The dragon's roar rang out strong and full, brimming with overbearing, majestic Dragon Qi that shook the hearts and courage of all who heard it. It was certainly a formidable creature.
And such a creature was precisely what Qi Ling had been looking for!
He hurriedly took out the Wheel of Fate and found that its indicator light had already lit up, meaning that what he needed most was within ten kilometers of him.
The others also looked delighted when they heard the dragon's roar. After all, this was what Qi Ling had spent two whole years searching for! Now that they finally had a lead, how could they not be happy?
Only one person could not share their joy. Ma Hongjun spoke up weakly, "Boss Qi, everyone, don't say I'm ruining the mood, but could you look after me first?"
Only then did everyone remember that Ma Hongjun was still suffering from a deadly poison. If they delayed any longer, this birdman might have to say goodbye to his little bird.
"Fatty, why don't you make a sacrifice? Boss Qi will definitely remember your greatness!" Oscar said deliberately.
"Screw you! Xiao Ao, is that any way to talk to a brother?" Ma Hongjun angrily punched Oscar, then turned a pitiful gaze on Qi Ling. "Boss Qi, you wouldn't abandon your brother, right?"
Qi Ling smiled. "Don't worry. Of course I wouldn't abandon a brother for a Soul Ring."
"Teacher Zhao, take Ma Hongjun back to town for treatment first!" Qi Ling told Zhao Wuji. "I'll follow it and see what's going on."
Still worried, Zhao Wuji said, "Kid, don't try to play the hero! Every dragon is tough to deal with. Don't go throwing your life away!"
"Don't worry, I know my limits!" Qi Ling promised.
With that, everyone except Qi Ling set off to retreat from the forest. To guard against a possible encounter with the Peerless Dragon Snake, Meng Yiran also stayed behind with Qi Ling.
Although Xiao Wu and Ning Rongrong were unhappy, the truth was that staying behind would only make them burdens to Qi Ling.
After all, Qi Ling was confident he could escape with just one person in tow, but adding another two would be a tall order.
After splitting into two groups, Qi Ling and Meng Yiran immediately headed toward the source of the dragon's roar. Along the way, they encountered quite a few trembling Soul Beasts that did not even know to dodge when they saw people.
"What's going on? Why do all these Soul Beasts look as if they've lost their souls?" Meng Yiran asked curiously.
"It's simple. That dragon's roar frightened them," Qi Ling said. "Dragons are supreme beings by nature. The higher a dragon's rank, the more it intimidates lesser creatures."
"It looks like we've found a true dragon with a very pure bloodline!"
Following the sound while concealing their tracks, the two reached a nearby tree. Looking down, they immediately spotted the enormous dragon, golden from head to tail.
The dragon was over ten meters long, its body covered in a layer of golden scales. Its limbs were exceptionally thick and strong, and its claws and fangs were incomparably sharp. It was a terrifying close-combat killing machine.
The dragon's appearance perfectly embodied the aesthetics of violence. Everything about it seemed born for battle, especially its suit of golden armor, which gave off metallic sounds as its scales struck one another. It looked utterly imposing.
To think it's actually a Golden Sacred Dragon! What a tremendous gift! Qi Ling thought, filled with delight.
Just then, however, Qi Ling suddenly noticed that the Golden Sacred Dragon seemed to be fighting someone. Its repeated cries were roars of fury in battle.
Meng Yiran noticed this too, then suddenly exclaimed in surprise, "Huh? Isn't that my grandfather fighting the dragon?"
"Your grandfather? Dragon Duke Meng Shu?" Qi Ling froze, then looked down. Sure enough, the man was wielding a dragon-headed cane, with eight gleaming Soul Rings floating above it.
A Soul Douluo who used such a peculiar weapon could only be Meng Yiran's grandfather, Dragon Duke Meng Shu!
At the moment, however, Meng Shu was in a terrible situation. Had it been an ordinary ten-thousand-year Soul Beast, a Soul Douluo could naturally have captured it with ease. But what he faced was a Golden Sacred Dragon!
This was no lesser dragon species, much less some run-of-the-mill Soul Beast. It was a genuine Golden Sacred Dragon with the noble bloodline of the Dragon Clan, one that ranked highly even among the Dragon Clan!
A ten-thousand-year Golden Sacred Dragon like this could be said to have few rivals apart from hundred-thousand-year Soul Beasts!
The main reason was that its defense was simply absurd. Its golden sacred armor was not merely for show; it truly possessed defensive strength comparable to that of a hundred-thousand-year Soul Beast!
Even a Soul Douluo's Soul Skills had little effect when they struck it. Inflicting real damage required at least the offensive power of a fifth Soul Skill, but how many times could such Soul Skills be used?
Moreover, Dragon Duke Meng Shu was old and his strength had waned, making a prolonged battle highly unfavorable. The longer the Golden Sacred Dragon dragged things out, the greater his danger became. He was already wounded in several places, and defeat was imminent.
"Grandfather! Grandfather!" Meng Yiran cried anxiously. But with her strength, going out there would be no different from throwing her life away.
It was not that she feared death. Her own death was nothing to fear, but if she distracted her grandfather, that would spell disaster.
In her desperation, Meng Yiran could only turn to Qi Ling beside her. "Qi Ling, you-you must have a way to save my grandfather, right? Please, save him!"
[Ding-dong! The host has been detected facing Meng Yiran's request. Please choose from the following options!] Option one: refuse Meng Yiran and stand by while Dragon Duke Meng Shu fights the Golden Sacred Dragon. Rewards: Meng Yiran's affection -10%, Dragon Duke Meng Shu's chance of victory 30%, host's chance of obtaining a Soul Ring -70%. Option two: accept Meng Yiran's request and join Dragon Duke Meng Shu in battle. Rewards: Meng Yiran's affection +100%, divine-grade cultivation technique: Three Thousand Lightning Movement.
Seeing these options, Qi Ling felt a pang of pain. It seemed that, no matter what, he would have to step in and help Meng Shu deal with this dragon that even a Soul Douluo could do nothing against!
Thinking about it, having a Soul Douluo's support now made this the best opportunity to obtain this Soul Ring. After all, he was an even stronger helper than Zhao Wuji!
Qi Ling could not imagine how he could possibly defeat such a ferocious beast alone without using cheats.
As for Three Thousand Lightning Movement, it was also something Qi Ling sorely needed.
It was a cultivation technique that borrowed the power of wind and lightning to move swiftly, divided into three realms: Lightning Flash, Lightning Instant, and Three Thousand Lightning.
Cultivated to its highest realm, it even allowed one to travel at the speed of lightning, fleeing a thousand miles in an instant. It was truly an indispensable tool for murder and arson!
[Ding-dong! Congratulations to the host for choosing option two: accept Meng Yiran's request. Rewards obtained: Meng Yiran's affection +100%, divine-grade cultivation technique: Three Thousand Lightning Movement.]
"Don't worry, I'll help," Qi Ling reassured Meng Yiran. "This isn't just for you. It's for myself too."
"Th-thank you." Meng Yiran blushed. This guy doesn't seem so bad after all.