With the Blade of Thunder

"He wasn't Youchou. He was a fried dough cake!"

At a campsite, several disciples formed a circle around the camp while someone reported to their leader.

Qiangu Zuiren tossed a piece of firewood into the flames and poked at them a few times. "Picking fights whenever there's nothing to do, and acting so aggressively. If he runs into someone stubborn during an outing, it won't matter what great clan he comes from."

Qiangu Youchou ranked among the top ten of the younger generation in terms of strength, sitting at eighth place... truly the old eighth.

"It'll do him good to learn a lesson!" Qiangu Liren sighed. "He took him down in two moves. This Mu Baobao really has some skill. I certainly couldn't do it. You probably couldn't either, right, Brother?"

"Ten moves would be possible. But even a Soul Saint couldn't be sure of defeating a Soul Emperor in two moves. This Mu Baobao must have inherited Dragon God Douluo Mu En's true teachings. Yet the Forest of Lightning suppresses ice, and he still performed so well despite being unable to use his full strength. His Ultimate Ice dragon martial soul is definitely extraordinary."

The group discussed it from every angle and quickly pieced together the general picture. Aside from Mu En's own overwhelming strength, his Soul Rings, Soul Bones, martial soul configuration... there were also his Self-Created Soul Skills.

"A mental attack?"

Reign Over the World was something many had heard of. It was an attack formed by merging spiritual power and Soul Power.

There were few spiritual-type soul masters, and ultimate martial souls were rare as well. At the very least, they were stronger than ordinary soul masters in this regard. Besides, his Soul Power should not have been higher than theirs.

It should have been about the same, yet he lagged several ranks behind them. That proved the guy had not neglected his spiritual cultivation.

"Looks like these people aren't all idiots."

High up in a large tree, Mu Baobao and Ma Xiaotao had arrived long ago. They had hollowed out the trunk and made a nest inside it. Lying there was simply too comfortable.

At dozens of meters in the air, few soul beasts came this high. Qiangu Zuiren's group had unexpectedly chosen to camp directly below them, which caught them by surprise. Their safety had just increased considerably.

The people below lit a bonfire and set a large pot over it to cook ingredients. Mu Baobao, meanwhile, handed Ma Xiaotao a rice ball with marinated dried meat. It had a unique flavor.

"So there's a way to eat without a fire." Ma Xiaotao mumbled, "If I follow you, at least I won't have to worry about food in the future."

In one day, they had covered two-fifths of the journey and climbed more than four hundred meters up the mountain. If they had merely been climbing, one hour would have been enough. Unfortunately, this was entirely a Forest of Lightning, with far too many soul beasts.

From their analysis, Mu Baobao's spiritual power was definitely not weak, but he had not inherited Mu En's Reign Over the World because he simply had no need for it.

Mu En had three Self-Created Soul Skills, which were likely the final three styles of the Nine Styles of the Great Dragon that he had comprehended.

Their martial souls differed, and so did their insights. Both were based on the Radiant Sacred Dragon. Mu Baobao could draw inspiration from it... but he could not imitate it. That was why Beibei had been trained as the next Dragon God Douluo.

Qiangu Youchou ranked eighth. No wonder he acted so fearlessly, though he was still more cowardly than Old Six.

"Get some rest. Let them keep watch for us!"

Mu Baobao spoke as if the people below were living alarms. Whenever soul beasts came, several loudspeakers would immediately go off. They would not even need anyone standing guard.

Since that was the case, they should sleep early while they could. Who knew whether some blind soul beast would charge over?

Ma Xiaotao's face reddened slightly. The hollow trunk had enough space for two people to lie down, but they would have to press close together.

That night was indeed peaceful. The Qiangu Clan disciples kept their bonfires burning all night, and many took turns keeping watch. The soul beasts were so frightened that none dared approach.

In the distant ancient age, humanity's ancestors blocked their caves with huge stones every night. Only after discovering that fire could drive away wild beasts did they step into the vast world.

Cooked food over flames began the development of civilization. Deep beneath the sea, where there were no flames, perhaps it was still a barbaric age filled with massive, powerful marine monsters.

The ocean was the origin of life.

Fire was the development of civilization.

In the morning, white mist blanketed everything.

A huge egg yolk rose in the east as Mu Baobao and Ma Xiaotao felt violent tremors.

"What the hell? Is it an earthquake?"

Strands of sunlight passed through the holes, which had been left as breathing vents. They knew it was already late morning. Ma Xiaotao could not help marveling at the soul beast forest.

She had never slept so comfortably before. Almost every night, she either failed to get enough sleep or slept in constant fear.

"Damn, you really don't sleep quietly."

He grumbled as he moved aside the reinforced door, which was like a wooden plug. The hollow instantly brightened, but a gust of wind across his chest made him feel chilly.

"Sorry!" Ma Xiaotao muttered. She had drooled in her sleep and soaked Mu Baobao's chest again. This was not a place where he could simply change in front of her, which was truly troublesome.

"Have the soul beasts gone berserk?"

Groups of soul beasts below were rushing in one direction. Mu Baobao focused his spiritual power and looked over.

The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan was being focused down... Individually, the soul beasts might not be able to hurt them, but there were simply too many.

Dragons of every color flew through the air, with all kinds of attributes. As expected of descendants of close-relative marriages, their mutation rate was far higher than it had been ten thousand years ago.

"Elder Qiangu, should we intervene? At this rate, they probably won't be able to control the situation. If they do not kill or injure the soul beasts, their lives may be in danger." On another large tree, an elder of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan spoke to an elder of the Qiangu Family. Both were Soul Douluo-level experts, but the latter answered slowly.

"Sure. If an elder intervenes, they can participate in the competition again next year!" he shouted inwardly. They're disciples of your Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan. What the hell does that have to do with me?

"Mm." The elder surnamed Yu fell silent. It was obvious that this man had no good intentions, but there was nothing he could do.

Before Sea God Tang San ascended to the God Realm, he had forcibly made Qian Jun and Jiang Mo, two Super Douluo consecrates of the Spirit Hall at the time, become affiliates of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan. Although the clan recovered in a short time and grew strong enough to fear no one, a seed had been planted.

The Qiangu Clan had always been suppressed. Given the chance, they would definitely kick someone when they were down. They would not dare exterminate the other clan, though. Who knew whether that person was watching?

The Spirit Hall had been able to achieve victory, and this clan could have become famous throughout the continent. Shrek Academy occupied Spirit City yet never fulfilled its duties... it had become a local tyrant while the great empires fought one another.

If the continent could have been unified, then when the Sun Moon Continent collided with the Douluo Continent, they probably would not have been so passive.

"I'll do it!"

Mu Baobao had been watching them for some time. How could he not understand what those two old men were thinking? The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan disciples had already been beaten back step by step, so he immediately roared and charged out.

"Ah, it seems my Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan disciples were not fated to die. It was so in the past, and it remains so now." The elder surnamed Yu stroked his beard with a smile. Elder Qiangu cursed inwardly, What a busybody.

"Damn it, is traveling in groups this dangerous?" Several disciples cursed. Many had wounds on their bodies. "At this rate, we can't be blamed for injuring the soul beasts, or we'll be in danger."

One disciple erupted with surging lightning and blasted a soul beast to the ground with overwhelming force. Another soul beast lunged from a different direction, placing him in peril, but his companion drove it back with a Thunder Dragon Claw.

Yet they had already been surrounded. Regretfully, they wanted to call for their elder and withdraw. They had gained some experience, at least. Fortunately, the competition was held once a year, so they could try again next year.

"Roar!"

Kyurem's enormous phantom appeared and unleashed the roar of the Strongest Dragon. The soul beasts trembled in fear.

"First Soul Skill, Battle Cry!"

The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan disciples felt encouraged, their spirits strengthening by several degrees. Just as they wanted to launch a counterattack, the soul beasts fled.

"No need to thank me. I'm Lei Hong."

A figure stood upon a tree trunk, sunlight casting his shadow. The disciples instantly knew who had come. On the first day, that guy had suppressed more than a dozen people with Dragon Might alone. An ultimate martial soul truly deserved its reputation.

"What Lei Hong? Isn't he Baobao?"

The others were puzzled. Mu Baobao, who had been about to leave, lost his footing and nearly fell from the tree.

"Wasn't your alias Mu Fengchun? Since when did you change your name to Lei Hong? With the Blade of Thunder? But you have Ultimate Ice, not a Thunder Dragon or Lightning Dragon."

Ma Xiaotao also asked, gleefully tearing down his disguise. Mu Baobao stared blankly. "That's how you interpret it?"

"Lei Hong is a great benefactor who does good deeds without leaving his name behind," Mu Baobao replied. The two continued climbing the mountain. The disciples felt grateful toward them, even though their lives had never truly been at risk.

Still, they did not want to wait another year. Besides, his name was rather amusing, so they remembered it.

"Elder Qiangu, now you can attack as much as you like. I certainly won't stop you!" Two hours later, Mu Baobao and Ma Xiaotao encountered the two elders again. This time, the Qiangu Family disciples were surrounded by soul beasts.

The target had changed from the Yu Family to the Qiangu Family. Mu Baobao was supposedly a Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan disciple, so surely he would not save Qiangu Family disciples? Elder Qiangu knew that, and he could not possibly watch his disciples fall into danger. Eight Soul Rings emerged as he prepared to act.

"Mm, Lei Hong is here again." Yet after Mu Baobao shouted, he charged out once more.

"That brat is such a busybody."

The elder surnamed Yu cursed. After ten thousand years of oppression, saving someone once was enough to put it behind them. In truth, that was exactly what happened. Elder Qiangu wore an unpleasant expression as he said disdainfully, "Unsolicited kindness hides either treachery or theft."

Mu Baobao sympathized with the Qiangu Clan. It should have been glorious, but Tang Buddha Ancestor had forcibly tied it to the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan. The Yu Family, on the other hand, was not particularly worth saving, though people could not choose where they were born.

He could not simply ignore the Yu Family. According to the usual fantasy script, in this Sacred Mountain Grand Competition he should find outstanding members of the two clans, provoke them, crush them instantly to show off, and begin his invincible journey.

Instead, he ignored them and advanced with Ma Xiaotao at blazing speed, like the Blade of Thunder... By dusk,

A hundred steps appeared before them. Once they crossed them, they should reach the destination of this journey. Yet the staircase stood abruptly in the middle of a purple forest. A huge vine-covered tree, dozens of meters tall with wildly twisting branches, stared at them terrifyingly. There was no sign of life within a thousand meters.

Even the sky was overcast, countless bolts of lightning falling without pause. The ground was pitch-black, making the place seem like a living hell. Yet Mu Baobao was thrilled.

This was the only route up the mountain. There had once been clever disciples who took a wide detour and successfully climbed up from the back. The following year, the rules stipulated that they could only enter through the front gate, but that still could not stop them.

As long as someone held it back and allowed the others to climb up, they could wait until next year. At this moment, Mu Baobao looked overwhelmingly domineering as he slowly walked toward the massive vine tree.

"My Soul Ring is waiting for me!" Even Ma Xiaotao was stunned. "What Soul Ring?"

"Your Ultimate Ice dragon only broke through a few months ago. Where would you have room to absorb another Soul Ring? The Thunder Prison Vine is indeed an exceptional soul beast, but ice and lightning counter each other. Are you trying to make me laugh?"

Mu Baobao turned to look at her and spoke words that shattered her worldview.

"Did I ever say I only had one martial soul?"