Douluo Continent: The Real World

It wasn't only the heart fire within Liu Erlong's body that sensed the danger from Yu Tianyan. His Thunder Fire Wings activated automatically, wrapping around him with flames and thunder, fully merging with Yu Tianyan to instinctively react to the threat.

Under the immense pressure of the soul ring, Yu Tianyan's face twisted slightly, and his body, which had been meditating, began to falter.

Due to his limited soul power, he couldn't channel enough of the strange fire to resist the pressure. Unlike the fission seed fire that consumed mental energy, only soul power could counteract this force. If he continued like this, he might not be able to hold on long enough to absorb the soul ring.

Amid her nervousness and panic, Liu Erlong suddenly sensed an unusual fluctuation behind her. Before she could respond, her lightning and fire wings emerged uncontrollably, autonomously flapping and carrying her toward Yu Tianyan.

"Could it be that the spirits of the two deceased Thunderfire Phoenixes are still present?" she wondered. But there was no answer.

Guided by the Thunder Fire Wings, she wrapped herself around Yu Tianyan, their bodies fitting together perfectly.

The wings embraced each other tightly, and the pressure of the Dragon Horned Rhino King's soul ring flowed from Yu Tianyan's Thunder Fire Wings to Liu Erlong's.

A sudden sense of relief washed over him, and Yu Tianyan regained his composure, sitting up again. Seeing this, Liu Erlong sighed in relief and gently held him, releasing a warm soul power that enveloped Yu Tianyan, as if to help ease the strain he faced.

Their combined wings exhibited remarkable synergy, perfectly merging lightning and fire as they soared into the sky.

The energy gathered above them, forming two wings of red and blue energy over 20 meters wide, pulsing with soul power fluctuations equivalent to that of a soul master at the soul ancestor level.

This was a manifestation of the wings' self-activation ability.

Liu Erlong's eyes filled with shock. She realized that this was a form of martial soul fusion skill—a soul bone fusion skill triggered by two soul bones.

Now, if either of them so wished, the flames and thunder on the energy wings could unleash an attack powerful enough to rival a soul master's fourth soul skill.

When Yu Tianyan had absorbed the Thunder and Fire Wings, Liu Erlong had initially refused his suggestion to test whether they could fuse, feeling confused and hesitant. Now, the truth was clear.

Whether it was a remnant of the Thunderfire Phoenixes or an inherent quality of the soul bones, this bond was now undeniable.

With the Soul Bone Fusion Technique activated, the tremendous pressure from the Dragon Horned Rhino King's soul ring was divided between them.

Yu Tianyan's breathing gradually steadied, and the Fallen Heart Flame and Heart Fire activated, allowing him to temper his soul power. He had overcome the most difficult phase.

Half an hour later, the energy wings in the sky faded, and the Thunder and Fire Wings, sensing the relief from pressure, returned to their bodies. Liu Erlong relaxed as well, realizing how close her body was to Yu Tianyan's. She quickly stepped back, waiting for him to awaken, while her mind began to drift.

An hour later, Yu Tianyan opened his eyes, and a surge of violent lightning surrounded him. A dragon-shaped shadow rose into the sky and vanished, as his yellow and purple soul rings shimmered. His soul power had reached level 21.

Due to Liu Erlong's Thunder Fire Wings, the soul power that would have strengthened Yu Tianyan was partially absorbed, keeping him from reaching level 23.

The soul ring's greatest benefit was that it sped up the awakening of his Blue Lightning Tyrannosaurus Rex. He could now cover his arms in dragon scales, achieving a pseudo-dragonization effect.

He stood up and smiled at Liu Erlong. "Sister, I almost thought I'd never see you again."

Liu Erlong's defenses instantly softened, and she quickly pulled him into a hug.

"Don't take such risks again. Let me protect you."

He nodded gently, hugging her in return, feeling a trace of lingering fear from his close brush with death.

Sliding out of Yu Tianyan's arms without him noticing, Liu Erlong could accept her own embrace, but not his.

There was a flicker of disappointment in his eyes, yet excitement lingered within him. He had achieved an unprecedented breakthrough by attaching a strengthened soul bone to his second thousand-year soul ring. His physical body was far superior to that of soul masters at his level. Though after a year of tempering, it had barely withstood the thousand-year soul ring's pressure, proving how unpredictable such encounters could be. He speculated that the soul beast's sub-dragon nature, stronger than ordinary soul beasts, made absorption difficult.

He vowed that he would ensure the third soul ring's safety—he didn't want to leave this world or Liu Erlong because of another soul ring.

"Sister, as I was about to be crushed, I felt something drawing away part of the pressure. That's how I survived. Do you know what happened?"

Yu Tianyan asked, recalling how focused he had been on the soul ring and his body, unaware of external events.

After a pause, Liu Erlong explained the changes in her external soul bone, not omitting any details.

Because Yu Tianyan had once asked her who she would entrust with absorbing this soul bone, she knew he had other intentions, though she hadn't called him out on it, creating an awkward tension.

There was an unspoken understanding in the soul master world: when two soul masters shared a martial soul fusion skill, they usually became partners if they weren't blood-related. For those of the same gender, it was different.

Even in cases of soul bone fusion, this bond implied a similar closeness.

Predictably, Yu Tianyan's eyes lit up with excitement, almost like light bulbs, and he struggled to contain his enthusiasm.

Liu Erlong's gaze avoided his, clenching her fists in frustration. She knew his joy wasn't just about the fusion skill itself.

"The wings can fuse, and their power rivals a Soul Master's abilities. Sister, let's try it again. Let's practice."

Yu Tianyan grabbed her hand, his expression sly and mischievous.

It was obvious he wasn't entirely pure of heart.

To activate a fusion technique, mutual trust was required, and for maximum power, they needed spiritual connection.

If Liu Erlong was willing to practice the fusion skill, he would be well on his way to his goal.

Liu Erlong pulled her hand away, seeing his cheeky smile, and wanted to punch him. If he hadn't just endured a life-and-death struggle, she certainly would have.

"Practice? Tell me about your second soul skill first. You insist on being an extreme soul master, absorbing thousand-year soul rings. When will you start listening to me? You were lucky this time, but what about next time? If your second soul skill doesn't meet my expectations, you'll be a strong-attack soul master again. And you are not to absorb soul rings that exceed your limit."

Liu Erlong deflected, pretending to be annoyed.

(End of chapter)