Meng Yiran's Misplaced Devotion

With its massive body and ability to fly at low altitude, the four-clawed monster dragon was actually able to keep up with Lin Yuan's speed.

Meng Yiran, who had fallen heavily to the ground with severe injuries, was instantly stunned when she heard those words, her mind buzzing.

At this moment, the pain in her body no longer mattered.

What hurt more was the agony in her heart.

Meng Yiran had naturally noticed Meng Baichuan's feelings for her.

In fact, if he had not been her biological younger brother, she would have turned around and pursued him without hesitation.

But siblings were siblings. No matter how close they were, there could never be any romantic feelings between them.

Yet she had never imagined it.

The younger brother she had cherished so dearly, afraid he might fall or be harmed, was actually this kind of person.

Just because his sister had rejected his love, he was willing to sacrifice his own life to obtain that so-called technique from the mysterious man before him.

Had all her sincerity and devotion over the years been misplaced?

After all, whenever there was something good, she had always thought of giving it to him first.

Whether it was food, clothing, daily necessities, or Whale Rubber, he had always come first.

Even the Eight-Thousand-Year Golden Dragon Python External Soul Bone she had obtained not long ago while acquiring her fourth soul ring had been given to him without hesitation.

And in the end, it had all gone to the dogs.

The feeling of being betrayed and abandoned by someone she loved plunged her entirely into endless darkness.

Elsewhere, the four-clawed monster dragon Meng Baichuan had transformed into and Lin Yuan, one pursuing and the other fleeing, had reached the depths of the bamboo forest.

Before long, Lin Yuan was forced to the edge of a cliff.

This was the retreat route Lin Yuan had planned in advance. Below the cliff stood a crooked-necked tree, and beneath it was a hidden passage leading to an underground river. The river flowed directly into a nearby lake.

Lin Yuan had scouted this place many times.

But clearly, with only Meng Baichuan here, Lin Yuan had no intention of fleeing.

"Haha, your techniques are mine."

Just as Meng Baichuan thought he was about to catch Lin Yuan, Lin Yuan's speed suddenly doubled.

With a flash, Meng Baichuan's dragon claw struck empty air.

The next second, Lin Yuan appeared behind him. Blue energy flames rose from his left hand, while purple lightning arcs danced around his right.

The blue flames and purple lightning arcs merged into one.

Lin Yuan thrust both hands forward, and they transformed into a golden lightning arc that struck Meng Baichuan's dragon body, sending him flying dozens of meters before violently exploding.

Following the principle of striking while the iron was hot, three soul rings—yellow, purple, and purple—rapidly rose beneath Lin Yuan's feet. His first soul ring lit up, golden lightning flickering in his eyes as his spiritual power locked onto the dragon body's vital point.

He fiercely hurled a bamboo staff imbued with golden lightning formed from the Five Thunder Heavenly Heart Formula and the Supreme Sacred Heaven and Earth Technique.

With a dull bang, something happened that surprised Lin Yuan. The Lone Bamboo Throw, which could easily pierce through and shatter even massive boulders, was actually deflected.

Lin Yuan raised a hand to catch the bamboo staff and could not help frowning. As the dust dispersed, the four-clawed monster dragon Meng Baichuan had transformed into slowly climbed back to his feet.

Strangely, aside from its dragon head, every other part of its body was now covered in a layer of golden dragon armor.

At the vital point of the dragon body, one piece of dragon armor was visibly dented, yet it had suffered no real damage.

"An External Soul Bone?"

A trace of surprise finally appeared on Lin Yuan's face.

Meng Baichuan's eyes were full of pride. "That's right, an External Soul Bone. Speaking of which, my good sister, who rejected me time and again, gave it to me."

"That woman's luck is truly incredible. In the original story, she helped Tang San obtain the Eight Spider Lances. This time, she helped me get the dragon scale armor from the Golden Dragon Python."

"Otherwise, even with a Self-Body Martial Soul Fusion Skill, I would not have dared risk myself against someone as dangerous as you."

"Though my Imperial Scale Armor does not possess the offensive power of Tang San's Eight Spider Lances, it has unparalleled defensive strength and grants a fifty percent boost to all attributes."

"Now that I have the Imperial Scale Armor's enhancement, even if I faced a Soul Sage, I would have the power to fight."

"I can truly be called the number one person beneath Soul Sage."

"So from here on, you won't have any chance at all."

"Still, for the sake of being fellow countrymen, I want to give you one opportunity."

"The techniques you used just now should have been the Five Thunder Heavenly Heart Formula and Supreme Sacred Heaven and Earth Technique from The Outcast. I have to say, your fortune is truly enviable."

"As long as you teach me those two techniques, I can not only spare your life, but also give Meng Yiran to you in marriage. You can become my brother-in-law."

Lin Yuan sneered. "Do you think I would believe a beast who covets even his own sister's body and does not care whether she lives or dies?"

Then his tone shifted, and he suddenly said, "I do have a proposal. Would you like to hear it?"

"This so-called number one beneath Soul Sage is, in the end, merely a Soul Elder. How about handing your life over to me, Young Master Meng?"

"Bastard, are you taking me for Wen Tianren?" Meng Baichuan flew into a rage.

Fortunately, he was in the state of his Self-Body Martial Soul Fusion Skill. Otherwise, his eyes would surely have turned bloodshot as he panted like a bull.

"Don't insult Wen Tianren. Your External Soul Bone has not fully fused with your body yet, has it? Otherwise, I would not have dented it with that attack. Today, I'll gladly accept this so-called Imperial Scale Armor of yours."

Lin Yuan said mockingly.

"Courting death!"

Meng Baichuan was both shocked and enraged. With an angry roar, the monster dragon he had transformed into lunged at Lin Yuan.

Lin Yuan's expression did not change. His second soul ring lit up, golden lightning gathered in his right hand, and he slammed it fiercely into the ground.

The next second, more than a dozen Ten-Thousand-Year Lone Bamboos streaked with golden lightning arcs burst from the ground in front of, behind, and beside Meng Baichuan. Each was twenty to thirty meters tall.

The electric nets they released connected together. Though they could not harm Meng Baichuan, who was protected by the Imperial Scale Armor,

they were still enough to make him suffer intense pain.

"Golden lightning arcs formed by merging Lone Bamboo with the Five Thunder Heavenly Heart Formula and Supreme Sacred Heaven and Earth Technique... Bastard, do you think you can defeat me with this counterfeit Golden Lightning Bamboo? I'm not Xuan Gu or Wen Tianren, much less Tian Ku..."

In pain, Meng Baichuan fiercely swung his dragon claws and tail. Relying on the cultivation and physical superiority granted by his martial soul fusion, along with the Imperial Scale Armor's enhancement,

he actually snapped and tore apart those Lone Bamboos, which were even harder than steel.

Finally, he swung his dragon tail covered in Imperial Scale Armor, sweeping it toward Lin Yuan at the cliff's edge with overwhelming force.

But with a soft puff, it passed directly through Lin Yuan's body. "Lin Yuan's" body dispersed on the spot like a bubble.

"This is Mirage..." Only then did Meng Baichuan notice that a great deal of mist had appeared around him at some point. He guessed it was related to one of Lin Yuan's second soul skills.

This only made him want the techniques in Lin Yuan's possession even more. A spiritual control-type soul skill alone had tormented him unbearably, and the martial soul was Lone Bamboo.

If he obtained it and fused it separately with the Dragon-Headed Cane and Snake-Headed Cane, wouldn't he soar straight to the heavens?

Tang San? Tang God King? They would all be ants.

Then there would only be Meng God King and Meng Family Continent. Tang San would not even be qualified to carry his shoes.