Combined Strike: An Eighty-Thousand-Year Foe (Part Two) and the Soul Bone's Fate

The smoke and dust slowly cleared. The Emberwing Lizard King's massive corpse lay on the scorched earth, its dark-gold scales stripped of their luster.

The thirty young fighters descended and gathered around it. Many collapsed to the ground, gasping for breath, but they could not hide their excitement. The battle had seemed brief, yet every second had tested their nerves, Soul Power, and teamwork to the limit.

"We won... We really won!" Dongyue Ling dropped onto the ground with a broad grin, despite the scorched streak on his arm where lightning and fire had grazed him.

"Eighty thousand years... What a monster." Li Xiaochen inspected his overheated Soul Tool Cannon and muttered mournfully, "Repairs are going to cost me a fortune again..."

Several elders landed as well. Dongyue Qingxuan carefully examined the Lizard King's corpse, confirmed it was dead, then turned to the young fighters with approval and admiration in his eyes.

"Good. Very good," he said warmly. "You worked together, chose your tactics well, and kept your heads under pressure. You showed what the younger generation of both our families could do."

Li Qianqian swept a graceful hand through the air. The Vast Sea Holy Staff scattered a gentle rain of blue light over everyone. Its cool, nourishing power quickly eased their fatigue and healed their minor wounds.

"Thank you, Elder Qianqian," everyone said at once.

"You earned it." Li Qianqian smiled. "But the battle may be over; we haven't counted the spoils yet. An eighty-thousand-year mutated Soul Beast has an eighty-percent chance of yielding a Soul Bone."

Every gaze snapped to the Lizard King's corpse. To a Soul Master, a Soul Bone—especially one of such an advanced age—was a treasure that could change their fate.

Dongyue Qingmu stepped forward and deftly worked his sword into the joint between