Otherworldly Affairs Office

In the blink of an eye, lightning and blades clashed, the two figures interlocked and then reversed their stances to battle again. As the fight intensified, Jiang Donghu felt increasingly shocked. As a possessor of extraordinary abilities, he had always been quite proud. Among his peers, apart from those two abnormal kids, nobody could outshine him. Today was his first encounter with an evenly matched opponent.

With a swift stroke, he deflected the claws aimed at his shoulder, dodged the knee strike approaching him, and countered with an elbow to the opponent's head, forcing a retreat. Slightly panting, Shitang Longsi watched Jiang Donghu jump away, having the same thought as him.

"You are strong. I am Shitang Longsi. May I ask your name?" Shitang Longsi sheathed his long sword and respectfully asked in poor Chinese while backing away to create distance.

"Jiang Donghu!"

Shitang Longsi, who had steadied his stance upon hearing the name, was slightly taken aback and then broke into an amused smile, saying, "Is that so? So this is a battle between dragon and tiger. Interesting! But Mr. Jiang, this battle will ultimately end in my victory."

"Are you that confident in yourself?" Jiang Donghu replied nonchalantly, then glanced around the battlefield. His teammates, although three against five, were not at a disadvantage, while that bastard named Su Xiang was sitting cross-legged in front of Pei Jin, seemingly talking.

Pei Jin, don't be swayed by his words, don't step out of the Defense Array! Jiang Donghu silently prayed in his heart. If she were subdued by the enemy, he and his teammates could buy time, waiting for reinforcements to solve all the difficulties.

"Of course. Based on our exchanges just now, I have roughly figured out your abilities. It's a bit ridiculous that this dragon indeed fails to live up to its name. If I'm correct, your abilities correspond to the legendary Divine Dragon of China, correct?"

Jiang Donghu, initially unconcerned and eager for the kid to speak more to delay time, narrowed his eyes upon hearing the last sentence. He redirected his gaze filled with killing intent to fix on the opponent.

"Oh, judging from your expression, I must be correct. There's an ancient Chinese saying, 'Know yourself and your enemy, and you will never be defeated.' I understand you now, but you still know nothing about me, Thunder God!" At the last word, Shitang Longsi shouted lowly, surrounded by dazzling electric light, raising a long sword that shined with electric glow and charging forward like a stream of light.

"Mist Maneuver!" Facing the oncoming formidable enemy, Jiang Donghu snorted, squeezing the words through his teeth, then a massive amount of steam and mist erupted from his mouth and nose, engulfing his figure in a cloud of billowing mist.

Shitang Longsi charged into the fog, missing his strike. The dense mist blurred his vision, and amidst it, shadows loomed and thunder roared, as if thousands of troops were running.

The illusion before him did not waver Shitang Longsi's mind. Continuous internal energy emanated from him, sensing every move around him. Not long, he sensed something off. Within the mist imbued with moisture, there was a faint whiff of alcohol aroma.

Initially, he paid no mind, but as time passed, he felt bouts of dizziness akin to drunkenness. Realizing he was in trouble, he dared not risk staying longer and hurried to escape the thick mist.

"Whirlpool," just as he was presuming he was about to exit the thick mist, a whisper sounded from behind. Shitang Longsi next heard the crashing sound of waves hitting his ear. Before he could react, tempestuous waves surged from all directions, enveloping him, and swept him towards the sky.

Trapped within the currents, Shitang Longsi attempted to break free. Regardless of which direction he swam, undercurrents blocked him. Having failed multiple times, his breathing became strenuous, triggering the ferocity within him. Closing his eyes, one hand on the hilt, the other pressed against the blade. Mentally chanting, internal energy infused the blade. Once prepared, his right hand flew swiftly as lightning, unsheathing and executing an Iaido Slash.

The water before him was instantly cleaved by the fierce blade energy. The water pressure ensnaring him dispersed like a burst balloon, scattering in all directions like heavy rain.

Suspended in mid-air, Shitang Longsi had no mood to savor this picturesque scene. As he descended, lightning crackled behind him. Without looking, he twisted his body in midair. The long sword enveloped in electric light swung past from beneath his armpit, thrusting towards the incoming force from behind.

Two paths of thunder collided, bursting forth with dazzling brilliance, illuminating half the sky. Amidst this blinding light, the two figures rapidly descended, crashing onto the ground, creating a deep crater. One figure sprang out, leaving a trail of blood.

Shortly after, a shaky Shitang Longsi stood up from the pit. The previous exchange saw Jiang Donghu establish advantage from above, costing him dearly. His chest was a mess of scorched wounds, with five bloody claw marks, flesh overturned and bleeding profusely.

On the other side, Jiang Donghu, who leaped from the crater first, was no better. Blood stained his face again. Although he dodged the opponent's sword, the blade endowed with the Power of Thunder still penetrated his inner energy shield, leaving a deep gash on his left cheek.

"Mr. Jiang, it seems our abilities are quite similar! It appears today, only one of us will leave here alive. Otherwise, knowing there's a formidable foe like you in the world, I won't have peace," Shitang Longsi said, tearing off his tattered clothing, using the long sword to turn it into strips and winding them around his chest, tightening hard. Feeling the intense pain from his chest, he looked at Jiang Donghu, eyes filled with more hatred.

Jiang Donghu was not in the mood for unnecessary words. It wasn't because he was cold; it was now his mouth uncontrollably twitched, drawing the aching wound on his face.

Neither waste time in verbal exchanges, lightning flashed as the two figures collided again. Indeed, the fight was evenly matched. Jiang Donghu was at a disadvantage without a handy weapon, forced to use a reinforced body to withstand the long sword powered by thunder. Meanwhile, Shitang Longsi faced evasive movements against Jiang's punches and kicks, careful every collision felt like breaking bones, the strength comparable to a beastly entity.

In a brief skirmish, both inflicted multiple wounds on each other. Yet, stubbornness defined their nature, neither stepping back. Blood shed made reason distant, primitive killing desires flooded cerebral dominance. Jiang Donghu and Shitang Longsi transformed into ancient beasts, their battle's intensity overshadowing the entire scene, turning them into focus for all.