18 Ch.18: Last Day in Heaven Dou Imperial City

The next day arrived, and Dugu Xin entered the Tianyu Soul Arena amidst the enthusiastic cheers of the audience. His opponent, on the other side of the arena, was a girl dressed in blue attire, her face obscured by a half-mask depicting a dragon. The arena's host descended gracefully from the air using her pigeon-winged martial soul, announcing, "Greetings, everyone at the Tianyu Soul Arena! Today, we have a thrilling battle ahead – a clash between Viper, who has defeated all his opponents with ruthless efficiency, and our enigmatic challenger, Blue Dragon. Will Mr. Viper secure his 30th consecutive victory and be promoted to a Silver Fighter Spirit Master, or will he be toppled by the mysterious Blue Dragon?"

Dugu Xin couldn't help but mutter to himself, " Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon… level 41"

As the introductions concluded, the girl wasted no time and declared coldly, "Blue Dragon, a Level 41 Power Attack System Spirit Ancestor, Martial Soul Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon." Her four spirit rings gleamed brilliantly in yellow, yellow, purple, and purple configuration, summoning the imposing form of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon, which let out a resounding dragon roar.

"Viper, Level 50 Control System Spirit Ancestor, Martial Soul Jade Phosphor Serpent Emperor." Dugu Xin's own four spirit rings glowed – yellow, purple, purple, and black, with the Jade Phosphor Serpent Emperor manifesting behind him. It had a jade-green exterior with metallic attributes, a third blood-red eye on its forehead, golden eyes, and a body adorned with gray lines and tattoos. It fixed its gaze coldly on the girl, emitting an eerie hiss.

The girl was thinking as she assessed her opponent. "It seems that the rumors are true, he really has a 10.000-years spirit ring but it doesn't matter. Viper's strategy is clear. Prolong the fight, poison the enemy, and finish them off with a powerful spirit skill. My best chance is to end this quickly."

She activated her first yellow spirit ring, her expression growing colder. "First Spirit Skill: Thunder Dragon Claw." With a resounding roar from the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon, two dragon-like horns sprouted from her head, and her eyes transformed into dragon pupils. Dragon claw-shaped soul power constructs appeared on her hands, surging with thunder as they lunged toward Dugu Xin. As she moved, the air twisted and emitted ominous crackles.

Dugu Xin responded with his first spirit skill, "Cursed Shroud." His arms and forearms were covered with green-jade scales, and four golden horns protruded from his head. His nails elongated and turned golden, infused with a more powerful poison than before. He used this skill to completely block her attack, causing her to be taken aback. 'Impossible! Even with his spirit ring configuration, he shouldn't be able to resist.'

Dugu Xin remained silent, analyzing the situation. 'The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon is indeed formidable in terms of both attack and speed. This is the strongest opponent I've faced so far. However, she lacks the intent to kill and the ferocity of a true dragon in her attacks.'

Maintaining her distance, the girl launched another attack, prompting a hint of frustration from Dugu Xin. "You want to defeat me quickly? Dream on!" He retaliated, leaving deep scratch marks on her forearms that were corroded and turned jade-green as his poison took effect.

"Damn it, I underestimated his poison. I need to end this fight quickly!" she thought, realizing the urgency of the situation.

As the girl's soul power surged even further, the power of the thunder within her body expanded, and her dragon claw began to crackle with lightning as she closed in on Dugu Xin once again. This time, he felt the overwhelming force of the thunder coursing through his body, causing a momentary sluggishness. Seizing the opportunity, the girl kicked Dugu Xin, sending him flying dozens of meters away. Quick on his feet, Dugu Xin activated his second spirit skill, "Red Demon Poison Mist." The arena was instantly engulfed in a thick red fog, making it nearly impossible to see.

Dugu Xin concealed his presence within the poisonous mist, feeling a numbing sensation spreading from his arms. He sighed, muttering to himself, "The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon truly lives up to its reputation."

On the other side, the girl regretted her hasty action, taking a sip of the poisonous mist that instantly caused her muscles to ache and made breathing difficult. "Damn it, why did I do that? If the poison from his first spirit ring affects me, it's only logical that his second will too."

She attempted to disperse the mist using her second spirit skill, "Thunder Crash," as countless lightning serpents coiled around her body, then expanded and exploded outward in all directions. However, instead of dispersing the mist, the lightning served to thicken it. "Shit!"

Despite the thick fog, the girl managed to sense Dugu Xin's position and launched her first spirit skill again, propelling herself toward him. Her soul power was rapidly depleting. She snorted coldly, "Your winning streak ends here. How can a mere poisonous snake hope to contend with a dragon?" She struck with her dragon claw, but Dugu Xin used "Cursed Shroud" to barely defend against the attack causing a small explosion of soul power to happen.

To her surprise, Dugu Xin slowly emerged from the mist, his body covered in scale armor, corrosive venom dripping from his poisonous claws. His four snake-like pupils emitted a golden glow, and a jade metallic snake tail, four times the length of his body, swayed behind him.

He spoke with seriousness, "Martial Soul Integration: Real Guard."

Dugu Xin's new ability, "Martial Soul Integration: Real Guard," was an incredible surprise to both the audience and his opponent. It was the power granted from his second soul core, granting him an armor formed from his martial soul. This was the first time he had ever used this ability, and in this state, he could potentially challenge Spirit Emperors, and even Spirit Kings might find it difficult to defeat him.

With a sneer, Dugu Xin declared, "The game is not over yet." He released an overwhelming aura filled with venomous poison, causing the girl to feel a deathly chill that made her take a massive leap backward in fear. Dugu Xin continued, "The Jade Phosphor Serpent Emperor is the ultimate king of poison. Don't underestimate it, even with your Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon." With his words, the Jade Phosphor Serpent Emperor roared thunderously as he rushed toward the girl.

Despite her initial surprise, the girl's fighting spirit flared as she laughed loudly, "Hahaha, come and fight! Let me see what the Snake Emperor is capable of!" She conjured countless thunderbolts, sending them towards Dugu Xin.

The battle raged on, but this time, Dugu Xin's attacks were relentless, pushing the girl back. His speed surpassed hers, and she found herself struggling to keep up. Internally panicking, she muttered, "Damn it. What kind of spirit technique is this? It's similar to my clan's technique but it creates a full body armor instead!" Her momentary lapse in concentration allowed Dugu Xin to strike her harder and faster, causing her to spit out a mouthful of blood.

In response, she activated her third and second spirit skills simultaneously, the spirit rings beneath her feet glowing brightly. She roared, "Third Skill, Thunder Fury! Second Spirit Skill, Thunder Crash!" Under the enhanced effects of these two spirit skills, a multitude of lightning bolts enveloped her, forming a protective shield that managed to block Dugu Xin's attack, although it was eventually overwhelmed and canceled. The girl roared again, "It's not over yet!"

She unleashed her enhanced attacks, her fighting spirit fueled by Thunder Fury. Eager to secure victory, she charged at Dugu Xin once more. However, Dugu Xin wore a faint sneer as he swiftly evaded her attacks. Simultaneously, his snake tail shot towards her chest like a swift arrow, leaving a deep gash that was sure to become a prominent scar.

Before the girl could recover, Dugu Xin kicked her away once more. He then unleashed his soul power, striking her with a powerful punch. Dugu Bo roared in anger, "It's over this time." But to his surprise, the girl met his punch with her own, her fist transforming into a dragon claw.

The girl's dragon horns grew larger, her face gained some dragon scales, and her once-ethereal Thunder Dragon Claw, composed of soul power, became dense with dark blue dragon scales. This transformation was known as Dragonization, the exclusive secret of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon. The shift in her aura was palpable. Dugu Xin observed the transformation and realized, "No wonder the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan boasts the world's first beast martial soul. However, apart from Yu Yuanzhen, there are no other Titled Douluo in the clan. The Yu brothers, Yu Tianheng and Yu Tianxin, are rare geniuses of their generation, both bearing the title of Double Dragon."

He continued to muse, "Their soul power levels are not much lower than mine at their age, and their dragonization is even more advanced. Yu Tianxin can manifest dragon wings, while Yu Tianheng can materialize an entire dragon arm. However, this girl should not be underestimated."

The girl unleashed a furious roar and assaulted Dugu Xin relentlessly. However, under his Real Guard and Beast Intent, all her attacks proved ineffective as he easily evaded them. Dugu Xin maintained a faint smile while the girl sneered, "Why are you grinning? Do you think you've won just because you forced me to this point? You're nothing special."

Dugu Xin continued to dodge her attacks effortlessly and replied, "Indeed, you are strong. But as you said, the outcome is clear, and we have already determined the victor."

The girl retorted, "You're just pretending."

Suddenly, the girl felt a wave of dizziness sweep over her, causing her soul power to dissipate. She struggled to maintain her stance, her body trembling, and she noticed that her wounds had turned jade colored and her blood turned black-jade. With disbelief in her eyes, she muttered, "Poison?"

Dugu Xin approached her slowly, explaining, "That's correct, it's poison. My entire body is infused with toxins, and each attack I make carries potent poisons. Additionally, every time I use soul power, more toxins are released. The poisonous mist I created, though it dissipated, was under my control. Countless poisonous gases silently entered your wounds, paralyzing your senses and deepening the toxins. Combined with your continuous fighting, which led to the consumption of a significant amount of soul power, the toxins infiltrated your body even further. If I hadn't held back, the poison within you would have killed you long ago."

Dugu Xin's snake tail coiled gently around the girl's throat. With a calm tone, he declared, "You've lost." The defeated girl could only offer a bitter smile and conceded, "I admit defeat," before collapsing.

Dugu Xin aimed his poisonous claws at her, drawing the toxins from her body back into his. Then, he retrieved an antidote pill from his storage ring, administered it to the unconscious girl, and carried her away from the arena. As he held the unconscious girl in his arms, Dugu Xin reflected, "Even though it's the world's first beast martial soul, excelling in attack power, defense, and speed, my poison is stronger." He looked down at the girl and, despite her violent demeanor, couldn't help but feel a twinge of compassion. A subtle pain gnawed at his chest. He found it far from amusing that a fierce opponent like her ended up in his arms in this condition.

The enthusiastic host announced Dugu Xin's victory and promotion to Silver Fighter Spirit Master to a cheering audience. Afterward, he took the girl to the treatment room, left her with an antidote pill, and made his exit. At the front desk of the Tianyu Fighting Soul Arena, Dugu Xin received his hard-earned silver fighting soul badge. Mixed emotions filled him as he pondered Yuehua's reaction to his departure. As he was about to leave, a girl's voice stopped him in his tracks. Weakened but determined, she said, "Viper, wait a minute." Struggling to her feet, she continued, "My name is Yu Tianxiang. I'll remember you, and I'll definitely defeat you next time."

Dugu Xin turned, smiled faintly, and then waved before continuing on his way. Yu Tianxiang clutched the medicine bottle tightly, watching his retreating figure. She muttered to herself, "Jade Phosphor Serpent Emperor... Viper..." Her hand clenched involuntarily.