Lin Yao nodded at this, then bowed slightly to the Titled Douluo and said, "Thank you for your guidance, senior."
The Titled Douluo returned his bow with the utmost seriousness, then said warmly to Lin Yao, "You're too kind, Your Highness. As a prince personally appointed by His Majesty, you naturally have the right to call upon this old man to serve you."
Lin Yao nodded. The Titled Douluo's words were polite enough, but in practice, the so-called right to call upon a Titled Douluo came with plenty of restrictions: he couldn't go against the emperor's orders, take people away from his post without permission, or attack the forces of another army belonging to the Dou Ling Empire.
For a Soul Master prince like Lin Yao, this right was practically meaningless. He wasn't some spoiled young master who strutted around the streets, barking orders all day. He had no need for a bodyguard so tightly bound by restrictions just to put on a show.
Still, having a Titled Douluo help with the search saved them a lot of trouble.
Lin Yao and Ye Guyi followed the direction the Titled Douluo had indicated. Meanwhile, the Titled Douluo once again concealed himself in a place the two of them couldn't see, quietly watching their movements.
Lin Yao and Ye Guyi no longer paid attention to the Titled Douluo's whereabouts. His brief appearance had been enough to reassure them: go ahead, he really was nearby and not slacking off.
After walking several dozen meters, Lin Yao and Ye Guyi soon spotted the dragon the Titled Douluo had indicated.
It was a small dragon, black from head to tail. Though rather slight in build, its eyes gleamed with a ferocity greater than that of the Thousand-Year Soul Beasts in the outer area. They could even sense that it exerted a faint pressure on the surrounding Soul Beasts.
It was a textbook Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beast.
Ye Guyi nodded to Lin Yao, then said, "This Soul Beast really is a good choice. I can feel that my Holy Angel Martial Soul can suppress it quite effectively and limit how much of its power it can use. Take a look. How about this one?"
Lin Yao studied the Soul Beast, then nodded. It looked a little like a miniature Tyrant Dragon, except it had a pair of wings folded against its back. It seemed capable of flight, too.
"Limit its ability to fly as much as possible. As long as it can't take off, we'll have an easy time." Lin Yao wasn't sure whether he was speaking to Ye Guyi or sending a message to the hidden Titled Douluo. As soon as he finished, he summoned his Martial Soul.
After taking two steps, Lin Yao activated Dragon Transformation. Each additional Soul Ring allowed him to transform one more part of his body into a dragon's. At this point, he was at the level of a three-ring, rank-forty Soul Master, and both his arms and the front of his chest had already taken on a dragon's form.
Bending his legs slightly, Lin Yao leapt toward the small black dragon, reaching it in an instant.
The little dragon had been resting in its nest when a creature with a similar draconic aura suddenly appeared before it. Startled, it sprang backward on instinct, its pair of wings unfolding as it prepared to soar into the sky.
Lin Yao spread his own wings and took flight before the little dragon could. He clamped both arms tightly around its shoulders.
The little dragon cried out in pain, then raked its claws across the dragon-transformed section of Lin Yao's chest.
The transformed parts of Lin Yao's body were already covered in Ender Dragon scales. As the little dragon's claws struck them, sparks flew through the air.
Ye Guyi attacked at that very moment. She summoned the golden Holy Angel Martial Soul, and holy light instantly shone upon the little dragon. Blinded by the light, it squeezed its eyes shut.
The black dragon Soul Beast seemed to be a nocturnal creature to begin with; otherwise, it wouldn't have been curled up in its nest, sleeping in broad daylight.
Daytime was practically a disadvantageous battlefield for it. Now that the Holy Angel Martial Soul countered the darkness within its body, it couldn't even keep itself steadily aloft and began to fall.
Lin Yao brought the little black dragon down to the ground, then released it at once and punched it in the abdomen.
The little black dragon staggered backward. Its throat began to convulse.
"Look out!" Ye Guyi sensed something was wrong and hurriedly cried out to Lin Yao.
The moment Ye Guyi shouted, the little black dragon spewed blue flames from its mouth, aiming straight for Lin Yao.
Lin Yao turned aside to dodge, but as the little dragon swung its head, its flames still engulfed his entire arm.
Just as Ye Guyi was about to rush in, alarmed, she was surprised to see no trace of pain on Lin Yao's face. He flung the arm engulfed by the dragon's breath free, then kicked off the ground again. Gliding on his wings, he shot toward the little dragon.
The dragon clearly hadn't expected Lin Yao to have such strong resistance to its breath. It turned and tried to flee, but Lin Yao gave it no chance. He abruptly unleashed his second Soul Skill.
Purple Soul Power gathered around Lin Yao's dragon claw, enlarging it several times over. Then, with unstoppable force, it crashed down.
Faced with the enormous claw, the little black dragon was utterly powerless to resist. The claw's overwhelming attack swallowed it up in an instant.
A pale black Soul Ring floated above the little dragon. Clearly, this little dragon had only recently advanced into the Ten-Thousand-Year rank.
Seeing this, Ye Guyi breathed a sigh of relief. She dismissed her Holy Angel Martial Soul and walked over to Lin Yao. "I didn't realize you'd become this strong. You took down a Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beast without using much Soul Power at all."
Lin Yao waved his hand, shaking off the blue dragon flames still clinging to his arm. "It had only just reached the Ten-Thousand-Year rank, and you countered its power. Besides, it should still have been asleep at this hour."
After saying this, Lin Yao said nothing more. He sat cross-legged and began absorbing the pale black Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Ring.
As soon as the black Soul Ring made contact with the Ender Dragon Martial Soul, Lin Yao felt the scene before him change. In an instant, he found himself in a pitch-black place.
While Lin Yao was studying his surroundings, a pair of scarlet eyes opened in midair. Their venomous hatred was almost tangible, as if it could drown him.
Lin Yao merely scoffed. He understood now: the little dragon's remnant soul was invading his mind.
"You couldn't beat me when you were alive, and now that you're dead, you still want to make trouble for me? You really don't know your place..."
Before you continue