Douluo: The Ultimate Self

Yang Xiong's face was filled with a smile as he spoke: "I'm sure I'm not mistaken. This isn't a Diamond Mammoth—it's the legendary Ancient Dragon Elephant."

Lin Gong stared intently at the Ancient Dragon Elephant, marveling in amazement: "It really is an Ancient Dragon Elephant. Legend has it that the Ancient Dragon Elephant carries the bloodline of dragons and possesses the strength of elephants. It's one of the strongest power-type spirit beasts in the world, even surpassing the Titan Giant Ape in terms of raw power. It should have gone extinct countless years ago—it's a mythical spirit beast."

"Although this Ancient Dragon Elephant is only fourteen thousand years old, its strength likely rivals that of a sixty-thousand-year spirit beast. It's truly a supreme example of a Power-type spirit beast."

The more Yang Xiong and Lin Gong observed, the more they realized just how extraordinary this Ancient Dragon Elephant was.

Its entire body was a grayish-brown color, distinct from the hue of soil and closer to the rocky texture of stone. Upon closer inspection, it had no fur at all. Instead, its skin resembled rock, appearing seamless and without any visible flaws. Its tail was longer than that of a typical Diamond Mammoth, and it exuded immense strength, segmented like the tail of a dragon—a clear sign of its draconic heritage.

Its enormous tusks were sharp and straight, unlike the curved tusks of a Diamond Mammoth, resembling instead the horns of a dragon.

Yang Xiong finally smiled and said: "Teacher Lin, this Ancient Dragon Elephant will be my fourth soul ring."

Lin Gong hesitated: "Little Xiong, are you absolutely sure? This Ancient Dragon Elephant is far stronger than you might imagine. Even for ordinary soul masters, it would make an excellent sixth soul ring—or even a seventh soul ring. Are you certain your body can handle it?"

Yang Xiong nodded firmly: "Since I've found it, it's my opportunity. I won't let it slip away. Teacher Lin, I'll trouble you for this."

Seeing Yang Xiong's resolute expression, Lin Gong sighed deeply: "Very well, I'll go along with your madness. I hope you don't regret it."

With that, Lin Gong swiftly charged toward the Ancient Dragon Elephant. Two yellow, three purple, and three black soul rings appeared around him, and a massive Purple Emperor Bamboo materialized in his hands.

The Ancient Dragon Elephant reacted with astonishing speed, emanating an overwhelming pressure. The terrifying aura it unleashed was far beyond what an ordinary ten-thousand-year spirit beast could muster.

But Lin Gong simply waved his hand, and countless Purple Emperor Bamboos rained down from the sky, piercing toward the Ancient Dragon Elephant like swords.

The Ancient Dragon Elephant raised its trunk and let out an ear-piercing roar. Its trunk moved with incredible agility, lashing out like a massive whip and deflecting the descending Purple Emperor Bamboos.

Lin Gong's expression turned cold. The ground erupted with countless Purple Emperor Bamboos, forming a dense bamboo forest that seemed intent on completely enveloping the Ancient Dragon Elephant.

Realizing it was being surrounded, the Ancient Dragon Elephant let out another roar. Its front legs lifted off the ground, stomping down forcefully on the Purple Emperor Bamboos. The impact caused the ground to tremble, and even the resilient bamboo bent under the force.

Lin Gong muttered in awe: "Such incredible strength! To think a mere ten-thousand-year spirit beast could possess such power. Unfortunately, its age is still too low."

Though the Purple Emperor Bamboo bent under the pressure, its true strength lay not in its hardness but in its flexibility. No matter how powerful the Ancient Dragon Elephant was, Lin Gong was a Soul Douluo, and the gap between their strengths was insurmountable.

Soon, the Ancient Dragon Elephant was completely ensnared by the bamboo, unable to move despite its struggles. Every time it attacked the Purple Emperor Bamboo, the bamboo retaliated with a powerful rebound, sending shockwaves rippling across its tough skin.

The Ancient Dragon Elephant's defense was indeed formidable, surpassing even that of a Diamond Mammoth. Neither the crushing force nor the penetrating power of the Purple Emperor Bamboo could inflict significant damage.

But then, Lin Gong activated his sixth soul skill: Ten Thousand Purple Bamboo Emperor Swords.

Countless Purple Emperor Bamboos descended from the sky, each tipped with razor-sharp points like swords. They pierced into the Ancient Dragon Elephant's body with brutal force.

Even the Ancient Dragon Elephant's mighty defense couldn't withstand the sixth soul skill of a Soul Douluo. Its skin was quickly punctured, and blood gushed forth as it let out a mournful roar.

Before long, the Ancient Dragon Elephant collapsed, weakened and on the verge of death, surrounded by the bamboo.

Seeing this, Yang Xiong rushed over to Lin Gong, his eyes brimming with excitement.

Lin Gong sighed: "Little Xiong, think carefully. The strength and defense of this Ancient Dragon Elephant are unmatched according to my knowledge. Among spirit beasts under seventy thousand years, none possess such formidable power and resilience. It's comparable to the top-tier spirit beasts in the core zone of the Great Star Dou Forest."

Yang Xiong said nothing further, his gaze fixed intently on the dying Ancient Dragon Elephant. Its eyes burned with hatred, but Yang Xiong paid it no mind. He retrieved a spear from his spirit tool and, gripping it with both hands, plunged it directly into the Ancient Dragon Elephant.

At that moment, a voice called out from afar: "Halt! That Diamond Mammoth was ours first!"

But Yang Xiong ignored them completely, driving the spear through the Ancient Dragon Elephant's eye. The spear, over two meters long, pierced deep into its skull. The Ancient Dragon Elephant let out a final cry before collapsing, a black soul ring emerging in its place.

Soon after, two tall middle-aged men arrived on the scene. Seeing the dead Ancient Dragon Elephant, their faces twisted with anger.

"You dare steal our prey from the Elephant Armor Sect? You're courting death!"

Their attire bore a resemblance to the Elephant Armor Academy team Yang Xiong had encountered during the soul master tournament, but their strength was clearly formidable.

Lin Gong sneered: "I don't care about your Elephant Armor Sect. If Huyan Zhen has any complaints, tell him to come see me himself. Let's see if that old fool dares to act arrogant in my presence."

The leader of the two men growled angrily: "Who do you think you are to provoke the Elephant Armor Sect?"

Lin Gong's expression turned icy as his two yellow, three purple, and three black soul rings appeared. The two men's faces paled dramatically.

"So what if you're a Soul Douluo? Our sect leader is a top-tier Soul Douluo!"

Lin Gong waved his hand, and a terrifying force enveloped the two men.

Furious, the two summoned their martial souls and soul rings. Both were Soul Douluo, their martial souls Diamond Mammoths, and their soul rings consisted of two yellow, two purple, and three black rings. Clearly, they held high status within the Elephant Armor Sect.

But against Lin Gong, a top-tier Soul Douluo, their strength was insufficient. Even their defenses crumbled under the onslaught of the Purple Emperor Bamboo.

Lin Gong sneered again: "Tell Huyan Zhen that this Diamond Mammoth belongs to the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect. If he has any objections, he's welcome to visit us. Though I doubt he'd dare."

The two men were shocked to learn that the old man and youth before them were from the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect. This was a serious matter—Huyan Zhen wouldn't dare provoke the sect openly.

After the two left, Lin Gong spoke: "Little Xiong, if you're determined, hurry and absorb the soul ring. If I'm not mistaken, Huyan Zhen shouldn't be far from here. Otherwise, the Elephant Armor Sect wouldn't have made such a big show of coming to the mixed zone of the Great Star Dou Forest."

Yang Xiong nodded and sat beside the Ancient Dragon Elephant, beginning to absorb the soul ring.

Summoning his martial soul and soul rings, Yang Xiong used his mental strength to guide the black soul ring onto his body.

As soon as the soul ring approached its intended position, a terrifying surge of energy coursed through it. His entire body felt as though it were being crushed by an overwhelming force. His meridians, bones, and even blood began to boil, and his silver skin cracked under the strain.

In his mind, a colossal Ancient Dragon Elephant appeared, its massive legs threatening to crush his consciousness.

Beside him, Lin Gong watched with growing concern. Yang Xiong's body was in poor condition—blood seeped from his skin, and even his seven orifices began to bleed. It looked as though the soul ring absorption had failed.

Yet, despite the immense pain, Yang Xiong's mind conjured the image of a silver giant roaring to the heavens, accompanied by a massive Tai Chi diagram.

The Ancient Dragon Elephant stepped onto the Tai Chi diagram, its force seemingly nullified as though it were treading on the entire world, unable to find purchase.

Though Yang Xiong's body endured excruciating agony, a blue light emanated from his right leg at this critical moment. His boiling body gradually calmed, his cracked skin healed rapidly, and a wave of vitality spread throughout his body.

In his mind, the silver giant faced the colossal Ancient Dragon Elephant, its eyes glowing with a terrifying purple light, as if preparing to cleave the phantom in two.

Time passed, and the image of the Ancient Dragon Elephant grew fainter, eventually dissipating entirely. After all, this was merely the residual spiritual oscillation of a dead spirit beast. As long as Yang Xiong could endure, he would eventually overcome it.

When Yang Xiong opened his eyes again, he felt a surge of soul power and a significant boost in his mental strength.

Lin Gong finally exhaled in relief: "Little Xiong, you scared me half to death. For a moment, I thought you'd failed to absorb the soul ring. I never expected you to succeed."

Yang Xiong shot Lin Gong a glance: "Teacher Lin, do you really have so little faith in me? It's just a ten-thousand-year soul ring, after all."

Lin Gong smirked disdainfully: "Have you ever seen a soul master with a ten-thousand-year fourth soul ring? I suggest you keep it hidden. Otherwise, you'll be targeted for assassination sooner or later."

Yang Xiong summoned his martial soul and soul rings. Instantly, his body turned silver, and four soul rings appeared—two yellow, one purple, and one black. The black soul ring shone particularly bright.

At this moment, Yang Xiong couldn't help but feel like laughing out loud. He had finally achieved his long-desired ten-thousand-year fourth soul ring. And the greatest contributor to this success? Tang San's Purple Extreme Demon Eye. He wondered what Tang San would think when he eventually found out.

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