Beach lounge chairs still carried the lingering warmth of sunlight. Zhao Xuanzhen unscrewed the sunscreen cap, and its sweet fragrance mingled with the scent of sea salt between his fingers.
The wondrous sensation of coolness and warmth blending together wound along her spine. Leng Yaozhu's long eyelashes trembled slightly. Under the baking heat of her body temperature, the sunscreen seemed to give off a caramel-like aroma, mixed with the rose-like natural fragrance of this Sky Phoenix Douluo, rich and alluring, refreshing to the heart.
As a master of technique, Zhao Xuanzhen's skill at applying sunscreen was unmatched. His force was neither too light nor too heavy, spreading the lotion evenly. As sunlight poured down, Leng Yaozhu's skin gleamed with the dazzling luster of mother-of-pearl.
Zhao Xuanzhen gently let out a breath. Looking at his masterpiece, he felt a surge of accomplishment. Still, it was truly a pity not to use cupping on such a snow-jade beautiful back.
Throughout the process, Leng Yaozhu remained silent. Her crimson phoenix eyes were tightly shut, revealing no emotional changes on the surface, as though she were quietly enjoying her disciple's exquisite technique.
"Ring, ring, ring—"
The Soul Guide Communicator's ringing shattered the warm, pleasant atmosphere between master and disciple. Leng Yaozhu opened her eyes, glanced at the incoming call note, and a trace of annoyance flashed through her gaze.
Qiangu Dongfeng.
Annoyed as she was, Qiangu Dongfeng was still the Spirit Transferring Tower Master. By reason, Deputy Tower Master Leng Yaozhu could not ignore his call.
Her finger pressed the answer button. Since Leng Yaozhu neither asked Zhao Xuanzhen to leave nor used Soul Power to block the sound, Zhao Xuanzhen clearly heard a hearty, eager male voice.
"Yaozhu, it's me."
"Is something the matter?" Leng Yaozhu asked flatly.
"I heard you went to Eastsea City for a vacation. Eastsea City has scenery like a painting, and its beaches are especially remarkable. I took Zhangting there when he was young," Qiangu Dongfeng said with a chuckle.
"Ever since Yulai left the Spirit Pagoda, you haven't relaxed at all. I hope you enjoy yourself this time."
"Thank you. Is there anything else? If not, I'm hanging up."
The other end paused for a second. Qiangu Dongfeng then said in a somewhat heavy voice, "Yaozhu, what is going on with the Eastsea City Spirit Pagoda? Two newly transferred Spirit Ascension Platform guardians died, and all three External Soul Bones disappeared.
External Soul Bones were unlike ordinary Soul Bones. They were precious assets that could almost never be used a second time. Moreover, those three External Soul Bones were among the very best even within the Treasure Trove accumulated by the Spirit Pagoda over ten thousand years.
The Evil Eye Tyrant was an Evil Emperor Descendant. At only a thousand years of cultivation, it displayed an exceptionally rare ancestral reversion. If it had not fallen into the Spirit Pagoda's hands, it might have comprehended the power of time and space and become the next Evil Eye Tyrant Ruler.
The Darkgold Fearclaw Bear carried Bear Monarch's bloodline. It was the only Super Soul Beast in history to drop two External Soul Bones. Spirit Pagoda records stated that when this Darkgold Fearclaw Bear was captured, Bear Monarch went mad on the spot, and its Darkgold Fearclaw tore two Title Douluos apart.
Yaozhu, this time... you've truly gone too far!"
The dagger had finally been revealed. Those so-called warm greetings had merely been a disguise. Qiangu Dongfeng was clearly questioning Leng Yaozhu about the three External Soul Bones.
A conflict had erupted between the Spirit Pagoda Deputy Tower Master and the Tower Master. Zhao Xuanzhen instinctively stopped applying sunscreen, while Leng Yaozhu remained utterly composed.
"Qiangu Dongfeng, everything I did complied with Spirit Pagoda rules.
East Sea Tower Master Lu Ming reported that an abnormality had suddenly occurred in the Eastsea City Spirit Ascension Platform. The entire Primary Spirit Ascension Platform was on the verge of collapse, and its original guardians could not stabilize the energy. Headquarters urgently needed to transfer several guardians there.
I believed the Darkgold Fearclaw Bear and Evil Eye Tyrant were the most suitable choices and decided to send them to Eastsea City. The Eastsea City Primary Spirit Ascension Platform has already returned to normal because of those two Soul Beasts. The matter has been resolved perfectly.
As for the deaths of the two guardians and the External Soul Bones, I never expected that someone could kill thousand-year Super Soul Beasts under the three rings peak restriction of the Primary Spirit Ascension Platform.
Besides, the Spirit Ascension Platform guardians of the Eighteen Heavenly Pillars were created from Soul Bones and had no absorption restrictions. This was originally the Spirit Pagoda's reward for powerful Soul Masters. It was simply that no one had managed it in ten thousand years."
As her words fell, Zhao Xuanzhen heard Qiangu Dongfeng's breathing grow heavier in an instant. He also fully understood Leng Yaozhu's methods. No wonder she had not directly handed out the three External Soul Bones. She had been waiting for Qiangu Dongfeng!
Following the rules, going through procedure, leaving no handle behind—Zhao Xuanzhen knew that routine all too well!
"Don't stop. Continue."
After shutting down Qiangu Dongfeng, Leng Yaozhu turned her head and looked at Zhao Xuanzhen with displeasure.
A master's order could not be disobeyed. Zhao Xuanzhen immediately resumed work, once more becoming a diligent sunscreen applicator.
"Yaozhu, you..."
On the other end, Qiangu Dongfeng's voice was full of disbelief. Was this really a vacation? Just where had she gone on vacation!?
"That's the situation. If you have objections, you can ask me at the next Spirit Pagoda meeting. Oh, right. The Eastsea City Primary Spirit Ascension Platform is short one guardian. Transfer that original hundred-year Darkgold Fearclaw Bear back."
After speaking, Leng Yaozhu casually hung up the Soul Guidance Communication.
"Teacher, will those three External Soul Bones affect your position as Deputy Tower Master?" Zhao Xuanzhen asked softly.
"Of course not." Leng Yaozhu smiled faintly. "The Phoenix Family has operated for a thousand years. Every generation has held the position of Spirit Pagoda Deputy Tower Master, and its influence runs deep. Qiangu Dongfeng would not dare tear apart all pretense so easily.
Over the past few centuries, the Qiangu Clan has firmly occupied the position of Spirit Transferring Tower Master, lining its own pockets and opening countless back doors for itself. I merely used legitimate means to take three External Soul Bones. That is far less than the Qiangu Clan's tyranny and arbitrariness.
Qiangu Dongfeng knows this perfectly well. If dirty matters are put on the table, no one will look good. This call was not about reclaiming the Soul Bones. He was using an indirect method to tell me to stop while I was ahead. Three External Soul Bones are the bottom line. I cannot take any more."
"So that's how it is..."
On the one hundred and seventh floor of the Spirit Transmission Tower Headquarters was the Tower Master's residence.
Behind a desk stood a tall, handsome middle-aged man. A powerful pressure radiated from his body. The Soul Guide Communicator in his hand creaked and trembled, as if it would burst apart the next moment.
Qiangu Dongfeng's face was dark as water. The Spirit Pagoda belonged to the Qiangu Clan. It was already excessive for Leng Yaozhu to quietly swindle away three External Soul Bones, but what enraged him most was that line Leng Yaozhu had obviously spoken to someone else!
In the past, he had pursued Leng Yaozhu for many years without getting what he wanted. In the end, he had no choice but to marry and have children to continue the family bloodline.
Now that his wife had long passed away, Qiangu Dongfeng had once again begun considering pursuing Leng Yaozhu. Yet fate did not favor him. She seemed to have finally let go and started enjoying a happy life!
"Grandfather, calm down..."
A tall, imposing figure spoke cautiously.
"I'm fine, Zhangting."
Seeing his grandson Qiangu Zhangting, Qiangu Dongfeng finally felt somewhat comforted.
Qiangu Zhangting was the most outstanding younger generation member of the Qiangu Clan, as well as the next Spirit Transferring Tower Master Qiangu Dongfeng had devoted great effort to cultivating.
Patting his grandson on the shoulder, Qiangu Dongfeng said, "Leng Yaozhu has never overstepped after becoming Deputy Tower Master. She adopted two children, so those three External Soul Bones must have been intended for them."
Qiangu Zhangting frowned. "Grandfather, I've actually seen them a few times in the Spirit Pagoda. They look so young, practically like children. They don't seem like much of a threat."
"That is not the case."
Qiangu Dongfeng shook his head, his eyes sharp as an eagle's. "After Leng Yaozhu adopted the two children, I suddenly wanted to see their abilities one day. But Leng Yaozhu used her Deputy Tower Master authority to destroy every last battle recording of them entering the Spirit Ascension Platform. Even the Real Illusion was involved. Illusion Brain Douluo Han Tianyi and Leng Yaozhu are on the same side.
Zhangting, they are not simple. You must work twice as hard. The future Spirit Transferring Tower Master cannot fall behind others."
"Yes, Grandfather!"
His grandson's response was forceful and resolute. Qiangu Dongfeng nodded in satisfaction. "It is never too late to mend the pen after the sheep have escaped. Leng Yaozhu has effectively reminded me that from now on, Soul Bones from Spirit Ascension Platform guardians will be explicitly forbidden for Soul Masters to absorb!
Come, Grandfather will accompany you to the Top Floor of the Spirit Ascension Platform to withstand that Soul Beast's willpower impact.
Martial God will temper your Club Intent..."
As the sun set, the sea was dyed orange-red by the dim golden light. The waves gradually became more turbulent. Zhao Xuanzhen and Leng Yaozhu reclined side by side on beach lounge chairs when a black dot in the distance slowly grew larger.
"Hahaha, Zhao Xuanzhen, if you're useless, don't blame the road for being uneven! You really can catch crabs in the sea!"
Na'er returned from hunting, overflowing with excitement and joy. She carried the Silver Dragon Spear over her shoulder, its tip hung with four bluish-black crabs the size of washbasins.
Ten-year Soul Beast Green Armor Crabs. Big and delicious!
"The Silver Dragon Spear has truly made it in this life by following you."
Zhao Xuanzhen gave her a thumbs-up, maliciously wondering whether the divine weapon had a spirit and might leave Na'er to voluntarily return to Gu Yue's embrace!
"Don't spout nonsense!"
Na'er glared at Zhao Xuanzhen and shook the Silver Dragon Spear, showing off her spoils of war. "All you know is how to laze around in the sun. Unlike me, I don't forget to catch seafood even while swimming!
With crabs this big, we're in for a treat tonight!
One for you, one for me!
One for Aunt Leng, one for me!"
While some rejoiced, others sorrowed. The three people on the beach were having a wonderful time, while at the Eastsea City Spirit Pagoda, the Stick Brothers of the enforcement team were speaking with a burly man.
The burly man stood over two meters tall, with a bald head and full beard. He clenched his fists tightly and said as mildly as he could, "You two, the Spirit Pagoda enforcement team and Eastsea City's Mecha Brigade have cooperated many times, and every mission was completed successfully.
My younger brother Guang Long acted impulsively and accidentally offended the disciple of a Spirit Pagoda high-level figure. I apologize to you both on his behalf and am willing to offer compensation. Could you do me a favor and let him go?"
The Stick Brothers exchanged glances. One of them said, "Guang Biao, you're someone of standing in Eastsea City. For the sake of our past cooperation, we'll give you the truth.
Guang Long offended someone he should never have offended. You should be grateful that you can still wear the Mecha Brigade uniform. If either of those two ancestors had even suffered a scratch yesterday, your entire family could have slit their throats.
Even Tower Master Lu has to bow and scrape before the exalted figures behind them. So many people in the Eastsea Spirit Pagoda are desperate for promotion, yet it would take only a word from those two ancestors. Guang Long is no longer a hooligan. He is the stepping stone for everyone to cross into a higher class."
"Is there really not a trace of room for negotiation?" Guang Biao asked unwillingly.
Exalted figure—the exclusive title of a Title Douluo, an existence high above the clouds. He realized that his younger brother's fate was likely grim.
The Stick Brothers said coldly, "Relying on the power and authority of being the Eastsea City Mecha Brigade captain, Guang Long committed all kinds of evil. Yet he never knew that when he encountered greater power and authority, he was no different from meat on a chopping block.
A great person might not care whether a hooligan lives or dies, but those little people desperately climbing upward do. If Guang Long's death can make those two ancestors laugh once, then his life will have been worth it.
Go back. Pray Guang Long is reborn into a good family. In his next life, he should not crash into an iron wall."
Guang Biao did not know how he walked out of the Spirit Pagoda. Earlier, he had led the Mecha Brigade to surround Eastsea Academy, yet he did not dare act like that against the Spirit Pagoda.
Eastsea City Mecha Brigade captain, Soul Emperor, Mecha Master—those three identities meant nothing before the Spirit Pagoda. The Mecha Brigade would only throw away their lives for nothing.
The Guang brothers came from an ordinary family. Their parents had died when they were young, and they had grown up poor. Only one of the brothers could afford a high quality Soul Spirit to realize their Martial Soul talent. Thus, Guang Biao had always felt guilty toward Guang Long, repeatedly tolerating his brother's evil deeds until disaster finally struck.
"Little brother, we depended on each other for survival. Even if I have to throw away my life, your brother will avenge you!"
Guang Biao's eyes turned blood-red. From the descriptions of people around the old street, he had memorized the appearances of those two people.
Late at night, moonlight soaked the wispy clouds, and the entire starry sky shone brilliantly. Led by the nine stars, a silvery frost-like glow flowed with the wind. Wave crests rose over the Eastsea waters, and the light shattered into countless silver rays before gathering back into complete patches of light whenever the sea calmed.
On a night when the stars shone brightly, star power surged. It was an incomparably perfect heavenly opportunity that Star Phase Soul Masters might not encounter in a thousand years.
In a room within the Eastsea City Spirit Pagoda, golden light flowed through Zhao Xuanzhen's eyes.
"Soaring Serpent, Deceitful Soul."
"As you command, my lord."
Pitch-black currents gathered into Zhao Xuanzhen's likeness, sitting cross-legged on the bed. At the same time, part of the current attached itself to his body and face, making it impossible for anyone to discern his true appearance or build.
Soaring Serpent of the Eight Deceitful Gods was Southern Fire. Its authority was deception and fraud, and it excelled at disrupting the mind.
Using a Deceitful Soul to deceive Leng Yaozhu's perception, Zhao Xuanzhen left the Spirit Pagoda. With Soaring Serpent's Quasi-God power and this night of brilliant stars, he would settle a lingering problem tonight.
"Before that, I'll deal with this little tail."
Guang Biao's violent, bloodthirsty emotions drew Soaring Serpent's attention. The bald head was far too distinctive. One look told Zhao Xuanzhen that he was connected to Guang Long.
The next second, Guang Biao, who had been lying in ambush for a long time, saw his vision blur. At that moment, everyone else had been deceived by Deceptive Power. Only he saw Zhao Xuanzhen leave the Spirit Pagoda.
"Blood debt must be repaid in blood!"
Guang Biao gave a cruel smile. The genius was alone. His chance had come! To avoid alerting Spirit Pagoda experts, he followed Zhao Xuanzhen from afar, intending to make his move somewhere secluded.
Yet to Guang Biao's surprise, Zhao Xuanzhen headed straight for the shore. Ice formed beneath his feet with every step as he slowly walked toward the depths of the sea. This suited Guang Biao perfectly, and he hurriedly summoned his mecha to follow.
Stars hung in the night sky, light and shadows flowed between the waves, and seabirds on their nightly flights skimmed across the water, their wings stained with starlight and sea glow.
"The distance should be enough. You must be tired from following me too."
A clear voice carried across the distance. A black-grade mecha like a savage bear burst through the surface of the sea. The metal curtain of its cockpit rose, revealing Guang Biao's savage expression. "Brat, pay for my brother's life!"
Two yellow and four purple Soul Rings emerged as his Iron Armor Dragon Martial Soul possessed him. Iron-gray scales wrapped around his body, as if he had donned a layer of heavy armor. Guang Biao controlled the mecha as it lunged at Zhao Xuanzhen.
Boom—
The Bagua Qimen God Plate blossomed beneath Zhao Xuanzhen's feet. Starlight shattered across the sea's surface as a water wall hundreds of meters tall surged upward with a thunderous crash. Two scarlet vertical pupils pierced the ocean, their irises flowing with nebula-like Lava Veins.
A Giant Serpent's head rose from the sea, and the air let out a miserable wail. Its black scales crushed the light of stars and moon alike, as though all darkness in the world had been condensed into an impregnable suit of scales. Its raised upper body blotted out the sky!
Clang—
The black-grade mecha controlled by a Sixth Ring Soul Emperor slammed into the Giant Serpent's scales, sending up a tiny spark before flying backward at even greater speed. Guang Biao heard his blood roaring in his ears!
He stared in terror at the colossal creature before him. The black-grade mecha was not even as large as one of the Giant Serpent's heads!
The Giant Serpent stretched its neck, its snake head bending backward into a crescent arc. It silently opened its abyssal giant mouth. When the first black flame dripped from its fangs, extreme heat distorted the air. The clouds formed a rotating funnel of airflow, and flames connected along its entire spine, transforming into a torrent that pierced through heaven and sea!
Soaring Serpent Descends, Burning Heaven Boiling Sea!
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