Jing Shaoyu was somewhat surprised.
Previously, when he worked with Xu Xiaoyan, Wu Siduo, Ye Xinglan, and Mo Hentian, the benefits always went to them. But this time with Na'er, not only did she gain, but he received equal benefits as well, which piqued his curiosity.
If his interactions with Xu Xiaoyan and the other three women could be described as "draining yang to nourish yin," then his time with Na'er was a mutual exchange of yin and yang. The reason for this difference was simple: the disparity in their life hierarchies. Whether it was Xu Xiaoyan, Wu Siduo, Ye Xinglan, or Mo Hentian, they were all humans in transcendent states, whereas he and Na'er were deities in essence.
Due to this gap in life hierarchy, when the four women merged with Jing Shaoyu, they could only take unilaterally without being able to give back—something beyond their control.
This included Leng Yaozhu, who had taken his "first blood." Although she had progressed further on the path of life evolution compared to the other four women, there was still a significant gap between her and Jing Shaoyu, so she too only received one-sided benefits.
In contrast, Na'er, as the newly born Golden Dragon King, had reached the divine life hierarchy, allowing her to nourish Jing Shaoyu in return.
In any case, when Jing Shaoyu woke up the next morning, his Soul Power had reached the peak of rank 93. A night of pleasure had boosted his Soul Power by one and a half ranks—quite impressive.
He realized one thing: advancing from rank 92 to 93 required energy equivalent to two versions of himself at rank 92. To go from rank 93 to its peak required more than two but less than three versions of himself at rank 93. In other words, he would need to absorb three rank-93 versions of himself to advance from rank 93 to 94.
"Ugh!" Jing Shaoyu sighed, rubbing his forehead.
If that were truly the case, wouldn't advancing from rank 98 to 99 require enough energy to elevate eight versions of himself to rank 98? Just the thought of it was enough to make one despair.
"Brother, what are you thinking about?" Na'er lay on top of Jing Shaoyu, her jade-like skin pressed against him, her delicate face flushed with satisfaction as she asked softly.
"I'm thinking about how to quickly improve my cultivation!" Jing Shaoyu lamented, sharing his conjecture with Na'er.
"That is quite troubling," Na'er also wore a troubled expression before suddenly brightening up. Excitedly, she said, "Got it! Brother, I've thought of a way for you to rapidly boost your cultivation—and it's absolutely time and effort efficient!"
"What method?" Jing Shaoyu asked eagerly, curiosity burning in his eyes.
"Hehe, go sleep with Gu Yue!" Na'er flashed a mischievous grin. "If you sleep with her, your Soul Power will rise by at least one rank—maybe even two!"
"Uh—" Jing Shaoyu's smile froze, his expression caught between speechlessness and resignation. "That's just a temporary fix—it would only work once. We still need to find a sustainable method to meet the exponentially increasing energy demands."
"Anyway, you'll make a move on her sooner or later, so what does it matter if it's a bit earlier or later?" Na'er said with righteous confidence. "Besides, with the Abyss around, are you really worried about lacking a place to quickly boost your cultivation?"
"The Abyss is indeed a great source of energy, but that's only because the amount of Abyss energy I've absorbed so far is negligible compared to its total reserves. If I keep absorbing for a while longer, it will inevitably alert the Abyss Plane. By then, the only way to obtain Abyss energy will be through outright force," Jing Shaoyu explained.
"Then just take it by force!" Na'er declared boldly. "They're robbers themselves anyway—they should have been prepared to get robbed too!"
"Truly my sister, overflowing with domineering spirit!" Jing Shaoyu couldn't help but pinch her soft, plump cheeks, laughing heartily, which earned him a playful glare from Na'er.
"Of course! I'm the Golden Dragon Douluo now!" Na'er sat up straight, puffing out her chest proudly. "And my Soul Power has reached level 94—one level higher than yours, hehe!"
"Yes, yes, Your Excellency the Golden Dragon Douluo is peerless in the world!" Jing Shaoyu smiled softly, cheering for her like an ardent fan.
Golden Dragon Douluo—this was the title Na'er had chosen for herself. Simple and straightforward, without any special meaning, it perfectly suited her personality. Her cultivation had indeed reached level 94, as she claimed, making her the strongest in their group.
"It's about time we head back," Jing Shaoyu said, glancing at the brightening sky outside the window. The sunlight was just right. He patted the round bottom perched on his lap and added, "Let's go."
"To the Blood God Legion? Yay!" Na'er didn't get up immediately. Though her expression was eager, her movements were slow. Pressing her hands against Jing Shaoyu's chest, she asked, "What should I do, brother?"
"Don't worry, I've already prepared!" Jing Shaoyu chuckled, retrieving a brand-new letter of recommendation from the Sky Phoenix Ring. "Here, this is the recommendation letter Godmother prepared for you."
Jing Shaoyu had told Ya Li that he would bring Na'er along to the Blood God Legion, so Ya Li had prepared a recommendation letter for her as well.
"Yay!" Na'er was overjoyed. She leaned down to plant a kiss on Jing Shaoyu's cheek before finally standing up to get dressed.
Strangely enough, even though Gu Yue looked identical to Na'er, neither Jing Ziyuan, Ya Li, nor Xu Xiaoyan ever mistook her for Na'er. Curious, Jing Shaoyu had once asked Gu Yue about it, but she hadn't answered, only teasingly saying, "Guess."
It wasn't until Jing Shaoyu's spiritual power broke through to the Divine Origin Realm that he understood the reason. Gu Yue was using her immense spiritual power to alter how others perceived her appearance. Unless someone's spiritual cultivation surpassed hers, they would be affected.
No one on Douluo Star could surpass the Silver Dragon King in spiritual cultivation, so she could effortlessly make others accept her changing appearance.
This was a manifestation of spiritual power influencing reality.
After checking out of the resort room, Jing Shaoyu took Na'er and flew toward the Endless Mountains.
Along the way, Na'er suddenly suggested that Jing Shaoyu help her familiarize herself with her Soul Skills. So, the two stopped at a deserted sand dune to practice.
"Na'er, you attack, I'll defend," he suggested.
"Alright, no problem!" Na'er nodded eagerly, her body immediately erupting with an overbearing and domineering aura. Nine Soul Rings flew out from behind her—six orange-gold and three radiant gold—dazzlingly bright. A pair of massive golden dragon wings unfurled, and a golden spear appeared in her grasp.
Her deep purple eyes transformed into radiant golden vertical pupils, exuding nobility and immense authority. A pair of dragon horns sprouted from her forehead, sharp as twin blades, gleaming with a chilling light.
The basic form of Martial Soul Avatar. Jing Shaoyu nodded seriously.
"Brother, watch out!" Na'er shouted playfully as her first Soul Ring lit up. A brilliant golden light erupted from her body, making her shine like a miniature sun. Diamond-shaped golden dragon scales emerged, swiftly covering her neck, hands, ankles, and all other exposed skin. Her aura surged, and her physical abilities—strength, speed, and more—were greatly enhanced.
First Soul Skill—Golden Dragon King Body!
A classic enhancement-type Soul Skill.
"Hyah!" With a swift movement, her dragon spear thrust forward as Na'er charged at Jing Shaoyu.
Shaoyu made no unnecessary movements. He simply summoned the Natural God Staff and lightly tapped it against the ground. Instantly, lush green vines burst forth from the barren dunes, rapidly weaving together before him to form a massive plant shield, blocking Na'er's attack.
Wherever Na'er's Golden Dragon Spear struck, the plants on the shield withered, crumbled, and vanished. The vegetation couldn't withstand the spear's power—yet Na'er didn't advance a single step. The speed at which she shattered the shield couldn't outpace the speed at which it regenerated.
Though the plants were weak, Jing Shaoyu granted them the ability to endlessly revive.
This was the application of the Law of Life and the authority of nature.
"Watch me uproot you completely!" Na'er called out, her fourth Soul Ring flashing in response.
Golden flames ignited in her left palm as she clenched it into a fist. With a resounding dragon's roar, she punched forward, and the golden flames transformed into a massive dragon's head, its ferocious visage charging toward the plant shield. The air grew scorching in its wake.
Fourth Soul Skill—Golden Dragon King Fist!
Thanks to the Fierce Flame Apricot Enchantress, it was also imbued with the golden flames of Ultimate Fire, unbearably intense.
The dragon's head crashed into the plant shield. In an instant, roaring flames erupted, reducing both the shield and the roots beneath to ashes.
"Not bad, not bad!" Jing Shaoyu laughed. "Keep it coming!"
Once more, the Natural God Staff tapped the ground. A chilling white mist rose from beneath his feet, concealing him completely in the blink of an eye. Along with the mist, slabs of solid ice formed before him, their surfaces glistening with a thin layer of flowing water.
Na'er's eyes gleamed as her second and third Soul Rings lit up in succession.
Second Soul Skill—Golden Overlord Body!
Third Soul Skill—Dragon God Power!
Both were enhancement-type Soul Skills. Golden Overlord Body could be considered an upgraded version of Golden Dragon King Body, granting temporary immunity to control effects. Dragon God Power, on the other hand, was the ultimate strength enhancement, fully awakening the Golden Dragon King's might to the point of overwhelming all techniques with sheer force.
Under the combined effects of the three amplification states, Na'er's strength reached a terrifying level. She thrust the Golden Dragon Spear toward the solid ice barrier in front of Jing Shaoyu.
Crack!
With a crisp sound, the Golden Dragon Spear pierced through dozens of ice blocks, its tip aimed directly at Jing Shaoyu.
"Hahaha! Again!" Jing Shaoyu laughed heartily, dispersing the remaining ice in front of him. The Natural God Staff swung once more, and this time, countless metallic blades materialized out of thin air, each gleaming with a piercing cold light, shimmering like stars in the sky.
They all shot toward Na'er simultaneously.
Seeing this, Na'er immediately tossed the Golden Dragon Spear into the air and extended both hands forward. The golden dragon scales trembled as her delicate hands transformed into thick, razor-sharp dragon claws. Behind her, the fifth Soul Ring lit up.
A golden dragon phantom surged forth from her clasped claws, its momentum overwhelming, resembling the true Golden Dragon King. Its fangs were ferocious, its horns sharp and unstoppable, its wings spread wide against the wind. The entire figure, shaped like a golden cross, charged toward the rain of metallic blades.
Fifth Soul Skill—Golden Dragon Cross!
Thud! Thud! Thud!
A series of dull impacts rang out as the blades and the dragon phantom clashed, gradually wearing each other down. Before long, both dissolved into wisps of white smoke, reduced to dust in the world.
The subsequent battle between the two was not intense, as their purpose was merely to spar—or rather, for Jing Shaoyu to help Na'er familiarize herself with her Soul Skills.
Na'er's sixth Soul Skill was also an offensive one, named Golden Dragon King's Fury, a rare soundwave-type Soul Skill. It could not only deal large-scale damage but also instill fear, trembling, and other negative emotions in beast-type Martial Soul Soul Masters.
Her seventh Soul Skill was, of course, her Spirit Avatar—the Golden Dragon King Avatar—a massive golden dragon over 300 meters long from head to tail, with each of its scales measuring four to five meters, their edges as sharp as blades.
The eighth and ninth Soul Skills were not demonstrated, as they consumed too much Soul Power, and the two still had a journey ahead. They needed to conserve some energy.
However, Na'er verbally described the effects of these skills to Jing Shaoyu.
The eighth Soul Skill, Dragon God Art · Golden Change, was a skill derived from the Source of Destruction of the Dragon God. It allowed Na'er to temporarily wield the power of the Source of Destruction, enabling her to unleash world-shattering force with every move. Strictly speaking, this was an amplification-type Soul Skill.
The ninth Soul Skill, Dragon God Art · Annihilation Kill, was said to be a weakened version of the Dragon God's strongest attack. Centered around the power of destruction, it unleashed a cataclysmic energy explosion in a designated area, capable of annihilating everything within—including laws and energy—reducing it all to chaos in an instant.
Overall, the strength Na'er displayed was fully comparable to that of a Limit Douluo. At full power, she could even defeat a quasi-deity.
Jing Shaoyu considered having her participate in the upcoming Star Dou Battle Net Tournament. On one hand, it would allow her to refine her skills through real combat. On the other, it was for the Dragon Clan Law Blade. He didn't know how the Dragon Clan Law Blade had taken human form, but since it had appeared, Jing Shaoyu couldn't let it slip away.
If Tang Wulin, a fake Golden Dragon King, could wield the Dragon Clan Law Blade, there was no reason Na'er, the real Golden Dragon King, couldn't.
Rather than going to the Southern Legion themselves to find Sima Jinchi, it would be better to have Sima Jinchi come to them. The Star Dou Battle Net Tournament was the perfect opportunity.
After their sparring session, the two continued their journey, traveling swiftly without rest and soon arrived back at the Blood God Legion's base.
According to legion regulations, Na'er was still considered an outsider, so Jing Shaoyu couldn't bring her in directly. He entered first, then Na'er voluntarily underwent questioning by the sentries. Finally, he reappeared to escort her into the legion after she presented her letter of recommendation.
The whole process seemed utterly redundant—like taking off pants just to fart—and indeed it was. But rules were rules, and even Legion Commander Zhang Huanyun and Xue Yi had to follow them. Naturally, Shaoyu couldn't defy them either.
"Your Excellency! You're back!" As soon as Jing Shaoyu entered the legion base, he ran into Long Yuxue, Jiang Wuyue, and Jiang Qiyue. Long Yuxue looked delighted to see him.
"Greetings, Your Excellency!" The Jiang siblings also bowed respectfully.
"Hello," Jing Shaoyu's eyes brightened upon seeing them. "Could you do me a favor and fetch the Legion Commander or the current duty-bound Blood God? Tell them I've brought someone who needs their approval."
Hearing this, the three of them looked curious. Jiang Wuyue said, "I'll go, Your Excellency. Please wait a moment."
He turned and ran deeper into the legion base, while Long Yuxue and Jiang Qiyue blinked their big eyes at Jing Shaoyu. "Your Excellency, who could possibly be important enough for you to personally recommend?"
"My sister and lover," Jing Shaoyu replied with a smile. "If you're curious, come with me. It's a good chance to introduce her to you."
(End of Chapter)