Chen Tian arrived on the ground. The Scorpion-Dragon-Spider appeared on the plain, its enormous body and furious eyes fixed on Chen Tian. The earthen pincers in its grip began to gather yellow light at their center, launching two projectiles. The light orbs, composed of earth elements, shot directly at Chen Tian's face. Chen Tian spread his arms, a barrier materializing before him. Though the orbs struck the barrier, Chen Tian was not unaffected. He swung his arm with all his might, the barrier dragging the orbs to the left.
Chen Tian looked down at the Scorpion-Dragon-Spider. It leaped, its massive size belying its agility, matching Chen Tian's own vertical prowess. It soared into the air, its twin pincers smashing down towards Chen Tian. That's right, smashing down. The Scorpion-Dragon-Spider knew aerial combat was disadvantageous for it, and it wouldn't let Chen Tian gain the upper hand. Its pincers descended towards Chen Tian's head. Chen Tian extended his palms, gripping the pincers firmly. His figure plummeted downwards. With a thunderous roar, a deafening sound, Chen Tian landed on the ground.
A chasm hundreds of meters deep appeared in the earth. Beneath the twin pincers, Chen Tian unleashed the full force of his body, instantly flinging the Scorpion-Dragon-Spider away. The creature had no time to react to the immense power that sent it flying. The human before it had somehow become even more powerful. What was happening? The Scorpion-Dragon-Spider had unleashed seventy percent of its strength in those pincers. Demon Beast power was more than twice that of humans. To be sent flying in a simple clash of strength, was it a joke? What was this human? Was it even human? It was more monstrous than a Demon Beast!
Chen Tian exhaled a breath. He had just adapted to thirty percent of his strength. His physical resilience had increased, naturally boosting his explosive power. Chen Tian knew the Scorpion-Dragon-Spider's strength. Neither had used their full power. It was merely a clash of raw strength. The Scorpion-Dragon-Spider dragged its legs across the ground, halting its momentum. A grim expression appeared in its eyes, a look he had never shown before. This was because the human before him was too powerful. If he continued to underestimate it, it would lead to its doom.
The Scorpion-Dragon-Spider suddenly spoke, "Human, I did not expect you to possess such strength. However, this is where it ends. I will now use my full power to crush you into a pulp. You are nothing but my food, and food should know its place."
This was the first time the Scorpion-Dragon-Spider had spoken. It meant it acknowledged Chen Tian's strength. Going all out was a sign of respect. Chen Tian remained silent. Fighting with minimal speech had become his habit. However, the rampant battle intent in his eyes was something the Scorpion-Dragon-Spider understood, knowing precisely what Chen Tian was thinking. The sound of several spider legs tapping the ground began, their speed so immense they left afterimages. In the blink of an eye, the Scorpion-Dragon-Spider was before Chen Tian, its pincers opening wide, aiming to clamp down on Chen Tian's neck, as if to split him in two.
Chen Tian opened his palm. Boom! An shockwave spread outwards. A fierce wind howled across the plain, the small grasses and flowers bending and swaying. Chen Tian's figure was pushed back with each collision, finding himself at a disadvantage. Chen Tian increased his strength by ten percent, finally stabilizing his body.
Chen Tian was astonished by the Scorpion-Dragon-Spider's power. He had only used thirty percent of his own strength and was still at a disadvantage. It seemed he would need over fifty percent of his strength to defeat the Scorpion-Dragon-Spider. Chen Tian needed to slowly familiarize himself with his strength. He increased the force in his hands, the twin pincers now carrying a pressure of thousands of pounds. The bones in Chen Tian's arms creaked. Without hesitation, he pushed with all his might, forcing the Scorpion-Dragon-Spider's pincers apart. Chen Tian retreated, initiating the disengagement.
Chen Tian's arms trembled slightly. He muttered, "Such a powerful carapace and weight. My bones almost couldn't withstand the pressure from those pincers."
Chen Tian stared at the Scorpion-Dragon-Spider's pincers. They were not to be trifled with. His bones had nearly shattered. This showed how incredibly hard and heavy those pincers were. Chen Tian's physical condition, while not comparable to cultivators across all realms, was still on par with those in the Sacred God Realm. Yet, under the assault of those pincers, he had almost broken.
What shocked the Scorpion-Dragon-Spider was Chen Tian's strength. It had attacked with its full power and still hadn't subdued its opponent. It couldn't believe it. This human insect possessed such formidable strength. Was it still human? Simply relying on physical power, it could contend with him. Who was the Demon Beast here?
The Scorpion-Dragon-Spider refused to believe it. The opponent's physical condition must have a limit. It didn't believe Chen Tian could withstand its next attack. Chen Tian, seeing through the Scorpion-Dragon-Spider's intentions, acted decisively. He couldn't let it gain the initiative. The previous exchange had caused considerable damage, and Chen Tian hadn't fully recovered. Taking another direct hit would cripple both his arms.
Chen Tian's figure fragmented into countless afterimages, over a hundred of them, disorienting the Scorpion-Dragon-Spider's vision. The Scorpion-Dragon-Spider scoffed, "A mere trick, showing off in front of an expert. Disperse!"
With a roar, waves of sonic energy emanated from the Scorpion-Dragon-Spider's mouth. Every Chen Tian clone it encountered dissipated. Ability: Dragon Roar.
Dragon Roar was an area-of-effect ability. The Dragon Roar released by actual dragons was far more potent than the Scorpion-Dragon-Spider's. This level of Dragon Roar posed no threat to Chen Tian's true body. The Scorpion-Dragon-Spider hadn't intended to defeat Chen Tian with this move, but rather to shatter his clones.
A streak of light flashed. The Scorpion-Dragon-Spider turned, swinging its left pincer. A massive, golden fist appeared before it. The Scorpion-Dragon-Spider swung its left pincer. Boom! Chen Tian and the Scorpion-Dragon-Spider collided. The left fist met the left pincer. They were evenly matched. The resulting air currents caused turbulence. Chen Tian increased his force, throwing a right punch. The Scorpion-Dragon-Spider, unwilling to concede, swung its right pincer. Continuous clashes, like wild beasts fighting, fist against pincer. Simple, brutal. The entire plain resounded with the sounds of their battle.
Chen Tian felt increasingly exhilarated. It had been so long since he had fought like this. His mastery of physical strength had reached fifty percent, just a little more to fully grasp it. Chen Tian threw out his fists, this time with a surge of power. The Scorpion-Dragon-Spider did the same. Both retreated a dozen meters simultaneously.
Chen Tian shouted, "Exhilarating! Again!"
"Again!"
Chen Tian's battle spirit ignited the Scorpion-Dragon-Spider. The intensity of their clashes escalated. Chen Tian and the Scorpion-Dragon-Spider panted, looking at each other. Chen Tian nodded, "Fighting like this is so satisfying."
"Human, I never expected you to match me so closely. It seems I cannot underestimate you."
"Come on, our battle is far from over."
They rested for a short while before facing each other again. The Scorpion-Dragon-Spider's pincers slowly opened to the sides, revealing spikes formed from earth elements. Its pincers had become pointed. Its entire aura sharpened.
Chen Tian observed the Scorpion-Dragon-Spider's current state. It possessed three forms. This was likely its first. According to the information from his Divine Eye, the Scorpion-Dragon-Spider was a creature combining characteristics of scorpions, dragons, and spiders, with corresponding three forms. This current form was likely the scorpion form. But this was good. The opponent using its full strength was a recognition of himself.
A colorless longsword materialized in Chen Tian's hand. The five-colored longsword gradually solidified. Chen Tian twirled his sword, executing a beautiful flourish. The Scorpion-Dragon-Spider's strength had increased, and Chen Tian no longer intended to fight solely with physical strength. Fifty percent mastery was sufficient. This strength would not be inferior even to cultivators two realms higher than him in the Sacred God Realm.
As for the remaining fifty percent, that could wait. Chen Tian didn't want to suffer an unexpected defeat. Moreover, the opponent was unleashing its full power. Chen Tian holding back would be an insult to the Scorpion-Dragon-Spider, though Chen Tian had indeed looked down on it initially.
The Scorpion-Dragon-Spider was, in essence, a whetstone for Chen Tian's training. That sharpening was now complete. Now, the real battle began.
The Scorpion-Dragon-Spider charged. Chen Tian's figure transformed into a sword light as they both charged towards each other. Chen Tian's longsword immediately clashed with the twin spikes, producing a cacophony of metallic sounds. Chen Tian's sword movements were exquisite, his entire being like a dancer. Facing the Scorpion-Dragon-Spider's twin spikes, his defense and offense were flawless, all parried by Chen Tian. The Scorpion-Dragon-Spider fared no better. Chen Tian's longsword struck the creature's body, leaving shallow sword marks on its carapace. Though insignificant, they still stung!
Chen Tian swept his longsword horizontally. The Scorpion-Dragon-Spider thrust its twin spikes. The spikes collided with the sword's edge, scattering sparks. For a moment, both unleashed their full power, trying to break through the other's offense. Explosions erupted as the combined forces of Chen Tian and the Scorpion-Dragon-Spider reacted.
Chen Tian raised his arm to shield his eyes. The shockwaves from the explosion struck Chen Tian's body with no effect. The Scorpion-Dragon-Spider's carapace protected it, leaving it unharmed as well. Chen Tian and the Scorpion-Dragon-Spider locked eyes. The Scorpion-Dragon-Spider knew that winning this battle would be difficult. The opponent was not easy to deal with.
Unless it revealed its other two forms? To use its trump cards?
This was the first time it found itself in such a predicament. However, it was confident that Chen Tian would not win easily. Emperor-grade Demon Beasts were called Emperor-grade because they differed from other Demon Beasts. They possessed the ability to think. In the Scorpion-Dragon-Spider's view, Chen Tian would need to reveal his trump cards to defeat him. The Scorpion-Dragon-Spider's aura intensified. Its entire body erupted, its twin pincers converging. The spikes did not retract but extended from within the pincers, becoming long, sharp spikes.
It swung its arms, dispersing the surrounding air currents. The terrifying power affected the very air. Chen Tian couldn't identify this form. Was it the scorpion form, or its true form? Chen Tian could only speculate, as the information he possessed did not reveal such a form.
Chen Tian gripped his longsword tightly, elemental power condensing on the blade. The entire longsword became even more dazzling and radiant. Chen Tian stepped forward, moving at the speed of sound, instantly appearing on the Scorpion-Dragon-Spider's back and bringing his sword down.