The Star Dou Great Forest, the most vast and dangerous gathering place for soul beasts on the Douluo Continent, is filled with towering ancient trees and a primal, savage aura. It is both a perilous death trap and a dream destination for soul masters seeking to obtain powerful soul rings.
A group of six people was carefully trekking deep into the Mixed Zone. Leading them was the patriarch of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Family, the Titled Douluo Yu Boxuan. His aura was steady and his gaze sharp as lightning; his formidable spiritual power, like invisible ripples, constantly scanned the surroundings to avoid unnecessary trouble while searching for their target.
Following closely behind him was an old man holding a jade-green wooden staff. He was Elder Liu, a guest elder of the family and an 83rd-level Soul Douluo who possessed the Staff of Life martial soul. His presence was the most important safeguard for this soul-hunting mission.
Beside Elder Liu were three sturdy middle-aged men, all of whom were Soul Sages. One of them, whose face bore a five or six-part resemblance to Yu Yuanchen, carried a sense of composure and elegance in his brow; he was Yu Yuanchen's father, Yu Mingfeng. Nearly forty years old, he had only recently broken through to Level 71 through his own efforts and family resources, becoming a pillar of the family. At this moment, deep within his eyes, beyond his focus on the mission, lay a trace of concern for his only son that was difficult to detect.
Yu Yuanchen walked in the middle of the group, his expression focused and calm. He did not slacken in the slightest despite the protection of his grandfather and several powerhouses; instead, he pushed his electric field perception to its limit, coordinating it with his spiritual power to remain vigilant of everything around him. Three years of tempering had long since accustomed him to maintaining the highest level of alertness in any environment.
They had been in the Star Dou Great Forest for half a month. Their goal was clear: to find a dragon-species soul beast with a cultivation level of around 35,000 years that possessed a pure dragon bloodline and a lightning attribute or a related attribute!
This goal was extremely demanding. High-year dragon-species soul beasts were already rare, and most resided on the edge of the Core Zone, possessing terrifying strength and intense territorial awareness. Even Yu Boxuan did not dare to venture deep into the Core Zone to provoke those true overlords.
Over the past half-month, they had encountered several attacks from ten-thousand-year soul beasts and had discovered a few dragon-species soul beasts that met the criteria, but either their age was slightly lacking or their attributes were not optimal. It wasn't until three days ago, based on some ancient records and traces of soul beast activity, that they locked onto a special area located in the buffer zone between the Mixed Zone and the Core Zone—Thunderclap Valley.
It was rumored that strange thunder echoed here year-round, attracting many lightning-attribute soul beasts to gather, and that powerful dragon species might also exist here.
The closer they got to Thunderclap Valley, the more active the lightning element in the air became; one could even see wisps of electric arcs jumping through the humid air. The sound of massive beast roars also became more frequent and threatening.
"Be careful, we may have entered the territory of a powerful being," Yu Boxuan said, stopping in his tracks to whisper a warning as he gazed sharply into the depths of the valley.
The group immediately held their breath and focused, secretly gathering their soul power.
Within Yu Yuanchen's electric field perception, he sensed an extremely vast, majestic, and violent lightning-attribute aura, like a dormant volcano hidden in the deepest part of the valley. The purity and intensity of that aura far exceeded any soul beast they had encountered before.
"It's right ahead," Yu Yuanchen said, pointing to an area in the center of the valley filled with jagged rocks and a pool of purple lightning at its heart.
The group crept forward silently, using the giant rocks to conceal their figures. When they saw the scene beside the lightning pool, even Yu Boxuan's breath hitched.
What a majestic and terrifying giant beast it was!
It was over ten meters long, its entire body covered in deep purple scales. The edges of the scales shimmered with a cold, metallic luster, with faint electric light flowing across them. Its form was closer to the dragons of Western mythology; its four limbs were strong and powerful, its sharp claws dug deep into the ground, a pair of massive flesh wings were folded at its sides, and its long tail, like a steel whip, left deep furrows in the ground as it swayed casually.
Most striking was its head, with magnificent dragon horns piercing the sky. As its dragon jaw opened and closed, one could see purple lightning jumping inside. Its dragon eyes were closed, as if it were dozing, but the dragon might it naturally exuded already made the surrounding air thick and heavy.
It lay beside the lightning pool, and with every breath, it drew the purple lightning from the pool into its nose and mouth like a living thing, tempering its body.
"A Purple Lightning Dragon! Looking at this size and momentum, its age is definitely over 30,000 years!" Yu Mingfeng's voice carried a hint of excitement and gravity. "And it is a sub-dragon with an extremely pure bloodline; legend says it has the potential to evolve into a true dragon! Furthermore, its control over thunder is extremely strong, and its lightning attribute is very close to the Ultimate Thunder. Absorbing its soul ring will definitely be of great benefit to Chen'er and will surely grant him an extremely powerful soul skill."
A scorching light erupted in Yu Boxuan's eyes: "This is the one! Judging by its energy fluctuations, it is between 32,000 and 35,000 years, exactly what Chen'er needs!"
The target was right before them, but the difficulty of hunting it was imaginable. The aura exuded by this Purple Lightning Dragon was already approaching that of a Level 85 Soul Douluo among human soul masters! Moreover, the combat capability of a dragon-species soul beast was often stronger than that of a human soul master of the same level.
"Follow the plan!" Yu Boxuan quickly issued his orders. "Elder Liu, you are responsible for support and healing; you must ensure Chen'er's safety. Mingfeng, you three are responsible for flanking and interference; disrupt its movements and look for opportunities to attack its wing roots and joints! I will take the lead in the frontal assault! Chen'er, you act according to the situation and must ensure that you deliver the final blow!"
"Understood!" The group responded solemnly.
Yu Boxuan took a deep breath, no longer concealing the vast aura of a Titled Douluo, and it erupted with a boom! His Tyrant Dragon martial soul possessed him, his burly body grew even taller, blue dragon scales covered him, thick electric pythons coiled around his body, and nine soul rings rose in sequence—two yellow, two purple, and five black. The powerful pressure swept toward the dozing Purple Lightning Dragon like a storm!
"ROAR--!!"
Almost the moment Yu Boxuan's aura erupted, the Purple Lightning Dragon snapped open its dragon eyes! They were vertical pupils filled entirely with purple lightning, brimming with the rage of having its territory violated and endless ferocity! It let out a deafening roar, the sound waves mixed with thunder, shaking the entire valley!
It recognized the threat posed by the human powerhouses before it. Its massive body stood up instantly, and its wings spread wide, blotting out the sky! Purple lightning surged from its body like a tide, making it look like the Thunder God descending to the world!
Without any unnecessary probing, the battle entered a white-hot state in an instant!
The seventh soul ring beneath Yu Boxuan flashed, and he directly activated his Martial Soul True Body, transforming into a giant Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon and charging fiercely at the Purple Lightning Dragon! The collision of dragon against dragon was the most primitive clash of power against power!
"BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!"
Blue lightning and purple thunder collided and annihilated each other frantically. Every collision erupted with earth-shattering roars, and the energy shockwaves easily sent the surrounding boulders flying and shattering. Although Yu Boxuan's cultivation was slightly superior, the Purple Lightning Dragon, relying on its formidable physical body and pure dragon bloodline, did not fall behind for a moment!
"Attack!" Yu Mingfeng shouted, and he and the other two Soul Sages simultaneously released their Martial Soul True Bodies, launching attacks from the flanks. Their targets were clear: not to cause fatal wounds, but to constantly harass the wing roots and limb joints of the Purple Lightning Dragon, restricting its flying ability and mobility.
"Sixth Soul Skill, Lightning Chain Bind!"
"Fifth Soul Skill, Sky-Rending Claw!"
"Sixth Soul Skill, Mad Thunder Shock Blast!"
The light of various soul skills shone. Although they could not cause much damage to the Purple Lightning Dragon's sturdy scales, they successfully attracted part of its attention, forcing it to divide its focus and creating more attack opportunities for Yu Boxuan.
Elder Liu stood at a safe distance, waving his Staff of Life. The emerald-green light, like the toughest of threads, connected every companion in front of him, ready to heal any wounds they might sustain at any time. At the same time, he would occasionally release support soul skills to enhance the group's defense or speed.
Yu Yuanchen did not rush to join the fray. Like the most patient hunter, he hid behind a giant rock, his sharp eyes observing the battle. His electric field perception was running at full capacity, analyzing the Purple Lightning Dragon's energy flow, attack habits, and defensive weaknesses.
The strength of this Purple Lightning Dragon was truly terrifying. Its purple lightning carried a strange piercing and paralyzing effect; even Yu Boxuan's Tyrant Dragon body felt uncomfortable after taking a few hits. Moreover, its dragon breath was extremely powerful; with a single spray, it unleashed a purple lightning pillar as thick as a water barrel, incinerating everything in its path.
The battle was exceptionally tragic. Yu Boxuan already had several charred wounds, and the Soul Sage bodies of Yu Mingfeng and the others had been swept by the dragon tail several times, their auras disordered, relying entirely on Elder Liu's Light of Life to barely hold on.
"We can't drag this out any longer!" A fierce look flashed in Yu Boxuan's eyes. He knew he had to end the battle quickly; otherwise, if other powerful soul beasts were attracted, or if someone on his side was seriously injured, the consequences would be unimaginable.
"Ninth Soul Skill, Thunder Dragon Descends!"
He once again used his strongest ninth soul skill! A massive thunder dragon shadow roared as it charged toward the Purple Lightning Dragon!
The Purple Lightning Dragon also felt a fatal threat and let out an even more violent roar. The purple lightning around its body compressed frantically inward, condensing in its mouth into a deep purple lightning ball, only the size of a fist, yet radiating destructive waves! This was the condensation of its origin power!
"BOOM--!!!"
The ninth soul skill and the origin lightning ball collided with a bang!
This explosion was ten times more violent than any before! The blinding light caused instant blindness, and the terrifying energy storm swept through the entire valley, evaporating most of the water in the lightning pool! The ground was forcibly shaved down by three feet!
Yu Boxuan groaned, a trace of blood spilling from the corner of his mouth as he staggered backward. The Purple Lightning Dragon was even more miserable; the origin lightning ball it had condensed was forcibly shattered, and the backlash left its massive body covered in cracks. Purple blood flowed out like a stream, its aura withered by more than half in an instant, and one of its flesh wings was blown into a mangled mess, clearly having lost its ability to fly.
Now is the time!
Yu Yuanchen, who had been waiting for the right moment, saw a gleam explode in his eyes! Like a bolt of lightning that had been gathering power for a long time, he shot out from his hiding spot in an instant! The four soul rings beneath him shone brightly all at once, pushing his state to the absolute limit!
"Wrath of Thunder! Thunderous Might! Thunder God Power!"
He did not use any offensive soul skills; instead, he poured all his power—his soul power, his initially stimulated Thick Blood Qi, and that crucial strand of Thunder God Power—entirely into his dragon-transformed right arm! His entire right arm expanded in size instantly, the scales shifting from blue to a deep hue, and the purple-gold luster at their edges became clearer than ever before, as if a miniature purple-gold divine dragon were awakening within his arm!
This was a sudden inspiration of his. In Dou San, the early-stage dominance of Tang Da'er relied entirely on his Golden Dragon Claw, which was not only indestructible and possessed infinite strength but also carried a shattering effect. Furthermore, while cultivating with a classmate who possessed a Bone Dragon Martial Soul, he had briefly stimulated a similar Bone Dragon Claw.
Now, by using the Thunder God Power to stimulate his bloodline, supplemented by the Dragon Transformation Secret Method of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, and reinforcing his right hand with the Thunder God Power and abundant blood qi, he had stimulated his own, true Thunder Dragon Claw. It was even more powerful in both strength and defense than a dragon claw formed through the normal Dragon Transformation Secret Technique. It possessed a shattering effect, and when the claw tips pierced a target, they would erupt with a Dragon Power Shockwave, causing scale-patterned wounds on the body surface that carried a numbing sensation. When fragments (such as rock) were sent flying, they would be imbued with lightning, dealing secondary damage to the surroundings.
Overall, it might not be as good as the Golden Dragon Claw, but for him, it was a massive combat power boost. In this state, he was nearly invincible below the Soul Sage level (excluding geniuses capable of level-crossing battles like Tang Chen or Qian Daoliu). Even if Long Li were standing before him, he would have the confidence to take him down easily, and he would even have the strength to fight an ordinary Soul Sage who had not activated their Martial Soul True Body.
He rushed toward the critically wounded Purple Lightning Dragon like a meteor, aiming directly for the relatively fragile inverse scale on its neck!
Although the Purple Lightning Dragon had suffered heavy injuries, the pride of the dragon race would not allow it to surrender so easily. It struggled to lift its dragon head, opened its massive maw, and attempted a final counterattack, spitting out its remaining lightning.
However, Yu Yuanchen's speed was too fast, and his timing was too precise! At the very moment when its old strength was exhausted and its new strength had not yet arisen, Yu Yuanchen's punch, which had condensed the power of his entire body, struck its inverse scale like a city-breaking giant cone!
"Crack!"
A clear sound of bone fracture rang out! The Purple Lightning Dragon's final resistance was ruthlessly shattered. In its massive dragon eyes, the luster faded rapidly, filled with unwillingness and disbelief. It could never have imagined that it would fall at the hands of a human whose aura was so "weak."
Accompanied by a wail of unwillingness, the massive body of the Purple Lightning Dragon collapsed to the ground with a boom, kicking up dust that filled the sky.
A soul ring, deep and profound, black with purple, with noble purple electricity dancing at its edges, slowly condensed from its corpse, emitting a vast energy and pure dragon might that caused palpitations!
Yu Yuanchen stood beside the corpse of the Purple Lightning Dragon, panting heavily. His complexion was somewhat pale from the instantaneous burst of power, but those azure blue eyes were shockingly bright.
He had succeeded! With the assistance of the clan's experts, he had completed a level-crossing hunt of a 32,000-year-old Purple Lightning Dragon with a pure bloodline!
Yu Boxuan and the others quickly gathered around. Seeing the deep soul ring and the unharmed Yu Yuanchen, they all breathed a sigh of relief, their faces showing smiles of comfort. Yu Mingfeng looked at his son, his eyes filled with pride.
"Quick, adjust your state and prepare to absorb the soul ring!" Yu Boxuan suppressed his injuries and urged in a low voice. At the same time, he, Elder Liu, Yu Mingfeng, and the others formed a triangular formation to protect Yu Yuanchen in the center, watching the surroundings vigilantly. The commotion caused by the hunt was too great; they had to leave as soon as possible.
Yu Yuanchen took a deep breath and sat cross-legged before the soul ring of the Purple Lightning Dragon, his gaze firm.
He knew that absorbing this soul ring would be a battle even more difficult than the hunt itself. But he was fearless.
The fifth soul ring, a 32,000-year-old Purple Lightning Dragon! He was determined to obtain it.
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Translated by: randomtranslator.com
Proofread by: GodKun-Chan