Xue Chen didn't back down. Instead, confidence flashed in his eyes as he strode forward and said firmly,
"Xiao Bai, don't worry. I'm sure I can handle it!"
After enduring that earth-shaking lightning tribulation and the transformation of his body when the first seal broke,
he felt that his meridians, bones, and even the strength of his soul far surpassed those of others at the same level—so much so that they defied common sense.
Absorbing a three-thousand-year Soul Ring as his First Soul Ring would certainly be extremely demanding, but he was confident he could endure it!
Without another word, Xue Chen narrowed his eyes. At a thought, his left hand transformed into a Dragon Claw!
He raised his left arm, brought the Dragon Claw together like a blade, took aim at the Thunder Wing Dragon Lizard's weak spot, and thrust down without hesitation!
"Pfft!"
The Dragon Claw easily ripped through its tough scales, ending the Soul Beast's life.
The Thunder Wing Dragon Lizard's body twitched faintly as specks of blue light drifted away from it. At last, a deep purple Soul Ring took shape above its corpse!
The Soul Ring turned slowly, radiating powerful energy fluctuations. This was the First Soul Ring Xue Chen had been eagerly awaiting!
Xue Chen drew in a deep breath of icy air, sat cross-legged, and fixed his gaze on the three-thousand-year purple Soul Ring, adjusting his condition.
Seated on the freezing ice, he stared at the deep purple Soul Ring before him but didn't begin absorbing it right away.
First, he needed to decide which Martial Soul to use to absorb his First Soul Ring.
His thoughts raced, and he recalled the original Douluo Continent story he'd read in his previous life. The protagonist Tang San's approach had given him an idea.
"Isn't the greatest advantage of Twin Martial Souls that once one Martial Soul reaches a high level, you can give the second one all the high-year Soul Rings?"
Xue Chen thought to himself,
"I have the Thunder Dragon Emperor and the Radiant Thunder Dragon Spear. I should follow that same idea and focus my resources on one Martial Soul first, raising the upper limit of its Soul Rings as much as possible!
"Once I'm strong enough, I can add Soul Rings to my second Martial Soul. By then, I can start with ten-thousand-year or even hundred-thousand-year ones!"
The thought set his heart ablaze.
After weighing his options briefly, he made his decision:
"The Radiant Thunder Dragon Spear leans more toward weapons and technique, while the Thunder Dragon Emperor is a Beast Martial Soul. It's better suited to my own Bloodline Power, that strange Origin Soul Ring, and my Dragon Transformation ability. It can strengthen my physical abilities across the board and improve my control over thunder.
"I'll start with the Thunder Dragon Emperor!"
With his mind made up, Xue Chen didn't hesitate.
He took a deep breath and said to Xiao Bai, who stood beside him like a loyal guard,
"Xiao Bai, stand guard for me. I'm about to begin."
Xiao Bai let out a low growl and patted the ice with her massive paw, telling him not to worry.
Xue Chen closed his eyes and calmed his mind, sinking his consciousness into his body.
At a thought, the imposing phantom of the Thunder Dragon Emperor appeared once more in the space behind him. Its blue dragon body was outlined by countless arcs of electricity, and it radiated a dragon's might that made the heart tremble.
As his Martial Soul awakened, the connection between him and the floating purple Soul Ring seemed to grow clearer.
Xue Chen circulated his Soul Power and carefully guided the three-thousand-year Soul Ring of the Thunder Wing Dragon Lizard down toward his head. It settled over the phantom of the Thunder Dragon Emperor, beginning to connect with his Martial Soul and body.
"Vmmm!!!"
The instant the Soul Ring's energy poured in, a fierce, pure power of thunder surged into Xue Chen's meridians!
The energy of a three-thousand-year Soul Ring far exceeded the limit of an ordinary First Soul Ring, and the impact was immense.
Xue Chen felt a painful swelling in every meridian. Fine blue arcs of lightning danced uncontrollably across the surface of his skin.
He groaned, and beads of sweat instantly appeared on his forehead.
He gritted his teeth and persevered, circulating his Soul Power with all his strength to absorb it. Time passed little by little.
The process was fraught with pressure, but his repeatedly strengthened foundation played a crucial role;
his meridians were far tougher and wider than those of an ordinary person, while his Bloodline Power firmly protected his core.
Several hours dragged by amid agony and perseverance.
When the last trace of the Soul Ring's Soul Power had been perfectly absorbed into his body, Xue Chen suddenly opened his eyes!
A flash of deep blue light shone in his eyes and vanished. His aura abruptly surged, and his Soul Power broke through to level twenty-two!
He rose to his feet, feeling the more surging Soul Power inside him and his clearer command over thunder. Joy filled his heart.
At the same time, a deep purple Soul Ring slowly rose from beneath his feet, circling his body as it shimmered with the powerful fluctuations of a three-thousand-year Soul Ring!
His Thunder Dragon Emperor Martial Soul had gained its first Soul Ring!
After successfully absorbing a three-thousand-year Soul Ring, Xue Chen was savoring the surging power within him. Behind him, the phantom of the Thunder Dragon Emperor let out a triumphant roar that shook the wilderness.
But that mighty roar seemed to be the final straw—or perhaps it was mere coincidence—
"Rumble—!"
A deep yet tremendous roar rolled down from above Ice Rift Valley, as if ten thousand giant beasts were charging at once. It drowned out every other sound!
The entire valley began to tremble violently. Countless ice crystals and chunks of ice tumbled from the walls.
The joy on Xue Chen and Xiao Bai's faces froze. The sudden display of nature's might made their hearts leap.
"Holy crap... that sound again?"
Xue Chen blurted out instinctively and looked up at the strip of sky framed by steep ice cliffs. A great cloud of snow mist was spreading above them.
Xiao Bai's huge ears twitched. She quickly identified where the sound was coming from and growled,
"The sound is coming from above the valley!"
Xue Chen's heart tightened. He immediately recalled his Martial Soul, and the purple Soul Ring and phantom of the Dragon Emperor vanished in an instant.
"Let's go! We'll check it out!" he decided at once.
Xiao Bai gave a low growl, signaling for Xue Chen to climb on.
Xue Chen jumped onto Xiao Bai's shoulders again. She pushed off with all four limbs and bounded upward, quickly climbing toward the top of the valley.
But the moment they poked their heads over the edge, the sight before them made both human and bear suck in a sharp breath!
They hadn't known what they were looking at—now they were terrified!
Far away, atop several towering snowy peaks, it looked as if the snow covering entire mountainsides had collapsed!
With billions of tons of snow, rock, and ice in its wake, the avalanche surged toward them with the force of an overturned sea!
Its scale was so vast it inspired despair. As far as the eye could see, enormous white waves rolled toward them. The roar shook their eardrums, as if the end of the world had arrived!
"Ah... holy crap..."
As Xue Chen watched the deadly torrent rush right up to him, his mind went almost completely blank. All he could manage was a stunned exclamation.
Xiao Bai's massive body shuddered at the sight, but she reacted fast. She threw her head back and roared in fury. White light burst around her as her body swelled in an instant, returning to her true form as a Titan Snow Demon Bear!
Rising onto her hind legs, she thrust both paws forward. Her immense frigid Soul Power mingled with her terrifying Bloodline Power, forming a sturdy barrier to withstand nature's heavenly might!
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