NOVEL NEXT WORLD Chapter 222: Chapter 222: Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms? There's a Real Dragon Here!
Chapter 222: Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms? There's a Real Dragon Here!
Capital City.
In a massive dojo, Ba Liming, who had just returned from Secret Realm No. 30, sat in the courtyard with his eyes closed, deep in thought.
He had already received a notification that Qin Muyin had earned an additional reward in the secret realm this time.
This surprised him.
He had previously experienced the difficulty of Secret Realm No. 30 firsthand. Even completing the most basic task had pushed him to the brink.
And now, Qin Muyin had managed to secure an extra reward?
It seemed he had underestimated that woman.
Moments later, Ba Liming suddenly opened his eyes, raised his hand, and struck out with a palm!
The strike was formidable, stirring the surrounding air.
What happened next was extraordinary.
A sharp cry rang out.
From Ba Liming's palm, a golden energy dragon materialized, soaring straight ahead.
Energy materialized into a dragon!
This level of mastery was unprecedented, even in the history of martial arts.
Even more astonishing, the energy dragon emitted a thunderous dragon's roar as it flew forward.
In the next instant, the dragon struck a massive boulder in the courtyard, creating a deafening explosion.
"Boom—"
The decorative boulder, originally placed to enhance the courtyard's aesthetics, was blasted into countless fragments.
The sound reverberated far and wide.
Fortunately, the dojo was expansive, and its surroundings were free from residential or commercial buildings, so it wouldn't disturb the public.
Ba Liming surveyed the destruction caused by his casual strike but appeared unsatisfied.
"This world truly isn't the same as that one. Compared to that world, this place is like a wasteland for martial arts."
He sighed.
The energy dragon he had just unleashed was a technique granted by the secret realm as a reward for completing his trials.
The technique's full name was "Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms," and the energy dragon was the first move: "Regret of the Soaring Dragon."
Other moves in the technique included "Dragon Ascends the Heavens," "Dragon Hidden in the Fields," "Twin Dragons Fetching Water," "Divine Dragon Wags Its Tail," and "Dragon Battles the Wildlands."
Each subsequent move was more powerful than the last.
If Ba Liming could master the eighteenth palm, he could theoretically summon eighteen energy dragons, unleashing a devastating area-of-effect attack with unmatched power.
Indeed, the No. 30 Secret Realm had been a world where martial arts thrived.
In that world, the air was rich with spiritual energy, and powerful martial artists were as common as clouds.
The strongest could even shatter the void and ascend to other realms.
While Ba Liming was a top-tier martial artist on Earth (known as Blue Star), his prowess in that world made him no more than an ordinary expert.
In fact, during his first month in the secret realm, he struggled so much that he ended up living as a beggar and joining the Beggar Sect.
Luckily, Ba Liming's extraordinary talent and solid theoretical foundation allowed him to quickly master many martial arts.
He eventually caught the attention of the Beggar Sect leader, who taught him the ultimate technique, "Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms."
Ba Liming didn't disappoint. Within a year, he mastered the technique, gaining unparalleled power and becoming a renowned martial artist, feared and respected.
He successfully completed his mission in the secret realm.
In the martial arts world of the secret realm, his "Regret of the Soaring Dragon" could manifest a 30- to 40-meter-long energy dragon.
Back on Earth, however, the energy dragon he just unleashed was barely 3 to 4 meters long.
Not only had its size shrunk tenfold, but its power was also reduced by the same magnitude.
The reason was simple.
Blue Star was barren of spiritual energy, incomparable to the martial arts world of the secret realm.
After leaving the secret realm, the formidable inner energy Ba Liming cultivated over a year had completely dissipated.
To compensate, the secret realm modified the "Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms" so that Ba Liming could use it without inner energy.
However, this modification came at the cost of its power.
Even so, Ba Liming's heart was still captivated by the martial arts world of the secret realm.
The rich spiritual energy, the abundance of powerful martial artists—everything about it fascinated him.
More than once, he had been tempted to abandon his mission and remain in the secret realm forever.
But his strong willpower helped him resist the temptation.
He completed his mission and returned to reality.
After all, the secret realm was just a mirage. No matter how perfect it seemed, it was nothing more than an illusion.
Ba Liming's determination remained unwavering.
He knew his place was on Blue Star.
Reflecting on his journey to the secret realm, Ba Liming was satisfied overall.
The rewards, while not groundbreaking, still enhanced his abilities slightly.
The "Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms" and potential enhancements were better than nothing.
But what pleased him most was the knowledge he had gained.
Before leaving the secret realm, Ba Liming had diligently studied and memorized many ultimate techniques.
This knowledge was his greatest treasure from the journey.
Now, Ba Liming had a new goal.
He planned to adapt the martial arts techniques from the secret realm into forms suitable for Blue Star and introduce them to the world.
He wanted to see if he could create a thriving martial arts culture on Blue Star.
"Senior Brother! Senior Brother!"
Just then, a group of people rushed in, clearly alarmed by the earlier explosion.
Leading the group was Chairman Chen, the father of Chen Yezhi.
"What happened?" Chairman Chen's sharp eyes scanned the courtyard, assuming some fool had dared to attack Ba Liming.
Chairman Chen had been waiting outside, knowing Ba Liming had successfully cleared Secret Realm No. 30.
"Nothing," Ba Liming said with a casual wave. "I was just testing a new martial arts technique and caused a bit of noise."
Hearing this and noticing the shattered remains of the massive boulder, Chairman Chen was secretly stunned.
The boulder wasn't ordinary rock but a rare mineral with a Mohs hardness of seven—nearly as hard as metal.
Such a durable boulder wasn't chosen lightly as a decorative piece.
And yet, Senior Brother had shattered it so easily?
He's growing even stronger.
"Everyone, back to work," Ba Liming instructed, dismissing the onlookers but gesturing for Chairman Chen to stay.
Once the others left, Ba Liming smiled at Chairman Chen. "Junior Brother, during my time in the secret realm, I gained new insights into the Eight Extraordinary Meridians. I'm 90% confident I can help you achieve the Core Formation stage. Prepare yourself with two days of fasting, and we'll begin."
Chairman Chen's face lit up with joy. He had long sought to strengthen himself, participating in annual secret realm trials to accumulate power.
"Thank you, Senior Brother."
At that moment, the screech of tires echoed from the parking lot.
Both men instantly realized someone had arrived in haste.
Moments later, an official from the Ability Association hurried into the courtyard, carrying a tablet.
"Chairmen, we have an emergency."
Hearing this, Chairman Chen's expression turned serious, but he remained silent.
Because he was a person who understood boundaries, and because Senior Brother was the rightful president, Chen, the acting president, was only temporarily holding the position on behalf of his Senior Brother.
When Ba Liming was absent, Chen could exercise the president's authority.
But now that Ba Liming was present, it wasn't his place to take the lead.
Though this cautious mindset might seem overly meticulous, Chen felt it was necessary.
The most important thing in life was to never overstep one's bounds.
"What's the matter?"
Ba Liming's expression grew serious as he considered the possibilities. Was it the alien overlord they had discussed at the last meeting?
"The military sent us a video and hopes the Ability Association will help promote it," the subordinate reported.
"Oh?"
Hearing this, Ba Liming raised an eyebrow in surprise. "What kind of video?"
"It's here," the subordinate replied, pulling out a tablet and locating the video before handing it to Ba Liming.
Chen, standing beside him, also watched.
As they saw the massive azure dragon in the video, their eyes widened in shock.
Moments later, the video ended.
Ba Liming and Chen remained silent for a long time.
The dragon in the video was simply terrifying!
Its breath—no, its dragon breath—possessed destructive power beyond imagination.
Even Ba Liming, a top-tier martial artist, was utterly stunned.
In the martial arts world of the secret realm, Ba Liming had made a name for himself with his ultimate skill, the Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms.
But in the face of such a dragon, could his skill truly subdue it?
Even the god-like martial artists capable of shattering the void were no match for this colossal azure dragon.
"Is this video real?" Ba Liming couldn't help but ask.
The subordinate immediately nodded. "It's been verified. The video is authentic, with no editing. In fact, there are three separate recordings from different angles, all proving the dragon's existence."
Ba Liming frowned.
Since when did such a powerful creature exist on Blue Star?
"Is this a new Beast King?" Chen asked in confusion. "But why is it attacking the monster nest?"
Chen, familiar with the northern monster nest containing two space-time wormholes, recognized the location.
He also knew about the existence of Beast Kings.
Hearing the term "Beast King," Ba Liming's expression turned grim.
If a new Beast King had emerged with such destructive power, it could dominate the planet unchecked.
No one could stop it.
Chen continued, "Why would the military want us to promote this video? Aren't they afraid of causing public panic over the Beast King's appearance?"
The subordinate quickly explained, "According to the military, this azure dragon is not a Beast King—it's an ally of humanity."
"An ally?"
Ba Liming and Chen were even more shocked.
When had humanity ever gained such a powerful creature as an ally?
If they had a dragon like this, why had so many nations fallen?
Even the Beast Kings wouldn't withstand the dragon's devastating breath.
"To be precise, it's an ally of our nation, the Xia Kingdom," the subordinate clarified, pulling up another video angle on the tablet.
"Please watch. There's a human riding on the dragon."
The previous video, filmed from below, captured the dragon's full body and its "spitting"—or rather, its breath attack.
This new video, filmed from above, revealed a small figure sitting on the dragon's neck.
The person was clearly human.
However, compared to the massive dragon, the human figure was about as noticeable as a grasshopper.
If not for the close-up shot in the video, they might not have seen it at all.
"Huh?"
Ba Liming gasped in surprise when he saw the human on the dragon's neck.
"Is that… Captain Qin?"
"Yes, the military confirmed that the person riding the dragon is Captain Qin," the subordinate said.
"They also said this dragon was brought back by Captain Qin. There was no sign of it before."
Ba Liming's eyes lit up as he speculated, "Could Secret Realm No. 30 have rewarded Captain Qin with a real dragon?"
As soon as he said it, he shook his head.
While Secret Realm No. 30 was known for rewarding skills and items, granting a dragon of such immense power was simply too far-fetched.
It was absolutely impossible.
Ba Liming didn't notice that Chen, standing behind him, was trembling all over—either from excitement or fear.
Chen knew that his son had contributed to Captain Qin's successful completion of Secret Realm No. 30.
Chen Ye had already told him that Captain Qin had invited him to assist in her mission.
Now, a bold thought crossed Chen's mind.
Could the awe-inspiring, world-destroying dragon actually be his son?
Did the S1 Hero talent include such an outrageous ability as dragon transformation?
"Has Captain Qin returned?" Ba Liming suddenly asked.
The subordinate quickly replied, "She just returned not long ago."
"I'll go ask her myself!"
Without hesitation, Ba Liming moved like the wind, leaving the dojo in an instant.
After Ba Liming left, Chen suppressed his turbulent emotions and turned to the subordinate.
"You can go back. I'll follow up shortly."
"Understood, Chairman Chen."
As the subordinate left, Chairman Chen looked up at the sky.
The sun had already set.
Standing in the courtyard, he took out his phone.
…
Meanwhile, Chen Ye was on a train bound for Magic City.
Recalling the incident at the abandoned military base earlier, he still felt embarrassed beyond words.
At that time, he had wanted to dig a hole in the ground and hide.
Fortunately, Qin Muyin wasn't the type to dwell on awkward moments. She tactfully shifted the topic, easing the tension somewhat.
In the end, Chen Ye left the base wearing Qin Muyin's combat uniform.
The small transport aircraft, owned by Qin Muyin, was stocked with her personal belongings, including clothing and weapons.
Given her frequent missions to the front lines, it was normal for her to keep supplies on her aircraft.
However, the combat uniform, designed for a woman, looked comically small on Chen Ye, making him appear almost absurd.
But what choice did he have? He hadn't thought to bring a change of clothes in advance.
This experience taught him an important lesson: if he planned to transform into a dragon again, he must prepare a spare set of clothes beforehand.
After the incident, Chen Ye didn't let Qin Muyin give him a ride.
Instead, he ran to the nearest city at superhuman speed, bought a set of men's clothing, and boarded a train back to Magic City.
As for the commotion he caused and the subsequent explanations to the higher-ups, that was Qin Muyin's responsibility.
At this moment, Chen Ye was reflecting on the sensation of his dragon transformation.
The experience of becoming a massive azure dragon was indescribably mystical.
A human's vision and a dragon's vision perceive the world entirely differently.
Through a dragon's eyes, the world seemed much smaller.
He could overlook the vast lands and survey the mountains and rivers with ease.
What thrilled Chen Ye most was the sheer power he gained in his dragon form.
Take the dragon's breath, for instance—it was vastly more destructive than his strongest punch.
His punches relied solely on his strength attribute, but the dragon's breath combined all four of his attributes.
With his current stats, the sum of his four attributes exceeded 20,000, resulting in incredible destructive power.
Moreover, the dragon's breath was not just powerful; its explosive aftermath created a shockwave that was devastatingly effective for large-scale attacks.
In simple terms, Chen Ye had become a walking nuclear weapon.
Given enough time, he could single-handedly destroy the world, and no one could stop him.
"Currently, humanity's most destructive weapon is the nuclear bomb," Chen Ye mused.
"In dragon form, my strength and durability increase fivefold. That means my defense is just as enhanced. Could my dragon form withstand a nuclear explosion?"
Chen Ye's eyes sparkled with curiosity.
He even considered asking Qin Muyin to acquire a nuclear bomb so he could test its effects in his dragon form.
If I could endure a nuclear explosion, it would be incredible!
As for radiation?
With my constitution, what was there to fear?
Just then, Chen Ye's phone buzzed.
It was a text from his father, Chairman Chen.
[Dragon?]
The message was just a single character followed by a question mark.
Chen Ye instantly understood and couldn't help but chuckle.
His father was careful, even asking such a simple question in the most cautious manner.
He replied with a single word: "Yes."
Chairman Chen didn't send another message after that.
Chen Ye wasn't surprised that his father had learned about the dragon so quickly.
He could even predict tomorrow's headlines would undoubtedly be all about the dragon!
…
The train was scheduled to arrive in Magic City around 9 p.m.
It was only a little after 5 p.m., leaving him with four hours of travel time.
Relaxing, Chen Ye felt a bit tired.
He knew it was the aftermath of using the dragon's breath, which had drained a considerable amount of energy.
With nothing else to do, he leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes to rest.
He had booked a business-class seat, and the chair was quite comfortable.
Before long, Chen Ye's breathing became steady, and he fell asleep.
Then, he began to dream.
In the dream, he witnessed Saitama, still an ordinary human, fighting a strange monster to save a boy with a peculiar chin.
Despite sustaining severe injuries, Saitama never gave up.
From his godlike vantage point, Chen Ye observed the battle clearly.
At this stage, Saitama was pathetically weak but managed to triumph through sheer courage and willpower, ultimately saving the boy.
Moreover, the experience marked a turning point for Saitama.
He began training himself and pursuing greater strength.
…
When Chen Ye woke up, he glanced at the time. It was already past 8 p.m.
He had slept for three hours.
Chen Ye's face showed a hint of confusion.
He wasn't the type to let his guard down while traveling, yet he had fallen into such a deep sleep.
What puzzled him most was dreaming about a younger, pre-bald Saitama.
The dream felt incredibly vivid, as if he were truly witnessing another world.
If not for his omniscient perspective, he might have thought it was a memory of his own.
Chen Ye had a nagging feeling that the dream wasn't random.
Perhaps it was a sign—something the bald demon king wanted to convey to him.
At that moment, Chen Ye noticed several unread notifications on his phone.
Opening them, he saw that Qin Muyin had sent him three videos two hours ago.
Each video was labeled "Beast King."
Intrigued, Chen Ye clicked on the first video.
The footage began with an enormous monster wreaking havoc.
The creature was colossal, towering over 100 meters, resembling a mountain in both size and presence.
Standing on two legs, it had short forearms, a thick tail, and a fierce expression.
Its jaws jutted forward, lined with razor-sharp teeth.
The monster resembled a Jurassic-era dinosaur, yet its upright posture made it look like a giant lizard.
Seeing the monster clearly, Chen Ye's eyes widened in disbelief.
What the—
Isn't this Godzilla?
Indeed, the creature in the video bore a striking resemblance to the Godzilla from Earth's monster movies.
However, this version of Godzilla appeared larger and more ferocious.
Could the legendary Beast King actually be Godzilla?
Puzzled, Chen Ye continued watching and soon noticed a key difference.
This Godzilla didn't emit atomic breath but spewed streams of blazing heat.
Wherever the heat flowed, everything was reduced to a sea of flames, even the ground itself igniting.
This deviation confused Chen Ye.
Godzilla's signature move was atomic breath. Why was this one using superheated streams instead?
Next, Chen Ye opened the second video.
This time, the monster was a three-headed dragon, even larger than Godzilla.
Its wings, when fully extended, spanned over 600 meters.
At a glance, Chen Ye immediately recognized it.
King Ghidorah!
The creature closely resembled the King Ghidorah from the monster movies Chen Ye had watched.
As he watched further, he noticed more discrepancies.
The three heads didn't spit lightning but explosive energy spheres, each as destructive as a missile.
Most alarmingly, the three heads could continuously spew these spheres, obliterating a city in mere minutes.
Chen Ye was baffled.
Why did these Beast Kings resemble movie monsters but have altered abilities?
Were they modified versions of the originals?
Finally, Chen Ye opened the third video.
The moment he saw the monster in this video, he was stunned again.
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