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Original title: "斗罗:雷龙问道" — 向南而栖
Translated by: randomtranslator.com (AI-assisted, community-refined)
Proofread by: GodKun-Chan
Release pace: 5 chapters per day
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Douluo Calendar Year 2469.
Heaven Dou Empire, southeast of the empire, Dragon City.
The name Dragon City originates from the powerful sect entrenched here, the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Family, which possesses the top-tier beast martial soul, the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon.
The family is built against the mountain with continuous halls. In its deepest reaches lies a valley shrouded in faint electric arcs year-round, known as the Thunder Gorge. This place is a sacred cultivation ground for the core disciples of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Family; the dense lightning-attribute heaven and earth origin qi is active and violent, making it difficult for anyone without innate talent or profound soul power to endure for long.
At this moment, deep within the Thunder Valley, on a smooth stone platform charred black by lightning strikes, a figure sits quietly in meditation.
He is a youth, appearing to be about twelve or thirteen years old. Although his features still carry a hint of youthfulness, his brow already shows defined edges. As his azure blue eyes open and close, faint electric light flickers within, appearing exceptionally deep. He wears a simple blue martial outfit, his posture upright; even while sitting still, he gives off the sharp, capable aura of a dormant dragon beast.
His name is Yu Yuanchen, the direct grandson of the current patriarch of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Family, Yu Boxuan. He is also the only direct descendant in the family in the last hundred years, aside from his grandfather who has long since achieved fame, to possess innate full soul power. His mother lost her vitality giving birth to him and passed away when he was five. It was only in his grief-stricken state that he awakened memories of his past life.
Nearly seven years have passed since his martial soul awakened at age six.
Within his body, mellow soul power flows like a river along specific meridians. With every cycle, he can feel the subtle growth of his soul power and the joy of the cells throughout his body as they are nourished by the lightning origin qi in the valley. Three soul rings appear vaguely beneath him: one yellow, two purple! The colors, which exceed the optimal soul ring configuration, signify a foundation that sets him apart from ordinary people.
However, Yu Yuanchen's mind is not entirely immersed in the cultivation of his soul power.
Deep within his consciousness, thoughts that are incompatible with this world are surging.
Internal energy... true qi... meridians and acupoints... are they ultimately just reflections in a mirror? he sighs inwardly.
He is not purely a person of this world. An accident caused him to be born here with the memories of his past life. Although he was not a martial arts grandmaster in his previous life, he was influenced by his surroundings and knew many plausible martial arts theories. Upon arriving in this world and learning it was the Douluo Continent, possessing the unique system of martial souls and soul power, he was once ecstatic, believing he could combine the wisdom of two lives to walk a path never before seen.
Self-created techniques, the fusion of soul power and internal energy, developing the divine treasures within the body... the ideas were beautiful, but reality was cruel.
After nearly seven years of attempts, he has to admit that those theories from his past life are almost "useless straw" in this world, yielding no results. Not to mention that the rules of this world seem slightly different from his past life; soul power is rooted in the martial soul, and its circulation relies on soul rings. While the so-called meridians and acupoints exist within the human body in this world, to a half-baked amateur like him who only knows a few theories and cannot even identify all the meridians, the result of forcing an attempt was either stagnant soul power or nearly injuring himself. If not for his strong martial soul and solid foundation, he would have likely suffered hidden injuries long ago.
Foresight is, after all, my greatest reliance. Yu Yuanchen settles his mind, suppressing those unrealistic fantasies.
He clearly knows the future trajectory of this world and where those opportunities lie. Unfortunately, some opportunities are beyond his reach for now. For instance, the legendary Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well; based on his vague memories from his past life, he suggested to the family several times to explore certain areas, but all ended in failure. Now, he can only accept reality. In fact, that fairyland is not fixed in this world but is a secret realm attached to the Douluo Plane. When the timing is not right, one cannot force it. In the original work, Dugu Bo was also a person of great destiny who managed to enter it, but unfortunately, he lacked the fortune to keep it, instead acting as a stepping stone for others.
Since opportunities are hard to find, he must push what he already possesses to the limit!
His advantages lie in two points: first, his transcendent understanding of soul ring age limits. What the family elders consider a risky or even insane choice is, to him, a "verified" limit he can withstand.
Therefore, relying on the enhancement of his top-tier beast martial soul and a strong physique forged from childhood training and constant medicinal baths, his first soul ring was nearly eight hundred years old. This shocked the sect elders, and he took the opportunity to lie, claiming he read in ancient books that consuming high-age whale rubber could enhance physical fitness. After confirming the effects, Yu Boxuan waved his hand and found a ten-thousand-year whale rubber for Yu Yuanchen to consume, allowing his second soul ring to directly cross the thousand-year threshold to reach twenty-five hundred years, and his third soul ring reached an astonishing five-thousand-year level! This allows him, despite being only a soul elder, to possess a total soul power and physical strength far exceeding his peers, approaching that of some ordinary soul ancestors.
Second is his method of using soul skills. Most soul masters in this world view soul skills as fixed abilities—release them and that's it, with little variation. But Yu Yuanchen, relying on the imagination from his past life, focuses more on the understanding and control of soul power itself, as well as the flexible application of soul skills in different situations.
"Boom!"
With a thought, the first and third soul rings beneath him suddenly shine.
Combined soul skill: Thunder Rage Dragon Claw! This is the lightning power stimulated by his third soul skill, Wrath of Thunder, compressed and released using his dragon-transformed right arm to execute his first soul skill, Thunder Dragon Claw. It perfectly inherits the armor-breaking and piercing effects of both soul skills, with immense power.
Vast blue lightning gathers on his right hand, instantly condensing into a giant dragon claw over a meter in diameter. Surrounded by electric light, it emits a violent, destructive aura. However, this dragon claw does not strike out directly; instead, under Yu Yuanchen's exquisite control, its form shifts slightly. The five fingers sometimes close like a lightning spear, sometimes open like a lightning net, and the electric snakes dancing upon it flicker on and off. The condensation and explosion of energy are entirely within his control.
"Dissipate."
With a low whisper, the terrifying lightning claw capable of tearing through metal dissipates into thin air, turning into wisps of electric silk that merge back into his body, demonstrating his astonishing control over his own soul power.
"This alone is not enough." Yu Yuanchen stands up, standing at the edge of the stone platform, looking at the sky outside the valley. "The morphological change of soul skills is ultimately a minor path. The true core lies in the essence of power. The strength of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon lies in both the powerful physique of a dragon and the mastery of lightning power. The combination of the two can erupt with astonishing power, so what would happen if other powers, such as spiritual power, were integrated? I remember that in the original Douluo Dalu 2, Mu En had a move called Ruling the World that combined spiritual power and soul power..."
He has touched upon a threshold, understanding the future path but not knowing how to proceed, unable to find a way to fuse soul power and spiritual power.
"Chen'er."
A steady voice sounds from behind him.
Yu Yuanchen turns around to see an elderly man in a blue robe, with a majestic face and a burly figure, standing not far away. The old man's hair and beard are white, but his eyes are as sharp as an eagle's. Although there is no deliberate fluctuation of soul power around him, he naturally exudes a heart-palpitating pressure. It is his grandfather, the patriarch of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Family, a level 96 power attack system titled douluo, known as the Tyrant Dragon, Yu Boxuan.
"Grandfather." Yu Yuanchen bows respectfully.
Yu Boxuan nods slightly, his gaze sweeping over the soul power fluctuations on Yu Yuanchen that have not yet fully calmed down, a trace of imperceptible satisfaction flashing in his eyes. This grandson has exceptional talent, and more importantly, a steady temperament and diligent cultivation. He never slacks off because of his talent, and is even a bit too diligent, often having "strange" ideas and attempts that he cannot understand.
"Has your soul power reached the level 40 bottleneck?" Yu Boxuan senses it; although it is a question, his tone is certain.
"Yes, it just stabilized completely today," Yu Yuanchen replies. He had reached the peak of level 39 half a year ago and deliberately suppressed it for half a year to polish his foundation, until today when everything fell into place, touching the level 40 bottleneck.
"Very good," a smile appears on Yu Boxuan's face. "A thirteen-year-old soul ancestor is a rare sight across the continent. Your first three soul rings all exceeded common sense, and now it seems your foundation is incredibly solid, leaving no hidden dangers. Do you have any thoughts on this fourth soul ring?"
Yu Yuanchen answers without hesitation: "Grandson wishes to hunt a ten-thousand-year soul beast."
Even though he was mentally prepared, Yu Boxuan's eyelids still twitched. Absorbing a ten-thousand-year soul ring for the fourth ring? In the history of the soul master world on the continent, this is shocking. A ten-thousand-year soul ring is fundamentally different from a thousand-year soul ring; it is not only several times more vast and violent in energy but also carries soul shocks that cannot be endured by anyone without a resilient spirit.
He looks at his grandson's calm and firm eyes, which contain no youthful arrogance, only a decision made after careful consideration.
"Do you know the risks involved?" Yu Boxuan says in a deep voice.
"Grandson knows," Yu Yuanchen nods. "Grandson's spiritual power is far superior to those of the same rank due to innate full soul power and multiple level-crossing absorptions of soul rings (primarily because having lived two lives, my spiritual power was innately stronger than ordinary people), plus the spiritual-enhancing spiritual materials I requested the family to find over the past two years (just some ordinary precious spiritual materials, like the Spirit-Nourishing Sea Urchin that appeared in Douluo Dalu 2). My physical strength, tempered by the Thunder Valley year-round, also gives me the confidence to withstand the impact of a ten-thousand-year soul ring. Moreover, grandson is not blindly choosing a ten-thousand-year beast; the target must be lightning-attributed, with a relatively pure temperament, and energy that is violent but not easily mixed. In this way, the success rate should increase by thirty percent."
Yu Boxuan is silent for a moment. He knows his grandson has always had his own opinions, and his judgments are often unexpectedly accurate. The choice of the first three soul rings was initially questioned, but the results proved Yu Yuanchen was right.
"The Black Flame Demon Flood Dragon Family has been restless in recent years, and your talent is likely already feared by them. This soul-hunting trip must be kept absolutely secret, and we must act quickly," Yu Boxuan finally decides. "Three days from now, your Second Grandfather, Yu Bo Yu, will lead the team, with two other soul douluo elders accompanying you to protect you as you head deep into the Thunder Mountain Range. There is a 'Thunder Spirit' there that has just passed the ten-thousand-year cultivation mark. It is a spiritual material gathered from the essence of heaven and earth lightning, with pure energy, which fits your requirements perfectly."
"Thunder Spirit?" A gleam of light flashes in Yu Yuanchen's eyes. One must know that the Thunder Spirit race is very special, similar to the Snow Woman race in the Extreme North (not the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well's Snow Empress, but ordinary Snow Women). They are nurtured by heaven and earth and are extremely precious. Normally, like the Snow Woman race, they would possess an ultimate attribute from birth. However, due to the special nature of the lightning attribute, the Ultimate Thunder can represent Heavenly Might, capable of suppressing other ordinary ultimate attributes like ice, fire, and wind (excluding light and darkness), which usually means the Thunder Spirit race can only be extremely close to Ultimate Thunder, only transforming into the ultimate attribute upon reaching one hundred thousand years of cultivation.
However, if there were a Thunder Spirit born with natural Ultimate Thunder, it would be enough to be called a future Thunder Emperor, with potential even higher than the Snow Empress. The most difficult thunder tribulation among the heavenly tribulations that fierce beasts fear like tigers would have almost no effect on it. Unfortunately, such a Thunder Spirit has never been born. But even an ordinary Thunder Spirit's birth can be said to be a manifestation of the plane's thunder law, which is very profound.
Although the Thunder Spirit was not among the target soul beasts he envisioned, it is definitely far stronger than those. This information can be considered part of the family's foundation. Even though his talent is top-tier in the history of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Family, and he contributed by reporting the information about whale rubber, this information about the Thunder Spirit would never have been given to him to gamble on as a fourth soul ring. This can be considered Yu Boxuan's trust in him—trust that he will not do something he is not sure about.
It is worth noting that there was an ancestor in the history of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Family who absorbed a Thunder Spirit soul ring, which gave him an extremely powerful soul skill and led to high achievements in his life, reaching the level 98 Super Douluo. Counting it up, he is a direct descendant of this person.
"Thank you, Grandfather!" He is deeply moved and bows deeply.
Three days later, a group of four quietly departed from Dragon City.
Leading them was Yu Yuanchen's Second Grandfather, the family's second-in-command, Yu Boyu, a Level 86 Power Attack System Soul Douluo. The other two were loyal Guest Elders of the family, both possessing Level 81 or 82 soul power.
The four were highly cultivated, concealing their tracks along the way and choosing to travel through desolate areas. Within a few days, they had penetrated deep into the Thunder Mountain Range.
This mountain range was covered in thunder clouds year-round, and the air was filled with dense Lightning Element. For a Lightning Attribute Soul Master, it was a treasure trove for cultivation, but for others, it was a perilous zone.
Following family intelligence, the four cautiously crept toward the area where the Thunder Spirit appeared.
Finally, in a valley filled with jagged rocks and a pool of lightning flickering with electric light at its center, they discovered their target.
It was a creature of strange form, its entire body seemingly condensed from deep purple lightning. It had no fixed physical form; at times it was like a dragon, at times like a python, and at other times it would disperse into a thunder cloud, swimming above the Thunder Pool and swallowing the essence of the lightning within. The energy fluctuations it emitted had clearly reached the ten thousand year level, pure and violent.
"That's it! Prepare to strike!" Yu Boyu whispered, exchanging glances with the other two elders as all three instantly released their Martial Souls.
Powerful Soul Power Fluctuation surged into the sky, startling the Thunder Spirit in the valley.
"Roar!"
A roar, not produced through a throat but directly through the vibration of thunder, rang out, filled with the fury of having its territory invaded. The Thunder Spirit instantly transformed into a giant lightning python, carrying an aura of destruction as it lunged toward the intruders.
"Vile beast, stop your arrogance!" Yu Boyu shouted, his eight soul rings shining brilliantly, especially the final black Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring, which was dazzling. He transformed into a half-dragon state, his giant fist covered in blue dragon scales slamming out to collide with the lightning python.
Boom!
Thunder exploded, and blast waves rolled outward.
The other two Soul Douluo elders also launched attacks from the flanks, their soul skills flashing to suppress the Thunder Spirit's range of movement.
With three Soul Douluos joining forces to deal with a soul beast that had just crossed the ten thousand year mark, even the Thunder Spirit, despite its extraordinary strength, was quickly suppressed. Its attacks were neutralized one by one, and its body was shattered several times; although it could re-condense, its radiance was clearly much dimmer.
Yu Yuanchen observed calmly from the side, looking for the best timing. He knew that absorbing a soul ring was not best done by beating the soul beast into total helplessness, as the will contained within the soul ring might dissipate, which would be counterproductive. One needed to deliver the final blow while the soul beast still possessed a certain ferocity but had its power significantly weakened; only then could the resulting soul ring retain its original characteristics to the greatest extent.
Seeing the Thunder Spirit at the end of its rope under the siege of the three Soul Douluos, its body-condensing speed greatly reduced, a sharp glint flashed in Yu Yuanchen's eyes.
"Now!"
His figure moved like lightning, shooting out. His first and third soul rings lit up simultaneously, and his vast soul power was poured into his right arm without reservation.
"Combined Soul Skill, Thunder Rage Dragon Claw!"
The giant Thunder Dragon Claw reappeared, but this time, Yu Yuanchen did not seek range. Instead, he compressed all his lightning power to the extreme, condensing it at the fingertips of the dragon claw, giving it a deep, almost dark purple luster with unparalleled penetrating power, precisely grabbing at the core of the Thunder Spirit—a mass of deep purple lightning that pulsed like a heart.
"Puchi!"
The compressed lightning claw easily tore open the Thunder Spirit's final defense and seized its core.
The Thunder Spirit let out a shrill shriek, its entire body contracting violently before exploding with a bang, turning into countless scattered currents darting about. At the same time, a deep black energy carrying a heart-palpitating pressure began to gather at the center of the explosion, finally condensing into a pitch-black soul ring with faint purple lightning flickering at its edges.
Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring!
Yu Yuanchen took a deep breath, suppressing the excitement in his heart, and sat cross-legged in front of the soul ring.
"Yuanchen, watch out for the soul shock!" Yu Boyu warned nervously from the side, the three Soul Douluos forming a triangular formation to protect him in the center, remaining vigilant of their surroundings.
Yu Yuanchen nodded, circulating the soul power within his body to adjust his state to its peak, then drew upon the floating black soul ring.
"Come!"
The black soul ring descended slowly as if it had a life of its own, settling onto Yu Yuanchen. The next moment, energy as vast as a tsunami, mixed with an unruly, violently destructive will, surged madly into his body.
His meridians instantly felt a tearing pain; the violence of that energy was several times greater than what he had felt when absorbing his third soul ring! Even more terrifying was an invisible shock that rushed straight into his mind, as if thousands of thunderbolts were exploding in his spiritual world, threatening to tear his consciousness apart.
Soul shock!
Yu Yuanchen groaned, his complexion turning pale instantly, but he held firmly to his spirit platform, his powerful spiritual power acting like a boulder to resist the repeated impacts. On the surface of his body, blue electric light intertwined and clashed with the black lightning rays pouring in from the soul ring; beneath his skin, it felt as if countless small snakes were darting about, appearing exceptionally terrifying.
Time passed bit by bit.
A trickle of blood spilled from the corner of Yu Yuanchen's mouth, and his body trembled slightly, but his eyes remained clear and firm.
I do not know how much time passed, but that violent energy seemed to find an outlet, gradually being accepted and tamed by his Martial Soul and meridians. The thunderous explosions in his spiritual world also gradually subsided, and the remnant will of the Thunder Spirit was finally completely extinguished by his tenacious will.
When the last bit of energy was absorbed, the pitch-black ten thousand year soul ring settled steadily above his other three soul rings, rhythmically pulsing along with them.
A soul power fluctuation far stronger than before erupted from him; after absorbing this soul ring that exceeded his limits, his soul power level jumped two levels, leaping directly from the level 40 bottleneck to level 42!
Yu Yuanchen opened his eyes abruptly, and it was as if substantial purple lightning shot out from his pupils, extending over a foot long before slowly receding after a long while.
He had successfully absorbed his fourth ten thousand year soul ring!
However, an even greater surprise was yet to come.
The moment he completely fused with the soul ring and his soul power stabilized at level 42, a profound stream of information, accompanied by a brand-new realization of lightning power, naturally emerged in his mind.
Fourth Soul Skill: Thunder God Power!
It was not a simple attack or defense soul skill, but a state, a sublimation of power! It could combine the lightning power formed by his own spiritual power and soul power with the Bloodline Power hidden deep in his veins. The fusion of these three sublimated into a higher, purer, and destructive power carrying a trace of divinity--Thunder God Power!
This power could be used to release any soul skill, with its might receiving a terrifying boost; it could also be used to enhance himself, causing his speed, strength, and defense to skyrocket in all aspects! Although the consumption was immense, as his cultivation level deepened in the future, this consumption would be negligible compared to the inspiration it provided for his self-created soul skills and the boost to his combat power.
Yu Yuanchen felt the strand of newborn, purple-gold power within his body—weak, yet of an extremely high essence—and a surge of grand ambition rose in his heart. Yu Yuanchen did not know that he had hit the jackpot.
As mentioned earlier, the birth of the Thunder Spirit could be said to be a manifestation of a trace of the world's Thunder Law. Its origin was a strand of lightning power with a very high essence, close to divine power, which could be called Thunder God Power. Normally, after a soul master absorbed a Thunder Spirit soul ring, unless they were a top-tier Lightning Attribute Soul Master, they would be unable to bear it, and it would simply dissipate on its own. While this strand of Thunder God Power would also merge into the Martial Soul over time and provide no small benefit, because the amount of divine power was so small and the merging process so slow, it would only provide a subtle improvement, and the magnitude of that improvement would be small. Therefore, basically no one would notice this.
Coincidentally, although the quality of the Thunder God Power formed by his soul skill was far inferior to this strand of Thunder God Power (after all, the protagonist's realm was still low, and the quality of his soul power, bloodline, and spiritual power was not yet on par with a Titled Douluo, let alone divine power), it was enough to serve as nourishment, gradually causing it to grow stronger so that it would not be extinguished over time. This would also have immeasurable benefits for his future cultivation, and even his path to becoming a god.
All his previous accumulation and all his explorations seemed to have finally found the right direction at this moment!
The path of the Hidden Dragon Emerging from the Abyss and the Thunder Shocks the World began from this point on!
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Translated by: randomtranslator.com
Proofread by: GodKun-Chan