Book 8: Chapter 94: Burn (1)

The Flaming Lily Sect army sliced through. The support given by Madeleine and Lyla, not to mention the overwhelming strength of Yandevere, Damaris and Zaire, and of course the timely slew of insults that flew from Sabona, made what should have been a mediocre force unstoppable.The Golden Crow Sect had much of their atmospheric qi control wrested away by Madeleine. At the same time, Lyla’s control of the sealing formation’s formation core gave them a perpetual elevation advantage. The combination of these two factors gave Yandevere, Damaris and Zaire free reign to wreak havoc among their army.Dyon’s punishment of Damaris seemed to have forced her into shedding into a new layer. Without her cultivation, for two years, she could only focus on tempering her mind. For a normal dragon, this might not have been a big deal. But, one must remember that the Crystal Dragon Clan were among the very few species who could naturally replenish their mental energies without resting.Drathals’ Golden Dragon Clan was known for their overpowering Dragon Souls. Rahl’s Light Qilin Clan was known for the oppressive speed and potent attack power. Kere’s Elemental Qilin Clan was known for their control over the elements. However, Damaris’ Crystal Dragon Clan was known for their calm and mental fortitude.For those who knew Giralda, they would nod at this explanation and whole heartedly accept it. Giralda was a woman who went through untold horrors, yet she was never shaken. It seemed as though she had never gone through any trauma at all. In fact, her son, Little Ryu, seemed to take after his mother’s calm.However, if one saw Damaris, they would think it was the world’s greatest joke. Calm? Damaris? These two words didn’t seem to belong in the same sentence. Damaris was crude, impatient, and quick to anger. Despite her talent, she could never tap into the true strength of her Clan.These two years taught her patience. Though she was still the same firecracker, there was a level of refinement that hadn’t been there before.A mighty roar shook the skies as Damaris’ body morphed.The crystal dragon’s form was truly too mesmerizing. They took the shape of the quintessential western dragon. Four sturdy limbs, two enormous wings, and a tail filled to the brim with power. However, what caught the attention of all those lucky enough to see a crystal dragon’s true form was the gem-like appearance of their body.Damaris looked as though she was carved of the purest diamond in existence, then made to sit in a room of reflective soft pink, blue and lavender light. Her scales were absolutely without blemish, and the sunlight that bounced from its surface blinded all those around.She stretched more than a hundred meters and a single flap of her wings tore the landscape below apart, creating peaks and ravines with a single breath.In that moment, Damaris breathed in.Alax’s face completely changed. “RUN! RETREAT!”No matter how much he screamed, did it truly matter? They were in the thick of a silver danger zone. It was a mossy area filled with sludgy mud and dirty waters, not to mention a thin fog that made it difficult to control one’s senses. It was known as Lost Marsh. Its danger was hidden in the water beneath their feet and was used to refine and sharpen one’s perception since the fog could dull divine sense.Trying to run in such a place, especially when you couldn’t fly… Wasn’t that asking for death?Madeleine realized Damaris’ action, she let go of her control of the atmospheric qi.This was the shocking ability of the crystal dragons. When their minds were calm, their bodies could become one with nature, allowing them to tap into the ability that made them one of the few King God Clans of the Drago-Qilin Lands: Nature’s Breath.Unlike Madeleine and other cultivators who could only call upon wills and qi they had comprehended, crystal dragons didn’t have this limiter. They could call upon Gama qi itself and use it to strike with an attack that sent fear down the spines of even Dragon Overlords.Swirls of qi raced toward Damaris and seemed to soak into her beautiful scales, making her already gorgeous bestial body shimmer all the more so.Damaris’ reptilian eyes, swirling with a rainbow of colors, vibrated with excitement. She had finally done it.Her elder sister Giralda was an unprecedented genius of their Agios Clan. In just the Saint Realm, she had already completed her first Nature’s Breath. Compared to her, Damaris was sorely lacking, taking until her recent breakthrough into the Higher Celestial Realm to accomplish this same feat. But, she couldn’t have been more happy. She finally understood what it meant to be a crystal dragon!‘Come! Have a taste of the might of my Agios Clan! [Nature’s Breath]!’A canon of blazing light erupted from Damaris’ lips.The already chaotic battlefield became a reflection of hell. Or, maybe something even worse than that. Under Damaris’ power, not even blood and gore remained. By the time the blinding vanished and the eyes of those who remained adjusted, all that was left was a scorching piece of land, obliterated beyond recognition. Tens of thousands of disciples died, just like that.Zaire’s laughter was the first thing to overtake the silent battlefield.“I won’t let the Agios Clan have all the credit today. There’ll come a time when my Demon Qilin Clan will rise above it all!”The already shaken remains of the Golden Crow Sect trembled as a mighty Qilin appeared in the skies with branching, black as night antlers blocking out the skies.An ominous aura descended upon the battlefield.