Heaven-Rending Claw, Dark Gold Dragon Claw Hand

The Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear flew into a complete rage. Its right paw swung wildly, sending streaks of pitch-black claw shadows crisscrossing through the air. Rocks shattered and trees snapped in half wherever they passed.

But the gap between it and a Titled Douluo was like an insurmountable chasm.

She Long moved like a phantom, his spear striking from tricky angles as he continually wore down its strength. Avoiding the Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear's vital points, he targeted its joints, waist, and abdomen. Every thrust of his spear left another wound on the Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear's body.

The Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear accumulated more and more wounds. Its dark golden fur was stained red with blood, and its movements gradually slowed.

After the time it took to burn an incense stick, a wet tearing sound rang out.

The Serpent Spear precisely pierced through the Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear's right shoulder. Violent lightning power instantly surged into its body, numbing half of it.

The Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear let out an unwilling roar and struggled to rise, but it was covered in wounds and bleeding heavily. The blood loss left it unable to support its massive body any longer.

"Xiao Fei!" She Long shouted in a low voice. "Now!"

Zhang Fei had been waiting for this moment.

"First Soul Skill, Golden Armor Body!"

His deep yellow soul ring suddenly lit up. Golden dragon scales covered his entire body, instantly doubling his strength and defense.

At the same time, he made a grasping motion with his right hand, and the pitch-black Eight-Foot Serpent Spear materialized in his palm, electric arcs crackling along its shaft.

This was a trick Zhang Fei had figured out over the past two years.

Unlike Bibi Dong and Tang San, whose twin martial souls were both beast martial souls or both tool martial souls, his could not normally be used at the same time.

Thus, after constant practice, Zhang Fei had learned to use his beast martial soul possession and tool martial soul simultaneously.

He drew a deep breath, exerted force through his legs, and shot forward like an arrow released from a bowstring.

Though the Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear had fallen, its ferocity had not diminished. Its remaining left eye stared fixedly at Zhang Fei as it let out a threatening growl.

Zhang Fei did not hesitate. Gripping the spear with both hands, he aimed at the Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear's left eye socket and thrust down with all his strength!

"Pfft!"

The spear tip plunged precisely through its pupil, pierced its skull, and drove deep into its brain.

The Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear's enormous body suddenly stiffened. Its limbs twitched a few times, then it fell completely silent.

A deep purple soul ring slowly rose from the corpse, radiating dense and tyrannical soul power fluctuations.

Zhang Fei pulled out the Serpent Spear and smiled. "Done."

She Long walked over and patted his shoulder. "Not bad. Absorb it quickly. I'll stand guard."

Zhang Fei nodded, retracting the Eight-Foot Serpent Spear martial soul and leaving only his Golden Dragon martial soul active as he sat down cross-legged.

Guided by his will, the deep purple soul ring slowly floated over. It circled above his head once, then suddenly sank into his body.

In an instant, energy several times more violent than when he had absorbed the Golden-armored Dragon Lizard erupted explosively!

The Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear's soul power was incomparably domineering, carrying a savage will capable of destroying heaven and earth as it rampaged through Zhang Fei's meridians.

Zhang Fei's entire body shook violently. Veins bulged on his forehead, and his teeth ground together with loud cracks.

But this time, Zhang Fei was far more experienced than when he had absorbed his first soul ring.

The meridians tempered by ice and fire, combined with the foundation he had built over two years, allowed him to withstand the impact steadily.

He circulated his advanced meditation method with all his strength, cycling his soul power again and again as he gradually tamed, absorbed, and integrated that violent energy into himself.

Time passed second by second.

One hour, two hours...

Not until the sun began to set, with golden afterglow filtering through the canopy, did Zhang Fei's aura finally stabilize.

When the last trace of violent soul power had been completely refined, one yellow and one purple soul ring slowly pulsed beneath his feet, complementing each other.

Zhang Fei had just begun to open his eyes when—

"Aah!!!"

A tearing pain erupted from his right palm, as though something was about to burst out of his body!

"What's happening?!"

He lowered his head and saw his right palm deforming at a visible rate, his bones emitting sharp cracking sounds.

Then, five incomparably sharp claws suddenly sprang from his fingertips!

Each claw was half a foot long, curved in a streamlined shape, its edge gleaming with a chilling cold light.

"Is this... an external soul bone?!" She Long's eyes widened, and even his voice changed pitch.

Zhang Fei stared at the changes in his right palm. He was stunned for a moment before wild joy flooded his heart.

An external soul bone! It was actually an external soul bone!

Among soul bones, external soul bones were the rarest, because they could evolve as a soul master grew. Their value even surpassed a hundred-thousand-year soul bone!

Could I be a child of destiny too?

"Ha ha ha ha!" Zhang Fei could not help laughing. "The Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear really didn't disappoint me!"

He rose to his feet and casually swung his right hand. The five claws sliced through the air, trailing several streaks of black light.

The claw wind swept across a boulder half the height of a man nearby, instantly breaking it into several pieces. The cuts were smooth as mirrors.

"What terrifying piercing power..." Zhang Fei sucked in a cold breath.

She Long also moved closer, his eyes full of shock. "How effective is it?"

Zhang Fei sensed it for a moment, then said excitedly, "A fifty percent increase in attack power and a twenty percent increase in piercing power. And it can grow as my soul power increases! At its peak, it can provide a hundred percent increase in attack power and a fifty percent increase in piercing power!"

She Long sucked in a cold breath, then burst into laughter. "Good! Good boy! Your luck is simply heaven-defying!"

A hundred percent increase in attack power, plus fifty percent piercing power—this meant that in the future, when Zhang Fei struck with a claw, the defenses of soul masters at the same rank would be like paper before him!

And if his right palm could undergo dragonification in the future, then stack the boost from this external soul bone on top of it, its power and piercing force would be enough to tear apart heaven and earth.

Zhang Fei looked at the dark golden bones in his right palm and liked them more the longer he looked.

"Since it came from the Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear and can tear apart heaven and earth, I'll call it the Heaven-Rending Claw!"

"Heaven-Rending Claw..." She Long repeated, nodding. "It's certainly an imposing name."

Zhang Fei retracted the Heaven-Rending Claw with his will, and his right palm returned to normal. Only faint dark golden patterns remained visible beneath his skin.

She Long handed him a crystal ball. "Come, test your soul power."

Zhang Fei placed his hand on the crystal ball and poured in his soul power. The crystal ball immediately lit up with dazzling radiance.

"Level twenty-two!" She Long nodded in satisfaction. "You jumped two levels in a row. Not bad. What's your second soul skill?"

At that, Zhang Fei shouted in a low voice, "Second Soul Skill, Dark Gold Dragon Claw Hand!"

His purple soul ring suddenly lit up. Fine golden dragon scales instantly covered Zhang Fei's arms, and his ten fingers transformed into sharp dragon claws.

Meanwhile, the Heaven-Rending Claw on his right hand perfectly fused with the dragon claw, becoming a dark golden dragon claw that radiated an indestructible, tyrannical aura.

He casually swung his hand toward another huge boulder nearby.

"Boom!"

The boulder was directly crushed by his claw, sending shattered stones flying everywhere!

Zhang Fei looked at his right hand, his face full of delight. "Dark Gold Dragon Claw Hand transforms both hands into dragon claws for attack, increasing strength by two hundred percent and carrying an extremely powerful piercing effect! Combined with the Heaven-Rending Claw, its power rises another level."

She Long's eyelids twitched as he watched from the side. After a long silence, he raised his hand and smacked Zhang Fei on the head again.

"Ow! Grandpa, why did you hit me again?!" Zhang Fei wailed, clutching his head.

"You brat, your luck is too good! Even this old man is jealous. What's wrong with letting me hit you once?!" She Long scolded with a gratified smile.

Zhang Fei chuckled sheepishly, rubbing his head and not daring to respond.

She Long looked up at the sky. "All right, it's getting late. We'll return to Heaven Dou City now."

"Got it!"

The two leaped into the air, turning into two streaks of light as they sped toward Heaven Dou City, quickly vanishing into the twilight.