170. Dancing with Dragons (Part 1)
Clang!
Li Aozi raised his arm, forcibly deflecting Diaran's magical attack with brute strength. The fierce flames were swept aside by his punches, creating a clear path. Diaran's graceful figure emerged before him, as majestic as a goddess's statue. She was within reach, ready to be shattered and desecrated with a single strike.
Diaran merely raised her hand and softly chanted in an ancient, profound language. The world resonated in response. Various elements surged forward under an ultimate contract. Primitive magic was summoned in an instant, the dense aura of magic expanding and flooding the arena with increasing intensity.
[Arcane•Dragon Speech Chant•Spiral of Destruction]
Countless spell thorns, like barbed spikes, burst from the ground, piercing toward the sky. The spikes rotated at high speed, exuding a chilling aura of annihilation. Li Aozi immediately began sprinting, but the spikes relentlessly pursued him like death's inescapable scythe.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
Li Aozi dashed with great speed, utilizing [Martial Artist] footwork. His familiarity with magical nodes allowed him to calculate the trajectory of the spikes in advance and evade them with precision.
Yet, despite his agility, the spell's power, amplified exponentially by the Dragonblood Titan's superior guidance, was inescapable. Even Li Aozi couldn't outrun the tracking magic.
Smack!
His shoulder took a hit—Diaran scored a point.
Slash!
His foot was pierced—Diaran scored again.
Clang!
A strike landed on his chin—Diaran's score streak continued!
Fully unleashing her power without hesitation, Diaran turned the arena into a scorching molten purgatory. Her Dragon Speech Chant imbued even the simplest arcane missiles with extraordinary amplification.
Despite the momentary suppression, Li Aozi remained unfazed. The [Bloodline] Omega Energy surged through him, keeping his hormones at peak combat readiness under the influence of Omega Energy.
Emotions in living beings are directly influenced by their internal hormones. Even the most battle-hardened C3 Luka-type interstellar humans might feel despair, anxiety, or fear in the face of defeat.
Li Aozi, however, had no such concerns. Under the influence of his [Bloodline], he only grew braver with each battle, maintaining a cool head and boiling with fighting spirit.
"Ha! Now this is more like it!"
Chased all the way by the destructive spikes, Li Aozi suddenly spun around and punched the ground with immense force.
Bang!
The violent, brutal power upheaved the molten plates. Lava splattered everywhere but didn't harm Li Aozi in the slightest.
Because even now, his mana bar was still full.
"Diaran, you've done well enough to make me start using magic!"
Li Aozi spread his arms wide, and the lava instantly bent to his will.
[Elemental Construction]
"Behold my spell—'Summon Burning Rock Giant to Smash You to Pieces!!!'"
Li Aozi casually named the spell, showcasing his remarkable naming talent.
Raising his hands, the scattered lava began converging the burning and earth elements.
Next came the intricate construction techniques.
[Input constants—import model—set mass—collision volume—perform earth/fire element coupling—reconnect signal—construct completed.]
Li Aozi performed these operations smoothly. As a [Starfall Master], combining architecture techniques for combo setups was a basic skill he often utilized in later stages.
Unfortunately, he wasn't a true [Architect]. He couldn't create ecosystems or subsystems to endow constructs with autonomous mobility.
From the lava emerged a Burning Giant and an Earth Giant. Under Li Aozi's command, they roared fiercely, intertwining and fusing into one.
"Constructed Entity—Lava Sentinel."
When consuming the psychic potion earlier, Li Aozi had recalled some intriguing information.
For instance, [Architect] construct blueprints.
Early-stage [Architects], unable to directly alter the universe's grand rules, relied primarily on constructs for combat. A high-quality blueprint could sell for astronomical sums.
Among these, the [Lava Sentinel] was the classic 3.0 version blueprint. Its excellent structural design and high cost-effectiveness made it a favorite for modifications by [Architects] of all kinds. Even before Li Aozi's transmigration, this construct remained widely used.
Truly a model of industrious reliability.
The heat transformed the earth into lava, forging it into armor. Beneath the heavy gladiator's helmet, six steady eyes gazed out. Its lower body inherited the Burning Giant's thermal propulsion, hovering entirely in midair. This ferocious, intimidating elemental guardian now loomed behind Li Aozi.
Boom!
Li Aozi stood with arms crossed and legs apart. Behind him, the nearly ten-meter-tall Lava Sentinel mimicked his stance, standing proudly.
Elements became his nerves. His will replaced electrical currents. The psychic chains of the Elai Spirit connected him to the Lava Sentinel's body.
No autonomous mobility? Then he'd simply take direct control!
Normally, constructs relied on the [Intelligence] attribute to determine their strength and mobility. But early on, Li Aozi had acquired the [Arbitrary Command] specialty, forcibly converting attribute bonuses to rely on [Charisma].
Li Aozi's base [Charisma] was already 183 points, surpassing the Delta-tier average. With a 30% boost from [Perpetual•Love Hunt], his effective [Charisma] reached 237.9 points.
Additionally, his [Bloodline] ensured that element constructions, normally restricted to first-stage Elai Spirit bloodlines, all passed mandatory checks.
According to the construct mechanics of the [Lava Sentinel], every 20 points of Intelligence granted the construct a 5% boost to [Strength] attributes and a 10% increase in maximum health.
Li Aozi provided the Lava Sentinel a 55% strength boost and a 110% maximum health increase.
Most importantly, the [Lava Sentinel] was a melee unit.
This meant that once Li Aozi took control, it became akin to equipment worn by him. Its base attributes became his own, benefiting from [Bloodline] strength boosts and construct enhancements.
Li Aozi's health bar instantly surged over twice its original size, and his [Strength] attribute reached an astonishing 523.745 points.
This was Zeta-tier territory.
Clap.
Li Aozi lifted his foot and began walking toward Diaran. Effortlessly, he swatted away incoming magical attacks like swatting flies.
Boom!
The Lava Sentinel followed his movements. Its scorching flames scorched the ground, resonating with heavy echoes.
"Are you kidding me? That thing's enormous! Someone's going to die! This can't be allowed!"
The crowd in the stands grew larger. The appearance of the Lava Sentinel caused a near uproar.
"How is it being powered by only Delta-tier psychic energy?"
A student questioned incredulously, while others began calculating on the spot:
"Is that a golem? If it's elemental magic, the mana consumption per second… that's absurd! It's unbelievable."
Diaran nodded slightly.
"Finally showing your true power. Leoz… it seems the truly arrogant one is you."