Chapter 103: Fourth Soul Skill: Blue Silver Flood Dragon (Part One)
At this moment, Zu Zong's Eight Spider Spears, originally three meters long, had already extended to five meters. Along them grew neat rows of sharp barbs, similar to those on the Azure-Eyed Flood Dragon, but even sharper. The spears glowed with a devouring pale blue, overlaid with dazzling red and white patterns.
Faint black specks of light condensed above the Flood Dragon's body. Unlike the century or millennium soul rings he had absorbed before, Zu Zong faintly sensed a trace of soul within it. Even without touching, he clearly felt the immense energy inside.
Just as he prepared to absorb, Dugu Bo's voice sounded. "Boy, a ten-thousand-year soul ring is not the same as a millennium one. It will unleash a soul shock when you absorb it."
Dugu Bo then closed his eyes again. Zu Zong smiled faintly and nodded. The old man was not so bad after all.
He lifted his right hand, slowly condensing soul power in his palm. With a pale blue halo, the Blue Silver Emperor sprouted forth, radiating life energy, swaying gently with the flow of soul power.
Drawn by the glow, the Flood Dragon's soul ring floated toward him. The first sensation was pain—searing, unbearable pain, worse than when he absorbed the Fiery Apricot and Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass.
For a moment, Zu Zong thought that without the torment of the "Ice and Fire Alchemized Body," he would have already fainted and failed.
An hour passed. Even Dugu Bo grew uneasy, his face anxious. Two months of companionship had softened their bond, especially after Sword Douluo came today and it was Zu Zong's efforts that helped him avoid disaster.
Frowning, Dugu Bo muttered, "Brat, don't you dare die on me."
Zu Zong's body was near its limit. Feeling his meridians about to burst, he guided the swelling energy into the Eight Spider Spears. Since they could devour the Flood Dragon's body, surely the soul ring could also be consumed.
The spears extended further, greedily absorbing. His soul power gradually stabilized. The worst pain had passed. Now came the true trial—the soul shock.
Zu Zong immediately opened his Sharingan. Though his eyes remained closed, the blood-red pupils stirred. His spiritual power surged, clashing fiercely against the lingering resentment of the Flood Dragon.
To Dugu Bo, the sight was astounding. Around Zu Zong's body loomed a phantom of crimson skeletal bones, four to five meters high. On its left, a massive phantom arm intertwined faintly with the Blue Silver Emperor.
Dugu Bo's pupils shrank. "This… could it be? A twin martial soul—"
By dusk, Zu Zong finally completed absorption. It was a narrow escape. Without the Sharingan's enhanced spiritual power, even with his strong body, he would never have survived the soul shock.
[Ding, congratulations to the host. Soul power has risen to level forty-six. Number of steal attempts increased by six.]
Hearing the system prompt, Zu Zong smiled. Retracting the Eight Spider Spears, he opened his eyes and found Dugu Bo staring at him in shock.
"Senior Dugu, what is the matter?" he asked.
Dugu Bo was stunned. Hearing Zu Zong's call, he finally snapped out of his shock. His eyes were sharp as he stared intently at Zu Zong. "Boy, I ask you—are you a twin martial soul?"
"Uh…" Zu Zong was puzzled. Could it be that his Sharingan had been seen by Dugu Bo? That should be impossible, since his eyes were closed. Tentatively, he asked, "Senior Dugu, what exactly did you see?"
Dugu Bo nodded. "When you absorbed the soul ring just now, I saw a phantom of a red skeletal frame surrounding your body."
"Susanoo," Zu Zong exclaimed.
"Susanoo? What martial soul is that? This old man has never heard of it," Dugu Bo asked in confusion.
Zu Zong looked slightly awkward. With his current three-tomoe Sharingan, he naturally could not manifest Susanoo.
It must have been that, during his struggle with the Azure-Eyed Flood Dragon's resentment, Susanoo's initial form had projected itself from his spiritual sea.
But since he had already spoken the name, he might as well continue the ruse. Best not to reveal the Sharingan. If anyone grew greedy for his eyes, that would be a disaster.
Clearing his throat, Zu Zong slipped into his bluffing mode. "That's right. I indeed awakened twin martial souls.
One is the mutated Blue Silver Grass. The other is the red skeletal phantom you saw. It resembles a soul beast I read of in an ancient text, called Susanoo. Thus I named it Susanoo."
Hearing this, Dugu Bo's expression grew complex. External soul bone, absorbing beyond-limit soul rings, soul power surpassing his peers, and now twin martial souls. After thinking it over, only four words came to his mind—heaven's favored.
Shaking off his complicated feelings, Dugu Bo said, "Enough. I am glad you chose to tell me. But now, let me see your fourth soul skill! A ten-thousand-year fourth ring, unheard of—just imagining it is exciting."
Zu Zong nodded. "Very well."
As he spoke, soul power gathered in his right hand. A faint white light shimmered on his skin. Immediately, the Blue Silver Emperor burst forth, deep blue tinged with black, covered in strange golden patterns. Yellow, purple, purple, black—four soul rings rose clearly at his feet, coiling around his body.
"Fourth Soul Skill—Blue Silver Flood Dragon!"
Zu Zong brought his index and middle fingers together, forming a hand seal. The white glow on his skin gradually turned pale blue, the ground beneath his feet cracking inch by inch.
With a roar from below, a blue-silver flood dragon over ten meters long surged out of the earth. Its form closely resembled the Azure-Eyed Flood Dragon, with a hooked nose and barbed body.
The difference was that this Blue Silver Flood Dragon was entirely composed of Blue Silver Emperor vines, its surface etched with the golden markings unique to the Blue Silver Emperor.
The dragon shot out at incredible speed, in the blink of an eye emerging fully from the ground, coiling around Zu Zong at the center.
(End of this chapter)
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