"What a powerful feeling!"
In that brief instant, of the three cyan water droplets, one had already fully transformed into energy, merging into Lin Lei's true body and reinforcing his dragon-form scales time and again. The defensive power of Lin Lei's scales was increasing at a jaw-dropping speed!
The three cyan water droplets had now been reduced to two.
"Hm?" Lin Lei suddenly snapped back to awareness. "Six thunder azure dragons?" He was startled.
Six azure dragons crackling with lightning roared as they closed in on Lin Lei.
Before, just four thunder azure dragons had not only shattered his 'Pulse Guard' but had nearly killed Lin Lei. But now with six thunder azure dragons, Lin Lei had no time to form his 'Pulse Guard.' The only thing he could do was—
Whoosh! His body shot forward, desperately trying to dodge.
But how could his body's movement speed possibly match the speed of the attack?
BOOM!
The six roaring thunder azure dragons all slammed into Lin Lei at once, followed by an explosion that shook even the surrounding 'yellow sand walls.'
"Boss!" Bei Bei saw Lin Lei struck by the six thunder azure dragons and his heart lurched in panic.
"Don't, don't die." Far away, Niss was filled with dread.
She didn't know what to do.
"If Bei Bei's boss dies, Bei Bei will surely be devastated. His boss is only like this because he was trying to save me." Niss could only stand far away—she had no ability to intervene. This sense of helplessness filled Niss with guilt.
Bei Bei was momentarily distracted by Lin Lei taking the hit, but in a battle between powerhouses, how could one afford to lose focus?
"Still losing focus in the middle of a fight?" The gaunt man's lightning-wreathed sword smashed hard onto Bei Bei, sending his body flying. At the same time, a phantom electric serpent bypassed Bei Bei's defenses and surged straight into his body.
Soul attack!
"Hm?" The gaunt man suddenly turned to look behind him.
After the thunderous explosion of the six thunder azure dragons, Lin Lei was standing right where he was. A cyan glow circulated across his blue-gold dragon scales, and waves of powerful aura radiated from them—aura so potent that even the gaunt man felt a chill deep in his heart.
"Wh-what kind of aura is this?" The gaunt man couldn't believe it.
He was certain—it wasn't Lin Lei himself he feared, but the aura contained within those dragon scales.
Lin Lei's icy, dark-gold eyes locked onto the gaunt man, the corners of his mouth curving ever so slightly upward. The gaunt man couldn't tell whether Lin Lei was smiling or not.
"I should thank you, actually," Lin Lei said coolly.
The gaunt man was stunned. Thank him?
Lin Lei knew perfectly well—if the gaunt man hadn't nearly shattered his true body, the energy of the 'cyan water droplets' would never have suddenly surged into his body and transformed it. Lin Lei had no idea how to use these cyan water droplets on his own.
Now, though one droplet had been consumed,
Lin Lei was overjoyed.
Because he could clearly feel, in his current dragon-form state, that utterly overwhelming power! Unrivaled strength! This was the power of the flesh!
"Boss!" Bei Bei's voice rang out, filled with delight.
"What!" The gaunt man turned and stared in shock—Bei Bei had taken his soul attack and wasn't dead. "How is this possible? A mid-stage god takes my soul attack and doesn't die?" The gaunt man couldn't accept it, but in an instant a thought struck him. "Could it be—could it be that he has a soul defense artifact?"
"Impossible. How could that be?" The gaunt man couldn't believe this speculation.
Soul defense artifacts were very special!
They weren't as easy to forge as ordinary swords or armor. In all of Hell, very few could forge 'soul defense artifacts'—many high-stage gods didn't possess such skill. And most bizarrely of all... soul defense artifacts weren't for sale!
When Lin Lei and the others had arrived in Hell, they hadn't found anywhere selling soul defense artifacts. If such things were available, Lin Lei would have bought one for Dilia long ago.
Because once a person was killed, their soul defense artifact would certainly be shattered, and a shattered soul defense artifact was generally useless.
And moreover...
It wasn't just that. The material of a soul defense artifact wasn't some ore—it was 'Soul Power.' For instance, the sovereign-grade soul defense artifact Lin Lei had obtained could only be repaired using Soul Power. Because... soul defense artifacts were fundamentally composed of Soul Power.
It was simply a very particular composition!
Because they were made of Soul Power, soul defense artifacts couldn't simply be claimed by dripping blood on them. There were many mysteries involved! Only the original forger of the soul defense artifact could, through special means, allow another person to use it.
So...
Anyone who possessed a soul defense artifact had certainly received the forger's permission.
And anyone capable of forging 'soul defense artifacts' was without exception a supreme powerhouse of Hell! Each had achieved a terrifying level in the Dao of the Soul.
"This straw-hat kid has some great figure backing him?" The gaunt man drew this conclusion.
"And this dragon-man! His aura is terrifying." The gaunt man was shaken to his core. "What on earth is going on? One has a soul defense artifact, and the other has defenses this monstrous."
Meanwhile, far away, Niss was overjoyed. "Bei Bei's boss isn't dead, and Bei Bei is fine too! That's wonderful, that's wonderful!"
"Haha, boss, let's kill this bastard together!" Bei Bei communicated through their soul link.
"Done!" Lin Lei's heart was filled with exhilaration.
The overwhelming power surging through his body in dragon form made Lin Lei want to let it all out.
Whoosh! Bei Bei charged at the gaunt man like lightning, his dagger in hand.
Whoosh! Lin Lei suddenly pushed off with his feet.
Lin Lei's entire body sprang forward like a coiled spring, exploding into motion, his speed so great he became a blur. His right leg swung like a guillotine blade, trailing a cold, sharp blue-gold glow, and struck directly at the gaunt man's neck.
The speed was too fast!
"I don't care who you are! Die!!!" The gaunt man roared in fury.
CLANG!