Golden Crocodile's Shock: You're Level 50, Soloing the Lava Poison Earth Dragon? Petrification Gaze!

"Fifty-eight thousand years?"

Dugu Bo frowned.

"Ce'er is only level fifty. Isn't it too risky to aim for a fifth ring over fifty thousand years?"

"It would be a risk for others, but Ce'er will have no problem."

Golden Crocodile Douluo looked at Dugu Ce.

"Your spiritual power has already reached the Spirit Douluo level, and your physical body has been tempered by the Ice and Fire Golden Body.

You can handle a fifty-eight-thousand-year spirit ring."

Dugu Ce stared at the mark on the map and asked:

"The Lava Poison Earth Dragon... what special abilities does it have?"

"It cultivates both fire and poison."

Golden Crocodile Douluo explained.

"Its spirit skills lean toward 'lava' and 'earthquake.'

'Lava' deals fire and poison damage, while 'earthquake' provides crowd control.

If you can obtain a suitable spirit skill, it will be a qualitative change for you."

"When do we move?"

"Now."

Golden Crocodile Douluo put away the map.

"That beast has a violent temper and is hard to find at night.

While it's still light, I will take you to slaughter it."

Dugu Xuan stepped forward:

"I shall go as well."

"No need."

Golden Crocodile Douluo waved his hand.

"A sub-dragon of over fifty thousand years is something I can slap to death with one hand.

Ce'er needs the spirit ring; having too many people around will only get in the way."

Dugu Ce looked at Dugu Yan and Dugu Bo:

"Sister, Grand-uncle, keep watch on the mountain. I will be back shortly."

"Be careful."

Yu Yin grabbed Dugu Ce's hand, her eyes filled with worry.

"Don't worry, Mother."

Dugu Ce patted his mother's hand, turned, and leaped into the air with Golden Crocodile Douluo, the two of them transforming into streaks of light as they sped toward the Sunset Forest.

Dugu Yan watched the direction in which they disappeared and asked Dugu Xuan in a low voice:

"Grandfather, a fifty-eight-thousand-year spirit ring... will Ce'er really be okay?"

"If His Excellency Golden Crocodile says it's fine, then it's fine."

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

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

Dugu Bo chuckled and pulled a poisonous herb from his robe to fiddle with:

"Just wait.

Once Ce'er's fifth ring is formed, he will go to Martial Soul Hall and crush that so-called Golden Generation.

When that time comes, I want to see who still dares to say the Dragon-Serpent Sect is unworthy of being one of the Upper Three Sects."

Sunset Forest, volcanic crater.

Searing magma churned deep within the crater, and thick smoke mixed with the scent of sulfur shot straight into the sky.

Golden Crocodile Douluo stood at the edge of the crater with his hands behind his back, looking down at the surging magma below, and said indifferently:

"It's right down there. I will go down first to force it out; you prepare to strike."

"Teacher, let me handle it myself."

Dugu Ce took off his outer robe, revealing his lean, muscular upper body.

The Dark Gold Dragon Pattern on his chest flickered in and out of sight under the reflection of the firelight.

Golden Crocodile Douluo raised an eyebrow:

"By yourself?"

"A fifty-eight-thousand-year sub-dragon, and you, a mere level fifty Spirit King..."

"If I can't beat it, I'll ask Teacher to intervene."

Dugu Ce flexed his wrists, and the dark gold flames of the Calamity Sacred Dragon surged from his palms.

"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 be watching from above; as long as you don't die, it's fine."

Dugu Ce nodded and leaped into the crater.

A wave of scorching heat rushed toward him. Dugu Ce channeled his spirit power beneath his feet, landing steadily on a protruding rock on the inner wall of the crater.

Ten zhang below, magma churned, and a massive, dark-red lizard was napping in the molten flow.

Lava Poison Earth Dragon.

Over ten meters long, its body was covered in rough, dark-red scales, with a row of sharp bone spurs running along its spine.

Sensing an unfamiliar presence, it snapped its eyes open.

A pair of vertical pupils glowed with an orange-yellow light, locking onto Dugu Ce on the rock.

"Roar—!"

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

Magma slid off the gaps in its scales, unable to cause it the slightest harm.

Dugu Ce took a deep breath, the Radiant Sacred Dragon manifesting on his left hand and the Calamity Sacred Dragon on his right.

The collision of the brilliant gold and dark gold dragon auras within the crater forced the Lava Poison Earth Dragon to retreat half a step.

"Fifty-eight-thousand-year beast, come taste my Ice and Fire Golden Body."

Dugu Ce leaped down, both palms striking out as two dragon-shaped blasts of spirit power surged toward the Lava Poison Earth Dragon's face.

Inside the crater, the scorching magma churned incessantly.

Dugu Ce struck with both palms, his left hand unleashing the brilliant gold spirit power of the Radiant Sacred Dragon, his right hand the dark gold flames of the Calamity Sacred Dragon.

The two dragon-shaped energy blasts hurtled toward the Lava Poison Earth Dragon's face.

"Boom—!"

The Earth Dragon swung its massive tail, sending magma spraying several zhang high, forming a dark-red barrier in front of it.

The two forces slammed into the barrier, exploding into a sky full of sparks.

Dugu Ce stepped against the rock wall to gain leverage, his body flipping in mid-air to dodge a stream of lava breath spat out by the dragon.

The scorching heat grazed his back, but the dark gold luster on his skin flickered, leaving him completely unscathed.

"The Ice and Fire Golden Body really can hold up."

Dugu Ce landed on another rock, the corner of his mouth curling upward.

The Lava Poison Earth Dragon stood fully upright from the magma, its ten-meter-long body blocking most of the firelight.

It let out a low roar, and the bone spurs on its spine suddenly glowed with a dark red light.

A scorching toxic mist poured from the gaps in its scales, instantly filling the entire crater.

"Poison mist?"

Dugu Ce took a deep breath, drawing the mist into his body.

The Calamity Sacred Dragon spirit vibrated within him; far from harming him, the poison mist was devoured by his spirit as nourishment.

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

Dugu Ce sneered, his spirit power erupting beneath his feet as he shot toward the top of the dragon's head like an arrow.

The Earth Dragon opened its massive maw, and a solid pillar of lava fire erupted.

Dugu Ce didn't dodge; he pressed his palms together.

The dark gold flames of the Calamity Sacred Dragon condensed into a spiral pillar of fire in his palms, colliding head-on with the dragon's lava pillar.

"Boom—!"

The two fires exploded in the air, the heat wave shaking loose rocks from the crater's edge.

Golden Crocodile Douluo stood with his hands behind his back at the crater's edge, looking down at the battle with a hint of approval in his eyes:

"Good lad, holding his own in a head-on clash."

And this was without even using a spirit skill!

Dugu Ce was pushed back several zhang by the force of the explosion, his feet tapping the rock wall several times before he stabilized his stance.

The web between his right thumb and index finger felt slightly numb, but the dark gold dragon pattern on his chest flashed, and the numbness vanished instantly.

The Lava Poison Earth Dragon didn't fare much better.

Its lower jaw had been scorched by the dark gold flames, and several scales were charred and curled, revealing the tender red flesh beneath.

"ROAR--!"

The Earth Dragon felt the pain and was thoroughly enraged.

It pushed off with all four limbs, its massive body charging toward Dugu Ce with incredible speed, its giant tail sweeping across and whipping up a gale.

Dugu Ce's eyes sharpened; he kicked off the rock wall and soared into the sky.

The seventh spirit ring... no, this beast hasn't reached seventy thousand years, it can't use a domain.

Then let's try this move.

Dugu Ce flipped in mid-air as the fourth spirit ring of the Calamity Sacred Dragon lit up.

That was the spirit skill obtained from Medusa: Petrification Gaze.