Douluo Continent: The Real World

Huang Yuan entered the woods first and activated his first soul skill, Lang Flash, hiding behind a large tree, ready to attack at any moment. Surprisingly, Jing Ling, the usually stoic yet warm-hearted teammate, raised his hands in surrender, betraying his team.

Now, alone, Huang Yuan was fully prepared to defend himself. He was a person who never admitted defeat.

Huang Yuan's plan was, admittedly, successful. The dense trees effectively blocked Yu Tianyan's ability to fly. Moreover, Yu Tianyan was cautious about flying too high for fear of weakening his power and expending too much soul energy. Another concern was that if he destroyed the forest, Liu Erlong might punish him by making him replant every tree.

Reluctantly, he proceeded on foot, though he wasn't foolish enough to rush. His fully enhanced state only lasted ten minutes; he needed to resolve the battle quickly. He pressed his hands to the ground, purple lightning spreading outwards from his palms in a circle.

Seeing this, Huang Yuan quickly climbed up a tree trunk to avoid the lightning. Within seconds, it swept through the tree where he was hiding, reducing the surrounding blue silver grass to ashes. He broke into a slight sweat, realizing the intensity of Yu Tianyan's attack.

Yu Tianyan, with heightened senses, quickly pinpointed Huang Yuan's position as he moved. "Persistent little hedgehog," Yu Tianyan muttered, charging forward. Huang Yuan, however, chose to keep dodging, confident that Yu Tianyan's full-body discharge and spirit power would soon drain. As long as he could wait it out, he believed he could turn the battle in his favor.

Yu Tianyan noticed his strategy, silently praising Huang Yuan's combat awareness. Jing Ling's strange martial spirit, Huang Yuan's tactical agility, and Jiang Zhu's impressive healing skills aligned perfectly with his team's needs.

Without wasting more time, Yu Tianyan accelerated. Huang Yuan's Lone Wolf martial spirit was naturally suited to the forest, but he underestimated Yu Tianyan's speed. Wrapped in lightning, Yu Tianyan moved 30% faster, thanks to his first spirit ring.

He caught up with Huang Yuan in seconds.

"Damn it... First Soul Skill, Signal Wolf Flash!" Huang Yuan grumbled as Yu Tianyan closed in. Activating his first soul skill, Huang Yuan instantly moved behind Yu Tianyan, then bent slightly, preparing his second soul skill. A wolf howl bullet erupted from his mouth.

Yu Tianyan cursed inwardly, "This guy is something else!"

Although known as a powerful attack spirit master, Huang Yuan's ability to teleport was unpredictable and difficult to counter. Sensing the attack, Yu Tianyan quickly retaliated, clashing his lightning-encased fist with the wolf howl bullet, causing a violent explosion. Leaves and branches rustled around them, shaken by the impact.

Despite his tough physique, Yu Tianyan's hand was left bloodied. Huang Yuan had released his skill so swiftly that Yu Tianyan barely managed to shield himself.

"Ouch!"

A wolf howl echoed as Huang Yuan saw Yu Tianyan injured. Seizing the opportunity, he leapt forward, hoping to engage him directly. Despite knowing he might get electrocuted, he preferred a head-on attack rather than being overpowered by Yu Tianyan's speed.

The sudden assault took Yu Tianyan by surprise. With no time to examine his hand injury, he braced himself, smiling slightly as he noticed dragon scales covering much of his forearm. Huang Yuan attacked rapidly, his wolf claws striking Yu Tianyan's scaled arm repeatedly, sparks and lightning erupting from the clash. After a quick series of strikes, Huang Yuan, feeling his arms go numb, was forced to step back. His charred claws throbbed in pain, while Yu Tianyan's sleeves hung shredded from his shoulders.

Huang Yuan stared, disbelieving that his fierce attacks left so little impact. Yu Tianyan grinned as his dragon-like transformation continued.

"Are those… scales?" Huang Yuan asked, a hint of excitement in his voice.

He immediately realized why Jing Ling's bone knife had clashed like metal against Yu Tianyan earlier; it was due to these scales.

At this point, Yu Tianyan's arms were completely covered in blue-purple scales, electric sparks dancing across them. A few red streaks of blood seeped through, revealing that Huang Yuan's attacks had, albeit minimally, broken through his defenses.

Taking advantage of Huang Yuan's surprise, Yu Tianyan checked his injured right hand. The skin had peeled away, exposing raw flesh beneath. No wonder it hurt so much, he thought.

"Is that really a dragon scale?" Huang Yuan asked again, recalling the Blue Lightning Tyrannosaurus Rex soul master Yu Tianheng, whose arms were also covered with scales. However, unlike Yu Tianheng, Yu Tianyan's scales were enshrouded in lightning.

Yu Tianyan nodded. "Yes, that's right."

"But... your martial spirit is thunder, so how do you have dragon characteristics? Wait, is your last name also Yu?"

Huang Yuan seemed to connect the dots. He had once heard his teacher mention someone named Xiaoyan, supposedly the dean's younger brother.

Yu Tianyan summoned lightning in his left hand. "You'll see," he said. "My martial soul is indeed the Blue Lightning Tyrannosaurus Rex."

Relieved, Huang Yuan grinned, as if finding comfort in the revelation. "Losing to you doesn't seem so unfair now."

Yu Tianyan unleashed a violent surge of lightning, engulfing Huang Yuan in an instant. Huang Yuan let out a pained howl before collapsing, unconscious but not critically injured. Yu Tianyan had held back, sparing him from severe harm.

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As the lightning receded from his body, Yu Tianyan let out a deep breath, feeling the strain. His soul skills were powerful but took a heavy toll on him. With his uninjured left hand, he lifted the groaning Huang Yuan and dragged him out of the woods. Jing Ling and Jiang Zhu were waiting outside, watching as Yu Tianyan emerged with Huang Yuan in tow.

Jing Ling's martial spirit activated instantly, while Jiang Zhu looked on in horror. Yu Tianyan's right hand was drenched in blood, and he dragged Huang Yuan by his shirt across the ground. From their angle, they couldn't tell if Huang Yuan was still alive.

"Don't worry; he's not badly hurt. His body's just paralyzed. He'll wake up soon," Yu Tianyan assured them with a smile.

The calmness in his voice startled them. Jing Ling approached and confirmed that Huang Yuan was merely unconscious, just as Yu Tianyan said.

Yu Tianyan raised his bloodied right hand towards Jiang Zhu, giving her a small, pleading smile. "Sister, could you help me with some healing? This really hurts."

(End of Chapter)