"Using level-20 Soul Power to keep this thing occupied was still too much of a stretch."
Relying on Ning Rongrong's speed boost, Ye Yuan continuously circled around it.
But Ye Yuan's Soul Power was also being steadily drained.
If it kept being depleted, he might not even be able to unleash his final strike.
"Looks like I'll have to meet it head-on!"
Ye Yuan turned around and shouted, "Rongrong, can your Soul Power cast Strength Amplification twice?"
Ning Rongrong wiped the sweat from her forehead. "I can!"
"Good, give me one Strength Amplification!"
Ning Rongrong once again circulated all the Soul Power in her body. "First Soul Skill, Strength Amplification!"
The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda emitted a red glow, and the light entered Ye Yuan's body.
Ye Yuan immediately felt his strength increase tremendously.
Ning Rongrong had expended quite a bit of Soul Power as well.
Her entire body was soaked in sweat, revealing the inner layer of her clothes beneath.
She felt like she had gone mad. Why was she risking her life with a man she had known for less than a day?!
"Come on!"
Ye Yuan raised his sword to meet it. "Ten Thousand Swords Breaking Dharma!"
He swiftly unleashed the sword technique he had learned before.
"Clang! Clang! Clang!"
The Bloodthirsty Sword's attacks rained down like a torrential downpour.
Metallic clashes rang out without end.
"Damn it, your hide really is thick!"
Ye Yuan did not stop, because this move consumed the least Soul Power.
He had already used River Severing once, and he needed to save his remaining Soul Power to unleash it a second time.
As both sides continued attacking, Ye Yuan realized he had still underestimated this soul beast.
He had not expected its defense to be this strong!
"I haven't avenged Yan'er yet!"
"How could I die like this?!"
Qin Yan'er's desperate expression kept flashing through Ye Yuan's mind.
But anger was ultimately useless.
With a sweep of its tail, the Blazing Sun Snake attacked Ye Yuan.
Ning Rongrong's heart tightened.
In Ye Yuan's current state, he could not dodge it.
Just as Ye Yuan thought he was about to die.
The Blazing Sun Snake suddenly slowed down.
"Looks like the poison is taking effect!"
Seizing the opportunity, Ye Yuan leaped high into the air with all his strength.
He struck directly at the Blazing Sun Snake's previous wound.
"Rongrong!" Ye Yuan shouted.
Ning Rongrong immediately circulated her Soul Power. "First Soul Skill, Strength Amplification!"
The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda once again shone with red light.
The light entered Ye Yuan's body.
Ye Yuan roared, "First Soul Skill, River Severing!"
"Splurt!"
The Blazing Sun Snake's head fell to the ground, but in that instant, it lashed its tail at Ye Yuan's abdomen.
Ye Yuan was sent flying as well.
"Ye Yuan!"
Ning Rongrong immediately dragged her weakened body over.
She kept checking Ye Yuan's body and patting his face.
"Ye Yuan, are you okay?!"
"If you die, how am I supposed to get out?! I'm a support-type soul master—how am I supposed to leave the depths of this forest alone?!"
Ning Rongrong had only wanted to take a bath at the forest's edge. She had never expected to run into something like this.
Seeing that Ye Yuan showed no response after so long, she became so anxious that she began to cry.
Then she kept pounding on Ye Yuan's chest.
"It's all your fault! If I die and become a ghost, you'll be the first person I come after! Sob, sob, sob..."
"Cough, cough. If you're willing to offer me a kiss, Ye Yuan might wake up."
Ning Rongrong was startled and stopped crying.
She looked around, but there was no one there.
When she lowered her head, she found that Ye Yuan could no longer suppress the curl of his lips.
Ning Rongrong punched him hard. "Pfft!"
Ye Yuan immediately sat up. "I'm still injured. If I die, who'll lead you out?"
"Then just wait to become a soul beast's dinner."
Although Ning Rongrong was still furious, she stopped hitting him.
She was genuinely afraid she would hurt Ye Yuan and be left with no one to take her out.
Ye Yuan clutched his abdomen and slowly stood up.
Ning Rongrong supported him.
Then, with her red lips pursed, she said, "You scared me!"
"Hurry up and absorb the soul ring. If it disappears later, all our effort will have been for nothing."
Ye Yuan did not waste words and sat down cross-legged.
Then he glanced at Ning Rongrong.
Ning Rongrong put her hands on her hips and stood up. "Don't worry. This young lady will see this favor through to the end."
"I'll stand guard for you."
Ye Yuan nodded.
He closed his eyes and began absorbing the soul ring.
Ning Rongrong found a rock nearby and sat down.
The girl's beautiful blue eyes stared fixedly at Ye Yuan.
Then she looked at the Blazing Sun Snake's corpse beside them.
"We really killed a thousand-year soul beast..."
This was something Ning Rongrong had never dared to imagine before.
She could not imagine that two people who had not even become Soul Grandmasters had joined forces to kill a thousand-year soul beast.
They had used their wits, sure, but they had still killed it, hadn't they?
At that moment, Ye Yuan was continuously battling the Blazing Sun Snake's resentment within his Spirit Sea.
Logically, it should not have been this difficult.
But he was forcibly absorbing it with level-20 strength, so it was far more difficult than it would have been for an ordinary person.
Just as Ye Yuan struggled bitterly.
That golden figure appeared once more.
"It's you again."
Just like before, the man did not speak.
Only Ye Yuan's own echo remained.
This time, the man did not help Ye Yuan.
The Black Giant Dragon on his shoulder suddenly soared into the air.
With a single dive, the Black Giant Dragon swallowed the Blazing Sun Snake's resentment.
Just as Ye Yuan thought the man and the black dragon were about to disappear again.
The Black Giant Dragon suddenly changed direction and charged at Ye Yuan.
Caught completely off guard, Ye Yuan was directly swallowed by the giant dragon.
Outside, Ning Rongrong, who had been standing guard, suddenly got to her feet.
Black light erupted from Ye Yuan's entire body, enveloping him completely.
"Ah... Ah!"
Ning Rongrong cried out, "Ye... Ye Yuan, are you okay?"
Ning Rongrong was at a complete loss.
But she could not leave on her own, so she could only remain where she was and keep watch.
Ye Yuan's human form could no longer be seen. His entire body was wrapped in an unknown black substance.
To put it aptly, he was like a huge cocoon.
Three hours later.
Ning Rongrong was awakened by a sound.
She opened her eyes and was shocked to see that the cocoon Ye Yuan had become was beginning to crack!
"Crack, crack..."
The black cocoon kept breaking apart.
"Bang!"
In the end, the cocoon exploded outright.
Ye Yuan's figure appeared once more.
But he no longer looked anything like his former self.
He had grown to six foot three, and compared to before, his physique was far superior.
The color of his pupils had changed as well. They were no longer black, but gold.
His entire appearance had become incomparably handsome.
He opened his eyes and slowly descended to the ground.
"Are... are you still Ye Yuan?" Ning Rongrong asked cautiously.
Ye Yuan did not answer immediately. He merely slowly turned his head and looked at Ning Rongrong.
Ning Rongrong was staring at him in a daze.
It could not be helped—Ye Yuan now looked completely different from before.
He was simply too handsome!
"Of course I'm not him."
"What is it, Rongrong? Were you struck speechless by how handsome I am?"
The moment Ning Rongrong heard "Rongrong," she immediately realized that this guy was teasing her again.
"You... why do you look different?"
Just as Ye Yuan was about to explain, Ning Rongrong suddenly cried out.
"Ah! Y-you, hurry up and put some clothes on!"
Ye Yuan looked down. No way—his awakening as the Candle Dragon Emperor had even stripped away his clothes?
Ning Rongrong covered her eyes and turned around.
She felt as though her whole head were about to boil. Her face was burning red.
What do I do, Ning Rongrong? Your eyes have been polluted!!!
This isn't anything like what Mom told me when I was little!
"She raised her forearm and compared it with the image in her memory."
Is that even human?!
Before long, Ye Yuan had changed into a white robe.
Fortunately, he had taken off his outer white robe earlier, worried that it would be damaged in the battle with the Blazing Sun Snake.
"All right, Rongrong."
Ning Rongrong turned around and opened a small gap between the fingers covering her eyes.
After taking a look and confirming that Ye Yuan was dressed, she finally lowered her hand.
"What exactly happened to you?" Ning Rongrong asked.
Ye Yuan rubbed his chin, then pulled out a blade of grass from who knew where and held it between his teeth.
"I think the Candle Dragon Emperor awakened."
"The Candle Dragon Emperor?"
"Mm."
Even now, Ye Yuan still found it hard to believe that, like Tang San, he actually carried the bloodline of a soul beast.
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