As the energy from the soul ring surged into him, Yang Xiong's body felt as though it was on the verge of collapse.
Not only did his skin appear scorched by lightning, but cracks began to form across his entire body.
Thunder coursed through every inch of his being, akin to an extreme electrical shock. In that moment, his bones, blood, and even bone marrow seemed to lose all control.
Yang Xiong felt as if his entire body was disintegrating. Within his mind, a massive Crimson Blood Thunder Dragon loomed, threatening to devour everything. Before the overwhelming might of this thunderous force, the previously towering silver giant seemed minuscule in comparison.
At this critical juncture, a blue light emanated from his right leg, gradually enveloping his entire body.
Yang Xiong's body alternated between collapsing and healing, repeatedly tearing apart like paper.
The sensation of the thunder brought back memories of despair from his past life—those final moments filled with hopelessness.
In this decisive moment, Yang Xiong's soul power began circulating involuntarily, forming a massive Tai Chi-like pattern. Even under the relentless assault of thunder, his body slowly stabilized.
Within his mind, the silver giant stood resolute, acting as the focal point of an enormous Bagua diagram that spanned his consciousness, with the giant positioned at its center.
Facing the colossal Crimson Blood Thunder Dragon, the silver giant appeared indomitable. It let out a defiant roar toward the heavens, as if challenging fate itself.
Beside him, Lin Gong watched Yang Xiong with growing concern. At this moment, Yang Xiong looked utterly pitiful—blood seeped from his seven orifices, his skin was cracked, and his entire body was charred black. The blood that flowed out instantly turned to ash under the influence of the thunder, emitting a scent reminiscent of roasted meat.
Even Lin Gong found it strange that, despite Yang Xiong being in mortal danger, the ambient soul power in the air around him began to fluctuate.
With Yang Xiong's body as the core, a massive Bagua diagram formed within a ten-meter radius, merging seamlessly with the surrounding environment.
It took several days for Yang Xiong's soul power to finally settle down, and the energy from the soul ring stabilized on his Body Martial Soul.
When Yang Xiong opened his eyes again, Lin Gong finally exhaled in relief.
Yang Xiong felt an incredible sense of comfort throughout his body, as if he had undergone electrotherapy. Every cell seemed to have grown stronger.
Lin Gong gazed at Yang Xiong with an odd expression, feeling that this young man was far from ordinary. For a normal person, their fifth soul ring couldn't possibly reach such intensity.
Yang Xiong quickly asked: "Teacher Lin, how long did it take me to absorb this soul ring? Why do I feel like there's something off about your gaze?"
Lin Gong snorted: "You seem pretty pleased with yourself. Take a look at your current appearance."
Yang Xiong hurriedly pulled out a mirror to examine himself. Sure enough, his appearance was ghastly. His hair, shocked by the lightning, now resembled steel needles, standing stiffly upright.
His entire body was covered in charred blackness, carrying a faint aroma of roasted meat.
Moreover, Yang Xiong noticed that his height had increased—he now stood over one meter ninety—and his muscles appeared slightly less bulky than before. However, his strength had qualitatively improved.
Looking at his reflection, Yang Xiong couldn't help but sigh. He quickly retrieved some water from his soul tool to wash his body and changed into a fresh set of clothes.
After cleaning up, Yang Xiong and Lin Gong swiftly dissected the corpse of the Crimson Blood Thunder Dragon.
Upon completing the dissection, Yang Xiong was pleasantly surprised to discover a blood-red right arm soul bone.
However, Yang Xiong had little interest in this thunder-attribute soul bone, and none of those around him were thunder-attribute soul masters.
In the end, Yang Xiong stored the soul bone and prepared to leave the Star Dou Forest with Lin Gong.
This absorption process had taken two full days, raising Yang Xiong's soul power to level 53 while granting him a long-desired soul skill.
Fifth Soul Ring Skill of the Body Martial Soul: Crimson Blood Thunder Sword. Activating the soul ring skill would materialize a sword over one and a half meters long, entirely crimson in color, surrounded by terrifying thunder energy.
Notably, the weight of the Crimson Blood Thunder Sword wasn't fixed—it could increase alongside Yang Xiong's strength and soul power. At his current level of 53, the sword already weighed over two thousand jin (approximately 1,000 kilograms). Moreover, the sword carried the thunder energy of the Crimson Blood Thunder Dragon, making it incredibly sharp and capable of ignoring enemy defenses. It also had a paralyzing effect on foes.
Yang Xiong was extremely satisfied with this soul skill. Across the entire Douluo Continent, soul skills capable of transforming into weapons were exceedingly rare—only Tang San and Qian Renxue possessed such abilities, thanks to their martial souls.
Yang Xiong's decision to choose the Crimson Blood Thunder Dragon as his fifth soul ring stemmed from this consideration. According to records from the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect, the Crimson Blood Thunder Dragon was renowned not only for its formidable bloodline but also for its exceptional strength.
In the history of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Family, there had once been a sect leader who absorbed a soul ring from a Crimson Blood Thunder Dragon and obtained a weapon-type soul skill.
After leaving the Star Dou Forest, Lin Gong grew unusually serious.
"Little Xiong, are you really planning to go there now? That place is fraught with peril. Legend has it that almost no one who enters ever returns. In the past hundred years, only two people have managed to walk out alive."
Yang Xiong nodded: "Teacher, I'm heading straight to Slaughter City. From now on, both the Body Sect and the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect will need you to look after them for me."
"If any major changes occur, take everyone and lay low until I return from Slaughter City."
Lin Gong sighed: "I know I can't stop you, but Slaughter City is no ordinary place. You don't even have a head soul bone yet. Are you not afraid of losing yourself entirely within Slaughter City?"
Yang Xiong chuckled: "Teacher Lin, do you think I'd be bothered by the distractions in Slaughter City? As Yang Wudi should've told you, my body is now immune to all poisons—even Dugu Bo's poison array can't harm me. I'm confident I'll return alive from Slaughter City."
Lin Gong appeared somewhat helpless: "Why must you insist on this? Both the Body Sect and the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect are developing well. Both Dragon Duke and I are confident we'll break through to Title Douluo within two years."
Yang Xiong's expression turned grave: "Teacher Lin, I've always regarded you as family. There's a reason I must enter Slaughter City, and I must do so soon—otherwise, I fear unforeseen circumstances may arise."
"As for you and Dragon Duke acquiring soul rings, when the time comes, the five elders can work together. If we include one of my two teachers, hunting soul rings below a hundred thousand years should be effortless."
Lin Gong smiled: "Do you really see us as just a bunch of old men? Do you think we still need a child like you to help with such matters?"
"In truth, I've already made preparations regarding soul beasts. Dragon Duke has his targets set as well. Now it's just a matter of who can break through to Title Douluo first."
"What about your family? Have you told them about your plans for Slaughter City? You know they're all very worried about you."
Yang Xiong shook his head: "I've only discussed this with Teacher Sword Douluo, and he supports my decision to go to Slaughter City. Besides, this past year hasn't been wasted. My attack and defense capabilities have improved significantly. At my current level, there's no one below Soul Sage who can match me."
"If I use all my abilities, even some newly promoted Soul Sages might not stand a chance against me."
"For the next few years, I'll rely on Teacher Lin to protect my family. I don't want to return from Slaughter City and find that I have no home left."
Lin Gong flicked Yang Xiong on the forehead: "Protecting your family? Don't worry, I can handle that much."
After more than ten days of travel, the two continued westward from Tian Dou City, eventually arriving at the legendary black town.
This was the entrance to Slaughter City. Such entrances existed in both empires, mostly frequented by refugees seeking refuge. Very few ever returned.
Lin Gong wore a look of concern: "I can only accompany you this far. The rest of the journey is yours alone. Remember, in Slaughter City, trust no one. It's filled with the most evil individuals, willing to do anything to survive."
Yang Xiong laughed: "Teacher Lin, you know I'm cautious in both my actions and dealings. If I don't scheme against others, that's already fortunate for them. Do you really think someone could scheme against me?"
After a brief exchange, Yang Xiong strode toward the sole tavern in the center of the town. His previously calm face now grew stern, even exuding a hint of killing intent.
This was the result of two years of grueling training. The brutal methods employed by Sword Bone Douluo had honed Yang Xiong's attack and defense to unparalleled levels among Soul Emperors. His arsenal of offensive techniques had expanded significantly.
Frequently engaging in hand-to-hand combat with soul beasts had sharpened his instincts. The brutal battles had made him ferocious and relentless.
Just as Yang Xiong was about to enter Slaughter City, in a secluded location within the Fasinuo Province of the Balak Kingdom, there stood a massive waterfall. The area was remote, accessible only to soul masters.
Beneath the waterfall, Tang San wielded a wooden hammer, swinging it desperately in the rushing water. However, his progress was painfully slow.
Compared to the original storyline, Tang San lacked the ice-fire tempering, resulting in inferior physical conditioning. Additionally, he hadn't received the reward of the head soul bone from the Soul Master Tournament—a prize coveted by countless others.
In terms of physical fitness and other aspects, the gap was significant.
It took Tang San a full eight months to master the eighty-one strikes of the Chaotic Wind Splitting Hammer technique using an iron hammer.
Switching to a wooden hammer proved even more challenging; mastering the full eighty-one strikes seemed nearly impossible.
Tang Hao couldn't help but shake his head. In his eyes, Tang San's talent remained unmatched, but without absorbing soul rings for the Hao Tian Hammer, its current power was limited.
However, Tang San's cultivation beneath the waterfall had accelerated his soul power growth. In just one year, his soul power had increased by six levels, reaching level forty-seven.
Tang Hao was satisfied with Tang San's progress in soul power but dissatisfied with his application of the Hao Tian Hammer. Based on the current situation, it would take at least three years to meet his expectations.
One day, after Tang San finished his training, Tang Hao called him to the side of the pool.
"Xiao San, you've worked very hard this past year. But you need to focus more on mastering the hammer techniques. The Chaotic Wind Splitting Hammer represents the pinnacle of the Hao Tian Hammer techniques. While you've made progress, your body still falls short. After all, you're only fifteen years old."
Tang San quickly responded: "Father, I'll continue refining the Chaotic Wind Splitting Hammer. I won't disappoint you."
Tang Hao nodded: "You've always given me peace of mind. However, you still need some other things."
With that, Tang Hao handed Tang San an object. Despite Tang San's mental age exceeding thirty, his heart raced with excitement.
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