(Zhu Zhuqing's beautiful illustration)
The system notification rang clearly in his mind, while Hua Mulan and Li Yuanfang beside him remained in immense shock, unable to recover for a long while.
The Venerable One, who had always detested trouble and stood apart from worldly matters, who might not even spare a second glance at the many Titled Douluo seeking to join him, had actually made an exception so easily today and accepted disciples?
And two little girls of unknown origin and meager strength, at that?
Lin Jiang shook his head helplessly. If not for breaking through that damned bottleneck and successfully ascending to Godhood,
he truly had no desire to take on the burden and concern of teaching and raising disciples out of nowhere.
However, now that he had accepted them as disciples, he had to take responsibility.
Thus, Zhu Zhuqing and Ning Rongrong settled down in King's Hall.
To make future instruction more convenient, Lin Jiang could only arrange for them to stay in the side rooms of the same small courtyard where he lived.
On the arena, another sudden change erupted!
Just as Si Kong Zhen was fending off Yu Yuanzhen's furious strike, the other eight Soul Douluo Elders of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan launched fierce attacks from different directions at the same time!
Lightning flashed wildly, dragon roars rang out, and eight berserk attacks formed a net of heaven and earth, instantly sealing off every route of retreat!
"Seeking death!" Lightning flared in Si Kong Zhen's eyes as his fury was completely ignited.
"Second Soul Skill: Thunderbolt Dash!"
Crackle—! Deafening thunder exploded!
Before everyone's eyes could focus, Si Kong Zhen's figure suddenly blurred where he stood, transforming into a bolt of lightning that was truly, unimaginably fast!
The eight Elders' all-out combined attack struck nothing but empty air. They did not even brush the hem of his robes!
That bolt of lightning did not pause in the slightest, moving faster than thought itself,
as it instantly slipped through the gaps in their attacks and shot straight toward Yu Yuanzhen, who had only just stabilized himself!
"What?!" Yu Yuanzhen's pupils shrank sharply. He had not even had time to see the lightning's trajectory clearly!
"Boom—!!!"
A dull, earthshaking blast erupted, powerful enough to stop hearts!
Si Kong Zhen's fist, wrapped in destructive lightning, had already slammed solidly into Yu Yuanzhen's chest!
Berserk lightning force instantly surged into his body!
"Puh—!"
The lightning protecting Yu Yuanzhen's body instantly collapsed, and he was blasted backward like a kite with its string cut,
the blood spraying from his mouth tracing a glaring arc through the air before he crashed heavily onto the distant ground, carving a long trench behind him!
"Sect Master!!"
The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan Elders turned deathly pale, their souls nearly leaving their bodies,
as they all leaped into the air and rushed toward where Yu Yuanzhen had fallen.
Yu Luomian's eyes nearly split open with rage. Supporting Yu Yuanzhen, whose chest had been scorched black, he turned and roared, "Form the formation!"
The eight Soul Douluo Elders led by him roared in unison, their voices shaking the heavens. "Sect Master, we will aid you!"
Boom! Boom! Boom!...
Nine terrifying dragon auras rose into the sky in succession!
Yu Yuanzhen forced up a breath of Soul Power and, together with the other eight Elders, unleashed the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan's supreme secret technique—the True Body of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon!
In an instant, nine colossal Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragons formed entirely from berserk lightning roared as they spiraled into the sky!
Their bodies stretched dozens of meters long, their scales distinct, lightning coiling around them, while destructive thunder shone from their dragon eyes!
The Nine Dragons danced together, blotting out the sky. Terrifying dragon might and lightning power intertwined,
turning the entire sky into an ocean of thunderstorms. The sight was magnificent beyond measure—and deadly beyond measure!
Inside the VIP room, Xue Qinghe stared intently at the nine roaring thunder dragons in the sky, her breathing quickening slightly.
"Nine Dragon True Body... The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan is risking everything!"
"Let us see how this King of Thunder deals with this certain-kill situation..."
Ning Fengzhi shook his head with a sigh, pity showing on his face.
"With all Nine Dragons unleashed, their might is overwhelming. It is enough to crush an ordinary Peak Douluo."
"Though Si Kong Zhen is powerful, one man cannot hold up a collapsing tree. I fear he will find it difficult to withstand this!"
Bone Douluo Gu Rong looked incomparably grave as he said in a deep voice,
"If I were trapped in this formation, I could only tear through space at any cost and find a way to escape. Avoiding its edge would be the wisest course."
A profound light flashed through Xue Qinghe's eyes.
"Perhaps this killing formation that has driven him into a corner will force King's Hall to reveal more of its hidden strength, allowing us to see its true depths."
The atmosphere in Spirit Hall's VIP room, however, was entirely different.
Yue Guan raised an orchid finger, his shrill voice carrying a trace of glee.
"Tsk, tsk. That old dragon has dragged out every last bit of the clan's hidden strength! He really has been driven to desperation!"
A calculating smile appeared on Hu Liena's exquisite face as her red lips parted.
"For Spirit Hall, this is precisely the situation we have been hoping for."
"No matter which side loses, one powerful enemy will be weakened, and we can reap the benefits as the fisherman. If both sides are badly wounded... then Heaven itself is blessing Spirit Hall!"
Ghost Leopard Douluo bowed at the side, his tone flattering.
"The envoy is truly farsighted. Your words are absolutely correct! It would be best if they fight each other to the death!"
Everyone's gaze focused upon the thunderous figure standing firm as a pine in the center of the arena, surrounded by Nine Dragons within the Thunderstorm Domain.
Not only did Si Kong Zhen fail to retreat, the thunderous aura around him instead erupted with even greater ferocity!
Then, a Soul Ring configuration that plunged the entire venue into dead silence once more emerged fiercely beneath his feet, ring after ring:
Purple! Purple! Black! Black! Black! Black! Black! Black! Red!
The first two rings were thousand-year Soul Rings! The following six were all ten thousand year Soul Rings!
And the final one was another glaring blood-red Soul Ring, symbolizing the ultimate dream of every Soul Master—a 100,000-Year Soul Ring!
"Another 100,000-Year Soul Ring?!"
"My God! Does every Titled Douluo in King's Hall have a 100,000-Year Soul Ring?!"
"What kind of divine place is this?!"
Before the cries of shock could subside, an even more astonishing sight appeared!
Five phantom war drums engraved with ancient and profound lightning patterns materialized behind Si Kong Zhen with a thunderous rumble, arranged in a semicircle!
Lightning flowed across the war drums. Without needing to be struck, they released their own deep, majestic "Boom! Boom! Boom!" thunder,
each beat seeming to strike against everyone's hearts, stirring the lightning elements of heaven and earth into a frenzied dance!
This was Si Kong Zhen's Martial Soul—the Five Thunder War Drum!
Inside the VIP room, a horrified gleam burst from Bone Douluo Gu Rong's cloudy eyes.
He stared fixedly at the Soul Power fluctuations around Si Kong Zhen, which were nearly solid, his voice dry with disbelief.
"No... This man's Soul Power fluctuations... vast as an abyss, condensed as steel. They are even several times stronger than what I have sensed from that fellow Chen Xin..."
He suddenly turned to Ning Fengzhi and Xue Qinghe, speaking each word distinctly.
"This man is likely no ordinary Titled Douluo. His Soul Power Level may very well have reached Rank 97!"
"What? A Peak Douluo at Rank 97?!"
Xue Qinghe cried out in shock, no longer able to maintain her surface calm.
Rank 97! What did that even mean?
Across the entire continent, only a handful of Peak powerhouses had reached that level, and every one of them was a giant whose name shook their region!
Si Kong Zhen was not even the Hall Master, yet he possessed such terrifying strength?!
She drew a deep breath and suppressed the tempestuous waves in her heart.
"King's Hall... truly is unfathomable!"
On the arena, nine Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragons formed entirely of lightning coiled across the heavens, their roars deafening.
Berserk lightning dyed the entire sky into a destructive azure sea of thunder, as though the end of the world had arrived.
Faced with such overwhelming might, Si Kong Zhen showed no fear in his eyes.
Instead, a blazing, fiery battle intent ignited within them, even carrying a hint of madness. His unrestrained laughter drowned out the dragon roars.
"Good! Mere loaches dare flaunt lightning before the God of Thunder? Today, this old man shall fight to his heart's content!"
"Arrogant fool! Die!"
Amid Yu Yuanzhen's furious roar, his Soul Power fully resonated with that of the other eight Elders!
The nine thunder dragons simultaneously opened their gigantic lightning-filled jaws, each vast enough to swallow mountains. Destructive azure lightning burst forth like nine celestial rivers breaking their banks,
instantly weaving into a deathly lightning net that covered the entire arena, completely swallowing and annihilating the space where Si Kong Zhen stood!
Before you continue