In the clearing, Zhao Wuji watched Lin Yan stubbornly clinging to his "ignorant" view despite all his warnings, and anger surged through him.
A true dragon or a fake one—before even considering whether the kid's claim held water, who would be held responsible if something went wrong? He would, as the teacher leading the group.
Forget about a vacation or a reward. He might not even be able to keep his comfortable position here.
With anger in his voice, Zhao Wuji threatened him harshly.
"I'm warning you, I'm not as easygoing as Flender. You'd better do as you're told and stop causing trouble."
"Otherwise, believe me, I'll leave you here to fend for yourself."
But even with Zhao Wuji glaring furiously, Lin Yan wasn't the least bit afraid. He stubbornly stuck to his opinion.
The two of them remained deadlocked. Ma Hongjun and Wen Ruan both tried to talk Lin Yan out of it for a long time, but neither had any effect.
Then Lin Yan suddenly exclaimed in surprise.
"Huh? Why is there a yellow one?"
Zhao Wuji followed Lin Yan's pointing finger and saw that there really was a golden figure among the fiery-red dragons. He brushed it off.
"Who knows? Maybe it mutated."
"Mutated?"
Lin Yan gently rubbed his chin with his fingers, looking thoughtful.
Before long, he made up his mind.
"I want that one, the golden one. It looks like it has a light attribute."
Zhao Wuji's brow furrowed until it looked like a tangled knot.
"That Soul Beast is nearly two thousand years old. Are you sure?"
"I'm sure."
Lin Yan's expression was utterly resolute. It was clear no one could talk him out of it.
At that point, Zhao Wuji stopped arguing. You couldn't reason with someone hell-bent on dying. He'd explained the consequences from start to finish, and since Lin Yan was determined to seek his own death, Zhao Wuji had no obligation to play the good guy.
He turned to Ma Hongjun and Wen Ruan.
"You two will be my witnesses. When we get back, I want you to describe the exact cause of his death. Leave out even one word, and you'll regret it."
With that, he didn't even wait to see whether Lin Yan would change his mind. He activated Martial Soul Possession and charged into the dragon horde.
Wen Ruan stepped forward and looked at Lin Yan with deep concern.
Lin Yan smiled and reassured her.
"Don't worry, I can do it. Once I've absorbed the Soul Ring, I'll help you hunt for one."
Lin Yan's promise did nothing to cheer Wen Ruan up. On the contrary, it made her even more apprehensive.
A short while later, Zhao Wuji returned, carrying the golden dragon.
Thud!
The nearly four-meter-long dragon hit the ground with a heavy thump. Everyone could clearly sense the intense heat and the aura of light radiating from its body.
There was no doubt about it: this was a Flame Azure Dragon that had mutated to gain a light attribute! Going by the size of an ordinary Flame Azure Dragon, it should have been around two thousand years old.
But it had mutated, after all. Zhao Wuji couldn't be certain of its true age; he only knew it was a Thousand-Year Soul Beast.
Lin Yan picked up the dagger he'd thrown away himself. Without waiting for Zhao Wuji to remind him, he eagerly walked up to the dragon's head.
Its head was almost as big as a washbasin, and its furious eyes were fixed on him. Lin Yan didn't show the slightest trace of fear!
His hand rose, and the blade fell...
The movement was swift and seamless. The dragon seemed to feel pain for just an instant before its brain was completely destroyed and the life went out of it.
Then, as if afraid Zhao Wuji might change his mind at any moment, Lin Yan sat cross-legged and began absorbing the Soul Ring the very next second.
Zhao Wuji watched from nearby, unable to hide his surprise.
"Bold, at least. Pity he's a fool."
In Zhao Wuji's eyes, Lin Yan was far more impressive than Ma Hongjun. That kind of temperament was made for surviving and growing stronger through the bloodshed of the Soul World.
When facing an enemy, even the slightest hint of fear could put you at a disadvantage.
Take Ma Hongjun, for example. If he'd met the dragon's gaze just now, he probably would've been too terrified to act. If the dragon had been capable of even the slightest resistance, Ma Hongjun would've ended up dead.
But...
"What a pity! I actually regret letting you die like this..."
Watching Lin Yan absorb the Soul Ring, Zhao Wuji shook his head helplessly.
If only he'd held out a little longer.
Innate Soul Power at level 10—such a promising child, with the same desperate fighting spirit Zhao Wuji had once possessed. To die bursting apart just because he absorbed a Soul Ring... It was almost too theatrical.
Zhao Wuji regretted not stopping Lin Yan.
"Honestly, he's a child, but am I one too?"
"How could I have been so foolish?"
With regret weighing on him, he quietly crouched down.
Silence fell over the clearing. Ma Hongjun knew Zhao Wuji was furious, so he didn't dare speak.
Wen Ruan kept her eyes fixed on Lin Yan, afraid she might miss even the slightest change in him.
Time passed by, second after second, but Lin Yan showed no sign of bursting apart.
After one minute, Zhao Wuji grew uneasy...
After five minutes, Zhao Wuji was surprised...
After ten minutes, Zhao Wuji was utterly shocked!
Nearly half an hour passed.
Boom~
A dragon wreathed in purple flames shot into the sky, scattering the fiery clouds of dusk and becoming the only unusual splash of color between heaven and earth.
The Evil Fire Demon Dragon circled overhead, its gorgeous purple flames leaving trails of light. The three of them watched, so entranced they even forgot to breathe.
Then the dragon dived, plunging straight into Lin Yan's body.
In an instant, a ring of dark-purple ripples swept outward with terrifying heat, scattering everything nearby. Lin Yan became the sole protagonist of this world.
"A Thousand-Year Soul Ring? Nothing special!"
"Adding the boost from the Whale Rubber's medicinal effects and two months of daily hard training, absorbing this Thousand-Year Soul Ring has taken me straight to level 15."
Lin Yan was overjoyed, then suddenly opened his eyes.
Demonic purple-red flames even spilled from the corners of his eyes. His imposing presence made him look like a sovereign of fire!
[First Soul Skill: Fire Demon God Spear!]
With a low shout, a long spear appeared, its shaft pure silver-white and its tip a rich purple-gold.
Lin Yan reached out and caught it in midair. His aura surged instantly.
[Fire Demon God Spear: Condenses the power of fire into a solid spear. Attacks carry burning and explosive effects. Increases the user's attack, speed, and defense by 100%.]
"Hiss..."
"This is a weapon-type Soul Skill?"
Zhao Wuji's eyes widened, his jaw practically dropping to the ground in shock.
Absorbing a Thousand-Year Soul Ring as his first ring was already outrageous. And his first Soul Skill was a weapon-type skill, too.
The Douluo Continent had countless Martial Souls, with every kind of strange Martial Soul and Soul Skill imaginable. Zhao Wuji had heard of rare and powerful Soul Skills before.
Among them, weapon-type Soul Skills from a Beast Martial Soul were said to be the very pinnacle. They were equivalent to having an extra Tool Martial Soul!
Lin Yan walked back over to Zhao Wuji.
"Teacher Zhao, what did I tell you? My Martial Soul really is a true dragon!"
He spoke with undisguised smugness.
Then he turned to Wen Ruan.
"Little senior sister, I'll help you hunt for a Soul Ring next!"
Wen Ruan's pretty face flushed red. She bashfully turned her head away.
Nearby, Ma Hongjun stared at the spear in Lin Yan's hand, envy practically spilling out of his eyes.
"I... I want a Thousand-Year Soul Ring as my first ring too."
The three of them gazed at Lin Yan, brimming with confidence, and felt a rush of different emotions.
Zhao Wuji was shocked, Ma Hongjun was envious, and Wen Ruan was happy for him...
Lin Yan himself was immersed in joy.
Two months spent lying low had earned him a starting point no one else on the continent could reach. It was worth it!
And yet...
Just as he was lost in his beautiful dreams for the future, he suddenly felt his stomach churn.
Lin Yan tried to suppress the turmoil, but the harder he fought it, the worse he felt.
The sensation built until it reached a breaking point.
"Bleaugh!"
A mouthful of blood suddenly sprayed from Lin Yan's mouth. Then his eyes rolled back, and he fainted.