"You think this matter can be let go so easily? He dared to defy me, Princess Jinghong, you'd better not interfere in this," Phantom Butterfly Princess said coldly.
Normally, since both were descendants of Beast Kings, they would at least show some courtesy and avoid escalating things. However, the fact that Jinghong had just broken through Phantom Butterfly's illusion technique made her quite unhappy, so she naturally showed no kindness in her attitude.
Princess Jinghong, seeing this, did not get angry. Instead, she turned to Qin Zi, giving him a helpless look, and sighed, "Ah... you better take care of yourself."
She shook her head in resignation, but there was an unmistakable hint of schadenfreude in her gentle voice.
Qin Zi's mouth twitched a few times, then he stiffly cupped his hands toward her and said, "Thank you."
Though she seemed carefree, this girl was actually quite considerate. At least, she was willing to say something on his behalf.
He understood why she didn't continue to help him. After all, they had only met once and didn't even have a friendship. Offending Phantom Butterfly Princess for his sake clearly wasn't worth it.
Unless, of course, she had a few screws loose.
"Hmph, today I won't kill you, but you must receive a lesson you'll never forget, to teach you fear and respect!" Phantom Butterfly Princess snorted coldly.
Suddenly, two enormous butterfly wings unfurled behind her, forming from the power of laws, magnificent and radiant. As they flapped toward Qin Zi, the wings grew larger, their intricate patterns blurring, transforming into flames, lightning, and a destructive storm!
They resembled two immense walls of destruction, closing in from both sides, threatening to crush Qin Zi in the middle.
"Immovable King!"
Qin Zi shouted, and boundless golden light erupted from his body, transforming into a three-headed, six-armed Vajra King avatar. Six arms stretched outward, holding back the two massive wings.
Boom!
A loud explosion echoed as flames and lightning rippled outward, like a dazzling fireworks display. Meanwhile, Qin Zi felt an overwhelming force transmitted from the Vajra King avatar, straining him beyond his limits.
Crack... crack crack crack...
Cracks appeared on the arms of the Vajra King avatar, spreading rapidly, threatening to cover its entire body.
"How strong!"
At this moment, Qin Zi felt a deep sense of helplessness, as if facing a version of himself one level higher.
True geniuses fight within the same realm, for every minor realm in their cultivation holds significant growth. If one is even a small step behind, the difference in combat power becomes insurmountable.
Two small realms apart? Practically impossible.
After all, everyone has their own fortuitous opportunities. You may have special constitutions, but so do they. You have unique encounters, and so do they. Among geniuses, what makes you so special to overcome them?
"I'll have to use my Dao bones!"
He took a deep breath and prepared to activate the three pieces of Dao bone within him. But just then, a familiar shout echoed through the air.
"Who dares to touch my junior brother?!"
The next moment, a vast aura erupted, spreading like an ocean and dyeing the sky red with blood-colored energy.
Boom! Boom!
A golden fist light tore through the sky, piercing through both wings in an instant, shattering them into countless glowing fragments.
"Qin junior brother, are you alright?"
Jin Zhi landed in front of Qin Zi, exuding a terrifying, bloodthirsty energy. Standing with his back to Qin Zi, he turned his head and asked.
"I'm fine."
Qin Zi shook his head, feeling a warm sensation in his heart. In moments of danger, besides his father, only Senior Brother Jin would step up to protect him.
"You must be the True Dragon?"
Phantom Butterfly Princess gazed at Jin Zhi with a frown.
"Indeed."
Jin Zhi replied calmly, neither arrogant nor humble.
"So, you intend to oppose me as well?" Phantom Butterfly asked coldly.
"I don't seek to oppose anyone, but if someone tries to harm my junior brother, they'll have to get past me first."
Jin Zhi's tone was calm, but there was an innate air of arrogance—perhaps from long practice of staying aloof.
"Heh, do you think you're worthy of saying that?"
Phantom Butterfly sneered, her tone full of mockery. "You might not know, but the foundation of this Holy Academy is built on nine castrated dragon veins... You may have become a True Dragon, but it's not too late to castrate you now."
"That depends on whether you have the ability to do so!"
Jin Zhi's voice turned icy, a rare trace of fury flashing in his eyes.
"Of course I do."
Phantom Butterfly smiled arrogantly, her tone unrestrained:
"True Dragons may join any of the Nine Heavens Tribes, but ultimately, you're not one of us. So, I don't necessarily need to fight you fairly—I can simply use my influence to crush you!"
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
Suddenly, a mysterious figure clad in black appeared before her, radiating a terrifying aura.
An Emperor!
Phantom Butterfly glanced at the black figure and commanded coldly, "Suppress this True Dragon. Castrate him on the spot."
"Understood."
The black figure nodded and reached out, a massive hand descending from the sky, blotting out the sun as it moved toward Jin Zhi.
"How dare you!!"
Just then, a crisp shout rang out.
Boom!
The black figure's hand exploded in mid-air, forcing him to stagger back several steps.
Whoosh!
A graceful figure, clad in white, descended from the sky, landing in front of Jin Zhi.
Accompanying her were three gray-robed elders, all of whom stood like immovable statues, their expressions cold and unreadable.
"Princess Bai Lu!"
"My goodness, all three princesses are here now. This is going to be quite the spectacle!"
"Spectacle my foot! Let's get out of here before we get caught up in this mess."
"Awuba's right, time to scram!"
The surrounding onlookers, mostly insignificant lackeys, started retreating. While their presence wasn't noteworthy, they still preferred living to dying.
"Big Brother Jin, are you okay?" Bai Lu asked with concern as she looked at Jin Zhi.
"I'm... I'm fine."
Jin Zhi's face reddened slightly, and he turned his head awkwardly, stammering.
"That's good."
Bai Lu sighed in relief, then turned to face Phantom Butterfly, subconsciously placing her left hand on her hip and stretching out her right arm.
However, the next moment, she quickly withdrew her arm, holding back the fierce words she had planned. Instead, she coldly said, "Phantom Butterfly, it's inappropriate to have your protector intervene in a conflict between peers, don't you think?"
"Are you joking, Sister Bai Lu? I heard that when you entered the Holy Academy, you had your protector kill a genius."
Phantom Butterfly retorted with a sly smile.
"What? Are you saying it's okay for the officials to set fires but not for the common people to light a lamp? Sister Bai Lu, isn't that a bit tyrannical?"
Bai Lu's expression remained unchanged as she calmly replied:
"For those who lack the strength but are arrogant and disrespectful, I couldn't be bothered to dirty my hands. Naturally, I let my protector handle it."
"But if someone stronger than you stands before you and you don't dare fight fairly, instead calling on your protector, well, that's just pathetic. So much for the descendants of the Butterfly King!"
"Stronger than me? What a joke!"
Phantom Butterfly sneered, her aura surging as she coldly said, "As a descendant of the Sky-Splitting Butterfly, my bloodline and heritage are no less than that of a True Dragon. Where do you see him being stronger than me?"
"He..."
Bai Lu began to speak but then suddenly fell silent, her face flushing red.
At that moment, Jin Zhi stepped forward, glaring at Phantom Butterfly with cold eyes. "There's no need to argue about who's stronger. But if you dare fight me fairly, I'll rip your wings off!"