Chapter 12 – Skill Fusion, Sword Casts Dragon's Shadow

The moment Lu Chen comprehended the essence of ‘Water Dragon’s Roar’, his proficiency in the skill began increasing at an astonishing rate.

After all, most people practiced behind closed doors—mere theoretical exercises lacking real combat experience.

But Lu Chen continuously refined his sword techniques through actual combat, where every mistake cost him his life.

The agony and sensation of death etched every error deeply into his memory.

By the next battle, his sword mastery would reach new heights.

While this cultivation method was highly efficient, only he could employ it.

For others to attempt the same, they would need immense Luck to repeatedly escape certain death.

Otherwise, even ten lives wouldn’t be enough to survive.

Without the Instance’s unlimited revives, Lu Chen wouldn’t dare such methods either.

Recognizing this advantage, he now felt no urgency to clear the Instance.

Where else could he find consequences-free training grounds or a perfect sparring partner like Ye Chenglin who never went easy on him?

Three-hundredth tomb challenge.

“Water Dragon’s Roar appears to be a sword technique, but at its core, it’s actually a method of utilizing Spiritual Power.”

“Using Spiritual Qi as foundation, shaping through vibrations, forging the latent dragon’s might.”

“The sword technique is merely one manifestation of Water Dragon’s Roar. As long as cultivation remains, even grass, wood, flowers, or stones can become swords.”

“This must be the legendary ‘no sword in hand, but sword in heart’…”

After hundreds of battles, Lu Chen’s comprehension of Water Dragon’s Roar ascended entirely.

Reflected in his status panel, his Water Dragon’s Roar… finally achieved Breakthrough.

[Water Dragon’s Roar (Max): Breakthrough]

[Effect: Sword casts rainbow, capable of Qi Gathering into Dragon]

[Detected high compatibility between ‘Skill: Water Dragon’s Roar’ and ‘Skill: Sharpness Art’. Proceed with fusion?]

[Note: Fused skill has probability of unlocking higher skill ranks]

Breakthrough isn’t the skill’s maximum rank???

Lu Chen stared at the game panel notification, inwardly astonished.

Previously, he had always assumed Breakthrough represented a skill’s limit.

That beyond this point, skill ranks couldn’t advance further.

But now it appeared Breakthrough merely shattered the skill’s original Realm.

It didn’t mean a skill could only reach this level.

Recalling how different skills required vastly different experience to achieve Breakthrough,

Lu Chen suddenly wondered:

Had he mistaken Breakthrough for a skill’s ultimate limit because all skills he’d learned so far were relatively basic?

Perhaps truly profound techniques might start beyond Breakthrough from the very beginning.

Never mind—these matters didn’t concern him currently.

Better to focus on the present and see what surprises awaited from fusing ‘Water Dragon’s Roar’ with ‘Sharpness Art’.

Lu Chen closed his eyes, insights about Sharpness Art and Water Dragon’s Roar intertwining in his mind, eventually merging into a completely new skill.

[Skill fusion completed. Obtained new skill… Dragon’s Roar Sky-Piercing Strike]

[Dragon’s Roar Sky-Piercing Strike: Breakthrough 1/30000][Effect: Transforming Qi into a Dragon, attacks carry the might of a Flood Dragon, capable of shaking all demons and evil spirits]

When Lu Chen reopened his eyes, he had fully absorbed the insights from the fusion of these two skills.

“Dragon’s Roar Sky-Piercing Strike… It possesses both the shockwave power of Water Dragon’s Roar, roaring like a Flood Dragon with immense momentum.”

“And it carries the sharp metallic force of the Sharpness Art, peerlessly keen, impervious to gods and ghosts alike.”

“Such a skill can hardly be considered mere art anymore—it’s a genuine Divine Ability.”

“Skill approaching divinity, truly skill approaching divinity…”

Lu Chen wasn’t mistaken. The current Flood Dragon Sky-Piercing Strike was, in essence, a unique Divine Ability belonging solely to him, not an ordinary technique.

After all, even if common techniques could achieve the level of transforming Qi into a Dragon,

They would only have the form without the spirit.

But his Flood Dragon Sky-Piercing Strike could genuinely carry the imposing might of a Flood Dragon, as if a true Flood Dragon had descended.

“It seems it’s time to settle things with Ye Chenglin…”

Pushing open the heavy bronze door, Lu Chen returned once more to the familiar underground cave.

“You… are… who?”

Hearing these words he had heard hundreds of times before, Lu Chen calmly replied, “Azure Cloud Sect menial disciple, Lu Chen.”

“Azure Cloud Sect… Azure Cloud Sect…”

For some reason, Ye Chenglin remained dazed for a long time this instance.

When he regained clarity, his gaze toward Lu Chen became unprecedentedly serious.

And what he said next was something Lu Chen had never heard in his previous hundreds of encounters.

“You… are strong.”

Ye Chenglin descended from the mountain of corpses, standing face-to-face with Lu Chen on level ground for the first time.

This, in itself, was his respect for Lu Chen.

Raising his only remaining right arm, he made an inviting gesture.

“Azure Cloud Sect · Seventieth Generation · Ten Thousand Talisman Peak Direct Lineage Disciple · Ye Chenglin, requests… guidance from Fellow Daoist.”

Recalling his hundreds of previous battles with Ye Chenglin and witnessing his current transformation,

Lu Chen felt inexplicably complex emotions stirring within him.

Because he had a premonition that this might be… the final battle between him and Ye Chenglin.

Though Ye Chenglin retained no memory of those hundreds of fights, Lu Chen did.

And through those countless battles, Lu Chen had come to understand what Ye Chenglin carried on his shoulders.

This was someone who, even after death, continued guarding the Sect, willingly enduring endless solitude.

Though he was a Corpse Puppet, in Lu Chen’s eyes he embodied the essence of a cultivator more than anyone else.

Because from beginning to end, Lu Chen had never seen any trace of confusion in him.

His Dao Heart… was firmer than anyone’s.

Looking at Ye Chenglin, Lu Chen respectfully bowed: “I request guidance from Fellow Daoist.”

As the words fell, Ye Chenglin immediately began tracing talismans in the air.

His speed was so fast that afterimages appeared.

In moments, over a dozen Thunder Talismans were completed and released.

Facing these all-too-familiar Thunder Talismans, Lu Chen didn’t even need much preparation to handle them with ease.

Streaks of Thunder Talismans cut through the air, assaulting Lu Chen with lightning ferocity.

Amid the flashes and rumbles, Lu Chen moved like a startled swan, weaving seamlessly between the numerous talismans with flowing motions.

His relaxed and effortless demeanor made it seem as though he wasn’t dodging lightning, but gentle raindrops.

Seeing that the Thunder Talismans had limited effect on Lu Chen, Ye Chenglin quickly changed his approach.Ye Chenglin’s speed in drawing Talismans accelerated once more, as an even more intricate and spiritually potent Talisman began to coalesce before him.

Talisman · Five Thunders Tian Lao Technique!

Lu Chen raised his head, noticing a small thundercloud that had unknowingly formed above him.

Within the thundercloud, flashes of lightning flickered incessantly, accompanied by low, rumbling thunder.

Gazing at this previously unseen Talisman, Lu Chen felt little turmoil in his heart.

After all, once one’s own strength reaches a certain level,

even when facing the unknown, he possesses ample confidence.

After summoning the thundercloud, Ye Chenglin’s Thunder Talisman assaults did not cease.

While evading the Thunder Talisman attacks, Lu Chen drew the Magic Sword from his back.

Then, leaping into the air, he charged directly toward the thundercloud overhead.

Dragon’s Roar… Sky Piercing Strike!

“ROAR!!!”

At that moment, the vast Underground Tomb was instantly filled with an ear-splitting roar.

The emergence of this sound caused the hovering thundercloud to tremble violently,

as if the Dragon’s Roar truly emanated from the mouth of a Flood Dragon!

(End of Chapter)