Purple-gold light flowed like liquid, enveloping the body of Yu Yuanchen. The lock of purple-gold hair on his forehead danced wildly without wind, as if it were burning lightning flames. Behind him, the phantom of the Thunder Sacred Dragon—its entire body covered in purple-gold runic scales, its eyes indifferent as if looking at ants—solidified, radiating a terrifying Dragon Might that caused the heavens and earth to lose their color! The air throughout the desolate valley seemed to freeze, and the ubiquitous lightning element frantically gathered toward him, as if in worship!
The sneers and fury on the faces of the two Elephant Armored Sect Soul Sages froze instantly, replaced by boundless shock and disbelief!
"Th-this... what kind of Martial Soul is this?! No, this is not a Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon!" the injured Soul Sage exclaimed. From that purple-gold Sacred Dragon phantom, he felt an absolute suppression originating from the level of life and the Martial Soul Origin! The heavy pressure his Diamond Mammoth True Body took such pride in was as fragile as a clay chicken or a pottery dog in the face of this Dragon Might!
The composed Soul Sage's pupils also shrank, alarm bells ringing in his heart as he roared, "Careful! His state is strange! Defend with everything you have!"
There was no need for him to remind the other; both had already pushed their Soul Power to the limit. Their Diamond Mammoth True Body shone brilliantly, and heavy diamond armor stacked layer upon layer, like two true diamond fortresses, shielding them firmly. They sensed a fatal threat from that purple-gold figure!
Yu Yuanchen hovered in mid-air (a brief suspension), his purple-gold eyes coldly watching the two men below who were facing a formidable enemy. At this moment, his Soul Power, Qi and Blood, and Spiritual Power had briefly fused into one under the stimulation of his bloodline. His power level had soared to a brand-new realm; although he hadn't measured it specifically, he felt he could fight a typical Soul Douluo head-on!
"Bloodline Soul Skill, Thunder Sacred Dragon, Descend!"
He whispered, and the massive Thunder Sacred Dragon phantom behind him let out a roar that shook the heavens. It suddenly detached from his body, transforming into a torrent of purple-gold lightning that spanned the sky. Carrying the supreme will of judgment and the ruling of all things, it charged fiercely toward the two Diamond Mammoth True Bodies below!
This was not an attack simulated by Soul Power, but his temporarily evolved bloodline Origin Power, a supreme strike formed by the sublimation of his first five Soul Rings! Its momentum far exceeded any Soul Skill he had used in the past!
"Diamond Barrier!"
"Mammoth Earth-Shaking!"
The two Soul Sages roared hoarsely, unleashing their strongest defensive and counter-attacking Soul Skills. Brilliant diamond radiance formed a thick shield, and the giant mammoth feet stomped the earth, triggering violent shockwaves in an attempt to interfere.
However, in the face of the absolute power of the Thunder Sacred Dragon's descent, all this resistance appeared pale and weak!
"BOOM--!!!"
The purple-gold Thunder Dragon struck the Diamond Barrier with the force of a landslide! There was no stalemate, no struggle; the Diamond Barrier, which could withstand attacks from a Soul Douluo, was like glass struck by a heavy hammer. It instantly became covered in spiderweb-like cracks before shattering with a bang! The exploding diamond light scattered like fireworks!
The Thunder Dragon did not lose momentum, slamming fiercely into the two Mammoth True Bodies!
"Pfft!" "Pfft!"
The two Soul Sages were struck as if by lightning, both spitting out large mouthfuls of blood. Their Martial Soul True Bodies vibrated violently, their light dimming by more than half in an instant! One of the front legs of the composed Soul Sage's mammoth was directly annihilated by the violent lightning, while the chest of the injured Soul Sage's true body collapsed, covered in charred cracks!
With just one strike, two Soul Sages who had activated their Martial Soul True Bodies were already severely wounded!
Yu Yuanchen did not let up, his thoughts controlling the slightly more illusory Thunder Sacred Dragon phantom to launch another fierce attack. The dragon claws swiped, tearing the sky; the dragon tail swept, shattering mountain rocks; the dragon breath sprayed, and the purple-gold lightning storm completely engulfed the two!
The two Soul Sages could only struggle to hold on, relying on the powerful defense of the Diamond Mammoth. Like two small boats in a storm, they were beaten without any power to fight back, their true bodies constantly damaged and their aura rapidly withering. Their hearts were filled with despair and regret; had they known that Yu Yuanchen was hiding so deeply and possessed such a terrifying trump card, they would never have been so arrogant!
"I can't drag this out! This state consumes too much!" Yu Yuanchen felt the power rapidly flowing out of his body and knew he had to finish this quickly. The Thunder Sacred Dragon's descent was peerless in power, but it would still take time to completely crush two Soul Sages who excelled in defense, especially while they were defending for their lives. And time was the one thing he lacked most!
A fierce glint flashed in his eyes, and he made his decision.
The deep, black-with-purple sixth Soul Ring beneath his feet suddenly lit up—Sixth Soul Skill, Thunderous Armament!
Purple-gold lightning rapidly gathered and compressed in his hands. It did not condense into a melee dragon spear or armor, but instead transformed into two extremely refined Thunder Spears, their entire bodies flowing with destructive energy!
Effect Two: Thunder Spear Piercing the Sky, Bursting to Slay Evil!
"Go!"
Yu Yuanchen gave a low shout, his arms swinging out violently! The two purple-gold Thunder Spears seemed to traverse space, disappearing from his hands instantly. The next moment, they appeared before the two Soul Sages who were desperately trying to block the attacks of the Thunder Sacred Dragon phantom! The terrifying piercing power and locked-on aura contained within the spears made their souls tremble with fear!
"No--!" The injured Soul Sage's face was filled with despair. He wanted to dodge, but his body was firmly suppressed by the Qi of the Thunder Sacred Dragon, making his movements sluggish.
"Pfft!" "Pfft!"
Two soft sounds, like a hot knife cutting through butter, rang out.
One thunder spear precisely pierced the head of the composed Soul Sage's mammoth true body (corresponding to the center of his brow), while the other drilled in through the massive crack in the chest of the injured Soul Sage's true body, piercing straight into his heart!
Time seemed to stand still at this moment.
The movements of the two Soul Sages froze, the light in their eyes rapidly dimming and dissipating. Their massive Diamond Mammoth True Bodies began to crumble and dissipate like weathered sand sculptures, revealing the corpses within, faces full of unwillingness and shock, as they collapsed to the ground.
The Thunder Sacred Dragon phantom also dissipated, turning into specks of purple-gold light that returned to Yu Yuanchen's body.
Yu Yuanchen landed from mid-air, his complexion slightly pale and his breathing somewhat disordered. Continuously unleashing bloodline Soul Skills and his sixth Soul Skill for a finishing blow had consumed him greatly. He dared not linger, quickly cleaning up the battlefield and disposing of the two corpses and any traces that might reveal his identity, before immediately leaving the desolate valley.
⁂
After resting briefly and recovering most of his Soul Power, Yu Yuanchen headed to the Star Dou Great Forest without delay.
Entering this vast, primitive, and mysterious habitat of Soul Beasts, Yu Yuanchen locked his search range to the fan-shaped area in the northwest of the forest, near the edge of the Mixed Zone and the Core Zone, based on clues analyzed from the Five Academies' data.
The process of searching was far more difficult and tedious than he had imagined.
This area was still vast, with complex terrain covering deep canyons, rushing rivers, dense primeval forests, and some dangerous places with chaotic energy. He not only had to be constantly vigilant against powerful Soul Beasts (ten-thousand-year Soul Beasts were not uncommon here), but also had to meticulously search for any clues that might be related to the Thunderclap Nethervine.
Following the clues, he first found the valley mentioned in the Godwind Academy records where an unusually deep purple lightning storm had appeared. The valley did have active lightning elements, but after careful sensing, Yu Yuanchen found that the lightning here tended to be naturally accumulated and explosive. Although the power was concentrated, it lacked that unique rhythm of "stealing from the heavenly tribulation" and the vast life force contained within, differing from the phenomena caused by the Thunderclap Nethervine. He lingered here for two days and found nothing.
Next, he searched the area according to the Blazing Fire Academy's records regarding "Thunder-Struck Stone." He did find some ores containing lightning elements, but most were caused by ordinary lightning strikes; the energy inside was violent, and he found no trace of that unique life aura. After searching for several days, he only found a few lightning-attribute ores of decent quality but no real significance.
Following the hydrological map notes from the Skywater Academy, he traced the flow upstream to find the underground river. The river was hidden very deep, its entrance secret, and it took him quite some effort. He could detect trace amounts of active lightning elements in the water, but the source seemed to come from deeper geological veins rather than being caused by long-term biological influence, and the activity was too weak to track.
He also personally surveyed the area of magnetic field anomalies mentioned in the Boulder Academy report. The magnetic field there was indeed active and had a unique rhythm, but after careful analysis, he found it was more likely a phenomenon caused by a naturally formed special geological structure, fundamentally different from the magnetic field changes triggered by the "going against the heavens" nature of the Thunderclap Nethervine.
Half a month passed in a blur of setting off full of hope and changing locations with slight disappointment. Yu Yuanchen was like a tireless explorer, traversing the forest where danger and opportunity coexisted, using his powerful Spiritual Power and keen perception of lightning to constantly eliminate wrong options.
The dawn of hope appeared on the twenty-first day after he entered the Star Dou Great Forest.
At the time, he was resting in a seemingly ordinary depression surrounded by several hills. After days of fruitless searching, even with his firm resolve, he could not help but feel a bit restless. He casually released a wisp of lightning-attribute Soul Power containing the artistic conception of "Awakening Spring Thunder," attempting to nourish his liver, which was slightly fatigued from days of travel.
Just then, a sudden change occurred!
That weak, life-filled lightning light, upon touching a seemingly inconspicuous, moss-covered patch of damp soil in the center of the depression, made a faint "hissing" sound, like a water droplet falling onto a red-hot iron! Immediately after, something beneath the soil seemed to be triggered, and an extremely weak, yet pure-to-the-extreme mental fluctuation—carrying a sense of pure "greed" and "longing" for lightning power—flashed and vanished!
Although the fluctuation was so faint it was almost imperceptible and vanished in an instant, how sharp was the Spiritual Power of Yu Yuanchen! He clearly captured that fleeting, unique rhythm—it was a presence that transcended ordinary Thunder, appearing to point directly to the origin of Thunder itself, yet carrying a domineering Heavenly Might that seemed completely out of place with the rest of the world! It was fundamentally different from the Lightning Element he had sensed at all the suspected locations previously!
More importantly, the "greed" and "longing" that the fluctuation displayed upon coming into contact with his life-force-infused Thunder perfectly matched the characteristics of the Thunderclap Nethervine, which cultivated by devouring Thunder, especially unique types of Thunder!
Yu Yuanchen's heart gave a violent jolt, and an irrepressible ecstasy erupted in his eyes!
"Found it! It's right here!"
He forcibly suppressed the excitement in his heart and did not act rashly. The Thunderclap Nethervine possessed extremely high intelligence and was adept at concealment; that moment just now was likely merely an instinctive reaction it had revealed unconsciously, and its true form must be hidden somewhere in these rolling hills, perhaps even deep underground.
He retracted all his presence and carefully spread his Spiritual Power outward like a spiderweb, beginning to Investigate this mysterious hilly region—which appeared ordinary but might hide the supreme being of the Lightning Attribute of the continent—inch by inch.
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Translated by: randomtranslator.com
Proofread by: GodKun-Chan