Roaring Dragon-Chapter 121: The Bronze Man in Treasure Armor

The cold moon hung silently, and the autumn wind rustled.

Ye Shiyong’s blood-red eyes locked onto the figure in front of the hall. With a subtle twist of his right arm, his forearm snapped back into place, and even the dark bruises from the earlier blow visibly faded.

Xie Jinhuan had already seen how fast demonic cultivators healed. If you didn’t finish them in one go, you had to keep beating until their blood and energy ran dry. So he wasn’t surprised—just raised his left hand and crooked a finger.

Boom—

A gale tore through the courtyard!

That did it. Ye Shiyong exploded in fury, his blood and qi surging to their peak. His muscular legs stomped the ground hard, launching him forward like a maddened bullfrog. Blood mist trailed behind as his arms stretched like ghostly claws.

“RAH—!”

Demonic body cultivators far outclassed other factions in physical strength. With that kind of explosive force, any ordinary person would've been torn apart.

But Xie Jinhuan wasn’t ordinary. The instant Ye Shiyong lunged, he slid ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ his right foot back, raised the Tiangang Mace, and swept his left hand across its length. Invisible force gathered across all thirty-six segments, the humming pressure loud enough to hear with the naked ear.

Shhhk—

A savage edge burst skyward!

Ye Shiyong, charging headlong into that killing intent, realized too late and swerved mid-air.

But it was already too late.

Xie Jinhuan compressed all his force into a single piercing strike, following the mace with his body.

BOOM—

The attack tore through blood mist and dust, forming a silver tornado that pierced straight through the courtyard, smashing toward the dodging demon.

Ye Shiyong knew Xie Jinhuan had solid martial foundations—but he hadn’t expected a third-rank novice to unleash this kind of explosive power.

Still, Ye Shiyong was already mid-third rank—capable of going toe-to-toe with some second ranks. Faced with such a lethal strike, he used the brute-force move “Crushing Power Overcomes Skill.” His monstrous arms swung to grab the unyielding Tiangang Mace while spinning to deliver a vicious kick straight at Xie Jinhuan’s chest.

WHAM!

The Tiangang Mace, like a penetrating shell, detonated the moment his claw caught it. Half of Ye Shiyong’s hand was torn apart on contact, but he managed to deflect the attack just enough.

Then his right leg snapped forward like a drawn spring, so fast Xie Jinhuan barely saw it. His shoe exploded from the force.

CRACK—

A strike like that, square in the chest, would’ve killed even someone armored—just like what happened to Han Jingchuan.

But to Ye Shiyong’s shock, when his foot slammed into Xie Jinhuan’s chest, the latter’s robe shredded instantly—but his body held firm like an iron mountain. His chest, shielded by soft armor, absorbed the blow without caving in. The force spread across his entire upper body.

Shrrk—

The sheer impact still sent Xie Jinhuan sliding back over two full zhang, gouging twin trenches in the ground. But his body barely swayed. And he even pulled the Tiangang Mace back in one smooth motion.

Rumble...

After that single exchange, both men froze.

Ye Shiyong’s right hand was mangled and torn, though it began healing rapidly. He stared in disbelief as Xie Jinhuan casually flicked blood from his mace and patted dust off his chest.

“That’s it? You still hungry after the state banquet?”

“Huff...”

Blood mist boiled off Ye Shiyong’s body. He looked like a rabid beast, but inside he was stunned—like a tiger trying to bite the sky and finding no purchase.

Watching from afar, Nangong Ye’s gaze shifted from admiration to awe. Her opinion of Xie Jinhuan’s martial prowess had just skyrocketed.

Demonic body cultivators fought like beasts—every part of the body a weapon. In theory, no armor—soft or hard—could fully block their raw power.

But Xie Jinhuan’s “Coiled Dragon Stands Firm” was a killer technique specifically crafted to counter internal force fighters. The moment it activated, it sealed off all meridians, providing full-body protection and acting as a buffer against inner-force shockwaves.

It was usually vulnerable to blades. But combined with a Grade-1 Ice-Scale Armor forged by Xu Hunli himself?

Now it was like a bronze man in treasure armor—solid inside and out. As long as the soft armor didn’t rupture, he was practically untouchable. Ye Shiyong could only aim for limbs or the head.

But good luck hitting the head of a guy wielding a heavy mace. Even if Ye Shiyong’s bones were rock, they’d still shatter on impact.

Ye Shiyong realized just how screwed he was. Compared to Taishu Dan, this setup was worse for him.

With the capital so close, any major ruckus might draw Celestial Officers. Seeing he couldn’t finish this fast, Ye Shiyong gave up on killing. He vaulted for the courtyard wall and exploded in black mist mid-air.

Boom—

That mist—Dark God Cult’s signature move: Profound Darkness Raven Shift. Though Jianghu folks had a cruder name for it: “Ink Squid Fart.”

It sent the body into full overdrive, wrapped the area in corpse-smoke, and blurred vision with ghost shadows. Once it launched, catching a demonic cultivator was basically impossible.

But just as Ye Shiyong leapt—

Shhhhkk—

BOOM!

Another unmatched tornado strike!

Ye Shiyong gritted his teeth and sprinted, narrowly dodging that terrifying lunge.

Xie Jinhuan didn’t expect to catch him—it was just a gap-closer.

As the strike reached its limit, he closed the distance, sliding in low. Mace pointed behind him, body coiled like a drawn bow.

Whoosh—

Invisible force sucked everything toward the Tiangang Mace.

Dust, black smoke, even air itself curved inward.

Then—blazing killing intent burst skyward!

?!

Ye Shiyong felt it—like a mountain crumbling behind him. Realizing his back couldn’t take this hit, he twisted mid-run and hurled a clawed strike behind him.

SLASH—

CRASH!

The Tiangang Mace came down like divine judgment, wrapped in a sandstorm of silver. From above, it looked like a yellow dragon crashing into the mansion.

The pressure shattered tiles and broke through brick paths, carving a trench that raced to Ye Shiyong’s feet.

His counterattack split the air in half—like a claw parting a flood. From afar, it looked like one claw ripping through a tidal wave.

But it wasn’t enough.

In a flash, the entire right arm and shoulder were shattered. His claw strike was buried beneath the crashing dragon, and he was sent flying, leaving a streak of black blood.

Xie Jinhuan landed and pulled back the mace, his left hand sweeping along its length—

Shhhk—

BOOM—

One strike after another!

Each swing of the Tiangang Mace shattered whatever it touched. Ye Shiyong, unarmed, couldn’t keep up. Even with his half-demon body, he couldn’t withstand the ferocious onslaught.

Cornered, he raised his left arm—

BOOM—

The mace sliced through his palm, punched into his bicep, and snapped his arm in half.

As they brushed past, Xie Jinhuan spun—Mad Dragon Tail Sweep!

CRACK—

Ye Shiyong had barely landed when the next strike crushed his knees. The bones didn’t break—but they bent backward.

He collapsed face-first, screaming like a soul being torn apart.

“Aaaargh—!”

Still not convinced it was over, Xie Jinhuan raised the mace again.

BOOM—

BOOM—

BOOM—

Three thunderous blows.

Ye Shiyong’s limbs were shattered, his spine crushed. He stopped moving. Blood gushed from his mouth and nose.

Shhh—

The dust settled once more.

The courtyard, now reduced to ruins, returned to silence.

Xie Jinhuan flicked blood from his mace, looking down at the pulp that used to be Ye Shiyong.

“Martial arts is about grinding stone with water—physical over technique. Even if you had the strength of nine dragons, at the end of the day you’re just a brute swinging your fists. You said you were half a rank above me? A full rank? Still dead. Honestly, Taishu Dan was tougher than you.”

“Cough... cough...”

Blood poured from Ye Shiyong’s mouth and nose. His eyes burned with hate, but he couldn’t move. He tried to summon strength, but with no blood source nearby to feed on, he couldn’t heal. And Xie Jinhuan was right there.

Thud.

Xie Jinhuan planted the mace in the ground and crouched beside him.

“Who’s backing you? What really happened at the haunted palace three years ago?”

“Talk, and I’ll make it quick. Otherwise, if the Astronomical Bureau gets you, they’ll make you confess anyway—just with more pain.”

“Cough... cough...”

Ye Shiyong bled as he laughed, twisted and grim.

“I was born dirt-poor. Got rich following the right master. I won’t betray him.”

“The one behind you isn’t the emperor. You trying to bait me into regicide?”

“Heh... cough...”

Xie Jinhuan didn’t argue. He got up, went inside, drew the imperial sword from its mount, and returned.

“Lord Ye, you’re old-school. Even if you went down the demonic path, you’ve still got spine. If I strung you up in the streets... your name would spread far and wide.”

“Cough...?!”

Ye Shiyong’s twisted grin froze. He hadn’t expected that level of savagery.

“You, a righteous hero, would really do that? I’m a demonic bandit—dead means gone. Why would I care about being humiliated?”

“Who said you’d be dead? Humiliation works best on the living.”

Xie Jinhuan raised the blade and drew it across Ye Shiyong’s face.

Slice, slice, slice...

“Urrgh—!”

Blood oozed between Ye Shiyong’s clenched teeth. His glare could kill—but his body was broken.

“You should be praying the Celestial Officers get here fast. They’ll use mind-numbing drugs to torture you—way less painful.”

“Me? I’m traditional. Old-school. I do it the ancient way...”

Tooooooot...

Suddenly, a faint flute tone echoed from distant rooftops.

Almost too soft to hear over the wind—but it reached them.

Ye Shiyong’s eyes, once blazing with hate, suddenly softened. He looked at Xie Jinhuan, mouth full of blood.

“You don’t get to decide how I die. I’ll be waiting for you below... aaaargh—!”

Before he could finish, he shrieked like a ghost.

His veins bulged, skin turned black-blue. Blood poured from his eyes, ears, nose—his face a demonic mask.

Xie Jinhuan’s brow furrowed. He raised the sword and scanned the distance.

“What the hell was that?”

Ye Hongshang appeared at his side, scanned briefly.

“He was cursed. Someone remotely triggered the gu parasite to silence him.”

Xie Jinhuan could hear the sound, but the source was probably two li away—no way to catch it in time. He looked back at Ye Shiyong.

“Can we stop it?”

“That was a ‘deadlock’—used to prevent leaks. The parasite’s been activated. Even Lu Wuzhen couldn’t save him now. You’re too late.”

As they spoke, Ye Shiyong’s entire body turned black-blue. His life drained rapidly. His eyes went dull.

Xie Jinhuan’s face tightened. He took off running toward the sound—but before he even reached the courtyard gate—

BOOM—

BOOM—

Explosions lit the northeast sky. Lightning split the darkness, revealing half the outer city in blinding white.

Then—silence.

Xie Jinhuan paused, thinking the Celestial Officers had caught a spellcaster.

He turned back, returned to the study, and pried open the hidden compartment behind the paintings—grabbing a few ill-gotten treasures on the way out.

After all, you don’t grind down a field boss for nothing. If you don’t get answers, at least get some loot.