Just like this, an unknown amount of time passed...
"Is that all you've got?" Relying on his undying ability, Zhou Ran had actually run all the way to the throne itself, confronting the half-dragon man.
"Absolute Defense... coupled with the ability to reverse time and space!" The half-dragon man suddenly realized something, freezing momentarily in shock.
"Stunned? Take this, Grandpa's fist!" Zhou Ran condensed Stellar Spiritual Energy in his right fist and swung it forcefully at the half-dragon man's head.
But it was useless. Before he could even touch the half-dragon man, he was shattered once again by a Soul Shockwave.
"Resurrect on the spot!"
Zhou Ran revived again, burning with fury. He'd been killed so many times by the guy before him, unable to even fight back. He felt utterly useless.
Just then, a violet-gold sphere beside the throne caught Zhou Ran's eye.
"A purple-gold ball that big? Jackpot! Even if I can't beat you up, taking this won't be a loss."
"System, can I change regions here?" Zhou Ran immediately called out mentally.
"Affirmative. However, since this is a dimensional fragment, it requires 10 points of Merit. This is equivalent to directly switching to a different dimension fragment," the system prompted.
Zhou Ran didn't hesitate. This violet-gold sphere was obviously priceless; who cared about 10 or 20 points?
He immediately reached out, planning to grab it and teleport away instantly.
Bang!
Zhou Ran's body suddenly exploded. The moment he touched the sphere, he was hit by a Soul Attack from the sinister man behind him.
"Resurrect on the spot!"
"You sneak attacked me! Despicable! Cowardly scum!" Zhou Ran cursed angrily, but still charged towards the violet-gold sphere again.
Bang!
His body exploded once more.
"Resurrect on the spot!"
"I refuse to believe I can't take this thing!" After reviving, Zhou Ran didn't even turn his head; he charged straight ahead.
And so it went: Bang! Resurrect! Bang! Resurrect!...
On the seventh attempt, the half-dragon man suddenly snapped out of his daze and stopped the sinister man.
A flicker of suspicion crossed Zhou Ran's eyes, but this was a prime opportunity!
Sure enough, Zhou Ran managed to grab the violet-gold sphere this time, and his body didn't explode.
He immediately activated his spatial ring, storing the violet-gold sphere away.
Simultaneously, he yelled, "Want to know who I am? I'm your granddaddy! Later, loser!"
Bang!
The instant Zhou Ran finished his taunt, his body exploded again. This time, not even blood remained – he was vaporized cleanly.
The half-dragon man and the sinister man watched silently, both seemingly deep in thought.
Zhou Ran didn't resurrect on the spot this time. Just moments before, he had immediately spent 10 Merit Points to transfer to the next dimensional fragment.
"Master, are we just letting him take that thing?!" The sinister man knelt half-kneeled before the throne.
"In this world, only that entity from the past could wield Absolute Defense and reverse time and space. For anyone else... it's utterly impossible!" the half-dragon man declared with authority.
"But that object is too important..." the sinister man protested.
"I sensed a familiar aura from that human. Rest assured. After all... it originally belonged to him."
"Listen. If he ever enters here again in the future, protect him." Having uttered this command, the half-dragon man closed his eyes and sank back into slumber.
The sinister man bowed devoutly, then vanished into the surrounding darkness.
...
"Transfer Region!"
Zhou Ran left Dimensional Fragment 128 and arrived at Dimensional Fragment 141.
"Resurrect on the spot! Dark Star Wolf Dog! Thunderclap Tiger!" Zhou Ran resurrected both beasts.
The two beasts appeared and immediately clung tightly to Zhou Ran's legs. Clearly, the recent events had terrified them to their core – it was an absolute fear stemming from both power level and bloodline suppression.
"That was exhilarating! Even though I got bullied pretty badly, it wasn't a loss. I snatched a treasure!"
"Still, it was too dangerous. Hopefully, this dimension won't have any more monstrous beasts."
Zhou Ran cautiously scanned his surroundings and continued forward with his two beasts.
This dimension was much better than the last one. It had vegetation, and small beasts occasionally scurried past.
Suddenly, an enormous black bear burst out from the side, roared towards the sky, and glared fiercely at Zhou Ran.
"Alright, time for training! Charge!" Zhou Ran, undaunted, immediately used the Beast Identification Device. Seeing it was a Tier 5 Upper Rank Black Thunder Bear, he commanded his two beasts to attack.
Though still shaken, the two beasts instantly adopted combat stances upon receiving their master's command.
The Dark Star Wolf Dog's eyes glowed red. The star on its forehead and the tip of its tail simultaneously emitted a bloody crimson light. It opened its maw and unleashed a beam of pure darkness!
Hellish Roar!
The Black Thunder Bear was massive, easily a hundred meters long. With a casual swipe of its paw, it effortlessly dissipated the dark beam.
Nearby, the Thunderclap Tiger, only the size of a house cat, was constantly biting at the Black Thunder Bear.
The Black Thunder Bear's combat power was clearly overwhelming. As a Fighting and Thunder-type beast, it merely swiped its paws, effortlessly killing Zhou Ran's beasts again and again.
Zhou Ran wasn't particularly flustered. After the scene he'd just experienced, why fear this stupid bear?
"Unlimited resurrections! I'll just wear it down to death!"
"Erbao! Use Phantom Clone!" Zhou Ran transmitted the command mentally.
Upon hearing it, the Dark Star Wolf Dog broke into an incredibly fast run, swift as lightning, almost seeming to warp space. It quickly split into five identical copies of itself and began attacking the Black Thunder Bear frantically.
"Good! Thunderclap Tiger! Use Thunderous Tiger Roar!" Zhou Ran commanded the battle calmly.
The Thunderclap Tiger, after all, possessed Tier 6 bloodline potential. Due to this bloodline suppression, its Thunderous Tiger Roar was bound to have a surprising effect!
The Thunderclap Tiger let out a mighty roar, infused with rolling thunder and lightning, that swept towards the Black Thunder Bear.
It worked!
The Black Thunder Bear clutched its head in agony. Seizing the opportunity, the Dark Star Wolf Dog's five clones simultaneously unleashed Wind Demon Roar. The combined power was immense, blasting a several-meter-long bloody gash into the Black Thunder Bear's belly.
Enraged and in agony, the Black Thunder Bear began to counterattack wildly. It leaped high into the air and slammed down onto the ground with tremendous force.
A powerful seismic shockwave instantly obliterated all of the Dark Star Wolf Dog's clones. Simultaneously, both beasts were pulverized into dust, leaving the battlefield momentarily clear.
"Such a powerful Earth Shockwave... but you won't escape death today!"
"Resurrect on the spot!" Zhou Ran bellowed.
Fully restored, the Dark Star Wolf Dog and Thunderclap Tiger charged forward unconditionally once more, as if driven by instinct.
Finally, after countless deaths and resurrections, the Black Thunder Bear was literally worn down to death. Its colossal body crashed to the ground like a collapsing mountain. A blue gemstone flew out from within its form.
"What's that?" Zhou Ran wondered.
"A Thunder Core. This Black Thunder Bear attempted to break through its shackles and become a Tier 6 beast but failed. This is the remnant, condensed from its lifelong cultivation."
"Value: 300,000. A potent supplement for Thunder-type beasts," the system explained.
Zhou Ran picked up the Thunder Core. Unsurprisingly, the Thunderclap Tiger was staring at it, practically salivating.
Zhou Ran felt conflicted. He had intended to sell the Thunderclap Tiger... should he keep it now?
Forget it. He'd just obtained that Violet-Gold Sphere; it must be incredibly valuable. Might as well let the tiger have this one.