Golden Crocodile Is Shocked: You're Level 50, and You're Taking on a Lava Poison Earth Dragon Alone? Petrification Gaze!

"Fifty-eight thousand years?"

Dugu Bo frowned.

"Ce'er is only level 50. Is it too risky to make his fifth ring one that's over fifty thousand years old?"

"It would be risky for anyone else, but Ce'er will be fine."

Golden Crocodile Douluo looked at Dugu Ce.

"Your mental strength is already at Soul Douluo level, and you've tempered your body with the Ice and Fire Golden Body.

"You can withstand a fifty-eight-thousand-year-old Soul Ring."

Dugu Ce stared at the marker on the map and asked,

"Lava Poison Earth Dragon... Does it have any special abilities?"

"It has dual fire cultivation."

Golden Crocodile Douluo explained,

"Its Soul Skills lean toward 'lava' and 'earthquakes.'

"Lava deals fire and poison damage, while earthquakes provide control.

"If you can get a suitable Soul Skill, it'll be a game changer for you."

"When do we move?"

"Now."

Golden Crocodile Douluo put away the map.

"That beast has a bad temper, and it'll be hard to find at night.

"While it's still light, I'll take you to kill it."

Dugu Xuan stepped forward.

"I'll go too."

"No need."

Golden Crocodile Douluo waved a hand.

"It's just a fifty-thousand-year-old dragonkin. I could kill it with a single slap.

"What Ce'er needs is a Soul Ring. More people would only get in the way."

Dugu Ce looked at Dugu Yan and Dugu Bo.

"Sis, Granduncle, keep watch on the mountain. I'll be back before you know it."

"Be careful."

Yu Yin took Dugu Ce's hand, her eyes full of worry.

"Don't worry, Mother."

Dugu Ce patted the back of his mother's hand, then turned and leaped into the air alongside Golden Crocodile Douluo. The two streaked away toward Sunset Forest like beams of light.

Dugu Yan watched them disappear into the distance, then asked Dugu Xuan in a low voice,

"Grandpa, a fifty-eight-thousand-year-old Soul Ring... Will Xia Ce really be all right?"

"If Lord Golden Crocodile says he'll be fine, then he'll be fine."

Dugu Xuan stood with his hands behind his back, his tone certain.

"Besides, when has that boy ever done anything he wasn't sure he could handle?"

Dugu Bo chuckled and pulled a poisonous herb from his robes, continuing to fiddle with it.

"Just wait.

"Once Ce'er gets his fifth ring, he'll go to Spirit Hall and crush that so-called Golden Generation.

"Then I'd like to see who still dares say the Dragon-Serpent Sect doesn't deserve a place among the Upper Three Sects."

Sunset Forest, volcanic crater.

Scalding lava churned deep within the crater, while thick smoke laced with the scent of sulfur surged toward the sky.

Golden Crocodile Douluo stood with his hands behind his back at the crater's edge, looking down at the roiling lava. He said calmly,

"It's right down there. I'll go force it out. Get ready to make your move."

"Teacher, let me handle it myself."

Dugu Ce took off his outer robe, revealing his well-built upper body.

The Dark Gold Dragon Pattern on his chest shimmered faintly in the firelight.

Golden Crocodile Douluo raised an eyebrow.

"By yourself?

"A fifty-eight-thousand-year-old dragonkin, against a level-50 Soul King like you..."

"If I can't beat it, I'll ask you to step in."

Dugu Ce rolled his wrists, and the dark-gold flames of the Calamity Sacred Dragon rose from his palm.

"But I want to try."

Golden Crocodile Douluo stared at Dugu Ce for a few seconds, then suddenly laughed.

"Fine. You've got guts. Go on. I'll watch from up here. Just don't die."

Dugu Ce nodded and leaped into the crater.

A wave of scorching air hit him in the face. Soul Power surged beneath his feet, and he landed steadily on a protruding rock along the inner wall of the crater.

Ten zhang below, the lava churned around a gigantic dark-red lizard dozing in its depths.

The Lava Poison Earth Dragon.

It was over ten meters long, covered in rough, dark-red scales, with a row of sharp bony spikes running down its back.

Sensing a strange presence, it abruptly opened its eyes.

Its slit pupils glowed orange-yellow as it fixed its gaze on Dugu Ce, standing on the rock.

"Roar—!"

The Lava Poison Earth Dragon let out a low growl and rose from the lava.

Lava slid through the gaps in its scales, yet didn't harm it in the slightest.

Dugu Ce drew a deep breath. The Radiant Sacred Dragon appeared in his left hand, and the Calamity Sacred Dragon in his right.

The two dragon auras, radiant gold and dark gold, clashed inside the crater, forcing the Lava Poison Earth Dragon to take half a step back.

"Let's see how you like my Ice and Fire Golden Body, you fifty-eight-thousand-year-old beast."

Dugu Ce leaped down, both palms striking out as two streams of dragon-shaped Soul Power hurtled toward the Lava Poison Earth Dragon's head.

Inside the crater, the scorching lava churned without pause.

Dugu Ce struck with both palms: radiant-gold Soul Power from the Radiant Sacred Dragon in his left hand, and dark-gold flames from the Calamity Sacred Dragon in his right.

Two dragon-shaped blasts of energy hurtled toward the Lava Poison Earth Dragon's head.

"Boom—!"

The Earth Dragon swept its massive tail, sending the lava flying several zhang into the air. It formed a dark-red barrier in front of the beast.

The two streams of Soul Power slammed into the barrier, exploding into a shower of sparks.

Dugu Ce kicked off the cliff wall for leverage, turning in midair to evade a stream of molten lava spat out by the Earth Dragon.

The scorching air swept past his back. The dark-gold sheen on his skin flickered faintly, leaving him completely unharmed.

"The Ice and Fire Golden Body really can take a beating."

Dugu Ce landed on another rock, the corners of his mouth lifting.

The Lava Poison Earth Dragon rose fully from the lava, its ten-meter body blocking most of the firelight.

It let out a low growl, and the bony spikes along its back suddenly lit up with a dark-red glow.

A wave of scorching poisonous mist poured from between its scales, instantly filling the entire crater.

"Poison mist?"

Dugu Ce took a deep breath, inhaling the poisonous mist.

The Calamity Sacred Dragon Martial Soul trembled inside him. The mist not only failed to harm him, but was swallowed up by his Martial Soul as nourishment.

"Forgot to tell you—I was playing with poison before you were even born."

Dugu Ce sneered. Soul Power burst beneath his feet, and he shot toward the Earth Dragon's head like an arrow.

The Earth Dragon opened its massive jaws and spat out a solid pillar of molten lava.

Dugu Ce didn't dodge. Instead, he brought his palms together.

The Calamity Sacred Dragon's dark-gold flames gathered in his palms, forming a spiraling pillar of fire that collided head-on with the Earth Dragon's molten pillar.

"Boom—!"

The two streams of fire exploded in midair. The shockwave sent loose stones tumbling from the edge of the crater.

Golden Crocodile Douluo stood at the crater's edge with his hands behind his back, watching the battle below. A hint of approval flashed in his eyes.

"Good lad. He's holding his own in a head-on clash."

And that was without even using a Soul Skill!

Dugu Ce was blasted back several zhang by the explosion. He kicked off the cliff wall several times before managing to steady himself.

His right hand tingled slightly, but the Dark Gold Dragon Pattern on his chest flashed, and the numbness vanished at once.

The Lava Poison Earth Dragon hadn't fared any better.

Its lower jaw had been scorched by the dark-gold flames. Several of its scales had turned black and curled up, exposing the tender red flesh beneath.

"Roar—!"

The Earth Dragon howled in pain, its fury fully unleashed.

It dug in with all four legs, charging at Dugu Ce at an astonishing speed. Its massive tail swept across the space, stirring up a fierce gale.

Dugu Ce's eyes narrowed. He pushed off the cliff wall with both feet and shot into the air.

"Seventh Soul Ring... No, this beast hasn't reached seventy thousand years, so it can't use a domain.

"Then let's try this move."

Dugu Ce flipped in midair as the Calamity Sacred Dragon's fourth Soul Ring lit up.

It was the Soul Skill he'd obtained from Medusa: Petrification Gaze.