Chapter 166: Confrontation

Drip...

The sound of a single droplet of sweat falling gradually echoed. Ahead, Alan’s body was slowly dampening with sweat, as if he were enduring immense pressure.

"Who... are you?"

A strained voice rang out. Looking tender and youthful, Alan was drenched in sweat as he gazed at Othrolis, who was slowly walking toward him. His pupils constricted, filled with solemn gravity.

Othrolis smiled faintly, ignoring the question, and continued walking toward him without stopping, as though strolling through his own back garden.

He was exceptionally handsome, dressed in an exquisite, courteous style of formal attire once worn by ancient nobility. Yet, as he advanced, a formidable aura began to emerge, pressing down upon the surrounding flowers and grass until they withered, unable to lift their heads.

Facing this pressure, Alan felt its weight all the more profoundly. A suffocatingly massive force bore down relentlessly upon his chest, causing his face to turn pale.

Despite this, an almost instinctual pride stirred deep within Alan’s heart, compelling him to stubbornly resist the pressure. Even as blood began to seep from his skin, he refused to take a single step back.

"Oh? Not bad at all." A look of novelty crossed Othrolis's face. He stared at Alan, who was still standing, with clear astonishment.

Just now, he had not held back in the slightest. Although he hadn't actively attacked, the mere oppressive instinct of his bloodline was not something just anyone could endure.

Case in point: the four-armed fiend behind him was already kneeling on the ground, not daring to raise its head beneath such majesty.

This situation only served to confirm his inner suspicions, making him even more intrigued by Alan.

"How would you like to become my subordinate?" Othrolis looked at Alan with a warm smile. "What is it that you desire? Food, wealth, beauty, or power—I can grant it all to you."

The moment those words left his lips, an intense wave of hostility and repulsion surged fiercely within Alan’s heart.

Above his head, the world's primal origin force tightly coiled, nearly bursting at that very moment as it surged into his body for one desperate, all-out struggle.

He stared coldly at Othrolis. His once cool and clear eyes began to turn a silvery white, while a rich, potent bloodline aura started to manifest around him.

This was the bloodline of an ancient dragon, awakening from its deep slumber at this moment of crisis, driven by the world's origin force.

Sensing this aura, Othrolis’s eyes lit up abruptly.

"What an ancient and powerful bloodline aura! It even surpasses that of royalty!"

The corners of his mouth parted slightly, revealing rows of sharp fangs within. He gazed at the standing Alan with undisguised greed in his eyes.

A slight sound rippled through the air. Around Othrolis, a vast surge of magical power erupted instantly, intertwining with the might of his bloodline to press forward, tightly suppressing Alan.

Then, with a confident smile, Othrolis reached out his hand directly, preparing to seize Alan.

The next instant, however, a spear thrust forward, colliding with his arm and producing the sound of clashing metal.

Othrolis froze, staring in utter bewilderment at Alan, who was now brandishing the spear. "You?"

Roar!!!

A low roar resounded, carrying an ancient, primeval resonance.

Upon Alan's body, tiny silvery-white scales began to emerge, and his eyes turned completely pure white.

This was the sign of the further awakening of his dragon-descendant bloodline. As this transformation unfolded, a faint dragon aura manifested around him, exuding a domineering majesty that commanded the world.

A powerful surge of life force erupted. A flush of crimson appeared on Alan’s body, radiating tremendous strength as he swung his spear downward.

This spear strike carried formidable blood- Qi power along with a draconic might unique to dragon descendants. It was fiercely majestic; even a tier-two entity would suffer if caught off guard.

Yet, to Alan’s shock, Othrolis merely raised a hand, a flash of dark iron armor-like light appearing to deflect the blow entirely.

"My, my, quite decent strength."

Looking at Alan before him, Othrolis smiled darkly, not even retreating a single step.

The next moment, Alan’s pupils violently constricted.

In a blur, Othrolis hoisted Alan high into the air. Despite his seemingly slender frame, terrifying strength erupted from him as he slammed Alan fiercely down into the earth, producing a deafening crash that shook the surroundings.

"Hmph, no matter how supreme the bloodline, a child is still just a child. Did he really just die like that...?"

As the echoes faded, Othrolis looked down at the newly formed giant crater and smiled with a shake of his head.

"Lord Othrolis, shall I go down and retrieve the corpse?" Behind him, the four-armed fiend asked respectfully, gazing at the shattered landscape below.

A true transcendental lifeform possessed a corpse worth a king's ransom—an extremely scarce and precious resource.

"Alan!!!" At that moment, a heart-wrenching cry echoed from afar.

Cassie stood frozen, staring blankly at the distant bloodstains and the empty space where Alan had just been, entirely at a loss, still clutching a bundle of freshly picked flowers.

Spotting Cassie, Othrolis was immediately drawn to her.

With his level of power, he naturally sensed the aura emanating from her—one strikingly similar to Alan’s, though notably fainter.

"A relative? No matter, consider it an unexpected bonus."

Glancing at Cassie, Othrolis instructed the four-armed fiend beside him, "Go on, capture that little girl."

"Understood!" The four-armed fiend wore a wicked grin as it stared at Cassie standing in the distance, slowly lumbering toward her.

Across the way, watching this scene, Cassie seemed rooted to the spot in shock. She stared blankly at the approaching fiend, her body trembling uncontrollably, utterly paralyzed.

This was the effect of Othrolis's pressure. Not everyone possessed the resilience of Alan to break through the coercion of such a mighty being.

Feeling the utter helplessness in her limbs and the terrifyingly oppressive force bearing down on her, despair bloomed in Cassie's heart, conjuring the image of a handsome, tall youth.

*Brother Yier, where are you?* Despair gripped her as she watched the approaching monster, terror flashing in her eyes.

Roar!!!

Just as the fiend was about to touch Cassie, an even louder, more furious roar echoed from the distance, resembling the wrathful bellow of a giant dragon.

A streak of silvery-white light burst forth, carrying bone-chilling cold and powerful fluctuations, coalescing into a spear that pierced forward.

"Impossible!" Othrolis gasped in shock, staring ahead in disbelief.

Before his eyes, the four-armed fiend that had been standing proudly suddenly froze in utter dismay. A clear fracture line appeared across its body, and in a split second, a surge of overwhelming force shattered it completely, reducing it to a heap of flesh and blood on the ground.

And standing right in front of the fiend’s remains was Alan, holding his head high as he shielded Cassie.

At this moment, his appearance had drastically transformed. The once dark spear was now a gleaming silvery white, his silver eyes held chilling intent, and a dragon tail trailed behind him.

Above his head, vast and turbulent world origin force roared and condensed, continuously pouring into his body.