Chapter 33: Chapter 32
Upon gaining its freedom, the first action of the Frostbound Wyrm was to unleash a blast of frosty breath towards the surrounding group.
Chrysanthemums, with a swift and precise movement, used the strewn leaves of his namesake plant to erect a barrier against the icy onslaught. The frost breath of the Wyrm was unable to penetrate the shield of chrysanthemum leaves, but left a thin layer of ice on its surface.
"I guess that's my call to action. Wish me luck," announced Cai Wen, a glint of determination in his eyes. As he summoned his martial spirit, a pair of gloves materialized over his bare hands, each adorned with a blue orb on the back, emblazoned with a dragon symbol. A single yellow spirit ring illuminated around him as it sprung to life.
Suddenly, flames erupted from his hands, propelling him skyward with an impressive burst of speed.
"Good luck, and come out victorious!" Qian Renxue found herself cheering enthusiastically, much to her own surprise. A warm smile spread across Qian Daoliu's face as he observed her uncharacteristically youthful enthusiasm.
Cai Wen offered them a grin of acknowledgement before turning his attention to his formidable adversary.
The Frostbound Wyrm, disturbed from its slumber and resentful of its captivity, glared menacingly at Cai Wen. It was enraged, mistakenly believing it had freed itself through its own power and was intent on punishing those who had dared to disturb its rest.
With a mighty roar, the Wyrm directed its anger towards Cai Wen aloft in the sky, taking a moment to draw in a deep breath in preparation for another frost breath attack.
Masterfully, Cai Wen conjured ten chains from each of his fingers, each extending 15 meters in length, and enveloped them in a fierce blaze.
The Frostbound Wyrm, having completed its preparation, unleashed a beam of icy energy towards Cai Wen. However, given its single-direction trajectory, Cai Wen was able to easily dodge the chilling beam. The chains, still aflame, trailed behind him, creating a stunning visual of fiery wings in mid-air.
The Wyrm's breath attack caused the surrounding temperature to plummet, but thanks to his fiery aura, Cai Wen remained unaffected.
With a swift aerial maneuver, he propelled himself towards the Wyrm, his body twisting in mid-air to add extra force to his arms as he deployed his flaming chains.
His attack landed on the Frostbound Wyrm at ten different points with significant force. Yet, Cai Wen's assault didn't end there. With a sly grin, he uttered a single word, "Boom."
BOOM!
The points where the chains had struck the Wyrm erupted in a fiery explosion, hurling the creature into the distance and causing it to roll several times from the shockwave.
"Did he win?" Qian Renxue murmured, her gaze drawn to the distant spot where the Wyrm had landed.
"Unfortunately, young miss Renxue, overcoming a spirit beast of a millennium's age is no small feat, even for someone of Cai Wen's exceptional combat prowess," Chrysanthemums Douluo gently informed her, his gaze fixated on the distant Frostbound Wyrm as it found its footing once more.
The Wyrm, disoriented, shook its massive head and slowly rose to full height, its icy breath visible in the cold air. Meanwhile, Cai Wen, still aloft, felt a twinge of disappointment. This was the first real trial of the new fighting technique he had painstakingly developed over the past few months.
In contemplative silence, he revisited his tactics, considering the strengths of his current abilities. After a period of intense mental engagement, he arrived at a plan.
'Fiery Dragon Wing Burst.'
This technique harnessed his exceptional control over his spirit power, allowing him to condense his fiery aura into a single point around his chains. Upon striking an enemy, the power would explode outwards, causing significant damage. The attack's potency was comparable to that of a spirit ability, but it consumed far less energy.
However, the technique was uniquely suited to Cai Wen. Despite its strength, it demanded an extraordinary level of control over one's spirit power, quick decision-making, and the ability to perfectly judge the timing of impact. Fortunately, Cai Wen's six eyes provided him with these capabilities.
As an added touch, the flames that curled around him in the semblance of wings served to enhance his formidable appearance.
"Regrettably..." Cai Wen muttered under his breath, his gaze fixed on the Frostbound Wyrm that had quickly recovered from his Fiery Dragon Wing Burst. The beast had reacted swiftly to his attack, encasing itself in a protective layer of ice to minimize the damage.
The recovered Frostbound Wyrm appeared more incensed than ever. Suddenly, it unleashed a chilling aura, freezing the surrounding ground and trees.
With a deafening roar, the Wyrm launched an attack. Cai Wen, thanks to his superior vision, noted the formation of sharp ice shards in mid-air, all aimed at him.
"Damn..." Cai Wen cursed, just as the Wyrm unleashed the icy barrage.
Cai Wen ramped up the heat around his chains and swung his right hand, melting the deadly ice shards. Yet, more was on the way, and he had to masterfully manipulate his chains to block the majority of the incoming projectiles.
Despite being constantly on the move to evade, melt, or avoid the relentless icy onslaught, Cai Wen managed to keep his focus on the Frostbound Wyrm, which was maintaining a safe distance, clearly having learned from its initial encounter with his fiery attack.
Under normal circumstances, Cai Wen could bridge the gap in an instant, but the Wyrm's ceaseless attacks made it impossible for him to concentrate on flight and he needs to dodge mid air or just plainly destroying the projectiles.
Undeterred by the Wyrm's evasive tactics, Cai Wen persevered, his gaze remaining cool and focused, even as he narrowly avoided the icy projectiles, feeling the chill as they brushed past him.
Each icy projectile felt chillingly close, the cold air nipping at his cheeks, but his gaze persevered, focused and calm.
Cai Wen seized an opportunity to close the gap, the chains in his hands slicing through the air towards the Frostbound Wyrm. However, a block of ice manifested, thwarting his attack.
Boom!
The ice shattered explosively from his Fiery Dragon Wing Burst, but the Wyrm had already capitalized on the momentary distraction to put some distance between them.
As the battle wore on, Cai Wen had managed to score a few hits, revealing the Wyrm's formidable defense. The creature truly lived up to its reputation. Its strength was comparable to that of a dragon, its weaknesses seemingly non-existent.
The intensity of the fight was palpable. Though Cai Wen was a formidable adversary, boasting strong attacks and breathtaking speed, a single misstep could cost him the battle if struck by the Frostbound Wyrm.
As the conflict raged, Cai Wen noticed something alarming: the Frostbound Wyrm showed no signs of fatigue. Most opponents he had faced would have shown wear and tear by now, but the Wyrm was as vigorous as at the fight's inception. It was then that he realized it was drawing its energy from a nearby river, using the water to forge ice for its assaults.
This revelation stoked a flame of anger within Cai Wen.
Normally, he would not blame himself for this oversight, but despite the benefits his six eyes provided, they were not yet fully matured. His inexperience had led him to miss something so fundamental.
Reacting quickly, he swung his chains at a large tree nearby, severing it cleanly at the base. Infused with his spirit power, his right hand and the chains burst into flames. He used the chains to encircle the large tree, hoisting it effortlessly.
Under ordinary circumstances, this feat would be beyond his capabilities. However, his exceptional control over his spirit power allowed him to channel most of it into his arms and chest, bolstering his strength at the expense of leaving other parts of his body vulnerable.
With a final push, he hurled the flaming tree towards the Frostbound Wyrm, forcing it to divert its course..
The moment the Frostbound Wyrm lost focus on Cai Wen, he seized the opportunity to reposition himself. Swiftly, he materialized behind the monster. Cai Wen had no intention of using his previously deployed attacks; the Wyrm had adapted to those, managing to block them more often than not.
Instead, he dispatched his chains, wrapping them securely around the Wyrm's tail. The Frostbound Wyrm swiveled its head towards him, and Cai Wen responded with a sly, triumphant grin.
"Let me give you a ride," he quipped, suddenly pivoting and jetting off in the opposite direction to the Wyrm, tugging the creature along behind him.
"Roarr!??" The Frostbound Wyrm roared in surprise, suddenly jerked from its place and yanked into an unwelcome journey. Cai Wen nimbly navigated through the forest, darting left and right, the Wyrm in tow.
The Frostbound Wyrm was subjected to a barrage of trees, rocks, and soil as it was dragged through the terrain. The ordeal left it disoriented and unable to coordinate its movements.
Anger seethed within the Wyrm, fueling a sudden, potent release of cold energy. The frosty blast caused the chains binding it to freeze over, overpowering the heat from Cai Wen's flames.
Realizing the danger, Cai Wen quickly severed the chains before the icy chill could reach him. However, the momentum propelled the Wyrm forward, causing it to tumble and roll even after it had freed itself from Cai Wen's control.
Its uncontrollable movement ended with a splash into a nearby river, its frosty presence freezing the water's surface instantly.
Cai Wen landed on the forest floor to catch his breath. Even with the power of his six eyes minimizing his spirit power consumption, he was down to about 50%. Had he been a typical spirit master, he would've already passed out from fatigue from all the moves he used.
The Wyrm's roar echoed throughout the forest as it re-emerged from the water, a massive amount of spiritual power gathering in its maw to form a formidable ice breath attack.
Despite the capacity to evade the incoming assault, Cai Wen chose a more direct approach this time around.
He braced himself, legs apart and arms extended. His left hand, pointed behind him, ignited with a gentle flame. His right hand, aimed at the Frostbound Wyrm, released five chains from his glove, embedding them in the ground to steady his stance.
Earlier, he had managed to land a hit on the creature with his Fiery Dragon Wing Burst. However, this had only resulted in a minor crack in its icy scales. Although he was technically capable of increasing the power of his explosion, it would also result in him being caught in the perilous aftershock.
A large quantity of Spirit Power began to surge towards his right hand, causing it to glow with a dangerous, pulsating light.
The Frostbound Wyrm, seemingly aware of Cai Wen's unyielding determination to engage it in battle, regarded him with a contemptuous glare. It was clearly frustrated by his agile dodging of the majority of its attacks since the beginning of their encounter.
With a swift motion, the wyrm recoiled its head and unleashed a blast of freezing breath, significantly more powerful than its previous attacks. A chilling beam of icy cold was rapidly bearing down on Cai Wen.
Cai Wen, his eyes locked on the approaching onslaught, deemed that his charge was sufficiently powerful. His glove was trembling from the immense power it had been condensing, and he pointed it unflinchingly towards the incoming attack.
"X-no...Dragon...Burner," he invoked.
From his glove, an intense blue flame erupted with a fury that seemed to challenge the very heavens.The battlefield was awash with the contrasting forces of searing heat and freezing cold, setting the stage for the epic clash between these two mighty force.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone