Breakthrough, First Ring

The seal had lasted nearly ten thousand years. Even with a Behemoth's incomparably powerful body, it had long since grown frail and weak.

You could see it from the atrophied muscles on its body. Its outward bulk was basically all supported by its fur; in truth, there was barely any flesh left on it.

Under circumstances where it was practically ready to shatter at a touch, Lin Yun's slap cleanly took its life.

With Di Tian and Bijie present, the Lake of Life could not have been any safer. Lin Yun plopped down on the ground, released his Golden Dragon King Martial Soul, and guided the Behemoth Soul Ring onto himself.

The instant the purple Soul Ring settled onto his body, Lin Yun felt his body sink. A powerful pressure immediately burst from the Soul Ring and pressed down upon every limb and bone in his body.

But...

To Lin Yun, it was nothing much.

It was said that Behemoths fed on dragons, but that depended on what kind of dragon they faced. Before the Golden Dragon King, even the strongest Behemoth would probably only be fit to take a slap.

Let alone this mere three-thousand-year Behemoth.

His formidable physical constitution gave Lin Yun ample confidence. He steadily circulated his Soul Power according to instinct, absorbing the power that continuously poured from the Soul Ring into his body.

Di Tian and Bijie remained not far from Lin Yun, silently standing guard over him.

Though practically no soul beasts dared enter the Lake of Life's territory, and none dared offend the powerful Dragon's Might emanating from Lin Yun, Di Tian still chose to watch over him at all times.

Bijie lightly bit her fingernail with her pearly teeth, staring unblinkingly at the faintly visible golden ferocious dragon behind Lin Yun.

Is that Honored One's true form? As expected of the Golden Dragon King. Even the Dragon's Might he releases unconsciously makes one unable to resist the urge to submit!

"Di Tian, you've never told me about your dragon clan. Would it be convenient for you to tell me?" Bijie asked softly.

Di Tian, who had been intently watching Lin Yun, was slightly stunned by Bijie's sudden question.

"What is there to say about our dragon clan?"

When the Dragon God war occurred, not only was Bijie still a complete nobody, even Di Tian had been one himself. Naturally, Bijie only knew fragments of what had happened back then.

At most, she had heard a few rumors. No one dared ask Di Tian about what had truly happened.

Bijie only took this opportunity to ask him.

"I'm just curious," Bijie muttered softly.

"You want to know the details of the great war in the Divine Realm back then, right? I don't know much about the specifics of that war either." Di Tian shook his head.

"When that war broke out, my strength only placed me at the very fringes. I had no qualifications to participate at all. I only knew that nearly all my uncles and aunts were killed or wounded. It was Honored One who, by himself, held back every god of the Divine Realm, buying time for the Lord and me to escape back to Douluo Continent."

As Di Tian recalled that war, a trace of bloodlust flashed through his brilliant golden dragon eyes. It had been a struggle between races, an irreconcilable hatred that could never be forgotten.

"That is why the Lord and I both trust Honored One. Without Honored One, our current situation might have been even worse."

The Golden Dragon King!

After the Dragon God had been split apart, he had unquestionably become the dragon clan's top dog. Even when facing all the gods of the Divine Realm alone, he had not been killed in the end, only sealed away in the Forbidden Land of Gods—the ultimate hot-blooded old man.

The Golden Dragon King's towering figure as he battled the gods alone had left an immense impression on the still-weak Di Tian of that time.

Thus, even though Lin Yun had already "reincarnated" as a human and could now be crushed to death by Di Tian with a single finger, Di Tian still held him in the highest regard.

Bijie was also filled with solemn admiration.

Merely from Di Tian's description, she could glimpse a tiny corner of that world-shaking battle and the once-unmatched strength of Honored One.

All of that!

Was just Di Tian and Bijie's imagination running wild.

Lin Yun, who was busy absorbing the Soul Ring, had no idea that Di Tian had talked Bijie into becoming his little fangirl as well. This couple had practically bowed their heads and pledged themselves to him.

Still, that was a good thing. It should make ordering the two of them around much easier in the future.

While the two great soul beasts chatted, Lin Yun's absorption of the Soul Ring had already entered its final stages.

The faint golden dragon phantom behind him abruptly solidified. Its brilliant golden eyes lowered to glance at the purple Soul Ring on Lin Yun's body. Some expression—perhaps disdain—flashed through its dragon pupils, and it opened its mouth to inhale.

The Soul Ring was immediately sucked into the golden dragon's mouth like a spicy strip.

The golden dragon let out a satisfied burp, then gradually faded back into Lin Yun's body. The Golden Dragon Tattoo glowing across his body also slowly dimmed.

Once the golden dragon vanished, Lin Yun immediately opened his eyes. A low roar carrying intense Dragon's Might sounded from his throat, and a lustrous, noble purple Soul Ring gradually rose from beneath his feet before finally stopping around his right hand, which had transformed into a dragon claw.

A one-ring Soul Master, achieved!

"Soul Power Level fifteen. That's a little low." After sensing his Soul Power Level, Lin Yun frowned in confusion.

Normally, absorbing a four-hundred-year Soul Ring could raise one's Soul Power to level eleven or even twelve. This Behemoth Soul Ring, whose age was nearly ten times greater, had only raised him by five levels?

Even if Soul Power with an Ultimate Attribute was compressed, he had not yet reached the Soul Elder realm, where Soul Power needed to be compressed!

Unable to figure it out, Lin Yun could only set the matter aside for now.

By age, he was now nine years old. Having this level of strength was not bad. In another three years, he could probably break through to Soul Elder with ease.

As for Soul Ancestor, that would probably be difficult. After all, he was an Ultimate Attribute user, and he also possessed an Annihilation Attribute that he did not even know counted as an Ultimate Attribute. Breaking through to Soul Ancestor at twelve was simply a dream.

Perhaps it was because of the Annihilation Attribute that his Soul Power Level was only fifteen?

Di Tian and Bijie exchanged glances without saying anything. Lin Yun's tightly furrowed brow had truly made them both uneasy, and they had no idea what had gone wrong.

However, Lin Yun soon relaxed his brow and turned his gaze toward them.

"Old Di, I'm hungry. I want fish tonight."

Lin Yun still said it. Bijie, standing to one side, nearly burst out laughing. Her strange expression as she struggled to hold back her laughter left Di Tian utterly baffled.

Honored One wanted fish...

Then let him eat fish?

What was she laughing so hard for...

Di Tian had not figured out what Bijie was laughing about when he realized what Lin Yun had called him and immediately became excited.

Honored One called me little brother!

At that moment, Di Tian was filled with an emotion akin to being acknowledged by his idol!

"Yes, Honored One! This subordinate will prepare it for you immediately!" Di Tian forcefully suppressed his rising smile and shouted in a booming voice.