The Creatures that We Are

The voice was gentle, long-lasting, and authoritative, like a divine decree from heaven. In an instant, it suppressed the life monster’s brainwashing power.

Gao Yang jerked awake.

Dragon!

He was dressed in an elegant, tapered gray trench coat with his black hair tied into a simple braid, his hair on the sides hung softly by his slightly pale cheeks and reached down to his chest. He was a combination of masculine handsomeness and gentle femininity.

At some point, he had reached the torii and saved Su Xi.

Holding the weak, unconscious woman, he slowly walked up to Gao Yang, ignoring the giant life monster towering over them.

Once he reached Gao Yang, he laid Su Xi down and smiled softly at him. “Take them. Get as far away as possible.”

“Okay.”

“Good work. Leave the rest to me.”

Without hesitation, Gao Yang grabbed Su Xi and shouted at Qing Ling, who had recovered her ability to move. “Take Officer Huang!”

Qing Ling didn’t waste her time talking before rushing toward an unconscious Officer Huang, grabbing his hand while riding on her blade, flying away at full speed.

Holding Su Xi, Gao Yang teleported to Heavenly Dog and grabbed his hand to replicate Fly, catching up to Qing Ling quickly.

Neither of them turned around. They couldn’t afford to waste even a second as they quickly flew away from Mount Kei.

Rumble.

Gao Yang sensed himself going through an invisible wall, like he was swept by a strange substantial wind from the front.

Qing Ling felt the same.

They both paused to look over their shoulders, their jaws dropping in shock.

…

Dragon watched Gao Yang and Qing Ling go. He slowly turned around. The giant white bird above him—Zhuang Mei—spoke up then.

“Dragon, with serial number 1 Talent?”

Her voice was low like a waterfall running down a valley between mountains, a penetrative rumble echoing.

“I am.”

Dragon looked up at the life monster, his beautiful, androgynous face illuminated by the sacred light the life monster radiated. It was flawless like a piece of art.

His heterochromic eyes glinted with a hint of joy. “So life monsters do exist.”

Zhuang Mei could sense that Dragon was strong, but she didn’t know how strong he was.

Her attitude remained haughty. She didn’t have the time to waste on him. She had to take Su Xi back and complete the ritual.

Actually, she should’ve stopped Dragon from taking Su Xi away, yet strangely, she did nothing but watch as Gao Yang and Qing Ling left with Su Xi.

Wait. Is that Dragon’s power too?

Whatever the case, he isn’t getting away with more tricks.

“You can’t defeat me, Dragon.” Zhuang Mei looked down at the small ant-like figure on the ground. “I won’t give you the chance to create your realm…”

“Oh?” Dragon cut her off lazily. “What made you think you’re outside of it?”

Zhuang Mei started.

Instantly, the landscape around them disappeared, replaced by an endless void of mysterious gray fog. Dragon’s trench coat fluttered as he rose into the air, his long hair dancing. He didn’t stop until he was at Zhuang Mei’s eye level—no, until he was slightly above her.

“Judgment…”

Gray fog morphed into an ancient stone chair behind him. He sat down, leaning to the side lazily with a hand propping his left cheek. He opened his mouth.

“Begins.”

…

When Gao Yang and Qing Ling turned around, Mount Kei was gone, replaced by a strange light gray hemisphere, the realm having enveloped the entire mountain.

Still riding on her Tang Dao while carrying Officer Huang, Qing Ling frowned slightly. She slowly approached the realm, feeling the urge to touch it.

“Don’t!” Gao Yang exclaimed. “Watch over it, Qing Ling. Don’t let anything such as birds knock into it!”

His concern wasn’t warranted, actually.

When Zhuang Mei let out the brainwashing shriek, she had put all creatures within more than five kilometers in radius into a deep slumber. They wouldn’t wake up in the short term.

That was why Dragon was confident enough to create such a large realm with Overlord, quietly trapping Zhuang Mei inside. When he showed up, Zhuang Mei was already in his realm without realizing it.

Exhausted, Gao Yang laid the unconscious Heavenly Dog and Su Xi on the ground. The replicated Fly had run out of its use duration then. He sighed in relief once he made sure that both Su Xi and Officer Huang were alright. He got to his feet with some difficulty, looking back at the large Overlord realm. Suddenly, realization dawned on him.

Qilin did this on purpose!

It didn’t make sense that Qilin would insist on not sending help when he knew Gao Yang wouldn’t be a life monster’s match, going so far as to reach an agreement with Surnamed Li to prevent the Hundred Rivers Union from sending reinforcements.

It was all to force the Twelve Zodiac Signs to make a move!

Officer Huang must have updated the Twelve Zodiac Signs, and he, Qing Ling, and Heavenly Dog were all members of the organization—in fact, even Gao Yang was a member too.

The Twelve Zodiac Signs couldn’t possibly stay on the sideline.

Who, however, would have the ability to deal with a life monster? Not even War Tiger was strong enough. Dragon would have to take matters into his own hand.

Qilin was betting on Dragon rushing to their rescue.

Speaking of which, Gao Yang had sensed someone following him back when he and Qing Ling visited the shrine for fox deity during the day. It turned out to be Dragon!

But why must Qilin force Dragon to make a move? Did Qilin not have the confidence to face a life monster?

No, Qilin was strong, and he was confident. With Vermilion Bird and Azure Dragon’s help, he would be able to deal with a life monster. Vermilion Bird’s Equivalent Exchange could triple Qilin’s and Azure Dragon’s power, which would make them a terrifying trio.

Gao Yang couldn’t come to a conclusion just yet, so he didn’t waste his energy on it.

Staring at the large hemisphere and Qing Ling, who was patrolling the area above it with full focus, Gao Yang sighed.

You must win, Dragon!

…

Inside the Overlord realm, Dragon sat leisurely on the stone chair of gray fog, amid the deep blue water of the dark bottom of the sea. Rain, thunder, and the four seas… Three judgments had been brought down.

Seven giant chains of gray fog pierced through the giant white bird, locking it in place completely. The damage inflicted by the immeasurable water pressure burrowed into every inch of Zhuang Mei’s skin like countless planktons, sucking on her blood, flesh, and bone marrow.

“Agh!”

She let out a blood-curdling cry, the sound landing somewhere between human and monster-like. She was under tremendous pain, dissolved and picked apart at a fundamental level.

Damages could be roughly put into five categories.

Physical damage, elemental damage, psychic damage, spiritual damage, and rule-based damage.

The damage Overlord inflicted on the target’s vitality itself was in a league of its own, combining the five types of damages. It wielded the power of the creator; God created all lives, and thus They could erase lives.

Not even an existence as powerful as a life monster could resist it.

During the fight of the Crimson Tide, under the threat to his life, Dragon had reached level 4 with Overlord, the seed of energy he acquired finally sprouting.

He raised his right hand, opening it before balling it into a fist, bringing down the fourth judgment.

“Stars.”

Instantly, the world turned into a deep starry sky. All around Zhuang Mei was a splattering of tens of thousands of brilliant stars, which started to rotate quietly.

The speed increased further and further until almost reaching the speed of light, and a smooth, light blue halo was formed, resembling the beautiful ring of a planet as observed through a telescope.

Then something strange happened.

The giant life monster in the middle of the ring started distorting, getting pulled apart by the gravitational force of the ring and ended up dragged into it in liquid form, reminiscent of white paint getting spread on a palette.

Zhuang Mei couldn’t even scream. She felt pain, despair, and fear, but even more overpowering was an all-consuming nothingness.

Then she lost all senses. She was no longer herself.

In another ten seconds—no, five seconds—Zhuang Mei would’ve crossed the threshold to the ultimate death.

Unfortunately, the fourth judgment came to an inopportune stop then.

The judgment of stars ended.

Houseau3's Thoughts

Dang that's low, Qilin. (Makes sense though.)

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