Dragon Brilliance Breaking Evil, Traveling Together

On Rocky Beach, the stench of blood mingled with the smell of scorched flesh, permeating the air. The three Wolf Bandit Leaders, driven into a corner, stood back-to-back. Their dark-gold fur was stained with blood and dust, and their heavy breathing rasped like broken bellows. Violence, fear, and a final trace of madness intertwined in their scarlet eyes.

Around them, Yu Yuanchen, Tang Chen, and Qian Daoliu stood in a triangular formation. Though their breaths rose and fell slightly after the fierce battle, their gazes remained as sharp as ever, fixed firmly on their respective prey.

"Yu Yuanchen... what a fine name!" Tang Chen laughed heartily, pointing his Clear Sky Hammer at the Wolf Bandit Leader whose chest he had smashed inward. "Brother Yuan Chen, that Soul Ring configuration of yours is downright terrifying! Looks like the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan has produced another true dragon!"

Qian Daoliu nodded slightly. Light flowed through his golden eyes, carrying both scrutiny and approval. "Brother Yu's strength is astonishing. To suppress a Soul Emperor-level Wolf Bandit head-on while still a Soul King is truly admirable." His tone was calm, yet naturally carried an air of nobility.

"You flatter me." Yu Yuanchen spoke evenly, but his eyes never left the Wolf Bandit Leader he had been fighting, the one most skilled in speed. "I am merely relying on the advantages of my Martial Soul and Soul Rings. The priority is to eliminate these three scourges before anything unexpected happens."

"Exactly what I want!" Tang Chen's fighting spirit surged as his Fifth Soul Ring suddenly lit up. The deep black radiance seemed capable of devouring even light itself. "Fifth Soul Skill, Earthquake Mountain!"

His entire body seemed to merge with the Clear Sky Hammer, transforming into a black streak that tore through the sky. Carrying an unstoppable, heaven-shattering will, he crashed fiercely toward his opponent! The Wolf Bandit Leader let out a despairing roar and gathered every last trace of his remaining Evil power into his claws, trying to block the attack.

"Boom—!"

It was like a meteor striking the earth! The black hammer light instantly swallowed the Wolf Bandit Leader's figure, and the violent force blasted him directly into a cloud of blood mist before he could even finish screaming!

Almost at the same moment Tang Chen attacked, Qian Daoliu moved as well. The six wings behind him spread to their fullest extent, and his holy aura climbed to its peak. He raised the Angel Sacred Sword over his head as his equally black Fifth Soul Ring shone brilliantly!

"Fifth Soul Skill, Holy Light Judgment!"

An enormous golden Light Sword, condensed as though from pure holy energy, appeared out of nowhere. Carrying the supreme majesty to judge all Evil in the world, it slashed down at his opponent! The corrosive storm spewed by the Wolf Bandit Leader melted away before the sacred sword like snow under spring sunlight. He only had time to let out a brief wail before the golden Light Sword cleaved him in two, his body swiftly reduced to ashes within holy flames!

The Fifth Soul Skills of two Soul Emperors displayed their full might without question!

At that very moment, the speed-oriented Wolf Bandit Leader facing Yu Yuanchen saw his companions die in an instant. The last trace of reason in his eyes was swallowed by fear, and he actually turned without hesitation, transforming into a dark-gold afterimage as he tried to flee deep into the Mountains and Forests!

"Trying to run?"

Yu Yuanchen's eyes turned cold. He did not use his domain, instead pushing his condition to the limit. His first, third, and fourth Soul Rings flashed simultaneously beneath him!

"Wrath of Thunder! Thunder Dragon Claw! Thunder God Power!"

With the amplification of Wrath of Thunder, the attribute enhancement from his Fifth Soul Ring that brought him close to Ultimate Thunder, and that strand of Thunder God Power fused in as the core driving force, his dragonized right arm swelled once more. Purple-Gold lightning blazed with unprecedented intensity, and the true form of the Thunder Dragon Claw faintly reappeared!

He did not launch a long-range attack. Instead, he stomped down hard, blasting a shallow crater into the ground, and chased down the fleeing Wolf Bandit Leader as though using Instantaneous Movement! His speed was so great that it even surpassed the leader's expectations!

"Die!"

The icy word left his lips. Yu Yuanchen's Thunder Dragon Claw, containing all his strength, struck later yet arrived first, seeming to pierce through space as it accurately seized the Wolf Bandit Leader's back!

Sensing the deadly threat from behind, the Wolf Bandit Leader desperately turned and swung his claws to block.

"Crack! Squelch—!"

The piercing sound of Bone Fracture and flesh being pierced rang out almost simultaneously!

The Thunder Dragon Claw's indestructible nature was displayed to the fullest at that moment! The Wolf Bandit Leader's claws, as hard as refined steel, and his sturdy arm bones were effortlessly torn apart and shattered like paper before the Thunder Dragon Claw! Immediately afterward, the Purple-Gold claw light pierced straight through his chest without resistance, crushing his still-frantically-beating heart!

Furious Thunder Power instantly flooded into his body, destroying his internal organs and even his Meridians! The Wolf Bandit Leader's enormous body stiffened abruptly, the light in his eyes rapidly fading. With endless fear and unwillingness, he crashed heavily to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.

Yu Yuanchen slowly withdrew his Dragon Claw as the Purple-Gold lightning gradually faded. His aura remained steady, as though that earth-shattering strike had not cost him much strength at all.

Thus, the three Soul Emperor-level Wolf Bandit Leaders were all slain!

Tang Chen and Qian Daoliu watched Yu Yuanchen dispose of his opponent so cleanly, and another flicker of surprise passed through both their eyes. They could sense that the power of Yu Yuanchen's final claw strike had absolutely reached the Soul Emperor level. It was not even something an ordinary Soul Emperor could easily withstand. The trace of Artistic Conception within it, which seemed capable of tearing apart and shattering everything, was especially alarming.

"What a claw technique!" Tang Chen put away the Clear Sky Hammer, strode over, and clapped Yu Yuanchen hard on the shoulder. The force even made Yu Yuanchen raise an eyebrow slightly. "Brother Yuan Chen, I'd say you're stronger than plenty of Soul Emperors! The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan truly has hidden dragons and crouching tigers!"

Qian Daoliu also descended to the ground, folding his wings as he smiled. "That claw just now, Brother Yu—the Thunder Power was condensed to an extreme, nearly reaching Ultimate Thunder. It also carried a unique Annihilation Artistic Conception. Impressive."

Yu Yuanchen dismissed his Martial Soul, and his five world-shocking Soul Rings vanished with it. He shook his head slightly. "You overpraise me. It was merely an all-out strike. If you two had not held back the other two leaders and the large number of Wolf Bandits, I would not have succeeded so easily either." His tone was modest, neither arrogant nor meek.

The three exchanged smiles. After fighting side by side in bloodshed, a measure of mutual understanding and recognition had already formed between them. The strong were often more easily drawn to one another.

"Oh, right, we haven't formally introduced ourselves." Tang Chen's personality was open and forthright, and he spoke first. "Clear Sky Sect, Tang Chen."

"Spirit Hall, Qian Daoliu." Qian Daoliu gave his name as well.

Yu Yuanchen understood at once. So it really was them. "Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, Yu Yuanchen."

On this blood-scented Rocky Beach, the three future powerhouses who would stand at the peak of the continent completed their historic first meeting.

"This is not a place to linger. The smell of blood is too strong and may attract other soul beasts." Qian Daoliu looked over the battlefield's devastation and reminded them.

Tang Chen and Yu Yuanchen both nodded in agreement. The three quickly cleared the battlefield, mainly removing the hardest claws and fangs from the three Wolf Bandit Leaders as trophies and materials. As for the ordinary Wolf Bandits, they were of little value and were ignored.

Afterward, the three used their movement techniques to swiftly leave the area. They did not stop to rest until they found a secluded patch of forest near a stream.

After lighting a campfire, Tang Chen took out wine skins and dried meat from his Storage Soul Tool and generously shared them with Yu Yuanchen and Qian Daoliu. Qian Daoliu did not seem fond of alcohol and only took some water. Yu Yuanchen accepted a wine skin and, after thanking him, took a drink. The strong liquor burned its way down his throat, driving away some of his exhaustion.

"Brother Yu, are you traveling alone to gain experience?" Tang Chen asked curiously as he chewed on dried meat. With the talent and strength Yu Yuanchen had displayed, how could his family possibly feel at ease letting him travel alone?

Yu Yuanchen had long prepared an explanation and answered calmly, "The family's friction with an old enemy has recently intensified. To avoid becoming a target, they sent me out to travel, broaden my horizons, and stay out of the storm for a while." He did not mention the Black Flame Demon Flood Dragon Family or Long Ye's breakthrough, as those were family secrets.

Tang Chen and Qian Daoliu were both intelligent men. They immediately knew there had to be more to the matter, but it was not their place to pry. Qian Daoliu pondered for a moment before saying, "For an opponent to force the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan to send a Genius like you away for safety, they cannot be underestimated."

Tang Chen snorted. "Hmph, those Goblins and Monsters hiding in the shadows only know how to pull such underhanded tricks! If they have the guts, they should fight openly and honestly!" Upright by nature, he hated schemes and conspiracies most.

Yu Yuanchen smiled without responding, then changed the subject. "How did you two encounter this group of Wolf Bandits?"

Qian Daoliu explained, "Brother Tang and I happened to meet at the edge of the Savage Beast Hills. After sparring, we heard that Wolf Bandits were causing trouble nearby and slaughtering villages, so we joined forces to wipe them out. We did not expect the group to be so large. If Brother Yu had not arrived in time, the two of us would likely have had to go through quite a bit of trouble." He put it tactfully, but all three understood that without Yu Yuanchen's help, even if they had won, it would not have been nearly so easy. They would likely have suffered serious injuries.

"So that's how it was." Yu Yuanchen nodded. It seemed these two had joined forces out of a sense of justice as well.

The three continued talking for a while, exchanging cultivation insights and views on the continent's situation. Tang Chen and Qian Daoliu were quite interested in Yu Yuanchen's Soul Ring configuration, but since they had only just met, neither asked.

Yu Yuanchen intended to reveal some information himself. "You two are somewhat curious about my Soul Ring configuration, aren't you? It is not really much of a secret. The major clans generally know that as long as one's physical constitution is strong enough, Soul Rings below ten thousand years can be absorbed at higher levels. Since childhood, I have constantly taken medicinal baths to temper my body. My First Soul Ring was an eight-hundred-year Soul Ring, and they increased in age from there. Before my fourth ring, my family found a precious spiritual herb to enhance my Spiritual Power, allowing me to endure a Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring." Yu Yuanchen spoke with a mixture of truth and falsehood.

After all, he did not expect the secret of absorbing Soul Rings at higher levels to remain hidden forever. The Long Family had long learned of his Soul Ring configuration, and it was only a matter of time before other factions learned as well. Rather than letting them speculate that the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan had obtained some priceless treasure or secret method, he might as well state it openly. He did not believe he was the only intelligent person on the continent. It was merely that, limited by historical assumptions, most people had never considered that possibility. With his example, coupled with the massive purchases of body-tempering medicinal ingredients for medicinal baths, someone would eventually figure it out.

As long as the effects of Whale Rubber remained undiscovered, it would be fine. Even if someone learned that the Yu Family was purchasing Whale Rubber, they could simply say it was Dragon Nature, after all. Besides, no one would think that just anyone could absorb a Millennium Second Ring after training their body. Even if such a Genius existed, the Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring at the fourth ring would still be an insurmountable gulf.

After hearing this, Tang Chen and Qian Daoliu both showed understanding and admiration in their eyes. After all, not everyone possessed the perseverance to begin tempering their body in childhood and persist with it. In return for his openness, the two also offered some genuine knowledge of their own, such as Force Application Techniques, Soul Power control techniques, and nonessential secrets recorded by their respective sects.

After their exchange, all three felt they had benefited greatly and developed a feeling of mutual appreciation.

"Haha, meeting you two today has truly been a delight!" Tang Chen raised his wine skin in high spirits. "How about we travel together for a while? The Savage Beast Hills are vast. We can spar with each other, and we can also watch each other's backs."

Qian Daoliu looked at Yu Yuanchen, clearly sharing the same thought. Both had been drawn to Yu Yuanchen's strength and character and believed he was someone worth befriending.

Yu Yuanchen considered it briefly before nodding. "It is exactly what I hoped for, though I did not dare ask." Traveling with these two would allow them to temper one another and improve their strength, while also giving him the opportunity to better understand his future opponents and allies. The advantages outweighed the disadvantages. Moreover, even if the Long Family discovered his whereabouts, they would have to think twice before making a move with these two by his side.

Seeing Yu Yuanchen agree, Tang Chen was overjoyed, while a faint smile appeared in Qian Daoliu's eyes.

The temporary alliance of three peerless Geniuses was thus initially forged beside the campfire.

As the night deepened, the campfire crackled. After agreeing on the order for keeping watch, the three each began to Regulate Breath and rest.

Yu Yuanchen sat cross-legged to one side, sensing the Soul Power circulating slowly within him and the strand of Thunder God Power faintly resonating with his Qi and Blood. His heart was calm. He knew this unexpected encounter might greatly alter the course of training he had originally planned, but it might also bring unprecedented opportunities.

The road ahead was unknown, but with companions beside him, it no longer seemed so lonely. The Hidden Dragon had left the abyss and would finally encounter Wind and Clouds. The coming journey through the Savage Beast Hills was bound to become even more exciting.