The Star-Breaking Rock Dragon's bell-sized eyes churned with savage light. Turbid heat streamed from its nostrils as its heavy claws raked viciously at the ground.
It had been resting comfortably underwater, with meat practically delivering itself to its jaws. Who could have expected these two little creatures to spoil its feast so soon after it bit into the ox's leg? They were courting death!
Yang Chang'an's gaze fixed on the hard armor covering the Star-Breaking Rock Dragon. One look told him its defenses were formidable. He kept Yang Wushuang in front of him and looked up at the old man.
"Grandpa, my task is done. The rest is up to you."
The Star-Breaking Rock Dragon was over six meters long, its burly frame resembling a small mountain. The oppressive force rolling off it alone made clear that it was well over four hundred years old.
Soul beasts of this kind already possessed powerful bodies, and the Star-Breaking Rock Dragon stood among the finest of them, an overlord among hundred-year soul beasts. With his current strength, merely drawing it out had pushed him to his limit.
At his words, a faint smile curled Yang Wushuang's lips. His gaze slowly shifted to the fierce-eyed Star-Breaking Rock Dragon before him, and he spoke calmly:
"In the end, it's still a soul beast that hasn't reached ten thousand years. All brute strength, acting on nothing but instinct."
Before his words had faded, Yang Wushuang released a trace of soul power from his palm. An egg-sized piece of bluestone nearby flew through the air and settled neatly in his hand. His fingers lightly curled around it as he glanced casually at the Star-Breaking Rock Dragon.
Seeing that the two little creatures not only refused to flee but even intended to resist, the Star-Breaking Rock Dragon let out a deafening roar. The sound sent great waves rippling across the swamp.
Its hind legs drove hard against the ground, launching its massive body at the grandfather and grandson. Its heavy claws struck the mud with dull thuds, making even the ground tremble slightly.
Facing the charging Star-Breaking Rock Dragon, Yang Wushuang's expression remained unchanged. He slowly raised his right hand, gathering soul power at his wrist, then flicked his fingertips. The bluestone shot toward the dragon like an arrow loosed from a bow, trailing a shrill whistle through the air.
Bang-
A heavy crash rang out as the bluestone struck squarely inside the Star-Breaking Rock Dragon's gaping, blood-red maw. It punched straight through a skull as tough as refined iron and burst out the other side in a spray of blood.
The Star-Breaking Rock Dragon's charge stopped dead. Its enormous body froze in place, the ferocity rapidly draining from its eyes as strange, rasping sounds escaped its throat. It swayed, then toppled heavily into the mud at the swamp's edge with a thud. Its limbs twitched faintly, thick blood pouring from the wound and staining the soil and aquatic plants beneath it red. Clearly, it was breathing out far more than it breathed in.
Yang Wushuang looked at the fallen Star-Breaking Rock Dragon and nodded lightly. Turning his gaze to Yang Chang'an behind him, he said evenly:
"Do it. Wait any longer, and it really will be dead."
Yang Chang'an snapped out of his daze. Suppressing the surge of emotion in his chest, he quickly nodded and strode toward the Star-Breaking Rock Dragon's body.
Once he was close, he stirred his soul power. Black light flashed in his hand, and the jet-black Soul Breaking Spear appeared, its tip gleaming coldly.
Yang Chang'an gripped the shaft with both hands. Without the slightest hesitation, he poured all his soul power into it, then drove the Soul Breaking Spear viciously into the Star-Breaking Rock Dragon's head. The spearhead pierced its skull, extinguishing the last of its life.
The instant the Soul Breaking Spear struck, the Star-Breaking Rock Dragon's body shuddered faintly. A pale yellow glow slowly rose from within it, gradually gathering into a rounded Yellow Soul Ring that circled slowly above its corpse.
Watching the Yellow Soul Ring take shape, Yang Chang'an could not hide the smile spreading across his face. Days of anticipation and preparation had finally borne fruit.
The Soul Breaking Spear in his hand hummed, black light flickering along its shaft, brimming with barely restrained longing.
Yang Chang'an let out a slow breath, then sat cross-legged before the Star-Breaking Rock Dragon's corpse. He turned his focus inward and slowly stirred his soul power. Guided by that power, the Yellow Soul Ring drifted upward and descended around his body.
The moment the soul ring touched him, an unprecedented burning sensation swept through Yang Chang'an's entire body. It was as though he had been plunged into a blazing furnace, every inch of his meridians and every bone enveloped by the scorching current.
An immensely violent force followed, surging into his body through the soul ring and rampaging through his meridians. It was so overbearing that even Yang Chang'an's physique, far stronger than an ordinary person's, suffered bone-piercing pain. Fine beads of cold sweat instantly formed at his temples, and his brows drew tightly together. Still, he clenched his teeth, refusing to let out so much as a groan.
Yang Wushuang watched from a short distance away, but after a casual glance, he simply found a clean piece of bluestone to sit on and closed his eyes to rest, showing not the slightest concern.
He knew Yang Chang'an's capabilities better than anyone. The boy had grown up soaking in medicinal baths. Though a Tool Soul Master, his physical strength could rival Niu Wenchuan, who was renowned for his strength. Among children his age, he unquestionably possessed innate, extraordinary might.
By Yang Wushuang's estimate, a physique like Yang Chang'an's could even attempt to absorb a five-hundred-year soul ring, let alone this one, which was only a little over four hundred years old.
Although the soul ring's power was fierce, it remained within Yang Chang'an's ability to endure. The pain was merely a necessary part of absorbing a soul ring.
Just as Yang Wushuang had expected, before long, Yang Chang'an's tightly knitted brows gradually relaxed. The pain faded from his face, the aura around him began to stabilize, and his soul power climbed steadily.
Time slipped by quietly, and a little over an hour passed in the blink of an eye.
Once Yang Chang'an had completely absorbed the final wisp of the soul ring's power, his eyes snapped open, a sharp gleam flashing in their depths. He slowly rose and stretched vigorously. The aura of soul power around him had advanced another step.
Yang Wushuang opened his eyes at just the right moment and walked over. He felt Yang Chang'an's shoulders and arms, sensing the soul power circulating steadily within him. A satisfied smile appeared on his face, and he nodded.
"Not bad. The peak of rank eleven, only one step away from rank twelve."
Then his gaze shifted slightly toward Yang Chang'an, a hint of anticipation in his eyes. "How's your soul skill?"
At the mention of his soul skill, Yang Chang'an's face instantly lit up with a radiant smile. He reached out and grasped the Soul Breaking Spear beside him, a faint black gleam immediately rising along its tip, and said with a smile:
"Grandpa, my first soul skill is called Pierce. It increases the Soul Breaking Spear's penetrating power by one hundred and thirty percent!"
"Oh? One hundred and thirty percent?" A flicker of surprise crossed Yang Wushuang's eyes, and his smile deepened.
"Good! Good! A full one hundred and thirty percent! We certainly didn't travel all this way for nothing. This soul skill couldn't be a better match for the Soul Breaking Spear!"
After all, his own second soul skill only increased his martial soul's penetrating power by one hundred percent. Yang Chang'an's first soul skill actually surpassed his second. That was truly rare.
The Soul Breaking Spear already excelled in sheer offensive power. With this soul skill, it was like a tiger given wings.
After his delight subsided, Yang Wushuang's expression gradually turned solemn again. His gaze swept across the surrounding swamp and dense woods, and his voice grew a little deeper.
"Now that our business here is finished, we should head back. There are still plenty of clan matters waiting to be dealt with."
Yang Chang'an immediately gathered himself and nodded firmly. He withdrew the Soul Breaking Spear into his body, then glanced at the Star-Breaking Rock Dragon's corpse on the ground.
The grandfather and grandson lingered no longer. One following the other, they headed toward the edge of the dense forest, their figures gradually disappearing from the swamp, leaving behind only the Star-Breaking Rock Dragon's slowly cooling corpse.