Legend of the Dragon King: I really didn't mean to provoke them!

As Xie Xie walked, he sighed, "Little Golden Dragon, Little Yan, I really don't know what to say about you two. One of you uses Blue Silver Thrust Formation, and the other uses Starlight Feedback. The damage isn't strong, but the annoyance level is extremely high."

The Blue Silver Spike Array has a high-frequency vibration paralyzing effect, while starlight feedback can disrupt the attack.

"I'll take that as a compliment!"

Xu Xiaoyan didn't care at all; after hanging out with Xie Xie for so long, she had become thick-skinned.

Tang Wulin laughed and said, "Likewise, don't you find your Shadow Dragon Strike disgusting?"

As Xie Xie's cultivation level increased, his first soul skill, Shadow Dragon Strike, could not only be made invisible and shadowless, but also make subsequent attacks invisible and shadowless.

Xie Xie shrugged. "Isn't it because I'm afraid of falling behind the times?"

Perhaps because he had let his guard down while chatting, a dark red figure suddenly swooped down from a large tree in front of him, its gaping maw, still covered in bits of flesh, shoving right in front of Xie Xie.

"...Aaaaaaah, oh my god!!"

Xie Xie was so frightened that he let out a sharp scream and grabbed Gu Yue beside him.

Just then, a crystal-clear blue vine shot out like lightning, instantly wrapping around its body and abruptly stopping its momentum.

Xie Xie kicked it without hesitation.

"Die, die, die!!"

"Holy crap, what the hell is that?! It scared the crap out of me!!"

Tang Wulin helplessly covered his face, pulled the Blue Silver Grass in his hand, and dragged the dark figure towards himself.

The golden dragon claws shot out without hesitation, grabbing the shadowy figure's head and crushing it with a crack.

After shaking off the bloodstains from the golden dragon claws, Tang Wulin finally saw what the dark figure was.

“The Iron-Armed Ape should be a hundred years old,” Tang Wulin said calmly, then his gaze drifted to Xie Xie, who was still clinging tightly to Gu Yue. “Xie Xie, you can let go of Gu Yue now.”

Xie Xie was really startled. His mind was still a little dazed, but he still held onto Gu Yue tightly and didn't let go.

"puff."

Gu Yue chuckled softly and pinched his cheek, saying, "Alright, you can let go now."

Xie Xie then mechanically released his hand.

Tang Wulin glanced at Xie Xie a few more times before continuing to lead the group on their way.

By noon the next day, the final exams were over, and the goal had successfully changed to gaining more spiritual power. And while we were at it, we decided to see what lay deep within the great forest.

Four clusters of blue light enveloped the four people respectively.

Xie Xie and his three companions rushed into the depths of the great forest at top speed.

Tang Wulin continued to lead the way.

Gu Yue, guided by the bluebird's reconnaissance, kept pointing the way from behind, while Xie Xie protected Gu Yue and Xu Xiaoyan from behind.

After running for a while, Gu Yue spoke up to remind him:

"Everyone be careful, the vegetation ahead is getting denser, and my Bluebird can't see much anymore."

Xie Xie didn't care.

With his current strength, in a one-on-one fight, no soul beast in the primary Spirit Ascension Platform is his match.

"Don't worry, I can handle most soul beasts. I even killed a Terrorclaw Bear, the guardian soul beast of the beginner-level Spirit Ascension Platform. Unless another Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear suddenly appears..."

"Shut your mouth!" Gu Yue immediately smacked Xie Xie on the head.

There's no way around it, sometimes Xie Xie's mouth is really blessed, whatever he says comes true.

Chapter 144 Rematch with the Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear

"By the way, if we keep going deeper, can we go directly to the intermediate spirit ascension platform?" Xu Xiaoyan asked curiously.

Tang Wulin shook his head. "I don't know. Teacher Wu didn't say anything."

“Yes, that’s fine,” Gu Yue said.

"Is that okay?" Tang Wulin turned around and looked at her in surprise.

Xie Xie nodded and said, "Of course, the Spirit Ascension Platforms are interconnected. As long as you cross that level barrier, it is possible to enter the intermediate Spirit Ascension Platform. But before that, you will inevitably encounter guardian spirit beasts."

Gu Yue is a member of the Spirit Pagoda, and Xie Xie's family has a close relationship with the Spirit Pagoda, so the two of them naturally know more secrets.

"For example, the hundred-year-old Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear that I killed last time was the guardian soul beast of the primary Spirit Ascension Platform."

Tang Wulin frowned.

He still clearly remembered how terrifying the soul beasts inside the intermediate spirit ascension platform were when Wu Changkong led him there.

Any one of the spirit beasts in there is over three thousand years old, and could easily defeat the Flame Lion King.

"Give it a try," Gu Yue said again.

Tang Wulin nodded and cautiously led the three of them forward.

The deeper they ventured, the fewer soul beasts appeared. Even the chirping of insects and birds became rarer, presumably because they had entered the territory of some powerful soul beast.

Suddenly, Tang Wulin raised his arms and stopped his companions.

He squinted slightly and looked to his side.

"Gu Yue." Tang Wulin stared intently at the bushes to his side. "Try testing it with a fireball."

Gu Yue immediately waved his right hand, and a fireball, trailing a faint tail of flame, flew in an arc towards the direction Tang Wulin was looking.

Just as the fireball was about to disappear into the woods, a dark shadow suddenly flashed by.

It wasn't the wind moving, nor the leaves swaying; it was a fleeting afterimage so fast that even soul power couldn't perceive it clearly.

The fireball suddenly exploded, but instead of the expected booming sound, there was only a muffled thud, as if it had been crushed in mid-air by an invisible giant hand. Sparks flew everywhere, but not even half a leaf could be ignited.

The next moment, all four of them swallowed hard.

The air froze completely in that instant.

All the chirping of insects and birds came to an abrupt halt, and even the wind blowing through the treetops seemed to have its neck snapped by something, disappearing silently.

A chilling, bone-piercing pressure surged from the bushes, like a mountain forged from heavy iron, crashing down on the hearts of the four people.

Xie Xie's expression changed instantly.

The familiar, rusty, and pungent smell of wild beasts filled the air...

Tang Wulin's heart sank as well, and his right hand unconsciously clenched into a fist, as pale golden dragon scales silently crept up the back of his hand.

The bushes parted slowly.

A giant bear paw stepped out first.

Its dark golden fur, like polished steel, stood upright, gleaming with a cold metallic luster in the sunlight.

Five sharp claws, each half a foot long, emerged from the palm, their tips gleaming with a chilling light.

It landed gently on the ground without making a sound, yet it carved five deep furrows, each an inch deep, into the hard bluestone. The pebbles fell like powder.

Immediately afterwards, its enormous body was fully exposed to the four people.

Standing nearly three meters tall, with broad shoulders and a thick back, his muscles bulged and rippled like blocks of iron, every inch of his body brimming with explosive power.

Its head wasn't large, but it had a pair of blood-red eyes, which were lazily scanning the four people. There was no wariness in its eyes, only an indifference as if it were looking at ants.

It simply stood there, like an insurmountable mountain, its imposing presence seemingly distorting the surrounding space.

Xu Xiaoyan was so frightened that she covered her mouth tightly.

Gu Yue's expression also became extremely solemn, with pale blue water elements and crimson fire elements swirling around her at the same time.

Xie Xie's voice was a little hoarse, but it was filled with excitement.

"This thing is even more powerful than the one I encountered last time, at least 700 years old. I'm not running anymore, let's kill it!"

"I'll hold him off from the front. Gu Yue, Xiao Yan, you two do your best to trap him."

"Tang Wulin, we'll give you time. Go all out and sever his spine. Remember, you must unleash your full power, or you won't be able to break through his defenses!"

Before he finished speaking, Xie Xie had already taken a step forward and stood firmly at the very front of the group.

He took a deep breath, and the three spirit rings beneath his feet suddenly lit up. The yellow hundred-year spirit ring at the top shone brightly, almost enveloping his entire body.

"Third Soul Skill - Dragon Soul Armor Transformation!"

A clear, resounding dragon's roar pierced the deathly silence of the forest.

The Light Dragon suddenly emerged from the void behind Xie Xie. Its body, radiant with light, stretched out its ten-meter-long form, and its scales reflected dazzling golden light in the sunlight.

It circled Xie Xie three times.

The enormous dragon body flowed down slowly like molten gold, precisely covering every inch of Xie Xie's skin.

In the blink of an eye, a set of pure white dragon armor with pale gold patterns was put on.

Sharp dragon horns protrude from the shoulder armor, the arm guards extend with a half-foot-long blade, and the dragon head relief on the chest is lifelike, with even the eyes sparkling with lively light.

Xie Xie flexed his fingers, and the joints of his armor made a crisp "click" sound. A sense of power far exceeding his usual strength surged from his limbs and bones.

"Third Soul Skill - Radiant Dragon Claw!"

His right hand, covered in armor, clenched into a fist, and five golden claw-like beams burst forth from between his fingers, each a meter long, their edges gleaming with a cold light capable of cutting through the air.

Without the slightest hesitation, Xie Xie unleashed his soul power.

He shot out like an arrow, crashing head-on into the giant claw of the Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear.

"clang--!"

The deafening clang of metal against metal was so loud it hurt people's eardrums.

Xie Xie felt an overwhelming force coming from the Radiant Dragon Claw, his arm almost went numb and lost all feeling, and the gauntlet of the Radiant Dragon Armor dented in one side.

He was like a ball struck by a heavy hammer, flying backward for more than ten meters before barely regaining his balance, his feet carving two deep furrows in the ground.

"Goodness, this one is even stronger than the last one!"

Xie Xie gritted his teeth and spat out a mouthful of bloody saliva, but his eyes burned with an even stronger fighting spirit.

"Again!"

He charged forward again and engaged the Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear in fierce combat.

The shimmering dragon claws kept drawing sparks from the bear's body, but could only leave faint white marks on its steel-like fur.

Each strike of the Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear carried a world-destroying force. Xie Xie could only barely dodge and parry. Each collision caused his blood and qi to surge, and his soul power to be rapidly depleted.

"Starlight Feedback!"

Xu Xiaoyan's voice rang out at just the right moment.

She held the Star Wheel Ice Staff high in her hand, and specks of silver starlight fell from the tip of the staff, drifting towards the Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear like fireflies.

Chapter 145 Thank you, Brother Dark Gold, for the gift.

The moment the starlight fell on it, the Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear's movements noticeably slowed down.

Its claws swung out half an inch off course, just grazing Xie Xie's shoulder and leaving five deep claw marks on the Light Dragon Armor.

Taking advantage of this brief respite, Gu Yue finally finished charging up her power.

She formed a hand seal in front of her chest, and her third spirit ring shone brightly, with four different colored elemental forces swirling wildly around her.

"Third Soul Skill - Elemental Fusion: Four Elemental Chains!"

Blue water, red fire, yellow earth, and cyan wind.

The four elements intertwined and transformed into four incredibly thick chains, which shot out like four living snakes and wrapped around the Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear's limbs and neck respectively.

The elemental chains dug tightly into the flesh of the Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear.