Douluo Dalu 2: Rise of the Golden Dragon King

Tianyu regulated his breathing, feeling the energy of the Golden Dragon King pulsing powerfully within his body. Even though his opponent was a Spirit King, there wasn't a trace of fear in him. On the contrary, his eyes glowed with a blazing fighting spirit.

He slowly raised both his hands. His small body radiated an increasingly dense golden aura, pressing against the surrounding air. Tianyu immediately activated the "龙" (dragon) character engraved across his bones. The same character appeared on the back of his hand, matching those etched deep within him.

Tianyu felt his strength triple, and his body became far tougher and stronger than before activating the "龙" character.

None of those present noticed the appearance of the character.

Yu Shang wasted no time. In an instant, his body shot forward, turning into a blurred shadow that made no sound as he moved. With incredible speed, he appeared at Tianyu's right flank.

Aside from its exceptional stealth ability, the Shadowfang Serpent also granted Yu Shang speed far beyond that of Spirit Masters at his level. This advantage made him a highly unpredictable and dangerous fighter in open combat.

He pulled his right hand back. His fingers spread, forming a claw. Black scales surfaced, covering his skin, while green mist enveloped his fingertips—a signature sign of his second spirit ability:

Second Ability – "Venomous Shadow Claw." This ability produces adaptive poison whose potency depends on how much spirit power is infused. In small doses, it can render opponents unconscious. At full power, it can paralyze—or even kill—a Spirit Ancestor within moments.

Since this was only a training match, Yu Shang held back, careful not to overdo it. Still, he was confident that even this lighter dose would be enough to knock Tianyu out.

At high speed, Yu Shang slashed his poisonous claw toward Tianyu's chest.

But Tianyu didn't retreat.

He simply narrowed his eyes, closely observing Yu Shang's mist-covered hand. Tianyu knew he was immune to almost all types of poison. After his blood had undergone transformation, various toxins no longer affected him—though he was still aware that a few rare poisons could still pose a threat. But he believed that as his transformation continued, even those poisons would eventually become harmless to him.

And this time, Yu Shang's poison was not a threat.

Rather than dodging, Tianyu leaned his body forward. He allowed the attack to nearly touch him—then, in one swift and precise motion, he twisted his hips and raised his left hand, deflecting the claw to the side.

The green mist whooshed past him, never touching his skin.

Yu Shang was stunned. "He deliberately let my attack nearly touch him… and he stayed calm?"

Before he could pull his hand back, Tianyu's right hand shot forward, slamming into Yu Shang's wrist.

CRACK!

The blow struck directly at the joint, forcing Yu Shang's arm to bend back reflexively, halting the momentum of his strike.

"Your attack is too easy to read," Tianyu said flatly. His golden eyes gleamed as he drove his knee into Yu Shang's abdomen.

THUD!

Yu Shang's body lifted slightly off the ground, the air knocked out of his lungs. But Tianyu wasn't done. With a sharp spin, he delivered a clean kick to the side of his opponent's neck—a technique aimed to disable, not kill.

Yu Shang was flung sideways, tumbling twice before finally jamming his hand into the ground to stop himself. He dropped to one knee, one hand gripping his neck, his breathing heavy.

On the sidelines, Xu Jiujiu quietly let out a sigh of relief. Without realizing it, her earlier annoyance at Tianyu for talking more with Huo Yunxi had faded.

She looked at the boy with a complex gaze. "Thank goodness he's okay... But he's amazing. I only taught him a few techniques two months ago, yet he's already mastered them perfectly."

Meanwhile, Huo Yunxi stood frozen. Her eyes were wide, her lower lip caught between her teeth, and her gaze never left Tianyu's small figure standing calmly in the center of the field, bathed in golden light.

Yu Shang slowly got back on his feet, his eyes burning cold.

"Tch... This brat… is not normal."

With a grim expression, he activated his fourth spirit ring. A shadowy aura enveloped his body, and from his back emerged four black illusionary serpents, coiling around him like creatures of darkness.

Fourth Ability – Shadow Hydra Bind. These four illusionary snakes were formed from condensed shadow energy, capable of phasing through terrain and moving at extreme speeds. They could attack from multiple directions at once. Once a target was ensnared, poison would be transmitted through the shadow links, gradually weakening the victim's body over time.

The serpents floated in the air, circling Yu Shang like sentient predators, stalking their prey.

With a serious look, Yu Shang glared at Tianyu.

"You've made me lose my patience, brat!" he shouted, snapping his fingers.

The four shadow serpents launched toward Tianyu—from above, the left, and the right. Meanwhile, one of them dove underground, disappearing as if swallowed by the earth.

Tianyu stared at the three incoming serpents. He quickly considered his options. His first spirit ability could only affect physical targets, while his second required direct contact with the opponent—something he couldn't do, as Yu Shang was too far after being kicked away.

The only option left was to evade. Once Tianyu made his decision, he acted immediately.

He dodged the first serpent from above by leaping backward at a diagonal angle, letting the snake's head slam into the ground, creating a small crater on the arena's surface. Without pause, he twisted his body to the right, narrowly evading the second serpent sweeping in from the side. The wind from its passage sent his golden hair fluttering.

But it wasn't over yet—the third serpent charged in from the left at high speed, giving Tianyu barely any time to react. At the last possible moment, he ducked forward and used the strength in his abs and back to slide low across the ground, letting the shadow serpent soar above him without making contact.

Fwooosh!

The ground beneath him was scored by his motion, leaving a thin trail in his wake.

However, Tianyu had forgotten—there was still one serpent lurking underground.

"From below—?!"

Before he could react, the earth beneath his feet exploded! The fourth serpent burst out like a dart of darkness, its mouth agape, revealing a pair of deadly venomous fangs.

"Too late!" Yu Shang sneered.

Tianyu narrowed his eyes. Time seemed to slow. The world itself felt like it had stopped—he could even see the dust suspended in the air around him.

He knew—if that attack hit, he would suffer a serious wound that would leave him unable to move for a while.

But Tianyu was not someone who gave up easily.

With reflexes bordering on inhuman, he twisted his body in mid-air, using the momentum from his earlier kick to spin like a whirlwind.

Screeech!

The serpent's fangs grazed his abdomen—drops of blood fell, staining the ground. But the wound wasn't deep. Fortunately, Tianyu had managed to dodge at the very last second.

The serpent struck nothing but air, then merged back into Yu Shang's shadow.

"Tch...!" Yu Shang grunted, his expression growing darker.

Tianyu landed on one knee, his breathing slightly ragged. This is way harder than I thought.