Reborn as the Last van Ambrose

The first wave of corrupted creatures charged in a coordinated assault. The massive whale charged directly at Ao Shun, its multiple rows of teeth gleaming in the golden light, while smaller creatures charged right behind it.

Ao Shun met the charge head-on, his claws extending as he shifted partially into his dragon form. The impact when they collided sent shockwaves through the ancient stone beneath their feet, but the whale-creature’s enhanced intelligence showed immediately—instead of trying to overpower the Dragon King, it used its momentum to grapple him, wrapping those unnatural arms around his torso to prevent him from moving too much.

"Father!" Lin called out, but she had her own problems. The school-of-fish amalgamation had split into three separate writhing masses, each attacking from a different angle. She created barriers of crystalline ice, but the creatures’ enhanced teeth chewed through them faster than she could form new ones.

Grim found himself facing the multi-headed turtle, which moved with frightening speed despite its size. As it lunged toward him with snapping jaws, he drew his sword and channeled his mana.

"Celestial Mist: Ethereal Mist," he whispered, his body began seeping out mist on the battlefield. Grim moved quickly onto the turtle’s side to strike.

But there were too many of them. Even as Grim engaged the turtle, two more creatures—what appeared to be corrupted stingrays with barbed tails and far too many eyes—circled around to attack him from behind. These Stingrays were about the size of a small car.

Suanni roared, golden flames erupting around his mane as he faced off against the enhanced octopus. Each of its eight limbs ended in razor-sharp claws that moved independently, forcing him to dodge and weave while trying to get close enough for his fire to be effective. One of the claws ran down his back, drawing blood. An angry snarl came from Suanni in response.

"These things are too smart!" Bi’an called out, grappling with what looked like a corrupted shark that had somehow grown arms and legs. It fought with techniques that seemed almost martial in nature, using leverage and joint locks that no normal sea creature should know. "They’re using actual combat strategies!"

Xu Wu was struggling against a group of smaller but numerous creatures—corrupted fish that moved in perfect formation, striking in waves that kept him constantly on the defensive. His ice magic formed barriers and weapons, but the creatures changed tactics to each technique almost immediately.

"We’re being overwhelmed," Lin gasped, blood running down her arm where one of the fish-amalgamations had broken through her defenses. "There are too many of them, and they’re learning from our attacks!"

Grim realized she was right. Each time they used a technique, the creatures adjusted their approach for the next attack. Whatever Jiaolong had done to enhance their intelligence made them very dangerous.

The multi-headed turtle pressed its attack, forcing Grim backward toward one of the ancient buildings. He could hear the sounds of his companions’ struggles, the crash of Ao Shun’s battle with the whale-creature, the hiss of Suanni’s flames meeting unnatural hide.

"Celestial Mist: Cross-Cut," Grim called out, his sword creating an X-shaped slash of energy that should have bisected the turtle. But the creature twisted at the last moment, taking the attack on its shell where it did minimal damage.

One of the stingrays attacking from behind managed to score a hit with its barbed tail, the toxic stinger tearing through his shoulder. Pain lanced through his system, and he stumbled, nearly falling as the turtle prepared for a killing blow.

"Celestial Mist: Seven Sword Strike!" Grim desperately channeled one of his more powerful techniques, his sword seeming to split into seven phantom blades that attacked from multiple angles simultaneously.

This time the turtle couldn’t dodge them all. Three of the phantom strikes found their mark, cutting deep gashes in the creature’s hide, but even wounded, it pressed forward with relentless determination.

Around him, the battle was turning against them. Ao Shun had managed to break free from the whale-creature’s grapple, but not before sustaining significant injuries. His breathing was labored, and one of his arms hung at an odd angle. Lin was backing toward a wall, her ice barriers flickering as her strength began to fail. Suanni’s flames were growing weaker as exhaustion set in.

"We need to end this quickly," Grim realized, looking around desperately for anything that might turn the tide. His gaze fell on the ancient buildings surrounding them, their golden-glowing stones still pristine after millennia.

An idea formed—dangerous, but possibly their only chance.

"Everyone get back!" he shouted, raising his sword high above his head. "Celestial Mist: Thousand Paths!" frёewebnoѵel.ƈo๓

This was one of his most devastating techniques. He moved exceedingly fast and each time he moved he would swing his mana enhanced sword striking the buildings and the creatures as he moved. In the confined space of the city streets, with ancient buildings on all sides...

The technique erupted from his blade like a storm of cutting wind, phantom swords appearing throughout the entire area because of how fast he was moving and swinging his sword. The corrupted creatures found themselves caught in a whirlwind of slashing energy that tore through their enhanced hide and unnatural mutations.

But the technique’s power didn’t stop with the creatures. The phantom swords carved through everything in their path, including the walls of the nearby buildings. Ancient stone had crumbled under the assault.

As the technique faded, leaving behind the corpses of most of the corrupted guardians, one of the damaged buildings began to collapse. Its golden-glowing walls tumbled inward, revealing a hidden chamber beyond.

And in that chamber, bathed in the warm light of an active portal, stood Jiaolong.

He was no longer the dragon they remembered. His scales had taken on an oily, iridescent quality that seemed to shift between colors, and his eyes glowed with the same golden light as the portal behind him. Most disturbing of all, he seemed larger than before, as if the power he’d been channeling had physically enhanced his form.

Behind him, carved into the chamber’s far wall, was the Blood Gate itself—a massive circular portal crackling with energy. The air around it shimmered with heat, and through its opening, they could see not the depths of another ocean, but what appeared to be a completely different realm entirely.

Jiaolong turned toward them with a smile that held no warmth, no recognition of their shared past. When he spoke, his voice carried harmonics that made the air itself vibrate.

"Ao Shun," he said, inclining his head mockingly toward the injured Dragon King. "And guests. How kind of you to arrive just in time to witness the next phase of my work."

The Blood Gate pulsed with increasing energy, and through its portal, shapes began to move—more figures approaching from the other side.

"You’re too late to stop me," Jiaolong continued, spreading his wings in a gesture of triumph. "The gate is stable. The path is open. And soon, everything you think you know about the balance between realms will change forever."

As if to emphasize his words, the first of the figures from beyond the portal began to step through into the Heart of the Abyss.