At last, in the brief moment when the Shadow Flood Dragon tried to spew poison once more.
A sharp glint flashed in Lin Yuan's eyes as he seized that fleeting opening.
His legs suddenly drove him forward, and he shot toward the beast like a black bolt of lightning.
In an instant, he was astride the Flood Dragon's enormous head.
His hands clamped down on either side of its skull like iron pincers.
The Nine Nether Beast's strength poured without restraint into his arms.
"Die!"
With Lin Yuan's furious roar, he wrenched both arms outward.
"Crack!!!"
The scalp-prickling sound of bones breaking rang through the sky.
The Shadow Flood Dragon didn't even have time to let out one last wail.
Its supposedly indestructible skull was ripped in half.
Scalding Flood Dragon blood erupted skyward like a fountain, staining half of Lin Yuan's body dark red.
Its massive body convulsed violently a few times, then crashed to the ground, utterly lifeless.
Lin Yuan panted heavily, casually wiping the blood from his face.
He jumped down from the Flood Dragon's corpse and steadied the blood and energy roiling inside him.
A moment later, specks of deep violet light began to gather over the Flood Dragon's remains.
A purple Soul Ring, much thicker than an ordinary Thousand-Year Soul Ring and so dark it was almost black, slowly floated into the air.
This four-thousand-year Soul Ring radiated an incomparably fierce aura.
Lin Yuan sat cross-legged on the spot and drew out his Soul Power.
The Soul Ring swiftly settled over the phantom of his Martial Soul.
The lingering resentment of a four-thousand-year Soul Beast was terrifying. Anyone else would have had their Sea of Consciousness swept away long ago.
But the Flood Dragon's courage had already been crushed by the Nine Nether Beast's bloodline pressure while it was still alive.
The moment its backlash began to rise, the domineering bloodline within Lin Yuan easily dissolved it, erasing it in an instant.
The entire absorption process went astonishingly smoothly.
In less than three breaths, the four-thousand-year Soul Ring had completely merged with Lin Yuan.
He slowly opened his eyes, a streak of purplish-black light swirling in their depths.
He extended his right hand, feeling the terrifying power inside him, so abundant it seemed ready to overflow.
A wave of exhilaration washed through Lin Yuan. He was thoroughly satisfied.
First Soul Skill: Ancient Dragon Soul.
It was an extremely domineering skill.
Not only could he temporarily draw upon the dragon power of an ancient Ferocious Beast, multiplying his physical strength and attack power.
Even more astonishingly, he could directly imbue someone else with this power.
By infusing them with his bloodline power, he could drastically transform and strengthen their Martial Soul and physical might.
Lin Yuan rose to his feet and brushed the dirt off himself.
Several hundred meters from the marsh, within a patch of pitch-black shadow.
A tall figure draped in a tattered gray cloak blended seamlessly into the surrounding darkness, like a ghost.
Beneath his cloak, Tang Hao's eyes were fixed on the six-year-old boy beside the marsh, who had just finished absorbing a Soul Ring.
His rough face, long dulled by alcohol, was filled with utter shock.
Just moments ago, he had watched this child named Lin Yuan tear apart a four-thousand-year Shadow Flood Dragon with nothing but his physical strength and bloodline power.
More terrifying still, the boy had absorbed a four-thousand-year Soul Ring without the slightest hindrance, exceeding the limit for a First Soul Ring in less than three breaths!
His son, Tang San, whom he had always been proud of, possessed Twin Martial Souls and extraordinary talent.
But if Tang San were placed before this boy, he would be like a firefly beside the Bright Moon, utterly eclipsed.
Tang Hao's rough hand clenched unconsciously around the hilt of the Clear Sky Hammer at his waist.
His knuckles turned faintly white with the force of his grip.
"That bloodline aura... even I, a Titled Douluo, feel a chill in my heart. When did Spirit Hall gather such a monster?"
He understood all too well the blood feud between Spirit Hall and himself.
If a prodigy with such utterly unreasonable talent continued to grow under Spirit Hall's tutelage,
then not only would he, Tang Hao, die at the boy's hands, but his son Tang San would, too.
"This boy's talent is far too monstrous. He's even surpassed Xiao San."
"If I let him live, he'll become a disaster. If I don't kill him today, the Clear Sky Sect will never rise again!"
Tang Hao drew a deep breath, and a cold killing intent erupted in his eyes.
A heavy black light quietly gathered in his palm as nine Soul Rings stirred beneath his cloak.
He had infiltrated the Soul Hunting Forest this time specifically to target people from Spirit Hall.
Especially that lofty Holy Maiden, Bibi Dong.
Given the chance, he would make Spirit Hall pay a terrible price.
And now he had discovered that Spirit Hall was hiding a prodigy like this.
If the boy were allowed to grow up under the vast resources Spirit Hall could pour into him,
then in less than twenty years, who on the Douluo Continent could possibly keep him in check?
"Not bad."
Standing beside the Flood Dragon's bones, Lin Yuan slowly clenched his fists.
After absorbing the four-thousand-year Soul Ring, all his senses had undergone a sweeping leap forward.
Before, he could only see clearly a dozen or so meters ahead. Now, he could make out the veins on leaves a hundred meters away.
Every stir of the wind and grass around him was within his grasp.
The instant Tang Hao's killing intent leaked out.
Lin Yuan's heart gave a sudden jolt.
That intensely dangerous aura came from the woods behind and to one side of him, like a blade held against his throat.
The aura was exceptionally well concealed, yet it carried unmistakable, lethal killing intent.
Lin Yuan knew very well that this wasn't some high-level Soul Beast.
That deep, violent pressure could only come from an expert at the level of a Titled Douluo.
But his expression didn't change in the slightest, and even his breathing remained steady.
He didn't turn to look in that direction.
He pretended he hadn't noticed a thing.
Lin Yuan bent down and casually washed the blood from his hands in a nearby puddle.
Then he turned and walked toward the outer edge of the forest at an unhurried pace.
He understood the situation perfectly.
With only level twenty Soul Power, facing an expert of this caliber meant certain death.
No matter how heaven-defying his Martial Soul was, the chasm in their cultivation was one he couldn't cross—not yet.
His only chance of survival was to get away as quickly as possible.
Tang Hao followed him in the shadows for dozens of steps, his brow gradually furrowing.
Although the boy's steps seemed casual, every one of them fell where it would be easiest to launch himself into flight.
Even his route deliberately avoided open ground, favoring the densest clusters of trees.
Tang Hao realized at once.
The boy had sensed him long ago!
A child who had just turned six had senses sharp enough to detect him, yet could remain so composed.
The killing intent in Tang Hao's heart grew stronger.
What a cunning little brat.
Tang Hao stopped hiding. The violent Soul Power surging around him tore his gray cloak to shreds.
Yellow, yellow, purple, purple, black, black, black, black, red.
Nine dazzling Soul Rings spiraled up from beneath his feet, one after another.
The last was a hundred-thousand-year red Soul Ring, its crimson light so bright it made breathing difficult.
A massive, pitch-black iron hammer appeared in his hand, radiating the force to destroy all things.
"Kid, you shine too brightly!"
"Too bad you're from Spirit Hall. You have to die today!"
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