Douluo: Emerald Poison Emperor

Damn it, my stats aren't enough!

Seeing the situation, Chen Ming cursed internally.

Yu Tianheng's higher level and superior martial soul gave him the edge. Even among soul masters of the same rank, Yu Tianheng was a standout. While Chen Ming had a slight advantage in physical strength, Yu Tianheng's superior soul power tipped the scales in his favor.

With the boost from his third spirit ability—100% increased lightning attributes and a 50% increase in soul power—the gap between them widened further. Yu Tianheng's casual lightning strikes could now penetrate Chen Ming's defenses, while Chen Ming's poison couldn't erode him quickly enough in this state.

Though Chen Ming possessed the External Soul Bone, which could easily crush Yu Tianheng, he refrained from using it. The problem lay in the value of soul bones; they were so precious that even an external soul bone, which couldn't be absorbed by others, might still make him a target for malicious intent.

Fools and scoundrels were never in short supply—even a thousand years later, there would still be individuals like the infamous Guardian Douluo Cheng Gang holding high-ranking positions as protectors of nations. (Soul Land 2 minor character.)

So, unless necessary, Chen Ming avoided revealing this trump card. Even if used, he intended to keep it under wraps, at least until he found a reliable backer who wouldn't abandon him.

In this clash, Chen Ming was at a disadvantage, forced back several steps. Yu Tianheng seized the moment, charging forward to take advantage of Chen Ming's unsteady footing and end the battle in one decisive move.

However, he overlooked a crucial fact—triangles are the most stable structure.

Chen Ming's scorpion tail, though seemingly unwieldy and cumbersome, was easier to control than his fingers.

Just when Yu Tianheng thought he had found a weak point, Chen Ming used his tail to lightly touch the ground, regaining his balance in an instant. With a burst of power, he launched himself toward Yu Tianheng at an even faster speed.

Boom!

A dull collision echoed as both Chen Ming and Yu Tianheng retreated cautiously, eyeing each other warily.

Then, without hesitation, the two engaged in a fierce close-quarters battle. Lightning-coated dragon claws clashed repeatedly with venomous arms, producing muffled sounds of impact.

Similar to fights between ordinary people, battles between soul masters also revolved around momentum and rhythm.

They exchanged blows, each trying to overwhelm the other while remaining vigilant against potential sneak attacks.

In close combat, Yu Tianheng favored a fast-paced style aimed at quickly subduing his opponent, while Chen Ming focused on defense and counterattacks. Occasionally, Chen Ming would lash out with his scorpion tail or attempt a trade of blows, hoping to leave a bleeding wound on Yu Tianheng.

Although Yu Tianheng's lightning could neutralize Chen Ming's poison externally, that didn't mean the poison posed no threat. External poison could be forced away with lightning, but once it entered the body, trying to use lightning to counteract it would be suicidal.

Chen Ming was willing to risk injury for an opportunity to strike, but Yu Tianheng dared not. At the slightest cut, Yu Tianheng would grit his teeth and burn the wound with lightning to cauterize it, using his soul power to guard against the poison's intrusion.

On the other hand, Chen Ming's earlier efforts to concentrate a toxic cloud around himself forced Yu Tianheng to stay on high alert during their close-quarters exchanges.

Yu Tianheng had to carefully control his soul power to shield his senses from the poison. Every time his body made contact with Chen Ming, he had to immediately channel powerful lightning to cleanse the affected area, or the damage would be severe.

Any moment of carelessness, even the smallest opening, would tilt the battle entirely in Chen Ming's favor.

Chen Ming's green armguards were already showing cracks, while the soul power surrounding Yu Tianheng had diminished significantly. His chest heaved heavily, though he dared not take deep breaths.

At first glance, Yu Tianheng seemed to be in better shape—his body was unscathed, though his soul power was nearly depleted.

But Yu Tianheng knew that even the slightest injury could allow the poison to enter his body, threatening his life.

As he felt his endurance nearing its limit, Yu Tianheng braced himself to take one of Chen Ming's strikes head-on, using the impact to quickly retreat from the poisonous mist and adjust his state.

During their earlier clash, Yu Tianheng's soul power had faltered slightly, allowing him to inhale a trace of the toxic gas.

Though his resilient body and dominant lightning soul power protected his organs, the poison still left him in agony. His respiratory tract burned, and his internal organs began to spasm faintly.

The intense collision caused his insides to churn violently. Despite his rigorous training, cold sweat dripped from his forehead as he had to allocate more soul power to resist the poison.

Yu Tianheng understood that if the poison fully invaded his body, even as a Soul Elder with the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon martial soul, he would be humiliatingly rendered powerless—a reality his pride couldn't accept.

Standing outside the poison cloud, Yu Tianheng observed it cautiously, his muscular frame taut like a drawn bow. A determined gleam flashed in his eyes.

"You've forced my hand. I didn't want to reveal the true secret of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan at this point, but it's clear you're not an easy opponent to deal with..."

"Arghhh!"

Yu Tianheng let out a furious roar as veins bulged on his face. His right arm underwent a dramatic transformation.

The arm swelled several times its original size, growing nearly half a foot longer. Dense dragon scales covered his forearm, and what had previously resembled a dragon claw now fully transformed into a terrifyingly fierce one.

The three spirit rings—two yellow and one purple—that had been floating around him now converged on his right arm, circling it rhythmically like living entities in tune with Yu Tianheng's breathing.

Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan's signature ability—Dragon Transformation...

Chen Ming quietly observed Yu Tianheng's transformation, a gleam flashing in his eyes.

The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan's Dragon Transformation was a unique ability on the Douluo Continent. Even within the clan, only the most pure-blooded Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon soul masters could possess it.

This ability was innate to their bloodline, and even the slightest mutation in their martial soul, no matter how insignificant it seemed, would result in losing the capability for Dragon Transformation.

During their previous encounters, while Chen Ming had sensed its overwhelming stats, he hadn't observed the special mechanisms he'd imagined. Now, as Yu Tianheng underwent Dragon Transformation, Chen Ming finally glimpsed the secrets of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon martial soul.

At the moment Yu Tianheng's arm transformed, his aura surged by 30%, his physical attributes slightly enhanced, his right arm's strength significantly boosted, and even his lightning abilities and martial soul were elevated in quality.

As Dragon Transformation took effect, Chen Ming perceived an unfamiliar sensation—it didn't feel entirely human.

It resembled the traits of a soul beast but was not entirely the same. If he had to describe it, it felt like some dormant bloodline deep within Yu Tianheng had been temporarily activated.

Considering the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan's martial souls often resulted in other dragon-type souls when mutated, Chen Ming couldn't help but speculate that the clan's ancestors might have mingled with an actual Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon.

With limited data to analyze, he couldn't draw detailed conclusions. Nonetheless, he committed the sensation and inspiration to memory, planning to revisit and study it later.

"To fall before this technique is something you can take pride in. Only the true heirs of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan possess this one-of-a-kind ability. Witnessing the true power of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon as a mere Grand Soul Master is an honor in itself! Yu Tianheng declared.

After releasing Dragon Transformation, Yu Tianheng's demeanor seemed to grow fiercer. Despite feeling his soul power rapidly depleting, he couldn't resist flaunting his lightning-imbued, fully transformed right arm to the crowd watching around Chen Ming, showcasing his power.

Initially, Yu Tianheng had been reluctant to use Dragon Transformation in a battle where he, as a Soul Elder, was facing a mere Grand Soul Master. Such a move could tarnish his reputation and become a point of contention when vying for the position of heir to the clan in the future.

However, as the surging power from Dragon Transformation coursed through him, Yu Tianheng abandoned all such concerns. Overwhelmed by the intoxicating strength, he could no longer control his emotions, behaving like a proud and wrathful dragon.

"Thunder Dragon Claw!"

Yu Tianheng roared, and an intense bolt of lightning surged from his transformed arm, forming a concentrated beam of lightning that shot toward Chen Ming amidst the poisonous mist.

Wherever the lightning passed, Chen Ming's toxins dissipated as if erased by an invisible force—evidence that Yu Tianheng's soul power quality exceeded Chen Ming's at this moment.

Despite its raw power, the attack's accuracy left much to be desired.

The buildup for the move was painfully obvious to Chen Ming, and the direction of the strike was easily predictable—something any soul master with a modicum of experience could discern.

Though Chen Ming couldn't match the lightning's speed, evading Yu Tianheng was a far simpler matter.

It was clear that Yu Tianheng's control over Dragon Transformation was rudimentary. While his stats had improved, the transformation introduced new variables he struggled to handle, leaving him more vulnerable than before.

With minimal effort, Chen Ming sidestepped the Thunder Dragon Claw. His disdainful expression was like a slap to Yu Tianheng's face, leaving the latter's previously proud demeanor frozen in embarrassment.

"You…"

After combining Dragon Transformation and his thunderous technique, Yu Tianheng was left with only 30–40% of his soul power. He glared at Chen Ming with gritted teeth, abandoning all pretense of dignity as he prepared to finish the fight with his remaining energy.

The combined drain of Dragon Transformation and Thunderous Wrath was immense. The two techniques compounded their consumption, rapidly exhausting his reserves. Even at full strength, Yu Tianheng wouldn't dare prolong a fight in this state, knowing it could easily lead to a counterattack.

Dragon Transformation couldn't be deactivated at will, and Thunderous Wrath would only subside when his soul power was completely drained. Yu Tianheng was out of options.

Meanwhile, Chen Ming flicked his scorpion tail and calmly opened his mouth, a knowing glint in his eyes.

"Since you've already revealed your trump card, it'd be rude of me to stick to just my first spirit skill."

"My second spirit skill is incredibly powerful—whether you can withstand it will depend entirely on your luck."

The poisonous mist Chen Ming had been accumulating around him surged outward, engulfing every corner of the arena. The solid ground beneath them began to dissolve as if tossed into a furnace. Even Meng Shenji, one of the education committee members, instinctively shielded himself with soul power, silently preparing to intervene if necessary.

Hearing Chen Ming's words, Yu Tianheng suddenly felt a sense of foreboding. His instincts screamed at him to flee, even if it meant jumping off the stage to concede defeat. Yet, his pride caused him to hesitate, costing him the best chance to escape.

The poisonous mist enveloped his body.

"Poison Explosion Technique—detonate!"