Please, Yu Tianheng, Stop Showing Off

Yu Tianheng's heart was filled with complicated emotions when a faint tremor suddenly ran through the ground.

"Boom... rumble..."

Heavy footsteps, like mountains collapsing, drew closer and clearer.

Along with them came the crackling sound of electricity in the air.

Everyone's expressions tightened as they immediately rose and assumed defensive stances.

The forest ahead was violently smashed aside, and a colossal creature appeared before them.

It was a gigantic beast the size of a small mountain, its entire body covered in hard blue-black scales. Its limbs were thick and powerful, and every step it took left a deep print in the ground.

Most eye-catching of all was the savage horn atop its head, flashing with blinding lightning.

Purple arcs of electricity continuously leaped across the horn, scorching the surrounding trees black and filling the air with a burnt smell.

"It's a Thunder Rending Earth Rhinoceros!"

Dugu Yan let out a low cry, her expression turning grave. "Judging by its size and aura... it's at least a Ten-thousand-year Soul Beast!"

Yu Tianheng's gaze instantly turned serious as well.

He exchanged a look with Dugu Yan, and both saw the fighting spirit in the other's eyes.

They had only just broken through level forty, and their spirits were at their peak.

Moreover, as the Captain and Vice Captain of the Heaven Dou Team, as well as the oldest members of the group, they should be the first to step forward.

"I'll attack head-on. Harass it from the side!"

Yu Tianheng spoke quietly to Dugu Yan.

Before his words had even faded, he had already charged forward.

"Martial Soul Possession!"

"Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon!"

Amid an impassioned Dragon's Roar, the phantom of a savage blue lightning dragon emerged behind him, and powerful Spirit Power Fluctuations swept outward.

"Third Soul Skill, Thunder Dragon Claw!"

Yu Tianheng leaped high into the air. His Right Arm underwent Dragon Transformation, becoming a dragon claw covered in blue scales that slashed fiercely toward the Thunder Rending Earth Rhinoceros's lightning-flashing horn with violent thunderous force.

At the same time, Dugu Yan moved as well.

"Jade Phosphorous Serpent, Possession!"

A dark green serpent phantom coiled around her arm as three Soul Rings—two yellow and one purple—rose around her.

"Second Soul Skill, Jade Phosphorus Purple Poison!"

A cloud of deep purple Poison Mist sprayed from her mouth, silently enveloping the Thunder Rending Earth Rhinoceros's lower body.

Their coordination could not have been more seamless.

However, before an absolute gap in power, any technique seemed feeble.

The Thunder Rending Earth Rhinoceros did not even move its feet.

It merely shook its head impatiently.

"Boom!"

A bolt of purple lightning thicker than a water barrel erupted from its horn. Though launched later, it struck first, accurately blasting Yu Tianheng in midair.

Yu Tianheng grunted as his whole body flew backward like a kite with a snapped string. He crashed heavily onto the ground, electric light flickering wildly over the dragon claw on his Right Arm as the entire arm went numb.

As for the Poison Mist Dugu Yan had sprayed, the moment it touched the arcs of electricity surrounding the Thunder Rending Earth Rhinoceros's body, it was instantly vaporized without even reaching its scales.

In a single move, the two of them were defeated.

The Thunder Rending Earth Rhinoceros's crimson eyes locked onto Yu Tianheng, who lay on the ground. Two streams of scorching air blasted from its nostrils. Clearly, it was preparing to attack again.

"Chen Fan!"

Ignoring his numb arm, Yu Tianheng hurriedly shouted toward the rear.

"This is a Ten-thousand-year Soul Beast—it's too dangerous! Take Na'er and run! We'll hold it back!"

In his mind, no matter how talented Chen Fan was, he had only just reached level forty. Against a Soul Beast of this level, the best choice was to flee.

But he had not expected—

Chen Fan remained where he stood, without even releasing his Martial Soul.

There was not the slightest trace of fear on his face.

Before Yu Tianheng could say another word, Chen Fan had already moved.

Rather than retreating, he stepped forward.

He raised his Right Arm, pressing his index and middle fingers together.

A wisp of white flame carrying Extreme Cold intertwined and spiraled with a wisp of Crimson Flame carrying scorching heat, eventually converging into a red-and-white energy Light Beam.

"Whoosh!"

The Light Beam shot through the air. It carried no earth-shaking force, yet it struck the Thunder Rending Earth Rhinoceros's lightning-flashing horn with absolute precision.

"Zila... zila..."

The purple lightning on the horn rapidly dimmed at a visible rate, as if it had been forcibly erased by a higher-level power.

"Moo—!"

The Thunder Rending Earth Rhinoceros let out a pain-filled roar.

Its massive body, capable of smashing apart mountains, was actually sent staggering several steps backward by that seemingly insignificant strike.

Before it could steady itself—

Chen Fan's figure flashed like a ghost, appearing atop its head.

He landed lightly and pressed his palm against the Thunder Rending Earth Rhinoceros's thick scales.

There was no violent surge of Soul Power, only a gentle force imbued with supreme majesty slowly flowing into it.

That was Candle Dragon Power.

In only a dozen or so seconds—

The ferocity in the eyes of the Ten-thousand-year Soul Beast, which had originally been incomparably savage and imposing, gradually faded. In its place appeared fear and submission originating from deep within its bloodline.

Its enormous body went limp, and it obediently lay on the ground, not daring to move at all.

Chen Fan jumped down from the rhinoceros's head and turned toward Yu Tianheng, who had climbed to his feet with a blank expression.

He asked casually.

"This Thunder Rending Earth Rhinoceros has lightning attributes, so it suits your Martial Soul pretty well. Do you want to absorb its Soul Ring?"

Yu Tianheng froze completely.

He instinctively asked, "Are you kidding me? I've only just broken through level forty. At most, I can absorb a Soul Ring of around two thousand years. You want me to absorb a Ten-thousand-year spirit ring? I'll Explode and Die from being overloaded!"

He practically roared those words.

Hearing that, Chen Fan seemed to finally realize something and scratched his head awkwardly.

"Oh, right."

He wore an enlightened expression.

"I forgot you can only absorb this much."

Forgot... you... could only absorb this much.

Those words were like an invisible sledgehammer, smashing viciously into Yu Tianheng's heart.

He looked at Chen Fan, then at the Ten-thousand-year Soul Beast beside him, docile as a pet dog, and suddenly felt that he had suffered a Crushing Defeat.

A complete and utter defeat.

When it came to his Girlfriend—

He truly loved Dugu Yan and believed Yan'er was the most beautiful girl in the world. Yet he could not help envying the intimacy and tacit understanding Chen Fan and Na'er shared, free from concern over anyone else's judgment.

When it came to strength—

Even when Yan'er and he joined forces, they could not withstand a single move from the beast. Yet with one casual strike, Chen Fan had effortlessly subdued it.

Now, even the most fundamental limit on Soul Ring absorption for Soul Masters had been mercilessly crushed.

Yu Tianheng still remembered the tremendous commotion at Heaven Dou Royal Academy when Chen Fan had first displayed his First and Second Soul Rings, whose Soul Ring Years far exceeded the theoretical limit.

The later record of his Ten-thousand-year Third Soul Ring had even prompted the Heaven Dou Imperial Family to personally invite Chen Fan and form ties with him.

Yet even with the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan's secret body-tempering method, Yu Tianheng could only push himself to the limit of roughly 2,200 years for his Fourth Soul Ring!