As the soul ring's energy surged into Yang Xiong's body, it felt as though he was on the verge of complete collapse.
His skin appeared to be scorched by lightning, starting to crack all over. Thunder coursed through his entire body like an overwhelming electric shock, disrupting his bones, blood, and even his marrow.
Yang Xiong felt as if his whole body was falling apart. In his mind, a massive Crimson Thunder Dragon emerged, seemingly about to devour his entire consciousness. Before its terrifying thunderous presence, his silver giant manifestation appeared incredibly small and powerless.
At that critical moment, a blue light radiated from his right leg, gradually enveloping his entire body.
His body continuously collapsed and regenerated, as if he were being torn apart and healed in an endless cycle. The sensation from the thunder reminded him of the moment of despair at the end of his past life.
Then, unexpectedly, his soul power began to circulate on its own. Like a great Taiji symbol, it responded calmly to the endless thunder, gradually stabilizing his body.
Inside his mind, the silver giant stood at the center of a massive Bagua diagram. Despite the enormous Crimson Thunder Dragon looming above, the silver giant stood tall, unyielding, roaring toward the sky as if rebelling against fate.
Nearby, Lin Gong watched Yang Xiong in growing concern. Yang Xiong looked miserable,bleeding from all seven orifices, his skin cracked, and his body charred like coal. Any blood that flowed from him was immediately vaporized by lightning, giving off the scent of roasted flesh.
What surprised Lin Gong even more was that despite the life-threatening danger, the soul power in the air began to react abnormally.
Centered around Yang Xiong, a ten-meter-wide Bagua diagram had formed, seemingly fusing with the world around it.
Several days passed before Yang Xiong's soul power finally calmed down. The energy from the soul ring gradually stabilized within his innate martial soul.
When Yang Xiong finally opened his eyes again, Lin Gong let out a breath of relief.
Yang Xiong felt an incredible sense of comfort in his body, as if he had undergone electric therapy. Every cell seemed to have become significantly stronger.
Lin Gong stared at Yang Xiong with a strange expression. He began to doubt whether this boy was even human,no ordinary person could have such a powerful fifth soul ring.
Yang Xiong quickly asked, "Teacher Lin, how long did I take to absorb the soul ring this time? Why are you looking at me like that?"
Lin Gong snorted. "You seem pretty pleased with yourself. I suggest you take a look at what you look like right now."
Yang Xiong quickly pulled out a mirror. Sure enough, his appearance was terrible. His hair, scorched by lightning, now stood up like steel needles.
His entire body was charred black, with a faint smell of roasted meat. He also noticed he had grown taller,probably over 1.9 meters now. His muscles had slightly shrunk compared to before, but his strength seemed to have increased significantly.
Yang Xiong couldn't help but sigh at his appearance. He quickly used water from his soul tool to wash himself and changed into a new set of clothes.
Once cleaned up, he and Lin Gong dissected the Crimson Thunder Dragon's corpse.
When they finished, Yang Xiong was pleasantly surprised to discover a blood-red right arm soul bone within the dragon.
However, Yang Xiong had little interest in thunder-attribute soul bones, and no one around him was a thunder-attribute soul master either.
So he simply stored it away and prepared to leave the Star Dou Great Forest with Lin Gong.
This soul ring had taken two whole days to absorb. His soul power rose to level 53, and he obtained a soul skill he had dreamed of.
Innate Martial Soul Fifth Soul Skill: Crimson Thunder Sword. This skill allowed Yang Xiong to conjure a longsword over 1.5 meters in length, entirely blood-red and surrounded by terrifying thunder energy.
Its weight wasn't fixed,it could grow heavier as Yang Xiong's strength and soul power increased. Even at level 53, the sword already weighed more than 2,000 catties. Infused with the Crimson Thunder Dragon's thunder energy, it was razor sharp, capable of piercing through enemy defenses, and even paralyzing them.
Yang Xiong was very satisfied with this skill. On the entire Douluo Continent, soul skills that transform into weapons were extremely rare. Only Tang San and Qian Renxue had such abilities, thanks to their special martial souls.
Choosing the Crimson Thunder Dragon as his fifth soul ring was a calculated decision. According to records from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, the Crimson Thunder Dragon had both a powerful bloodline and formidable strength.
In fact, one of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon clan's former patriarchs had also absorbed a Crimson Thunder Dragon soul ring and gained a weapon-type soul skill.
After leaving the forest, Lin Gong looked unusually serious.
"Xiao Xiong, are you really planning to go there now? That place is filled with danger. It's said that almost no one ever comes back. In the past hundred years, only two people have returned alive."
Yang Xiong nodded. "Teacher, I've decided to head to the City of Slaughter now. For the time being, please look after both the Body Sect and the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect."
"If anything major happens, take the others and hide. Wait for me to come back from the City of Slaughter."
Lin Gong sighed. "I know I can't stop you, but the City of Slaughter is no ordinary place. You don't even have a head soul bone yet. Aren't you afraid of losing yourself in there?"
Yang Xiong smiled. "Teacher Lin, do you really think I'd be afraid of the mental interference there? Yang Wudi probably told you,my body is now immune to all poisons. Even Dugu Bo's poison arrays can't harm me. I'll definitely return alive."
Lin Gong looked helpless. "Why bother? Both the Body Sect and Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect are developing well. Dragon Gong and I are confident we'll reach Title Douluo within two years."
Yang Xiong's face turned serious. "Teacher Lin, I've always considered you family. I have no choice but to go to the City of Slaughter, and I must go as soon as possible. I'm afraid something unexpected might happen if I delay."
"As for you and Dragon Gong obtaining soul rings, the five elders working together should be enough. If one of my two masters helps, you'll be able to easily hunt any soul ring under 100,000 years."
Lin Gong chuckled. "Do you really think we're just a bunch of old men who need a kid like you to help us?"
"Actually, I've already made preparations for soul beasts. Dragon Gong has a target in mind too. The question now is who breaks through to Title Douluo first."
"But have you told your family about going to the City of Slaughter? You know they're all worried about you."
Yang Xiong shook his head. "I've only told my teacher, Sword Douluo. He supports my decision. Besides, this past year hasn't been wasted. My attack and defense have improved. Below Soul Sage level, I should have no rivals."
"If I go all out, even some weak Soul Sages might not be my match."
"For the next few years, please protect my family. I don't want to come out of the City of Slaughter and find I no longer have a home."
Lin Gong flicked Yang Xiong's forehead. "So I'm just supposed to look after your family? Fine. This old man can handle that much."
After more than ten days of travel, the two made their way west from Heaven Dou City and eventually reached a mysterious black town.
This was the entrance to the City of Slaughter. There were several such entrances across both empires, usually known only to those fleeing from something. Very few ever returned.
Lin Gong looked worried. "This is as far as I can go. From here, you're on your own. Remember,trust no one in the City of Slaughter. Everyone there is the worst kind of person, willing to do anything to survive."
Yang Xiong smiled. "Teacher Lin, you know I'm usually pretty cautious. I don't take advantage of others,why would anyone dare try to trick me?"
After a few final words, Yang Xiong strode confidently into the town's only tavern. His once calm face had turned cold and serious, with a hint of murderous intent.
This was the result of two years of brutal training. Under the guidance of his two teachers, Sword and Bone Douluo, he had undergone the harshest regimen. Now, within the Soul Emperor level, he had no equals, and his arsenal of techniques had grown significantly.
Frequent close combat with soul beasts had honed his instincts. The brutality of these encounters had made him incredibly fierce.
Just as Yang Xiong entered the City of Slaughter, in a remote location in the Fasino Province of the Balak Kingdom, beneath a great waterfall surrounded by wilderness, Tang San was training.
Under the rushing waterfall, he swung a wooden hammer tirelessly, though his training progressed slowly.
Unlike in the original story, Tang San lacked the benefits of the Ice and Fire Body Tempering and the soul bone reward from the Soul Master Competition,a highly coveted head soul bone.
As a result, his physical condition and overall strength were notably weaker.
It had taken Tang San eight full months just to master the 81 strikes of the Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer Technique using an iron hammer. Now, switching to a wooden hammer, even getting started was difficult,let alone completing the full technique.
Tang Hao shook his head. In his eyes, Tang San's talent was unmatched, but without any soul rings absorbed into the Clear Sky Hammer, its current power was still quite limited.
However, training under the waterfall did help raise Tang San's soul power quickly. In just a year, he had risen six levels and reached rank 47.
Tang Hao was satisfied with his son's soul power growth, but not with his mastery of the Clear Sky Hammer. At this rate, it would take at least three more years to meet his expectations.
One day, after finishing training, Tang Hao called Tang San over to the pool.
"Xiao San, you've worked hard this year. But you need to focus more on mastering the hammer techniques. The Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer is the essence of the Clear Sky Hammer. You've made progress, but your body still isn't strong enough,you're only fifteen after all."
Tang San immediately replied, "Father, I'll work harder to master the hammer technique. I won't let you down."
Tang Hao nodded. "You've always made me proud. But what you need now is something more."
He handed something to Tang San. Even with the mental maturity of someone over thirty, Tang San couldn't help but feel deeply moved.
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