"You're crazy! You still want to absorb this soul bone?" Leng Yaozhu looked at Gu You with a complicated expression. This child had shocked her too many times already. Fighting a Darkgolden Terrorclaw Bear while severely injured and actually winning?
Seeing Leng Yaozhu suddenly appear beside him, Gu You forced himself to endure the pain. "You said you would help me, but you were just watching the whole time." After thinking for a moment, he continued, "Of course, I'm going to absorb it! This soul bone paired with my dragon claw is a perfect match."
Leng Yaozhu didn't respond. Instead, she took the Terrorclaw Bear's right palm bone from Gu You's hand, examined it for a moment, and then shook her head. "This isn't just a hundred-year soul bone. It comes from a Darkgolden Terrorclaw Bear that was at least two thousand years old. I never expected the Spirit Ascension Platform's rewards to be this generous, even surprising me. You absolutely can't absorb it. I'll keep it for you, and you can use it once you reach the Soul Elder rank."
However, Leng Yaozhu's words only strengthened Gu You's resolve to absorb the soul bone. He knew that soul bones acquired within the Spirit Ascension Platform couldn't be taken out. If he didn't absorb it here, it would dissolve back into a Darkgolden Terrorclaw Bear upon leaving, serving as a challenge for future participants. There was always a chance that someone else would defeat it and absorb the bone instead. Of course, this was just speculation. Since Leng Yaozhu had already spoken, he knew it would be difficult to go against her wishes. But he still wanted to try. After all, with the augmentation from his dragon claw, his power would increase several times over.
"Just one try! Alright, Master?" Gu You's tone was firm.
"You… Fine, I'll guard you. But if anything goes wrong, you must immediately stop and press the emergency exit button," Leng Yaozhu finally relented.
Gu You grinned, took back the soul bone, and sat cross-legged. He connected his soul power with his right arm and the soul bone while simultaneously releasing his martial soul, preparing to absorb it.
Leng Yaozhu snapped her fingers, summoning a fiery red energy barrier around Gu You. Even the staff outside the Spirit Ascension Platform couldn't see what was happening inside.
"AHH!"
Gu You's agonized scream rang out. Leng Yaozhu shook her head. She could clearly see his youthful arrogance. Just because he had talent, he thought he could absorb anything beyond his limits. But at the same time, she admired him. The path of a soul master was one of striving for strength. The more competitive they were in their youth, the faster they cultivated.
Moreover, from what she had observed, Gu You's martial soul was at least divine-grade. She found it hard to believe that a six-year-old, whose bones hadn't fully developed, could physically endure and fight a Darkgolden Terrorclaw Bear in close combat. The only explanation was that his martial soul had given him an extraordinary boost. Take the Titan Giant Ape martial soul as an example: when a soul master activated its first soul ring, they would inherit some of its basic traits, growing larger and sprouting fur—essentially, an enhancement. Since Gu You's martial soul was dragon-type, the strength of this enhancement depended on the martial soul's quality. Judging from what she had seen, his martial soul was undoubtedly at least pseudo-divine.
If Gu You successfully absorbed this soul bone, he would become the first recorded prodigy in ten thousand years to possess a soul bone at just six years old.
"Go report this to Tower Master Qiangu immediately!" Outside the Spirit Ascension Platform, a staff member clutched his chest in distress and gave urgent instructions. A two-thousand-year-old soul bone was gone just like that—an absolute treasure! This wasn't the age of abundant soul beasts from ten thousand years ago. In this era, every soul bone was precious.
Of course, the Spirit Pagoda could afford to lose a single two-thousand-year-old soul bone, but the real issue was Gu You. A terrifying genius who had fought a Darkgolden Terrorclaw Bear at just six years old—and Leng Yaozhu's disciple at that! Considering the growing rift between the Vice Tower Master and the Tower Master, this staff member, a loyal follower of Qiangu Dongfeng, naturally saw the need to report this.
Pain! The pain was unbearable!!
Gu You couldn't even describe it. He had thought only his right arm would hurt, but instead, his entire body felt like it was about to explode.
A violent force threatened to rip him apart. The Darkgolden Terrorclaw Bear's raging resentment poured from the soul bone, washing over his body. His eyes bled, and his veins bulged all over his skin.
But at that moment, a dragon's roar suddenly interrupted everything.
Purple scales began to cover Gu You's entire body, and the blood-red veins on his face darkened into a deep blackish-purple. Strangely, the soul bone's violent aura dimmed immediately after the roar, as if submitting to a higher power.
What's happening? Leng Yaozhu was shocked. The fiery red energy barrier she had formed with her soul power darkened into a deep purple-black. This was different from before—this time, it was the ultimate destructive attribute, eroding her soul power away.
A martial soul mutation!
A thought flashed through Leng Yaozhu's mind. If Gu You's Purple-Gold Dragon Emperor martial soul had originally mutated from the Purple Destruction Dragon, then this must be a second mutation. If the first mutation had been beneficial, the second one was almost guaranteed to be as well.
But this was only her assumption. It was also possible that Gu You's martial soul was entirely undocumented in history. If that were the case, whether this mutation was beneficial or a weakening remained to be seen.
In Gu You's spiritual sea, the tiny chick-like creature known as Ji Ji Ba sprouted a small purple scale on its forehead. Enormous energy gathered around it—the accumulated energy from this trip to the Spirit Ascension Platform. This energy could potentially raise his soul ring's age by five to six hundred years, but only after leaving the platform.
The pain in Gu You's body persisted, though it wasn't as unbearable as before. He could clearly hear his own heartbeat and feel the special changes in his right arm and palm.
The scales on his body gradually faded. His clothes, already tattered from the battle with the Darkgolden Terrorclaw Bear, were now reduced to just a pair of shorts.
But the physical changes were remarkable. Though only six years old, Gu You now stood at an impressive 1.5 meters tall. His skin was unnaturally smooth and fair, and with his delicate features, he was undeniably a handsome young boy. The only downside was the foul, rotting stench surrounding him.
The impurities in his body had been expelled, leaving him feeling incredibly refreshed. But he couldn't stop meditating yet—his soul bone fusion wasn't complete. He took this opportunity to recover his soul power.
From his current understanding, with the soul bone's fusion, his physical strength had already reached the level of a three-ring Soul Elder. Absorbing a thousand-year soul ring would no longer be an issue. So, his next target wasn't a mere hundred-year soul ring—it was a millennial one!
Leng Yaozhu, who had been waiting anxiously outside, was momentarily stunned when the purple energy barrier turned white. He really succeeded.
As the soul bone stabilized, the energy barrier faded. Gu You stood up, just about to share the good news with Leng Yaozhu, when—
SLAP!
"You call yourself my master?! *!!" Gu You flew backward, cursing in midair.
"You're a little brat who already knows how to take advantage of women. A bit of discipline will teach you a lesson!" Leng Yaozhu casually pressed the red exit button. With Gu You's current strength, he no longer needed to stay in the beginner-level Spirit Ascension Platform.
Maybe I really have taken in an incredible disciple… Leng Yaozhu murmured as she watched Gu You disappear.
Darkgolden Terrorclaw!
Five terrifying golden claw strikes tore through two nearby three-ring Soul Elders. Initially, they hadn't thought much of Gu You, seeing only his single ten-year soul ring. But when they sensed the overwhelming power of his attack, it was already too late to react.
They were obliterated, leaving behind pure energy.
Gu You was ecstatic. These two Soul Elders had just slain a thousand-year soul beast and were completely exhausted. If he had fought them at full strength, the battle would've been tough. But now, he had gotten an easy victory.
(End of Chapter)