In the Rocky Forest, the atmosphere was as stagnant as iron.
Yu Yuanchen was surrounded by three Soul Emperors in a triangular formation. The pressure of their soul power felt almost tangible, making even breathing difficult for him. Yet, his tall, straight frame stood like a javelin. Blue electric snakes slithered incessantly across his dragon-transformed right arm, and his deep blue eyes scanned the three enemies with cold composure as his brain raced.
A head-on clash offered no chance of victory. Even with his Overlimit Soul Ring and top-tier Martial Soul, he could only briefly contend with a single ordinary Soul Emperor. Facing three opponents with such seamless coordination—especially the Rock Turtle Soul Emperor with his astonishing defensive power—defeat was inevitable in a prolonged battle.
The only way out lay in speed, in breaking through!
His gaze instantly locked onto the Gale Wolf Soul Emperor who had just been injured. This man was the fastest and posed the greatest threat, but he was also the weakest link among the three at this moment!
"Move!" Long Li, the Black Flame Demonic Dragon Soul Emperor, clearly had no intention of giving Yu Yuanchen more time to think. With a low shout, his fifth soul ring lit up. Pitch-black flames condensed in his hand into a spear burning with eerie black fire. Carrying a dual aura of corrosion and burning, he hurled it violently toward Yu Yuanchen!
At the same time, the Rock Turtle Soul Emperor roared, his third soul ring flashing as he slammed both fists heavily into the ground.
"Third Soul Skill, Earth Wave Tremor!"
Boom! The ground rose and fell like waves. Intense shockwaves spread toward Yu Yuanchen's feet, intended to disrupt his balance and restrict his ability to dodge.
Meanwhile, the injured Gale Wolf Soul Emperor gritted his teeth against his wounds, his figure turning into a green shadow as he flanked from the side, his sharp claws glinting with cold light, waiting for an opportunity to strike.
Facing this near-desperate encirclement, a fierce glint flashed in Yu Yuanchen's eyes. He chose not to meet the powerful Black Flame Spear head-on, nor did he attempt to steady himself against the Earth Wave Tremor.
Just a moment before the attacks reached him, he made a move that caught everyone off guard!
"Second Soul Skill, Thunderous Might!"
He did not release the energy of Thunderous Might outward; instead, he forcibly restrained it, violently channeling the vast majority of its thunder power into the meridians of his own legs!
"Zzzzt--!"
A piercing screech of electrical discharge exploded from his legs, and one could even see fine electric sparks erupting from beneath his pant legs. An indescribable, excruciating pain hit him instantly, as if every inch of muscle and every meridian in his legs were being torn apart and scorched by the violent thunder! This was an extremely dangerous move; had his body not been tempered by multiple level-crossing soul ring absorptions and the Thunder Valley, far exceeding his peers, his legs would likely have been crippled instantly!
But the effect was equally significant!
"Boom!"
His body seemed to transform into a true bolt of lightning, leaving behind a faint blue afterimage as his speed surged several times over its original level! Staying almost flush with the ground, he moved with a near-instantaneous grace, narrowly avoiding the piercing trajectory of the Black Flame Spear and the core area of the Earth Wave Tremor.
"What?!" Long Li's pupils constricted violently. He had not expected Yu Yuanchen to dare use such a self-mutilating method to forcibly boost his speed!
"Stop him!" the Rock Turtle Soul Emperor roared, attempting to use his massive frame to block the path.
However, Yu Yuanchen's target was not him at all! The momentum from that extreme speed turned him into a shell fired from a cannon, aimed directly at the Gale Wolf Soul Emperor, who had been momentarily stunned by his sudden burst of speed!
"First Soul Skill, Thunder Dragon Claw!"
His dragon-transformed right claw struck out with a shrill sound of breaking air and explosive blue light, clawing mercilessly toward the Gale Wolf Soul Emperor's chest! This time, the dragon claw was not enlarged but extremely condensed. His five fingers were like hooks, with all the destructive power focused on his fingertips in pursuit of ultimate penetration!
The Gale Wolf Soul Emperor had just been struck and his internal qi and blood had yet to settle. Seeing Yu Yuanchen charge at such a terrifying speed, he could only, in his haste, coat his arms in soul power to block once more.
"Puchi!"
The power of the condensed thunder claw far exceeded the previous strike. It instantly tore through his soul power defense, leaving deep, bone-exposed charred wounds on his crossed arms. The remaining thunder power surged into his body, causing him to let out a miserable shriek. He was sent flying again like a kite with a broken string, landing heavily. After struggling a few times, he found himself unable to rise, completely losing the ability to pursue.
Having succeeded with one strike, Yu Yuanchen did not stop. Using the force of the recoil, he completely detonated the thunder-attribute soul power that had been raging in his legs from the stimulation. He transformed into a streak of blue electric light and, without looking back, fled for his life toward the deeper parts of the Rocky Forest, which was also the direction of the outer perimeter of the mountain range!
"Trash!" Seeing this, Long Li was so furious he could jump. He had not expected that with two Soul Emperors joining forces, they would still have one of their own instantly crippled by a newly advanced Soul Ancestor. "Chase! He must not be allowed to escape!"
He and the Rock Turtle Soul Emperor immediately took off in hot pursuit.
However, the speed Yu Yuanchen had gained through self-injury was truly astonishing. The Rock Turtle Soul Emperor was known for his defensive power, with speed being his shortcoming; even at full burst, he could only watch helplessly as the distance between him and that blue streak of light grew ever wider.
In just over a dozen breaths, the Rock Turtle Soul Emperor had been left far behind, able only to roar in frustration.
Only Long Li, relying on the impressive physical constitution brought by his Black Flame Demonic Dragon Martial Soul and the deep soul power of a Soul Emperor, could still bite at Yu Yuanchen's heels. Although he could not close the distance immediately, Yu Yuanchen also found it difficult to shake him off entirely.
The two chased and fled like meteors of different colors, darting rapidly through the jungles and valleys on the outskirts of the Thunder Mountain Range.
Yu Yuanchen felt the waves of tearing pain and the gradually increasing numbness in his legs, knowing that this escape technique of stimulating his meridians could not last. Moreover, the consumption of his soul power was terrifyingly high; had he not just advanced to Level 42, greatly increasing his total soul power, he would have been exhausted long ago.
I must find a way to shake him off, or... finish him! A cold light flickered in Yu Yuanchen's eyes. Being pursued by a Soul Emperor was too risky; once his soul power failed or his legs gave out, it would mean certain death.
While maintaining his high-speed flight, he quietly circulated his soul power, attempting to mobilize the wisp of "Thunder God Power" that had newly manifested within him. This power was of an extremely high essence, but its total quantity was minuscule, and mobilizing it placed a significant burden on his spiritual power.
Perhaps... it is worth a try!
Yu Yuanchen's gaze swept over the terrain ahead, spotting a dried-up riverbed with steep earthen slopes on both sides. A plan immediately formed in his mind.
He abruptly changed direction, charging into the dried riverbed, then suddenly stopped and turned around! The massive inertia caused his feet to plow two deep furrows into the gravel of the riverbed.
Long Li, who was in pursuit, saw Yu Yuanchen suddenly stop and was stunned for a moment before grinning hideously. "Can't run anymore? Kid, to be able to force me to hunt you down personally for this long, you have enough to be proud of! Die obediently, and I can give you a quick end!"
Yu Yuanchen panted heavily, his complexion somewhat pale from the soul power consumption and the pain in his legs, but his eyes were like ten-thousand-year-old ice, without the slightest waver. "Want to kill me? Then show me your real skills!"
"You're courting death!" Long Li roared, his third soul ring lighting up. "Third Soul Skill, Black Flame Breath!"
A thick pillar of black fire, carrying a chilling aura that corroded everything, surged toward Yu Yuanchen.
Yu Yuanchen dared not be slow, his first and third soul rings flashing simultaneously.
"Wrath of Thunder! Thunder Dragon Claw!"
Under the amplification of Wrath of Thunder, the massive thunder dragon claw struck out violently, colliding head-on with the Black Flame Breath.
Boom!
The collision of thunder and fire erupted in a violent energy shockwave. Blue light and black flames splattered in all directions, shearing a layer off the earthen slopes on both sides of the riverbed. Yu Yuanchen let out a muffled groan, his figure stumbling back several steps. A sweetness rose in his throat, and a trace of blood spilled from the corner of his mouth. The quality of a Soul Emperor's soul power was, after all, far superior to his own.
"Hmph, a mantis trying to block a chariot!" Long Li did not let up, his fifth soul ring lighting up once more. That Black Flame Spear condensed again, carrying an even sharper momentum as it shot through the air!
Yu Yuanchen's pupils constricted; he knew he could no longer take the hits head-on. His footwork shifted, his body flickering left and right within the narrow riverbed as if he had eyes in the back of his head, narrowly dodging the direct strike of the spear.
However, the black flames trailing the spear still grazed his shoulder, leaving behind a charred wound that burned with a stinging pain.
"Let's see how many more times you can dodge!" Long Li's offensive was like a tidal wave, with various soul skills bombarding him in rapid succession. The formidable attack power of the Black Flame Flood Dragon Martial Soul was on full display, forcing Yu Yuanchen to constantly dodge and parry, leaving him in a precarious situation.
After multiple collisions, the wounds on Yu Yuanchen's body grew more numerous, his soul power was depleting rapidly, and his breathing began to turn chaotic. He looked like a spent force, as if he would be completely crushed at any moment.
A flash of bloodthirsty pleasure crossed Long Li's eyes, as if he could already see this genius of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Family dying miserably by his own hands. To end the battle quickly, he stepped forward, closing distance, and threw his right fist—condensed with dense black flames—directly toward Yu Yuanchen's face! This punch was heavy and powerful, containing the full force of a Soul Emperor.
However, the moment the fist was about to make contact, Yu Yuanchen, who had been in a state of passive defense and appeared to be crumbling, suddenly erupted with an unprecedented gleam in his eyes!
This was the opportunity he had been waiting for! The perfect timing when his opponent felt victory was in his grasp, let his guard down, and closed the distance!
"Now!"
Inside Yu Yuanchen's body, that wisp of dormant Purple Gold Lightning Thunder God Power was completely triggered, like a sleeping dragon awakening! He did not use this power to augment any soul skill; instead, he poured it entirely into his legs!
At the same time, he endured the excruciating pain in his meridians and frantically injected his remaining soul power into his legs as well!
"Boom!"
His legs seemed to transform into two sources of lightning; blinding Purple Gold Lightning erupted instantly, even temporarily suppressing the blue lightning of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon itself! A speed and explosive force far exceeding his previous limits surged forth!
He did not dodge backward, but... forward! Facing Long Li's fist, he avoided the lethal blow in a bizarre, near-ground posture, moving like a Lightning Snake sliding across the earth, instantly invading Long Li's inner circle!
"What?!" This sudden turn of events was completely beyond Long Li's expectations! His old strength was spent, his new strength not yet arisen, and his center was wide open!
Yu Yuanchen's gaze was as cold as a blade. On his dragon-transformed right arm, all his soul power, along with the remaining thunder triggered by the eruption of the Thunder God Power, was highly compressed and condensed at his fingertip!
He did not use any soul skills, because activating a soul skill required a brief moment, and right now, this was a battle for a split second! This was pure power, a strike that condensed his entire essence, energy, and spirit, fusing his soul power, qi and blood, and his ultimate control over lightning!
"Break!"
Accompanied by a low roar, Yu Yuanchen's right hand joined into a sword-like shape, carrying the destructive lightning condensed to its peak, like a True Divine Thunder Spear, and stabbed fiercely into the side of Long Li's knees!
Fast! Accurate! Ruthless!
"Crack!"
A clear sound of bone fracture rang out!
"Ah--!" Long Li let out a shrill, miserable scream. A piercing pain and numbness surged from his knees, his condensed soul power instantly dissipated, and he lost all support, falling to his knees with a thud, his face filled with unbelievable pain and horror.
He could never have imagined that he would fall at the hands of a Soul Ancestor kid, and in such a way—having his legs crippled by a close-quarters strike!
Having succeeded with his strike, Yu Yuanchen did not linger to fight, nor did he even look at Long Li's miserable state. He knew that although this strike had severely wounded his opponent, it was far from enough to kill a Soul Emperor. He could clearly feel that the meridians in his legs were on the verge of collapse, and his soul power was almost completely exhausted.
He forced himself to summon his last bit of origin qi, dragging his nearly numb legs, and once again erupted with his remaining speed, rushing out of the dried-up riverbed without looking back, disappearing into the dense forest.
Long Li knelt on the ground, watching the direction where Yu Yuanchen had disappeared, wanting to pursue, but the excruciating pain and numbness in his legs made it impossible for him to stand, leaving him only able to let out roars of anger and unwillingness.
"You little bastard... I will kill you! Ah--!"
The roars echoed through the valley, but Yu Yuanchen's figure had long since merged into the mountains and forests, leaving no trace.
This pursuit, with such a disparity in strength, ultimately ended with the pursuer suffering one severe injury and one minor injury, while the other was shaken off. Yu Yuanchen paid the price of multiple wounds and severe exhaustion, narrowly escaping death.
Dragging his broken body, relying on his tenacious will and keen perception of the terrain, he continued to struggle toward Dragon City. Every wound throbbed with pain, every bit of soul power wailed, but his eyes were brighter and more firm than ever before.
After this battle, the fledgling dragon had bathed in blood, and the sharpness of its claws had begun to emerge.
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Translated by: randomtranslator.com
Proofread by: GodKun-Chan