Chapter Ninety-Three: Exhaustion

A dozen ferocious beasts surged towards Yue Longze from all directions, their savage roars echoing menacingly. The Cloud Cluster Sword flashed once more, and the nearest monster, its body covered in eerie scales, was sliced in half. Yet, attacks from the creatures flanking him struck in quick succession.

With a resounding crash, Yue Longze was trapped, caught in a vice by the beasts on both sides. His arms were held fast, and his legs ensnared by a jet-black tentacle. No matter how desperately he struggled, he could not break free.

“Damn it…!” Yue Longze summoned every ounce of his strength, gathering his energy until his body radiated a brilliant purple-black light. At that moment, an intense explosion erupted around him, obliterating the monsters that had surrounded him. Their bodies were torn apart, grotesque fragments drifting in the vastness of space.

Only two particularly powerful beasts survived, but they were gravely wounded, posing no further threat. Yet, from the distance, another wave of monsters charged swiftly towards him.

Yue Longze was drained, his energy and stamina nearly spent, and he bore injuries. The energy timer on his chest began to flash and beep wildly. His chest heaved with heavy, rhythmic breaths as he glanced back at the young warrior Sarth, who was being mercilessly battered by several monsters. Sarth’s timer, too, was flashing urgently, and he was barely able to defend himself.

Frustration welled up within Yue Longze—he hated his own weakness. If not for the swordsmanship imparted by Jinglong and the divine Cloud Cluster Sword, he would have fallen long ago. Were it Zero, perhaps he would have already escaped this terrifying beast tide with Sarth in tow. As the new wave of monsters drew closer, these thoughts plagued Yue Longze’s mind.

…

“Dragon, I told you! No matter what, never bring shame to the legacy of Diga!” Camilla’s voice, long absent, rang out once more. Golden power surged forth, spreading familiar golden patterns across the armor on Yue Longze’s chest. His aura intensified, and his energy timer returned to a vibrant blue.

Strength flooded back into his limbs; the fatigue vanished. Even the internal injuries from his earlier wounds improved noticeably.

“Camilla! Thank you!” he exclaimed.

The Cloud Cluster Sword and its sheath appeared once more, gleaming silver. He drew the blade with a flourish.

A sinister sword light swept forth, brimming with killing intent, severing the monster before him at the waist. But the other beasts’ attacks arrived as well—a dozen destructive beams rushed toward Yue Longze. He met them head-on, slashing them apart with the Cloud Cluster Sword.

Empowered by Camilla’s golden energy, Yue Longze now faced the monsters, their strength amplified by dark energy, without fear.

With a swift motion, he unleashed the Zeperion Beam. In this state, the beam was half-golden, half-purple-black. Though its appearance was strange, its power was immense.

His strong arms formed an “L” shape as his cold gaze swept over the grotesque monsters. He fired, the Zeperion Beam slicing from left to right, causing the monsters to explode in a cascade.

Without looking back, Yue Longze sped away, flying toward the exhausted Sarth.

…

The Cloud Cluster Sword spun through the air, eliminating the most threatening beast near Sarth. Seeing the familiar silver blade, Sarth knew his senior had arrived. Hope rekindled within him, and strength surged from somewhere deep inside, allowing him to stand once more.

High above, a black figure descended, flames roaring beneath its feet as it charged toward the monsters surrounding Sarth. Yue Longze had launched the Leo Flying Kick again.

Fiery red flames traced a dazzling arc through the air as Yue Longze’s blazing right foot struck out, piercing through the bodies of seven monsters in rapid succession.

Those monsters, previously dominant and arrogant, now collapsed to the ground, defeated.

Yue Longze strode to Sarth’s side and split off a surge of purple-black energy from his own timer, offering it to Sarth.

But the energy was rejected—Sarth’s timer forcibly expelled it, and it returned to Yue Longze’s own timer.

Both were confused; sharing energy among Ultra Warriors was common, so why did this happen?

“Is it because… I am darkness?” Yue Longze murmured.

Sarth was a warrior of the Land of Light, a champion of light, while Yue Longze was a warrior of ancient darkness—or rather, his body belonged to an ancient dark warrior. Perhaps this was why Sarth’s timer rejected his energy.

But now was not the time to dwell on such questions. Four more monsters remained, waiting to be dealt with.

Yue Longze turned, cold light flickering in his milky-white eyes. He strode forward, the Cloud Cluster Sword held lightly in his hand, its tip dragging along the ground, carving a straight line as it produced a sizzling sound.

The aura emanating from Yue Longze instilled fear in the monsters. The four survivors of the earlier Leo Flying Kick instinctively retreated.

The outcome was clear. Facing four ordinary monsters, Yue Longze used the sword-drawing technique four times, dispatching them swiftly.

With no new monsters appearing nearby, both men finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Yue Longze withdrew the golden power; after all, it was borrowed from Camilla, and she had her own limits. As the golden energy faded, the patterns on his chest disappeared.

Fatigue returned to his limbs, pain throbbed in his back, and he staggered. Sarth, seeing this, tried to help, but he too was unsteady and fell to the ground.

Both had expended too much.

They lay there, their energy timers beeping in slow, rhythmic pulses, like a haunting melody—the song of an Ultra Warrior’s demise.

Sarth’s injuries were severe; self-recovery was impossible. Without replenishment from the Plasma Spark Tower or another Ultra Warrior’s energy, he would surely perish here.

Yue Longze, though wounded, could endure, but his stamina was dangerously depleted; he needed time to recover, and his energy was slowly returning.

A white beam of light shot from the central hub atop Sarth’s head, streaking into distant space.

“Senior, I’ve sent out the Ultra signature—let’s hope someone comes to our rescue in time,” Sarth said weakly, his voice flickering like a dying lamp.

Yue Longze responded simply and quietly, focusing on restoring his strength.