Jade Pool Hidden Valley
The Jade Pool Hidden Valley is located in the northern part of the Heaven Dou Empire, deep in a wet depression surrounded by dense forest.
The four of them traveled for three days by carriage and then walked for two days through the forest before finally reaching the valley entrance. The entrance was extremely narrow, with the stone walls on both sides almost touching, leaving only a narrow gap for a person to squeeze through sideways. A damp, cold air seeped out of the gap, carrying a fishy smell. Hu Liena walked in front and squeezed in sideways, followed by the other three who filed in.
The valley suddenly opened up. A low-lying wetland stretched out, its ground covered with a thick layer of moss and ferns, soft and slippery underfoot. In the center was a deep pool, its water a dark, greenish hue, its bottom invisible. The surface was still, like a piece of black jade sunk to the ground. The surrounding area was densely wooded, so thick that no light could penetrate, their canopies overlapping and casting shadows over the entire valley, with only a few slivers of light filtering through the gaps overhead.
"The bottom of the pool is the Jasper Flood Dragon's lair," Xie Yue said in a low voice. "Nana took out the Phoenix Flower she brought and proceeded according to plan."
Hu Liena took out a small cloth bag from her Storage Soul Tool. Inside were several dried flower petals, dark red in color, with a spicy sweet fragrance. She had obtained these from the Spirit Hall's medicine hall in advance. Although dried Phoenix Flower are not as tempting as fresh ones, their aroma is stronger. When they come into contact with water, they release a sweet and slightly fishy smell similar to fresh blood, which is extremely attractive to water-attribute Soul Beast.
She grabbed a handful of petals, soaked them in the pool water, and then scattered a few along the edge of the emerald pool, gradually leading the rest towards the pre-arranged ambush point. The dark red petals landed on the water's surface, slowly spreading out, their sweet, fishy scent enveloped by the mist as they sank to the bottom of the pool. The four retreated behind the stone platform, holding their breath and waiting.
After about ten breaths, the calm water surface suddenly rippled. A very fine ripple spread out from the center of the pool, followed by a second and a third ripple. The shadowy figure underwater was rapidly rising to the surface, getting closer and closer. Ning Buhui felt the stone platform beneath her feet tremble slightly, the vibrations caused by the movement of the huge underwater figure.
Moments later, the water surface exploded, and a giant dragon burst out of the water.
Its entire body was emerald green, and its scales, like polished jade, shimmered with a ghostly light in the mist. The dragon's head was larger than a human's, with two vertical pupils that were dark green, and a row of serrated bony crowns on its forehead. The dragon's body was as thick as a pillar, and the part that was above the water was two or three zhang long.
It first stopped on the water's surface, staring motionless at the spot where Phoenix Flower were scattered, its nostrils twitching slightly.
Then it slowly swam towards the edge of the pool.
Once ashore, the entire body of the dragon was revealed, larger than Ning Buhui had imagined, its emerald green scales glistening with a wet sheen. It began to walk along the trail of scattered Phoenix Flower toward Ning Buhui and their ambush point.
Ning Buhui and his group had set up an ambush point on a relatively open flat area, in the center of which was a pile of Phoenix Flower that emitted a sweet, fishy smell. The group hid in the tree canopy, waiting for the Jasper Flood Dragon come over.
After arriving at the location, the Jasper Flood Dragon did not immediately go forward. Instead, it first observed its surroundings and, after confirming that there was no danger, it began to walk towards the center.
"Now's the time. Make your move," Xie Yue said.
The four of them burst forth from the treetop simultaneously. Yan led the way, his fists already ablaze with crimson Soul Power, his First Soul Ring glowing. He unleashed the Lava Fist, aiming a punch at the side of the Jasper Flood Dragon's neck. Xie Yue slashed in from the flank, drawing his Moon Blade. His Second Soul Ring glowed, and Moon Blade Flight to propel himself through the air, sending two blood-red curved blades flying from his hands, one to the left and one to the right, slashing towards the middle of the dragon's body. Hu Liena lagged half a step behind, her first and third Soul Ring glowing simultaneously. Pink mist spread around the Jasper Flood Dragon, while her eyes emitted a pink glow, Fox Charm shot straight towards the dragon's head.
Ning Buhui stood behind the three of them and simultaneously unleashed her first three enhanced Soul Skill upon them.
First Soul Skill: [Yang - Butterfly Dance Flowing Radiance] Increases all attributes and Soul Power recovery speed by 40%, and reduces the cooldown of Soul Skill by 35%.
Second Soul Skill: [Yang· Vine Armor Spring Life] Applies a shield to the target, absorbing 40% of the damage and converting it into a small amount of Soul Power to the attacked target. When the rattan armor breaks, it generates a small shockwave that knocks back nearby enemies. Lasts for 30 seconds.
The Third Soul Skill, [Yang· Wind Thunder Wing Shadow], increases the target's movement speed by 55%, attack speed by 40%, and reaction speed by 40%. While moving at high speed, the target can ignore ground obstacles (can briefly glide through the air, but cannot fly). Simultaneously, a thin layer of lightning patterns will flow across the target's body, and there is a 1% chance of triggering "Static Counterattack" when attacked at close range—paralyzing the attacker for a moment (approximately 0.3 seconds).
The newly acquired Fourth Soul Skill Bear Iron Wall, is also ready to be unleashed, waiting for the right moment to cast it on a teammate.
Each of the four Soul Skill follows its own path, with Soul Power flowing with unparalleled precision and without a single wasted element.
The Jasper Flood Dragon was caught off guard by the sudden attack. Yan's Lava Fist struck its neck, breaking off two of its emerald scales. Xie Yue's Moon Blade sliced through the middle of the dragon's body, creating a half-foot-long gash. Hu Liena's Fox Charm followed closely behind, and the Jasper Flood Dragon's movements suddenly froze.
"Alright!" Yan roared, his Second Soul Ring lit up, and Fire Wall blocked the path of the Jasper Flood Dragon as it retreated towards the pool.
After wincing in pain, the Jasper Flood Dragon shook its head violently, its dark yellow vertical pupils recovering from their daze. With its mouth open, several dark green water arrows shot out, heading straight for the three of them. With Ning Buhui's assistance, their speed increased significantly, and they easily dodged the arrows.
Just as the three of them dodged, the Jasper Flood Dragon let out a low hiss, and a layer of cold, green light emanated from its serrated crest on its forehead. It slammed its front paws heavily onto the damp mud, and with a muffled "plop," the soft ground beneath their feet suddenly churned. Countless thin, hair-like streams of green water emerged from under the moss and from the cracks in the mud, wrapping around their ankles and calves as if they were alive.
It is the Jasper Flood Dragon's core crowd control Soul Skill - Weak Water Binding.
Yan stepped forward, about to throw another punch, when suddenly his feet sank, as if he had sunk into a swamp. The emerald water, like a soft spider web, was impossible to break free of, clinging tightly to his legs and beginning to spread rapidly upwards, restricting his movements.
The crimson flames on his fist suddenly froze. His Lava Fist, which was originally as fast as thunder, became as slow as an old man throwing a punch. Even the circulation of his Soul Power became sluggish. He was rooted to the spot, unable to take another step.
"Not good! It's a slowing control Soul Skill!" Xie Yue shouted, his figure about to dart around to the rear, but he suddenly stopped in mid-air. The force of the Weak Water Binding climbed up his trouser legs, and he felt as if his limbs were bound with several layers of waterlogged cotton, heavy and sticky, and his usual agile movements were gone. The arc drawn by the Moon Blade in the air was crooked and twisted, and the speed was more than half as slow as usual. When he landed, he staggered and almost fell into the mud, just like a tortoise crawling in a mud pit.
Hu Liena's situation was even more precarious. She was primarily focused on mental control, with her physical strength being the weakest. When the Weak Water entangled her, she swayed. Most of the pink mist around her dissipated, and the Fox Charm's mental attack was directly interrupted. She tried to take a half-step back to create some distance, but found that her legs felt like they were rooted in mud, with every movement accompanied by sticky resistance, and beads of sweat instantly appeared on her forehead.
This slowing effect completely negated the entire speed bonus from Ning Buhui's Third Soul Skill.
The three were instantly immobilized, their movements visibly slow. The Jasper Flood Dragon let out a low roar, its massive body arching slightly, its tail swishing as it lunged forward, its emerald vertical pupils filled with cruel killing intent.
Just then, Ning Buhui finally unleashed his Fourth Soul Skill he had been preparing for a long time.
"Fourth Soul Skill - Bear Iron Wall!"
Suddenly, his Fourth Soul Ring lit up, and with a flick of his tail, three golden beams shot out, simultaneously enveloping the three of them. The golden light transformed into a phantom of a bear spirit, appearing behind the three and then merging into their bodies.
Like the phantom of an ancient Giant Bear, it enveloped them. The moment the light armor took shape, the three of them felt a sudden lightness, and the heavy, sluggish feeling was brutally torn apart.
The Bear Iron Wall grants one teammate invulnerability, making them immune to control effects such as knockback, knock-up, freeze, petrification, and stun, and temporarily increasing all attributes by 60% for 15 seconds.
What's even more terrifying than invincibility is the temporary boost to all attributes.
Ning Buhui's Fourth Soul Skill is an explosive type of Soul Skill. This power perfectly overlaps with the 40% increase in all attributes of the First Soul Skill, Butterfly Dance Flowing Radiance, achieving exactly 100% increase in all attributes!
This means that the three people's strength, speed, Soul Skill intensity, and defensive resilience all doubled at this moment, and their strength directly climbed to a level that they would never have dared to imagine under normal circumstances.
"Kill!"
Yan was the first to roar out. His legs, which had been heavy, now felt as light as a feather, and his stagnant Soul Power surged forth again. With a light tap of his feet, he shot out like a cannonball, twice as fast as before. At the same time, his fourth Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring lit up, unleashing Lie Yan Torrent —a large-scale torrent of fire that burned the entire group. It was perfect for dealing with the enormous Jasper Flood Dragon.
Xie Yue followed closely behind, unleashing his strongest attack Soul Skill — Shattered Moon Impact. With her 100% amplification, Hu Liena was able to hard-control the Jasper Flood Dragon for 3 seconds.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
The dull thuds of impact echoed one after another, Jasper Flood Dragon's head was thrown back repeatedly, its mouth agape as it let out a painful hiss. Just as it was about to launch another attack, Xie Yue had already circled around to its side.
With his speed amplified to 100%, Xie Yue moved so fast that he was left as a blood-red afterimage. The Moon Blade hummed and trembled in his hand, the two curved blades transforming into continuous sword light, frantically slicing along the gaps in the scales of the Jasper Flood Dragon. The Moon Blade, which could only cut half a foot in the wound before, could now cut deep into the dragon's flesh, bringing with it bursts of dark green poisonous blood. His figure moved swiftly, leaving several wounds on the Jasper Flood Dragon with each flash.
The three of them broke free from the predicament of being suppressed by the slow movement and instead forced the Jasper Flood Dragon to retreat. The giant dragon staggered backward, its tail lashing the ground, splashing mud and water everywhere, but it could not shake off the storm of attacks from the body.
Even though the three of them were clearly in the lead, Ning Buhui still felt that something was off, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it.