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Though the decisive battle was still a day away, both Ba Tian Douluo and Lei Ting Douluo had already arrived at the scene. However, the battle hadn't started yet, so both sides could only wait.
For this duel, the Spirit Hall had gone all out. The Hall of Offerings had mobilized, and many key figures from the Spirit Hall were present. First and foremost was Pope Bibi Dong, followed by the second offering, Golden Crocodile Douluo; the third offering, Qing Luan Douluo; and the fifth offering, Guang Ling Douluo.
From the Elder's Hall came Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo.
In total, six Title Douluos from the Spirit Hall were present to maintain order at the site, along with numerous Soul Douluos and Soul Sages serving as bishops. Additionally, many branch hall executives were on hand to manage the chaos at Decisive Peak. This confrontation was massive in scale, and the Spirit Hall was confident of victory. After all, their opponent was one of the top three sects—the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Family—an enemy faction whose arrogance needed to be crushed.
A battle between an elder of the Spirit Hall and the patriarch of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Family was no small matter. It required careful consideration. Moreover, Li Luochen had obtained some fresh intelligence after writing a slew of flattering words to Qian Renxue, who then "graciously" shared some information.
Ba Tian Douluo Long Zhentian, after joining the Spirit Hall, formally apprenticed under Golden Crocodile Douluo but spent most of his time training under Qing Luan Douluo. While he held the title of apprentice to Golden Crocodile Douluo, his actual mentorship came from Qing Luan Douluo.
However, the relationship between Golden Crocodile Douluo and Azure Phoenix Douluo was excellent—they were like brothers. Did it really matter whose disciple he technically was? "Your disciple is my disciple," they'd say. "We're practically family."
Qian Renxue specifically mentioned that Long Zhentian now possessed soul power at level ninety-four, with combat strength rivaling a ninety-six-level Super Douluo. In fact, none of the Spirit Hall elders—such as Demon Bear, Ghost Panther, Chrysanthemum, or Ghost—could match him, even though they were at level ninety-five.
Qian Daoliu once remarked that if Long Zhentian reached level ninety-five, he would be eligible for promotion to the eighth offering. Furthermore, Qian Renxue revealed that Long Zhentian possessed at least four soul bones. Two of these were particularly noteworthy: one was specially granted by the Hall of Offerings, while the other was a reward for completing a confidential mission.
Long Zhentian's eighth and ninth soul rings were obtained with the help of Qing Luan Douluo and Guang Ling Douluo. Both soul beasts dropped soul bones upon death—the eighth soul ring yielded a head soul bone, and the ninth soul ring produced a torso bone.
Qian Renxue also noted the years of Long Zhentian's soul rings. His seventh soul ring was over fifty-nine thousand years old, and his True Body manifestation was incredibly powerful. His eighth soul ring was seventy-eight thousand years old, and his ninth soul ring came from a Hell Black Dragon that was nearly a hundred thousand years old.
What did this mean? Long Zhentian possessed a head soul bone close to eighty thousand years and a torso bone nearing a hundred thousand years—the two most precious types of soul bones, both perfectly suited to him. No wonder his strength rivaled a ninety-six-level Super Douluo. To defeat the elders of the Elder's Hall, one needed real power. Li Luochen speculated that they must have found the closest possible hundred-thousand-year soul beast compatible with a dark dragon martial soul. Originally, they likely planned to hunt a true hundred-thousand-year soul beast.
With such near-hundred-thousand-year soul rings and soul bones, Long Zhentian had a high probability of reaching level ninety-eight, with a minimum guarantee of level ninety-seven. Truly terrifying.
On the other hand, Yu Yuanzhen, the elder dragon, was known to possess three ten-thousand-year soul bones: one head bone, one right arm bone, and one left arm bone.
However, since both combatants wielded beast martial souls, the battle would inevitably involve direct clashes. One side possessed a torso bone nearing a hundred thousand years, tipping the scales of victory heavily in their favor. No wonder the Spirit Hall made such a grand display—it seemed they were certain of victory.
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The Next Day
By midday, the sun signaled that the battle was about to begin.
On the side of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Family, Yu Yuanzhen, who had been seated, suddenly rose. His body crackled with violent lightning as he took a powerful step into the sky, standing atop the void.
Li Luochen: A Dou Zong level expert? So terrifying!
{T/N: Referring to BTTH cultivation rank, characterized by the ability to fly without wings.}
From the Spirit Hall's side emerged a man who appeared to be in his thirties, with silver hair, striking features, and dressed in a black robe adorned with silver-edged dragon patterns. Suddenly, the sky darkened with thick clouds, cracks appeared in the surroundings, and a massive pressure descended. From within the clouds came the roar of a dragon. A silver-haired man, riding a serpentine-dragon-like creature, emerged amidst the stormy skies.
Yu Yuanzhen, upon seeing the man in the sky, let out a cold snort of surprise. "I never expected the ant I casually crushed years ago to grow into a little dragon. Level ninety-four, you say? But don't forget—I'm a level ninety-five Title Douluo! Do you really think you can come here and claim the title of the strongest beast martial soul?"
"Hmph. The title of the strongest beast martial soul doesn't belong to your Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon. There are others here who either surpass you or are on par with you. Old dragon, you're still as arrogant as ever. Enough talk—let's fight!"
Long Zhentian wasn't interested in verbal sparring. He was here to fight, not to exchange words—a domain in which he was not particularly skilled.
Suddenly, Long Zhentian's body radiated a dense aura of darkness, darkening the sky. A massive creature appeared: its antlers resembling those of a deer, its head like a camel's, its eyes like a rabbit's, its neck like a snake's, its belly like a clam's, its scales like those of a black fish, its claws like an eagle's, its paws like a tiger's, and its ears like a cow's. Its entire body was pitch-black, with silver vertical pupils cutting through the gloom like yin and yang dividing night and dawn. Silver flame-like clouds swirled around it, and its silver dragon claws seemed capable of tearing through space itself.
Nine soul rings appeared around Long Zhentian: two yellow, two purple, four black, and one red-black. The outermost ninth soul ring was particularly striking. As everyone knew, a ninety-thousand-year soul ring was black with a hint of red, and the closer it approached a hundred thousand years, the redder it became. However, Long Zhentian's ninth soul ring wasn't simply black with red—it was red with black, confirming that it came from a soul beast extremely close to a hundred thousand years old.
On Yu Yuanzhen's side, the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon manifested. Two yellow, two purple, and five black soul rings appeared. His ninth soul ring had a faint red hue, indicating it had just surpassed ninety thousand years.
Compared to Long Zhentian, Yu Yuanzhen was clearly at a disadvantage. However, as a veteran Title Douluo with soul power at level ninety-five, his presence was still formidable. Beneath the stormy skies, the lightning surrounding him shone brightly.
Suddenly, both figures disappeared from the sky. The next moment, a pitch-black dragon claw clashed with a purple-blue dragon claw. Darkness and lightning intertwined, releasing an overwhelming surge of energy.
Ma Hongjun exclaimed in astonishment: "Just from the collision, there's this much power? Title Douluos are truly terrifying!"
"That's right," Li Luochen said with a smile. "But I believe that when you become a Title Douluo, your strength will far surpass theirs, Hongjun. The title of the strongest beast martial soul? I think you have a very good chance of claiming it."
After all, Ma Hongjun was a reliable subordinate. Li Luochen had invested heavily in his protégé, ensuring that surpassing the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon was practically guaranteed.
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Back to the Sky
Long Zhentian and Yu Yuanzhen had already exchanged dozens of blows. Both wielded beast martial souls and shared the same true dragon bloodline, making their fighting styles remarkably similar.
"First soul skill, Thunder Dragon Claw!"
"First soul skill, Dark Dragon Claw!"
To determine who deserved the title of the strongest beast martial soul, they naturally began by comparing their first soul skills.
*Boom!*
The pitch-black dragon claw and the purple-blue dragon claw collided repeatedly, sparks flying with every impact. The sheer force and speed behind their attacks were mind-boggling.
"Third soul skill, Wrath of Thunder! Second soul skill, Myriad Thunder!"
Yu Yuanzhen unleashed his third soul skill in conjunction with his second. Though they were merely thousand-year and hundred-year soul skills, it mattered who was using them. A hundred-year soul skill wielded by a Title Douluo could surpass even a ten-thousand-year soul skill used by a Soul Douluo.
After all, at the Title Douluo level, soul power became solidified, and its quality underwent a qualitative transformation.
"Third soul skill, Dragon Tyrant Body! Second soul skill, Dark Curtain!"
Long Zhentian's body grew darker as his third soul skill activated, covering him in pitch-black scales. Simultaneously, he gathered a mass of darkness in his hands.
The darkness expanded rapidly, rushing toward the thunder and enveloping it before consuming it entirely.
Long Zhentian's second soul skill was exceptionally powerful. The Dark Curtain was a domain-type soul skill that released a field of darkness imbued with gravity and attraction, capable of devouring the energy of opposing soul skills.
This particular application of the Dark Curtain was Long Zhentian's own creation, born from his deep understanding of soul skills and soul power. It made the Dark Curtain even more unpredictable and versatile.
Long Zhentian not only possessed extraordinary cultivation talent but had also developed highly personalized soul skills tailored to himself. His understanding of his martial soul was profound. Qian Daoliu once remarked that Long Zhentian would face no bottlenecks before reaching level ninety-eight.
His comprehension of his martial soul was sufficient. Beyond level ninety-five, it wasn't just about accumulating soul power—it was also about deepening one's understanding of the martial soul. Long Zhentian's insights into his martial soul were on par with those of Qing Luan Douluo and Lion King Douluo.
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