The Bloodline of the Mountain Dragon King

At dawn, before the mist had fully dispersed, the tranquility of the Mixed Zone was torn apart by a sharp whistle through the air.

A streak of white light sped over from the direction of the Core Zone.

Yan Shaozhe landed steadily. Though his pristine white robes were slightly disheveled, his eyes remained full of confidence.

Behind him, two enormous custom-made iron cages were slowly lowered by Soul Power.

They crashed heavily into the earth, kicking up a wave of air.

"Dean Yan, you're finally back."

Zhang Lexuan hurried over with several Shrek students, relief evident on their faces.

"Teacher, are you all right?"

Ma Xiaotao quickly stepped forward, studying Yan Shaozhe with concern.

Yan Shaozhe shook his head and looked directly toward Lu Chen, who was seated cross-legged on the other side.

He raised a hand to wipe nonexistent sweat from his forehead, then said with a faint smile,

"Little Brother Lu, I brought back what you wanted."

Lu Chen opened his eyes and leaped down from the rock.

Luo Wei also walked over with Tang Ya and Long Aotian.

Everyone's gazes fell in unison upon the two iron cages.

Within them, the violent fluctuations of Soul Power were nearly tangible, threatening to spill out.

In the cage on the left was a massive turtle with an entirely dark golden body.

Its head resembled a dragon's, complete with short horns. Its earthy yellow eyes were steady and profound.

Its limbs were as thick as palace pillars, covered in fine dragon scales, while its claws were sharp.

Its shell spanned more than five meters in diameter. Rather than being smooth, it was pieced together from thick, obsidian-like hexagonal bone plates.

Mysterious dark golden patterns were naturally inscribed upon the plates, faintly forming a totem of entwined turtle and snake.

It looked astonishingly seven or eight parts similar to the divine beast Black Tortoise!

"This is... a Mystic-Armored Dragon Turtle?!"

Luo Wei's pupils contracted sharply, her face full of disbelief. "A top-tier Soul Beast like this is not easy to find in Star Dou Forest!"

Yan Shaozhe nodded, his tone carrying a trace of emotion.

"That's right. I happened to discover this Mystic-Armored Dragon Turtle in a deep pool at the edge of the Core Zone.

It possesses a faint trace of Black Tortoise bloodline.

Though it is a defensive Soul Beast, its own strength is not to be underestimated. Absorbing it will greatly strengthen your physical body."

Long Aotian listened from the side with envy filling his eyes, his grin nearly reaching his ears.

Compared to this Dragon Turtle, the Dark Gold Demon Frog he had absorbed was simply worlds apart!

Both enhanced defense, but his [Dark Gold Power] had only increased it by around seventy percent.

If this Dragon Turtle were absorbed, it might even double one's defense!

Yan Shaozhe looked at Lu Chen and asked with a raised brow,

"Well? Does this Soul Beast meet your requirements?"

Lu Chen looked at the large turtle inside the cage, his expression somewhat strange.

This was practically Xu Sanshi's dream Soul Beast!

If it were brought to the Dark Tortoise Sect, they would definitely go mad over it.

Xu Sanshi likely had not joined Shrek yet. Otherwise, Yan Shaozhe would never have brought it out so casually.

He collected his thoughts and nodded with a smile. "Thank you, Senior. This Soul Beast suits me perfectly."

Though the Dragon Turtle leaned toward defense, as Yan Shaozhe had said, its own strength was by no means lacking.

Its innate ability could enhance strength, bolster defense, and might even provide accelerated Soul Power recovery.

As long as his luck was not terrible, he would be able to draw a suitable Soul Skill.

"Then what kind of Soul Beast is this one?"

Ma Xiaotao stared at the other iron cage and asked curiously.

Lu Chen turned to look as well. Inside was a Soul Beast shaped like a rhinoceros.

It looked utterly ordinary, completely lacking the imposing aura one would expect from a top-tier bloodline.

"This is a Shaking-Mountain Dragon Rhino."

Yan Shaozhe explained, "It is also thirty thousand years old. Though it resembles an ordinary Shaking-Mountain Rhino, it has an extra pair of dragon horns on its forehead."

Hearing that, Tang Ya curiously moved closer to inspect the cage. Sure enough, she saw two protruding hard horns above the rhino's eyes.

However, it was still relatively young, so the horns were not very large.

"Teacher, what is special about it?"

Ma Xiaotao pressed on. Aside from the word "dragon" in its name, she truly could not see what was special about this Soul Beast.

Even Luo Wei looked confused, clearly having never heard of such a Soul Beast.

Yan Shaozhe looked at Lu Chen, his tone grave.

"Don't be fooled by the Shaking-Mountain Dragon Rhino's ordinary appearance. It contains a trace of the Mountain Dragon King's bloodline."

"The Mountain Dragon King!"

Zhang Lexuan was startled. "Isn't that one of the Nine Dragon Kings?

The Mountain Dragon King lineage needed to transform into mountains and continents, providing the Dragon Clan with places to live.

Thus, the Dragon God granted them the power of the stabilizing attribute. They are the embodiment of strength and defense."

Lu Chen was delighted.

The value of this Shaking-Mountain Dragon Rhino was not inferior to that of the Mystic-Armored Dragon Turtle in the slightest.

In terms of compatibility, it suited him even better!

"Top-tier. Both of them are top-tier!"

Luo Wei's eyes were full of amazement. "These two bloodlines are both at the highest level among Soul Beasts. Yan Shaozhe, you really spent heavily this time."

Yan Shaozhe felt helpless. If it were not for Xiaotao's Evil Fire, he would never have been willing to hand over two such top-tier Soul Beasts.

He turned to Lu Chen and got straight to the point.

"Little Brother, everything is ready. Can we begin now?"

"Yes."

Lu Chen nodded. His gaze swept over Ma Xiaotao as he spoke directly. "Come closer. Face me, steady your mind, and do not be distracted."

He wanted to finish as soon as possible so that he could absorb the Soul Rings.

Ma Xiaotao took a deep breath and walked to stand before Lu Chen.

As she looked at the boy several years younger than herself, the shocking scene of being sent flying by his punch involuntarily flashed through her mind.

She felt both nervous and expectant.

The next instant, pure Divine Power erupted from Lu Chen's body. The golden radiance was warm and dazzling.

He lightly tapped his finger against Ma Xiaotao's forehead with perfect precision.

As that incomparably pure golden light lit up once more, Ma Xiaotao felt as if her body had been drawn into a warm, sacred sea.

The cold and violent Evil Fire that had plagued her for years rapidly melted away the instant it touched the light, like lingering snow beneath the blazing sun.

"Mm..."

Ma Xiaotao could not help letting out a soft moan.

It was not pain, but the ultimate pleasure of having the violent energy accumulated within her swept away at once.

Wrapped in that Divine Power, she felt every pore across her body open.

Every cell was cheering.

For that moment, she was even somewhat intoxicated by the sensation.

Her body softened involuntarily, and she instinctively wrapped her arms around Lu Chen.

Lu Chen slightly raised his brows. Feeling the astonishing softness in his arms and the fiery fragrance rushing toward him, he did not push her away.

He did not take the initiative, but he did not refuse either.

When the last trace of Evil Fire had been completely removed.

Ma Xiaotao buried her head against Lu Chen's shoulder. Her voice was soft, carrying a lazy huskiness.

"Thank you... I don't think I've ever felt this relaxed before."

Lu Chen slowly withdrew his Soul Power, a faint smile curving his lips as he whispered in her ear,

"The Evil Fire is gone. You can cultivate to your heart's content now.

If you need help again in the future, contact me directly. Of course, remember to bring payment."

"All right, I'll come find you again!"

Ma Xiaotao raised her head. Her cheeks were slightly flushed, and her eyes held both shyness and relief.

The Evil Fire that had troubled her for years had finally vanished. She had never felt so relaxed.

Yan Shaozhe saw everything clearly from the side. He was happy for Xiaotao, but he also felt a faint underlying concern.

He stepped forward and cupped his hands toward Luo Wei and Lu Chen.

"Since the transaction has been completed, it is time for us to leave."

With that, without waiting for anyone's response, he swiftly departed with Ma Xiaotao and the other Shrek members.