But all four of his limbs were bound with iron chains, and a chain several inches thick fastened his body firmly to a reef rock. He could not move at all.
Yi Chen raised his arm and slammed a punch into the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon's forehead.
With a thunderous boom, Yi Chen flipped backward seven or eight times and went tumbling away, while the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon flew dozens of meters into the air like a kite with its string cut. He crashed heavily against a rock, then dropped into the seawater with a splash.
A violent spray of water shot skyward. The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon emerged from the sea and staggered toward the shore.
Yi Chen sprang to his feet with a kip-up, the iron rings on his body clanking. He narrowed his eyes at the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon's wounds and said coldly, "Not bad. Only your tendons and meridians were injured, with no real damage done to you? I see. No wonder you like living on such a cold, dark, damp seabed. You have powerful physiques and a very strong resistance to cold."
Yu Yuanzhen walked slowly up, staring at Yi Chen with murderous intent. He nodded slowly and said, "You should not have provoked me. You will pay for this, I guarantee it."
Yi Chen said coldly, "The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan? Do you think I'm afraid?"
Yu Yuanzhen said proudly, "The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan. I am Yu Yuanzhen, the twenty-sixth-generation direct heir of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon, and the only member of the Family's direct line besides the clan chief. I hold absolute authority. You must have heard that name before?"
Yi Chen nodded and said, each word distinct, "The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon? Heh, what a bunch of freaks. Still, I can't be bothered with your Family's affairs."
Yu Yuanzhen said coldly, "In that case, I'll send you to the next world."
Yu Yuanzhen brought his hands together, and a ball of flame appeared out of thin air. With a flick of his wrist, a spark flew toward Yi Chen.
Yi Chen sneered, opened his right hand, and curled his fingers around empty air. An invisible suction abruptly erupted. The spark suddenly broke apart, turning into wisps of pure soul fire that flowed into Yi Chen's body.
Yu Yuanzhen stared at Yi Chen in astonishment. His eyes turned emerald green, and a vertical gold-red marking appeared on his forehead. The muscles all over his body writhed violently, his bones crackled, and his entire body took on the form of a ferocious giant dragon.
With a roar, Yu Yuanzhen's body instantly shrank, returning to its normal size in the blink of an eye. He stared at Yi Chen in bewilderment, then suddenly let out a loud bellow and lunged at him, swinging both claws.
A dim violet light flickered in Yi Chen's eyes. His body abruptly grew taller, and his fists struck toward Yu Yuanzhen's claws, each trailing a black vortex.
Yi Chen countered Yu Yuanzhen's assault, and Yu Yuanzhen cursed inwardly, What the hell? What Soul Skill is this? My spirit attacks aren't working at all?
After they exchanged several hundred attacks, Yi Chen suddenly abandoned his fight with Yu Yuanzhen, turned, and sprinted away.
Yi Chen skimmed across the sea like a cannonball, covering dozens of meters with every leap. With astonishing speed, he crossed more than a thousand meters of the strait and kept racing onward, reaching the middle of the sea in the blink of an eye.
Yu Yuanzhen cried out, "Wait! I concede!"
With a long sigh, Yu Yuanzhen stopped on the surface of the sea and looked at Yi Chen with a bitter smile. "You truly are an expert, sir. What was that thing your body became just now? I've never seen such a strange item. If you're willing to lend me this treasure to study, I'll take you to the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan immediately to collect a reward. How does that sound? Rest assured, you won't lose out. The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan is extremely wealthy."
Yi Chen stopped in the middle of the sea and said with a grin, "Sure, I can let you examine it, but you have to let me make certain I'm safe first. After all, I nearly lost my life."
Yu Yuanzhen nodded and flapped his wings easily, flying to Yi Chen's side. He reached out, took hold of Yi Chen, and charged out of the strait, treading on the waves.
But at that very moment, he noticed something was wrong.
He could not budge Yi Chen at all! Yi Chen's body seemed cast from steel, firmly nailed to the surface of the sea. No matter how much strength Yu Yuanzhen used, it was useless. Humiliated and furious, Yu Yuanzhen shouted harshly, "You lowly ant, you're courting death..."
With a wet spurt, Yu Yuanzhen spat out a mouthful of blood. His knees buckled, and he fell to his knees before Yi Chen.
He raised his head in horror and saw a mocking smile on Yi Chen's face. A streak of sword energy pierced his chest without warning. He stared at Yi Chen with wide eyes, unable to understand how he could be so fast.
Yi Chen withdrew the sword in his hand and looked down at Yu Yuanzhen. "You shouldn't have provoked me... Hmm, although I'd really like to find out what sort of thing you are, I'm running out of time. Well, judging by the state you're in, you probably don't know either, do you? Forget it. No need to tell you. You don't know anyway."
Yu Yuanzhen coughed up blood. His body gradually stiffened, and his gaze slowly lost focus. Unwilling to accept his fate, he howled, "I am Yu Yuanzhen! I am the heir to the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan! You-you actually killed a member of our Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan! You'll die without a place to be buried! They'll put an endless bounty on your head and hunt you down..."
Yi Chen shrugged and said flatly, "Do you think I'd be afraid?"
"Hmm, it looks like I've already been exposed, so I need a little cover..."
"Tell me, should I kill you? You wouldn't betray the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon, would you?"
Yu Yuanzhen shut his mouth resentfully. He could feel his skin beginning to corrode and the blood inside him rapidly disappearing. In another few moments, he would rot away completely.
He roared in fury, "You damned bastard! You'll regret this..."
Yi Chen frowned and considered the matter carefully for a long while. Then he suddenly planted a foot on Yu Yuanzhen's head and shoved him down into the sea.
Yu Yuanzhen screamed miserably, "Bastard! Let me go! Please, I beg you! I'll take you to the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan! Please spare me! Whatever you want, I'll agree to it!"
Yi Chen pondered for a moment, then asked, "How do you cultivate the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon's Martial Soul?"
Yu Yuanzhen froze. Only after a long pause did he say, "Cultivating the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan's Martial Soul ultimately depends on your own comprehension..."
Yi Chen snorted coldly, and a bolt of violet lightning struck Yu Yuanzhen.
Yu Yuanzhen let out a piercing shriek. His body gradually withered, and thick streams of venom kept flowing out.
His body rapidly wasted away, and he sobbed and pleaded, "Please, spare me! I can help you become stronger!"
Yi Chen shook his head. "I'm not yet strong enough to oppose them. I won't provoke them lightly... All I want is the Martial Soul cultivation method. Do you remember it?"