Chapter 533

Chapter 533: Black Meteor

Catherine was seething with rage.

As one of the five strongest Black Dragon warriors among the Children of the Dragon in the Shaded Realm, this Black Dragon Conference should have been her moment to shine – her platform to demonstrate both her personal power and the eastern temple’s might.

Yet here she stood, humiliated before five hundred Black Dragon warriors from all regions. A mere human had outmaneuvered her, turning the Ice Queen into his personal Grinding Stone to boost his own level. She’d become a laughingstock.

The prideful warrior clenched her teeth. Though every instinct screamed for retaliation, reason held her ground. Midi hovered safely beyond reach in the high skies – attacking through levitation spells or Ice Serpent Dragon summons would only feed more experience to her enemy. Without proper footing, even her level meant nothing. Further ground assaults would only aid him more.

"Keep burning energy up there, insect," she spat, glaring skyward. "When this conference ends, the eastern temple’s army will crush Mososbury City and exterminate every Wolfspider tribesman!"

Midi’s eyes turned glacial. The Black Dragon Conference’s unwritten rule demanded all conflicts be settled within Dragon Tooth Arena. If factions retaliated against victors afterward, the Shaded Realm would collapse into endless warfare. Though the Dark Dragon God forbade such actions, who knew what loopholes the eastern temple might exploit?

"Since you won’t attack…" Midi’s voice dropped to subzero calm. Black Iron Dragon Flame swirled around him, coalescing into a pulsating black fire orb at his Horn King Greatsword’s tip.

Asura skill: Explosive Flame Wave Sword!

The greatsword descended. The projectile screamed earthward like a falling star, accelerating under gravity until the entire arena buzzed with alarm. It struck Arena 3 with meteoric force, the impact trembling through stone seats. Black Flames erupted in a roaring inferno, scorching winds battering spectators as the explosion sound echoed across the colossal battleground.

This attack not only covered a vast area but also burned with extreme heat. Even heavy armored cruisers from the Sea of Clouds would be instantly reduced to ashes if struck. If a fleet formed a tight formation, more than one cruiser might be destroyed. Such was its devastating power.

Of course, a single strike like this couldn’t defeat the Ice Queen Catherine. As a Child of the Dragon embodying the pinnacle of the Shaded Realm, how could she fall to Midi’s attack so easily? Still, even Catherine wouldn’t emerge unscathed from such a direct hit.

From the high skies, Midi faced no threat of counterattack. Standing in the Undefeated Position, he could calmly gather magic and unleash skills without restraint. He didn’t even need to aim—the entire Arena 3 lay within his reach.

The concentrated Black Iron Dragon Flame, amplified by gravitational acceleration from a kilometer above, shredded Catherine’s Death Ice River in one blow. Five of her eight ice shields vaporized instantly, while the remaining three cracked under the onslaught.

Yet the greater blow to Catherine wasn’t the physical damage, but her humiliation. She’d become Midi’s Grinding Stone—forced to endure relentless attacks without any chance to retaliate, all witnessed by factions and fellow Children of the Dragon at the Black Dragon Conference. How many now mocked her? How many scorned the eastern temple? For the Ice Queen, this bombardment by a human three levels beneath her was unbearable shame.

“Midi Asreks!” she roared, fury crackling in her voice. “Come down and face me! Stop cowering in the sky like a coward!”

Midi nearly taunted her to “come up and try,” but refused to stoop to childish bickering. His answer came as another volley of black fire orbs rained down like meteorites, shaking Dragon Tooth Arena with each impact on Arena 3.

Catherine’s only escape lay in surrender, yet how could the Ice Queen yield to a lower-level human before countless spectators? She held her ground. Gradually, her defenses stabilized—the Dragon’s Child adapted, weathering each strike with growing precision.

“Truly, a Child of the Dragon,” Midi mused. Were this Mososbury City, his aerial assault would’ve reduced it to rubble. Only an Ice Mage bearing the Ice Dragon Bloodline could endure such punishment.

Not that he’d expected the Explosive Flame Wave Sword alone to defeat her.

Just as Catherine couldn’t rely on her freezing spear alone to counter Midi, battles at this level couldn’t be won with a single move.

Midi repeatedly unleashed Explosive Flame Wave Sword attacks. His goal was twofold: to crush Catherine’s arrogance, forcing her into recklessness, and to gauge the true strength of her defenses.

Holding back attacks was safe—missing wouldn’t harm him. But holding back defenses against Midi’s overwhelming strikes? One slip meant severe injury or instant death.

Midi knew Catherine’s ice shield operated at full power against his assaults. His task was to measure that defensive power and find its weak point. A single flaw would let him strike decisively.

After multiple bombardments, Midi spotted the pattern:

“Catherine’s attacks and defenses both draw power from the Death Ice River. When hot winds scatter it, her defenses crumble. Timing is everything.” His earlier fights against eastern temple Ice Mages confirmed this.

Temple Ice Mages surpassed others by channeling Ice Dragon bloodline powers through the Death Ice River. In such conditions, ice spells became brutally efficient—attacks amplified, defenses fortified.

Midi noticed each Explosive Flame Wave Sword strike lost much of its force upon hitting her shield, the energy dispersed by the Death Ice River itself. This explained Catherine’s calm amidst attacks that shook Dragon Tooth Arena.

“Then I’ll scatter your precious Death Ice River!” Midi’s gaze sharpened.

Another black fire orb plummeted—but instead of striking Catherine’s layered ice shield, it detonated mid-air. Black fire rained down, engulfing Arena 3.

Flames met ice and snow. Everything touched melted instantly—to hot water, then steam. The frozen arena became a seething cauldron.

Midi moved. Black Iron Dragon Flame coiled around him like living armor. Then he plunged from the high skies—a meteor streaking toward earth.