The Weight of Three Claws
A legendary soul beast. The title resonated in the silent chamber of Yao Xuan's mind with the weight of an epitaph. The Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear wasn't just strong; it was a archetype of physical devastation, a creature whose very name was whispered with reverence and dread in the annals of soul beast lore. Its tier stood above "top-tier"; it was a sovereign of violence.
And this one, though only eight hundred years in cultivation, emanated an aura that chilled the air. Through his spiritual sense and the Ancestral Dragon's innate knowledge, Yao Xuan could feel the distorted space around those dark golden claws—a promise that they would tear through any conventional defense. Its combat power was unequivocally at the Soul Emperor level. A chasm of strength separated them.
Yet, fear was a luxury his dragon bloodline disdained. Instead, a sharp, calculating focus took hold. 'This is a test, not a hunt. Survival, not victory.' As if on cue, silver light traced a familiar pattern before his eyes.
'Withstand three attacks. A test of endurance and defense. For 300 Points… and the experience itself.' The risk was real—even a simulated death in the Spirit Ascension Platform would deliver a spiritual shock severe enough to injure an ordinary Great Soul Master for weeks. But his Spirit Connection realm mental strength and the Ancestral Dragon's resilience were his shields. This was a calculated gamble.
His body moved before his thoughts finished settling. "Ancestral Dragon Body!" he muttered, the words a trigger. His nine-colored dragon scales shimmered into clarity across his skin, hardening. "Right Claw Dragon Transformation!" His right arm bulged, scales layering and fusing, fingers elongating into a weapon of shimmering, primordial power. His aura solidified, a small but defiant bastion against the bear's oppressive presence.
He settled into a ready stance, eyes locked on the distant, hulking shadow. He did not press the emergency disengagement signal on his wrist.
Outside, the observation room erupted in quiet, urgent disbelief.
"Is he insane? That's a Terrorclaw Bear! He needs to exit, now!" Long Hengxu hissed, leaning forward, his hand hovering near a master override console.
Wu Changkong's brow was furrowed, but his voice held a thread of grim understanding. "Wait. Look at his eyes. There's no panic. There's calculation. He knows what it is."
"He wants to fight it?" Xie Xie breathed, equal parts horrified and fascinated.
"He wants to measure himself against it," Tang Wulin corrected softly, his own fists clenched so tight his palms ached. The sheer audacity was a lesson in itself.
Gu Yue said nothing. Her silver eyes were wide, reflecting the screen. Inside, a war raged.
'Logical Assessment: Target (Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear, simulated). Combat power differential: catastrophic. Survival probability in direct engagement: <0.01%. Objective: Preserve the primary observational subject (Yao Xuan). Recommended action: Immediate disengagement.'
The analysis was flawless and cold. But it crashed against a rising tide of raw, terrified sensation—a memory-feeling of Na'er watching Yao Xuan climb a perilously tall tree to retrieve a lost toy for her, her small heart pounding against her ribs. The same helpless, gripping fear now seized Gu Yue's throat, making it difficult to breathe. Her knuckles were white where she gripped the edge of the observation console. 'Big Brother Xuan… don't…'
Inside the platform, the bear moved.
It did not charge. It simply raised one tree-trunk-sized arm with a casual, terrible grace. The air itself seemed to whine in protest. Then, it swiped—a casual, horizontal sweep from a distance of twenty meters.
ROOOAR!
The sound was less a roar and more the shriek of tearing reality. From the tips of those monstrous claws, three lines of dark golden light screeched across the intervening space. They weren't beams; they were voids, tears in the world that consumed everything in their path. Ancient trees, thick as columns, didn't explode or fall. They simply ceased to exist where the lines passed, vaporized into nothingness. The ground beneath them was carved into three parallel, smooth-bottomed trenches.
The attack reached Yao Xuan in less than a blink.
"Ancestral Dragon Sky-Splitting Strike!"
He didn't dodge. To dodge was to fail the task. He had to meet it. Twenty-five percent of his soul power burned in an instant. The ancestral dragon phantom behind him roared silently, and every ounce of that supreme power was funneled into his transformed right claw. He didn't swing; he punched forward, a brilliant, nine-colored comet aimed at the center of the three tearing lines.
BOOM!
The collision was not loud, but profoundly wrong—a sound of universal stitching being ripped apart. Nine-colored light and dark gold annihilation warred in a sphere of chaotic energy. The Ancestral Dragon's power, higher in order, obliterated the first claw mark entirely, consumed half of the second…
And then sputtered out, Yao Xuan's soul power drained critically.
The remainder of the second claw mark and the entirety of the third, though dimmed and weakened, slammed into his upraised, scaled forearm.
A sensation of absolute cold, followed by searing agony. His Ancestral Dragon scales flashed brilliantly, resisting the outright disintegration effect, but the physical and spiritual force behind the blow was monumental. A muffled crack echoed—not a break, but the sound of scales fracturing. Yao Xuan was hurled backwards like a doll, flying over fifteen meters before crashing through a thicket and skidding to a halt on the forest floor.
He pushed himself up on trembling arms, his right forearm a mess of cracked, glowing scales and bruising that was already darkening. Pain lanced up to his shoulder. He had withstood the first claw. Barely.
The Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear, as if mildly intrigued that its casual swipe hadn't erased the insect, took a single, ground-shaking step forward. Its ruddy eyes glowed with a patient, dreadful curiosity. The second attack would come soon.
Yao Xuan dragged air into his burning lungs, his mind racing, calculating angles, power expenditure, and the limits of his body. The task required two more. The bear looked ready to oblige.