The Dou Ling Empire occupied a position that was both somewhat advantageous and awkward.
Looking at the overall situation, it bordered the Heaven Dou Empire to the west and the Star Luo Empire to the south. The distance across the Star Dou Great Forest was almost like crossing from the central part of the Heaven Dou Empire all the way to its southernmost tip. It was simply too far...
So there was no choice. Lan Xuanyu, who was only seven years old, gave up on the idea of going to the Star Dou Great Forest to hunt for a Soul Ring and followed the Xuanming Sect's Soul Hunting team to Panlong Forest in the Dou Ling Empire.
The Dou Ling Empire was the weakest of the original three nations on Douluo Continent in both overall national strength and Soul Tool development. As a result, it had managed to preserve this famous gathering place for Soul Beasts, which had been well-known even back in the days of Spirit Hall. Although it was nowhere near as famous as the Star Dou Great Forest, Soul Beasts ranging from ten- and hundred-year varieties to thousand- and ten-thousand-year ones could all be found in Panlong Forest. There were even rumors of Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts deep in the forest.
The main purpose of the Xuanming Sect's trip was to obtain a Second Soul Ring for the sect's second young master, Xu Sanshi, and to hunt for a Soul Ring for Lan Xuanyu along the way.
Though Lan Xuanyu really didn't like the words "along the way"...
After Xu Sanshi obtained a Qinshui Turtle Soul Ring with a lifespan of eight hundred years, it was finally Lan Xuanyu's turn.
Lan Xuanyu had long since decided what kind of Soul Beast he wanted for his First Soul Ring.
The Xuanming Sect's leader was a Seven-Ring Soul Sage, around forty years old and burly in appearance. He was also the Xuanming Sect's chief steward and was in charge of this Soul Hunting Operation.
The group stopped beside a deep pool. When Lan Xuanyu spotted the faint, light-blue shape lurking in the water, his eyes immediately lit up.
He'd found it—his target!
Lan Xuanyu pointed excitedly at the light-blue shape. "Steward Chen, I choose this Azure Spirit Dragon for my First Soul Ring."
The Azure Spirit Dragon was a lesser Dragon-type Soul Beast. Rumor had it that it possessed a trace of Water Dragon bloodline. Though it was a Hundred-Year Soul Beast, its control over water was in no way inferior to that of thousand- or even ten-thousand-year Soul Beasts. For a Dragon Martial Soul Master, it was an exceptionally rare, high-quality Soul Ring.
It was also the highest-quality lesser Dragon-type Soul Beast of a suitable age that they had found in Panlong Forest.
Steward Chen's expression stiffened. He patted Lan Xuanyu on the shoulder. "Kid, according to the cultivation methods Grandmaster Yu Xiaogang left in the history books, plant-type Martial Souls like your Blue Silver Grass should develop toward poison and control, like our ancestor from ten thousand years ago, Sea God Tang San."
"Though the Azure Spirit Dragon has Dragon blood, its talent is water control. Listen to me and choose a Mandala Snake instead."
Lan Xuanyu shook his head and smiled confidently. "Thanks, Steward Chen. I know all that, but I want to forge a path completely different from our ancestor Tang San's! Please trust me. I'm sure of this!"
Steward Chen instinctively furrowed his brow. Lan Xuanyu didn't speak or act like a seven-year-old, yet in some ways he seemed remarkably childish. Otherwise, Steward Chen would have started to suspect his age...
After thinking it over, he decided that geniuses all had their own ideas, so he didn't press the matter.
"Fine. Be careful. If anything goes wrong, I'll interrupt your absorption. Remember, your life always comes first."
A roughly three-hundred-year-old Azure Spirit Dragon was naturally no match for a Soul Sage. Steward Chen dispatched it in a few swift moves, leaving it barely alive before tossing it in front of Lan Xuanyu.
Looking at the Azure Spirit Dragon lying on the ground, drawing in more than it breathed out, a cold glint flashed in Lan Xuanyu's eyes.
The Azure Spirit Dragon was called a dragon, but it looked more like a cross between a dragon and a snake. It was about five meters long, with a snake's head and no Dragon Wings or horns, though its body was covered in fine Dragon Scales.
But in the eyes of Lan Xuanyu, a true second-generation Dragon God, this was a desecration of his Dragon Clan's noble bloodline!
Naturally evil lesser dragon, I'll personally execute you, traitor to the Dragon Clan!
Lan Xuanyu slowly crouched and spread his hands. Vines of the Blue Silver King emerged from his palms and coiled around the Azure Spirit Dragon like snakes winding around a pillar. They gave off a faint blue-and-silver glow, threading into the Azure Spirit Dragon's wounds like wisps of silk.
It was as if parasites had burrowed into its body and were crawling all over inside. The half-dead Azure Spirit Dragon suddenly began thrashing violently, but the Blue Silver King's vines held it fast. A soft blue light traveled along the vines and flowed into Lan Xuanyu's body, as if it were... stealing something.
That was right. Lan Xuanyu was imitating the cultivation method Tang San had once used on Falan Planet, using the Mysterious Heaven Skill to devour the Azure Spirit Dragon's meager trace of Dragon bloodline and gain control over water!
Follow in his grandfather Tang San's footsteps? What a joke! These fools had no idea that in his previous life, his strength had even surpassed that of his grandfather, Sea God Tang San!
The Dragon God's power was so great that the Sea God could never hope to match it!
In Lan Xuanyu's eyes, neither the Blue Silver King nor the Blue Silver Emperor could compare to the Dragon God's Power. That was also the path he excelled at most. So, just as in his previous life, he had chosen water-element control as his First Soul Skill.
The Blue Silver King Martial Soul was wood-attribute and had no ability to control water, but that didn't mean Lan Xuanyu was out of options.
Taking inspiration from his grandfather's improvements to the Mysterious Heaven Skill and the Dragon-hunting body-tempering operation that their generation of the Shrek Seven Devils had undertaken on Tianlong Planet, Lan Xuanyu had found his own path to becoming the Dragon God.
It was the fusion and ascension of bloodlines!
In the early stages, he would choose Soul Rings centered on elemental control. Once he grew stronger, he would enter the Land of Great Evil in the Star Dou Great Forest and find his mother to obtain her Silver Dragon King Bloodline, gaining complete control over the elements.
Then he would enter Dragon Valley and the Divine Realm. With his grandfather's help, he would obtain the Golden Dragon King Bloodline and the Dragon God's remains, and become the Dragon God!
This was a more difficult and distant road than the one he had walked in his previous life. With neither Tang Wulin nor Gu Yuena by his side to protect his path, he could only make do for now, while he was still weak, and use the bloodlines of lesser dragons or dragon-like Soul Beasts as substitutes.
An hour later, the Dragon God's Hidden Dragon Divine Technique within Lan Xuanyu and the Mysterious Heaven Skill, passed down through a single line of the Tang Family, surged into action. At last, he completely absorbed that wisp of Dragon bloodline from the Azure Spirit Dragon.
The Azure Spirit Dragon was beyond dead. The scales on its body had grown dull, and its long frame had shriveled, as if all its essence had been drained away.
A yellow Hundred-Year Soul Ring appeared along with it, over the Blue Silver King vines in Lan Xuanyu's hand. Droplets of water appeared on the blades of grass, sparkling brightly. The breath of life appeared alongside the fresh fragrance of plants.
Lan Xuanyu slowly opened his eyes and looked at the yellow Hundred-Year Soul Ring. A thought crossed his mind.
The water droplets on the grass seemed to come alive. At his command, they gathered into a stream, forming a small vortex of water about one foot in diameter.
Just like his Soul Skill in his previous life, it was water-element control. Only, because this was a Hundred-Year Soul Ring, it was much stronger than the one he'd first had in his previous life.
Lan Xuanyu finally smiled, beaming with joy.
His year of arduous cultivation hadn't been in vain. Though he had absorbed only one Soul Ring, his Soul Power had leaped all the way to level sixteen!
The Dragon God's path that belonged to him had begun!
Steward Chen looked at Lan Xuanyu's beaming smile, then at the shriveled Azure Spirit Dragon. For some reason, he felt a chill run through him.
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