Chapter 33: The Vessel Expands, Yet the Water Remains Stagnant

"Idiot, of course it won't fight you head-on. The Deviljho is a top-tier predator; it seeks to capture prey with the least amount of effort. If I hadn't been there just now, you would already be pinned to the ground beneath it!"

"I... I understand! Wuque, hurry and tell me how to fight it head-on."

"Remember to say 'please' next time!"

Ning Wuque spoke while keeping a watchful eye on the surroundings, actively keeping Ning Tian close to protect her from harm. Recalling the data on the Deviljho in his mind, he quickly instructed:

"Try using your Dragon Might to make it lose its composure. The Deviljho isn't very intelligent; the intrusion of other sub-dragons or pure-blooded dragons will incite the bellicose savagery within it, shifting it from a predatory stance to a berserk state. Watch out for its bites—in its berserk state, the Deviljho's strength and bite force increase by at least twenty percent. Don't be careless!"

"Huh? How... how do I release Dragon Might? Father never taught me that!"

"Feng, release your soul power to the max!"

Nearby, Ning Tian felt a bit helpless, then reminded Wu Feng.

Dragon Might is essentially the soul power pressure of a Soul Master; it’s just that when released by a Soul Master with a dragon-type martial soul, it is replaced by Dragon Might. Dragon-type martial souls of high quality can even see their pressure enhanced by over a hundred percent.

"Got it!"

Wu Feng replied, then released her soul power with all her might. A faint wave of Dragon Might spread outward, quickly attracting the Deviljho, which had already locked onto her as its primary target.

In an instant, the last trace of clarity in its eyes vanished. The beast became as unnaturally furious as a husband who had just discovered his wife had been stolen, and crimson patterns began to crawl across its skin.

Stance change—Berserk Stance!

"ROAR—!"

A thunderous roar erupted from the forest, followed by an unbridled, charging rampage. The Deviljho appeared before the three of them in a heartbeat.

It glared furiously at Wu Feng, opening its cavernous, blood-filled maw, ready to bite down and turn her head into a splattered tomato paste!

"First Soul Skill: Dragon Fire!"

Her yellow first soul ring lit up instantly. Wu Feng’s ponytail burst into bright, fiery-red light as if ignited, and her entire body was engulfed in flames, entering a burning state. Her defense, strength, and physique were all significantly boosted.

*Step!*

With a heavy kick against the ground, Wu Feng launched herself like a cannonball toward the Deviljho. Her fiery red pupils flickered with a brutal edge, and her left hand, transformed into a dragon claw, was raised high, ready to strike this thousand-year soul beast!

But...

*Thud—*

Like a cannonball, she was kicked away by the Deviljho’s "Double-Foot Thunder Strike." The combat instincts of a top-tier predator were simply not something a novice like her could compare to.

The Deviljho had predicted Wu Feng’s trajectory in a mere split second, adjusting its body rapidly to launch a counterattack.

"That reckless girl, she should just stick to providing support. Blood Surge Gate—Open!"

*Pong!*

The soul ring shattered, and a massive surge of soul power rushed into Ning Wuque's body. After using this technique over a dozen times in the past two years, he was accustomed to the shock. It took him less than three seconds to enter his peak state.

His aura soared instantly to the level of a Soul Sect, and he threw his powerful, iron-like fists directly at the Deviljho!

"Straight Punch!"

"ROAR—!"

The Deviljho responded unyieldingly, twisting its body to lash out with its tail, intending to teach this human a lesson. The massive force shattered the air, producing a sonic boom; one could tell how fierce the blow was just by the sound!

*BOOM!*

A sound like colliding iron hammers rang out. As a circle of blood-red soul rings slowly rose beneath Ning Wuque's feet, his left fist slammed into the Deviljho's tail.

Seizing the opportunity, he wrapped his right hand tightly around the tail, and as his left fist loosened, he clutched the tail as if hugging a tree trunk.

"Wu Feng!" he roared.

A fiery red figure appeared at the Deviljho’s side—Wu Feng, who had been kicked away just moments ago, had returned unharmed!

The grueling training over the past year and the armor she wore were not just for show!

*Thwack!*

With a punch thrown, the Deviljho’s head took a solid, heavy blow from Wu Feng. With Ning Tian’s buffs, the impact left the Deviljho dazed for a brief moment.

It was precisely this momentary lapse that allowed Ning Wuque to seize the chance; with a violent tug, he swung the Deviljho into mid-air, slamming it against the ground beside him like an over-the-shoulder throw!

*CRASH!*

Like a thousand-pound weight falling, the earth shook with a deafening roar.

Exchanging a glance, Ning Wuque and Wu Feng saw the fighting spirit in each other's eyes. They raised their fists and began raining blow after blow onto the Deviljho’s head!

"ROAR—"

The excruciating pain brought the Deviljho back to its senses. Seizing a gap, it scrambled up from the ground, lashed out with its tail to throw the two of them off, and stood up, swaying unsteadily.

It looked at the two in front of it—a new round of battle had begun!

But it was futile.

The battle finally concluded with the victory of Ning Wuque and Wu Feng. In just five minutes, the Deviljho had fallen beneath their iron fists and unyielding resolve!

Its massive body collapsed to the ground with a thunderous thud.

"Huff—huff—"

Panting heavily, the soul power fluctuations on Ning Wuque’s body suddenly plummeted. He staggered, nearly falling, but was steadied by Wu Feng beside him, saving him from embarrassment.

"That was pushing the limit..."

"Are you alright, Wuque?"

Ning Tian walked over, retracting her martial soul and asking with concern. At the same time, Wu Feng promptly retrieved a compressed meatball and a blood-circulating, nourishing pill from her storage soul tool, stuffing them into his mouth.

After consuming the meatball and the pill, Ning Wuque weakly pulled away from Wu Feng’s support, sat down on the ground, and shook his head.

"Go ahead and absorb the soul ring, Wu Feng. I’m fine, just the soul power provided by the soul ring has been exhausted."

"Has the duration become shorter again?"

"Yeah, there’s no helping it. After all, the soul power provided by shattering a ring is only related to the ring itself, but I myself keep growing stronger."

He shook his head helplessly. This was the new dilemma Ning Wuque faced, a detail he had previously overlooked.

As his strength and physical constitution grew, the soul power provided by a mere ordinary thousand-year soul ring could no longer satisfy his current needs!

He could feel that his body could endure longer and become even stronger during the first stage, but without sufficient soul power, even a clever housewife cannot cook without rice.

Five minutes was the duration he could sustain the state. Once that time passed, the soul power fueling his combat prowess would be depleted, forcing him out of the state.

He had become stronger, so his consumption naturally increased, and his capacity expanded.

It was like stretching gold leaf while expecting its durability to remain the same; once the scope of comfort increased, it was inevitable that he would eventually leak.

This forced Ning Wuque to take even greater risks when acquiring his second ring!

On the other side.

After confirming that Ning Wuque was not seriously injured, Wu Feng sighed in relief and retrieved a soul-guided dagger from her storage soul tool, preparing to end the Deviljho’s life.

Soon, a purple soul ring floated up from the Deviljho’s corpse. Wu Feng sat cross-legged and began to draw the ring in for absorption.