Dugu Yan: Why Was That So Big at Such a Young Age?

(Ah Yin's beautiful picture)

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?"

Dugu Yan blushed and didn't answer, just staring fixedly at him.

Lin Jiang smiled and patted her hand.

"Don't worry."

He walked over to the Diamond Dragon-Armored Beast's corpse and sat down cross-legged.

He closed his eyes.

Then he began guiding that black Soul Ring.

The black Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring hovered above his head, slowly revolving.

As soon as the Soul Ring touched his body—

"Hiss—"

Lin Jiang sucked in a sharp breath.

It hurt!

It fucking hurt!

That savage energy poured in through the top of his head like countless steel needles, then surged wildly along his meridians!

Everywhere it passed, his meridians seemed ready to tear apart!

Lin Jiang gritted his teeth, veins bulging on his forehead.

The Golden Dragon King Martial Soul began operating on its own, golden light flowing through his body as it tried to suppress that violent energy.

But how could a Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring be so easily tamed?

The energy rampaged through his body like a trapped beast, struggling with all its might!

Lin Jiang trembled all over, tiny beads of blood seeping from his skin.

Dugu Yan stood nearby, fists clenched so tightly her nails were almost digging into her palms.

"Grandpa... he'll be okay, won't he?"

Dugu Bo stared intently at Lin Jiang, his brow furrowed into a knot.

"This boy's meridians... are far tougher than I expected. An ordinary person would've exploded from that first surge."

"Then he..."

"Don't speak." Dugu Bo's voice was grave. "Now he can only rely on himself."

Time passed, second by second.

From day to night, then from night to day.

Lin Jiang remained seated cross-legged, a layer of dried blood already encrusting his body.

But he hadn't fallen.

The Golden Dragon King's power inside him was gradually devouring that violent energy.

Finally—

After a full day and night.

Lin Jiang's eyes snapped open!

Golden light shot from them!

"Boom—!"

A wave of force exploded from his body!

At the same time—

"Rrrip—!"

His clothes burst apart completely, scattering into shreds!

Dugu Yan reflexively covered her eyes, but the gaps between her fingers were wider than her eyes.

Then she froze.

Her eyes grew wider and wider.

"..."

"..."

Lin Jiang stood up, golden light flowing over him, his face filled with barely contained excitement.

"I succeeded!"

He turned to Dugu Yan, looking eager for praise.

Dugu Yan didn't say anything.

She stared blankly at Lin Jiang as her face slowly turned red.

The blush spread from her cheeks to her ears, then from her ears down to her neck.

Lin Jiang blinked. "Sister Yan Yan? What's wrong? My First Soul Ring is amazing, right?"

Dugu Yan still didn't speak.

Her lips moved, and her voice came out as faint as a mosquito's buzz.

"...That... why is it so big..."

Lin Jiang: "???"

He tilted his head. "Sister Yan Yan, what are you talking about? My First Soul Ring?"

Dugu Yan didn't answer.

She only lowered her head, her face red as a cooked shrimp.

Lin Jiang followed her gaze downward.

Lower.

Then lower still.

And then he froze.

"..."

"..."

The canyon fell silent for three seconds.

Lin Jiang realized that he was, in fact, thriving.

Dugu Yan stood where she was, still blushing, but her eyes were already shining.

Her mind was going wild:

Now that's a real man!

A hunk!

I love him!

That Yu Tianheng or whatever—he's useless. Get lost!

Lin Jiang: "Ahem..."

Only then did Dugu Yan snap out of it. She quickly took off her coat and handed it to him.

Lin Jiang took it and silently tied it around his waist.

Some things still needed covering.

In the distance, Dugu Bo was still controlling the Giant Strength Ancient Dragon. Hearing the commotion, he walked over.

He stared at Lin Jiang, his eyes as wide as bells.

"Lin Jiang, you really succeeded?!"

Lin Jiang nodded, and with a thought—

A black Soul Ring slowly rose from beneath his feet and circled around him.

A Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring!

Dugu Bo sucked in a sharp breath.

"Good heavens..."

He murmured, his voice trembling a little.

"A Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring as your First Soul Ring... unprecedented!"

He stared at Lin Jiang, his eyes growing brighter and brighter.

His inner thoughts: This boy has what it takes to become a god!

Dugu Yan finally recovered from the shocking scene she'd just witnessed and came closer to ask, "What's your First Soul Skill? Is it a boost-type Soul Skill?"

Lin Jiang nodded.

"That's right."

He raised his hand as golden light surged within him.

"First Soul Skill—Golden Dragon Body!"

As soon as the words left his mouth, golden light instantly covered his entire body!

Faint golden dragon-scale patterns appeared on his skin, his muscles bulged slightly, and it was as if an invisible force enveloped him!

Power surged through his body!

His defense increased dramatically!

His close-combat ability skyrocketed!

Dugu Yan stared at him, her eyes gradually turning into hearts.

Her inner thoughts: Golden Dragon Body... then when he uses this Soul Skill, won't he be even more...

She swallowed.

All sorts of strange scenes were already playing in her mind.

At that moment, Dugu Yan's thoughts were anything but pure.

Lin Jiang deactivated his Soul Skill and turned to her. "Sister Yan Yan? Why are you blushing again?"

Dugu Yan: "N-no! I'm just... happy for you!"

Lin Jiang blinked. Something felt off.

But he didn't think much of it, turning instead to look at the Giant Strength Ancient Dragon under control.

His Second Soul Ring was still waiting for him.

Dugu Bo was figuring out what to do with the Giant Strength Ancient Dragon. He turned his head and saw Lin Jiang walking toward it.

"Wait." He reached out to stop him. "What are you doing?"

Lin Jiang answered as if it were obvious. "Getting my Second Soul Ring."

Dugu Bo dug out his ears.

"Did I hear that right?"

He stared at Lin Jiang with wide eyes, as if he were looking at a monster.

He'd just absorbed his First Soul Ring, and now he wanted to absorb his Second?

Who did that?

Lin Jiang nodded.

He really had reached level twenty.

After a year of accumulating power at the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well, eating all those Immortal Herbs, and absorbing that Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring—

Even he didn't know how much Soul Power was still stored up inside him.

But level twenty was a sure thing.

Dugu Bo fell silent for three seconds.

Then he gave Lin Jiang a thumbs-up.

"Freaking awesome!" he said in a comically foreign accent.

He didn't try to stop him again.

This kid kept overturning everything he thought he knew, and he was already too tired to be shocked.

The Giant Strength Ancient Dragon lay on the ground, barely alive after Dugu Bo's poison had ravaged it.

Lin Jiang stepped forward and dealt it the final blow.

Another black Soul Ring slowly rose into the air.

It was blacker and denser than the last one, and it spun more violently!

Lin Jiang sat down cross-legged and began guiding it.

The instant the Soul Ring made contact—

"Boom—!"

An incomparably violent surge of energy poured into his body!

It was far more overbearing than the Diamond Dragon-Armored Beast's Soul Ring!

The energy was even greater and more savage, rampaging through his meridians like an ancient Ferocious Beast that had broken free of its reins!

Lin Jiang gritted his teeth, veins bulging on his forehead.

He could feel it—

This Soul Ring wasn't the twenty-thousand-year one they'd estimated...