Bai Qi, however, remained unfazed, but others were not so calm.
Dao Long, seeing the massive thunderclouds forming above, felt a sense of foreboding. He clutched his staff tightly, chanting incantations, ready to unleash his most powerful magic upon the anomaly.
Bai Qi waved his hand, signaling Dao Long to relax.
"It's merely an avatar of an outer god, with less than one-tenth of its power. No need to make such a fuss."
Bai Qi's words only confused Dao Long further. As a powerful former Black Qi sorcerer and now the Dean of the Kutol Magic Academy, Dao Long possessed some understanding of this world and beyond, though his knowledge was limited. The concept of an "outer god" that Bai Qi spoke of was entirely new to him.
However, the situation offered no time for Dao Long to ponder.
As Bai Qi finished speaking, the thunderclouds churned as if something were lurking within.
Then, accompanied by several dark lightning bolts, a colossal dragon's head emerged from the clouds, its roar echoing through the hall.
"What... is that!?"
Gazing at the giant dragon emerging from the thunderclouds, even though it was merely an avatar formed of Black Qi, it exuded an immense pressure. Dao Long was on edge.
The colossal dragon spotted Bai Qi on his throne and, sensing his aura, became even more agitated. Its immense maw opened, gathering dark lightning. A massive dark lightning ball began to form.
"Too slow."
With that, Bai Qi's eyes blazed with lasers. Before the dragon could finish its incantation, he launched an underhanded surprise attack, disrupting its casting.
The lasers struck the dragon. The half-formed dark lightning ball exploded, its shockwave cracking the sturdy hall.
It was a joke. This was his palace, after all. No matter how carefree Bai Qi was, he wouldn't allow such recklessness. Otherwise, what would be left of his palace after a single dark lightning ball?
With that thought, Bai Qi waved his hand. A shadow enveloped the entire hall, and the surroundings rapidly transformed.
The battlefield was quickly relocated from the palace hall to the Shadow Kingdom.
Bai Qi had entered and exited the Shadow Kingdom numerous times, and had absorbed the powers of Tala and all the Shadow Generals. The Shadow Kingdom was already his domain. But the dragon was different.
As soon as Bai Qi brought the dragon into the Shadow Kingdom, the native creatures of the realm sensed its alien presence. They emerged from all directions, launching attacks.
However, the dragon was an outer god. Even as an avatar, even weakened by the erosion of time, it was still not to be trifled with by these mere grunts.
With a roar, the dragon shattered the surrounding dark creatures. Simultaneously, the thunderclouds enveloping its body dispersed, revealing its full form.
It was a colossal dragon, its appearance a hybrid of Chinese and Western dragon features. The main body resembled a Chinese dragon, but near its head, it possessed a pair of large red wings and dragon claws. Its golden eyes fixed intently on Bai Qi.
It was clear this outer god had a foul temper and was furious at Bai Qi's actions. Perhaps the laser from earlier had instilled a sense of caution, causing it to merely roar in defiance rather than attacking.
Bai Qi did not have the time for this staring contest. Having gauged that its strength was inferior to his, and with no concern for collateral damage, he no longer needed to be so cautious.
"Since you won't make the first move, I shall."
With that, Bai Qi vanished from his spot, appearing before the dragon almost instantly. He delivered a powerful slap, sending the dragon's head to the side and tilting its entire body.
That wasn't all. Before the dragon could react, Bai Qi followed up with a left hook, forcing its crooked body back into position. Finally, he grabbed the dragon's body with both hands and unleashed a point-blank blast of dragon's breath combined with his laser eyes.
BOOM!
This combo, while not immediately fatal, inflicted considerable damage.
The dragon swung its tail, striking Bai Qi forcefully and separating them.
Once distance was established, the dragon began to gather dark lightning.
The dragon's Lightning Ball was powerful, but its casting animation was too long. Bai Qi would not give it the time to charge.
He teleported before the dragon once more, delivering an uppercut that forced the half-formed Lightning Ball to detonate within the dragon's mouth.
The dragon was now left with no strength to resist. After another barrage of attacks from Bai Qi, it was finally dispersed by a blast of dragon's breath.
Watching the dispersed dragon, Bai Qi exerted force with his hands. The scattered Black Qi was recondensed. However, this time, the Black Qi did not form a dragon avatar but was completely absorbed by Bai Qi, becoming a part of his power.
As Bai Qi claimed this power, a deafening dragon's roar echoed in his ears, filled with fury and unwilling. In the next instant, Bai Qi saw a series of images he had never witnessed before.
It was a shattered sky city, with colossal tornadoes tearing through its center. Dragons of various forms swirled around the tornadoes, and dark lightning raged in the sky.
The scene shifted again, to the depths of the sky city. A colossal dragon stood atop a sea of thunderclouds, surrounded by towering stone pillars. Upon closer inspection, this dragon was the true form of the avatar Bai Qi had just defeated and absorbed—the outer god Bai Qi had spoken of.
This time, unlike the Black Qi avatar, the dragon Bai Qi saw had color. Its belly was black, its back and sides were red, and a massive sapphire was embedded on its head. Its golden eyes gazed forward, as if meeting Bai Qi's gaze across the distance.
Finally, Bai Qi's viewing of these images concluded with the outer god's roar.
Withdrawing his consciousness, Bai Qi raised his right hand. His thick arm transformed. Instantly, the green dragon scales on his arm turned red, and his right hand morphed into a massive dragon head—the same outer god's head Bai Qi had just seen.
The dragon head's mouth opened, and dark lightning began to gather within.
"Lightning Ball!"
The fully charged Lightning Ball shot forward. Wherever it passed, hidden native creatures were crushed. The area of effect damage from the explosion was also considerable.
Looking at the dragon head on his right hand, Bai Qi grinned. "Not bad, but it can be better. Once I find your true body, you will become a complete part of my power."
After testing the power of his new toy, Bai Qi turned and exited the Shadow Kingdom, returning to the hall.
"Congratulations, my lord."