(Beautiful picture of Shui Bing'er)
Dugu Yan crawled toward him.
Her knees shifted lightly over the blanket, inching closer and closer.
Lin Jiang shrank back. "Sister Yan Yan, calm down—"
Dugu Yan slowly leaned her face toward him.
Lin Jiang could already feel her breath, along with the special fragrance wafting from her.
It wasn't powder or perfume, but the faint, natural scent of plants and trees that clung to her.
Closer and closer.
Closer and closer—
Rumble—!
The ground shook with a thunderous roar!
The whole tent trembled!
Dugu Yan: "???"
She froze there, her face just ten centimeters from Lin Jiang's.
Lin Jiang: "What's going on?!"
Outside, Soul Beasts roared one after another, their earth-shaking cries making people's eardrums ache.
Dugu Bo's voice came from outside. "Seems like some large Soul Beasts are fighting!"
Lin Jiang perked up his ears.
The roar... was low and resonant, carrying a certain imposing pressure.
"That roar..." His eyes lit up. "Why does it sound so much like a dragon-type Soul Beast?!"
He shoved Dugu Yan's shoulder aside, rolled to his feet, and rushed out of the tent.
"Let's go take a look!"
He lifted the flap and vanished.
Dugu Yan remained in the position he'd pushed her into, kneeling on the blanket, utterly dumbfounded.
A cold breeze blew into the tent, making her little camisole flutter.
She looked down at herself, then at the empty tent entrance.
"..."
"..."
"What kind of Soul Beast ruins this old lady's good time?!"
Dugu Yan threw on her coat and angrily followed Lin Jiang and Dugu Bo.
Along the way, small Soul Beasts fled everywhere.
Ten-Year Soft Bone Rabbits, hundred-year Musk Elk, and even a thousand-year Mandala Snake were running for their lives, with no thought of attacking humans.
What could scare them this badly?
At last.
At the edge of a canyon, the three of them saw two enormous figures in the distance—
Boom—!
A golden-armored earth dragon slammed into the cliff wall, sending rubble flying!
Its limbs were thick, its back arched like a tortoise's shell, and every inch of its body was built for defense.
And the one that had rammed it—
It had four sturdy claws, bulging muscles, and an aura of violence! With every breath, white jets of air burst from its nostrils!
Dugu Bo's pupils contracted.
"Diamond Dragon-Armored Beast!" he blurted out. "And the other one is... No, how is that possible..."
He rubbed his eyes and stared hard at the violent giant beast.
"Could that be... a Giant Strength Ancient Dragon?!"
Lin Jiang turned to look at him.
Dugu Bo's voice wavered. "Weren't these Soul Beasts extinct long ago?! Even I've only ever seen one in a book!"
Lin Jiang stared at the two giant beasts, his eyes growing brighter and brighter.
They were both dragon-type subspecies!
His Golden Dragon King Martial Soul was supposed to absorb dragon-type Soul Rings!
Dugu Bo narrowed his eyes as he watched. "Looks like two Soul Beasts are fighting over territory... No, that Giant Strength Ancient Dragon is trying to eat the Diamond Dragon-Armored Beast!"
The two giant beasts collided again in the canyon!
The Diamond Dragon-Armored Beast took the blow on its heavy back armor, then bit down on the Ancient Dragon's foreleg! The Ancient Dragon roared in pain and smacked its head with a claw!
Blood sprayed everywhere!
Both of them were injured!
Lin Jiang was just about to speak—
A figure shot past him.
"Who cares what they are!"
Dugu Yan's coat fluttered as her Martial Soul possessed her in an instant!
Behind her appeared not the Jade Scale Snake, but a Jade Scale Flood Dragon with a single horn on its head!
After taking the Earth Dragon Golden Melon to cure her poison, her Martial Soul had evolved as well.
"You dare ruin this old lady's good time? I'll kill you!"
Dugu Bo's expression changed drastically. "Yan Yan!"
Before his words had even faded, Dugu Yan had already struck.
"Second Soul Skill—Jade Scale Blue Poison!"
Dark blue poisonous mist shot out like an arrow, hurtling toward the two giant beasts!
It was paralyzing poison! After her Martial Soul evolved, its toxicity had increased, doubling its paralyzing effect!
On an ordinary day, this amount of poison would have no effect on Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts. But now—
Both Soul Beasts were already badly injured, covered in countless wounds!
The poisonous mist seeped in through their injuries!
The Diamond Dragon-Armored Beast's movements visibly slowed, while the Giant Strength Ancient Dragon's roar sank into a growl.
It wasn't fatal, but both beasts had become far slower!
Lin Jiang's eyes lit up. He turned and asked, "Old Poison, how old are these two Soul Beasts?"
Dugu Bo stared at the two giant beasts and said gravely, "That Diamond Dragon-Armored Beast is at least ten thousand years old. As for the Giant Strength Ancient Dragon attacking it... For it to take on a Ten-Thousand-Year Dragon-Armored Beast, it must be at least twenty thousand years old!"
Lin Jiang's lips curled up.
"Great!"
He pushed off with both feet and shot forward like an arrow!
Dugu Bo: "???"
Were young people all this reckless now?!
Lin Jiang charged into the canyon, the Golden Dragon Blood in his body boiling!
That one would be his First Soul Ring!
He'd take a chance!
He clenched his right fist, icy blue light gathering around it—
This was the Self-Created Soul Skill he'd comprehended over the year at the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well!
Extreme cold condensed in his fist!
"Self-Created Soul Skill—Ice Dragon Fist!"
He punched!
A fierce ice dragon shadow roared out along the force of his punch!
Frost formed in the air wherever it passed!
"Crack—!"
The ice dragon struck the two giant beasts' feet, and ice spread in an instant!
The Diamond Dragon-Armored Beast's four thick legs froze to the ground!
The Giant Strength Ancient Dragon's claws were coated in frost!
Two Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts were frozen at the same time!
Above the canyon, Dugu Bo's mouth hung open. For a long while, he couldn't close it.
He looked at the two frozen Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts, then at the back of the seven-year-old child.
This...
Was this really someone who hadn't obtained his First Soul Ring yet?
This Self-Created Soul Skill was almost as powerful as other people's main offensive Soul Skills!
Dugu Bo took a deep breath.
Suddenly, he felt like his old bones were a bit unnecessary.
Lin Jiang stood in the canyon, looking up at the Diamond Dragon-Armored Beast with all four limbs frozen.
This one it was.
He'd push for a Ten-Thousand-Year First Soul Ring!
He glanced at the Giant Strength Ancient Dragon frozen beside it.
He'd save the twenty-thousand-year one for later. It was reserved for his Second Soul Ring.
Lin Jiang activated his Martial Soul, and the Golden Dragon Shadow appeared behind him!
Its pressure spread, making both dragon-type Soul Beasts tremble.
It was fear carved into their blood!
Lin Jiang clenched his fist, gathered his strength, and punched the Diamond Dragon-Armored Beast in the neck!
"Bang!"
The Diamond Dragon-Armored Beast grunted in pain.
But not even a white mark appeared on its neck.
Lin Jiang shook out his hand. "..."
What a hard shell.
It was a Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beast, after all. With only ten levels of Soul Power, he'd been dreaming if he thought he could break through its defense.
Lin Jiang turned and shouted toward the top of the canyon, "Old Poison, I still need your help!"
Dugu Bo stood at the cliff's edge, the corner of his mouth twitching.
"You brat. Looks like I'll have to make you see reason."
He leaped down, and the aura of a Titled Douluo burst forth!
One palm strike landed, and the Diamond Dragon-Armored Beast's neck snapped.
Lin Jiang stepped forward and delivered the final blow.
A black Soul Ring slowly rose.
Dugu Bo casually used his poison to restrain the Giant Strength Ancient Dragon, making it lie obediently to one side.
"Boy." He pointed at the black Soul Ring. "Guide it into your body and absorb it. If anything seems wrong, I'll stop you immediately."
Lin Jiang nodded. "Okay."
Dugu Bo paused, then said gravely, "But if your absorption is interrupted, you might become crippled. You need to be prepared for that."
Lin Jiang hadn't even spoken—
Dugu Yan had already rushed over and grabbed his arm.
"Lin Jiang..." She bit her lip, her eyes a little red. "You have to succeed. I'm still waiting to..."
"Waiting for what?"
Before you continue