"Two Thousand-Year Soul Rings?"
Zhu Yingjie's expression changed abruptly. Seeing his opponent pounce at him, he activated Martial Soul Possession with hardly a moment's hesitation and retreated at speed.
This was the first time he had seen anyone absorb Thousand-Year Soul Rings as their first two Soul Rings. It completely overturned everything he had known.
No wonder His Eminence Thunder Douluo had said his third Soul Ring would be at the ten-thousand-year level. It seemed he really had not been boasting.
Zhu Xun and Zhu Yao were just as shocked as he was.
Zhu Yao was the girl's name.
Only after seeing the first two Thousand-Year Soul Rings did the pair believe that Yu Xuan really intended to challenge a Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring for his third.
"What a once-in-an-age genius. I've lived more than half my life, and I've never seen such a dazzling prodigy."
Zhu Xun first let out a sigh of admiration, then asked cautiously, "Sect Master Yu, people have been saying that your son awakened a purple-skinned piglet Martial Soul. I suppose you deliberately tarnished your own reputation to mislead them?"
Yu Yuanzhen froze, then his face darkened.
"My son did indeed awaken a purple-skinned piglet, but that was my second son, Yu Xiaogang. My eldest son is Yu Xuan, the one you see before you."
That Gangzi really was a bastard. Even when I accompanied Yu Xuan out to get a Soul Ring, I still had to lose face because of him.
When Yu Xiaogang reaches level ten, if I take him out to hunt for a Soul Ring and someone happens to see us, I'm afraid I'll lose every last shred of face!
No! When that bastard breaks through to level ten, I absolutely cannot take him to the Star Dou Great Forest myself.
"I see. Please forgive me, Sect Master Yu. I didn't know before, and I certainly didn't mean to mock you." Realization dawned on Zhu Xun, and he hurried to apologize.
Yu Yuanzhen raised a hand and turned to watch the two fighting in the forest, feeling rather irritated.
Seeing Zhu Yingjie retreat, Yu Xuan's eyes flashed. Without a second thought, he closed in after him.
"Third Soul Skill-Lie Yan Slash!"
As Yu Xuan approached, Zhu Yingjie raised a cat claw and sent a blade of flame shooting toward him.
As he saw it, there was absolutely no way Yu Xuan could dodge at this distance, and it was absolutely impossible for a level-thirty Soul Master to take his third Soul Skill without injury!
"First Soul Skill-Mystic Flame Dragon Claw!"
Yu Xuan had no intention of dodging. His dragon claws coated in crimson-gold flames, he caught the incoming flame blade and hurled it back at Zhu Yingjie.
Under the influence of his fire attribute, the flame blade was assimilated into Crimson-Gold Mystic Flame, unleashing power far greater than Zhu Yingjie's third Soul Skill!
The surrounding air turned scorching hot, and a wave of heat swept over everyone.
"This... how is this possible!?" Zhu Yingjie's pupils contracted sharply. What kind of fighting style was that?
The level-thirty Soul Grandmaster facing him had not only taken his third Soul Skill head-on, but had also flung it straight back at him, unleashing power clearly greater than when he had used it himself!
Danger!
Without needing to think, Zhu Yingjie knew he could not possibly withstand that flame blade. His figure flashed as he hurriedly dodged the fatal blow.
But just then, a gust of hot wind struck his face.
It was Yu Xuan.
The moment Yu Xuan sensed that Zhu Yingjie wanted to dodge, he cut off his escape.
Seeing that there was no way to avoid him, Zhu Yingjie hurriedly activated his second Yellow Soul Ring. "Second Soul Skill-Lie Yan Hundred Claws!"
He spun at high speed like a top, his cat claws extended. As soon as Yu Xuan approached, he would be met with a relentless barrage of claw strikes.
"Doesn't all that spinning make you dizzy?" Yu Xuan struck out with a palm. His scorching dragon claw hit Zhu Yingjie and sent him flying backward.
His body had been strengthened by his second Soul Skill, so meeting Zhu Yingjie's Soul Skill head-on was no problem at all.
Besides, Zhu Yingjie's flames did not even qualify as Ultimate Fire. They were innately several grades beneath Yu Xuan's.
With such an overwhelming advantage in attributes, if he still could not defeat Zhu Yingjie, he would feel he had let down his Fire Dragon King Martial Soul.
The moment Zhu Yingjie hit the ground, silence fell over everyone. Then came two sharp intakes of breath.
"Yingjie... couldn't even fight back."
Zhu Xun looked bewildered. He had originally thought Yu Xuan would be no match for Zhu Yingjie. After all, one was a level-fifty Quasi-Soul King, while the other was only a level-thirty Quasi-Soul Elder.
There was a twenty-level gap between them. How could they fight?
Yet the truth was that Yu Xuan had kept Zhu Yingjie on the defensive the entire time, leaving him unable even to fight back.
"So strong..." Zhu Yao's eyes sparkled. She had never imagined Yu Xuan could defeat her cousin so easily. Before Yu Xuan, her cousin had been like a plaything.
If she had not known the circumstances beforehand, she would have thought Yu Xuan was the level-fifty Quasi-Soul King, and Zhu Yingjie the level-thirty Quasi-Soul Elder!
Even if dragon Martial Souls had always been the most dominant among Beast Martial Souls, this was far too strong!
He had dominated an opponent twenty levels above him, like an old man toying with a naughty child!
"Hahaha, that's my son for you! Blue dye comes from indigo but is bluer than the plant itself. Even I wasn't as strong as you back then."
Yu Yuanzhen laughed heartily. He could not have been more pleased with his eldest son, Yu Xuan.
"It was just luck." Yu Xuan grinned.
The reason he had been able to defeat Zhu Yingjie so easily was entirely down to his advantage in attributes.
If he faced a water-attribute Soul Master at the same level as Zhu Yingjie, even if he won, it certainly would not be so easy.
"You brat, now you're being modest with me? Go absorb that One-Horned Fire Tyrant Dragon's Soul Ring." Yu Yuanzhen smiled and patted his shoulder, pointing at the black Soul Ring.
"All right." Yu Xuan nodded, sat down cross-legged, and drew the Soul Ring over to absorb it.
Zhu Xun picked Zhu Yingjie up. Seeing a trace of blood at the corner of his mouth, he gave a slight twitch of his own and sighed inwardly:
What rotten luck. I'm afraid he'll need several days of recuperation before he can continue hunting for a Soul Ring. Once he wakes up, I hope the boy doesn't give up on himself...
Seeing that Yu Xuan had already begun absorbing the Soul Ring, Zhu Yao was very curious whether he could work a miracle and successfully absorb a Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring with level-thirty Soul Power.
As she was thinking, her father's voice suddenly interrupted her thoughts. "Sect Master Yu, we'll take our leave first."
"All right. Thank your nephew for the effort of sparring with my son."
Yu Yuanzhen had no intention of asking them to stay, either.
Only after the three had gone far away did Yu Yuanzhen look at Yu Xuan. Seeing the pain on his face, his heart tightened.
"Ugh... ngh." Yu Xuan let out a muffled groan. His insides felt as though they were burning, and a remnant soul of the One-Horned Fire Tyrant Dragon had appeared in his Sea of Consciousness.
The remnant soul was filled with resentment and attacked madly, intent on destroying Yu Xuan's Sea of Consciousness.
"Get out!" Yu Xuan condensed a form of consciousness and appeared in his Sea of Consciousness. The Fire Dragon King's majesty erupted, instantly tearing the One-Horned Fire Tyrant Dragon's lingering will to shreds.
That takes care of the Soul Shock.
Yu Xuan quietly let out a long breath.
Time passed, and eight hours went by in the blink of an eye.
Yu Xuan successfully absorbed the Soul Ring. Just as he was about to focus on sensing his Soul Skill, a blood-red pillar of light suddenly descended from the sky, falling straight toward him!
Tangible killing intent swept outward, instantly rousing the Ferocious Beasts slumbering deep within the forest!
"What is that?!" Yu Yuanzhen was greatly alarmed. Fearing that something would happen to Yu Xuan, he hurriedly charged toward the blood-red pillar of light!