At this moment—
Liu Erlong stepped out from the academy's forbidden grounds, seven soul rings glowing around her.
Once a graceful young lady, she had now transformed into a striking, seductive woman of commanding presence.
This time, she had emerged from seclusion for one purpose: to fight for the Fire Crystal.
If she could break through to Titled Douluo, then the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan would no longer matter. She could finally stand proudly beside Xiaogang.
"Xiaogang, wait for me."
Liu Erlong's eyes were filled with determination. The Fire Crystal of the Flame Beast King—she was determined to claim it.
---
Sunset Forest.
Qin Ming's group had also sensed the abnormal activity in the magma zone.
After obtaining his soul ring, Yu Tianheng had successfully broken through to Soul Ancestor.
"Hmph! Lin Feng, one day I'll surpass you."
Yu Tianheng sneered with disdain in his eyes.
The skies are clear, the rain has stopped—Tianheng feels like he's back on top.
"Teacher Yan, why don't some of you escort Tianheng back to the academy first?"
"I'll head to the magma zone alone to investigate."
Qin Ming, worried for Yu Tianheng's safety, suggested cautiously.
"That won't do."
"Teacher Qin, the Flame Beast King has been stirring for a while now. Word is bound to have spread."
"If you go alone and run into other factions, what then?"
"I'll take Tianheng back myself. The other teachers should stay and assist you."
"I'll report to the principal and bring elders back as reinforcements."
Yan Que'er, clearly worried, spoke firmly.
"I disagree!"
"What—just let these losers escort me back?"
"What if something happens to me? Can you take responsibility?"
Yu Tianheng was clearly unhappy with Yan Que'er's plan.
Yan Que'er glared fiercely, and if not for Qin Ming's presence, she'd have taught him a lesson right then and there.
"Tianheng, mind your words!"
"Show some respect to your teachers."
"You wouldn't have gotten your soul ring if it weren't for them."
Qin Ming, visibly angry, began scolding Yu Tianheng.
"Yes."
"Sorry, teacher."
Yu Tianheng muttered an insincere apology, full of disdain.
"They're just Soul Kings who broke through late in life—trash. Why can't I say that?"
He muttered under his breath.
But of course, Qin Ming heard him loud and clear—and grew even more disappointed.
"Sigh, I'll go alone then."
"I'll trouble the rest of you to escort Tianheng back."
Qin Ming sighed and gave the other teachers an apologetic nod.
"Alright."
"Be careful, Teacher Qin."
"We'll return with backup as soon as we can."
Yan Que'er clenched her fists, suppressed her anger, and nodded. She didn't forget to express concern.
Then—with a clean punch, she knocked Yu Tianheng out cold and rushed back toward the academy with the other teachers following close behind.
---
At the heart of the lava zone.
"Lin Feng, the Flame Beast King is buried deep beneath the magma."
"At that depth, you're not ready to go down yet."
"In a few days, the king will emerge on its own. There's no need to search for it."
"But by then, every major faction will have arrived."
Dugu Bo sighed as he addressed Lin Feng.
Though Lin Feng had already obtained a Fire Crystal, the Flame Beast King, having devoured so many other beasts, would carry even more or possibly much older Fire Crystals.
Each additional thousand years in age doubled their value.
Lin Feng nodded, a subtle grin tugging at the corner of his lips.
That just means… he'll have lots of traits to scan once everyone arrives.
Who knows? Maybe there'll be a few worth copying.
There was no way he'd just stand around waiting for others to fight over the leftovers.
Arriving early was his advantage.
No one would believe this wasn't destiny.
The Flame Beast King hadn't appeared in decades—yet right after Lin Feng arrived in Sunset Forest, it did.
Come on, readers, judge for yourselves. If this isn't destiny, what is?
How could he let others take what was clearly meant for him?
Just in time, he still had a trait refresh available.
"System, refresh all traits," Lin Feng thought silently.
Please give me something useful right now…
[Ding! All traits refreshed.]
Lin Feng quickly scanned the list—and two traits immediately stood out:
[Fire Immunity (Purple)]: You are immune to fire-based attacks and can survive freely within flames.]
[Wallflower (Purple)]: You will be difficult for others to notice or perceive.
Fire Immunity was exactly what he needed right now.
Surviving in flames meant he could dive deeper than before.
But the Flame Beast King wasn't just about fire—its physical strength was terrifying.
To avoid drawing aggro, [Wallflower] was perfect. It could mute his presence and make him unnoticeable.
Perfect for sneaking around or scavenging unnoticed.
Damn, aren't these traits tailor-made for me right now?
He hadn't triggered an upgrade in a while, but with the golden trait [Child of Destiny] supporting him, his luck was clearly improving.
Lin Feng selected both traits without hesitation.
"System, display my status panel."
[Host: Lin Feng]
[Age: 12]
[Innate Soul Power: Rank 20]
[Martial Soul: Emperor Flame Nine-Headed Dragon (Top-tier)]
[Soul Power: Rank 48]
[Traits]:
[Emperor Flame Nine-Headed Dragon (Purple)]
[Fire Immunity (Purple)]
[Wallflower (Purple)]
[Soul Ring Grants Bone (Purple)]
[Dragon-Seeking Compass (Purple)]
[Permanent Hidden Traits]:
[Innate Rank 20 (Gold)]
[Trait Copy (Gold)]
[Child of Destiny (Gold)]
Lin Feng nodded in satisfaction. This was a solid panel.
With Fire Immunity and Wallflower, his odds in the upcoming Fire Crystal hunt had improved dramatically.
It was a bit of a shame that his newly acquired purple trait [Divine Charm] had already been replaced. It had the shortest lifespan of all his traits.
---
"Lin Feng? Lin Feng?"
"Grandpa, have you seen Lin Feng?"
Dugu Yan looked around nervously, unable to find him.
"I'm here, Yan'er."
Lin Feng's voice came from right behind her.
Whoa—this Wallflower trait really works!
He was only a few steps behind her, and yet she hadn't noticed at all.
"When did you sneak over there?"
"Grandpa went to find some fruit. Let's eat together."
Dugu Yan cheerfully took his hand.
Dugu Bo, standing nearby, frowned in thought.
Why did Lin Feng's presence suddenly vanish just now… and then reappear?
But he didn't dwell on it too long. Maybe I'm just getting old.
"Feng'er, Yan'er, come eat something."
"You two must be starving by now."
Dugu Bo's eyes were filled with fondness as he looked at them.
A while later, after the fruit was gone, Lin Feng took Dugu Yan's hand and began pacing around the area.
He studied the lava zone's terrain, already planning his next move.
-----
30 Advance Chapters on Patreon!
p(a)treon(.)com/HudaLin
-Remove the parenthesis to access patreon normally
Thanks for the Support!