SoulLand:Ascending to Godhood through Science

When it came to reckless bravery, the short-haired girl shouting loudly in the hunting grounds was none other than Amona, the White Tiger spirit master.

In stark contrast to Amona's boisterous style, Ignis, the Red Dragon, launched her own silent and relentless assault on the Earthfire Dragon.

The Soul-Battle Beasts were known for their extraordinary capabilities, boasting over-limit spirit rings and combat abilities surpassing their apparent ranks. The three leading Beast Soldiers—Amona, Ignis, and Kui—were particularly remarkable, each demonstrating the strength of a Soul Ancestor despite officially being Soul Elders.

Even so, breaking through the Earthfire Dragon's Soul Sage-level defenses was nearly impossible. Not even targeting its wounds with relentless attacks could compare to the damage inflicted by another Blackfire Crossbow volley.

However, the duo's role wasn't to deal lethal damage.

Their purpose was to engage the dragon directly, drawing its attention and forcing it to divide its focus. This kept the Earthfire Dragon's attacks away from their teammates and disrupted its offensive rhythm.

Among the entire team, only Amona and Ignis possessed the strength and resilience to confront the dragon head-on without being instantly killed.

Under their relentless assault, the Earthfire Dragon grew increasingly agitated.

Its partially charged dragonfire, initially aimed at the support team in the back, shifted into a fiery claw attack meant to swat the two nuisances out of existence.

The fiery claw, condensed with soul power, was akin to one of the Earthfire Dragon's soul skills. Its destructive power far exceeded the simple tail swings from earlier.

But Kui, ever observant and calm, was ready to intervene.

All three of his spirit rings flared to life. From the ground beneath the Earthfire Dragon, corrupted blackened wood erupted and ensnared the beast like a spider's web.

Kui's Soul-Siphoning Wood began to drain the dragon's soul power, dimming its fiery aura significantly.

With assistance from the defense team, Amona and Ignis successfully withdrew from the dragon's immediate range.

The Earthfire Dragon, realizing its powerful attack had failed, roared furiously. Yet before it could act, another volley of Blackfire Crossbows rained down.

Although this time it anticipated the assault and avoided the brunt of the bolts, the cumulative damage had already pushed the Earthfire Dragon to its limit.

And so, it chose the most logical course of action—escape.

For all its pride as a creature of dragon bloodline, the Earthfire Dragon wasn't foolish enough to die in vain.

If it had been the type to fight recklessly, it wouldn't have retreated to the outer rings of the forest in the first place.

Seeing its unexpected foes capable of coordinating such devastating attacks, the dragon made the calculated decision to flee.

"Don't lose focus!"

Kui's sharp voice cut through the momentary shock of his teammates as they watched the dragon turn tail.

His command snapped the Soul-Battle Beasts back to their senses. They quickly reorganized and set off in pursuit, following the original contingency plan to intercept the fleeing beast.

However, controlling a dragon desperate to escape was far more challenging than fighting one intent on attacking.

The Earthfire Dragon abandoned all notions of engaging its pursuers, focusing solely on dodging attacks and escaping at full speed.

Its bursts of agility and raw power far outpaced the Soul-Battle Beasts, whose ranks mostly consisted of Soul Elders.

At this critical moment, a shadow surged forward, overtaking the dragon in a blur.

It was You Chen's Starlight Avatar.

Just as the Avatar closed the gap, it detonated in a dazzling explosion of starry light!

Boom!

The shockwave sent the Earthfire Dragon stumbling forward, its massive frame crashing to the ground with a low growl.

Meanwhile, You Chen, who had been driving away other nearby soul beasts to prevent interruptions, paused his task.

Though his efforts were necessary—after all, a stray thousand-year soul beast could pose a serious threat to the lightly armored Soul-Battle Beasts—he knew the situation had changed.

The moment the Earthfire Dragon began to flee, You Chen recognized that the team alone would no longer be able to complete the hunt.

With a shake of his head, he activated his Starlight Avatar for a sacrificial strike and spread his wings, flying swiftly toward the battlefield.

---

The explosion caused by the Avatar only staggered the Earthfire Dragon temporarily.

With an enraged roar, the dragon rose back to its feet, its golden eyes scanning the surroundings warily.

Seeing no immediate threats, it hesitated, its instincts urging it to continue fleeing.

Suddenly, a loud boom echoed through the forest as a familiar figure descended from the sky.

The Earthfire Dragon's pupils constricted in recognition. This human was no stranger. But something about him now exuded a threat far beyond what it had faced earlier.

The dragon's entire body trembled involuntarily.

"Roar!!!"

It mustered all its remaining pride and pretended to charge a powerful attack, roaring defiantly at You Chen.

But as soon as the roar ended, the dragon turned tail and attempted to escape once more.

Yet no matter how fast it moved, it found You Chen standing directly in its path, arms crossed and calm as ever.

This time, the Earthfire Dragon froze completely.

---

Soul-Binding Technique: Dominance Manifestation!

A wave of oppressive energy emanated from You Chen, cloaking him in the presence of an apex predator. To the Earthfire Dragon, he no longer appeared human but a ten-thousand-year dragon whose bloodline vastly surpassed its own.

This effect was a hidden feature of You Chen's Soul-Binding Technique, further enhanced by his dragon-bloodline martial spirit. By intentionally channeling his aura into a dragon-like dominance, You Chen created an almost tangible pressure that rendered the Earthfire Dragon paralyzed.

The beast, which had the strength of a Soul Sage, could no longer move.

You Chen uncrossed his arms, a menacing grin spreading across his face.

With a flick of his left fist, a vortex of turbulent winds spiraled forth.

"Fist of Wind!"

The blow struck the Earthfire Dragon's jaw, launching it upward.

"Fist of Clouds!"

A surge of ethereal energy descended, slamming into the dragon's head from above.

"Fists of Wind and Clouds!"

The collision of wind and clouds erupted into a massive shockwave. Trees surrounding the impact zone bent and cracked under the force, and the sky momentarily cleared as the air pressure forced the clouds apart.

By the time the Soul-Batt

le Beasts arrived, they saw a motionless Earthfire Dragon lying on the ground, utterly defeated by You Chen's dual strikes.