Martial Soul Mutation, Thousand-year Soul Ring

"You're crazy. You still want to absorb this soul bone?" Leng Yaozhu looked at Gu You with a complicated expression. This child had given her far too many shocks. He had fought the Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear head-on while seriously injured—and won.

Seeing Leng Yaozhu suddenly appear at his side, Gu You endured the pain and said, "You promised to help me, but you were just standing there watching." After thinking it over, he added, "Of course I'm absorbing it. This soul bone is a perfect match for my dragon claws."

Leng Yaozhu did not respond. Instead, she snatched the Claw Bear's right palm bone from Gu You's hand, examined it, then shook her head. "This isn't a Hundred Year Soul Bone. It was dropped by a Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear around two thousand years old. I didn't expect the Spirit Ascension Platform's rewards to run this deep—not even I knew. You simply can't absorb it. I can hold onto it for you until you break through to Soul Elder, then you can absorb it."

Yet her words only strengthened Gu You's determination. The soul bone inside the Spirit Ascension Platform could not be taken outside. Unless it was absorbed within, it would condense into a Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear again after leaving, becoming a trial for other soul masters entering the Spirit Ascension Platform. Perhaps someone else might succeed and absorb it. Of course, that was only speculation. Leng Yaozhu had already spoken, but Gu You still wanted to try. After all, the boost it would bring to his dragon claws would not be merely one or two times greater.

"Just let me try once, alright, Master?" Gu You's tone was firm.

"You... Fine. I'll protect you. If anything goes wrong, you must immediately stop and use the distress device to withdraw." Leng Yaozhu finally agreed.

Gu You smiled, took the soul bone, and sat down cross-legged. He used his Soul Power to connect his right arm to the soul bone, then released his Martial Soul at the same time, preparing to absorb it.

Leng Yaozhu snapped her fingers beside him. A blazing red sphere of light enveloped Gu You. Even the staff outside the Spirit Ascension Platform could not see what was happening within it.

"Ah!"

Gu You's scream rang out. Leng Yaozhu shook her head outside. How could she fail to see Gu You's youthful recklessness? With a bit of talent, he thought he could absorb anything beyond his limits. Yet she admired him even more for it. The path of a soul master was one of striving to surpass others. The younger one began cultivating, the faster one progressed.

Furthermore, judging from what she had seen so far, Gu You's Martial Soul was at least god-grade. Leng Yaozhu could not believe that a six-year-old child whose bones had not even fully developed could withstand the Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear in close combat with his physical body alone. The only possibility was the feedback from his Martial Soul. Take the Diamond Baboon Martial Soul, for example. After releasing its first soul ring, the soul master would inherit some of its basic traits: fur covering the entire body and an enlarged physique. That was what was known as enhancement. Gu You possessed a Dragon Martial Soul, and the strength of its enhancement depended on the quality of the Martial Soul. From that alone, it was clear that Gu You's Martial Soul was at least quasi-god-grade. If he truly succeeded in absorbing this soul bone, then he would become the greatest genius in ten thousand years—the first person to possess a soul bone at the age of six.

"Go! Report this to Tower Master Qingu!" Outside the Spirit Ascension Platform, a staff member clutched his chest in pain and ordered two people away. A two-thousand-year soul bone had just vanished, and it was even a top-grade one. This was no longer the era from ten thousand years ago, when Soul Beasts were plentiful. In this age, every soul bone was exceptionally precious.

Of course, the Spirit Pagoda could afford to give away a two-thousand-year soul bone. But Gu You was a terrifying genius who had fought a Claw Bear at six years old, and he was also Leng Yaozhu's disciple. Moreover, the relationship between the vice tower master and the tower master had recently been deteriorating. As Qingu Dongfeng's loyal lackey, this staff member naturally had to report it.

It hurt! It hurt so much!!

Gu You did not know how to describe it. He had initially thought only his right arm would hurt, but his entire body was in pain, as if it were about to explode.

Rampaging power threatened to burst through everything. The violent resentment left behind on the soul bone by the Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear continuously scoured Gu You's body. Blood streaked from his eyes, and every vein across his body stood out clearly.

Yet in that moment, another dragon roar interrupted everything. Purple scales began covering Gu You's entire body. The veins on his face changed from bright red to a dark, blackish purple. Strangely, after the dragon roar, the resentment on the soul bone instantly dimmed, becoming weak and powerless, as though it were submitting.

What was happening? Leng Yaozhu was startled. The blazing red sphere formed from her Soul Power began turning dark black-purple. Unlike the previous times, this was an extreme annihilation attribute, corroding Leng Yaozhu's Soul Power.

Martial Soul Mutation!

A thought rose in Leng Yaozhu's mind. If Gu You's Purple Gold Dragon Emperor Martial Soul had truly mutated from the Purple Emperor Sky-Destroying Dragon, then this mutation would be a second mutation. If the first mutation had been beneficial, then the second would certainly be beneficial as well.

But Leng Yaozhu was only guessing. Perhaps Gu You's Martial Soul was truly one that had never been recorded in history. If so, then it would depend on whether this Martial Soul Mutation was beneficial or whether it weakened him instead.

Within Gu You's Sea of Consciousness, a purple scale grew from the tip of Jiji Ba's tiny head. Countless streams of energy swirled around Jiji Ba. This was the energy accumulated during this trip to the Spirit Ascension Platform. It could probably raise his soul ring to around five or six hundred years, but only after he left the Spirit Ascension Platform.

The pain throughout his body remained, but it was no longer as intense. Gu You could clearly hear his heartbeat and distinctly sense the unusual changes in his right arm and palm.

The scales on his body gradually faded. His clothes had already been tattered from his battle with the Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear, and now only a pair of shorts remained.

However, the changes to his body this time were enormous. Though Gu You was only six, he was now already one and a half meters tall. His skin was unbelievably fair and tender, and together with his refined features, he was undeniably a handsome little boy. His only flaw was the foul, rotten stench filling the area around him.

The expulsion of impurities from his body left Gu You feeling incomparably refreshed, but he could not leave his meditative state yet. The soul bone had not fully fused with him, so he could use this chance to recover some Soul Power.

As far as Gu You understood, after fusing with the soul bone, his physical strength was already entirely comparable to that of a three-ring Soul Elder. Absorbing a Thousand-year Soul Ring would be no problem. Therefore, once the soul bone fusion was complete, his target would no longer be a Hundred Year Soul Ring, but a Thousand-year Soul Ring!

Leng Yaozhu waited anxiously outside. Yet when she saw the purple sphere gradually turn white, she froze. Gu You had truly succeeded.

After stabilizing the soul bone, the sphere of light faded. Gu You stood up and was just about to share the good news with Leng Yaozhu when a slap came flying at his face.

"Are you even my master?!*!!" Gu You cursed furiously as he flew through the air.

"You're so young, yet you already know how to act like a hooligan. This is a lesson, so you'll remember it in the future." Leng Yaozhu casually pressed the red button and withdrew. With Gu You's current strength, there was no longer any need for her to remain in the Beginner Spirit Ascension Platform. His Martial Soul appeared to have undergone a beneficial mutation. Hundred Year Soul Beasts were as easy for Gu You to kill as ants. Furthermore, she was certain Gu You would not leave. Being able to absorb a Thousand-year soul bone meant his physical strength could already withstand a Thousand-year Soul Ring.

Perhaps I really did take in a good disciple... As she faded away, Leng Yaozhu looked toward the direction Gu You had been sent flying and muttered to herself.

Dark Gold Dreadclaw!

Five terrifying rays shot straight toward the two three-ring Soul Elders before him. The two had not paid much attention to Gu You when they saw that he had only one ring, and a ten-year soul ring at that. But when they sensed the terrifying aura of those five strikes, it was already too late to block them.

With terrified looks fixed on Gu You, they turned into specks of light and vanished, leaving energy scattered across the ground. Gu You was overjoyed. The two Soul Elders had just killed a Thousand-year Soul Beast and exhausted all their Soul Power. Just as they were about to absorb it, Leng Yaozhu had slapped Gu You into their path, letting him pick up a huge advantage. Otherwise, facing two three-ring Soul Elders at full Soul Power would have been very difficult.