Second Soul Skill, Golden Dragon Body!

Yu Tianlong could neither laugh nor cry, reaching out to ruffle the heads of the two little ones:

"Alright, alright, I know you're both impressive. But next time, remember to leave some room for me to show off, or your master here will have absolutely no presence at all."

Dugu Bo only then snapped back to reality. He walked over, looked at the Blazing Sun Snake carcass and the purple spirit ring on the ground, then glanced at the two spirited Golden Luo San Pao by Yu Tianlong's side, unable to stop himself from clicking his tongue in wonder:

"Good lad, these two Golden Luo San Pao of yours are becoming more and more outrageous. One absorbs fire, the other executes the kill; the coordination is seamless. In all my years, this is the first time I've seen such tacit understanding between spirits."

"They grew up together, their hearts are linked." Yu Tianlong smiled, walked to the side of the Blazing Sun Snake's body, and sat cross-legged. "Senior, I'll have to trouble you to guard me; I'm going to absorb this spirit ring."

"Rest assured, with me here, nothing will disturb you."

Dugu Bo stood with his hands behind his back, emerald-green spirit power circulating slowly around him. A powerful aura spread out, bringing the surrounding dozens of meters under his vigilant watch.

Yu Tianlong took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and channeled his spirit power to guide the purple thousand-year spirit ring, drawing it slowly toward himself.

Little Gold walked to the side of the Blazing Sun Snake's body, lowered its head, opened its mouth, and began to devour.

Over the past six months, they had formed a fixed routine: while Yu Tianlong absorbed the spirit ring, Little Gold devoured the spirit beast's carcass. The two actions, performed in tandem, often achieved twice the result with half the effort.

Golden light and purple halos shimmered in harmony, shrouding Yu Tianlong within.

His aura began to climb steadily.

The breeze of the Sunset Forest brushed across the volcanic rock terrain, carrying the scent of sulfur and scorched earth.

Yu Tianlong sat cross-legged beside the Blazing Sun Snake's carcass, the purple light of the spirit ring gradually receding and merging into his body.

He slowly opened his eyes, a flash of brilliance flickering through his pupils. A spirit power fluctuation, far more solid and powerful than before, radiated from his body.

"Level twenty-three." Yu Tianlong clenched his fist, feeling the surging power within, and a satisfied smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.

Little Gold stood to the side, its size having grown another notch since before the absorption; its body length was now nearly 1.8 meters, and its shoulder height reached Yu Tianlong's waist.

The golden scales covering its body were denser, shimmering with a metallic luster under the sunlight. The bump on its forehead had split into a distinct fissure, and one could faintly see something wriggling inside.

Its limbs were thicker, the cold glint at the tips of its claws flickering, and every breath it took carried a faint golden mist, accompanied by the subtle sound of wind and thunder.

Little Silver squatted on a protruding rock, its silver-white fur drifting gently in the wind, with purple patterns appearing and disappearing between the strands.

It had also grown, but its size was clearly a notch smaller than Little Gold's, appearing only about two-thirds as large.

At this moment, it was using its claws to poke at a stone scorched red by the Blazing Sun Snake's flames, playing happily, though the look it occasionally cast toward Little Gold always betrayed a hint of envy and grievance.

"Luo..." Little Silver dropped the stone, hopped over to Yu Tianlong's side, and rubbed its little head against his arm. Its glass-like eyes were watery, as if saying:

"Look, it got bigger again, and I'm still so small..."

Yu Tianlong could neither laugh nor cry, reaching out to ruffle its furry head:

"Don't be impatient. When it comes to the third spirit ring, I'll give you priority. Once you absorb a spirit ring with the right elemental attributes, you'll definitely make a great leap forward."

"Luo?" Little Silver tilted its head, as if confirming whether its master was lying to it.

"Really, when have I ever lied to you?" Yu Tianlong promised earnestly. "The third ring, definitely the third ring; I'll make sure to prioritize you then."

Only then did Little Silver let out a satisfied "Luo," jumped back onto his shoulder, and held its tail high, returning to its spirited self.

Dugu Bo stood to the side, watching the interaction between the human and the two beasts, a playful smile on his face: "You've raised these spirits to be quite sentient; it's like raising two children."

"They are children, aren't they?" Yu Tianlong laughed, stood up, and stretched his limbs. "Senior, thank you for this time. If you hadn't led the way, I never would have found such a good spirit beast."

"Spare me the pleasantries." Dugu Bo waved his hand. "What is your second spirit skill? Let me see."

Yu Tianlong did not decline. With a thought, Little Gold understood immediately, tilted its head back, and let out a low roar!

"Second spirit skill, Golden Dragon Body!"

Hum!

Golden light surged from Little Gold's body like a tide, wrapping its entire form.

Amidst the dazzling golden light, Little Gold's size expanded once more, growing from its original 1.8 meters to over 2.5 meters!

Its limbs became even more robust, its muscle lines forged like fine steel. The scales that had previously covered only parts of its body now spread rapidly across its entire frame, forming a complete set of golden scale armor!

Its eyes turned a pure, dark gold, the pupils slitted and radiating a cold dragon's might. Within the fissure on its forehead, a golden light faintly swirled, as if something were about to break out of its cocoon!

"ROAR--!"

Little Gold let out a deafening roar. The sound had completely departed from the realm of "Luo Luo" and transformed into a true, dragon-like bellow!

The sound waves spread out, causing the surrounding rubble to tremble, and the very air seemed to solidify.

Dugu Bo's pupils constricted slightly. He could clearly feel that after unleashing its second spirit skill, Little Gold's aura had surged by at least half!

Moreover, that overbearing, inviolable momentum was clearly a high-tier 'Bulwark' state. In such a state, ordinary control skills and negative effects would likely find it very difficult to take effect.

"Golden Dragon Body... increases all attributes by fifty percent and grants immunity to most control effects during the duration," Yu Tianlong introduced simply.

"It's an offensive and defensive reinforcement skill. It works even better when used in conjunction with the Golden Dragon Claw."

"A fine Golden Dragon Body indeed!" Dugu Bo couldn't help but praise.

"Your second spirit ring choice was worth it! The Blazing Sun Snake is known for its vigorous blood and vitality; its spirit ring granting you a skill that reinforces the body is a perfect match. Plus, your Golden Luo San Pao is already on a path of pure strength—paired with this spirit skill, it's like adding wings to a tiger!"

"Senior is too kind." Yu Tianlong scratched his head, feeling a bit embarrassed, though he couldn't hide the trace of pride in his eyes.

He had Little Gold deactivate the Golden Dragon Body state. The golden light dissipated, and Little Gold returned to its normal size, yet the newly awakened dragon's might did not fully vanish; it still lingered around it, making it appear even more majestic than before.