Bai Shi hovered in the air, his right arm raised high as if commanding the heavens like a god. From the dark clouds blanketing the sky, rolling dragon thunder surged while tempests ravaged the air. The Divine Beast Dancing Lion threw its head back, calling upon the lightning within the thunderheads to counter Bai Shi's dragon thunder. Bolts of red dragon thunder fell relentlessly, inflicting immense and undeniable damage upon its colossal body. Suppressed by Bai Shi, the Divine Beast Dancing Lion struggled to unleash its full control over the storm, forced to dodge low to the ground. By now, the Divine Beast’s fur was scorched black. The fabric draped over its body was shredded in large patches, revealing the charred Hornsent corpses beneath. But the Divine Beast Dancing Lion did not just wait for death. It continuously summoned bolts of brilliant yellow lightning that clashed against the red dragon thunder in a dazzling display. The dense barrage of lightning locked onto Bai Shi’s position, striking with savage fury. Though he nimbly dodged the majority of the bolts, the relentless storm still managed to strike him several times. The skin exposed beyond his armor was scorched black, instantly carbonized by the lightning’s power. Yet, only a moment later, the fragile, charred layer flaked away, revealing fresh skin underneath. Bai Shi quickly grew tired of the pointless exchange of ranged attacks. He drew his weapon and dove fiercely toward the Divine Beast Dancing Lion on the ground below. The sky above the entire Belurat, Tower Settlement was shrouded in dark clouds. Howling gales swept through as two distinctly different types of lightning vied to strike down from the heavens. In that moment, heaven and earth were illuminated by flashes of lightning, and the storm forced all living things to cower. The buildings of the settlement began to crumble under the cataclysmic weather, and the shadowy Hornsent instinctively scattered for cover. The Divine Beast was a messenger from the heavens; its wrath brought chaos to the sky. And the most prominent manifestation of this was the storm. This vast, divine power was proof of the Divine Beast's rage. The Horned Crone lifted her head, gazing up at the sky outside the warehouse. Her eyes were obscured by overgrown horns, leaving her blind, but this didn't prevent her from sensing the magnificent power in the heavens. A smile touched her lips as she felt the storm and lightning that warped the very firmament. “The Divine Beast's power is stronger than ever before!” “O, Divine Beast, are you enraged as well?” “Carry our fury and drive away all the outsiders—the sons of that wicked woman!” The divine beast’s arena was now completely engulfed in lightning. The ceaseless bolts had all but obliterated the stage. Amidst the cataclysmic thunder, the Divine Beast Dancing Lion cut a battered figure. On this lightning-ravaged battlefield, Bai Shi had once again engaged the Divine Beast Dancing Lion in fierce combat. Bai Shi thrust his sword-lance, aiming straight for the massive jaws that lunged to bite him. The Divine Beast spun around abruptly, its tail whipping up a gale as it retreated from Bai Shi’s side. Seeing it back away, Bai Shi raised his sword-lance and aimed the tip at its head. As he poured a massive amount of magic into it, the crystal-like weapon lit up with a brilliant glow. A beam of deep blue laser shot toward the Divine Beast at incredible speed. The magically constructed laser held immense power. Not daring to be careless, the Divine Beast jerked its head aside to dodge. The beam grazed the Divine Beast's head, instantly obliterating several thick Omen horns. Bai Shi had already closed the distance again, his next attack already swinging. Unwilling to be outdone, the Divine Beast grew more savage after taking the hit. It danced around to avoid the falling lightning while spewing a torrent of frost from its mouth. Suddenly, the storm shifted. The assault of yellow lightning immediately weakened. In its place, a blizzard raged, as if intending to freeze the storm clouds themselves. This sudden onslaught of ice instantly broke Bai Shi's momentum. A thick layer of frost covered his body, and he began to freeze solid. The embers within Bai Shi's body blazed to life, fiercely consuming his flesh as fuel. As flames erupted from within, they instantly melted the immobilizing frost that encased him. Free from his icy prison, Bai Shi fell back, dodging the beast’s descending head. Seeing the frigid breath that poured from the Divine Beast's mouth, Bai Shi felt a thrill of surprise. Wind, thunder, and now ice—the Divine Beast had already displayed three powerful elements. And it wielded each one to a terrifying degree. The rıghtful source is 𝔫𝔬𝔳𝔢𝔩⁂𝖿𝗂𝗋𝖾⁂𝔫𝔢𝔱 A frigid wind howled and snow fell in heavy sheets. The sudden drop in temperature made Bai Shi feel as if he were back in the Consecrated Snowfield. With its enraged dance, the beast brought chaos to the world, warping heaven and earth. This was a child of nature, a god born from the world itself—a Divine Beast. Bai Shi stood before the Divine Beast, sword-lance in hand, his gaze growing more fervent. “Haha, so this is the power of a Divine Beast?” “What a pleasant surprise.” “I was starting to think Belurat was filled with nothing but junk, but it seems there’s some treasure to be found after all.” “A unique opponent like you... I don’t think I’ll ever forget you, Divine Beast Dancing Lion.” Nothing was more satisfying than defeating an opponent with their own techniques. The next moment, the Divine Beast took a step forward, and frost spread rapidly across the ground. The icy tide surged forth, instantly blanketing the shattered remains of the arena and engulfing Bai Shi. After a brief moment of magical conduction, countless sharp spikes erupted from the frozen surface. Facing the surging frost, Bai Shi also stomped forward. A massive surge of magical power spread through the ground. The ice-covered earth was torn asunder, and the frost shattered into countless crystals that dissipated into the air. Bai Shi charged forward, switching to the Sword of Night and Flame. Searing flames ignited along the blade as he swept it toward the Divine Beast. The sweeping fire melted the swirling snow, clearing away all obstacles with unstoppable force. The Divine Beast curled up in midair before snapping its head forward, unleashing a shockwave of cold air from its body. Ice exploded around it, and the blast instantly diffused, blocking Bai Shi's attack. As the last of the flames vanished, the Divine Beast opened its great maw once more, spewing frost at Bai Shi, who was already upon it, trying to force him back. But this time, Bai Shi neither dodged nor retreated. He simply intensified the burning of the embers within him. As his flesh rapidly burned and regenerated, a heat wave that distorted the very air shimmered around him, melting the frost on contact. Wreathed in his own power, Bai Shi charged straight into the Divine Beast's icy breath, closing the distance in an instant. The two Hornsent corpses stacked on top of each other again, and the Divine Beast stood upright, continuing to breathe frost down on Bai Shi from above. Then, the beast immediately backed away, not daring to fight Bai Shi up close. Seeing the Divine Beast retreat once more, a tempestuous vortex erupted around Bai Shi's sword-lance. The raging storm coalesced into a massive blade of air aimed at the sky before he brought it crashing down upon the Divine Beast. The blade of air slashed through the thunderclouds, which were then torn apart and dragged down to earth by the vortex. This single strike connected heaven and earth, descending upon the Divine Beast with enough force to sunder the world. Seeing the sheer scale of the attack, the Divine Beast knew it could not afford to be hit. It immediately turned to flee, but the intense wind pressure from the blade of air locked onto it, making escape impossible. There was no evading the monumental strike. The Divine Beast’s form vanished into the surging storm. When the sword strike passed, the sky was instantly swept clean, revealing the last rays of a fading twilight on the distant horizon. But Bai Shi didn’t sheathe his weapon. Instead, he stared quietly ahead. He could sense it. The Divine Beast wasn't dead. It couldn’t be killed that easily. When the storm finally dissipated, the Divine Beast reappeared before him, now severed in two. It had been cut clean in half at the waist. The rear Hornsent's arms, which had been holding onto its partner, were gone, and even its head had been sheared down, leaving only its mouth and nose. But still, the Divine Beast was not dead. Its two emerald eyes were fixed on Bai Shi, filled with incandescent rage. The rear half of the Divine Beast’s body shuffled forward. Its two bloody stumps plunged directly into the waist of the Hornsent in front of it. With a sickening squirm, the two corpses fused into one, and the Divine Beast could move again. But Bai Shi hadn't stood idly by watching the beast regenerate. Seizing the opportunity, Bai Shi gathered an unprecedentedly massive bolt of lightning. Blinding electrical energy flashed and roiled in the air, finally coalescing into a terrifying spear of red lightning. The spear of red lightning hung above the Divine Beast's head like a sword of Damocles. Bai Shi simultaneously unleashed a crushing force of gravity, blanketing the area around the beast to restrict its movements. Due to its immense power, the Divine Beast wasn't completely pinned down. However, the gravitational field Bai Shi had created was enormous, locking down a radius of several hundred meters. No matter how it tried to flee, it could not escape. With a downward pull of Bai Shi’s arm, the spear of red lightning plummeted from the sky. The Divine Beast twisted its body desperately, allowing the spear to graze its side as it fell. It had managed to avoid a direct hit, barely escaping being pierced through. After impact, the terrifying dragon thunder erupted once more, unleashing its destructive power. In an instant, the lightning vaporized half of the Divine Beast's body, reducing the Hornsent corpses to mere charcoal. A blinding light filled the world, making it impossible to look directly at the blast. Meanwhile, more dragon thunder rained down, taking advantage of the opening to strike the Divine Beast again and again, completely submerging it. However, at the very center of the electrical storm, the Divine Beast let out a heaven-shaking roar, and the deluge of lightning was instantly blasted away. Snow began to fall from the sky again as dark clouds once more enveloped the land. A strange light covered the Hornsent corpses that made up the Divine Beast, and their horrific injuries began to fade. The light glowing on the Hornsent’s legs gradually took shape, forming four thick, bestial limbs. An ethereal form also appeared over its fabric-draped body, and a thick tail materialized behind it. The Divine Beast had descended with more of its power into the corpses, greatly increasing its defense and strength. But this partial manifestation was completely at odds with the original lion dancer's appearance. The fusion was simply bizarre, utterly lacking the majesty befitting a Divine Beast. The Divine Beast Dancing Lion soared into the air again, this time charging toward Bai Shi with incredible speed. Bai Shi raised his Starscourge Greatswords, gravity clinging to the blades as he brought them down with all his might. A wave of gravitational force rippled out, enveloping the Divine Beast. But a light flashed on the Divine Beast's body, and it seemed to become unrestricted, ignoring the effects of gravity entirely. It passed through the gravitational field and clamped its jaws onto Bai Shi's body. Bai Shi reacted instantly, dropping his weapons and bracing his hands against the beast's head, wrestling with its upper and lower jaws. The Divine Beast spat lightning, continuously bombarding Bai Shi. Bai Shi made no attempt to dodge, instead channeling the power of his Great Rune and steadily increasing his size. As his form grew, Bai Shi's strength became terrifying, and the Divine Beast began to feel an instinctual fear. Sensing a power beyond its control—a power that felt as if it could tear it to shreds—the Divine Beast dared not continue the struggle. It snapped its head up, pulling Bai Shi from the ground and flinging him into the air. The next moment, it summoned a massive wave of frost, which spread upward to envelop him. Bai Shi flew high into the sky, spinning his body as he unleashed a torrent of flame from the Sword of Night and Flame. The rushing frost and scorching flames instantly canceled each other out. Extreme heat collided with extreme cold, creating clouds of dense mist that were immediately vaporized by the fire and frozen by the cold. Bai Shi summoned the Marais Executioner's Sword into his left hand and poured magic into it. With the activation of its skill, the magic was converted into a unique energy called *qi*, causing the blade to spin violently. Under Bai Shi’s control, the executioner's sword instantly broke the stalemate, flying toward the Divine Beast. The Divine Beast immediately redirected its breath toward the sword, knocking it off course. The blade, which had been aimed at the Divine Beast's head, ended up plunging deep into its body instead. Spinning like a drill, the Marais Executioner's Sword madly tore at the Divine Beast's ethereal form. And that single sword throw became the turning point of the battle. Now lacking reinforcement, the frost lingering in the air could no longer contend with Bai Shi's inferno and completely melted away. In that instant, a deluge of flames surged forward. The firelight illuminated the Divine Beast's face, and its once-revered head now seemed to be filled with unwilling resentment. The Divine Beast circled in the air, then spun its body violently, gathering a fierce storm. As the vortex expanded, the Divine Beast whipped its tail forward, creating a massive tornado. The tornado swept up the firestorm, scattering the flames and blowing them to the heavens. But at that moment, it suddenly realized Bai Shi had vanished from sight. “Where are you looking?” Bai Shi’s voice came from behind the Divine Beast. The beast whipped its head around to bite, only to be met by a whistling sword-lance. The weapon instantly pierced through the Divine Beast's body and embedded itself in the ground far below. By now, Bai Shi had used the power of his Great Rune to expand his size to its absolute limit, once again pushing his strength and vitality beyond their mortal bounds. Bai Shi grasped his Starscourge Greatswords and closed in on the Divine Beast. The two outrageously large greatswords had finally been resized, returning to the grand scale they possessed in the hands of their original master, Radahn. And now, Bai Shi's strength was far greater than Radahn's had ever been. The two astonishingly large Starscourge Greatswords seemed to weigh nothing at all in Bai Shi’s hands, dancing with the grace of a startled swan and the power of a soaring dragon. He swung the greatswords again and again, tearing at what remained of the Divine Beast's body. The technique Bai Shi was using was one he hadn't employed in a long time—the ultimate art of the Storm Knights: the Lightning Tornado Cleave. The crushing weight of the twin blades and the ferocity of the assault left the Divine Beast with no room to retaliate. The staggering mass of the Starscourge Greatswords made it impossible for the beast to maintain its footing; each blow sent it reeling back from the sheer force. Even by borrowing the Divine Beast's power through the Descending God ritual and becoming one with nature, it was impossible to withstand a force that could shake the very earth. With a furious downward slam of both swords, Bai Shi once again shattered the Divine Beast's body, causing it to completely lose its balance. Seeing his chance, Bai Shi spun in place, harnessing the wind for a swift summersault, before bringing both swords down in a vicious Lion's Claw that slammed the Divine Beast into the ground. By now, the Divine Beast’s form had been hacked to pieces by the relentless attacks, barely holding itself together. Bai Shi slammed his two greatswords into the ground, walked over to the Divine Beast, and tore its head from its body. At last, the Divine Beast could fight no more. The divine power that had animated the Hornsent corpses dissipated. Bai Shi tossed the beast's head up and down in his hand. It really was true. Once you'd invested in health and strength, you just had to get in your enemy's face and pound them with a weapon. Unfortunately, the Divine Beast Dancing Lion was a little too fragile. It couldn't take more than a few heavy hits. It wasn't quite satisfying enough.