The Spinal Stegosaurus felt its heart hammer wildly—how was it supposed to fight this? A weak human was actually capable of erupting with such attack power?
The Spinal Stegosaurus reacted quickly, crossing its massive dragon claws in front of its chest. As its soul power surged, the five dark gold energy blades slammed into them.
Bang!
The dragon's entire body staggered back several meters. Its pair of enormous claws were mangled and bloody, hanging limp and useless; Gu Xuan's strike had directly crippled them.
However, had the Spinal Stegosaurus not defended, its torso might have been shredded by the Sky-Tearing Claw.
Gu Xuan gave the beast no room to breathe, his legs moving like lightning as he charged. He leaped high into the air and thrust his dark gold claws directly into the Spinal Stegosaurus's chest.
But he didn't stop there. After his right Darkgold Terrorclaw pierced the chest, he used his momentum as he landed to rip downward, disemboweling the beast. The scene was extremely bloody as internal organs and blood sprayed out.
Gu Xuan stood before the beast and retracted his Martial Soul, his gaze indifferent as the Spinal Stegosaurus lost its life breath and toppled backward.
"Ah!" Ning Rongrong shrieked, immediately covering her eyes. The scene was far too gruesome for her.
Chen Xin pulled Ning Rongrong into his arms, softly comforting the little princess. "Rongrong, don't be afraid. This is what it means to be a Soul Master. One can only grow through the tempering of blood."
Ning Rongrong shook her head, replying timidly, "Grandpa Sword, Rongrong isn't afraid, it's just a bit disgusting."
Hearing this, Chen Xin and Gu Rong exchanged a glance, choosing not to expose her forced bravery. Instead, they looked toward Gu Xuan in the arena with smiles.
Gu Xuan sat cross-legged and began to meditate to recover his soul power. While the battle hadn't been stressful, his all-out opening move had consumed significant soul power. Since he was about to absorb a Soul Ring beyond the optimal limit, he needed to ensure he was in peak condition.
Above the Spinal Stegosaurus's corpse, a purple Soul Ring began to condense, shimmering with the unique luster of a thousand-year ring.
Once a Soul Beast is killed, its Soul Ring remains for only one hour before dissipating if not absorbed.
Gu Xuan clearly wouldn't let such a high-quality ring go to waste. After half an hour, he opened his eyes, a glint flashing in his black-gray pupils as he stared happily at the ring.
Remaining seated, he used his soul power to draw the Spinal Stegosaurus's ring toward him. Under his guidance, the purple ring slowly floated above his head.
The moment it settled, a surge of boundless soul power poured out, compressing Gu Xuan's body. This was the tempering of the Soul Ring's power, a necessary process for fusion.
Gu Xuan accepted the tempering wholeheartedly. With his current physical constitution, the power of this 3,000-year-old ring did not tear his body apart; instead, it refined it, making him tougher and stronger.
In the observation room, Ning Rongrong stared unblinkingly at Gu Xuan, her heart filled with joy that he was about to become a Soul Elder.
Gu Rong and Chen Xin felt the same. Gu Xuan was the most talented and persevering individual the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan had seen in a century. Though his Innate Soul Power was only Rank 8, his willpower was enough to bridge the gap with others.
Even Ning Rongrong, whose Innate Soul Power was Rank 9, could not compare to Gu Xuan's grit.
The absorption process did not take long, as the pressure was well within the limits Gu Xuan could endure.
While an average Soul Master might take three hours to absorb a ring for advancement, Gu Xuan finished in just one.
Now, three Soul Rings—two yellow and one purple—were in place, rhythmically drifting around his body. This marked his official entry into the rank of Soul Elder.
At barely twelve years and one week old, such an achievement was nearly unheard of across the continent. Gu Xuan truly was a chosen son of heaven.
Gu Xuan stood up, his black robes fluttering despite the lack of wind. His short black ponytail remained tidy even after the battle. He looked every bit the spirited youth.
The only flaw was the blood; though not obvious on his black robes, his face and hands were inevitably stained with the Spinal Stegosaurus's blood, adding a touch of heroic intensity to his look.
Gu Xuan looked toward Ning Rongrong in the observation room and said softly, "Rongrong, do you want to see my third soul skill?"
Ning Rongrong nodded her head like a drum, delighted. "Yes! Brother Gu Xuan's third soul skill must be amazing!"
Gu Rong smiled helplessly. With a surge of soul power, a black hole large enough for his two-meter-tall frame appeared before him. He stepped into it, and a moment later, another black hole manifested twenty meters behind Gu Xuan. Gu Rong stepped out from it.
This was Gu Rong's eighth soul skill—Space Gate. It was one of the reasons he was known as the most "eerie" Titled Douluo.
"Xuan'er, Grandpa will practice with you," Gu Rong's hearty voice rang out.
Gu Xuan turned around, looking enviously at the disappearing black hole. Both the utility and the sheer "cool factor" of that skill were top-tier.
"Grandpa, you're a Titled Douluo. Bullying me isn't very fair, is it?" Gu Xuan chuckled.
Gu Rong brushed it off. "You brat, many people would kill for a pointer or two from your grandfather, and you're complaining?"
Gu Xuan shook his head. "Grandpa, I think Rongrong is calling you."
Hearing this, Gu Rong instinctively looked up at the observation room. But in the next instant, the soul power around Gu Xuan erupted.
"Third Soul Skill: Bone Dragon Purgatory!"
As Gu Xuan spoke, the purple third Soul Ring lit up.
He waved his hand, and in a five-meter diameter area directly in front of him, rows of spinal bones—just like the Spinal Stegosaurus's skill—protruded from the ground like sharp swords. The attack was even swifter and more powerful than the beast's.
Gu Rong watched with a playful smile. "Xuan'er, you dare to plot against your grandfather? You're asking for it!"
With a wave of his hand, Gu Rong released a similar Bone Prison move without even using a soul skill. It clashed directly with Gu Xuan's third skill.
Although Gu Rong didn't use a skill, his Rank 96 soul power meant even a casual strike could normally obliterate Gu Xuan.
Naturally, he wouldn't kill his grandson; he adjusted the power to be only slightly stronger than Gu Xuan's attack.
As the spinal bones collided between them, Gu Xuan increased his soul power output. "Grandpa, they call this 'All's fair in war'!"
Having just reached the Soul Elder rank, Gu Xuan couldn't win a battle of attrition against Gu Rong. He unleashed a final burst of soul power to stall Gu Rong's defense, then lit up his two yellow rings and lunged forward.
Gu Xuan leaped and spun across the protruding bones, closing the twenty-meter gap in an instant. He deployed his Darkgold Terrorclaw right palm bone and launched a Sky-Tearing Claw directly at Gu Rong's face.
Gu Rong remained calm. Even as the five dark gold energy blades flew at him, he didn't retreat. He raised his right arm, which transformed into a gray-white bone dragon claw.
Clink!
The five energy blades struck Gu Rong's claw, but unlike the result against the Spinal Stegosaurus, they only left five faint white marks.
Gu Rong was known for being "eerie," but he had another hidden title: the ultimate defense. The Bone Dragon Martial Soul's defensive power was immense.
The Darkgold Terrorclaw was indeed terrifying, but its effectiveness depended on the opponent.
Gu Xuan didn't stop. Following the Sky-Tearing Claw, he thrust his Darkgold Terrorclaw straight toward Gu Rong's chest.
Gu Rong smiled slightly. A large hand reached out with lightning speed and grabbed Gu Xuan's face. When a Titled Douluo actually made a move, there was no room for a newly promoted Soul Elder to resist.
With his handsome face caught in Gu Rong's grip and his vision going dark, Gu Xuan knew his grandfather was in a playful mood. He immediately pleaded, "Grandpa, mercy!"
(End of Chapter)
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