Arthur's pupils constricted violently.
That familiar Dragon Country intonation; if it wasn't him, who else could it be?
Amidst this tumultuous daze, Arthur gawked as he witnessed a spectacle he had never seen in his entire life.
What kind of existence was this?
Tall, mighty, azure, pure, powerful…
A transparent energy body tightly enveloped them, a shield in its left hand and a sword in its right.
The hand holding the shield effortlessly blocked the surging tidal wave of the Water Dragon Soul, while the other hand, wielding the sword, gave a gentle swing, accurately striking the monstrous black hole.
This seemingly unfathomably deep black hole, with just a light touch from the energy body's sword, was swallowed up without a trace.
What the hell was all this!
This astounding display left not only Caesar, Arthur, and Julia, who were being protected, but also the surrounding onlookers dumbfounded.
How could Lin Ran be this formidable?
He had so easily vanquished the black hole that had tormented them for so long?
Caesar cast a difficult glance at Lin Ran beside him, at a loss for how to address his savior.
Lin Ran, however, gave him a casual smile:
"Don't worry, with me here, I will surely protect you all."
Rescuing them at the most critical moment was a plan Lin Ran had conceived long ago.
This was an opportunity to skyrocket their favorability, one that should be cherished.
And the choice of individuals was also quite perfect; the three were all figures of high status from the Sunset Federation and the Holy Empire, and they were also thoughtful beings who understood gratitude, not ungrateful wretches.
Granting them such an immense favor would bring immense hidden benefits.
"Roar!"
The Sea-Flipping Demon Whale suddenly became flustered, thrashing wildly in the water, exhibiting extreme fear.
Because the pink crystal power that had so firmly suppressed it had miraculously reappeared.
Only this time, it had appeared with a different person.
The sudden change in the Sea-Flipping Demon Whale's demeanor was keenly perceived by the experts present.
This made the expressions on their faces even more remarkable.
This Sea-Flipping Demon Whale, which had been so arrogant moments ago, had roamed the deep seas, killed countless people, and caused them so much trouble, was actually showing fear?
And the target of its fear was merely a Rank 5 Awakened?
When had the world gone this mad?!
Lin Ran, clad in Susanoo, gave a slight smile to the choked-up Caesar:
"We can talk later."
"I'll deal with this beast and this mess first!"
With that, he deactivated Susanoo's Eternal Kaleidoscope, then spread his Amaterasu Wings and leaped high into the air.
"Qing Yan!"
Lin Ran raised his arm and called out to the sky.
The vortex of Kamui materialized for just a second before a figure of black and gold flashed out.
Instantly, numerous buffs and debuffs rained down from the heavens.
"Holy Armor!"
"Divine Blessing!"
"Hymn of Courage!"
"Angel Wings!"
"Divine Benediction!"
"Radiance of Paradise!"
"Aegis of Honor!"
"Holy Skill - Divine Light of Creation!"
"Shadow Curse!"
"Arrow of Crippling!"
"Sorrow of Torment!"
"Fevered Decay!"
"Twisted Binding!"
"Void Shackles!"
"Curse - Abyss Descent!"
Empowered by the buffs, Lin Ran's aura grew stronger, while the weakened Sea-Flipping Demon Whale's condition worsened.
After unleashing all her skills, Luo Qingyan's half-golden wings were completely enveloped by darkness, transforming her into her Fallen Angel form.
In this form, she merely gestured, and twelve colossal prayer beads materialized from the sky. Then, with a flash of dark light, they encircled the Sea-Flipping Demon Whale and began to spin.
"Formation - Acala!"
As the prayer beads spun, the Sea-Flipping Demon Whale at the center of the formation was as if subjected to a thousand cuts, blood erupting in waves.
Lin Ran in the air also gently gestured:
"Anti-God Armament - Chains of Heaven!"
Dimensional gates created by the Gate of Babylon appeared from all directions around the Sea-Flipping Demon Whale. Streams of dark gold chains surged forth, easily piercing the beast's flesh and binding it tightly.
As an Eighth Rank Lord-level fierce beast, possessing a trace of the divine beast Kunpeng's bloodline, its divinity was naturally not low.
Coupled with Lin Ran's special attack bonus from the pink crystal, it was completely rendered powerless.
Arthur gasped, "Such terrifying suppression…"
"A net below and ropes above, doesn't it look like how we go fishing?"
"Later, we'll ladle some soup over the top and simmer the bottom, it'll be a first-class fish soup!"
Caesar, who had been moved by the spectacle, had his mood ruined by Arthur's quip, and said angrily, "You're still in the mood for jokes… Huh?"
"Weren't you just looking so tragic and resigned to your fate?"
Arthur chuckled, "Times change, you shouldn't cling to the past!"
"I've always said I have good luck, and now I have noble assistance, haven't I?"
"With their offensive power, it's only a matter of time before we get to drink fish soup."
Julia, who had been silent all this time, suddenly interjected, "Aren't they just Rank 5 Awakened? Why are they so strong?"
Caesar's face contorted, "Who knows… If I knew, I wouldn't be standing here watching."
"Dragon Country truly is a place that breeds monsters… Such a mysterious ancient Eastern land, truly not to be provoked."
Arthur, however, pondered for a moment and said, "Hmm… I think their current state is likely a form of potential activation."
"It's most likely a secret family technique from a mysterious Dragon Country clan, capable of activating combat power far exceeding their own in a short period."
"But such secret techniques must have limitations, otherwise, wouldn't they be invincible?"
"Do you two remember that Lin Ran and the other one disappeared for a very long time?"
"That was probably the preparatory phase for this secret technique…"
"And such techniques usually come with severe side effects, some even irreversible. I wonder if they'll suffer from that…"
Arthur was unaware of the pink crystal's existence, so he could only speculate.
Caesar looked at Arthur with considerable surprise, "You understand so much?"
Arthur smiled, "I usually like to read, and the more I read, the more I understand."
"I once spent nearly three months reading a monumental work from Dragon Country, so naturally, I learned quite a bit."
"Especially since that book was so exquisite and magnificent, reading from it wasn't tedious at all."