Eight Gates Suppressing Souls and the Golden Dragon King God Core, Individual Lives Differ

Chapter 23: Eight Gates Suppressing Souls and the Golden Dragon King God Core, Individual Lives Differ, the World's Good and Evil Remain Constant (4K)

Seven-colored light fell into Zhao Xuanzhen's palm, the will born from the Plane Spirit madly absorbing the vast energy of Douluo Continent. Countless light spots surged from all directions, the seven-colored radiance forging itself into a spear.

The spear body was engraved with ancient runes of mountains and trees, swimming up and down like living creatures. The spear tip flowed with liquid blood light. Zhao Xuanzhen gripped the seven-colored spear, his gaze locking onto Tang San, who was sealed by the Heavenly Plate Nine Stars!

He gathered strength, then hurled the spear!

The sky was like ink. The seven-colored spear streaked across the heavens like a meteor, dragging a rainbow trail a hundred meters long. Where the spear tip passed, space bloomed with tree-like cracks, extending endlessly into the distance. Within the shattered spatial fissures, the rise and fall of all things in the world could faintly be seen.

Plane Revenge Spear!

The seven-colored spear pierced through his chest. Not a single drop of blood spilled, but Zhao Xuanzhen could clearly see that on the body originally belonging to Tang Wulin, waves of blue-gold light surged wildly.

Tang San's aura instantly wilted. His blue-gold eyes stared fixedly at Zhao Xuanzhen, cold and furious:

"Variable of Fate, Plane Spirit! You think defeating a wisp of my divine will is the end, but I will return again to rewrite the outcome!"

"I'll be waiting, Tang San."

Zhao Xuanzhen's tone was flat, without a ripple. From now on, Douluo Continent would have no more interference from Tang San. The return of the God Realm was uncertain. He would seize this opportunity to pluck away the God King's wings one by one, preparing a grand funeral for Tang San!

In the end, neither of them exchanged harsh words. They only stared at each other in silence, as if trying to carve the other deep into their hearts and souls, forever remembering that hatred. They were destined to be enemies to the death!

"Boom—"

The blue-gold light shattered. Tang San's divine will scattered with the wind. Tang Wulin's whole body trembled, his black eyes snapping open, tinged with confusion.

"Where am I?"

High in the sky, Tang Wulin stood on the star power condensed earlier by the Heavenly Plate, looking down at Eastsea City, which had shrunk to a tiny point below. A trace of panic involuntarily showed between his brows.

He had been meditating peacefully in the Zero Class dormitory. How had he woken up to suddenly find himself in the sky, with a cloud-shrouded figure standing opposite him!

"Who are you?"

Tang Wulin slightly lowered his stance, forcing calm as he spoke. The weak soul power of a one-ring soul master couldn't see through Zhao Xuanzhen's true face, concealed by Deceptive Power. He could only probe cautiously.

Zhao Xuanzhen was about to speak when he suddenly sensed a change, his expression instantly turning grave. The next second, Tang Wulin felt an abnormally scorching energy erupt within him, and a fierce dragon roar resounded through the sky!

The dragon roar was filled with excitement, fury, venom, and an endless desire for destruction. Golden light shot straight into the clouds, condensing into a massive golden dragon phantom!

The golden dragon was a hundred meters long, its form mighty and robust. A dense aura of Bloodline Power spread out. Its scales were like brilliant golden gems, adorned with magnificent spiral patterns. Its blood-red dragon eyes were full of bloodlust and brutality.

The Golden Dragon King, in revolt!

On the golden dragon's coiled and winding body, seventeen blue-gold rings shimmered with flowing light, especially eye-catching. Among them, the weakest blue-gold ring faintly bore seven-colored light spots!

"The residual power of that spear just now..."

Zhao Xuanzhen narrowed his eyes. The Golden Dragon King had been killed by the joint effort of the God Realm's God Kings. In its dying moment, it had driven the god core containing all its mighty power into Tang Wulin's body, attempting to drag Tang Wulin down to hell with it in a one-for-one trade.

Of course, the Golden Dragon King had tried to steal a chicken only to lose the rice. Its plan had failed completely. The god core was instead sealed by Tang San with Eighteen Seals, becoming nourishment to cultivate Tang Wulin. At this point in time, Tang Wulin had already broken through the first seal, absorbing a layer of the Golden Dragon King's energy.

The remaining seventeen seals had originally been intact, but the Plane Spirit, likely hating Tang San to the bone, had caused the seven-colored spear, when it pierced Tang Wulin's chest, not only to annihilate Tang San's divine will but also to begin tearing apart the divine power seals left by Tang San!

"Roar—"

The Golden Dragon King bellowed. The second seal shattered in an instant!

The seventeen seals were linked; a single move affected them all. Tang Wulin currently had no ability to absorb the second seal's energy. The Golden Dragon King manipulated all its power to violently assault the third seal!

This golden dragon, representing the destructive and power aspect of the Dragon God, was determined to break through all the seals at once, descend upon the world, and destroy heaven and earth!

"Old Tang, save me!"

Tang Wulin shouted. As the vessel of the Golden Dragon King God Core, he was enduring an unparalleled destructive impact, his body on the verge of collapse!

However, the so-called Old Tang had already dissipated. Tang Wulin's call was inevitably futile.

"Old Tang is dead." Zhao Xuanzhen said flatly.

Tang Wulin's face flushed an unnatural red as he struggled to endure the pain brought by the Golden Dragon King. His voice trembled: "Did you do this?"

"Yes." Zhao Xuanzhen admitted without evasion. "To use that guy's own words, he already deserved to die."

Deserved to die? Tang Wulin disliked this phrase in his heart. It felt like a shoddy excuse to force a crime onto someone.

"Do you think Old Tang was a good person?" Zhao Xuanzhen asked.

"I don't know." Tang Wulin was slightly stunned. "We've only met a handful of times. He just told me about the spiritual objects to unlock the Golden Dragon King's seals, and I gained power through the seals."

"Then have you ever had memory lapses, or ended up somewhere inexplicably, like today?"

Tang Wulin fell silent. Since meeting Old Tang, he had experienced three memory lapses in total.

The first was shortly after enrolling at Eastsea Academy. He had been invited by Gu Yue to Eastsea Park. His memory stopped at seeing a few strange people approaching, and when he woke up, they had all vanished.

The second was during the Spirit Ascension Platform's Zero Class final exam. He had fought a genius from the Spirit Pagoda and briefly lost consciousness for a moment.

The last was today. He woke up from meditation, completely bewildered, high in the sky, with the Golden Dragon King about to break free from its seals.

"You mean... Old Tang was the root of everything, and he took over my body back then?" Tang Wulin was clever and understood Zhao Xuanzhen's implication.

"Correct. Old Tang is dead, so you won't be forcibly controlled by him anymore. But there's a problem right now. The Golden Dragon King is in revolt, charging through the seals in your body layer by layer.

If the Golden Dragon King breaks through the seals, no one on Douluo Continent can stop it. You and all the humans on Douluo Continent will fall into endless death."

"No, I still have to find my parents!"

Reuniting with Tang Ziran and Lang Yue's family was Tang Wulin's greatest wish. His expression urgent, he asked, "Is there no way to reseal the Golden Dragon King?"

"There is."

Zhao Xuanzhen gave a slight nod. "Before the seals are completely broken, I can apply a second, stable seal over the Golden Dragon King. The Golden Dragon King God Core is a supreme treasure of this world. The ones eyeing it are not opponents you can face. You cannot protect it."

"After the second seal, I will take over the Golden Dragon King. In this process, your martial soul will be baptized by the power leaking from the Golden Dragon King."

Tang Wulin didn't hesitate. He nodded firmly. "Mom and Dad are waiting for me to find them. I don't want to die, and I also don't want anyone on Douluo Continent to die because of the Golden Dragon King. They have parents who love them deeply too."

"The Golden Dragon King gave me power, but it also caused a lot of trouble. If my appetite weren't so terrifying that it bankrupted the family, Mom and Dad wouldn't have gone missing trying to earn money."

"Besides, the spiritual items needed to break the Golden Dragon King's seals are too expensive. The second seal alone cost tens of millions of Federation Coins. And without Old Tang, I wouldn't even know what spiritual items the remaining seals require, let alone that others are after the Golden Dragon King."

"Holding a treasure invites crime. If I keep forcibly containing the Golden Dragon King God Core, I might even pay with my life."

"Take it away. I want a stable life."

Tang Wulin was very clear-headed. Or rather, in his heart, growing up safely and finding Tang Ziran and his wife mattered more than the Golden Dragon King God Core.

"Good."

Zhao Xuanzhen chuckled lightly. "Suppressing this Dragon King will cost me quite a bit, but compared to the Dragon King God Core, a mere bit of cost is nothing."

The Night of the Shining Stars had not yet ended. The Heavenly Plate Nine Stars suddenly blazed to life. Starlight trembled, endlessly devouring Star Power. The Heavenly Plate instantly shuddered, spiderweb-like fine cracks spreading across it!

The Heavenly Plate shattered!

Zhou Tian Star Force broke through its limits!

Tang San was merely a wisp of divine thought, but the Golden Dragon King was an entire god core. The gap between the two was an insurmountable chasm.

Fortunately, Tang San had done at least some work. The Golden Dragon King's seal was still fairly secure. The Golden Dragon King had only managed to impact the Fifth Layer Seal!

Zhao Xuanzhen's fingertip lightly tapped the void. His voice was faint. "Eight Divine Power Teng Snake, the Heavenly Plate amplified by the Shining Stars, the residual power of the Plane Spirit, and... the Human Plate Eight Gates!"

Four auras released simultaneously. The terrifying pressure caused the sky to churn violently. Within a hundred li radius, the sea of clouds surged outward in an instant.

Zhao Xuanzhen's entire body transformed into a Molten Gold Color. Blazing golden flames burned. Tang Wulin was stunned speechless. The strongest combatant he had ever seen was Soul Emperor Wu Changkong. When had he ever witnessed such a grand spectacle!

"ROAR—"

The Golden Dragon King roared in fury. Since its birth, almost its entire life had been spent sealed away!

The Dragon God had split into the Golden and Silver Dragon Kings. The Silver Dragon King fled. The Golden Dragon King was defeated and sealed in the divine realm's forbidden ground. It had barely managed to live a second life, only to be nailed down by the Three Realms Judgment Sword, its seal site swapped to Tang Wulin!

It had exhausted every means to find a chance at a third life, and now it was facing another seal!

Was there no end to this?!

Star power surged like a great river. The light was so dazzling it was impossible to look at directly. Eight Gates guarded the eight directions. The light they wove together formed a massive spell formation, trapping the Golden Dragon King within.

"Eight Gates, Soul Suppression!"

The final plate of Bagua Qimen, Human Harmony, the Human Plate Eight Gates technique!

The Golden Dragon King struggled madly. Its mountain-like dragon body slammed violently against the Human Plate Eight Gates. Each collision triggered a earth-shaking boom.

The Eight Gates stood unmoved. Behind the Human Plate Eight Gates was the endless Star Power amplification of the Heavenly Plate. Besides, the Golden Dragon King hadn't broken enough seals. The Dragon Roar gradually grew low!

The Golden Dragon King's manifested dragon body suddenly froze, as if struck by Medusa's gaze, petrifying and cracking. Its massive body disintegrated amidst the trembling of its blood-red dragon pupils, transforming into a Brilliant Gold crystal.

The Golden Dragon King God Core!

The god core was rhomboid, the size of a fist, covered in sharp intersecting lines. The center point was slightly raised. Fierce Bloodline Power spread wantonly.

Losing the Golden Dragon King God Core, Tang Wulin's first thought was actually relief. An extreme burning sensation came over him. His blood seemed to boil. Every pore was spewing hot air. Tang Wulin grunted, nearly losing his footing.

Golden net-like patterns formed on his forehead. Tang Wulin subconsciously summoned his Blue Silver Grass martial soul. Thick, finger-sized blue vines emerged, spreading endlessly around him.

The Blue Silver Grass expanded, quickly occupying a small patch of sky. Blue light sparkled. Regular golden veins appeared in the center of the grass blades.

Martial Soul Evolution, Golden Patterned Blue Silver Grass!

The Golden Dragon King was half of the Dragon God. Even a trace of leaked energy was enough to evolve Blue Silver Grass.

Zhao Xuanzhen did not strip away every last bit of the Golden Dragon King Bloodline. The first five layers of seals were just the Golden Dragon King's dead skin. Tang Wulin had given such a precious gift; it was only fair he gained some benefits. Zhao Xuanzhen also wouldn't impose Tang San's dirty deeds onto an ignorant ten-year-old child.

Tang Wulin jumped up excitedly. Blue Silver Grass had evolved into Golden Patterned Blue Silver Grass. He could sense a massive improvement in his martial soul's foundation. His soul power circulation speed was several times stronger than before, meaning his cultivation speed would greatly increase from now on!

Blue Silver Grass was the typical waste martial soul of Douluo Continent. Golden Patterned Blue Silver Grass, fused with Golden Dragon King power, was undoubtedly a top-tier plant-type martial soul!

Trading a time bomb like the Golden Dragon King God Core for top-tier soul master talent and a smooth cultivation path, Tang Wulin felt his future was bright. He no longer had to worry about money to break seals. He only needed to train hard and find his parents!

Contentment brings happiness. Tang Wulin had always been optimistic.

"Thank you... Huh?"

Tang Wulin wanted to thank Zhao Xuanzhen, but found the latter in a worrying state. His body was covered in crisscrossing Blood Marks. The slightest movement sent a stream of blood spurting out. Strangely, the wounds weren't gushing heavily; they were astonishingly closed.

"You seem to be spurting blood. Are you okay?" Tang Wulin said weakly.

"Burned out..."

Zhao Xuanzhen casually wiped away the blood. Even though most of the pressure was borne by the Teng Snake, his fragile Third Ring Soul Elder body had still reached its limit. He used his True Self Martial Soul to precisely control his muscles to forcibly stop the bleeding. Only an Original Martial Soul could manipulate bodily functions so perfectly.

The Heavenly Plate was overloaded and shattered. The Human Plate suppressed the Golden Dragon King. Two of the four plates of Bagua Qimen Dao techniques were temporarily unusable. The cost was not small.

But it was all worth it. Douluo Continent's overpowered combatants were now only three: the Blue Silver Emperor Ah Yin, who had devoured the Life Core; the covetous Abyss; and the observing Demon Hell.

The Abyss and the demons lie beyond the Douluo Continent. Zhao Xuanzhen's foremost threat is naturally Ah Yin. Once she finishes devouring the Golden Ancient Tree, nine times out of ten she will emerge from seclusion to seek revenge against him.

"Priority one: eliminate the Blue Silver Emperor..."

Zhao Xuanzhen silently made up his mind, then turned his gaze to Tang Wulin and the stalks of Golden Patterned Blue Silver Grass that stood unyielding against the howling wind. He spoke slowly: "I once heard a saying—individual lives differ, but the total amount of good and evil in the world remains constant.

From birth, everyone plays their assigned role. Some are good, some are evil. From now on, with no outside interference, what kind of person you become depends only on yourself."

"Mm, I will definitely be myself!"

The youth gently stroked the Golden Patterned Blue Silver Grass, his eyes sparkling with brilliant light.

In this life, Tang Wulin's Tang was no longer the Tang of his biological father, Tang San, but the Tang of his adoptive father, Tang Ziran.