Dragon Might Descends
Lightning exploded, tearing a gap in the illusion. A deep purple figure stepped into the New Fire Valley.
The elder at the head had needle-like silver hair, and electric streaks spread beneath his feet. He surveyed the valley, his lips curling into a cold smile. Behind him stood seven Soul Master, the lowest being Soul King, with two Soul Saint standing on either side.
The alarm wailed, and Shi Jian's roar suppressed the chaos. The disciples retreated into cover, and the Soul Cannon gleamed.
Shi Jian stood in front of the core area, unleashing his level 85 Soul Power like a mountain. "The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, what right do you have to trespass on private territory?"
The silver-haired elder Lei Qingyue, looked on with disdain. "Level 85? Not enough. I am Lei Qingyue, the Enforcement Elder of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan. You occupy this place because of your connection to the ancient ruins, harboring secrets that will cause chaos." He stepped forward, Lightning crackling around him. "Hand over all research data and surrender. Otherwise, I will turn this place into scorched earth today!"
Shi Jian, enraged, laughed. "You're trying to frame me! If you want war, then let's fight!"
His Soul Ring suddenly lit up, and he gripped a massive, dark hammer in his hand, its head adorned with flowing dark gold patterns.
A flash of anger crossed Lei Qingyue's eyes. "Stubborn fool! Take him down!"
Two Soul Saint responded and pounced out, their dragon claws and wings crackling with Lightning.
The New Fire Valley defense system was activated simultaneously. On the left hillside, the Soul Cannon flipped, and several energy beams blocked the way; on the right, ghostly figures appeared in the forest, and Lin Xiao swiftly cut into the side and rear of the Dragon Wing Soul Saint, his dark claw strike piercing straight into his ribs. The other team members threw out explosives, and smoke and interference ripples filled the air.
Lei Qingyue's face darkened. "A mere trick!" His Eighth Soul Ring shone brightly, and a purple-black light enveloped his entire body. With a high-pitched dragon roar, he transformed into his true form as Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon, over fifteen meters long Entanglement violent lightning, its dragon might pressing down like a mountain.
Shi Jian's pupils contracted, his fifth Soul Ring lit up, and his giant hammer swelled to the size of a small house, with dark gold patterns flowing across it. "Earthshaker!" he roared and swung the hammer, smashing it fiercely towards the dragon's head.
The hammer and claws collided, creating a shockwave that exploded outwards in a ring. Shi Jian staggered back three steps, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. Lei Qingyue's dragon body swayed slightly, his eyes filled with surprise and doubt—his opponent had only suffered minor injuries?
Shi Jian wiped away the blood and pounced again. He was experienced and used the terrain to his advantage, his giant hammer targeting the weak points of the dragon's joints. Although he couldn't kill it, he kept Lei Qingyue extremely annoyed.
The outer battlefield was in full swing. Mo Chen operated the soul guidance platform in the workshop, his face pale but his eyes shining. "Trap in area three activated! Binding Soul Tool number five activated!" The ground everywhere turned into Mire, Soul Power chains shot out, and directional sonic booms stunned the attackers. Soul Tool were layered upon layered, slowing down and dividing the enemy.
From the observation post behind the bunker, Shen Moxin calmly directed the mental-type Soul Master around her. "Target Soul Saint on the left, with weak mental defenses. ' Spirit-Disrupting Ripple,' synchronize the frequency!" The invisible mental fluctuations overlapped, and the Dragon Claw Soul Saint froze.
Lin Xiao suddenly sprang to his feet, his fingertips condensing dark Soul Power as he aimed at the back of the Soul Saint's heart. The Soul Saint barely managed to twist his body, a shallow pit being etched into his dragon claw. Lin Xiao had already retreated into the smoke, his icy words echoing. "Next time, I'll tap your head."
The guerrilla harassment had exhausted the two Soul Saint. However, the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan's Soul Master were too strong. After a steady and methodical advance, their Soul Guidance Traps were violently destroyed, and the outer fortifications and wooden houses were successively damaged and caught fire. Thick smoke billowed, and the valley was a scene of devastation.
Shi Jian was wounded in many places, his left shoulder was charred and the claw marks were so deep that the bone was visible, and blood stained half of his body. He fought to the death and refused to retreat, his giant hammer blocking the core area.
Lei Qingyue grew increasingly enraged with each attack. His prolonged assault failed, and the unpredictable circumstances increased. "Enough!" The dragon roared and soared into the sky, its Eighth Soul Ring blazing brightly. Dark clouds gathered, and thunder roared. Destructive energy converged into its mouth, forming a blinding ball of lightning over three meters in diameter—its eighth Soul Skill, Furious Lightning Heavenly Prison. If it were to fall, half the valley would be scorched.
Shi Jian's eyes were bloodshot with rage; he could not retreat! He roared hoarsely, channeling all his remaining Soul Power into the giant hammer. His Seventh Soul Ring shone brightly, and his Martial Soul Avatar was activated! His body and the giant hammer transformed into a towering hammer shadow, resolutely crashing into the destructive lightning orb.
At the critical moment, a faint light appeared in the direction of Lu Yuan's secluded cave deep in the valley. The hidden node was activated on its own, triggered by intense energy and Shi Jian will.
The spatial ripples spread silently, and a tiny crack appeared in the void directly above the battlefield, disappearing in a flash.
A palm-sized, rhomboid scale, shimmering with a warm, silvery light, fell from the dragon's head and wobbled towards Lei Qingyue head.
Lei Qingyue's dragon body trembled violently! A tremor originating from the depths of his bloodline caused the energy in the thunderball in his dragon mouth to become disordered. He was terrified and grabbed at the scales with his dragon claws.
The scales felt cool to the touch, containing pure and ancient spatial fluctuations, and carrying a sense of insignificance in the face of the vast void, as well as a subtle implication of "order." As Soul Power probed in, fragments of cold, ancient will assaulted the mind—in the endless dark void, a gigantic silver outline meandered and swam, stars flickering between the opening and closing of the scales...
Lei Qingyue was struck dumb, his furious killing intent in his dragon eyes replaced by disbelief and deep fear. He looked at the heavily injured Shi Jian, glanced at the Spark group whose eyes were still defiant, and then looked into the depths of the valley where the scales had flown out. There lingered a faint, obscure aura that made his soul feel oppressed.
Following clues, bizarre resistance, strange scales, the oppressive aura of a Martial Soul... all of this points to an ancient and mysterious being that even a clan finds difficult to provoke.
"Retreat!" Lei Qingyue gritted his teeth and uttered the word, dispersing the lightning ball and reverting to human form. He gripped the scales tightly, took a deep look into the depths of the valley, and then transformed into a bolt of Lightning and shot away.
The others were stunned for a moment, then followed suit, retreating like a tide.
The valley was filled only with the sounds of burning, groans, and deathly silence. Shi Jian, slumped and staggering, used his hammer to support himself, his face blank.
Lin Xiao stepped out of the shadows, his brow furrowed as he stared in the direction the enemy had left. Shen Moxin supported Shi Jian, her voice trembling, "How could they suddenly..." Mo Chen looked towards the cave, his expression filled with suspicion.
Lin Xiao crouched down and stroked the charred pebbles, then suddenly spoke, "When those scales appeared, the old man's dragon might trembled."
The group exchanged bewildered glances. A single silver scale could actually make an 89th-level Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon True Form Soul Douluo retreat without a fight?
What exactly were those scales? What contingency plan did Lu Yuan leave behind before he left?