Douluo Continent: Thunder Roar

Ling Yu didn't speak, nor did he show any extra expression.

He simply straightened his slightly forward-leaning body, his shoulders relaxed, and the corners of his mouth subtly curved upwards, almost imperceptible unless you looked closely.

But deep within those crimson Sharingan eyes, the tomoe that had been rotating steadily suddenly stopped. Something violent and terrifying was quietly awakening and surging in the darkness, carrying an aura of world destruction. It was just one trigger away from completely erupting.

Ma Xiaotao was incredibly perceptive; she sensed something was amiss almost the instant the change appeared.

She raised an eyebrow, her red lips slightly parted, about to say something teasing, trying to force out his hidden strength—

The next instant, a terrifying and suffocating aura exploded from Ling Yu's body!

That aura was violent, tyrannical, and arrogant, like an ancient ferocious beast that had been sleeping for ten thousand years, finally breaking free of its shackles and opening its bloodthirsty eyes!

Wherever the aura passed, the once calm and undulating lake surface was forcibly compressed, causing a large indentation to form a huge circular depression. The surrounding waves, like startled prey, frantically fled in all directions, crashing into the distant water and exploding into countless tiny sprays. The emerald bamboo on the shore was fiercely swept up by this invisible wave of energy, with rows upon rows of bamboo stalks creaking under the weight. Countless bamboo leaves fell in a rustling sound, but before they could even reach the lake surface, they were torn into countless tiny dust particles by the thunderous power contained in the wave of energy, which were scattered by the wind.

Ma Xiaotao's pupils suddenly contracted, and the playfulness in her eyes vanished instantly, replaced by deep shock and solemnity.

The water beneath her feet began to tremble violently and uncontrollably, ripples spreading outwards, causing even her body to sway slightly. What alarmed her even more was that the phoenix flames that had been burning fiercely around her, never extinguished, began to tremble and shrink in the face of this aura, as if they had encountered a natural enemy. Even the brightness of the flames dimmed, and they no longer had the arrogance of burning everything in their path.

"This is..." Before she could finish speaking, her voice was interrupted by the cracking sound of bones coming from Ling Yu's body. Her eyes were fixed on Ling Yu's figure, unable to look away even a fraction of a second.

Ling Yu's body is undergoing earth-shattering changes at a speed visible to the naked eye!

The once slender and well-proportioned young man's figure seemed to be infused with endless power. His muscles surged, expanded, and reorganized wildly beneath his clothes, each muscle bulging violently, straining against his garments and outlining a ferocious and powerful silhouette. His bones emitted a series of crackling and popping sounds, crisp yet muffled, as if the power was tearing at his tendons and bones, reshaping his body, and awakening his hidden primal strength. The sounds echoed across the empty lake, sending shivers down one's spine.

One foot, two feet, three feet—his height was increasing rapidly. The boy, who was originally no taller than Ma Xiaotao's shoulder, suddenly surpassed her, standing firmly on the water like a towering iron tower, exuding an aura of dominance over the world.

On his arms, a layer of fine, soft, snow-white down appeared on his once smooth skin. Each hair shimmered with a faint silver-white lightning, reflecting a delicate luster in the sunlight, and trembled gently with his breath. His knuckles became unusually thick and hard, with the joints protruding high, as if cast from refined iron. Three-inch-long black claws slowly grew from his fingertips. The claws were extremely sharp, and the tips gleamed with a cold, piercing light. With just a light grip, a soft "sizzle" was heard, and five faint cracks were torn into the air as if cut by a sharp blade, which lingered for a long time.

On either side of his forehead, two small but sharp bony ridges protrude faintly, their lines flowing like a sleeping crown or the nascent form of a ferocious beast, exuding a primal and wild power; his originally scarlet Sharingan eyes have been tinged with a faint purple-gold, and deep within his pupils, it seems as if raging thunder is surging and roaring wildly, as if all things in the world are merely prey to be slaughtered in his eyes.

Ling Yu flexed his fingers slightly, then slowly clenched his fist.

Bang!

A muffled yet violent explosion erupted from his palm! The air was crushed by his hand, forming an invisible shockwave that spread outwards. The water beneath his feet rippled in waves, and even the distant water trembled slightly.

Ma Xiaotao stood opposite, completely stunned, her face filled with undisguised shock.

Those purple-gold eyes were looking down at her, their gaze calm and unwavering, devoid of scrutiny or appraisal, only a cold and indifferent stare.

It was as if Ling Yu could tear her apart at any time if he wanted to.

Ma Xiaotao's throat moved slightly, and she subconsciously swallowed. "A second martial soul..."

Ling Yu simply moved his neck slightly, and his cervical spine emitted a series of soft, crisp, and muffled cracking sounds, as if warming up his entire body.

Then, he slowly raised his right hand, palm up, fingers slightly spread. On his hand, covered with snow-white down and covered with sharp claws, silvery lightning began to jump and flash wildly, crackling and buzzing, like countless raging silver snakes, swimming and coiling around his fingertips.

Thunderous roars began to rise!

Silvery-white lightning surged out of his body like a tide, not striking outwards nor spreading, but as if drawn in by an invisible force, flowing entirely into his body!

Countless silver snakes of lightning burrowed into his muscles, bones, and blood vessels, surging and coursing wildly within him. Every meridian was filled with lightning, and every muscle was tempered by it. His body shuddered violently, and his aura surged once more, becoming even more violent and tyrannical. The lake surface was pressed down by this aura, causing it to sink even deeper, and the waves to rush away even faster.

Ma Xiaotao took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the shock and a hint of barely perceptible fear in her heart. The excitement and competitiveness in her eyes were reignited, even more intense than before.

She did not retreat, and she would never retreat—the stronger the opponent, the more it would ignite the arrogance and fighting spirit in her bones.

The next second, her second and third spirit rings lit up simultaneously, their light dazzling and even more radiant against the backdrop of the flames!

Huge fiery wings slowly unfolded from her back, with a wingspan of over five zhang, blotting out the sky and dyeing the entire lake surface with a crimson halo.

She lightly touched the water's surface with her feet, and like an arrow released from a bow, she soared into the sky, hovering steadily in mid-air. Looking down at Ling Yu, the flames around her grew even more intense, as if they were about to burn the entire sky red.

His gaze was solemn and intense, fixed on Ling Yu below. His soul power surged wildly within him, all of it converging on his wings and fists, ready for a full-scale attack.

Ling Yu also raised his head, his scarlet eyes looking at Ma Xiaotao in mid-air. His gaze was calm, yet it carried an undeniable sense of oppression. The lightning around his body was still slowly pulsating, and his muscles were tense, ready to meet her attack at any moment.

The next moment—

Ma Xiaotao swooped down!

She made no fancy moves, nor did she use any complicated soul skills. It was just the most direct and swift dive, like a phoenix in flames pouncing on its prey. Her right fist was tightly tucked to her waist, and the phoenix flames frantically condensed and compressed on her fist. The color of the flames changed rapidly, from the initial crimson to a blazing orange-white, and then a strange blue color was faintly revealed from the orange-white.

That was the extreme temperature of the flame, containing the power to burn everything, enough to melt fine iron and burn rocks to dust.

Her dive accelerated, tearing the air apart with a sharp, piercing sound. The blue flames on her fists scorched the air, leaving a long, blue fire trail that stretched from mid-air all the way to Ling Yu's face, creating an extremely terrifying spectacle.

Ling Yu stood still, neither dodging nor flinching, nor even moving a step.

He simply raised his right hand, which was wrapped in silvery-white lightning and had sharp claws. The lightning at his fingertips suddenly surged, and then he met it head-on!

boom!!!

The moment fists and claws clashed, a deafening explosion resounded across the lake!

An extremely violent shockwave, centered on the two of them, swept wildly in all directions like a tsunami, unstoppable!

The lake below was blasted into a huge crater with a diameter of more than ten feet by the terrifying shockwave. The water waves at the edge of the crater burst up several feet high like a fountain. The splashing water was instantly evaporated into a white mist by the phoenix flames on Ma Xiaotao's fist in mid-air. The white mist spread and once again covered the entire lake surface, reducing visibility to less than a foot.

Ma Xiaotao stared intently at Ling Yu, her pupils slightly contracting, the shock in her eyes barely concealed.

Her punch, delivered with all her might and concentrated with all her soul power, was actually blocked by his sharp claw, preventing her from advancing an inch!

Where the claws and fists collided, lightning and flames tore and clashed wildly, producing a teeth-grinding sizzling sound. The violent power surged wildly within that small space. She could clearly feel a savage and violent force of lightning surging into her arm along her fist. The numbness instantly spread throughout her body, causing her arm to tremble slightly.

She gritted her teeth, her face flushed red, her soul power surged wildly within her body, and the fiery wings on her back flapped frantically. Countless phoenix flames surged into her fists like a tide, causing the cyan flames on her fists to flare up again, raising the temperature even higher, attempting to suppress the lightning on Ling Yu's claws and break through his defenses.

But Ling Yu's claws remained motionless, like iron rooted to the spot. Despite the raging flames and the violent impacts, his arms did not bend and his body did not sway.

Those scarlet eyes, through the raging blue flames, silently watched her, their gaze eerily calm, devoid of any emotion, as if her all-out attack was nothing more than a trivial ant's provocation in his eyes.

Ma Xiaotao's heart skipped a beat, and a strong sense of crisis instantly swept over her.

She instinctively wanted to retreat, to create distance, and to readjust her offensive—

late.

Ling Yu's left hand moved.