Chapter 29: The Guardian Dragon

After discussing with Jasmine for a while, they eventually arrived at the cave indicated by the system. Yun Che chose Zangetsu as his primary weapon to face the dragon, believing it was capable of defeating it. He wanted Zangetsu to be his first Bankai to be unleashed in the real world. For safety, Jasmine decided to return to Yun Che's inner world and observe from there.

The entrance to the cave was situated deep within the northern mountains of Cyan Town. The cave was nestled within a fiery cavern, a place of intense heat and burning energy. The walls of the cave glowed with a deep, reddish hue, emanating warmth that could be felt even from a distance. The air was thick with the scent of charred rock and the crackling sound of flames echoed throughout.

The ceiling of the cave had jagged formations, resembling molten rock that had frozen in time. Glistening stalactites dripped with what seemed like liquid fire, creating an eerie and captivating sight. The ground was uneven and covered in a layer of ash and smoldering embers.

The entrance of the cave was a dark opening, contrasting starkly with the fiery surroundings. Inside, the cavern opened up into a larger space, revealing the awe-inspiring expanse of the cavern. The flickering light from the flames painted dancing shadows on the cave walls, adding an element of mystery to the environment.

The air inside the cave felt heavy with heat, almost suffocating, yet there was an undeniable beauty in the vibrant, fiery colors that painted every surface. It was a place that seemed to exist at the intersection of raw elemental power and a haunting, mesmerizing beauty.

As he ventured deeper into the cave, he entered a vast cavern that seemed as large as a stadium. He spotted a blinking red light at the far end of the hall.

"That must be the Evil God Seed of Fire. Hey, Jasmine, what do you think?" Yun Che asked.

"Hmm, based on what I've heard from the God's Realm, the Evil God's Seed appears as an ordinary bead without any special attributes. Only those with the Evil God Bloodline can activate its powers," Jasmine explained, observing the Evil God Seed from a distance.

As Yun Che drew nearer to the bead, he felt that something was amiss. The bead was simply lying there, with no dragon in sight. His instincts told him that this situation was suspicious.

Suddenly, the ground began to tremble, and Yun Che used Zangetsu to steady himself.

"WHO DARES TRESPASS INTO MY DOMAIN," a voice thundered through the air.

Without warning, the ground cracked open, revealing a massive red dragon emerging from beneath. The dragon's colossal body easily filled the hall. It now stood between Yun Che and the bead.

The massive red dragon emerged from the earth, filling the cave with its fiery presence. Its body was covered in shiny red scales that glowed like burning embers. The dragon's size was impressive, with each scale as big as a rock. Flames surrounded the dragon, moving along its scales in a captivating way. The heat coming off the dragon was intense and made the cave feel like an inferno.

Its head was fierce and had sharp horns on top. Its eyes were like glowing coals, looking as if they could see right through you. The dragon's wings were strong and had scales that looked like fiery feathers. When it flapped its wings, it created hot gusts of wind. With each step, the dragon's movements were accompanied by the sound of crackling flames. Its claws were sharp and powerful, capable of tearing through almost anything.

The entire cave seemed to respond to the dragon's presence, creating shadows that added to its intimidating look. Its fiery nature made it both awe-inspiring and fearsome, a true powerhouse.

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[Ding... Warning! You are now facing a Level 70: True Fire Dragon]

[Exercise caution]

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"HMPH, MORTAL. YOU DARE TO TRESPASS IN MY DOMAIN?" The dragon roared.

Despite facing such a fearsome creature, Yun Che couldn't help but smirk. He didn't feel any pressure from the dragon, even as he gazed upon it. He unsheathed Zangetsu and prepared to engage the dragon in combat. The gap between the True Profound Realm and the Emperor Profound Realm was immense, but to Yun Che, who was both a gamer and a cultivator from his previous life, levels were merely numbers. With sufficient trump cards, he believed he could overcome stronger opponents.

"Yeah, sorry about that. I seem to have forgotten my manners. Well then, I'll get straight to the point. I want that thing you're guarding," Yun Che stated confidently.

"PUNY MORTAL. YOU DARE CHALLENGE THE MIGHT OF A TRUE DRAGON? DO YOU HAVE A DEATH WISH?" the dragon roared.

"Hell yeah, I do. Come and get me. Or are you chickening out against a True Profound Realm cultivator?" Yun Che taunted the dragon, aiming to provoke it further.

"Idiot, what are you doing? You could just use your Flash Step and take the bead. There's no need to fight the dragon," Jasmine's voice resounded in his mind.

"Sorry, love, but I'm not going to take and run like that. Besides, there's a massive amount of experience points in front of me. This is a fight I'm willing to take," Yun Che replied, determined to confront the dragon.

"INSOLENT," the dragon roared, swiping its right arm at Yun Che. He swiftly sidestepped the attack and retaliated with a sword wave. However, the difference in strength was too significant, and the wave was easily deflected by the dragon's sturdy scales.

Undeterred, Yun Che continued to fire sword waves at the dragon. He employed his Flash Step to move onto the dragon's back and attempted to pierce its scales. Unfortunately, his strikes barely made a dent.

"Che, this dragon's hide is incredibly tough. If physical attacks won't work, how about Kido?" Yun Che used Flash Step to appear in front of the dragon's face.

"Hado #73. SOREN SOKATSUI!" he shouted, launching a powerful blue fire at the dragon's face. The blue fire engulfed the dragon's head before detonating, causing it to stagger back.

BOOM!

"ARRGGGHHHH! INSOLENT MORTAL," the dragon bellowed. As the smoke cleared, Yun Che noticed that the dragon's right eye was bleeding. His Soren Sokatsui had struck its eye, dealing a critical blow to a vulnerable spot. The following sequence played out rapidly in Yun Che's mind, culminating in a strategic decision.

Yun Che Flash Stepped into the air and prepared to charge up Zangetsu. Drawing from his memories of an old Bleach game on PlayStation, he aimed to replicate Ichigo and Hollow Ichigo's signature attack—a dual Getsuga Tenshou. While the anime depicted them firing single Getsuga attacks, the game allowed for two Getsuga attacks to be fired simultaneously. Despite his previous failures, Yun Che recognized that by channeling more power into the first Getsuga, he could create a powerful opening strike and support it with a less potent second strike.

Empowering his sword with his spirit force, Yun Che slowly transformed Zangetsu into solid black. With his preparations complete, he addressed the dragon with determination.

"Try this on for size."

"GETSUGA!" Yun Che launched the first Getsuga horizontally, infusing it with a substantial amount of power to make it larger.

"TENSHOU!" Following it, he fired the second Getsuga vertically, imbuing it with half of the original power to provide support and push it forward.

However, to Yun Che's surprise, the two attacks melded into each other, forming an immense 'X' shape. The attack grew brighter and accelerated toward the dragon.

"WHA..." The attack collided with the dragon's head, propelling it into a nearby wall.

"ARRGGHHH!!!" The dragon cried out, its body pummeled by the collapsed wall of the cave.

Yun Che landed on the ground, gazing at the aftermath. The attack had depleted 25% of his Spirit Force, yet the results were astonishing. As he marveled at the outcome, a notification materialized in front of him.

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[Ding…. Congratulations on creating an evolved technique.]

[Ding…. New Technique acquired. Dual Getsuga Tenshou. Fire a devastating 'X'-shaped moon fang. Requires weapon spirit enhancement to use.]

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"Holy shit, that was incredibly powerful. But the attack consumed a quarter of my Spirit Force. It's not something I can keep using," Yun Che sighed inwardly, realizing that he could only deploy the attack a couple more times before depleting his Spirit Force entirely.

"MORTAL, YOU ARE COURTING DEATH!!!" Yun Che's thoughts were interrupted by the dragon's enraged voice. The dragon emerged from the debris, its body bearing numerous injuries. As Yun Che had suspected, the spirit-enhanced attack managed to penetrate the dragon's scales, but the wounds were not deep.

"Che, this dragon is incredibly persistent. Looks like I need to step it up," Yun Che muttered to himself. He continued to use Flash Step to evade the dragon's attacks while pondering his next move.

"It seems I have no choice but to use it after all."

"The dragon's body is too resilient. You must use it, Yun Che," Jasmine warned him within his mind. He nodded in agreement without uttering a word.

"Chee, you overgrown lizard. Prepare to witness my ultimate move," Yun Che taunted the dragon. With a Flash Step, he positioned himself at the end of the hall and stared down the dragon with unwavering determination.

"MORTAL, I WILL KILL YOU AND FEAST ON YOUR SOUL. PREPARE YOURSELF," the dragon roared, charging at Yun Che with murderous intent.

Yun Che remained stationary, gripping Zangetsu on his back. He was ready to unveil his Bankai to the world, aiming to conclude this battle as swiftly as possible. The threat of Hollows and cultivators converging on his position motivated him to expedite the fight.

Spirit Force surged around Yun Che's body, capturing the dragon's attention due to the unusual fluctuations it caused.

"MORTAL, WHAT ARE YOU ATTEMPTING?" As an Emperor-rank dragon, the dragon was taken aback by the irregular energy fluctuations within Yun Che.

Nevertheless, Yun Che persisted in channeling Spirit Force until the process reached completion. He raised Zangetsu, positioning it with his left arm on top of his right. The white strip on Zangetsu wrapped around his right arm, securing it in place.

Swoosh!

His shihakushou rustled in the wind as the process finalized. Yun Che shifted his gaze to the dragon, his Sharingan activated.

"Bankai."