Golden Dragon Body

Time passed second by second.

From the dead of night until dawn.

When the first ray of sunlight pierced the canopy and fell upon Xuan Hao, the restless energy around him finally settled completely.

That deep-yellow Soul Ring rested steadily around the Golden Dragon phantom, radiating a heavy, domineering aura.

Xuan Hao slowly opened his eyes. A sharp gleam flashed through them as his originally sky-blue pupils instantly turned into crimson-gold vertical pupils. He abruptly rose to his feet, his bones crackling like popping beans, while an overwhelming sense of strength filled his entire body.

"How did it go?"

Bibi Dong and Hu Liena, who had been guarding him all along, immediately looked over.

Xuan Hao clenched his fist and felt the surging Soul Power within him, a brilliant smile spreading across his face.

"So this is what it feels like to be a Soul Master..."

Bibi Dong nodded in satisfaction. She stepped forward and placed a hand on his shoulder, sensing him briefly as a trace of surprise flashed through her eyes.

"Soul Power... 13 Ranks."

"After absorbing an eight-hundred-year Soul Ring, you directly gained three ranks of Soul Power."

It was somewhat exaggerated, but considering that he possessed Innate Full Soul Power, had accumulated it for a long time, and had absorbed the enormous energy of this beyond-limit Soul Ring, it somehow seemed only natural.

"Congratulations. You've officially become a Soul Master."

Bibi Dong withdrew her hand. Looking at Xuan Hao's youthful, energetic face, she smiled and tossed out the question she had long prepared.

"Now that you've become a Soul Master, what are your plans for the future?"

Xuan Hao looked at Bibi Dong's expectant face, then glanced at Hu Liena beside her. Though she said nothing, her gaze was equally suggestive. He understood perfectly well.

What "plans for the future"? This was clearly a multiple-choice question with only one answer.

A. Go back to Spirit Hall with them and live in comfort.

B. Get knocked out and carried back to Spirit Hall with them to live in comfort.

If he dared say, "I want to go to Heaven Dou City and seek refuge with Xue Qinghe," Bibi Dong would probably smile and break his legs the next second, then gently tell him, "Be good. Don't go anywhere. Elder Sister will take care of you."

But he still had to put on the full performance.

Since he had already established the tragic persona of "my parents died because of Spirit Hall," if he eagerly agreed before they even invited him, wouldn't that seem far too fake?

Thus, Xuan Hao lowered his head, his gaze somewhat evasive as his fingers absentmindedly rubbed the short sword in his hand. He remained silent.

Seeing this, understanding flashed through Bibi Dong's eyes. This child truly still cared about those old matters.

"I know there's still a knot in your heart."

Bibi Dong stepped forward and crouched down until she was at eye level with Xuan Hao. Her voice was unusually gentle. "I'm very sorry about your parents. Spirit Hall is a massive organization, and it truly has many aspects that leave much to be desired."

"But that is exactly why I hope you'll return with me. Only by gaining enough status and strength will you be qualified to change the things you dislike."

She reached out and gently held Xuan Hao's slightly cold hand, her tone sincere.

"I'm willing to accept you as my Personal Disciple, just like Nana. In Spirit Hall, you'll be the Pope's disciple. No one will dare bully you, and you'll receive the best resources and the best instruction."

"I won't treat you as an ordinary subordinate or a tool, but as... true family."

Xuan Hao raised his head. His eyes seemed somewhat shaken, yet his lips remained tightly pressed together, carrying a hint of stubbornness.

Seeing that, Bibi Dong sighed inwardly and laid down an even greater bargaining chip, along with another concession.

"If you don't want to call me Teacher, that's fine."

She smiled, her smile carrying a trace of indulgence. "You can call me Elder Sister first. But I'll still teach you just as I teach Nana."

"Once we return to Spirit Hall, you won't need to observe all those tedious formalities, nor will you need to bow to those Elders and Bishops. In this world, you only need to listen to me."

"This is the only thing you need to remember, and the only thing you need to obey."

"Only listen to you?"

Xuan Hao finally spoke. Tilting his head, he stared straight at Bibi Dong with those crimson-gold vertical pupils and asked a very pointed question. "Then what if you tell me to die? Do I have to die too?"

"You're both treating me well right now, I know. But I don't like owing people anything. Favors are hard to repay, and it's troublesome."

"If one day you tell me to die in order to repay this favor, wouldn't I be getting the short end of the stick?"

Bibi Dong froze for a moment, then could not help laughing. This child's way of thinking was always so blunt and practical, yet somehow strangely adorable.

"Don't worry."

Bibi Dong's smile faded, and her expression became incomparably solemn. "In the future, I may ask you to kill people, face powerful enemies, and do extremely dangerous things. After all, the path of the strong has never been smooth."

"But I promise you, I will never send you to your death."

"You are my disciple, and also my... little brother."

Bibi Dong reached out and gently rubbed Xuan Hao's short silver hair. "How could Elder Sister bear to let her little brother die?"

Hu Liena: "..."

She looked at Bibi Dong, then at Xuan Hao, and her facial expression became rather strange.

Her teacher had accepted her Junior Martial Brother as her little brother. Didn't that mean that, as a disciple, she had suddenly dropped down a generation? Would she have to call her Junior Martial Brother "Young Martial Uncle" whenever they met in the future?

This was way too confusing!

As if noticing Hu Liena's dilemma, Bibi Dong turned her head and added calmly, "Each to their own."

"You are my disciple, and he is also my disciple. Privately, I'm his Elder Sister, but in terms of seniority within Spirit Hall, he is still your Junior Martial Brother."

Only then did Hu Liena let out a sigh of relief and pat her chest.

Good, good. Senior Martial Sister's dignity had been preserved.

With things having reached this point, Xuan Hao knew when to stop pushing.

He took a deep breath, as though making some sort of decision, then nodded heavily. "Alright, I promise you, Elder Sister."

Upon hearing that "Elder Sister," the stone hanging over Bibi Dong's heart finally dropped. A heartfelt smile appeared on her face.

Good thing this child agreed.

If he had remained stubborn, she had already been prepared to send a voice transmission to Ghostly Shadow and arrange a few "Hero Saves the Beauty" or "Share Life and Death" scenes on the way back to raise his favorability.

After all, with such talent and a personality so suited to her tastes, there was no way she would let him go.

"By the way, Junior Martial Brother."

At that moment, Hu Liena leaned closer and curiously examined Xuan Hao. "What is your First Soul Skill? I've never even heard of someone having an eight-hundred-year First Soul Ring. Tell us what it does."

At the mention of his Soul Skill, Xuan Hao perked up.

"First Soul Skill, I call it Golden Dragon Body."

Xuan Hao clenched his fist, feeling the surging power inside him. "It's a State Type Soul Skill with an All Attribute Boost. Its core effects are strength and defense, which can be increased by up to double. But the greater the boost, the greater the Soul Power consumption."

"Double?!"

Bibi Dong and Hu Liena cried out in shock at the same time.

"Even doubling a single attribute is already rare. An All Attribute Boost can reach this level?" Bibi Dong said in astonishment.

But after thinking about it, she quickly understood.

"The Diamond Tiger's innate skill is Diamond Transformation, also a desperate combat skill that can greatly raise strength and defense for a short time. It seems your Golden Dragon Martial Soul perfectly absorbed and optimized that trait."

"This is practically a divine skill tailor-made for you."

Hearing that, Hu Liena's eyes turned as she eagerly crooked a finger at him. "Junior Martial Brother, why don't you demonstrate it for your Senior Martial Sister? It'll also let me see how capable you are in actual combat now."

"A spar?" Xuan Hao raised an eyebrow.

"Of course. We'll stop at the right point." Hu Liena lifted her chin, showing a bit of Senior Martial Sister tsundere pride. "Let me show you how formidable your Senior Martial Sister is, so you don't think a Soul Grandmaster is easy to bully."

Xuan Hao glanced at Bibi Dong. Seeing her smile and nod in approval, he grinned. "Alright, Senior Martial Sister. Then you'd better be careful."

The two moved apart.

"First Soul Skill, Golden Dragon Body!"

Following Xuan Hao's low shout, the deep-yellow Soul Ring abruptly lit up.

"Roar—"

Amid an impassioned Dragon Roar Sound, Xuan Hao's already ragged clothes were instantly burst apart by his swelling muscles.

A layer of fine Golden Dragon Scales rapidly covered his entire body. His arms in particular became thicker and more powerful, while his hands transformed into sharp dragon claws. His whole body seemed to become a Humanoid Tyrannosaurus, radiating a terrifying pressure that made hearts tremble.

Across from him, Hu Liena also put away her playful smile and activated Martial Soul Possession. A fluffy Fox Tail grew from behind her, making her appear even more alluring.

"Begin!"