Chapter 7: Golden Crocodile King Enters the List
Above the heavenly curtain, golden light swirled.
Before the continent's Soul Masters could fully digest the first three rankings, the vast voice of the Heavenly Dao thundered again:
[Martial Soul Ranking, 17th place: Bone Dragon]
[Holder: Gu Rong (Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School)]
[Grade: top-tier defence/space-type Beast Spirit; bones become dragons, possessing extreme physical defence and space-manipulation.]
[Reward: Soul Power +1 Rank; all Soul Rings +1,500 years; spatial control +10 %.]
"Old bone!"
Inside the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School, Sword Douluo Chen Xin cried out, spinning to stare at his best friend.
Gu Rong stood dumbstruck, disbelief and wild joy flooding his face.
His Bone Dragon Martial Soul had made the list!
Only seventeenth, yet still glory among the top twenty of the entire continent!
And what generous rewards!
Whoosh!
A pillar of golden light speared down and wrapped his towering frame.
Titanic energy poured in; his Peak Rank-95 Soul Power broke through instantly, stepping into Rank-96 Super Douluo!
At the same time his nine rings—two yellow, two purple, five black—blazed as their ages skyrocketed.
They settled at four purple and five black.
His first two rings crossed the thousand-year mark!
A denser, space-rippling Aura spread from Gu Rong's body.
Feeling the surging strength and the tougher bones, he threw back his head and roared, the sound shaking the countryside!
"Hahaha! Wonderful—wonderful, this Heavenly Dao reward!"
Gu Rong laughed, slapping his chest with a metallic clang.
Ning Fengzhi beamed and saluted: "Congratulations, Uncle Gu, on your great advancement!"
Chen Xin shared the joy, yet a trace of gravity entered his eyes.
He knew too well how formidable Bone Dragon was—its unpredictable spatial tricks a Divine Skill for survival and control.
Such a Martial Soul had placed only seventeenth?
"Fengzhi, even Old Bone's Dragon is only seventeenth—this list… its standard is terrifying."
"My Seven Kill Sword…"
Chen Xin said quietly.
Ning Fengzhi nodded, smile fading. "Uncle Sword's Seven Kill Sword is the number-one attack Tool Spirit; its Rank will surely be higher. But the competition ahead will be fiercer than we imagine—we must prepare ourselves."
When the jubilation ebbed, Gu Rong sobered up.
Clicking his tongue, he muttered, "Seventeenth, huh? Seems there are more old monsters in this world than we thought."
"Fengzhi, our Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School needs to plan early."
The whole school basked in Bone Douluo's glory while pondering what lay ahead.
Spirit Hall, Supreme Pontiff Palace.
Bibi Dong sat high on her throne; her icy gaze swept across the words "Bone Dragon – 17th" on the heavenly curtain, a disdainful curve on her lips.
"A mere Bone Dragon, tricky only because of its spatial skill; in quality and potential, how can it rival my Spider Empress?"
"Seventeenth—fitting."
She spoke to herself, her resentment at her twin spirits' low placement easing slightly.
After all, if the famed defensive Bone Dragon lagged behind, her own Rank seemed less unacceptable.
Yet the moment the Heavenly Dao voice sounded again, her face darkened.
[Martial Soul Ranking, 16th place: Golden Crocodile King]
[Holder: Gold Crocodile Douluo (Spirit Hall)]
[Grade: top-tier attack-type Beast Spirit; extreme strength and defence; ancient Bloodline; kingly majesty.]
[Reward: Soul Power +1 Rank; all Soul Rings +2,000 years; ancient Bloodline Awakening +20 %.]
"What?! Golden Crocodile King is only sixteenth?!"
Bibi Dong leapt to her feet, phoenix eyes flashing with cold light.
Her mighty Aura made the newly repaired Supreme Pontiff Palace tremble.
Golden Crocodile King!
That was the second worshipper of the Hall of Worship, Rank-98 Peak Douluo Gold Crocodile's Martial Soul!
Its quality and ancient Bloodline ranked among the very top of Beast Spirits!
In her view, without her Innate full Soul Power and twin spirits, her cultivation speed could not match Gold Crocodile Douluo.
Though she detested the Hall of Worship, the might of Golden Crocodile King was plain for all to see.
Yet reality placed it only sixteenth!
One Rank above Bone Dragon—absurd!
It meant at least fifteen Martial Souls stood above Golden Crocodile King!
How could that be?
When had Douluo Continent hidden so many supreme Martial Souls?
A strong sense of unease and of things slipping out of control welled up in Bibi Dong again.
Within the Hall of Worship.
When "Golden Crocodile King – 16th" rang out, every worshipper froze.
All eyes snapped toward Gold Crocodile Douluo standing behind Qian Daoliu.
Gold Crocodile Douluo himself was stunned, disbelief written across his rugged face.
He had absolute confidence in his Golden Crocodile King—a regal Bloodline ancient enough to rival true Dragons!
He had thought the top ten might be hard, but twelfth or thirteenth should be secure.
"Six-sixteenth?"
His voice turned hoarse, his face burning with shame—especially under the gaze of his peers.
Qian Daoliu slowly turned; his golden eyes were calm as he regarded Gold Crocodile Douluo. "Second brother, the Heavenly Dao list has its own criteria; making the list is already fortune, and the reward is generous. Go—accept your Opportunity."
Gold Crocodile Douluo drew a deep breath, swallowed his grievance, and bowed. "Yes, eldest brother."
The moment he spoke, a golden pillar descended.
Boom!
Vast energy poured into his towering frame; his Peak Rank-98 Soul Power roared, and the barrier that had shackled him for decades shattered!
Rank 99!
Limit Douluo!
A wild, primordial pressure erupted, fiercer than ever.
Behind Gold Crocodile Douluo appeared a titanic, dark-golden-scaled crocodile phantom, roaring silently at the sky, brimming with power!
His original rings—two yellow, two purple, four black, one red—were refined by the golden energy into four purple, four black, one red.
Each ring gaining two thousand years raised their overall quality by an entire tier!
"Hahaha! Excellent—what tremendous power!"
Feeling the torrential Soul Power and the unprecedented Realm, Gold Crocodile Douluo burst into laughter.
His earlier gloom vanished completely.
Strength was what mattered!
So what if he ranked sixteenth, as long as he had broken through to Limit Douluo?