Path of Destruction, the Pressure of the Worldbearing Coreflame!

Bai Yuan took a deep breath, tapped the screen with a finger, and spoke crisply:

"Master, this one."

Leng Yaozhu glanced at the Soul Spirit he had chosen, her gaze lingering briefly on the image of the Golden-Haired Lion Mastiff before she gave a slight nod.

"Let me ask you one more time. Are you sure?" she asked, her tone carrying a hint of warning. "An Unyielding Soul Spirit isn't so easy to tame."

"I'm sure." Bai Yuan nodded, his eyes utterly unwavering.

Leng Yaozhu watched him for several seconds before turning to the staff member.

"You heard him. Bring it over."

The manager hesitated for a moment, but still answered, "Yes, Your Highness Heavenly Phoenix."

He turned and operated the Soul Guidance Screen several times, then walked up to Bai Yuan and made an inviting gesture.

"Young Master Bai Yuan, this way, please."

Bai Yuan followed him to one side of the room.

A finely crafted soul guidance device stood there.

A crystal sphere the size of a fist was embedded in its metal base. Two silvery-white conduits extended from either side, their ends connected to two uniquely shaped helmets.

"This is the Spirit Connection Device," the manager explained. "Through it, your spiritual power can be linked to the Soul Spirit's spiritual world.

"Whether you can tame the Unyielding Soul Spirit will depend on whether you can make it submit on the spiritual level."

Bai Yuan nodded, his gaze settling on the device.

The manager hesitated, then turned toward Leng Yaozhu and lowered his voice.

"Your Highness, should we... persuade the young master?"

He paused, obvious concern in his tone. "The risks of an Unyielding Soul Spirit are too great.

"If he fails to subdue it, his spiritual power could suffer backlash.

"The young master's talent is something seen only once in a century. If..."

He did not finish, but the meaning was clear.

If he failed and such a promising seedling was ruined, it would be a tremendous loss.

Leng Yaozhu glanced at him and shook her head.

"No need."

Her voice was calm and unhurried, yet filled with unquestionable certainty.

"He was already told of the dangers.

"He still wants to go through with it. This is the first step toward becoming strong."

She looked at Bai Yuan, a trace of approval flashing through her eyes.

"Only those who dare to challenge deserve something better.

"Let him go."

The manager opened his mouth, but ultimately swallowed his words and respectfully stepped aside.

Bai Yuan turned to look at Leng Yaozhu.

Their gazes met in midair.

He said nothing, merely nodded heavily.

Leng Yaozhu looked at him, her tone unusually gentler.

"Be careful."

Bai Yuan grinned, his voice bright.

"Got it, Master!"

With that, he turned and walked toward the soul guidance device, taking a seat in the chair.

The manager stepped forward to help him put on the helmet, checked the connecting lines once more, and, after confirming there were no issues, stepped back two paces.

"Young Master, are you ready?"

Bai Yuan closed his eyes and took a deep breath, feeling his heartbeat thump steadily within his chest.

Golden-Haired Lion Mastiff...

A ruthless creature that had even dared to confront the Golden Dragon King bloodline head-on.

He slowly opened his eyes, his gaze resolute.

"Come on."

The manager nodded and raised a hand to press the activation button.

Bzzzz!!!

The crystal sphere suddenly lit up, soft white light enveloping the entire room.

Bai Yuan felt his consciousness blur, as though some force had seized him and dragged him downward.

He did not know how much time had passed before his feet finally touched solid ground.

He opened his eyes.

It was a blank expanse.

There was no sky, no ground, no boundary.

All around was endless whiteness, as though it were wrapped in boundless void.

An invisible pressure filled the air, instinctively making one feel uneasy.

Bai Yuan steadied himself and looked around.

Then, he saw it.

At the far end of the space, a massive figure slowly emerged.

The Golden-Haired Lion Mastiff.

Bai Yuan's pupils contracted slightly.

It was even larger than he had imagined.

Its entire body was covered in golden fur like molten sunlight, every strand radiating dazzling brilliance, as though it wore a cloak of burning flames

. Its body was comparable to that of an adult male lion, perhaps even a full size larger.

It stood nearly two meters at the shoulder and stretched over five meters in length. Its limbs were as thick as iron pillars, its claws and fangs as sharp as blades.

Most terrifying was its head.

From its enormous lion's head, a golden mane cascaded like a waterfall, every lock gleaming with a metallic luster.

Its amber vertical pupils seemed to contain flames that would never be extinguished.

Its gaze was arrogant, savage, and unyielding, bearing the innate pressure of a king as it locked directly onto Bai Yuan's soul.

It began to walk toward him.

Every step was as heavy as a mountain. The instant its paws touched down, invisible ripples spread across the white floor of the space.

That enormous body carried a suffocating pressure, like a moving mountain bearing down on him.

Its golden fur drifted gently with every step, each sway stirring a wave of scorching air that rushed at his face.

It stopped three meters in front of Bai Yuan.

Towering over him.

Those golden vertical pupils looked down at him, holding neither anger nor killing intent.

There was only a pure, naked scrutiny.

As though it were looking at an ant.

Then, it spoke.

Its voice was low as thunder, rolling from the depths of its chest and shaking the entire white space.

"Human."

"Are you the one who wishes to tame me?"

The instant the final word fell.

"ROAR!!!"

It suddenly threw back its head, unleashing a roar that exploded like thunder!

The sound was far too loud.

So loud that Bai Yuan felt his eardrums might burst, so loud that the entire space shook violently.

The roar echoed back and forth through the white expanse, lingering without end.

Bai Yuan staggered back a step from the shock, his ears ringing.

He steadied himself, looked at the colossal beast before him, and the corner of his mouth twitched.

Then, he took a deep breath and shouted back at the top of his lungs.

"Why are you yelling so loud?!"

Golden-Haired Lion Mastiff: "..."

Its roar came to an abrupt halt.

Those golden vertical pupils narrowed slightly, as though it had not expected this tiny human to dare roar at it.

Bai Yuan caught his breath, rubbed his ears that had gone numb from the shock, raised his head, and stared directly into those golden vertical pupils.

His gaze was calm, without fear or retreat.

"Come with me."

Three words, neither loud nor soft, yet firm as a falling hammer.

The Golden-Haired Lion Mastiff stared at him.

The scrutiny in its vertical pupils deepened.

Silence.

A long silence.

Within the white space, man and beast faced each other, neither willing to yield.

Bai Yuan took a deep breath and slowly raised his right hand.

"Then let me show you—"

"Dawnmaker."

The sword condensed from the void.

Thin as a cicada's wing, its entire blade flowed with faint golden patterns.

There was no flashy radiance, no earthshaking display.

Only a pure, absolute sharpness.

A sharpness that seemed capable of severing everything in the world.

The Golden-Haired Lion Mastiff's vertical pupils abruptly shrank.

It felt it.

The aura emanating from that sword was neither the fluctuation of Soul Power nor the suppression of bloodline.

It was a more fundamental, more primordial power.

It was "sharpness" itself.

Its fur stood on end involuntarily, instinctively sensing danger.

That sword could truly injure it.

Bai Yuan did not stop.

He slowly spread open his left hand.

"Worldbearing Coreflame."

Boom!!!

Golden flames exploded from his palm!

This was no ordinary fire.

Its light was so blazing that it seemed capable of incinerating the heavens.

The instant the flames leaped, the entire white space began to distort and tremble, as though unable to withstand this power.

The Golden-Haired Lion Mastiff's body suddenly stiffened.

It had seen many powerful beings in this space.

It had felt the auras of Title Douluos and Limit Douluos.

Yet never had any kind of power made it tremble with such bone-deep instinct.

What that Core Flame contained was neither Soul Power nor bloodline.

It was Destruction.

It was the ultimate law that "all things will ultimately return to nothingness."

It was the Path of Destruction capable of burning even stars, worlds, and gods to ash.

Deep within the Golden-Haired Lion Mastiff's pupils, the light of that Core Flame was reflected.

Within that light, what did it see?

It saw a star collapse amid flames.

It saw a divine throne burn away in blazing fire.

It saw a figure standing alone at the end of Destruction, bearing the last Core Flame of the entire world upon his back.

The image flashed past in an instant, yet it branded itself deeply into its soul.

What... was that?

The Golden-Haired Lion Mastiff's body trembled.

Not from fear.

But from submission.

It lowered its head.

For the first time, obedience appeared within those arrogant, untamed golden vertical pupils.

Its voice was low, but there was no longer the slightest resistance.

"Human."

"You are worthy of having me."

The corners of Bai Yuan's lips lifted slightly.

Still not enough.

He raised his left hand slightly, and the Worldbearing Coreflame shone even brighter.

The Golden-Haired Lion Mastiff's body trembled—

Then, it did something that even stunned Bai Yuan.

Its front legs bent, and its mountain-like body slowly lowered itself, its head bowing before Bai Yuan.

Its voice rumbled from deep within its chest, carrying an almost devout fervor:

"Master!"

Bai Yuan: "..."

Wasn't this change a little too fast?

Worthy of an Unyielding Soul Spirit! Even its change of heart was stronger than that of ordinary Soul Spirits!

The Golden-Haired Lion Mastiff raised its head, blazing fire burning in its golden vertical pupils. Its voice was so urgent, as if afraid Bai Yuan would change his mind:

"When do we fuse?!"

The corner of Bai Yuan's mouth twitched.

Just moments ago, it had been putting on an attitude of "What makes a human like you worthy?" And now it was directly urging him to fuse with it?

He looked down at the Worldbearing Coreflame in his hand, then at the Golden-Haired Lion Mastiff before him, which seemed eager to pounce on him and merge with him right away.

He could not help but sigh inwardly:

Sure enough, strength was the only thing that truly mattered.

"Then we'll begin now."