A breath of ash or pale dust spews forth from the dragon's mouth.
It blankets the land in its white embrace, shrouding everyone's vision.
Panick immediately bundled within the ashen screen, only a few of them could retain their composure.
Warrior of Spring was still able to 'see' through Immersion, and he leapt to the sky with a powerful jump.
A weapon manifested in his hands, a gorgeous golden dagger-axe with a sharp counterweight on the other end.
Mystical Weapon -- Root Cleaving Axe.
He carried the momentum into his swing, lifting his axe upwards.
A flash of dark grey descends from the dragon's back.
Catching the axe with its bare hands, the ghastly figure reveals its decrepit form.
White robes bound its body. A grey cloak conceals the figure's face. Its bare arms were sickly thin and pale, as if only bones were hidden by its skin.
The grating voice spoke from within the cloak's hood.
"You dare to get in our way? What of the people you're sworn to protect?"
Shocked, Warrior of Spring pulls back, using whirls of wind beneath his feet to keep him afloat.
He spared a glance at the ground, where this ashen fog continued to spread.
Through Immersion, he 'peered' within.
The people within are panicked, save the two Third Foundation Cultivators and Shade of Autumn.
It was only then that he realised the severity of the situation.
The insane beasts within the ashen fog were not impeded at all.
They continued to charge forth, trying to save the two Cultivators of the first line, yet to reach the second line of Cultivators.
'Damn. So be it then!'
Without relenting, Warrior of Spring stepped on the winds like they were solid.
He swung upwards with Qi empowering his muscles.
The sickly man was suspended mid-air, dodging the swing of the axe.
"So you choose to oppose us..."
"It was your bold attempt to attack us that courted your death!"
Pursuing the sickly man in the air, Warrior of Spring continued swinging.
He was waiting for retaliation, merely probing the enemy; otherwise, he would immediately strike with his Dao Arts.
Meanwhile, he continued to monitor the situation on the ground through Immersion, whilst sending instructions to the people below.
He instructed the first and second lines of Cultivators about the situation.
He was also keeping an eye on the dragon, and he immediately grew cautious as he saw it move.
It stopped spewing the ashen fog, twisting its head towards Warrior of Spring.
Opening its dreadful maw, revealing rows of powerful teeth.
A pressure began to build in its mouth as streams of white flowed within.
Dao Art -- Great Qi Stream!
Bursting forth was a powerful breath of white winds.
Warrior of Spring moved out of the way.
Bounding off the solid winds, he dodged the breath to the left.
Awaiting him was the sickly man who swung his fists.
Raising his own, Warrior of Spring collided with the man and knocked him away.
Without hesitation, he continued to evade the breath as it followed him.
'What exactly are they here for?'
'Can't say that I wasn't expecting some unscrupulous people to take advantage of the tides...'
'But why are they attacking this Settlement?'
The dragon stopped its breath and opted to charge instead.
Before Warrior of Spring could move, the sickly man charged at him first.
"You will regret interfering!"
Dao Art -- Bone Snatching Gaze!
Suddenly, Warrior of Spring couldn't move.
His body was bound in place, defiant against his muscles and will.
"Die!"
As the Sickly man charged forth, he raised his hands as a spike began manifesting.
Reacting to this, Warrior of Spring activated a defensive Dao Art.
His skin turned into tree bark, and branches started to grow in abundance.
The countless leaves and branches created a dense shield around Warrior of Spring.
Dao Art -- Tree Amidst a Storm.
"Hmph!"
This caused the sickly man to back off, allowing the dragon to charge instead.
It roared forward fiercely, but the sickly man seemed to sense something off.
"Oh no!"
"You foolish scoundrel fell for it!"
The branches began to grow, surging in thickness similar to tree trunks.
Like a small forest of trees, the branches bloomed and ensnared the daring dragon.
It roared as roots and branches began to bind its body; it was unable to resist being captured.
"You dare!"
Enraged, the sickly man rushes towards the cage of trees, flinging a bone spike towards it.
Detaching himself from the cage of trees, Warrior of Spring retaliated.
"Wishful thinking!"
Warrior of Spring summoned his Mystical Weapon and swung.
The bone spike was sent flying, only for another to stab towards him.
A flurry of bone spikes was cast upon Warrior of Spring, who could only defend against the ridiculous number of them.
The sickly man moved around to approach the head of the dragon.
At first, he attacked the cage, slashing at it with blades made of bones, stabbing with spikes, yet unable to tear the cage apart.
Grunting in frustration, the sickly man relents in his attacks on both the cage and Warrior of Spring.
Warrior of Spring watched as the sickly man dove into the cage of trees between the open gaps.
"What is he...?"
Without questioning, Warrior of Spring chased and quickly approached the front of the cage.
Before he could enter, a low roar shook the cage, a pressure was intensifying within.
"What is he...!"
Through Immersion, he could feel the two presences within the cage of trees.
The sickly man and the dragon. Then, he felt a mysterious third presence.
Although it wasn't alive like the other two. It felt like a skeleton.
The sickly man tossed the skeleton into the dragon's mouth, which was torn apart by a mystical force, and inhaled like smoke.
Power began to surge within the dragon.
The cage of trees shuddered as the dragon tore it apart from within.
Branches and leaves fell from the sky, dissipating into raw Qi.
"Just what is you're purpose here!"
Warrior of Spring questioned, but he already guessed as to why they're here.
"You still ask? Would you back away knowing what we are after?"
Laughing hoarsely, the sickly man rose to sit on the dragon's head.
"The Corpse Mountain is what we are after! That ancient carcass is being wasted on crops and tilled fields!"
"We are merely claiming it for ourselves! You wish to oppose us only warrants your death!"
"If you run now, I will think about sparing your life! Hahaha!"
These words were not unfounded.
Through Immersion and their short round of battle, Warrior of Spring could sense the true power of these two figures.
'The dragon is a Spirit, based on its ability and appearance, it is no doubt a Bone Devouring Dragon.'
'Whatever it ate was likely a skeletal corpse, amplifying its power to the First State!'
'That man, too, is at the First State...'
It was a grim matchup, three figures of equal power, two against one.
These odds did not look favourable.
With that thought, pride surged through Warrior of Spring.
"You wish to strike me down? You would not be able to dream such a thing!"
He bursts with a tremendous aura and shot forward, aiming his Mystical Weapon at the sickly man and Bone Devouring Dragon.