Protect the Empress!

No matter what happens, protect Lang Yuan!

[A/N: In reference to the very first phrases of this book. See chapter one for details].

JiDan wiped off the blood that flowed down from the open wound that he received above the right part of his eye. This rendered his right eye to close reflexively making his right eye blind. Whenever he tries to blink it open, the wound will tend to flow more blood coloring the surroundings red. He had used a lot of healing spells but it can't cure deep wounds. He can only close it temporarily.

The young dragon, however, remained standing despite the wound. Actually, this is not the only wound that he received. There are a lot more scratches on his arms and legs; his left arm is actually fractured while a bone is already sneaking out from his left knee. Still, the young dragon held on his place as if all of these injuries are just small.

If ever someone would see the state this person, nobody would be staring and will help him very quickly. The injuries on his body are fatal and might cause a permanent damage on his system. But JiDan persisted to stand. In order to set the things right, he has to contain all the suffering and stand up. His mother is weak. If he will fight, who will?

Dong Wei watched the dire state of the young dragon. Just by seeing his wounds made him feel pleasure. With his power, one flick is enough to blow JiDan away. But will that fulfill his satisfaction? No! It seems that killing this young one in one strike is charity so he didn't want to do it. Also, he wanted to make JiDan feel the feeling frustration before a powerful enemy.

He wanted him to lose hope, to die with a heart filled with despair.

It is only on that way that he could satisfy the greed inside his heart.

After a series of attack and defense, both of the sides earned some damage but obviously one side is already winning. The difference on their power is evident since experience is a great factor when it comes to close combat.

Even though JiDan is already strong, he is still lacking the experience needed to defeat Dong Wei. Maybe after a few years he could be a match to Dong Wei, or actually surpass him. But now, there's no way that he could defeat this person single handedly. This is the weakness that made JiDan feel so weak and inferior before Dong Wei.

"Oh? You're still fine?" Dong Wei asked as he leaned beside a tree. The lazy appearance made it look like he just arrived on the scene. "Not giving up?"

JiDan spitted the red blood from his mouth as he smirked. He wiped the wet fluid on his forehead again as he panted. His body has already surpassed the normal strength of a dragon on the same age yet he still has the stamina to fight. He looks at Dong Wei with eyes filled with dancing fire.

"What? Are you tired already?" JiDan responded. "If you wanted to rest then just say so. I would oblige and kill you."

"Kill me?" Dong Wei laughed. "You think you can kill me in that state? You must have been taking drugs to think that you can kill me."

"You think that I can't? Don't underestimate me so quickly. You've never seen what things I can do," JiDan said while mocking.

"Things that you can do?" Dong Wei said flatly as he looked at JiDan. In one pulse, he suddenly teleported before JiDan faster than a second could get. He gave a warm smile filled with a sweet nectar to the young dragon and said, "Want me to show you what you can only do?"

JiDan widened his eyes when the other person appeared before him. His senses have been alert in the maximum but he didn't notice Dong Wei move. Actually, he didn't even feel any fluctuations coming from the air and there is no sound of the ground being grazed. Dong Wei just appeared like a flash of camera - with a shot, everything is taken.

Fortunately, the reflex of the dragon is enough to react in such kind of speed. JiDan pushed his self to take a step backwards then lower his body. His left hand made a fist gathering an ample amount of energy to amplify the strength of the punch. He swung his hand upward to give Dong Wei an uppercut but the latter just simply avoided it. He was not discouraged and moved to the next step.

The punch is only a feint, but if he made a hit using a feint then it is still a good attack. JiDan adjusted his body to twist his hip to move his right leg to do a roundhouse kick. He placed all of his balance to his already broken left leg then his weight to the right. Dong Wei is still avoiding the uppercut so he didn't have the time to move away. The only thing that he could do is to block the attack using his elbows.

A force erupted from that simple attack. When JiDan made a hit towards Dong Wei, the energy around made a wave moving out like rippled water. This had blown a lot of leaves and cracked the ground Dong Wei is standing. A normal person receiving that attack will be simply blown away with a broken head.

Silence had filled the area when none of the two people moved. JiDan glared at the straight face of Dong Wei waiting for a reaction. A few seconds later, a drop of red fluid rolled down from the corner of Dong Wei's lips, contrasting the pale skin that he has. JiDan smirked in victory while Dong Wei scoffed. It seems that JiDan made a successful injury towards Dong Wei.

But this is not enough to kill Dong Wei.

Without warning, Dong Wei grasped the leg that kicked the side of his body. JiDan has no way to recover the leg back and was caught by Dong Wei unprepared. The impostor then lifted the youngster up making sure to give the maximum pain on his hold as he slowly broke the bones on his toes one by one. JiDan screamed from the pain as he tried to curl up to initiate another aerial kick.

JiDan indeed made a kick but it is weaker this time. Dong Wei held the other leg that is already paralyzed from the broken nerve. He raised his hands up to see the inverted state of the young dragon before he flung him around like doing a javelin throw. He made sure that in each turn JiDan would be hit with a tree or a rock. This only made the young dragon to earn more wounds deeper than the earlier.

After spinning him like a top, Dong Wei is still not satisfied with the torture so he started flinging JiDan on the ground like a hammer. He did it on the left and right alternatively, making sure that the young dragon will receive pain on his front and back body. When he has the time, he would occasionally bring JiDan where the sharp stones are hanging and pressed him down hardly.

After doing the excessive actions, he let go of the leg of the person and have him land on a nearby hard rock. One can hear the hard crack that echoed when JiDan hit the rock with his back. The body remained stuck on the upper level of the rock before it slid down, leaving a long trail of red ink. JiDan fell down on the hard floor losing most of his consciousness.

The injuries that he received now are far greater. Before that attack, he only has a broken leg and fractured arm. But right now, all of bones on his legs are all crippled while one arm can't be moved at all. A few pairs of ribs also caved in, pinching his internal organs making he vomit a lump of red flesh. His head is also very heavy, feeling nausea with one eardrum erupted.

Any normal on this time will eventually die any second but JiDan's perseverance made him still alive. This is not the time yet. If he closes his eyes now, he is sure that he won't be able to see Lang Yuan again. He wanted that at least before he left this world he would be able to see his mother. He wanted to hear his voice...

That is enough to give him comfort. That is enough to make him happy.

JiDan struggled to raise his body up using the only arm that can still at least hold his body up. He squinted his half-blind eye as he searched for the figure of the person that he wanted to see. However, the blurry image that appeared on his sight is a man wearing black robes. It took him a minute to stand up but Dong Wei only needed a second to crush him down as he stepped on the poor dragon's head.

In one look, anyone could guess that Dong Wei is just playing around earlier and just seriously made a real move against him now. No, actually, even now he is just still playing around. He only flung JiDan around like a toy. He didn't even lift any energy as he smashed the dragon's body. He is still playing, and will always play to humiliate the noble dragon under his boot.

He pressed his boot down slightly to trigger pain. He wanted to kill JiDan but this young dragon still has a role to do. He moved his feet to make JiDan look up on him. Seeing the son of the emperor almost dead under his feet gave him pleasure. This should be the state of every person that wanted to take that person away. He will make sure that they will all feel pain from taking him away.

"Do you think you can defeat me? You are so weak. You can't even protect yourself. How can you protect Lang Yuan in this state?" Dong Wei disgustingly spat on JiDan's face. "Worthless-"

Before Dong Wei could finish his words, JiDan returned the spit right on Dong Wei's face then grinned. The smile on the face of the battered dragon showed no shame but pride. his one eye is already bruised and blood is trickling from his nose. Some of his teeth are missing but the smile JiDan gave off seems to appear as if he is the winner.

He didn't look like he had lost the game.

Dong Wei kicked the dragon once rendering JiDan unconscious. His smiling face suddenly lost color as he wiped the spit off from his face. He chanted a few words while facing down making a magic circle appear below JiDan's body. The glow coming from the magic circle bonded the body making a few light wounds to heal. Dong Wei did not waste looking at the young dragon and turned around to look for the other person.

Lying between the huge roots of a tree, a person wearing light blue robes has been sleeping very soundly. His calm and comfortable position opposed the danger around his surroundings. Nobody would expect that until recently two people are fighting energetically around him. His figure highlighted a peaceful picture that anyone who sees it will be at ease.

A lustful glint appeared on Dong Wei's eyes. This is it. This is the perfect image of the person that he liked the most. The innocent and soft image of Lang Yuan matched the type that he wanted to devour. It is only this kind of people that he wanted to dominate, to mark, until the other person would cry because of pain. He wanted to imprint his very existence to Lang Yuan.

This isn't obsession. This is his love.

He is crazy.

Dong Wei walked towards Lang Yuan - his body trembling in anticipation. His steps are somewhat rigid while he panted hurriedly. His eyes showed nothing but malice as his hands reaches out to touch the figure.

But before he could do anything, a flash suddenly blinded him. Dong Wei yelled as he took a step back while blocking the light with his arms. When he opened his eyes to see what happened, another person is standing before Lang Yuan. This person stood before the Empress with elegance while holding an open fan. His eyes showed gentleness when looking at Lang Yuan.

Chang MingYu heaved a sigh.

"Didn't I tell you to call me when you are in danger?" The Andromeda emperor reached out for the rose pin that Lang Yuan had been holding tight since earlier. Even though Lang Yuan is unconscious, he still kept the treasure near his heart. Chang MingYu heaved another heavy sigh.

"You are really stubborn."

"So it is you, huh?" Dong Wei quickly recovered from shock when he saw a familiar figure. "I thought that you are already dead."

Chang MingYu mouthed a silent spell to protect Lang Yuan before he turned around to face the enemy. It is obvious from his straight face his disgust towards Dong Wei. He closed the fan with a flip and pointed it towards the other. He is not shy in showing his hostility.

"Actually, I'm impressed how you manage to keep your tracks undetected all this time. It seems that I have to praise you for that," Chang MingYu released an intimidating aura that brought even the nearby trees to be pulled down as if gravity had increased tenfold. "But I will never forget you, Dong Wei! You bastard only deserved to die!"

From the tip of the fan, a ball of light quickly appeared. It sucked the air around gathering a small swirling motion as though creating a hurricane. Dong Wei gave off a smirk as if this attack is just a mere speck of fire. He also gathered a ball of energy on his palm but the color contrasted the white light Chang MingYu is creating.

"It seems that even in afterlife, you still dared to follow him. You will now face your end, Yan JiaYi!"

Two forces collided in the middle creating a groundbreaking explosion. The two lights then bended turning up suddenly shooting vertically. None of the forces backed up as they both pushed the other one away while racing towards the edge of the barrier.

When both touched the edge, a drilling sound can be heard. The colored barrier of the Forbidden Forest suddenly exposed a crack resembling a spider web. It spreads out very quickly until one kick is enough to shatter the space. Just then, when everyone on the outside is busy putting off the fire, Yu XueQin turned around to see the crumbling barrier - a hole is formed.

Nobody from this world could break the barrier that protected this forest.

Only the people that were not bounded on this world could do it.

This is the climax of the story.

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