Ji Ji Ba didn't seem very happy — it bared its sharp little teeth and bit at Gu You.
"Seriously? You're already fused as my soul spirit, and you can still bite me?" Gu You winced in pain. His right pinky finger got bitten clean off. Even though it was just a soul form and would quickly regenerate, it still drained his spiritual energy.
A ring of white light appeared around Gu You. The aura of his Purple-Gold Dragon Emperor martial spirit surged outward, radiating waves of annihilation and destruction that corroded everything in the air.
Leng Yaozhu's eyes widened in disbelief. "That aura… how is this possible? The Purple Radiance Extinguishing Dragon, once the exclusive martial spirit of the old Sun-Moon royal line, appearing in an orphan?"
Long Yali remained silent. Having followed Leng Yaozhu for years, she knew when to adapt and when to stay quiet.
"No, something's off. The aura has extreme annihilation attributes, yes, but there's something else mixed in… something I can't even describe. Could it be a variant? The form doesn't match either." Leng Yaozhu quickly pulled up records on the Purple Radiance Extinguishing Dragon using a soul communicator. Comparing the reference images, the differences were striking. Gu You's Purple-Gold Dragon Emperor had blood-red eyes filled with annihilation and ruin, whereas the Extinguishing Dragon merely carried a destructive aura, more fierce than utterly devastating.
"Whatever it is, he's my disciple now. Yali, make sure you tell no one about this. Even if it's not the Purple Radiance Extinguishing Dragon, the aura is too similar. Now it makes sense why the Federation paid such a heavy price." Leng Yaozhu's expression turned grim. Only a few knew about this, but if word got out that someone with ties to the old Sun-Moon imperial bloodline existed, no one could predict if the scattered royal remnants might try to rebuild the empire — with Gu You on the throne. Long Yali nodded firmly.
"You did well this time," Leng Yaozhu added. "When we return, I'll have someone help you upgrade both arms of your three-word battle armor set."
"Thank you, Vice Tower Master!" Long Yali left, her voice barely able to hide her excitement. After all, even a single piece of three-word battle armor couldn't be measured in money. Transmission Tower only had one rank-eight Saint Craftsman capable of forging it, and getting their help was nearly impossible. Long Yali had been stuck at the two-word armor stage for five years, and now — she might finally complete the full three-word set.
Gu You exhaled deeply, feeling the surging soul power inside him. He smiled inwardly. Level 13 now.
"Now that you've finished absorbing, show me your first soul skill," Leng Yaozhu said suddenly.
"Here? Right now?" Gu You blinked.
"You brat, do you think your master can't handle a mere ten-year soul skill?" Leng Yaozhu raised an eyebrow.
"No, no! I'll do it now!" Gu You realized the mood and quickly activated his first soul ring.
The white soul ring flared to life, and countless strands of resentment gathered around him.
Purple-Gold Annihilation Strike!
Gu You's right hand transformed, purple scales covering his fingers, forming a dragon claw that slashed toward Leng Yaozhu.
'That's it?' Leng Yaozhu flicked a finger, effortlessly blocking the strike. But in that instant, Gu You smirked. A phantom dragon head, radiating pure annihilation and ruin, burst forth from the dragon claw, lunging straight for Leng Yaozhu's throat. Anyone sensitive enough could sense the layers of resentment in the attack — resentment, crushed beneath the weight of destructive force.
'Interesting.' Leng Yaozhu's body lit up with a faint layer of flame. Though it looked delicate, her control over soul power was absolute. The dragon head disintegrated in the fire, vanishing in an instant.
"A power comparable to a seven- or eight-hundred-year soul skill. Not bad," Leng Yaozhu praised.
Gu You was looking pale now. His soul power had been drained too quickly. If it had been a hundred-year soul spirit, he probably could've used it several times.
"Master, since I've already become your disciple, it's not too much to ask for two little favors, right?" Gu You asked cautiously.
"Oh? Let's hear these 'little' requests," Leng Yaozhu said with a slightly stiff smile.
"It's really nothing big… First, I hope you won't use the remaining experimental Tyrannosaurus soul spirits for testing anymore. Second… I want to visit the Ascension Platform and boost my soul ring's age a bit." Gu You gave a wry smile.
"Oh? You know about the Ascension Platform? The second request is easy, but the first one — why do you pity soul beasts so much?" Leng Yaozhu asked curiously.
Gu You fell silent and then told her about the memories he'd seen in his spiritual sea — the agony he'd felt firsthand during the fusion.
Leng Yaozhu didn't reply, but inwardly she was shocked. How could a ten-year soul spirit hold that much resentment? Normally, soul beasts only developed basic childlike intelligence after reaching the thousand-year level, which was why many soul masters who tried to absorb thousand-year spirits failed — their minds overwhelmed by the beast's hatred. If lucky, they'd just need to rest for a few days; if unlucky, their martial spirits could shatter entirely.
Later, the Transmission Tower developed devices that allowed soul masters to experience a soul beast's life before absorption, creating emotional resonance and making the process easier. She hadn't expected Gu You's first soul ring to generate that kind of resonance naturally — entirely on its own.
"You're an interesting kid," Leng Yaozhu mused, studying him carefully. "I almost wonder if you're really just some orphan from an orphanage."
"Ahem! Master, this white soul ring doesn't look very good. Can we change its color?" Gu You said quickly, standing up to leave. But before he could board the elevator, Leng Yaozhu grabbed his arm, and they both vanished on the spot.
…
"Vice Tower Master, you… why are you here?" The staff at the Ascension Platform were stunned.
"I'm accompanying my disciple to upgrade his soul ring's color," Leng Yaozhu said with a glance at Gu You.
"Ah? Right away!" The staff quickly moved to prepare. They were sweating nervously. 'Why does the Vice Tower Master love taking in disciples so much? Last month she just accepted someone named Gu Yue… and now, just a month later, she's picked up another one! Ah, if only I could become Heavenly Phoenix's disciple too…'
"Normal mode or riot mode?" Leng Yaozhu turned to Gu You.
"Normal is fine," Gu You said casually. To him, it didn't make much difference — riot mode just meant the soul beasts were angrier. Either way, his soul ring would only upgrade to what his body could handle.
Once everything was ready, the staff gave a respectful bow.
"Vice Tower Master, you're…?"
"I'm going in with him."
Wha… what?!
"B-but the rules…" The staff shot a look of envy at Gu You.
"Are my rules not still rules?" Leng Yaozhu flicked her fingers lightly.
"Yes, yes!" The staff immediately nodded in agreement.
They followed her into a room where two luxurious soul devices awaited.
"This is our specially designed Ascension Platform setup. It reduces pain inside by about thirty percent," the staff explained, gesturing politely.
Climbing into the device, Gu You felt like he was stepping into a cryo chamber. As a strange sensation washed over him, he drifted off into sleep.
…
Towering trees loomed overhead, their dense canopies so thick that not even sunlight could pierce through. Darkness filled the vast forest — the Star Dou Forest from ten thousand years ago, the sacred land of soul beasts.
"Stop daydreaming and hurry up," Leng Yaozhu said, smacking Gu You lightly on the head.
(End of chapter)
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