Soul Bone?
"Boom!" The dragon claw clashed head-on with the Lava Tail Whip, exploding into a sky full of sparks. Liu Erlong was shaken so badly that her blood surged and she staggered back several steps, but her fighting spirit only intensified. Several charred marks were also torn from the scales of the Earthcore Python's tail.
The Earthcore Python, in pain, became even more ferocious, unleashing a golden-red "Lava Breath" that shot towards Liu Erlong, who had just landed, with a wide area of effect.
"Little Jade, Auspicious Domain! Fifth Soul Skill: Mountain-Suppressing Guardian!" Yan Zu reacted extremely quickly. Little Jade released a jade-colored halo, weakening the negative effects of the environment.
At the same time, the earthen-yellow Mountain-Suppressing Auspicious Shield instantly opened, protecting Liu Erlong and himself in the center. The lava leaf breath impacted the shield, making a loud "hissing" sound. The shield fluctuated violently, but successfully blocked the attack.
"Teacher, connect! Second Soul Skill: Pact of Protection!" While defending, Yan Zu's Second Soul Ring lit up.
This time, he made an extremely bold and precise move—an invisible thread of Soul Power instantly connected him and Liu Erlong, while the other end of the damage sharing was directly and forcibly connected to the massive body of the Lava Earth Core Python!
This means that the Earthcore Python will have to bear part of the damage Liu Erlong will suffer!
The Earthcore Python immediately felt a strange connection force binding it and taking effect. It was both shocked and furious, having never seen such a bizarre Soul Skill that could actually make the enemy share the damage it suffered! This severely disrupted its attack rhythm and damage calculation.
"Good lad!" Liu Erlong felt the connection established, the pressure on her body eased, and she was overjoyed. "Fourth Soul Skill: Fire Dragon Mountain-Crushing Strike!" She seized the moment of hesitation caused by the Earthcore Python's shock, leaped into the air, her body engulfed in flames, and slammed down on the Earthcore Python's head like a meteorite!
The Earthcore Python hurriedly raised its head and spewed out its Lava Breath to intercept Liu Erlong. However, Yan Zu had already anticipated Liu Erlong's descent. "Fourth Soul Skill: Life's Praise!" Emerald light enveloped Liu Erlong first, providing continuous healing and purification protection.
"Bang! Boom!" Liu Erlong's Fire Dragon Mountain-Crushing Strike collided with the Lava Breath in mid-air, causing a violent explosion. Liu Erlong was thrown away by the shockwave, but her injuries were not serious thanks to the protection of the Life's Praise.
The key point is that, through the "Pact of Protection," some of the impact and fire damage that Liu Erlong suffered in this collision was actually transferred to the Earthcore Python itself! The Earthcore Python felt a strange, jarring pain in its head; although not much, it was enough to make it feel frustrated and distracted.
"Damn humans, you weird brat! Lava Domain!" The Earthcore Python was completely enraged and activated its Innate Domain. The ground turned into a churning lava pool, the temperature soared, and countless magma tentacles frantically attacked Liu Erlong and Yan Zu, restricting their movement and continuously burning them.
"Third Soul Skill: Starlight Descent!" Yan Zu empowered himself, causing his attributes to surge. With the auspicious aura of Little Jade assisting him, he managed to dodge through the Lava Domain with great difficulty.
At the same time, he continuously cast "Black Tortoise Holy Shield" on Liu Erlong to enhance her defense and healing effects.
"Sixth Soul Skill: Fire Dragon Body Protection!" A raging fire barrier rose around Liu Erlong, deflecting the incoming magma tentacles and even burning them back. Despite the pressure of her domain, she charged at the Earthcore Python again. "Fifth Soul Skill: Fire Dragon Roar Bullet!" A highly compressed, scorching fireball blasted towards the Earthcore Python's eye.
The Earthcore Python dodged the fireball, which exploded on its neck, blasting off a patch of scales. What made it even worse was that, due to the "Pact of Protection," some of the impact and flame backlash from the explosion on Liu Erlong was also borne by it.
Alright!
This feeling is like hitting yourself; although the damage isn't significant, it's extremely disgusting and severely disrupts its fighting mentality and rhythm.
The battle reached a stalemate. With Liu Erlong Yan Zu's all-around support— Pact of Protection to share damage, Mountain-Suppressing Guardian to reduce damage, Life's Praise for continuous healing, Black Tortoise Holy Shield to enhance defense and healing, Starlight Descent boost attributes, and Little Jade Auspicious Domain was actually able to fight the 75,000-year-old Earthcore Python to a standstill.
She unleashed her first six Soul Skill to their fullest potential: tearing with dragon claws, spewing dragon flames, slamming mountains, and firing fireballs in rapid succession. Her protective barrier appeared and disappeared intermittently, making her resemble a god of fire.
The Earthcore Python grew increasingly alarmed and frustrated as the fight progressed. It clearly possessed far superior raw strength, but that Soul King's support was simply too overpowered!
Especially that damn damage sharing link, which restricts its actions, completely invalidating many damage-for-damage strategies. In fact, if you attack too aggressively, some of the reflected damage will also cause you pain through the link.
With all its defense, healing, and purification abilities, that Soul Saint woman was practically an indestructible and inexhaustible fighting machine!
"Roar!!!" The Earthcore Python was finally enraged and decided to stop holding back and use its primal power.
"Humans, you forced me to this! Earthcore Dragon Flame Blast!" It frantically gathered its power, the short horn on its head and the light from its mouth were extremely dazzling, the entire volcano was roaring, and a torrent of golden-red magma that was much thicker and more solid than before, carrying an aura of destruction that could burn everything, crashed towards Liu Erlong and Yan Zu!
This was a desperate attack, drawing upon some of its original dragon blood, and its power was earth-shattering.
Faced with this devastating attack, Liu Erlong and Yan Zu felt the threat of death.
"No retreat! Counterattack with our strongest strike!" A mad glint flashed in Liu Erlong's eyes. She knew she couldn't dodge, nor should she; behind her were Yan Zu and the students in the distance.
She frantically poured the remaining Soul Power, along with all the soul power she had recovered with Yan Zu's help, and her indomitable fighting spirit, into her Sixth Soul Ring for defense. She reversed and compressed the flame barrier of "Fire Dragon Body Protection," combining it with her own dragon flame and Martial Soul Origin!
She seemed to transform into a burning crimson dragon spear, Earthcore Dragon Flame Blast!
"Teacher! Life's Praise at maximum power! Starlight power, transfer it all! Little Jade, help me!" Yan Zu squeezed out all his Soul Power, and the emerald light of Life's Praise was brighter than ever before. At the same time, he channeled all the remaining energy of Starlight Descent to Liu Erlong through Martial Soul Resonance.
Little Jade also let out a clear but slightly anxious cry, and all the auspicious energy transformed into a jade-colored pillar of light, which flowed into Liu Erlong's body to stabilize her extremely violent energy.
Boom!!!!!!!!
At the center of the collision between the crimson dragon spear and the golden-red torrent, a miniature sun seemed to appear. Unimaginable energy erupted, and the shockwave instantly destroyed everything within a radius of a hundred meters, with a large section of the crater's edge collapsing. Sword Douluo and Poison Douluo's expressions changed slightly, and they acted simultaneously, their sword energy and poison barriers intertwining to form an even stronger defense, protecting those further away.
The light and dust slowly dissipated.
Liu Erlong knelt on one knee, her Martial Soul Possession state almost completely dispelled. Her body was charred black with multiple burns, and her breath was extremely weak, but her spine remained ramrod straight. Yan Zu's Fourth Soul Skill, "Life's Praise," activated: when the designated target is near death, it automatically triggers a three-second invincible "Life Protection."
Yan Zu knelt half-kneeling in front of her. The Mountain-Suppressing Guardian was already broken, his clothes were tattered, and he was also seriously injured. His Soul Power was completely exhausted, and he was only able to keep going by willpower.
The Lava Earth Core Python —its massive body—had a huge, charred wound several meters long and deep enough to expose bone to tear open from its jaw to its chest and abdomen. Red Dragon flames were still stubbornly burning at the edges of the wound, preventing it from healing.
Its aura plummeted, and its golden pupils were filled with disbelief and deep exhaustion.
What made it even more unacceptable was that, in the final clash, due to the existence of the "Pact of Protection," a considerable portion of the destructive energy that Liu Erlong absorbed was still reflected back onto itself, aggravating its injuries!
In a sense, part of its earth-shattering blow actually hit itself!
Silence enveloped the shattered battlefield.
After a long while, the Lava Earth Core Python slowly lowered its proud head. The ferocity and arrogance in its eyes faded, replaced by a complex expression—pain, shock, helplessness, and a trace of—admiration.
"With the bodies of Soul Saint and Soul King —and with the aid of such exquisite and unprecedented auxiliary and combat tactics—it actually—"
"You withstood my attack that burned my very essence—and wounded me to this state—" The Earthcore Python's voice was hoarse and deep, "That link that shared the damage—that unbreakable protection—that ceaseless healing—and your—unyielding dragon soul fighting spirit—"
It looked at Liu Erlong: "Your flames are fierce and pure, your fighting spirit unyielding. My Earthcore Dragon Flame acknowledges you."
It then looked at Yan Zu: "Your support is tenacious and unpredictable, your protective spirit is astonishing. I did not lose this battle unjustly."
The Lava Earth Core Python began to emit a soft and warm golden-red light, no longer the ferocity of its attacks, but carrying a sense of inclusiveness and acceptance.
It looked at Liu Erlong and solemnly said, "Human, Liu Erlong. I, the Lava Earth Core Python, wish to sign an equal Soul Spirit Contract with you, to share the power of the earth's fire and dragon flames, and to fight side by side from now on. Are you willing?"
Liu Erlong forced himself to lift his head, a defiant yet sincere smile appearing on his blood-stained face. His voice, though weak, was resolute. "I, Liu Erlong, am willing!"
A golden-red contract light rose up, enveloping the man and the python. Within the light, the Earthcore Python's enormous body gradually blurred and shrank, eventually transforming into a solid golden-red stream of light that gently entered Liu Erlong's brow.
At the same time, a deep, abyss-like black Soul Ring (75,000 years old) with magma-like patterns pulsating along its edges slowly condensed from the void, carrying immense and scorching power, and slowly descended, beginning to merge with Liu Erlong's body.
Liu Erlong sat cross-legged, focusing all her efforts on absorbing the Eighth Soul Ring she had longed for. At the same time, she sensed the miniature but spirit-filled Lava Earth Core Python Soul Spirit in her Sea of Consciousness resonating deeply with her Scarlet Flame Dragon King Martial Soul origin.
A pure, scorching, profound, and vibrant "Earthcore Dragon Flame" began to refine her entire body, transforming and strengthening her Martial Soul, physique, and Soul Power.
Yan Zu finally relaxed completely, collapsing to the ground, panting heavily, and quickly took out a pill to swallow. Little Jade tenderly licked the burn marks on his face.
Sword Douluo and Dugu Bo flew over and looked at the tragic yet glorious battlefield before them, at Liu Erlong who was absorbing Soul Ring and Yan Zu was exhausted. Their eyes were filled with shock and undisguised admiration.
Just as the Soul Ring were fusing, another unexpected event occurred! From the golden-red stream of light that had entered Liu Erlong's brow, a more solid, heavy beam of light, exuding a rich earthy aura and scorching dragon might, separated and pierced straight through Liu Erlong's chest and torso!
"Erlong!" Dugu Bo was startled and subconsciously wanted to step forward, but was stopped by Sword Douluo Chen Xin.
"Wait!" Chen Xin flashed like lightning as he stared intently at the golden-red beam of light. "This isn't an attack—it's the aura of Soul Bone!"
"Soul Bone?" everyone exclaimed. Soul Bone are extremely rare treasures that are produced with very low probability after Soul Beast dies, possessing powerful skills independent of Soul Ring.
The fact that Soul Bone could be drawn out through Soul Spirit Contract once again overturned their understanding.
After several Soul Hunting, Yan Zu deeply understood why Soul Bone were so valuable. Little Jade herself possessed innate luck, but she never obtained Soul Bone during several Soul Hunting (excluding the Eight Spider Lances she obtained from Tang San), which shows how difficult it is to obtain Soul Bone.
The moment Liu Erlong was hit by the beam of light, her body trembled violently.
But the expected pain did not come. Instead, a warm, profound energy, as all-encompassing as Earthcore earth and as fiery and powerful as molten lava, surged into her chest and quickly spread to her limbs, every bone and flesh!
This energy was identical to the source of her Eighth Soul Ring, which she had just absorbed, but it focused more on modifying and strengthening her body, especially the bones, internal organs, and meridians of her torso. She could clearly feel that her chest cavity, spine, ribs, and even the bones connected to them were emitting a faint hum, greedily absorbing this pure Soul Bone power that was a mixture of "Earthcore Dragon Flame" and "Earth Essence".
"It's the Torso Bone!" Yan Zu's eyes flashed with understanding as he whispered, "The core strength of the Lava Earth Core Python, besides its dragon flames, lies in its powerful torso, tempered by the earth's fire and capable of withstanding the pressure of a volcano! This Soul Bone is probably the essence refined from its lifetime of cultivation, actively guided and gifted to our teacher by the equal resonance of the Soul Spirit Contract and the pull of the Soul Ring absorption!"
This is not plunder after a hunt, but rather a crystallization of a portion of the life essence and racial talent that the Soul Spirit actively shares after recognizing the contractor! Its compatibility and the smoothness of energy fusion are far beyond what Soul Bone stripped away by external force can achieve.
As for Rongrong and the others not obtaining Soul Bone when they formed contracts with Soul Spirit, Yan Zu speculated that it might be because these Soul Beast were relatively young, only reaching ten thousand years old, and therefore did not have the ability to form Soul Bone after forming a contract.
Liu Erlong groaned, his aura fluctuating wildly, and faint golden-red patterns shimmered beneath his skin like rivers of lava. The powerful energy fluctuations caused the surrounding air to distort slightly.
The Soul Spirit "Earthcore" hovered above her head, its golden-red eyes gazing at her tenderly. The light emanating from its body resonated with the Soul Bone energy within Liu Erlong's body, creating a harmonious synergy.