Platinum Soul Ring and Mental Soul Core, Gu Yue Sees Him Off, What If Na'er and I Became One (4K)

The Myriad Jun Waterfall crashed down with a thunderous roar, shattering into vast white mist that blanketed the world in water vapor. The Jade Pool ran deep, and the cool moisture condensed into droplets that dampened the lush bamboo leaves growing beside it.

Below the waterfall, a gigantic figure stood unmoving.

It was a panda. Its thick back was as solid and dependable as a mountain, while its distinctly black-and-white fur took on a glossy, hardened texture beneath the pounding waves.

The rushing water repeatedly slammed into its head, sending sprays flying, yet it failed to make the panda sway even slightly. The panda kept its eyes tightly shut. Years of cultivation had melded it with the waterfall, the bamboo forest, and this Ultimate Spirit Ascension Platform, turning it into a totem of this small world.

Its breathing was slow and heavy, stirring Yin and Yang Qi as the mist curled into long, drawn-out eddies. Then, the rhythm of its breathing suddenly faltered slightly.

A pair of beastly eyes lit up within the mist, piercing through the roaring waterfall and swirling fog to gaze toward the lush green bamboo forest.

The emerald-like sea of bamboo parted to either side as a figure slowly approached. With every step he took, the waterfall's thunderous roar strangely quieted.

Stopping beside the pool, the young man looked across the falling curtain of water at the giant beast tempering its body beneath the waterfall. His voice pierced through the surging water, carrying a vast and ethereal echo.

"War God Senior, I've come to keep our appointment."

The War God Panda grinned and rose from beneath the waterfall. Its body, like towering mountains and ridges, shrank down to two meters tall before it walked over to stand before Zhao Xuanzhen. Yin and Yang Qi probed his vitality and mental fluctuations as it praised him, "You're so young, yet you possess Spirit Domain Realm spiritual power and the physical body of a Super Douluo. Among humanity's countless talents, you kid are an unprecedented monster.

"Your Soul Power is at Level Eighty. Looks like you've finally made up your mind to fuse with me this time."

Zhao Xuanzhen nodded lightly. "If Senior and I join forces, we will surely break through the shackles of this plane and attain godhood."

"Excellent."

The War God Panda let out a long howl, its sound waves shaking the verdant bamboo forest. Its beastly body transformed into strands of Yin and Yang Qi that merged into Zhao Xuanzhen's body, filling every part of him with Soul Power.

"War God Senior, I wish to use your energy to condense a Yin Yang complementary Second Soul Core."

"Do it!"

The two of them were now bound by shared interests. The War God Panda answered cleanly and decisively. A Second Soul Core was a prerequisite for becoming a Limit Douluo, and the process required immense Soul Power. Ancient soul masters often spent decades accumulating strength before breaking through to Limit Douluo, but in this era, Soul Spirits could assist their hosts and reduce the difficulty of condensing a Second Soul Core.

To turn the War God Panda into the strongest Inherited Soul Spirit on the Douluo Continent, the Qian Gu Family had painstakingly nurtured it over generations. Now, all of that had benefited Zhao Xuanzhen!

Closing his eyes and concentrating, Zhao Xuanzhen completed one circulation cycle. With the Yin Yang Soul Core rotating clockwise in his chest as its center, his Soul Power flowed endlessly. As it neared his head, his spiritual power and Soul Power intermingled and circulated without pause.

His Body Soul, True Self, possessed the powers of flesh and spirit. The former had already condensed a Yin Yang Soul Core, so this time, Zhao Xuanzhen naturally chose to open up a second Mental Soul Core at the brow center of his Upper Dantian.

The first Soul Core controlled the Yin Yang attribute, while the second Soul Core governed the Spirit Attribute. The two complemented one another, allowing his Soul Power and spiritual power to merge. Whenever Zhao Xuanzhen used any soul skill, it would carry the characteristics of both.

To open up a Second Soul Core, he first had to restrain the first one. The Yin Yang Soul Core trembled wildly, trying to break through its confinement. Zhao Xuanzhen's body remained perfectly still as black-and-white currents formed a cage, firmly imprisoning the Yin Yang Soul Core. The Dragon King Torso Soul Bone formed a layer of Creation attribute energy, perfectly isolating the exchange of energy within and without.

As an expert in the Yin Yang attribute, the method of Yin Yang complementarity was naturally suited to Zhao Xuanzhen. Seizing the fleeting balance, he fully activated his Sea of Consciousness. At the brow center of his Upper Dantian, the vast Spirit Domain Realm spiritual power began rotating counterclockwise.

A mysterious and profound phantom of a Tai Chi Diagram emerged behind him. The two great Soul Cores seemed to stand at the opposing yet unified poles of yin and yang. Zhao Xuanzhen relied on exquisitely precise control to manage the conflict between them as Soul Power surged wildly through his meridians and the War God Panda's Origin Energy continuously poured in.

Nourished by that power, a counterclockwise-rotating Platinum Crystal Core gradually took shape, forming a complementary pair with the black-and-white Yin Yang Soul Core in his chest.

The twin cores reached equilibrium. Immediately afterward, Soul Rings rose one after another beneath Zhao Xuanzhen's feet—black, black, black-gold, black-red, purple-gold. Countless motes of light spun through the air several times before condensing above the purple-gold Soul Ring into a dazzling Platinum Halo.

The War God Panda was an Otherworldly Soul Beast. Its Soul Ring was not orange-gold like those of ordinary fierce beasts; like the Dragon God's Companion Dragon, the Dragon King, it possessed a unique platinum color.

The instant the Soul Ring descended, an overwhelmingly powerful aura burst forth from Zhao Xuanzhen's body. The Soul Cores resonated and spun in a wondrous rhythm. At the center of the platinum Eighth Soul Ring, the phantom of the War God Panda was vaguely visible roaring toward the sky. Martial arts totems were engraved across the Soul Ring's surface, and its pressure made the entire bamboo forest bow low.

After leaving the Ultimate Spirit Ascension Platform, Zhao Xuanzhen saw Leng Yaozhu and Gu Yue, their faces full of concern.

"Everything went smoothly."

Hearing this, the two women immediately smiled in relief. An Eighth Soul Ring plus Yin Yang complementary twin Soul Cores—Great Emperor Xuanzhen was charging ever farther down the path of exceeding standards.

"Teacher, now that I've fused with my Eighth Soul Ring, it's time for me to set out for the Heaven's End Mountain Range and enlist," Zhao Xuanzhen said.

"Mm."

Leng Yaozhu responded softly. This had been decided in advance. Zhao Xuanzhen would return to the Blood God Army where he had been born, with Gu Yue accompanying him and seeing him off on the final leg of the journey.

"The Blood God Army has nine Blood Gods. They come from the four great super soul master factions. Blood Four and Blood Seven are from the Spirit Pagoda; they are Titled Douluo discovered and trained by the Phoenix family. You can interact with them more," Leng Yaozhu instructed.

Although the Blood God Army allowed soldiers to retire and return home, most soul masters who went there for training chose to remain. Over time, soul master families had developed throughout the army's garrison.

The Qian Gu Family considered it an extremely poor investment. The soul masters they sent in were like stones thrown into the sea. Their purpose was merely to restrain the other three great factions and prevent the Blood God Army, whose overall combat strength had long ranked first in the Federation, from becoming a private army. Thus, they handed the task of selecting and sending soul masters to the Blood God Army over to the Phoenix family.

In Zhao Xuanzhen's memories, Leng Yaozhu indeed had deep ties to the Blood God Army. In another timeline, the Tang Sect had been declared a traitorous organization by the Federation. Ruthless Douluo Cao Dezhi stepped down from the Blood God Army and returned to the Tang Sect to take control of the situation, while Leng Yaozhu succeeded him as Blood One. Therefore, there was no need to regard Spirit Pagoda members within the Blood God Army as Qian Gu Family supporters.

After explaining whom he could rely on, Leng Yaozhu took out a fiery red storage Soul Tool and said gently, "All three of your Secondary Profession Levels have reached Level Eight. Breaking through to Level Nine as a Mecha Designer, Mecha Manufacturer, or Mecha Repairer may not be as difficult as becoming a divine blacksmith, but you still need a Level Nine senior to guide you.

"Some time ago, Phantom Brain, Original Body, and I discussed this. Each of us compiled a book on Nine-Level Essence Theory, and all three books are inside this storage Soul Tool. Your future Four-Word Battle Armor will be quite difficult to forge, so don't neglect your studies after arriving at the Blood God Army."

"I understand."

Gazing at Zhao Xuanzhen's clear and outstanding face, Leng Yaozhu could not help reminiscing. "Your mother also enlisted at eighteen. She was the sole heir of the Spirit Phoenix lineage. I never wanted her to go, but she told me that first, she wanted to protect all living beings of the Douluo Continent, and second, she wanted to attain a Blood God Position to establish the Phoenix family's foundation and secure its power.

"Abyss creatures are exceedingly dangerous. You must be careful in all things. Even if you fail to win over the Blood God Army, it doesn't matter. At worst, retire and come back to become the Spirit Pagoda Master. The Spirit Pagoda 108th Floor is reserved for you. We can think of another way to gain the army's support..."

After killing Sea God Pavilion Elder Silver Moon Douluo Cai Yue'er, Zhao Xuanzhen had already joined the ranks of the Douluo Continent's top combatants, and the Eight Deceitful Gods protected him at his side. Yet Leng Yaozhu always seemed to see him as the child she had adopted, endlessly reminding him of every precaution.

Zhao Xuanzhen quietly waited for Leng Yaozhu to finish, then gave her a hug and said softly, "Teacher, Gu Yue and I are leaving. Take care of yourself."

Her disciple was setting out once more. Reluctantly, Leng Yaozhu escorted him all the way to the Spirit Pagoda's main entrance and watched the black-grade mecha drive into the distance.

Those young faces, fresh as flowers, had gone their separate ways, leading the renewed Spirit Pagoda onward through hardship. Yet for Leng Yaozhu, this home had once again become a cold building.

"Busy, all busy. Being busy is good..."

Driving the black-grade mecha, Zhao Xuanzhen headed west along the highway with Gu Yue.

There were only the two of them in the vehicle. Gu Yue smiled as she admired the scenery outside the window. During This Period, she had finally experienced carefree happiness again after so long. Na'er was stationed in Heaven Dou City, managing the Spirit Pagoda Branches throughout the Original Heaven Soul Empire. She was busy every day and rarely had time to travel between Heaven Dou City and Shrek City, so Zhao Xuanzhen was almost entirely Gu Yue's alone.

The research was progressing smoothly, her lover was by her side, and she occasionally sent intimate photos to mock that silver-haired idiot. Gu Yue was happy every day. Late at night, lying in Zhao Xuanzhen's arms, she sometimes felt that if she could forget the hatred between their races, spending her whole life like this would be rather nice.

The Heaven's End Mountain Range lay in the west of the Douluo Continent. More than ten thousand years ago, it had risen when the Sun Moon Continent collided with the Douluo Continent due to tectonic movement.

During the First Year Graduation Assessment, Xuan Yue had charged westward all the way to Mingdu, the foremost city in the west. This westward journey, however, was clearly different. The number of routine inspections had increased at least tenfold.

Although the continental situation had temporarily stabilized, this was still a troubled time. Shrek Academy was being comprehensively suppressed by the Sun Moon Federation, while the Tang Sect had also suffered an undeserved disaster. There was no helping it—who told the Shi and Tang families to remain inseparable for ten thousand years?

The Spirit Pagoda was the faction in the most comfortable position. Its political rival, the Qian Gu Family, had fled far away to the Dou Ling Continent. There was no internal conflict between factions as there was in the War God Hall, and the Sun Moon Federation would not rashly target the place where humanity's hero, Zhao Xuanzhen, resided.

The new Federal Speaker had privately contacted Leng Yaozhu to probe whether the two sides had an opportunity to cooperate. He hoped to invite the Spirit Pagoda to join them in targeting Shrek Academy, especially Light and Dark Douluo Long Yeyue. Afterward, he was willing to support the Spirit Pagoda in establishing a Spirit Transmission Academy on Shrek Academy's territory.

After much consideration, Leng Yaozhu politely declined the Federal Speaker, citing the Spirit Pagoda's severe loss of personnel. Before dealing with external threats, one had to settle internal affairs. Resolving the Qian Gu Family issue and unifying the Spirit Pagoda came first.

After two days of high-speed travel, the black-grade mecha entered a boundless desert. As the evening glow filled the sky, Zhao Xuanzhen stopped the mecha, lit a bonfire, and prepared dinner.

The desert night was exceptionally quiet. The evening wind swept past, bringing a cloud of sand and dust. After dinner, the two sat atop a sand dune. Gu Yue leaned against Zhao Xuanzhen, and in the boundless desert, they had only each other to cling to.

The sky was especially clear, and the evening glow seemed to connect with the edge of the desert. Without truly visiting a desert, one could never appreciate such beauty.

Gu Yue lay in Zhao Xuanzhen's arms, his arm around her. His body temperature passed through their thin clothes, steady and real. Her gaze slowly lifted, immersing itself in the streak of sunset stretching across the sky. Her Ink Black Eyes still appeared so tranquil and profound. Her black hair hung down, and beneath her calmness was a trace of warmth.

The silver moon rose high and the stars glittered. Listening to her lover's steady heartbeat, Gu Yue looked up at the vast starry sky and asked, "Xuanzhen, do you think the stars are beautiful?"

"Very beautiful."

"But a few days ago, I read a scholar's record saying that the stars we see now are scenes from many years ago.

"Even light needs time to travel, no matter how fast it is. When we gaze into the depths of the universe, what we see is the past, in terms of time. People can never see the present."

The Next Second, a hand covered Gu Yue's eyes, and Zhao Xuanzhen's clear voice followed. "The signals from your optic nerves to your brain also take time. Even with your eyes closed, what you see is not the darkness of this very moment."

The corners of Gu Yue's lips curved up. "Tell me, what kind of ending will we have?"

"Endings are always good. If it isn't good, then it isn't the ending yet."

Zhao Xuanzhen caressed Gu Yue's cheek. Gu Yue shifted as well, pressing her face against his burning palm. They were both intelligent people and knew well the art of leaving things unsaid. They could best understand the changes in each other's emotions.

"Xuanzhen." Her voice was gentle. "I know you like me, and you like Na'er too."

The arm around her tightened slightly. Without waiting for Zhao Xuanzhen to respond, Gu Yue tilted her head a little, shifting her cheek to press tightly against his chest.

"I'm going to ask you One question. Even for a Body Soul, controlling your heartbeat takes a moment. In your arms, I can tell whether you're lying."

"Ask."

"What if there were a secret art in this world that could make Na'er and I become one?" Gu Yue said. "Our souls, bodies, memories... everything you can imagine would fuse together. In the end, the girl born from it would possess both our traits and would be even more flawless. She would have Astonishing Wisdom and world-shaking power, and also..."

She paused, dazzling purple radiance blooming in her eyes. "She would love you more than I do, more than Na'er does. She would love only you, without reservation."

Looking up at Zhao Xuanzhen from below, Gu Yue's gaze was terrifyingly deep.

"Xuanzhen, would you be willing?"

The Night Wind seemed to freeze for a moment. It appeared to be a hypothetical game, but in truth, it would determine the endings of the two Silver Dragon King's Half-Selves.

Gu Yue did not want to admit it, but she truly felt lost. Na'er's humanity had become increasingly unshakable. She trusted Zhao Xuanzhen without reason, while Gu Yue herself had gradually sunk into human emotions.

For the past half year, Di Tian had been urging her to quickly complete the Myriad Beast Platform and take revenge on humanity. Having obtained the power she had once dreamed of, the formerly resolute Gu Yue had instead suddenly begun to hesitate.

Humans and soul beasts were destined for different paths. She did not know how to face the lover who had seen through the truth, nor whether devouring Na'er would make Zhao Xuanzhen utterly disappointed in her.

The more one possessed, the more one feared losing. In the end, Gu Yue decided to obtain the answer from Zhao Xuanzhen's own mouth.

"Boom—"

Just as Gu Yue waited for Zhao Xuanzhen's answer, streams of sand abruptly burst upward. It was as though countless ridges had appeared across the desert, rushing toward the two of them.

Desert Soul Beasts!