger was less than three inches from their foreheads—

Buzz!

An invisible gravity field suddenly descended.

The female assassin's body felt as if it had been struck by a mountain. With a "thud," she fell to her knees, her kneecaps shattering instantly as she was pinned to the ground, unable to move.

This was the Formation Master's defense mechanism!

However, before everyone could breathe a sigh of relief.

Another figure surged out from the crowd of Night Walkers.

It was a man entirely shrouded in black mist. His form was elusive, as if he had no physical body, and he actually ignored the gravity field, rushing toward the Well of Shattered Stars like a wisp of blue smoke!

This was the real killing move!

The previous female assassin was merely bait used to trick them into wasting their skills!

"Frost: Call of the Ice Maiden!"

Leona could no longer afford to hold back. She let out a roar, raising both hands high above her head.

Between heaven and earth, a heavy snowfall instantly began.

The extreme cold seemed to freeze space itself, and that elusive dark shadow was also forcibly frozen in mid-air by this frigid power.

"Second Sister! Attack!!"

Leona shouted shrilly.

She had used all her strength to control the shadow; now was the best time for the kill!

Qing Fuyun's face looked grim.

She hadn't expected Leona to be so desperate as to burn her Origin power.

Under the watchful eyes of everyone, if she still didn't act, she really wouldn't be able to explain herself.

"Boom!"

A massive ice and snow vortex finally formed beneath the shadow, attempting to swallow it.

However—

Crack!

A terrifying surge of dark energy suddenly erupted from the shadow, instantly breaking through the ice. It endured Qing Fuyun's attack and used the explosion's thrust to charge toward the Seal at an even greater speed!

"It's over..."

Leona's face was ashen.

Her old strength was spent, and new strength had yet to arise.

The two Formation Masters were busy suppressing the female assassin and couldn't spare a hand.

Everyone present could only watch helplessly as that shadow drew closer and closer to the Well of Shattered Stars!

Ten meters!

Five meters!

One meter!

A pitch-black World-Breaking Nail appeared in the shadow's hand, a ecstatic and sinister grin on its face.

"Your Majesty the Devil King, your subordinate has come to rescue you!!"

If it were driven in, the Seal would surely break!

Leona closed her eyes in despair.

Everything was over.

However.

At this critical juncture.

A terrifying pressure that made the Soul tremble descended from the sky without warning!

"Roar——!!!"

A dragon's roar shattered the snow-filled sky.

Then, everyone watched in horror as a giant dragon claw, large enough to block the moonlight and carrying a world-destroying Aura, slammed down on the shadow like swatting a fly!

RUMBLE!!!

The earth shook violently. The hard rocky ground around the Well of Shattered Stars collapsed instantly, sending dust and smoke everywhere.

The shadow that had been so close to success didn't even have time to scream before being flattened into the depths of the earth, turning into a puddle of blurred flesh.

The entire field fell into a deathly silence.

Whether it was Leona, Qing Fuyun, or the crazed Night Walkers, all of them were like ducks with their necks squeezed, staring blankly at the sky.

A terrifying Dragon nearly a hundred meters long was hovering above the Well of Shattered Stars.

Its entire body was composed of black-and-blue skeletal remains, radiating a deathly Aura from the abyss. Every breath it took caused the surrounding air to condense into ice crystals.

And atop that ferocious and majestic dragon head.

A slender figure stood with his hands behind his back.

The gale blew his robes, making them whistle.

Qin Ji looked down from above at the stunned crowd, his gaze sweeping over the trembling Night Walkers as if he were looking at a flock of lambs for the slaughter.

The corners of his mouth curled up slightly, revealing a row of ivory-white teeth. His voice wasn't loud, but it spread clearly across the entire battlefield:

"So lively?"

"Mind if I join in? I also want to farm some... oh no, I also want to rid the country of these pests."

Before his words even faded.

The Abyssal Demon Dragon beneath him suddenly opened its massive maw.

Whoosh—!!!

A blast of pale-white [Frost Dragon Breath] poured down like a waterfall, instantly covering the group of dazed Night Walkers.

There were no screams, no struggles.

In just one second.

Dozens of elite Night Walkers, whom the Royal Guards had been helpless against, were instantly turned into a forest of translucent ice sculptures.

Immediately following.

Qin Ji lightly snapped his fingers.

"Shatter."

Crash—

All the ice sculptures disintegrated simultaneously, turning into a flurry of ice powder.

Countless golden damage numbers and experience point notifications flashed wildly across Qin Ji's retinas.

At this moment.

Looking at the man standing atop the dragon's head like a descending god, Leona's previously hopeless heart suddenly began to throb uncontrollably.

The afterglow of the setting sun fell upon Qin Ji, plating him in a layer of gold.

He casually patted the dragon's single horn, his deep black eyes scanning the field before finally settling on the terrified Qing Fuyun, with a faint, knowing smile:

"Second Princess, Your Highness... you're holding your staff upside down."