Rouge Dragon

Yu Tianheng used the momentum to spin around and slammed a fist into the Ironclad Dragon Bear's flank. The lightning wrapped around his fist burst into blue light, leaving a slight dent in that patch of armor.

Man and beast engaged in a fierce battle by the pool.

The Ironclad Dragon Bear possessed terrifying strength. Every sweep of its claws carved deep furrows into the ground.

But Yu Tianheng far surpassed it in speed and agility.

Like a blue electric serpent, he darted through the gaps in the giant beast's attacks, each strike precisely landing on its weak points...

Its joints, eye sockets, and the relatively thin scales beneath its neck.

After exchanging more than a dozen moves, the Ironclad Dragon Bear was covered in scorched wounds, and its movements had clearly slowed.

Catching the instant its breathing became disordered, Yu Tianheng stomped hard against the ground and sprang upward, spreading his arms.

The blue lightning around him suddenly surged. Countless tiny bolts shot from the surface of his body, linking together in the air to form a dense blue web of electricity.

"Second Soul Skill, Thunderous Might."

At that instant, the countless serpentine bolts coiling around Yu Tianheng all expanded at once, transforming into hundreds of lightning arrows that flashed outward in every direction.

Like a dense downpour, those lightning arrows completely engulfed the Ironclad Dragon Bear's massive body.

Blue lightning burst into countless points of light across the giant beast's armor. The rolling explosions made the entire basin tremble faintly.

The Ironclad Dragon Bear's huge body suddenly stiffened.

The force of lightning surged into its body like a tide.

Countless tiny currents rampaged through its muscles and nerves, paralyzing every function in its body and leaving it unable to move.

The giant beast let out a low, mournful cry. Its massive body swayed twice before crashing to the ground, sending dust flying.

The Ironclad Dragon Bear had been shocked unconscious. Its huge body twitched slightly, and it no longer had the strength to resist.

The middle-aged man nodded in satisfaction. He took a cold, gleaming dagger from the soul tool at his waist, weighed it in his hand, then bent down and handed it to the little girl beside him.

"Tianjiao, go. You will deliver the final blow. Only then will the soul ring acknowledge you as its master."

Yu Tianjiao accepted the dagger, her small hand trembling slightly.

The dagger was a little too large for her, awkward in her grip.

She walked over to the motionless Ironclad Dragon Bear and lowered her head to look at the enormous, ferocious beast. A flicker of hesitation crossed her little face.

After all, she was only a seven-year-old girl. She might not even have been able to bring herself to kill a chicken, much less a giant beast countless times larger than herself.

Yet after hesitating for only a moment, she bit her lip, gripped the dagger with both hands, aimed at the gap between the softest scales on the Ironclad Dragon Bear's neck, and drove it down with all her strength.

The dagger sank into flesh. The Ironclad Dragon Bear let out a weak whimper, its massive body twitching one final time before going completely still.

Blood poured from the wound, staining the hem of her pink qipao with spots of dark red.

Yu Tianjiao's breathing grew rapid. Her little face turned deathly pale, and her stomach churned. She bent over and dry-heaved twice.

But she forced herself to endure it, refusing to actually vomit. She only clenched the dagger's hilt tightly.

"Don't move."

The middle-aged man's voice came from behind her, gentle yet unquestionable. "The soul ring is coming out. Sit cross-legged, meditate, and use your will to guide the soul ring's power into your body."

Sure enough, a bright yellow ring of light rose from the Ironclad Dragon Bear's corpse and slowly floated into the air.

The yellow was pure and brilliant, carrying the rich luster unique to a five-hundred-year soul ring and radiating heavy, steady soul power fluctuations.

Yu Tianjiao hurriedly did as instructed. She sat cross-legged, closed her eyes, and rested both hands on her knees.

Her breathing gradually steadied. Her will reached outward, cautiously guiding the yellow soul ring toward her body.

The instant the soul ring touched her skin, it abruptly contracted and transformed into a stream of yellow light that burrowed into her body.

Yu Tianjiao's brows immediately drew tight, and fine beads of sweat seeped from her forehead.

The soul ring's power rampaged through her body like a newly tamed wild beast trying to break free of its reins.

Her face alternated between pale and flushed, her breathing quickening and slowing erratically. She was clearly enduring considerable pain.

The middle-aged man and Yu Tianheng stood to either side of her, their eyes fixed on her condition, ready to act at any moment.

Fortunately, though the process was somewhat difficult, it was not dangerous.

After about the time it took to burn an incense stick, Yu Tianjiao's tightly furrowed brows slowly relaxed. Her complexion returned to normal, and her breathing steadied as well.

She opened her eyes, and a clear glimmer flashed through those bright black pupils. She looked considerably more energetic.

She rose to her feet and held out one small hand, palm facing upward.

Pink light blossomed from within her body. A clear dragon's roar rang out, and the phantom image of an entirely pink giant dragon emerged behind her.

The pink dragon was not especially large, only around ten feet long, but its entire body was crystal-clear. Its scales shimmered with a soft luster, as though it had been carved from a smoothly polished piece of pink crystal.

Its dragon head lifted slightly, its dragon eyes carrying a hint of adorably fierce majesty.

As her martial soul was released, a diamond-shaped pink crystal gem appeared on Yu Tianjiao's forehead. Crystal-clear and embedded directly between her brows, it made her tiny doll-like face appear even more adorable.

Then her body began to change... lengthening, growing taller, shooting upward at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Her original height of just over a meter increased by more than a foot within a few breaths, while her legs became straighter and more slender.

Pink flames lit up along her arms, instantly burning away her sleeves.

When the flames faded, they revealed smooth, delicate arms gleaming like pearls beneath the sunlight.

The lines of those arms were graceful yet full of strength. Her fingers were long, and her nails had turned sharp as claws, glinting coldly when they curled slightly.

Yu Tianjiao lowered her head to look at her transformed right arm. She froze for a moment, then her lips curved upward into a surprised, delighted smile.

She tried clenching her fist. A surge of abundant power flowed from her palm, making her unable to resist lightly throwing a punch.

The wind from her fist whistled, knocking a small pebble on the ground rolling far away.

"Not bad."

The middle-aged man nodded approvingly. "Although the Rouge Dragon is a mutated branch of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon, the quality of your martial soul surpasses that of many direct descendants. Cultivate diligently, and your future achievements will not be inferior to Tianheng's."

Yu Tianjiao nodded heavily, her little face filled with determination.

She withdrew her martial soul. The crystal on her forehead slowly faded away, and her height returned to normal.

She patted the pink qipao with part of one sleeve burned away.