"If you won't give it, forget it. I don't need your charity." Goku waved it off. "With my own strength, I'll reach that height sooner or later." As he spoke, his right hand swung down mercilessly.
"Stop! Stop!" The God of Dimensions threw up a timeout sign, cold sweat beading as Goku's palm loomed larger. Shoulders slumping, he sighed, "You win…" No one understood Yuanmie's true terror better than he did.
'Tch. Playing mind games with me? You're not in my league.'
Goku halted, face calm though he was very pleased with himself. "Then hurry up. I'm on the clock—I still have Sovereign law residue to purge."
The God's eyelid twitched. He really wanted to swat this kid.
While he grumbled internally, his form suddenly flared with prismatic light, collapsing into pure, original dimensional power—a seven-colored orb that floated before Goku. His airy voice echoed in Goku's ear:
"Remember this: seize the Sovereign thrones of other dimensions and absorb their laws. The Dimensional Divine Pearl before you will assimilate them, then feed back a higher grade of law for you to comprehend and absorb. Your strength will rise step by step—until you become the strongest Sovereign in all dimensions. With that… farewell."
"Dimensional Divine Pearl? Great—another trap?" Goku frowned at the jewel of shifting light, then shook his head and snatched it up. "Whatever. I'll test it later."
He withdrew from the inner dimensional space—
—and a wave of agony slammed him. His body felt on the verge of tearing apart. "Damn it! That bastard almost got me killed!"
No more hesitation. His own laws roared forth, divine radiance pouring into every inch of flesh.
He coughed blood—bright and copious. Cracks spread across his skin. It looked bad.
But as the radiance worked, the wounds steadied; and now that he held the pearl, his law power was distinctly stronger. Grinding down the Sovereign's Destruction-law residue was already easier than before.
Bit by bit the pain dulled. Blood vanished from his skin to the naked eye, the fissures pulled closed.
"Whew. Stabilized…"
---
Not far off, Shaoyu wiped a forehead slick with sweat as Goku's condition visibly improved. A moment ago his skin had split everywhere—blood all over. The sight had rattled them badly.
Xiao Li exhaled long and slowly, hands over her heart; she could still feel it pounding.
And then—a distant rumble swelled toward them. At the horizon of sand, a massive sand-ship surged into view, knifing across the dunes straight at them.
"Not good. Qin's hounds," Shaoyu blanched.
"We can't let them interrupt Goku's healing. We have to stop them." Xiao Li's face tightened. She looked to the majestic Pixiu. "Xiao Xiuxiu!"
Pixiu dipped its head, glanced once at Goku, then back at the oncoming ship. A flash of killing intent lit its eyes. With a dragonlike roar, winds howled; it became a golden streak driving straight at the vessel.
"W—what is that thing?!"
"It's flying at us! It's attacking!"
"Enemy attack! Ready positions! Archers—loose!"
Shouts erupted across the decks as drilled Qin troops poured out with crossbows. A black cloud of bolts ripped up toward Pixiu.
Arrows blotted the sky, enough to make the scalp prickle.
Pixiu only threw back its head and roared—dragon-voiced, rolling across sky. Gold firelight rippled over its body like inextinguishable flame—majestic, imperious.
Its wings snapped once. A gale exploded. The arrow-storm inverted, whirled back, and fell like rain—thudding into planks and soldiers alike. Screams rose at once.
It opened its jaws; a torrent of flame surged forth, blazing across the ship until it burned stem to stern. Qin soldiers panicked, bodies ablaze, scrambling in chaos.
Light, measured footsteps sounded on the deck. Six or seven figures appeared. At their head, a veiled beauty lifted a slender hand. Pale blue light bloomed in her palm; as she moved, waves of energy rolled outward like surf.
Where that wave passed, fire peeled cleanly off the hull, lifted by an invisible force into the sky—and gathered into a blazing sphere.
Her wrist flicked. The fireball hurtled at Pixiu.
Pixiu bellowed, wings beating again. The plunging fireball hit a shredding cyclone and tore apart—sparks turning to a fiery rain that fell back toward the ship.
"So it has some skill," the veiled woman murmured, a shade surprised. She started forward—but the youth beside her stepped ahead.
"Interesting. Very interesting. Is this the Pixiu with a dragon's soul?" He smiled faintly. "Let me handle it."
The veiled woman slid him a cool glance, then stepped back. "Make it quick. Don't waste time. Rumor says there's a formidable, mysterious man as well. That's why His Majesty sent us."
"Understood." The silk-robed youth pressed his fingers into a sword seal; potent inner force condensed into a blade in his hands.
"Condense-Qi-into-Blade… thirty percent power."
With his chill cry, a razor arc ripped upward, carving through the falling fire—snuffing every spark as if meeting its nemesis—then scythed on toward Pixiu.
Insulted, Pixiu's eyes flashed. This was no longer the original creature from the tale, but a true divine beast strengthened by Goku—its power immeasurable.
It stamped on air as if on solid ground; the sky itself seemed to jolt. Wings blazing, it swept its right wing—shattering the qi-blade into starlike motes.
"This Pixiu… it's that strong?!" Faces below tightened.
The youth's expression grew grave. The beast's aura screamed danger. He lifted both hands; twin qi-blades crossed into an X and hewed toward the heavens.
"Condense-Qi-into-Blade… seventy percent power."
"My Lord, you mustn't raise your output any further," Da Siming warned at his side. The youth was none other than Xing Hun, peer to Yue Shen within Yin-Yang.
Because of the anomaly named Goku—who had routed Da Siming, Shao Siming, and even Wei Zhuang—Xing Hunand Yue Shen had both been dispatched.
Xing Hun's brows knit. He ignored her and cut down with both hands.
Pixiu met the attack head-on, eyes full of feral light. The twin blades struck its body with a ringing clang, like steel on steel.
Pixiu roared. Fire surged. Its jaws yawned wide—and, to everyone's shock, it bit the seventy-percent qi-blade to pieces.
"A-amazing…" Tianming breathed, eyes wide at Pixiu's domineering presence.
"Incredible," Shaoyu echoed. "I didn't think it could be this strong."
"No—the original Pixiu was never like this." Xiao Li shook her head, staring at the god-beast radiant with sovereign might. "It's stronger than before… several times stronger. How?"
"Because of Brother Goku?" Shaoyu glanced toward the distant figure, still seated in meditation. He nodded to himself.
"Just what is he," Xiao Li murmured, eyes drifting to Goku, "to wield such means?"
_____
T/N:
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