"Pa!"
Suddenly, just as Xiao Wu was getting emotional, Xiao Lin struck a sharp hand chop at the back of her neck.
Without hesitation, he knocked her out cold.
"Tang San, let Xiao Wu go back. You don't want her to get hurt, do you?"
Xiao Lin looked at Tang San, who was hesitating, and made the decision for him.
Tang San was deeply moved.
Of course, he wanted to protect Xiao Wu—but he also cared deeply about Xiao Lin's safety. Otherwise, he wouldn't have insisted on coming along.
"…Alright."
When Tang San finally agreed, Xiao Lin turned to look at Tang Ni.
"Tang Ni, can you take Xiao Wu somewhere safe?"
Xiao Lin rarely asked others for help, but now he earnestly asked Tang Ni to take Xiao Wu away. That alone showed how much he trusted her—he already treated her as half family.
"Xiao Lin, I can help—"
Before Tang Ni could finish, Xiao Lin raised a hand to stop her.
"I know. Actually, I should call you Jin Ni — the Three-Eyed Golden Lion (San Yan Jin Ni). But this time, Tang San and I can handle it ourselves."
"It's fine. Tang San and I are the most coordinated team — the best partners."
After handing Xiao Wu over to Tang Ni, Xiao Lin confidently led Tang San toward the lightning-filled core zone.
Tang Ni stood frozen for a moment.
Jin Ni… the Three-Eyed Golden Lion!
Her heart raced wildly — Xiao Lin had actually seen through her true identity!
How was that possible? She had used the power of Fate itself to hide her aura.
Even an Ultimate Douluo couldn't possibly see through it.
Yet Xiao Lin had.
Biting her lip, Tang Ni watched Xiao Lin's figure disappear into the storm, her emotions a tangled mix of awe and confusion.
But seeing that Tang San clearly knew nothing, she realized Xiao Lin hadn't told anyone about her identity.
With no other choice, and not knowing what else to do, Tang Ni could only carry Xiao Wu back toward the mixed zone.
In the mixed zone, Yu Tianxin watched Tang Ni and Xiao Wu leave with a complicated expression.
He had thought Xiao Lin's group might give up — but to his disbelief, two of them actually went in.
Are they insane?This kind of lightning… even his great-grandfather would have avoided it!
Suddenly—
A blindingly white bolt of lightning, as thick as a water barrel, came crashing down.
Yu Tianxin's eyes widened in shock.
"BOOM!!!"
By the time the deafening roar reached his ears, Xiao Lin and Tang San were already engulfed by the blinding light.
They had been struck by lightning!
For a brief moment, Yu Tianxin desperately hoped his eyes were deceiving him—that maybe he'd just been blinded by the flash.
Could the grandson of Master Xiao Yan really have fallen here?
Please… don't let it be true.
Three seconds later, the terrifying radiance finally faded.
And what Yu Tianxin saw next made his jaw drop.
Xiao Lin and Tang San stood there, completely unharmed—surrounded by strange metallic structures.
Metal? Could metal actually block lightning?
No… I must be seeing things.Yes, that has to be it.
Yu Tianxin felt his confidence waver. Maybe what he was seeing was an illusion…
Or maybe—an incredibly powerful defensive soul tool.
He couldn't help but sigh in awe. The defensive soul tool prepared by Master Xiao Yan for his grandson must be absurdly strong… even a Titled Douluo, no, even a Super Douluo's full-power strike wouldn't break through that defense!
On the other side—
Xiao Lin and Tang San, completely unharmed, continued walking through the lightning web toward the lake Yu Tianxin had mentioned.
Tang San's expression was strained, a mix of confusion and disbelief.
Eventually, curiosity got the better of him.
"Brother Lin, what kind of soul tool is this? How can it resist such powerful heavenly lightning?"
"I must be blind—I can't even figure out what I'm looking at!"
Tang San stared wide-eyed at the structure protecting them—the Faraday cage.
"This," Xiao Lin said calmly, "is called science."
"Science… a soul tool?"
"I… completely don't understand."
The more Tang San heard, the more confused he became.
"I'll explain later," Xiao Lin said curtly. "For now, let's find the Thunder Emperor Dragon."
Now wasn't the time for long explanations—priorities first.
Even with the Faraday cage, he couldn't guarantee absolute safety. Every step demanded full focus.
Fortunately, perhaps due to another powerful soul beast undergoing its tribulation nearby, they encountered no other soul beasts on the way.
It seemed all the others had fled, sensing the terrifying pressure in the air.
Soon, confident that no other beasts were nearby, they quickened their pace.
Xiao Lin activated his second soul skill, a purple ring flashing as his speed soared.
Tang San used Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track and other movement techniques to keep up closely.
Though they avoided using large amounts of soul power to conserve energy, even so, after only half a day's journey (Thunder Canyon wasn't as large as Sunset Forest, the second-largest soul beast forest in the original story), they finally reached a vast lake.
"Brother Lin!" Tang San called out excitedly.
"Yeah… I see it."
Xiao Lin's voice was a little delayed — he was stunned by the sight before him.
Hovering above the calm lake was a massive azure dragon.
Its serpentine body stretched for hundreds of meters, its scales shimmering like emeralds under the flickering lightning. Its eyes were as large as water tanks, and its very presence exuded a deep, ancient, and divine aura.
Standing beneath it, Xiao Lin felt how utterly insignificant his body was in comparison.
According to the books he had read, hundred-thousand-year soul beasts usually shrank their bodies to minimize attack surfaces and become more agile in battle.
But this dragon—this Thunder Emperor Dragon—had defied that entirely.
"ROAR!!!"
A thunderous dragon cry split the air, shaking Xiao Lin's eardrums painfully.
"Human brats," the dragon's voice boomed, "how dare you trespass upon my domain?"
Its enormous eyes studied them curiously. Contrary to what Yu Tianxin had said, it didn't look enraged at all. Instead, it appeared calm and composed.
"To be honest," Xiao Lin said straight out, "I came here hoping you would sacrifice yourself to me."
Tang San nearly choked on his breath.Wait, what?Weren't they supposed to trick it, not say it outright?!
"Ha ha ha!"
The Thunder Emperor Dragon let out a deep laugh, its twin whiskers swaying.
"And why, pray tell, should I sacrifice myself to you?"
"Because," Xiao Lin said confidently, pointing at himself, "you can't survive this tribulation. I came to help you."
"I am Xiao Lin, twelve years old, born with innate level-twenty soul power. My current rank is fifty. My martial spirit is the divine artifact Coiling Dragon Staff, possessing the Ultimate Metal, Ultimate Ice, and Ultimate Fire attributes. I only lack the Ultimate Lightning and Ultimate Earth attributes."
"Furthermore, I possess a hundred-thousand-year Chaos Right Leg Bone, the foundation of godhood itself — capable of enhancing my body with no side effects."
"That means I will one day ascend to godhood. If you sacrifice yourself to me, when I ascend to the Divine Realm, I'll take you with me. I'll revive you there — and make you one of my divine officers."
(End of Chapter)