Fire Dragon King and the Soul Hunting Operation

"What, me?" Fan Yihuang scratched his head. "I'm not too sure myself. I entered a cave full of dragon skeletons, then I passed out. When I woke up, I was lying outside the Extreme Flame Grand Canyon."

"How about you release your martial soul and let us take a look?" He Qiang suggested.

At his words, Fan Yihuang immediately released his martial soul. Six crimson spirit rings appeared around him, and He Qiang and Chen Long both felt a suppression upon their martial souls, forcing them to retreat several steps.

"Are those... six Hundred Thousand Year Soul Rings?" Little Fatty cried out.

"And I can feel Spirit Suppression too." Cold sweat slid down He Qiang's temple. "Dragon-type martial souls are already among the most powerful. Beyond that, apart from god-tier martial souls like the Six-winged Angel, there's only... a Dragon King?"

"It seems to be a martial soul mutation." Chen Long said. "But the degree of mutation is rather extreme. It mutated directly from a draconic beast into a Dragon King. The rise in temperature after you released your martial soul suggests that it should be a Fire Dragon King Martial Soul."

"Also, it seems like I've gathered all my spirit bones." Fan Yihuang said. "The spirit bones in my limbs originally came from Flame Wolves, but they seem to have transformed into Fire Dragon Spirit Bones in that cave as well. The head Spirit Bone and Torso Spirit Bone should also be Fire Dragon Spirit Bones. After all, there were no other soul beasts in that dragon graveyard, so Fire Dragon Spirit Bones are the only possibility. But I can sense that the Torso Spirit Bone is clearly much stronger than the head Spirit Bone."

"Under the same circumstances, a Torso Spirit Bone is indeed slightly stronger than a head Spirit Bone. But if it is much stronger, then I can think of only one possibility." He Qiang said. "The Fire Dragon King Torso Spirit Bone."

"Wait, if that's the case, doesn't that mean all six spirit bones are Fire Dragon Spirit Bones?" He Qiang said. "Which means..."

"You mean..." Chen Long narrowed his eyes. "A Spirit Bone Fusion Skill?"

"That's right." He Qiang nodded. "Though it is so rare that Grandmaster only mentioned it once, it does objectively exist. Its power is comparable to a Martial Soul Fusion Skill..."

"But fortune and misfortune go hand in hand. Although this opportunity is tremendous, I suspect there will be quite a few problems as well." Chen Long said. "For example, the colors of his spirit rings. Six Hundred Thousand Year Soul Rings are simply too conspicuous."

"That's easy enough to handle. With us around, he generally won't need to make a move. And when he does need to act, we'll leave no survivors." Qi Xiaomin said. "We can also claim that it's a special trait of his martial soul. They may look like Hundred Thousand Year Soul Rings, but they're actually ordinary spirit rings that merely appear red."

"Or we can say that he used a soul skill to conceal his true Spirit Ring Configuration. No one would know what his actual spirit rings are." He Qiang added.

"Since we've now learned each other's current circumstances, it's time to formulate our next plan." Wang Haochen said.

"If I remember correctly, what we'll be facing next is Spirit Hall's Soul Hunting Operation." Li Hong said.

"That is indeed a problem." He Qiang nodded. "Though we won't be affected by the Soul Hunting Operation, it would still be no small loss to us if the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect and the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan were destroyed. The increased number of people Spirit Hall sent to assassinate Tang San earlier wasn't just because of my intervention. I think the rules of this world increased the difficulty for us. If I hadn't invited that person from the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan back then, Tang San would probably already be dead. If Spirit Hall's strength has likewise increased, the situation will become unfavorable for us. With the support of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect and the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, we should have a certain chance of standing against Spirit Hall."

"But if we change the future and allow the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect and the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan to survive, it may affect the plot we know afterward." Qi Xiaomin said.

"That shouldn't be a concern." Chen Long said. "This world has a strong capacity for self-repair. Even if the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect and the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan survive, it may not necessarily cause the future plot to deviate."

"Indeed." He Qiang nodded. "I've considered that as well. For now, we need to split into three groups and prepare on three fronts for the Soul Hunting Operation. First, we send advance warnings to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect and the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, allowing them to secretly withdraw their elite forces. Second, we have Da Bao pressure the three Lower Four Sects within the Star Luo Empire so they cannot spare any manpower. Third, Lin Bo will keep sending us intelligence on Spirit Hall. The moment anything changes, he must notify us immediately."

"Why can't I pressure the Elephant Armored Sect as well?" Lin Bo asked. "They're also one of the Lower Four Sects responsible for besieging the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect and the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan."

"Is your influence in the Heaven Dou Empire greater than Da Bao's influence in the Star Luo Empire?" He Qiang asked in return.

"Apparently not." Lin Bo shook his head, though a trace of coldness flashed through his eyes.

"Then it's settled for now. We'll first send word to the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan." He Qiang said. "As for the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect..."

"I'll inform them." Qi Xiaomin said. "I can use the Blazing Fire Academy's channels to relay the news that Spirit Hall is about to attack the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. Even if they don't believe it, I think they'll strengthen their defenses."

"Good. Then I'll leave it to you." He Qiang nodded. "For the time being, we'll settle near Shrek Academy. After Tang San returns from the Star Dou Great Forest, we'll go pay him a visit."

The group dispersed, heading toward Heaven Dou City from different directions. Lin Bo's expression was gloomy as he thought, He Qiang, He Qiang. If you can make the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect and the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan withdraw in advance, can't I make Spirit Hall launch its attack ahead of time? It may be a little rushed, but it shouldn't affect the overall situation.

Lin Bo sneered and returned to Heaven Dou City as well.

Over the following period, apart from Lin Bo, who could not leave freely due to his status as the crown prince of the Heaven Dou Empire, the group spent time adjusting to one another to improve their teamwork.

The eight of them did not go to the Heaven Dou Great Soul Arena. After all, reaching such high cultivation at their current ages would likely shock quite a few people if word got out.

Fan Yihuang in particular had spirit ring colors that were far too heaven-defying. They were not easy to conceal, and if they were exposed, they would inevitably draw the covetous attention of others. After all, Hundred Thousand Year Soul Rings were always accompanied by the coveted Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bones.

However, on this day, they received bad news.

"This is bad." Little Fatty's voice sounded in everyone's minds. "Ning Fengzhi of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect has come to Shrek Academy ahead of time. According to him, after receiving the message from Blazing Fire Academy, they transferred some elite disciples to Heaven Dou City first. But not long afterward, Spirit Hall's attack arrived. The losses suffered by the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect were hardly any less than in the original plot."

"What?" Even with He Qiang's composure, he could not help crying out in shock.

"The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan is probably in the same situation." Chen Long's voice came through. "But they were nearly wiped out originally. Now that they were warned, things should not be any worse no matter what."

"I just received word as well. Spirit Hall launched the Soul Hunting Plan ahead of schedule, and they didn't even inform me in advance." Lin Bo said.

"I've been pressuring the three Lower Four Sects aside from the Elephant Armored Sect, but it was to no avail. Some soul masters still secretly made their way toward the Heaven Dou Empire." Da Bao's voice also came through.

"All three fronts have collapsed?" He Qiang's eyes sharpened. "It seems the situation has changed. We can't wait any longer. We'll set out immediately. Before Tang San heads to the Star Dou Great Forest, we'll meet with him first, then decide what to do next."