Chapter 2: Siege and Breakthrough
At the edge of the Thunder Mountain Range, ancient trees reached for the sky. The sunlight filtering through the branches was distorted by the dense Aura of thunder elements, creating a surreal and grotesque scene.
Yu Yuanchen sat cross-legged on a bluestone. The Soul Power around him slowly subsided like a receding tide, and his Level 42 Soul Power was now stable. He opened his eyes, a flash of purple lightning passing through them. Feeling the new, nascent purple-gold "Thunder God Power" within him—a force that carried a hint of supreme authority—his heart surged with emotion.
The appearance of this "Thunder God Power" seemed to open a brand-new door before him. Soul Power, blood vitality, and Spiritual Power—could the Fusion of these three actually produce such a qualitative change? This involuntarily reminded him of the supreme technique from his past life's memory fragments known as "Monarch Over the World." It was the perfect combination of Spiritual Power and Soul Power, crushing opponents with pure presence.
"My 'Thunder God Power' seems to have gone a step further, integrating blood vitality and possessing a higher essence. But how to actively and efficiently mobilize Spiritual Power, perfectly integrating it into every attack to form a crushing force similar to an 'Aura'... that is the key..." Yu Yuanchen fell into deep thought. The concept of "Monarch Over the World" was like a signpost, guiding his way forward.
However, he soon shook his head, suppressing his eagerness. "My Realm is still too low. The methods of utilizing Spiritual Power are exceptionally profound; attempting it rashly might damage my Origin. The appearance of this 'Thunder God Power' is already an unexpected joy, pointing the way forward. The specific Fusion and application must wait until my Soul Power is higher and my control over my own strength is more meticulous."
The immediate priority was to familiarize himself with and master this newly acquired fourth Soul skills, as well as his surging Soul Power.
"Chener, how do you feel?" Yu Boyu walked over and asked with concern. The other two Elders were also on guard nearby, their faces filled with gratification and a lingering trace of tension. After all, witnessing a Soul Elder successfully absorb a ten-thousand-year Soul Ring above their level was quite a shock.
"Second Grandfather, Elders, I am fine now. My Soul Power has stabilized at Level 42." Yu Yuanchen stood up and bowed solemnly. "Thank you, Second Grandfather and Elders, for your protection."
Yu Boyu patted his shoulder and laughed heroically. "We are family, no need for such formalities! A thirteen-year-old Level 42 Spirit Ancestor with a ten-thousand-year fourth ring, hahaha! The rise of our Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan is unstoppable! This place is not safe for long; we need to return to Dragon City as soon as possible."
Everyone knew the stakes. The Black Flame Flood Dragon Clan was like a venomous snake in the shadows, and they had to be on guard. The four did not delay any longer. With Yu Boyu leading the way and the two Elders flanking Yu Yuanchen to protect him in the middle, they sped toward the outskirts of the mountain range.
The return journey seemed smoother than the arrival. Just as they were about to completely leave the range of the Thunder Mountain Range, a relatively open hilly area appeared ahead.
However, at the very moment the four relaxed their guard slightly—
*Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!*
Several sharp sounds of breaking air suddenly rang out. Pitch-black flame arrows shot out from the dense forest and behind rocks from all directions like vipers emerging from their holes, aimed directly at Yu Yuanchen in the center! The cold yet searing black flames attached to the arrows caused the surrounding temperature to turn eerie instantly.
"Enemy attack! Protect Yuanchen!" Yu Boyu reacted extremely quickly, letting out a roar. His eight Soul Rings bloomed instantly, and a powerful surge of Soul Power erupted. With his Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Martial Soul possession, blue lightning flashed violently on his semi-dragonized body. He threw a punch, thunder exploding as he shattered several black flame arrows aimed at Yu Yuanchen mid-air.
The other two Elders also released their Martial Souls simultaneously. Their Soul Douluo-level Aura unfolded without reservation, forming a Soul Power barrier that blocked all the remaining arrows.
"Hmph! Cowards hiding in the shadows, get out here!" a Guest Elder shouted, his voice like thunder.
"Hehe, Second Master Yu, I hope you've been well." A cold laugh rang out as seven figures slowly walked out from hiding. The two leaders had thick and majestic Auras, not inferior to Yu Boyu at all—they were precisely two Soul Douluo-level Elders from the Black Flame Flood Dragon Clan! Behind them were five Soul Saints, their eyes sharp as they locked their gazes onto the three Soul Douluos of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan.
Further away, six Soul Emperors were scattered, faintly forming an encirclement that cut off all paths of retreat.
"Long Xiao! Long Sha!" Yu Boyu's pupils contracted, and his expression turned incredibly grim. "Your Black Flame Flood Dragon Clan actually dares to set an ambush here! Do you want to provoke a full-scale war between our two families?"
The leading Soul Douluo, Long Xiao, had a sinister face and sneered, "War? As long as we leave you all here, who will know it was us? If you want to blame someone, blame the fact that your ancestors won a bet, forcing us to give up the name of Dragon and call ourselves Flood Dragons. We have always remembered that humiliation!"
"Nonsense! Our families were already like fire and water back then. Even without that bet, you would have found another excuse to oppose my Yu Family. Stop bringing up old history; it's just an excuse to harm our clan's Genius!" Yu Boyu replied, but his heart sank to the bottom. The opponent had deployed two Soul Douluos, five Soul Saints, and six Soul Emperors—they had clearly spared no expense and were determined to succeed. Although his side had three Soul Douluos, they had to be distracted by protecting Yu Yuanchen, making the situation extremely unfavorable.
"Hahaha, who told your Yu Family to produce a Genius that shouldn't exist!" The other Soul Douluo, Long Sha, laughed arrogantly. His gaze was like a poisonous thorn, bypassing Yu Boyu and pinning itself firmly on Yu Yuanchen. "Innate full Soul Power, a ten-thousand-year fourth ring... If this child is not eliminated, my Long family will never know peace!"
"Boyu, let Yuanchen go! We'll cover the rear!" the other Guest Elder sent a message through Soul Power, his tone resolute.
A flash of struggle appeared in Yu Boyu's eyes, but it instantly turned into determination. He knew this was the only way to survive. He suddenly looked at Yu Yuanchen and said sternly, "Chener, find an opportunity and run immediately! Don't look back, return to Dragon City at full speed!"
Before his voice had even faded, Yu Boyu and the two Elders exchanged a glance. All three erupted with blinding light, their Soul Power boiling as if it were burning!
"Eighth Soul skills, Violent Thunder Sky Prison!"
"Eighth Soul skills, Thunder Dragon Roar!"
"Eighth Soul skills, Thunder Domain Descent!"
The three Soul Douluos simultaneously activated their strongest Eighth Martial Soul Abilities. For a moment, thunderous light filled the world, transforming into a massive lightning cage, a roaring thunder dragon, and a violent thunder domain that covered the entire field, boldly charging toward the two Soul Douluos and four Soul Saints opposite them!
This life-risking eruption was incredibly powerful, instantly catching the opponents off guard. Long Xiao, Long Sha, and the others were forced to deal with it with all their might, while the six Soul Emperors were pushed back repeatedly by the terrifying aftershocks of the Martial Soul abilities.
In that split second, Yu Boyu forced open a gap despite taking a direct hit from Long Xiao's Black Flame Claw, shouting at Yu Yuanchen, "Go!"
Yu Yuanchen's eyes nearly split. Seeing the blood overflowing from his Second Grandfather's mouth and the resolute backs of the two Elders, an unprecedented surge of anger and frustration welled up in his heart. But he knew that now was not the time to act on impulse. Staying would only make the sacrifices of the three Elders in vain! As long as he escaped, these people would never be able to stop three Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Soul Douluos.
He forcibly suppressed his churning blood vitality, his eyes instantly returning to a frost-like calm. The first Soul Ring beneath him lit up. The Thunder Dragon Claw was not used for attack; instead, it slammed backward. Using the recoil and combining it with the explosive Soul Power in his legs to the extreme, his body became like a true bolt of blue lightning, shooting out from that fleeting gap and rushing toward the outskirts of the mountain range without looking back!
"Want to run? Chase him!" Long Xiao was furious and wanted to intercept, but he was held back by the desperate Yu Boyu.
Among the six Soul Emperors, three immediately broke away and pursued Yu Yuanchen like maggots on a bone. One of these three had the Black Flame Flood Dragon Martial Soul, while the other two were Retainers with the Gale Wolf and Rock Turtle Martial Souls. Their Soul Ring configurations were not optimal—a mix of white, yellow, purple, and black—but they were still genuine Soul Emperor-level experts!
Yu Yuanchen pushed his speed to the limit, the wind whistling past his ears as his Level 42 Soul Power operated with unprecedented efficiency. He was highly focused, not only watching the pursuers behind him but also quietly releasing his second Soul skills, "Thunderous Fury."
It wasn't for attack, but to disperse the lightning power it contained into the air around him at a very low intensity and over a large area, forming a weak electric field. This was one of the results of his years of developing Martial Soul abilities—Electric Field Perception! Any object entering the range of the electric field would cause subtle changes, providing feedback to his mind.
"Three Soul Emperors... one attack system, one agility-attack system, and one defense system." Yu Yuanchen instantly judged the characteristics and approximate positions of his pursuers. The fastest was the Gale Wolf Soul Emperor, who was rapidly closing the distance. Next was the Black Flame Flood Dragon Soul Emperor. The slowest was the Rock Turtle Soul Emperor, who had already been left some distance behind.
He couldn't keep being chased! He was at a disadvantage in terms of Soul Power consumption and physical strength; he had to find an opportunity to take out at least one of them!
A forest of jagged rocks appeared ahead, with complex terrain and oddly shaped stones.
A sharp light flashed in Yu Yuanchen's eyes as he dived into the rock forest.
"Boy, where do you think you're going!" The Gale Wolf Soul Emperor was the first to arrive. Relying on his speed advantage, he entered the rock forest in a few leaps. Seeing Yu Yuanchen's figure disappear around a corner ahead, he accelerated without a second thought.
However, the moment he rounded the corner—
"Third Soul skills, Wrath of Thunder!"
"First Soul skills, Thunder Dragon Claw!"
"Thunderous Wrath Dragon Claw!"
Yu Yuanchen, who had already been gathering strength, struck with a massive Thunder Dragon Claw boosted by the 100% attack power increase of Wrath of Thunder! This strike was timed and angled with extreme precision, exactly at the moment when the Gale Wolf Soul Emperor's old strength was spent, his new strength had yet to form, and his vision was obstructed!
"What?!" The Gale Wolf Soul Emperor was shocked. In his haste, he could only cross his arms in front of his chest, erupting his Soul Power to try and tank the hit.
*Boom!*
The thunder claw slammed solidly into him. The violent lightning power instantly tore through his Soul Power defense, sending him flying backward and crashing heavily into a stone pillar. He spat out blood, clearly suffering significant internal injuries. Although he was a Soul Emperor, his Martial Soul quality and Soul Ring configuration were far inferior to Yu Yuanchen's; he was instantly wounded under Yu Yuanchen's premeditated full-power strike.
Yu Yuanchen did not let up, his figure following like a shadow, about to deliver a finishing blow to end the man.
"Roar!" A dragon roar came as the Black Flame Flood Dragon Soul Emperor finally arrived. A pitch-black flame breath whistled toward him, forcing Yu Yuanchen to abandon his pursuit and dodge.
At the same time, the Rock Turtle Soul Emperor arrived with a rumble, blocking the path in front of the injured Gale Wolf Soul Emperor, his thick, earthy-yellow Soul Power condensing into a Tortoise Shell Shield.
The situation instantly turned into Yu Yuanchen facing a perfectly healthy Black Flame Flood Dragon Soul Emperor, a lightly injured Gale Wolf Soul Emperor, and a powerfully defensive Rock Turtle Soul Emperor.
The three Soul Emperors surrounded Yu Yuanchen in a triangular formation, their killing intent palpable.
Yu Yuanchen took a deep breath. There was no fear in his azure eyes, only a frost-like calm and a Battle Intent dancing deep within his pupils. He slowly raised his dragonized right arm. The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Martial Soul let out a low, majestic roar. Beneath him, one yellow, two purple, and one black Soul Ring rotated slowly—especially that deep black ten-thousand-year Soul Ring, which radiated a heart-palpitating pressure.
He looked at the Black Flame Flood Dragon Soul Emperor, his voice calm yet filled with unquestionable determination:
"You want my life? Let's see if you have the ability."