Chapter 112: A Matter of Luck [Fourth Update]

"Why don't I handle this? He might not even survive three moves against you. I, on the other hand, can manage; I possess divine skills, and I'm quite formidable."

Zhao Wushuang was a tomboy, warm-hearted and impulsive. After all, they had just shared the same flask of wine and roasted wolf meat; she couldn't just stand by and watch this dragon go to his death.

"It's fine. I'll just trade three moves with her; it's nothing more than a game. Since she said that, I won't let her die. I'll just defeat her and send her on her way," Luffy said with great confidence.

Zhao Wushuang and Daokong were both stunned. Where did this guy get such confidence? Was he some sort of hidden master?

"Donor Long, you aren't joking with us, are you? You intend to spare her life?" Daokong asked, completely dumbfounded, wondering if he were dreaming.

"Haha... If you can actually defeat her, I'll marry you," Zhao Wushuang laughed, clearly unimpressed and skeptical of Luffy's chances.

"Don't... If you married me, that would be a disaster," Luffy replied, shaking his head and rejecting the offer outright.

"You brat, you're really full of yourself! I am the most beautiful woman in the world. I don't know how many men have lined up with dowries just to marry me, only to be beaten away by me. Do you believe I’ll toss you out to feed the wolves?" Zhao Wushuang was genuinely annoyed. She was beautiful, powerful, and fit; being looked down upon by this boy nearly infuriated her.

"If you don't want him, I'll take him," Daokong chuckled.

"To hell with you! Even if you were to renounce your vows, I still wouldn't want a monk like you," Zhao Wushuang snapped, kicking Daokong aside.

"Are we fighting or not? If not, you all die," the three-star quasi-wolf queen said coldly.

"Of course we're fighting. Why waste the opportunity?" Luffy stepped forward, hands behind his back, standing before the three-star quasi-wolf queen. "Come on then. Three moves, right? I can take a hundred."

"You little brat, you really are arrogant. Just because I noticed you were a bit stronger than the others, you've become this conceited."

The three-star quasi-wolf queen shook her head. She raised her hand, and demonic energy swirled and coalesced, forming a dark red, rotating blade of energy in her palm. "Whoosh..."

She flicked the blade, sending it flying toward Luffy. It spun rapidly like a crescent moon, leaving a strange, jagged arc in the air.

"Is this the best you can do to defeat me?" Luffy sneered. He didn't even move his hands. Dragon aura swirled around him, making him appear divine, like a Dragon Emperor descended to earth. The crescent blade couldn't penetrate his aura; it was deflected instantly and vanished into the distance.

The wolf queen paused, looking surprised. She gathered even more violent dark energy in her palm. This time, it split—one energy bolt became two, three, four... dozens, hundreds—all rising into the sky and manifesting as crescent moon blades, raining down toward Luffy.

"Whoosh, whoosh..." The sound of air being torn apart was deafening.

Daokong stood frozen in shock. He had never expected this dragon to possess such strength, remaining so calm while facing the attacks of a three-star quasi-wolf queen.

Zhao Wushuang was equally stunned. Who exactly was this dragon? Had he been hiding his true strength all along? She felt humiliated, remembering how she had tried to protect him earlier.

"Boom, boom..." Countless blades struck Luffy like a torrential storm, yet not a single one broke through his defense; they all dissipated into the air. Luffy stood there, his hair undisturbed and his clothes unruffled. He looked up at the wolf queen and asked, "What about the third move?"

"You... you dared to hide your strength from me! How detestable!" The wolf queen summoned the crescent blade back to her. She raised her hands high, and the blade expanded, spinning and crackling with demonic energy until it looked like a terrifying, blood-red moon. "Third move: Heavenly Moon Burst!"

With a cold shout, she brought the massive blade down upon Luffy like a falling star. The force was so immense and the speed so great that it was nearly impossible to track. "Boom!"

The devastating strike slammed into the ground, causing the earth to tremble. Luffy’s figure disappeared beneath the impact. Zhao Wushuang watched in shock, while Daokong’s eyes were filled with terror.

Dust and smoke billowed into the air, obscuring everything. When the dust finally settled, Luffy was still standing there, though he had been driven half a body-length into a crater. He was completely unharmed; his clothes were intact, and his hair wasn't even messy.

"That was a decent attack. It forced me to use my full power to block it. You've done well," Luffy said calmly, looking at the wolf queen before turning to walk away. "Bye-bye!"

"You!" The wolf queen was deeply shaken. She had used 120% of her power—her absolute limit—and hadn't even scratched the boy. He was terrifying. Shaking her head, she turned and left, her pack following behind, abandoning their assault on the village.

"What's the situation with the barrier around that small village?" Luffy asked Daokong.

"I heard an ancient Buddha passed away there, leaving behind a Sarira relic. The barrier was cast by that Buddha to isolate dark energy and prevent the villagers from mutating. Naturally, under the influence of the relic, those inside won't turn into zombies even if they step outside. The pack of wolves must have been attacking for that relic," Daokong explained seriously.

"Oh, I see. Let's go in and take a look," Luffy said, planning to borrow a place to sleep; sleeping in a tent was becoming tiresome.

"Sure. Since we aren't demons, the barrier won't affect us," Zhao Wushuang agreed, though she added, "I've been in there several times, but I never found the relic."

"So, Donor Zhao has already set her sights on the relic. One can only obtain it if they are fated to do so; it seems you lack that connection," Daokong teased, looking quite pleased.

"Hmph... I don't believe in fate. I'll find it eventually," Zhao Wushuang insisted. "But Brother Long, how are you so incredibly strong? Even that three-star quasi-wolf queen couldn't hurt you at all."

"It's just a matter of luck," Luffy said nonchalantly, playing it cool.