Chapter Fifty-Eight: The Diamond Transforms Once More (Part 2)

With a continuous series of rapid steps, his foot struck the ground with a thunderous force, shattering the marble beneath him. A furious roar burst from his throat as the two spikes embedded in his shoulders shot out, aimed straight at Azure Dragon.

Azure Dragon’s body whipped backward, spinning like a top to evade the attack, and he landed lightly, his eyes fixed on King Kong. He hadn’t expected that, even at such close range, King Kong would emerge unscathed. Though the spikes had pierced him, they hadn’t caused any real harm.

King Kong brushed his shoulder with his hand. It had been a long time since he’d felt any pain. From the look on Azure Dragon’s face, there was some reservation—well, anyone who could catch the Old Monster’s eye was no ordinary man.

“You’re impressive. It’s been years since I’ve met a worthy opponent.”

Azure Dragon couldn't see through King Kong’s limits. All the information he’d gathered on King Kong and his record made him instinctively cautious. It seemed this transformation had made King Kong’s muscles incredibly strong—his spikes at close range were no less than bullets, yet even that couldn’t break him. If he wanted to win, he’d have to aim for the vital points.

Hearing King Kong’s words, Azure Dragon snorted coldly. “Hmph… Living as a rich man’s dog, you’ve forgotten what real storms look like.”

He didn’t know that King Kong had been with the Xiao family from the start. Now, his anger and hatred for Xiao Tianci extended to King Kong as well.

On the battlefield, King Kong was the consummate warrior, always keeping a clear head. He had no intention of responding to Azure Dragon’s taunts, nor would he dignify such nonsense with an answer.

Suddenly, King Kong drew in a massive breath, producing a resonant sound. Everyone’s eyes lit up—this movement was all too familiar. Even Azure Dragon was incredulous; could he really transform again?

Xiao Tianci watched King Kong’s change with admiration—too impressive. He made a mental note to ask King Kong about this mysterious art; it was simply extraordinary. King Kong was already like this; if he transformed again, what would he become? Truly, King Kong lived up to his name.

With a series of loud pops, King Kong’s body rapidly expanded, and his clothes, already stretched to bursting, tore apart completely. If the first transformation had made him somewhat worthy of the name “King Kong,” now he fully embodied it.

His body was now much taller and more massive than before. Next to him, Azure Dragon looked diminished, like a burly man facing a scrawny high school student.

As his shirt burst apart, Azure Dragon grew more cautious. Meanwhile, two others glanced the same direction, but were disappointed as Xiao Tianci looked to his chief steward, Lin Jian.

Lin Jian shrugged slightly. “Boss, this is the first time I’ve seen him transform again. I didn’t expect his underwear to be custom-made.”

Xiao Tianci chuckled softly; after all, King Kong’s underwear hadn’t split apart. Nodding, he remarked, “The elasticity is quite impressive.”

The two chatted casually, as though unconcerned by the fight raging before them. Azure Dragon, however, did not share their calm. He finally recalled the Old Monster’s warning about King Kong: “Kid, listen—if you ever face King Kong, don’t engage him. You’re not ready. Maybe after your Azure Dragon Qi is fully matured, you could try.”

Impossible, Azure Dragon told himself, banishing the thought. The fight was still on; no one knew who would emerge victorious. Even if King Kong had grown stronger, his speed must be reduced—he, Azure Dragon, still had the edge there.

In a matter of moments, King Kong’s transformation was complete. He looked at Azure Dragon and said evenly, “Come. Let’s settle this.”

Azure Dragon, weighing his strategy, felt no fear. His speed surpassed what it had been before. In a flash, he closed the gap, feinting at King Kong’s eyes. King Kong raised his hand to block.

But it was only a ruse. With his speed at its limit, Azure Dragon darted behind King Kong, who seemed slow to react. Elated, Azure Dragon thought that as long as he kept up his speed, he might still win, regardless of King Kong’s strength.

But before the thought was finished, as he moved to strike King Kong from behind, he felt an overwhelming force smash into his chest, hurling him backward. Blood spurted from his mouth before he’d even hit the ground. As he tumbled through the air, he finally saw—King Kong’s arm had somehow grown larger and longer, easily swatting him away with a backhanded blow.

Before he could land, King Kong’s fist, as large as a cauldron, came crashing toward him. Though injured, and with his Azure Dragon Qi in chaos, Azure Dragon’s battlefield instincts took over. In mid-air, he twisted, dodged, and fired three spikes in rapid succession, managing to land safely.

“Is there any point in continuing this fight?” King Kong’s voice came from behind him.

Azure Dragon, blood still at his lips, forced a grim smile and nodded. “King Kong, you are indeed formidable.”

King Kong replied, “You’re not bad yourself. To be struck by me and still have the strength to evade—if we kept fighting, it would take at least ten more rounds for me to defeat you.”

If someone had told Azure Dragon before today that he could be beaten in ten moves, he’d never have believed it. He knew there were many stronger than him, but ten moves? Only now did he realize the gap. He’d never fought true masters before—not even among the top-ranked soldiers had he ever truly fought for his life.

What astonished even the onlookers, Xiao Tianci and Lin Jian, was that as King Kong grew even larger, his movements only became swifter, fiercer, and more agile.

Now, with King Kong standing behind him, Azure Dragon faced Xiao Tianci and the four men by his side. He knew that, even uninjured, it would be hard to break through those four, let alone with so many others around.

Bowing his head, he sighed inwardly, “Feng’er, brother did his best. From now on, you must learn to behave. Without me to look after you, don’t go causing trouble again. Just be an ordinary person and live out the rest of your life peacefully…”

He looked up and called out, “Xiao Tianci, today’s matter is a personal vendetta between you and me. It has nothing to do with the Azure Dragon Mercenary Corps. Once I’m dead, they’ll disband. As for my sister, she’ll never trouble you again. I beg you—will you let them go?”

Xiao Tianci thought to himself, I never said I’d hunt them all down. Sigh… seems I really do need to talk to her. She’s always so sure of her own assumptions.

With that, Xiao Tianci stepped forward, approaching Azure Dragon one step at a time.