Marvel: Beginning with the Collection of Shinra Tensei

The Azure Water Dragon Jiao had lived at the bottom of this lake for many years. Not only were the soul beasts in the lake its food, but even those who ventured near the shore to drink water were not spared. Its bones and sinews were already among the strongest of its peers at the same age.

The water sphere wasn't large, yet it contained an exceptionally pure aquatic aura, and even carried traces of poison.

Hun Ling raised his sword to block, and the water sphere was vaporized by the fiery energy. However, the resulting vapor clung to his sleeve, corroding it instantly. The poison began to spread across his skin at a visibly alarming speed.

If Hun Ling hadn't immediately used a large amount of soul power to resist and dispel the corrosive poison, his arm might have been lost.

"Damn beast!" Hun Ling cursed under his breath. He hadn't expected the opponent to have such a trick up its sleeve, making him lose face in front of the group of youngsters.

The Azure Water Dragon Jiao's scarlet, giant eyes glimmered with a hint of mockery, and its jaws opened and closed as if ridiculing Hun Ling.

"Master Ling seems to be at a disadvantage? Is this soul beast really that strong?"

"Should we step in?"

"What's the point of stepping in? If Master Ling can't handle it, are we going to make it better by interfering?"

The chattering voices of the young disciples from the Martial Soul Hall made Hun Ling's face darken. He hadn't expected this soul beast to be so difficult to deal with, making him look so disgraceful.

"Hmph! Beast, you think you've won? I'm going to get serious now!"

A sharp, gleaming longsword suddenly appeared in his hand. In that moment, the soul power radiating from his body surged to a new height, and he seemed to fuse completely with the sword in his hand, transforming into a single, sharp blade.

"That's Master Ling's Martial Soul True Form! Steel-Slashing Sword!"

"We actually get to see Master Ling use this move—so awesome!"

"Master Ling, go for it!"

Hearing the excited cheers from the group of youngsters on the shore, Hun Ling felt a flicker of pride. This flattery was exactly what he liked most. Maintaining an air of composure, he announced the name of his technique.

"Martial Soul True Form—Steel-Slashing Sword!"

As the words fell, Hun Ling's figure vanished like a ghost. In the blink of an eye, he had already crossed a hundred meters. His entire being fused with the sword, becoming a sharp blade slicing fiercely toward the Azure Water Dragon Jiao.

Faced with this fierce assault, a trace of fear flashed through the Azure Water Dragon Jiao's human-like eyes. Its massive tail struck out from underwater, and an enormous curtain of water erupted, forming a protective shield as its body shifted slightly to the side.

"Hmph, do you really think this can stop me?"

With a cold snort, Hun Ling's speed increased instead of decreasing. He effortlessly pierced through the watery shield and slashed at the Azure Water Dragon Jiao. In that instant, the massive beast was cut cleanly in two.

"A beast is still just a beast. No matter how advanced, it's useless!"

Hun Ling turned back gracefully, ready to admire his handiwork—the Azure Water Dragon Jiao split in two. But before he could bask in his triumph, anxious cries erupted from the disciples on the shore.

"Master Ling, watch out behind you!"

As he turned his head, a massive tail came whipping toward him. Hun Ling was completely unprepared. His sword technique should have been enough to slice the beast cleanly and leave lingering soul power at the cut to cause secondary damage. By all logic, it shouldn't have been able to retaliate.

The tail struck him squarely, sending him flying backward. His body hurtled toward the group of Martial Soul Hall disciples, crashing through five or six massive trees, each several meters wide, before finally coming to a stop.

"How… how is this possible?"

Hun Ling coughed up a mouthful of blood, staring at the lake in disbelief.

The Azure Water Dragon Jiao wasn't split in two at all. In fact, it was completely unharmed, continuously letting out sharp cries that sounded eerily like human laughter.

"What I just cut… it was a reflection created by water waves!"

Hun Ling's face darkened as he quickly realized the truth. The beast had used the towering water curtain to create an illusion, making him believe it had moved to the left when, in reality, it had shifted to the right.

Hun Ling's attack had been completely wasted.

"Damn beast!"

He cursed under his breath and tried to stand up, only to cough up another mouthful of blood. "I've been poisoned?"

Looking down at his hands, a thin layer of green scales had started to spread across his arms—the signature poison of the Azure Water Dragon Jiao, the Greenwater Poison.

Greenwater Poison wasn't incurable. Many advanced antidotes could neutralize it within half an hour. However, it had two defining traits: paralysis and serpentification.

Those afflicted by this poison would quickly develop snake-like scales across their bodies. The transformation spread rapidly; in severe cases, it could happen within five to six minutes. At that point, the victim would turn into a half-human, half-snake creature, and conventional antidotes would no longer work.

"What should we do? Master Ling has been defeated—we should run!"

One of the Martial Soul Hall disciples, watching Hun Ling struggle to resist the poison with his soul power, spoke with a pale face. He had expected a legendary display of power but was left sorely disappointed.

Hu Liena's expression was equally grim. She understood that Hun Ling's defeat wasn't due to weakness but his carelessness. From the beginning of the battle, he had underestimated his opponent. That arrogance had cost him the fight.

"Should we retreat? But this soul beast's soul ring would be incredibly useful to me…"

Hu Liena bit her lip, her mind racing through various combat strategies. However, she dismissed them all. Their group's average strength was below level 40, and even a level-75 Soul Sage like Hun Ling had failed. Charging in now would be nothing short of suicide.

Just as Hu Liena was about to give the order to retreat, someone nearby exclaimed.

"Where's that smell coming from? It smells amazing!"

The speaker was the largest and roundest disciple in the group, sniffing the air incessantly.

"Fatty, are you starving? There's no smell here!" someone retorted.

"No, there really is a strange fragrance," Hu Liena said, frowning slightly. She had smelled it too.

It wasn't just them—the Azure Water Dragon Jiao also noticed. Its massive triangular eyes scanned the area, seemingly searching for the source of the scent.

After a brief moment of silence, they heard faint laughter coming from a distance. Following the sound, everyone turned their gaze in the same direction and froze.

About seven hundred meters away, four people were sitting around a campfire, grilling something. Occasionally, they sprinkled spices over the food, intensifying the aroma, which drifted toward them.

One of the four seemed to notice the group staring. Holding up a skewer of meat, he waved casually and shouted.

"Carry on with whatever you're doing—don't mind us!"

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