In the shadowed depths of the World Alliance's back mountains, the night air hung heavy with the scent of damp earth and pine. Alex sat on a weathered boulder, his gaze steady as he studied his palm. The faint computer pattern etched there was nearly complete—a silent countdown to his departure. It could happen any moment now, or perhaps in the next half-hour. The pattern's formation, a process spanning months, allowed for a small margin of error.
Facing Di Shitian was a losing battle, and Alex knew it. The ancient master's power was a mountain he couldn't climb. But Di Shitian's interest in verifying Alex's foresight offered a lifeline—a chance to buy time. If he could keep the old man talking, he might slip away before the blade fell.
Di Shitian wasn't just old; his nearly two thousand years of life had sharpened his mind to a razor's edge. Underestimating him would be fatal. Alex steeled himself, his face a mask of calm. "Uncle Xu, is there something you'd like me to foresee? I can offer some insight if you wish."
Di Shitian's smile widened, though his eyes glinted with cold calculation. "Very well. At my age, I'm curious about fate. Since you claim such a gift, let's test it." Beneath his warm tone, a murderous intent simmered. He wasn't afraid of exposing his true self—not when he held all the cards.
"My foresight shines brightest through palm reading," Alex said, his voice steady. "If you're willing, please extend your hand."
In truth, Alex had already scanned Di Shitian's "drives" during their first meeting, gleaning fragments of the man's secrets. As he took Di Shitian's weathered hand, pretending to study the lines, his mind raced, crafting a strategy to keep the master at bay.
"What would you like to know, Uncle Xu?" Alex asked, his tone measured. He needed to offer something tangible, something to anchor Di Shitian's trust and stall his wrath.
"Foresight is about peering into the future, but first, let's test the past," Di Shitian replied, his gaze piercing. "Tell me—how old am I?"
As he spoke, a faint ripple of energy pulsed through Di Shitian's frame, his true qi coiling like a serpent ready to strike. One wrong word, and Alex would meet a swift end.
"Age…" Alex murmured, lowering his eyes to the palm, his fingers tracing the lines with deliberate care. He let the moment stretch, feigning deep thought, though his heart pounded. Di Shitian's power loomed over him, a storm waiting to break.
Then, lifting his gaze, Alex widened his eyes in mock shock. "Impossible! You… you've lived nearly two thousand years? You're Di Shitian!"
A booming laugh erupted from Di Shitian, the tension in his frame easing as his gathered energy dissipated. "Hahaha!" The sound echoed through the trees, scattering a few night birds. That Alex knew of his legend was no surprise—Di Shitian had sought him out for that very reason. But to pinpoint his age, to unmask his true face, was another matter. Few had ever seen past the black ice mask he wore as Emperor. Alex's words chipped away at his doubts.
"Well done," Di Shitian said, his tone warm with approval. "Your foresight is impressive, to even unveil my identity."
His expression grew serious, the air around him thickening. "Since you know who I am, let's test you further. Why have I taken the guise of Xu Fu to approach you?"
Alex's pulse quickened. He's showing his hand. This was the moment to tread carefully. Hiding too much would raise suspicion, but revealing just enough could keep Di Shitian hooked. He leaned over the palm again, buying time as he weighed his words.
"Your goal…" Alex said slowly, his voice steady despite the stakes, "is to slay the dragon. To claim its dragon essence."
Di Shitian's eyes lit up, a nod of satisfaction breaking through his guarded demeanor. "Not bad, not bad. You see clearly."
He leaned closer, his voice dropping to a near-whisper. "One final question. Did I succeed in slaying the dragon?"
Alex had anticipated this. Di Shitian's obsession with the dragon was no secret—it drove his every move. After a brief pause, Alex nodded confidently. "Yes. You succeeded. I see you claiming the dragon essence."
"Hahaha! Excellent!" Di Shitian's laughter rang out again, loud and unrestrained, his joy palpable. Who didn't love a prophecy of victory? His doubts seemed to melt away, his trust in Alex's foresight restored.
But in an instant, his eyes turned icy, the warmth vanishing like a snuffed flame. "If I'm destined to slay the dragon, then what use are you?"
Alex's blood ran cold. Without hesitation, he triggered Shave, his body blurring as he leaped back, landing over ten meters away in a heartbeat.
Boom!
A crater exploded where he'd stood, the ground splintering under Di Shitian's palm strike. Dust swirled, illuminated by the faint starlight, as the old master's attack missed by a hair.
He's lunatic! Alex's mind raced, shock and fury colliding. He'd known Di Shitian was lunatic—his legend painted him as a mad genius—but this? To turn on him without warning, after seeking his allegiance, after planning to bind him with Luo Xian? It was madness.
Di Shitian's thoughts were a whirlwind, shifting faster than the wind. No wonder the tales called him a lunatic, a man whose mind danced between genius and chaos. His unpredictability was his deadliest weapon.
Logically, proving his foresight should have quelled Di Shitian's murderous intent. Yet here he stood, his eyes glinting with a chilling resolve that defied reason.
"Di Shitian, what are you doing?" Alex demanded, his voice sharp with anger as he fixed a wary gaze on the ancient master. His heart raced, but he kept his stance steady, muscles tensed for action.
His eyes flicked to his palm. The computer pattern was nearly complete, its lines glowing faintly under the starlight. But the vortex of time and space hadn't opened yet—just a little longer…
"Hehehe," Di Shitian chuckled, his voice dripping with menace. "Your foresight could have served me well, Alex. But you know too much. I can't let you live."
To Di Shitian, he was a god, his secrets sacred. That a mortal could pierce his past and glimpse his future was intolerable. With his dragon-slaying destiny confirmed, Alex's usefulness had expired. A god's will demanded his death.
Escape!
Alex knew he stood no chance against Di Shitian, a millennium-old monster whose power dwarfed his own. Without waiting for another strike, he triggered Shave, his body blurring into motion, streaking through the forest like an arrow loosed from a bow. Trees whipped past, their branches clawing at the air.
"Hehehe, fast as you are, you can't slip from my grasp!" Di Shitian's voice echoed, mocking and assured. His form shimmered, and he pursued, a shadow moving with unnatural grace, outpacing Alex's desperate sprint.
No, I can't outrun him on the ground! Alex's mind raced as Di Shitian closed the gap, his presence a looming storm. In a flash of inspiration, he activated his chain mail's control, the metal humming as it lifted him skyward, the forest canopy falling away beneath him.
"Oh? Flying with your qi?" Di Shitian's brows rose, a spark of surprise in his eyes. At Alex's level of internal strength, such a feat should be impossible.
But he didn't dwell on it. With a flicker of movement, he soared upward, his speed surpassing Alex's, his robe billowing like a dark cloud against the moonlit sky.
Of course he can fly! Alex cursed inwardly, recalling the dragon-slaying battle from the tales. Nie Feng and others had wielded such skills, and Di Shitian, naturally, was no exception.
His aerial escape thwarted, Alex plummeted back to earth, his boots sinking into the soft soil. A dense grove loomed nearby, its shadows offering a faint hope. Maybe I can lose him there…
Boom!
Di Shitian was on him in an instant, his palm striking with the force of a thunderbolt. Alex twisted aside, the attack missing by inches. The ground erupted, a crater yawning wide as trees toppled, their splintered trunks crashing in a chorus of destruction. Dust choked the air, the blast's echo ringing in Alex's ears.
He's a monster, Alex thought, heart pounding. Di Shitian's power was a nightmare made real, the kind of force that defined the Storm Riders world.
"Invisibility!" Seizing the moment, Alex dove into the dust cloud, activating his cloaking ability. His form vanished, his breath held tight as he stifled every trace of his presence. In the One Piece world, this trick had saved him. Now, it was his last gamble.
"Hm? Gone?" Di Shitian's voice cut through the haze. He waved a hand, his internal energy whipping up a gust that cleared the dust. His eyes narrowed, scanning the empty clearing.
Alex, invisible, crouched low, his pulse hammering as he watched Di Shitian's every move. Stay still. Don't breathe.
But then, without warning, Di Shitian flicked a finger. A bolt of condensed energy shot straight at Alex, fierce and unerring, as if guided by fate.
He knows where I am! Alex's stomach dropped. Reflexes kicked in, and he activated his Block skill. The Peerless Sword materialized in his hands, raised across his chest. With a sharp ding, the finger strike clashed against the blade, deflected just in time.
Relief flooded Alex. Di Shitian hadn't used his full strength. With crystal points over ten times his own, a serious attack would have shattered his defense.
"Amusing," Di Shitian said, a playful grin spreading across his face. "Your skills are modest, but these odd techniques? Quite the spectacle."
To him, Alex was a mouse in a cat's game—too weak to threaten, but entertaining enough to toy with. In his endless years, few things sparked his interest. Alex's tricks—flight, invisibility—were a rare delight. If Di Shitian truly wanted him dead, the Four Tribulations of the Sacred Heart could end him in a heartbeat.
Alex's face darkened, frustration boiling beneath his calm exterior. The gap between them was a chasm. Every move, every trick, and still he was outmatched. Even his invisibility had failed against Di Shitian's uncanny perception.
But then, a spark of hope. His eyes darted to his palm—the computer pattern was complete, its lines glowing with quiet promise.
"Fine, Di Shitian!" Alex shouted, his voice ringing with defiance. "If you're set on killing me, I'll open the gates of the abyss and drag you down with me!" He raised his palm, his expression fierce, though a flicker of theatrics danced in his mind.
"The abyss?" Di Shitian's brow arched, a mix of curiosity and skepticism in his gaze.
"Uh, hold on—In my name, I summon the gates of the abyss!" Alex declared, amplifying the drama. But his palm remained still, no vortex stirring. A flush of embarrassment crept up his neck. Come on, it's complete, isn't it?
Di Shitian's lips twitched, a murmur escaping him. "Madman…"
In a blur, he surged forward, his hand closing around Alex's throat like a vice. "Enough of your antics. Time to die."
But at that moment, a faint heat pulsed in Alex's palm. The familiar sensation surged, and a grin split his face. "You fell for it! Now, to the abyss with us both!"
A swirling vortex erupted from his palm, its pull fierce and unrelenting. Alex's body twisted, drawn into the spiraling void. In a final act of defiance, he lunged, grabbing Di Shitian's wrist, as if to yank him along.
"What!?" Di Shitian's eyes widened, shock breaking his composure. This—this—was beyond his understanding. A portal to another realm?
Instinct took over. His qi flared, a burst of power shattering Alex's grip. He leaped back, robes whipping in the vortex's wind, as Alex spun into the void and vanished, the portal collapsing behind him.
"Who… was he?" Di Shitian stared at the empty air, his voice a whisper. Two thousand years of knowledge, and still, this defied him. Doubt and wonder churned in his ancient mind, the mystery of Alex lingering like a shadow.