"Bold? I think you're the ones who are bold!"
Gu Yuejin hovered before the two enormous dragon skeletons. Facing the dragon souls roaring with divine might, he didn't retreat in the slightest. Instead, his grin grew even more unrestrained.
BOOM—!
Golden light flared.
His True Body, cast as if from solid gold, withstood the full brunt of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Eyes' extreme force in the depths of the sea.
"You're nothing but two lingering remnants, and you dare screech in front of me!"
"Shatter!"
Gu Yuejin thrust out both arms. He completely ignored the chill that could freeze souls and the flames that could burn all things, and seized the two phantom dragon heads.
Ssss—
The extreme forces of ice and fire ravenously ate away at his golden body, producing a grating sound.
But his body, reforged by the power of five Immortal Herbs, now displayed a defense that inspired utter despair.
No matter how the two dragon souls struggled and roared, his golden hands remained as motionless as iron pincers.
"Roar—! Human! You're digging your own grave!"
The Water Dragon King's remnant soul let out a deafening roar. "I was one of the Nine Great Dragon Kings under the Dragon God. Though I perished, my divine might remains! How dare a wretch like you profane me!"
The Fire Dragon King had an even hotter temper, spewing phantom dragon flames in a frenzy. "Despicable thief! You reek of those weeds. You're here to steal our power too!"
"Thief?"
Gu Yuejin cut off their pre-cast monologue.
"You can eat whatever you like, but don't go around saying whatever you please."
"I only took pity on you after you'd been left to rot in the wilderness for ten thousand years."
As he spoke, the amusement in Gu Yuejin's eyes turned to tangible killing intent.
"Since you don't know what's good for you and insist on putting on airs like high-and-mighty Divine Beasts, don't blame me."
"Evil by nature, you soul beasts actually dare to obstruct a righteous Body Soul Master at work."
"You've got a death wish!"
"Heh heh heh heh heh—"
That villainous laugh, paired with his domineering methods, echoed through the dark depths underground. The two dragon souls were stunned for a moment.
Which one of them was supposed to be the villain?
How was this human even crazier than the Dragon God had been?!
"Hmm? My mental state really does seem a little off lately..."
As Gu Yuejin laughed wildly while suppressing the dragon souls, he muttered to himself.
"Why do I keep wanting to laugh? And why does it sound so sinister?"
"Did I overdo it after absorbing so many Immortal Herbs?"
But he soon tossed the thought aside.
"No big deal."
"On the road to godhood, this little fluctuation in my state of mind is nothing but a bit of wind and frost."
"As long as I'm not embarrassed, everyone else will be."
"If that Inspection Team or whatever from Shrek Academy saw me like this, they'd probably slap the label 'Peerless Evil Soul Master' on me right away, then start shouting for my head, wouldn't they?"
At the thought, the smile in Gu Yuejin's eyes grew broader.
"Perfect."
"If all else fails, I'll just pin it on someone else and claim I'm the Grand Elder of the Holy Spirit Cult."
"Besides, I'll be off to the Sun Moon Empire in a couple of days. Whoever wants to take the blame can have it."
His thoughts wandered, but his hands never stopped moving.
There was one thing, though, that puzzled him.
"By rights, I've wrecked that person's backyard this badly. I even scared the watchdog into pissing itself. Why hasn't the Divine Realm reacted at all?"
"Isn't that 'pure and spotless' God King always spying on the lower realm?"
"Could it be... his own backyard's on fire?"
Gu Yuejin looked up at the shadowy depths above.
"Whatever."
"Anyway, I've always admired Third Young Master the most."
"To show my respect, I'll gladly take these two Soul Bones!"
HUM—!
As he exerted force with both hands, the two struggling Dragon Soul Origins let out one final wail before he crushed them outright. They turned into the purest energy, which flowed into the two crystal-clear Soul Bones below.
They were a pair of arm bones.
The Left Arm Bone was icy blue all over, radiating extreme cold.
The Right Arm Bone was scarlet as fire, surging with scorching heat.
The remains of the Water Dragon King and Fire Dragon King!
"Come on!"
Gu Yuejin took a deep breath. Behind him, his Body Martial Soul and Blue Silver Emperor Martial Soul appeared at the same time.
One gold, one blue. Two domineering forces locked onto the Soul Bones.
Draw them in. Fuse them with his body!
BOOM—!!
The instant the Soul Bones touched his arms, pain that seemed to tear him in half struck him.
Ice Fire Divine Power clashed wildly inside his body. His meridians snapped apart one after another, then rapidly regenerated under the power of the Immortal Herbs and the Blue Silver Emperor.
The cycle of destruction and rebirth would have driven anyone without an iron will to madness.
"Submit!"
Gu Yuejin gritted his teeth, golden light blazing in his eyes.
His Body Martial Soul suppressed his physical form, while his Blue Silver Emperor Martial Soul harmonized the ice and fire.
He forcibly pressed the two utterly opposing divine forces into his arms!
"So this is power..."
As the fusion deepened, an unimaginably immense surge of Soul Power erupted from within him.
The Soul Power Bottleneck at level 73 was like paper. It was breached in an instant.
Level 74... level 75... level 76...
It was only when he reached level 77 that the furious rise finally came to a halt!
Who knew how much time had passed?
The spring above the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Eyes suddenly exploded.
A figure wreathed in interwoven gold, red, and blue shot into the sky and landed steadily on the bank.
"Whew..."
Gu Yuejin let out a long breath. His arms shimmered with flowing light.
Chill curled around his left hand, while flames billowed from his right.
He moved them slightly, and the surrounding space cracked as if it could no longer bear the strain.
"M-Master?"
Huo Yuhao, who had been waiting nearby for some time, looked at the man before him. The man's Aura had changed completely, and he seemed like a god or demon. Huo Yuhao swallowed reflexively.
Too powerful.
The natural pressure radiating from him as he stood there alone made even the Ice Snow Two Emperors within Huo Yuhao feel suffocated.
"Master, the way you look now..."
Huo Yuhao swallowed, his eyes filled not with fear but with fervent admiration. "You're just like the legendary God of War descending to the mortal realm! So awe-inspiring!"
In his heart, only absolute power capable of crushing everything could be the truth!
As for his master's villainous laughter just now?
That was called being unconstrained by petty conventions!
That was called bold and free-spirited!
"Congratulations, Master, on mastering your divine art!"
Huo Yuhao dropped to one knee, his voice loud and heartfelt. "Your disciple believes that no one in this world can stop you!"
Looking at his disciple, whose eyes were practically sparkling and who had become a complete little superfan, Gu Yuejin's murderous air vanished at once. A thoroughly "kind" smile appeared on his face.
He reached out the hand that had just crushed a dragon soul, still radiating scorching heat, and firmly rested it on Huo Yuhao's head.
"My good apprentice."
"As long as you obey and train hard,"
"I'll teach you this power, and even greater power."
"Even the stars in the sky—I'll pluck them down for you if you want them."
Feeling the weighty "fatherly love" on his head, Huo Yuhao's eyes reddened with emotion. He nodded firmly.
"Yes! Your disciple won't let you down, Master. Wherever you point, I'll strike!"
Before you continue