Killing the Blood Flood Dragon, Obtaining the First Soul Ring

"Xiao Ji, thank you for the reminder. I nearly let the wealth before my eyes blind me and walked into a death trap." Director Lu looked at Ji Wuming with clear eyes and spoke with immense gratitude.

The sun hung high in the sky, baking the earth with scorching heat, while the cave was the best refuge from the heat for these snakes. The Blood Dragon was the king here, and there was no telling how many century-old snakes lived within.

Had he rashly entered at the time, he would have faced the combined assault of dozens, perhaps even hundreds, of snake soul beasts and the Blood Dragon. He would undoubtedly have died in an instant.

"Director, take this!"

Before Director Lu could react, Ji Wuming had already pulled a bottle of snake blood and several medicinal herbs from his clothes.

"Smear this snake blood and these herbs onto your clothes, and they'll conceal our scent. Once we enter the snake den, as long as we're careful, there shouldn't be any major problems."

"You carry snake blood with you???"

Seeing the small bottle of snake blood handed to him, Director Lu was filled with doubt. But upon further thought, it did not seem strange to carry things that repelled beasts or concealed one's aura while hunting outdoors.

"Xiao Ji, I didn't expect you to be this thorough. Not bad."

The two quickly smeared themselves with snake blood and herbs before cautiously entering the cave. Inside was pitch-black, and they could not see its end at a glance.

"Hiss, hiss—"

Countless snakes flicked their tongues, the sounds echoing ceaselessly through the cave and creating a terrifying atmosphere. Fortunately, Director Lu's Martial Soul was the Sea Viper, allowing him to see the path ahead even in the darkness.

After walking some distance, they spotted an exceptionally dazzling golden light around a bend. The two lay atop a massive boulder, their four eyes greedily fixed on what lay ahead.

Thousands of Gold Soul Coins were piled into a small mountain. On either side were broken weapons and gleaming ores.

"There really is treasure here. Those Gold Soul Coins alone number no fewer than ten thousand, not to mention minerals I've never seen before."

At that moment, Director Lu's gaze was firmly locked onto the Gold Soul Coins. The ores and broken weapons held little attraction for him.

Yet when Ji Wuming saw those damaged weapons, a surge of excitement rose within him. If he was not mistaken, one or two Soul Tools had to be among them.

As for the gleaming ores the Blood Dragon had used to decorate the cave, he recognized only two types: Deep Sea Silver Mother and Cold Heart Iron Essence.

"As expected, the sea is an enormous treasure trove. That saying truly wasn't wrong."

Just as Ji Wuming muttered to himself, the Blood Flood Dragon, coiled atop the mountain of Gold Soul Coins, suddenly opened its eyes and raised its head, continuously scanning its surroundings.

Then its eyes fixed upon a massive boulder.

"Roar—"

Accompanied by a resounding dragon roar, countless snake soul beasts within the cave began to respond and crawl toward the area. The Blood Flood Dragon slowly raised its body upright.

Seeing this, Ji Wuming hurriedly said, "Director Lu, the Blood Dragon has discovered us. To capture the bandits, first capture their leader. If we wait any longer, I'm afraid we won't be able to escape."

"Whoosh—"

A mouthful of Blood-red snake venom shot directly toward the boulder. Director Lu grabbed Ji Wuming and leaped away, landing in a safe area.

"This is an antidote pill. Take it quickly." Director Lu immediately tossed Ji Wuming a small green pill, then rushed toward the Blood Flood Dragon.

"Second Soul Skill, Sea Viper Purple Mist."

In an instant, a dark purple Poison Mist spread outward from Director Lu, covering a radius of two hundred meters. Because the cave's terrain was complex and its space cramped, the purple mist became even denser.

Any snake soul beast with less than a hundred years of cultivation, no matter how fast it crawled, would slow down upon touching the purple mist or even fall unconscious outright.

Although the Blood Flood Dragon within the thick purple mist had its vision obscured, its sense of smell was extraordinarily sharp. It flicked its tongue and carefully sensed the enemy's presence.

"Third Soul Skill, Viper Scale Thorn!"

The Purple Soul Ring beneath Director Lu rose. The Sea Viper scales on his back suddenly burst open, forming sharp cones that blasted fiercely toward the Blood Flood Dragon ahead.

"Whoosh—"

The Blood Flood Dragon's hearing was exceptionally keen. It immediately moved swiftly, swinging its tail and body to block the attack. At the critical moment, Director Lu seized the opportunity and leaped onto the Blood Flood Dragon's back through the opening.

"They say a snake must be struck seven inches from the head. Even as a mutant, you can't escape this weakness."

"First Soul Skill, Needle of the Snake!"

The Sea Viper's tail transformed directly into an incomparably sharp black snake needle, surrounded by thick black mist. With one strike, it pierced through the Blood Flood Dragon's scales and stabbed into its vital point.

"Roar—"

A mournful cry like a snake's roar echoed through the entire cave, and delight appeared on Ji Wuming's face.

"Is this the result of compatible attributes and proficient mastery of Soul Rings?"

Because the Blood Dragon was precisely the soul beast whose Soul Ring Ji Wuming needed, Director Lu had not completely pierced its heart at its vital point. Dragging the dying Blood Dragon by its tail, he slowly emerged from the purple mist and walked toward Ji Wuming.

"Bang—"

Director Lu tossed down the dragon tail and shook off the slime clinging to his hands. He spoke to Ji Wuming with great ease.

"Xiao Ji, this mutant snake is yours. Give its vital point one more stab, and the Soul Ring will appear."

"Thank you, Director." Ji Wuming drew the Blood Spear from his back, stepped on the Blood Flood Dragon's body, pointed the spear downward, and gripped the shaft tightly with both hands. Filled with boundless excitement, he drove it down fiercely.

The Blood Flood Dragon's eyes widened. As its snake heart stopped beating, its death was declared. A dark yellow Soul Ring appeared around its corpse.

Director Lu looked around and, seeing no powerful soul beasts approaching, spoke again.

"Xiao Ji, absorb the Soul Ring without worry. I'll stand guard beside you. The purple mist will take some time to dissipate, making it the best external barrier. But do you really intend to absorb this Blood Dragon Soul Ring, which is nearly six hundred and thirty years old?"

"Director, I never do anything without confidence. This Soul Ring's age is perfect for me."

Ji Wuming sat cross-legged, adjusted the aura around his body, and used Soul Power to draw the Soul Ring around himself. An incomparably vast and tyrannical surge of Soul Power began pouring into his body.

"Is this the energy tide brought by a mutant with a trace of Dragon Race bloodline?"

Although absorbing a Hundred-Year Soul Ring did not cause Soul Shock, the energy contained within the Soul Ring still had to be borne by the human body. The higher its age, the greater the energy it contained. No wonder an ordinary person's First Soul Ring could not reach the thousand-year level.

"Hold on. I have to hold on!"

Ji Wuming's resolve to endure became incomparably firm. Outside, Director Lu could not help but worry as he watched the pained expression on Ji Wuming's face while he absorbed the Soul Ring.

Fortunately, by the time half a day had passed and dusk had fallen, Ji Wuming's expression gradually softened. The Soul Ring was completely fixed onto the Blood Spear Martial Soul.

The Blood Spear Martial Soul had also undergone further changes. The blood mist around the spear had become deeper, and the entire spear seemed reborn, its material becoming sturdier.

Even the patterns carved into the spear shaft had become clearly visible. The rust on the spearhead had turned into crimson red rust, spreading over an area more than a finger wide.

Ji Wuming slowly opened his eyes, feeling the changes in his body with particular excitement.

"Xiao Ji, how many levels has your Soul Power increased? What is your First Soul Skill?" Director Lu, standing nearby, asked curiously.