Douluo Dalu 2: The True God King

Su Yu was slightly stunned. He turned his head to look at Wang Dong'er's serene and beautiful face, his eyes flickering with emotion.

Over two years of longing, only finding solace in watching the sea of clouds… he didn't know how she managed to endure it.

Compared to him, Wang Dong'er's life was much more monotonous.

As for himself, though he had been tormented by the Ice God's Nine Trials to the brink of life and death, his days had been fulfilling.

Moreover, with Snow Empress and Zhang Lexuan accompanying him, he didn't feel bored at all.

But Wang Dong'er… over the past two years, she must have done nothing but cultivate and think of him, right?

The thought of Wang Dong'er sitting here all alone, watching the sea of clouds day after day, made Su Yu's heart tremble uncontrollably.

Gently holding Wang Dong'er's small hand, Su Yu said earnestly, "Dong'er, from now on, I will always stay by your side."

Wang Dong'er was momentarily stunned, then broke into a bright and radiant smile.

"You said it, okay~"

Wang Dong'er tiptoed, her tone playful yet sweet.

"Yes, I said it."

Su Yu stepped forward, pulling Wang Dong'er into his arms.

Leaning softly against Su Yu's chest, Wang Dong'er's delicate face showed a contented smile.

After a moment, the two strolled around the cliffside and then returned to the castle.

As soon as they stepped through the castle's gates, a cold voice echoed in Su Yu's mind.

[Ding! Clear Sky Sect checkpoint completed. Task accomplished. Rewards issued."]

[Ding! Congratulations to the host for obtaining the ferocious beast-level Sky Azure Dragon Left Claw Bone.]

[Ding! Congratulations to the host for obtaining the ferocious beast-level Titan Giant Ape Left Arm Bone.]

[Ding! Congratulations to the host for obtaining the ultimate secret of the Grand Sumeru Hammer: Ring Explosion.]

[Sky Azure Dragon Left Claw Bone: Originating from the evolved form of the Sky Azure Bull Python, the Sky Azure Dragon, carries the power of thunder and possesses immense offensive capabilities.]

[Titan Giant Ape Left Arm Bone: Derived from the ferocious Titan Giant Ape, it contains two major soul skills: Diamond Invulnerability and Gravity Domain, significantly enhancing physical strength and attributes.]

[Grand Sumeru Hammer: Ring Explosion: The ultimate secret of the Grand Sumeru Hammer. By shattering soul rings, the soul ring's energy is fully unleashed and integrated into an attack, allowing the soul master to wield power far beyond their own. (Note: Ring Explosion places extremely high demands on the soul master's physical constitution. Using it once requires three days for the soul ring to recover, and it cannot be used again within thirty-six days; otherwise, the soul ring risks destruction.)]

Hearing the series of cold notifications in his mind, Su Yu froze in place.

The checkpoint task… was completed?

And these rewards…

Su Yu's eyes flickered with excitement. This time, the rewards for completing the Clear Sky Sect checkpoint were quite impressive.

The Sky Azure Dragon Left Claw Bone was undoubtedly an external soul bone.

What's more, it originated from the evolved Sky Azure Bull Python, which Su Yu recalled transformed into the Sky Azure Dragon.

Of course, this Sky Azure Dragon wasn't the same as the legendary Azure Dragon, one of the Four Divine Beasts. The system had clarified that it was simply a "Sky Azure Dragon."

Regardless, the Sky Azure Bull Python was already a super soul beast, and its evolved form, the Sky Azure Dragon, would undoubtedly be even stronger.

Moreover, as a thunder-attribute bone, it was an exceptional external spirit bone.

Next was the Titan Giant Ape Left Arm Bone, a treasure from one of the most powerful strength-type soul beasts.

For assault-type soul masters, the Titan Giant Ape's spirit bone was highly coveted.

And this was a ferocious beast-level soul bone, which came with two extraordinary soul skills.

One was Diamond's body, which Su Yu had already experienced firsthand.

When the Titan Giant Ape activated this ability, it became nigh-indestructible, its power overwhelming.

If not for Su Yu's own God-level technique granting him Diamond Body, he would've been defeated quickly in their earlier battle.

In addition, this bone came with the Gravity Domain, a rare domain skill.

Domain skills were incredibly rare. Even among Title Douluo, many lacked domains.

Below the Title Douluo level, having a domain skill was a hallmark of a true prodigy.

Even Zhang Lexuan only gained her innate domain after evolving into the Lunar Frost Moon.

Not everyone was like Su Yu, blessed with a multitude of domains.

If Su Yu recalled correctly, the Gravity Domain was the Titan Giant Ape's innate domain.

The two iconic domains of the Titan Giant Ape and Sky Azure Bull Python were Gravity Domain and Sluggish Domain, respectively.

These domains were their signature skills.

Finally, the most exciting reward for Su Yu was the Ring Explosion.

Ring Explosion!

This was the true ace skill that had made the Clear Sky Sect famous and allowed it to secure its place as the top sect on the continent.

The Clear Sky Sect had many inheritances, including the Clear Sky Nine Absolutes and the Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer.

But these alone weren't enough to maintain their dominance.

What truly solidified the Clear Sky Sect's position was a divine skill known as Ring Explosion.

This was the ultimate technique of the Grand Sumeru Hammer, a complete upgrade that offered unparalleled explosive power.

By shattering soul rings, the energy within them was fully unleashed and integrated into attacks, enabling a soul master to transcend their limits.

In the original story, Tang Hao defeated Qian Xunji in a legendary battle. While Qian Xunji's weakness played a role, it was the Ring Explosion skill that truly turned the tide.

This ability allowed soul masters to challenge opponents far stronger than themselves.

Even at the Super Douluo level, Ring Explosion remained a game-changing skill.

Moreover, the stronger the soul rings, the greater the power unleashed by Ring Explosion.

With Su Yu's soul ring configuration, he couldn't even imagine how terrifying the resulting power would be.

Of course, no skill was without flaws.

Ring Explosion had severe side effects and required a robust physique. At least three soul bones were needed to even attempt it.

Fortunately, Su Yu's physique was more than sufficient.

With Diamond Body and the protection of the Life Gold, he could endure almost any backlash short of immediate death.

Coupled with his immense strength, Ring Explosion seemed tailor-made for him.

Ring Explosion and Ring Fusion—one an ultimate technique, the other an innate ability.

Su Yu now possessed both.

Ring Explosion was more extreme and powerful but came with greater risks.

Ring Fusion was gentler and had fewer drawbacks, though it was slightly less powerful.

Each had its uses in different scenarios and could serve as Su Yu's trump cards.

For Su Yu, this trip to the Haotian Sect was undoubtedly worthwhile.

Not only had he resolved Wang Dong'er's issues, but the checkpoint rewards were also outstanding.

If Su Yu guessed correctly, even the Clear Sky Sect might no longer possess the Ring Explosion technique.

After all, this ability was only passed down to the Clear Sky Douluo lineage, and the last to learn it was Tang San.

Given his secretive nature, it was unlikely he'd have shared it with the Clear Sky Sect.

As such, the Clear Sky Sect's strength might have diminished without this skill.

Su Yu's thoughts wandered, but Wang Dong'er gently tapped him.

"What's wrong, Su Yu? Why did you stop?"

Wang Dong'er looked at him with a trace of confusion.

"Ah… nothing. I was just lost in thought. Let's go."

Su Yu smiled and squeezed Wang Dong'er's delicate hand.

She glanced at him suspiciously but didn't press further. Together, they entered the castle.

Just as they were about to head to the Ice Jade Room, a towering figure appeared before them.

Standing like a small wall, the figure was Tai Tan.

Though Su Yu was nearly 1.9 meters tall, he still looked tiny next to the giant.

Su Yu estimated Tai Tan's height to be close to 2.5 meters—a true little giant.

"Senior Tai Tan, is something the matter?"

Su Yu's eyes flickered slightly as he asked.

Wang Dong'er pouted and said with dissatisfaction, "Second Uncle, what are you up to again? Let me make it clear first—Su Yu's injuries have just healed, so you're not allowed to fight him."

Tai Tan's old face darkened. This little cotton-padded jacket of his was getting leakier by the day. Unbearable.

He shot Wang Dong'er a glare before pulling out a massive piece of grayish metal from his soul tool.

The chunk of metal stood about 1.5 meters tall and had a diameter of at least 1 meter. At first glance, it was extraordinary.

In his deep, rumbling voice, Tai Tan said, "Su Yu, this is for you!"

Su Yu was stunned. "Senior Tai Tan... what is this?"

Tai Tan snorted. "This is my apology gift. I lost my temper earlier and injured you. That was my fault."

"I heard you're a Soul Engineer, and I figure you probably need rare metals. Take this as a gift and don't hold a grudge against me."

Su Yu waved his hand and replied, "Senior Tai Tan, I was also at fault for what happened earlier. I can't accept this."

"Take it. Once I give something, I never take it back."

Tai Tan shoved the metal into Su Yu's arms. Caught off guard, Su Yu staggered and nearly fell.

Using all his strength, Su Yu steadied himself by pressing his left foot firmly to the ground.

Looking at the metal in his hands, Su Yu's eyes widened in surprise.

This metal was far heavier than it looked.

Though not particularly large, it weighed close to 100,000 jin (approx. 50 tons).

No ordinary person could even lift it, let alone carry it.

The density of this metal far exceeded that of regular metals.

"Senior Tai Tan, what kind of metal is this?"

Staring at the grayish metal, Su Yu couldn't recognize it for the moment.

Tai Tan scratched his head and said, "I think it's called Cold Heart Iron Essence."

Su Yu's eyes narrowed.

Cold Heart Iron Essence?

Wasn't that the primary material for crafting the Buddha Fury Tang Lotus?

With the Mysterious Heaven Treasure Record in his possession, Su Yu naturally knew what the Buddha Fury Tang Lotus was.

It was said to be the greatest mechanical hidden weapon of the Tang Sect. Of course, Su Yu didn't think much of it.

The only thing worth praising in the Tang Sect was the Asura Tear, the number one hidden weapon technique. Everything else was mediocre.

Even Asura Tear was unimpressive at the god level.

Otherwise, no one had ever seen Tang San use it while fighting the God of Destruction.

At the god-king level, it was entirely useless.

Of course, the hidden weapons might not be great, but the Cold Heart Iron Essence was undoubtedly valuable.

Without question, it was an extremely rare material and excellent for crafting soul tools.

This much Cold Heart Iron Essence would fetch a fortune on the market.

"Thank you very much, Senior Tai Tan."

Now that he knew it was Cold Heart Iron Essence, Su Yu no longer declined.

Though he wasn't short on money, rare materials like this were something he greatly appreciated.

Tai Tan waved it off casually. The Clear Sky Clan lacked many things, but metals were not one of them.

The clan's ancestral skills revolved around forging. They had plenty of metals.

After storing the Cold Heart Iron Essence in his soul tool, Su Yu noticed that Tai Tan was still standing before him. He asked, "Senior Tai Tan, is there something else?"

Titan nodded. "Big Brother wants to have a word with you."

Wang Dong'er's expression changed, and she hastily asked, "Why does First Uncle want to see Su Yu? Didn't he already agree to everything?"

She was worried that Niu Tian might make things difficult for Su Yu.

Tai Tan's lips twitched as he replied, "Dong'er, calm down. My big brother just wants to have a casual chat with Su Yu. Don't worry, he won't make things hard for him."

"Then I want to go too," Wang Dong'er said.

"No, only Su Yu can go," Tai Tan replied.

"I don't care. I'm going!" Wang Dong'er said stubbornly.

"No." Tai Tan shook his head firmly.

"You..." Wang Dong'er started to argue again, but Su Yu gently pulled her back.

"Alright, Dong'er, it's fine. Since Senior Tai Tan said so, the sect master surely won't make things hard for me."

"I'll be back soon," Su Yu reassured her.

"But..."

"It's okay. I'll come back quickly. Be good..."

Su Yu pinched Wang Dong'er's cheek and smiled.

Wang Dong'er pouted, but under Su Yu's gaze, she eventually nodded reluctantly.

"Follow me."

Tai Tan led Su Yu to the third floor of the Clear Sky Fortress.

In a simple but elegantly furnished room, Su Yu walked in.

Niu Tian, dressed in a white robe, was sipping tea. When he saw Su Yu, he raised his gaze slightly. "You're here?"

"Sect Master Niu!"

Su Yu clasped his fists in greeting.

"Take a seat."

Niu Tian gestured.

Su Yu sat down nearby.

"Is there something you need to instruct me on?"

Su Yu looked at Niu Tian, his mind already spinning with possibilities.

Setting down his teacup, Niu Tian said, "Su Yu, I called you here because there's something I need to tell you."

"It's about Dong'er."

"Oh?"

Su Yu's eyes narrowed slightly. "Please, go on."

Niu Tian sighed. "You may not know this, but Dong'er has suffered from a strange illness since childhood. She won't live past twenty."

Su Yu: ??????

Why did this feel so familiar?

Feigning urgency, Su Yu said, "What? Dong'er has such an illness? Is there a cure?"

Su Yu's acting was flawless. Even Niu Tian couldn't detect a single flaw.

"Dong'er's father once left behind a method. There's a medicinal herb that can cure her, but it's not easy to obtain," Niu Tian said.

Su Yu immediately responded, "Just tell me. No matter what the herb is, I'll personally retrieve it for Dong'er."

Seeing Su Yu's anxious expression, Niu Tian nodded in satisfaction. "The place where it grows is extremely dangerous. However, with your current strength, you should manage."

"The herb is called Yearning Heartbroken Red. It grows in a perilous location known as—"

"Wait a moment..."

Su Yu interrupted Niu Tian.

Niu Tian looked at him in confusion, only to see Su Yu smile faintly.

"Are you talking about this?"

Under Niu Tian's gaze, Su Yu pulled out a small white flower from his waist. Beneath the flower was a pitch-black Wujue Stone.

Looking at the little white flower, Niu Tian froze.