Terror Demon Dragon King

Zhang Lexuan was sleeping soundly when she suddenly sensed someone approaching. Though reluctant to give up the comfort of sleep, she still opened her eyes and looked ahead.

Lin Yun stood in front of her, reaching toward her shoulder. His hand had stopped in midair.

"As expected of my senior sister. You wake the moment I get close."

Lin Yun smiled at Zhang Lexuan and pointed toward the window.

The sky was beginning to brighten. As the sun emerged, a streak of pale dawn gradually spread across the horizon.

Zhang Lexuan immediately stood up and stepped barefoot onto the cold marble floor. She shivered almost imperceptibly, then quickly put on her shoes.

"Let's go. It's all mountain trails today. If we miss our window, we'll be stuck trudging through the mountains all day."

Lin Yun didn't dawdle. He picked up his backpack and set off.

Standing at the foot of the mountain, Lin Yun asked,

"Can't we just fly straight up?"

"Can you keep flying for that long? This mountain's no small one."

Zhang Lexuan looked back at Lin Yun.

Lin Yun nodded and said to her,

"My Martial Soul's flight ability is much better than an ordinary Bone Dragon's. I can fly up there on my own."

Zhang Lexuan led Lin Yun to a relatively secluded spot and said,

"If we're flying, there's no need to fight for the main path."

With that, Zhang Lexuan took off first, flying toward the mountain peak.

A pair of bone wings three times his height spread from Lin Yun's back. With just a few casual beats, he caught up to Zhang Lexuan.

Zhang Lexuan couldn't help being surprised by Lin Yun's flying speed. She smiled with pursed lips and said,

"If you can fly that fast, we'll make much better time."

As she spoke, Zhang Lexuan prepared to speed up too, but Lin Yun caught her by both arms from behind.

His arms were now covered in bony dragon claws. Even with the added strength, Zhang Lexuan couldn't break free at once without using Soul Power.

"Senior sister, if you speed up any more, you'll waste Soul Power for no reason."

With that, Lin Yun controlled his bone wings and shot up the mountain, only landing once they reached the peak.

The two steadied themselves. Zhang Lexuan stood at the edge on the far side of the mountain, looking down.

Soon, Zhang Lexuan said,

"We're in luck. Those fellows have been active lately. Let's head down."

Lin Yun nodded and walked to the edge of the cliff. Then, pinching his nose and striking a diving pose, he jumped.

The force of the free fall made Lin Yun's face wobble, but he remained calm. Zhang Lexuan wasn't nearly so reckless; she used Soul Power to control herself and descended slowly.

Just before hitting the ground, Lin Yun spread his bone wings. The upward force of his flight instantly canceled out the force of the fall.

Lin Yun landed at the edge of the Valley of Fear. Once Zhang Lexuan touched down, she flicked him on the forehead.

"Don't do that again. It's too dangerous."

Lin Yun didn't mind. He was simply savoring the feeling of having everything under his control.

It was unique and wonderful.

The two straightened their clothes, returning to how they'd looked before flying down. Then Zhang Lexuan said,

"From here on, there'll be no more fooling around. Stay close to me. This area is a breeding ground shared by several factions, so we're unlikely to find any especially powerful Fear Demon Dragons. But even a thousand-year one would be a handful for you right now."

Lin Yun nodded. Zhang Lexuan raised a wisp of Soul Power and began sensing the changes in the surrounding aura.

Lin Yun stayed close behind Zhang Lexuan. This wasn't a high-altitude free-fall jump; this was something he really couldn't control.

Still, Lin Yun watched Zhang Lexuan's movements and tried to understand the principles behind them. Before long, he used his Martial Soul to raise a similar wisp of Soul Power.

Zhang Lexuan couldn't help smiling.

"You learn pretty fast."

Lin Yun smiled modestly.

"I'm only following the instructions. Still, I sensed one over there. Want to take a look?"

Zhang Lexuan nodded and said to Lin Yun,

"These Fear Demon Dragons have powerful mental strength, and they know we're here to hunt for Soul Rings. They're very good at hiding. It'd be good to catch one and have a look."

Just as the two were closing in on the source of the Soul Power, a figure suddenly lunged at Lin Yun.

The creature was a gigantic lizard. It came crashing down at Lin Yun, jaws snapping for his throat.

Lin Yun immediately summoned his strongest undead soldier: a Bone Dragon at the thousand-year Soul Beast level.

The Bone Dragon slammed into the Fear Demon Dragon, which had been trying to rip Lin Yun open. Only then could Lin Yun and Zhang Lexuan get a clear look at their opponent.

It was a wingless Sub-Dragon over ten meters long. Its entire body was covered in black scales, and the purple around its eyes framed golden irises that revealed its bloodline.

Zhang Lexuan grew excited. As the Inner Court's senior sister, her knowledge of Martial Soul Theory was almost like artificial intelligence; she quickly identified the Soul Beast's origins.

She might as well have given the other side a full introduction.

"You're incredibly lucky, junior brother Yun. This is a dragon species with ties to the Dark Dragon King's line—a being that's half a step away from becoming a true dragon."

Lin Yun narrowed his eyes.

"It doesn't even have wings. Isn't it a long way off from the Golden-Eyed Black Dragon clan?"

Zhang Lexuan said,

"That's because you don't understand the Golden-Eyed Black Dragons' status among dragons! It has golden eyes, such dense dark elements, and enough strength to casually smash your thousand-year Bone Dragon. It has to be a Terror Demon Dragon King."

"This Soul Beast grows to ten thousand years very quickly. To run into one that's eight thousand eight hundred and eighty-eight years old is incredibly good luck."

As he dodged the Terror Demon Dragon King's attacks, Lin Yun said to Zhang Lexuan,

"So you do know it just smashed my Bone Dragon and is now attacking me! Help!"

Zhang Lexuan smiled and gave a light cough.

"Sorry. I was surprised to see something that only exists in books."

As she spoke, Zhang Lexuan's expression changed instantly. Her graceful, cool demeanor vanished, replaced by an incomparable air of authority and deadly intent.

The moment she switched into battle mode, Zhang Lexuan launched her attack without a trace of delay. Her silver-white Moon Blade flashed past, severing the Terror Demon Dragon King's limbs before stabbing into its spinal cord.

"All right, finish it off and make it your Soul Ring."

Zhang Lexuan's advice was entirely unnecessary. The moment its spinal cord was pinned, Lin Yun had already turned the tables and torn the Terror Demon Dragon's head off.

A deep purple Soul Ring, almost black, floated into view. Lin Yun looked at the spot where his third Soul Ring would appear, then said,

"Senior sister, can I really do this? I'm kind of scared."

Lin Yun asked with a mix of feigned innocence and genuine concern.

Zhang Lexuan, however, answered with complete confidence...