Cultivating for a hundred lifetimes to ascension Chapter 1752 - 941: Fated Encounter, Immortal Technique Great Success (3)

To its profound disappointment, over half of its thirty-four Transformed Demon Kings found themselves ensnared by the golden light, their outcomes grimly predictable.

The day's battle had utterly annihilated its grand ambitions.

Ao Tong entertained no thoughts of resistance; its sole desire was to retreat swiftly to its lair and nurse its injuries.

Not long after, a brilliant streak of golden light abruptly emerged from behind, relentlessly pursuing at a velocity clearly discernible to the eye.

With a casual backward glance, Ao Tong observed the golden light gaining ground once more, prompting an internal groan.

In the subsequent instant, it unhesitatingly invoked its 'Life-saving' divine skills, and a vast expanse of white flames erupted from its form.

In the blink of an eye, a duplicate 'Ao Tong' materialized, soaring on dark clouds to continue its flight.

The genuine Ao Tong suppressed its aura, seamlessly transforming into a wisp of water vapor and slowly descending into the mountains below.

Mere moments later, the golden light pursued the cloud, vanishing over the horizon.

By then, Ao Tong had already burrowed a hundred miles underground, secretly reaching a capacious cavern for a brief respite.

It dared not tarry, knowing that pursuer would soon be upon it again.

Ao Tong lingered only for the duration of half a cup of tea, leaving behind a trail of vulgar curses in the cave before hastily ascending and choosing a new direction to continue its flight.

Before long, the golden light reappeared behind it, a persistent menace clinging like grave-worms.

Ao Tong found itself compelled to pay the price once more, employing its divine skills to ensure its survival.

Thus, the relentless chase and desperate escape persisted for two full days and nights.

Ao Tong resorted to the 'Life-saving' divine skills no fewer than nine times in succession, not only drastically depleting its Primordial Qi but also pushing its cultivation to the brink of collapse, nearly causing it to descend from its current realm.

Fortuitously, after two days and nights of relentless flight, it had successfully exited the Jingguang Continent and emerged above the vast East Sea.

Gazing at the shimmering expanse of water below, Ao Tong's courage swelled, igniting a sudden impulse to 'stand and fight'.

Yet, in the very next moment, it swiftly extinguished the malevolent thought, continuing to guide its cloud mist and fleeing madly toward the deeper ocean.

A short while later, Ao Tong had plunged nearly ten thousand miles into the sea, and at this juncture, a cluster of golden light quietly materialized on the distant horizon.

Perceiving the unfavorable turn of events, Ao Tong prepared to dive headlong into the water.

At that precise moment, an exceptionally hearty and prolonged laugh suddenly resonated from within the sea.

In the following instant, the seawater surged skyward, coalescing into an immense, sun-obscuring crystalline hand that slammed forcefully into Ao Tong.

Ao Tong's entire being was wracked with pain as if it would shatter, sent hurtling thousands of feet away by the impact, its surrounding cloud mist dispersed by the overwhelming blow.

Almost concurrently, translucent chains, fashioned from saltwater, wrapped around Ao Tong, instantly binding its limbs and joints as a bone-chilling cold permeated its body.

Ao Tong retaliated fiercely, unleashing a mountain-shattering force that erupted like a tempestuous tide, instantly obliterating the majority of the water chains.

However, this act cost it a single precious breath.

During that fleeting interval, the colossal, sky-covering hand reappeared, directly ensnaring Ao Tong.

The gigantic hand exuded unimaginable might; Ao Tong struggled multiple times but could not budge it in the slightest, instead shivering from an uncanny cold that threatened to freeze it solid.

With a resounding splash, a towering figure emerged from the sea's surface, swiftly approaching Ao Tong.

Ao Tong, immobilized from the neck down, could only strain its head upward, fixing an intense glare upon the newcomer.

The man possessed unremarkable features, clad in a sky-blue magic robe, with a series of storage pouches secured at his waist. He stood atop a drift of multicolored, flowing clouds.

This individual was none other than Han Lin, the esteemed Great Cave True Monarch, renowned as an equal to the True Monarch of Heavenly Destiny.

Han Lin had been in the midst of his cultivation in this oceanic region when he sensed Ao Tong's desperate flight, seizing the opportune moment to unleash the 'Five Prisons Reincarnation Great Capture' divine skills and forcibly apprehend a Dragon Emperor of his generation.

"Release me, or... or I shall make you regret this," Ao Tong bellowed, feigning ferocity despite its weakened state.

Having endured repeated, severe assaults, Ao Tong's strength had been drastically diminished, leaving it barely capable of contending with Han Lin.

Furthermore, the 'Five Prisons Reincarnation Great Capture' divine skills, an evolution of the formidable Mixed Yuan Qi Great Capture, possessed a power countless times greater than ordinary divine skills, making escape by no means simple.

Han Lin drew nearer, his gaze sweeping over the pale-faced Dragon Emperor Ao Tong from head to toe. A smile touched his lips as he declared, "I happen to be in need of a mount. Initially, I considered seeking a Water-avoiding Golden-eyed Beast, but you’re perfect as you are. You've practically delivered yourself to me; my luck is indeed quite good."

As he finished speaking, Han Lin flicked his sleeve, unleashing a torrent of flowing lights from beneath.

These shimmering lights swirled and coalesced, revealing themselves to be a series of pitch-black cones, each about a foot long and adorned with intricate, complex patterns.

With a persistent hum, the dark cones embedded themselves into Ao Tong's back, piercing through each vertebral dragon bone like unyielding nails, anchoring themselves deeply and becoming nearly impossible to dislodge.

Roar!

Ao Tong writhed in excruciating agony, its continuous screams echoing through the air. Despite its status as a Dragon Emperor, it could not endure such soul-shattering torment.

Within mere moments, Ao Tong revealed its true form—a magnificent Five-Clawed True Dragon, stretching over three hundred meters in length, its scales shimmering with a white-gold luminescence.

At first sight, this colossal Five-Clawed White Dragon exuded an aura of majesty and ethereal grace, appearing sacred and utterly inviolable.

Unable to bear the overwhelming pain any longer, Ao Tong began to plead incessantly, even resorting to begging for mercy.

Han Lin, however, remained unmoved. He waited until the time felt right, approximately the span of a single cup of tea, before he soothed the agitation of the forty-nine God-slaying Cones.

The instant the God-slaying Cones ceased their assault, Ao Tong felt an immediate wave of relief, accompanied by a surge of inner joy.

Yet, in the following second, this relief was replaced by profound despair as it perceived an overwhelmingly bleak and desolate future.

Ao Tong somersaulted in mid-air, instantly shrinking to a length of mere meters. It then slowly flew before Han Lin, adopting a posture of apparent obedience.