Earth's Greatest Magus

A green flame erupted from Mo Yan's head, an ethereal fire that snaked through the air and slowly flew into the figure inside the coffin. The dragon's half-blood's eyes snapped open, glowing with an unnatural green light. Its body twitched and then convulsed as the dark magic took hold, reanimating the once-dead warrior into a formidable undead servant.

Seeing the threat materialize, Emery acted swiftly. With a decisive smash, he rendered the wounded Golden Roc incapacitated and dashed toward the coffin, planning to decimate the figure before it fully awakened. His powerful punch flew like a comet, but Mo Yan was able to swing one of its spectral arms to block him, albeit a little too late.

Emery gritted his teeth as he crushed the spectral arm apart and continued his advance, creating a powerful blast that blew the coffin apart.

BAMMM!!

The force of the explosion sent debris flying in all directions, but the newly risen dragon half-blood was dragged only a few meters back, successfully managing to block Emery's punch. The man with messy grey hair flexed his immense muscles as he completed his transformation, azure blue scales covering his muscular body.

The dragon's half-blood roared, a deep, guttural bellow that reverberated across the battlefield. In a swift, retaliatory move, the dragon warrior launched a powerful counterpunch, his scaled fist moving with the speed and force of a battering ram. The punch connected squarely with Emery's chest, sending him flying backward.

Emery was thrown a dozen meters away. Pain radiated through his body, and he spat blood, the force of the blow confirming that this newly risen dragon half-blood possessed the strength of a grand magus.

"Kill him!" Mo Yan commanded, his smile widening with anticipation.

The Dragon Warrior didn't say a word. Like a beast unleashed, it charged forward with ferocious speed and intent. Emery quickly stood up and answered the challenge, his muscles tensing as he prepared for the onslaught.

The clash was immediate and brutal. Multiple successive blows were exchanged, some blocked, some absorbed. Emery's physical strength allowed him to stay a level higher, his movements were precise and powerful.

Each punch he landed sent shockwaves through the battlefield, but the Dragon Warrior showed no signs of pain. Instead, it began to cast spells, its eyes flickering with a dim memory of its past life.

Water-based techniques started to manifest. The Dragon Warrior formed a water-crystallized spear, attacking with the fluidity of a river and the force of a tidal wave. Emery, with his comprehension of the law of water, managed to handle each blow effectively. He redirected the spear strikes with deft movements, his enhanced reflexes allowing him to counter the attacks.

Despite his proficiency, Emery's mind was not entirely focused on the fight. He noticed Mo Yan in the distance, slowly recovering from his wounds and observing Emery's movements with a calculating gaze. The hunchback grand magus was biding his time, planning his next move.

The Dragon Warrior's attacks grew more intense. Water blades sliced through the air, and waves of pressure threatened to overwhelm Emery. He countered with his own nature-based spells, roots, and vines sprouting from the ground to entangle the Dragon Warrior, but the creature's strength and agility allowed it to break free each time.

Emery needed to deal with the Dragon Warrior quickly, but his Fusion form had one significant weakness: the enhanced nature mastery restrained his ability to fully utilize his primal core. This limitation prevented him from casting advanced dark spells and even reduced the effectiveness of his tier 6 [Spatial Bending] to only 60% of its potential. In his enlarged form, he also couldn't hold his savage sword properly, rendering him unable to use any proper blade technique.

On the other hand, the Dragon Warrior was beginning to unleash his high-tier spell. A massive body of water—a tsunami conjured of spirit energy—swept across the landscape, surging toward Emery from three sides. It was a restraining spell, designed to toss him back and forth within the giant body of water, tormenting anyone trapped in its powerful currents.

The spell didn't do much harm to Emery physically, but it troubled his mind. The techniques used by the Dragon Warrior were eerily familiar, and a memory resurfaced.

"This is the Dragon Reservoir Technique!" he realized, a technique he had seen before.

At the same time, Magus Tobin, who was inside the formation, shouted, "That... that is Senior Shen Long!" His expression was a complex mix of anger, a look never seen on the usually calm Magus.

With the help of VIA, Emery received crucial information: Shen Long was one of the 12 flag bearers of Zodiac City, a prestigious title he held proudly for a hundred years before he went missing 300 years ago. Not only was Grand Magus Shen Long one of King Alduin's disciples, he was also the older sibling of Magus Sheena. Emery had witnessed similar skills during their practices together.

To think that this revered Zodiac figure had fallen into Mo Yan's clutches and become a slave added to Emery's pain and anger.

At that moment, Mo Yan hovered closely over the battlefield, sneering at Emery through the swirling torrent of water. "So you know him? This is even better. Soon, you will join him as part of my collection."

Enraged by Mo Yan's taunt, Emery unleashed his [Battle Roar]. During his practice sessions with Magus Sheena, this skill had proven effective against water-based restraining spells. The powerful roar reverberated through the air, causing the water to tremble and ripple. The spell backfired and hurt the dragon warrior instead.

Seizing the moment, Emery charged forward, his eyes locked on Mo Yan. His plan was simple: kill the old bastard and hopefully free Shen Long from his enslavement.

Unfortunately, the already recovered Mo Yan was fully prepared. His two massive spectral arms effectively stopped Emery's advance, the ghostly limbs absorbing the brunt of his assault.

Emery, undeterred, refused to give up. If one strike wasn't enough, then ten or a hundred should do the job. With relentless determination, he launched a continuous barrage of powerful punches against the spectral forms, each strike echoing like thunder across the battlefield.

Mo Yan, however, remained eerily calm amidst the onslaught. "Your unique skill is indeed amazing," he said, his voice dripping with condescension. "But unfortunately, I have found its weakness."

His eyes gleamed,, unleashing another spirit attack. However, Mo Yan's target this time was not Emery's mind, but the six other consciousnesses intertwined with his own – Twik and the five Chizpurs. Emery's heart pounded as he realized the peril they were in.

"NO!!" Emery shouted, his voice filled with desperation.