Mu En was stunned for a moment.
Then the old man laughed.
Good lad.
A five-thousand-year Golden Earth-Scaled Dragon, one of the branches of the Golden Earth Dragon, was among the most defensively powerful subspecies of draconic beasts.
Its soul ring would most likely grant a defensive or physique-enhancing soul skill, perfectly complementing the offensive path of his first soul skill.
Moreover, the Golden Earth-Scaled Dragon itself possessed a trace of Bright Sacred Dragon bloodline, making it highly compatible with Mu Tianyi's martial soul.
With a target in mind, everything that followed became much easier.
Mu En walked ahead with his cane, his steps unhurried as his deep gaze casually swept over the surroundings.
How terrifying was a Limit Douluo's perception?
Within a radius of ten li, every blade of grass, every tree, and every soul beast's aura was clearly reflected in his mind.
The old man could have walked with his eyes closed.
"Found it."
About a quarter of an hour later, Mu En suddenly stopped and pointed his cane toward the southeast.
"Five hundred paces away, at the edge of the valley. One five-thousand-year Golden Earth-Scaled Dragon."
Mu Tianyi's spirits lifted.
"Let's go take a look."
Mu En waved his hand, and the three of them silently approached.
After pushing aside the final clump of brush, the view suddenly opened up.
It was the edge of a low valley, littered with jagged rocks and broad stretches of exposed yellow earth.
At that moment, a fierce confrontation was unfolding on that yellow ground.
Mu Tianyi focused his gaze.
A massive soul beast was crouched before a boulder, its entire body covered in golden scales. Every scale was as large as a palm, their edges gleaming with a cold metallic luster.
It was exactly the Golden Earth-Scaled Dragon he needed!
Its body was over four meters long, with thick limbs and a row of sharp bony spines rising along its back.
Its vertical pupils stared coldly at the opponent before it, while scorching breath occasionally spilled from its mouth.
Opposite it, a leopard-like soul beast covered in blue and black markings crouched low as it slowly paced.
A Wind-Cloud Leopard.
Mu Tianyi's pupils contracted slightly.
This Wind-Cloud Leopard was even larger than the Golden Earth-Scaled Dragon, faint cyan currents swirling around its body. The muscles in its limbs were sleek and packed with explosive power.
According to the knowledge Mu Tianyi had learned, this Wind-Cloud Leopard had at least ten thousand years of cultivation!
Under normal circumstances, five thousand years against ten thousand years would be a battle without any suspense.
But the situation before them was completely different.
The Wind-Cloud Leopard launched the first attack.
Its body became a blue-black afterimage, unbelievably fast!
In almost the blink of an eye, its sharp claws had already struck at the Golden Earth-Scaled Dragon's side neck.
Against an ordinary soul beast, this blow would have sent it flying.
But the Golden Earth-Scaled Dragon did not even take a step back.
It merely narrowed its eyes slightly as a thick earthen-yellow glow suddenly lit up across its golden scales.
Clang—
A dull sound like metal striking metal rang out.
The Wind-Cloud Leopard's claws were forcefully knocked aside, while not even a white mark was left on the Golden Earth-Scaled Dragon's scales.
Mu Tianyi's eyes lit up.
What a hard shell!
The Wind-Cloud Leopard was clearly enraged as well. It pounced three times in succession, moving so quickly that it was almost impossible to follow with the naked eye.
Claws, bites, tail strikes...
Every attack landed precisely on the Golden Earth-Scaled Dragon.
Yet without exception, all of them were blocked by that earthen-yellow glow.
The Golden Earth-Scaled Dragon remained completely motionless, like a hill clad in golden armor.
What it was waiting for was an opening.
After more than ten rounds of attacks, the Wind-Cloud Leopard's stamina began to decline, and its speed finally slowed by the slightest margin.
That slight margin was enough.
The Golden Earth-Scaled Dragon moved!
Its thick hind legs slammed into the ground, and its entire body crashed forward like a golden war chariot!
It was so fast that it looked nothing like its previously clumsy appearance.
Its dragon claw slammed viciously into the Wind-Cloud Leopard's flank, instantly tearing open five bloody gashes!
The Wind-Cloud Leopard let out a shrill cry as it was sent flying, rolling across the ground several times.
It struggled to its feet, and wariness finally appeared in its eyes.
The Golden Earth-Scaled Dragon let out a low roar, its golden scales shimmering brilliantly.
Not only had that earthen-yellow glow not faded, it had grown even denser.
It was clearly a sign that its defensive skill had been activated at full force.
The Wind-Cloud Leopard took a deep look at its opponent before ultimately choosing to retreat.
A ten-thousand-year soul beast could not even bully a five-thousand-year one. Continuing to fight would only be humiliating.
The Golden Earth-Scaled Dragon watched the Wind-Cloud Leopard vanish into the distance, then raised its head and let out a proud low roar.
That roar was filled with arrogance.
It seemed to be saying: See that? I may only have five thousand years, but even a ten-thousand-year one won't get the better of me!
The corner of Mu Tianyi's mouth lifted slightly.
But he did not move.
Because the aged figure beside him had already raised his cane.
"That's enough."
Mu En's voice was calm.
Then, he released a trace of his aura.
An aura belonging solely to a Limit Douluo.
No soul rings appeared, and no martial soul manifested.
It was only a trace.
The air within several hundred meters seemed to freeze instantly.
The Golden Earth-Scaled Dragon's movements abruptly stiffened. Its vertical pupils widened, shrinking into pinpoints.
It felt it.
That was suppression from the very top of the food chain, fear engraved deep within its bloodline.
The Golden Earth-Scaled Dragon's limbs went limp, and its entire body collapsed onto the ground with a boom.
It did not even struggle before passing out.
Mu Tianyi took a deep breath and stepped forward. He opened his right hand, and the faint image of a Bright Sacred Dragon appeared behind him.
A dragon claw condensed, its five fingers sharp as hooks.
He raised his arm and aimed at the Golden Earth-Scaled Dragon's head.
Pfft!
Clean and decisive, the strike pierced straight through.
A deep-purple soul ring slowly rose from the soul beast's corpse, giving off a profound gleam beneath the sunlight.
Mu Tianyi withdrew his hand and sat down cross-legged.
His Bright Sacred Dragon martial soul fully unfolded behind him. Drawn by it, the deep-purple soul ring slowly approached and settled around him.
The instant the soul ring entered his body, a warm current of energy surged into every limb and bone.
There was none of the tearing pain he had imagined.
The Golden Earth-Scaled Dragon's bloodline was extraordinarily compatible with the Bright Sacred Dragon martial soul. That energy was like a stream flowing into a great river, naturally merging into his body.
Mu Tianyi closed his eyes and felt it.
His martial soul was cheering.
His meridians were expanding.
His Soul Power was rising.
One hour later.
Mu Tianyi opened his eyes and exhaled a breath of turbid air.
His black eyes shone like stars, and his aura was far more profound than before.
"How does it feel?" Mu En asked, leaning on his cane.
"Wonderful, Xuan Zu." Mu Tianyi stood and rolled his shoulders, his joints producing faint cracking sounds. "After absorbing this soul ring, my Soul Power has directly reached level twenty-five."
"And what is your second soul skill?"
The old man was blunt and direct.
Mu Tianyi closed his eyes, communicating with his martial soul as he felt the new power granted by the deep-purple soul ring.
A moment later, he opened his eyes, a smile rising at the corners of his mouth.
"Xuan Zu, please step back a little."
Mu En raised a brow, but still took two steps back.
Mu Tianyi took a deep breath, and his second soul ring lit up.
Deep-purple light bloomed beneath his feet and instantly spread throughout his body.
A soft golden glow covered his skin, as though he had been coated with a thin film of light.
The light was warm and bright, yet not dazzling.
Mu Tianyi shook both arms, and the glow suddenly expanded outward in a wave!
Even standing three meters away, Zhang Lexuan could feel a warm force rushing toward her.
"Second soul skill—Radiant Dragon Body."
Mu Tianyi's voice emerged from the glow, clear and steady.
"Effect: A radiant aura blooms across my entire body, increasing my strength by two hundred percent and my light-element damage by two hundred percent."
"At the same time, it inflicts a slight light-element backlash on enemies that come close."
He withdrew the soul skill, and the golden glow around his body slowly faded.
Then he turned to look at Mu En.
"However, during sustained combat, the enhancement effect will slowly weaken as Soul Power is consumed."
Before you continue