Berserk-Period Spirit Ascension Platform

The piercing roar of the high-speed Soul Guidance Train faded into Eastsea City's salty, damp sea breeze as Li Chen, Gu Yue, and Na'er slowly stepped down onto the platform.

Having long concealed their auras and subtly altered their appearances with special Soul Tools, the three blended silently into the crowds of this coastal metropolis like ordinary teenagers.

Following Leng Yaozhu's prior arrangements, the master of Eastsea City's Spirit Pagoda branch had already been waiting respectfully before the tower. He bowed deeply and led the three into a private chamber of the highest standard.

When they learned that Leng Yaozhu's New Year gift had been placed within the core exclusive secret realm of the Berserk-Period Spirit Ascension Platform, none of them hesitated. They immediately entered the highest-grade connection pods, which had already been debugged.

The warm nutrient fluid slowly rose over their heads, and their consciousness sank into brief darkness. When they opened their eyes again, towering ancient trees blocked out the sky, while the thick scent of vegetation and the ferocious aura of soul beasts rushed toward them. This was the Star Dou Forest illusion simulated by the Berserk-Period Spirit Ascension Platform.

Li Chen gripped the purple token engraved with phoenix patterns in his hand. It emitted a gentle purple glow, accurately indicating the direction of the secret realm node. "About thirty li to the northwest. The secret realm entrance is there."

Gu Yue nodded lightly. The elemental aura around her blended perfectly with the illusory world, without leaking in the slightest. But just as the three were about to set off, Na'er suddenly stopped. She tilted her head slightly, and a faint tremor flashed through her lively eyes. Her nose twitched gently as her gaze locked onto the depths of the forest.

"What is it?" Gu Yue noticed something was wrong and stopped, asking quietly.

"There's an aura I know well." Na'er's voice was extremely low, her eyes filled with confusion and disbelief. "It's the Golden Dragon King Origin. It's incomparably pure. Although it's tightly sealed and only a trace has leaked out, I absolutely cannot be mistaken."

She was the inheritor of the Silver Dragon Spear Martial Soul and bore three-tenths of the other half of the Dragon God Origin. She possessed an innate sensitivity to the Golden Dragon King's aura that surpassed all else. (At Gu Yue's current stage, she had not completely unlocked it yet.)

Even though that aura had been locked behind eighteen layers of seals, leaking only one ten-thousandth of a fluctuation, she had still captured it with perfect precision.

Li Chen raised an eyebrow as his spiritual power quietly spread outward, instantly covering a radius of ten li. In a clearing deep within the forest, five youths in Eastsea Academy first-year uniforms were being forced into a desperate situation by a thousand-year Dark Demon Tiger. The short-haired youth at the lead was surrounded by Blue Silver Grass, while an incomparably domineering Dragon Clan bloodline power churned wildly within him under the pressure of death. It was the source of the aura Na'er had sensed.

"Eastsea Academy students taking their final examination. Their highest cultivation is only that of a two-ring Soul Elder." Li Chen withdrew his spiritual power and spoke indifferently. "He's merely a human boy carrying a sealed Dragon Clan bloodline. He isn't worth stopping for. Let's go to the secret realm first."

But Na'er shook her head, her eyes full of vigilance.

Countless years ago, the Dragon God had fallen, and the Golden Dragon King had been trapped in the God Realm. Its origin should have remained in the God Realm. There was no way she could sense such pure Golden Dragon King Origin within a mortal boy. (The funny thing was that being trapped in the energy-rich Divine Forbidden Land had actually allowed the Golden Dragon King to break through.)

At that moment, Gu Yue's cool divine sense entered Na'er's mind directly, carrying a trace of gravity. "I sensed it too. It truly is the Golden Dragon King Origin, born from the same source as ours. There can be no mistake. But this origin has been locked down by an ultimate seal. The host's soul is only that of an ordinary human boy. There is no remnant of the Golden Dragon King's true divine soul."

Gu Yue fell silent for a moment before her divine sense came again, tinged with compromise. "Probe him a little, but remember not to harm his life. The Golden Dragon King Origin should not have appeared on Douluo Continent. It may be a trap. Do not expose our Silver Dragon Origin either. End this quickly."

Na'er gave a quiet acknowledgment and withdrew her divine sense. Before Li Chen could say anything else, she flashed forward like a white meteor and silently entered the battle in the forest clearing.

At that moment, the battle in the clearing had already reached a life-or-death juncture.

Tang Wulin and the other four had been forced to the edge of the trees by the thousand-year Dark Demon Tiger. Their bodies were drenched in blood, and their soul power was nearly exhausted.

Xie Xie's Twin Shadow Dragon clones had been torn apart several times by wind blades, and his aura had weakened greatly. Xu Xiaoyan's Star Wheel Ice Staff had dimmed, and her control-type soul skills could not even break the Dark Demon Tiger's protective aura. Wang Jinxi and Zhang Yangzi, standing at the very front of the formation, had also been driven into a corner.

"Jinxi! Zhang Yangzi! Martial Soul Fusion Skill!" Tang Wulin took a deep breath and pushed his nearly depleted Bloodline Power to its limit. He shouted sharply, "Xie Xie, restrain it from the flank! Xiaoyan, one final control! We're going all out!"

"Alright!" Wang Jinxi and Zhang Yangzi answered in unison. They exchanged a glance as their soul rings lit up simultaneously.

Their hands clasped tightly, their soul power instantly merging. Black and earthy-yellow light intertwined, forming a giant beast ten meters long, entirely black, with eagle wings and dragon claws. It was their innate Martial Soul Fusion Skill—the Dark Eagle Dragon!

Roar—

The Dark Eagle Dragon let out a deafening roar and charged fiercely at the Dark Demon Tiger with the heavy force of a bear and the sharp ferocity of an eagle.

Xie Xie's clones launched simultaneous attacks from both sides, while Xu Xiaoyan used the last shred of her soul power to unleash Star Wheel Bind. Icy-blue star wheels tightly wrapped around the Dark Demon Tiger's limbs.

A look of determination flashed through Tang Wulin's eyes. He gathered all of his soul power and bloodline power into his right fist, then smashed it fiercely toward the Dark Demon Tiger's head.

But the strength of a thousand-year soul beast far exceeded what they could endure.

The Dark Demon Tiger released an enraged roar as black wind blades exploded around its body. They first shredded the Star Wheel Bind, then sliced apart Xie Xie's shadow clones. Immediately after, its tiger claws, carrying the force to tear space apart, slammed violently into the Dark Eagle Dragon's head.

With a thunderous boom, the Dark Eagle Dragon's projection instantly shattered. Wang Jinxi and Zhang Yangzi spat out blood at the same time and were sent flying, losing all ability to fight.

Their Martial Soul Fusion Skill had been forcibly broken, and both of their souls suffered violent shock. They no longer had the strength to rise.

Having dealt with the greatest threat, the Dark Demon Tiger instantly fixed its gaze on the charging Tang Wulin. Its tiger claw carried overwhelming force as it smashed toward his chest.

If this strike landed, even with the Golden Dragon King bloodline protecting him, he would suffer grievous injuries and be forcibly teleported out of the Spirit Ascension Platform.

"Wulin!" Xie Xie and Xu Xiaoyan cried out in despair at the same time, but they had no time to rescue him.

At that critical moment, Tang Wulin's right arm was instantly covered in dense golden scales, and three incomparably sharp golden claws extended from his fingertips. This was the innate ability unlocked after releasing the first layer of the Golden Dragon King seal—Golden Dragon Claw!

"Break!"

Tang Wulin roared as his right fist, covered in the Golden Dragon Claw, collided fiercely with the Dark Demon Tiger's claw.

The Golden Dragon King's domineering power erupted instantly. The supposedly indestructible tiger claw was torn apart by the Golden Dragon Claw, and golden Bloodline Power surged into the Dark Demon Tiger through its claw, shattering its internal organs. (I seem to remember it having true damage or something.)

The Dark Demon Tiger let out a shrill wail. Its massive body crashed heavily to the ground, completely losing all signs of life. Dense Spirit Ascension energy slowly dispersed from its corpse.

Tang Wulin panted heavily as he stared at the golden dragon scales on his right arm, his eyes filled with shock. He could clearly feel that his strength had increased by several times over. The second seal within his body began to stir, and unprecedented power surged endlessly through his bloodline.

At that moment, a white figure silently appeared before him. It was Na'er.

Tang Wulin and the other four instantly became alert. Their nerves, which had just relaxed, tightened once more as they all looked toward the suddenly appearing girl in white.

They could clearly sense that this girl was about their age, yet her aura was unfathomable. Even the thousand-year Dark Demon Tiger they had fought with all their strength did not seem worthy of a second glance from her.

"Who are you?" Tang Wulin stepped forward and shielded Xie Xie and Xu Xiaoyan behind him. The Golden Dragon scales on his right arm had not yet faded, their golden glow flickering faintly as he asked in a deep voice. (To be fair, early Tang Wulin really was pretty good. All one could say was that Jiangnan and Third Young Master's wife wrote him very well.)

Na'er shook her head gently. Her feet shifted slightly, and her body instantly vanished from where she stood. She had no intention of killing him. She only wanted to force out the sealed origin within Tang Wulin's body and see whether the Golden Dragon King's true divine soul was hidden within.

A faint Silver Dragon pressure was instantly released. Although she used only one ten-thousandth of her power, Tang Wulin and the others still stiffened as their soul power instantly became sluggish. Tang Wulin in particular felt his Golden Dragon King bloodline suffer innate suppression. Even the Golden Dragon Claw he had just unlocked began trembling beyond his control.

"Watch out!" Xie Xie roared as he activated Martial Soul Possession with his Twin Shadow Dragon and charged at Na'er. But the instant his clones entered within three meters of her, they were shattered by an invisible dragon pressure. His main body was also thrown away and slammed heavily onto the ground.

Xu Xiaoyan hurriedly activated Star Wheel Bind, but the icy-blue star wheels melted the moment they neared Na'er, unable to touch even the corner of her clothes.

Na'er's gaze remained fixed on Tang Wulin. With a light flick of her finger, a gentle yet irresistible silver-white strand of soul power reached toward his right arm.

She wanted to personally probe deep into the seal and see what exactly was hidden within the core of this Golden Dragon King Origin.

Determination flashed through Tang Wulin's eyes. He drove the Golden Dragon King power he had just unlocked to its limit, and the Golden Dragon Claw tore toward Na'er's fingertips with the force to rip everything apart.

Clang—

The golden claw and fingertip collided, producing a crisp metallic ring.

Tang Wulin felt an irresistible force surge from her fingertip. He staggered back more than ten steps before barely steadying himself. His right arm went numb, the glow of the Golden Dragon Claw instantly dimmed, and the Golden Dragon King bloodline within him seemed frozen, unable to move even a fraction.

He had lost, completely and utterly. He had not even touched so much as a corner of her clothing.

Na'er looked at him, and the confusion in her eyes deepened.

In that exchange, she had clearly sensed pure Golden Dragon King Origin, yet she had not detected even the slightest trace of the Golden Dragon King's true divine soul consciousness. There was only this boy's unwavering will.

He truly was only a host, not the Golden Dragon King himself.

But just as she was about to withdraw her power and abandon the test completely, an immense, boundless, supreme golden divine sense suddenly erupted from Tang Wulin's brow!

In an instant, the entire Spirit Ascension Platform illusion changed color. Endless golden light swept across the forest, and a terrifying pressure belonging to a Divine King instantly shrouded the entire space.

High in the sky, an enormous golden phantom slowly emerged. Clad in Sea God Divine Armor and holding the Sea God Trident, its face was stern and majestic. It was the God Realm's enforcer, Sea God Tang San!

Tang San's divine sense phantom swept its cold gaze over the unconscious Tang Wulin first, anger at the harm done to his son flashing in its eyes. Then it locked onto Na'er, Gu Yue, and Li Chen, who was slowly approaching.

When Tang San sensed the Dragon God Origin within Na'er and Gu Yue, as well as the Law of Death deep within Li Chen's soul—a power belonging neither to this world nor to the Douluo God Realm—an extreme killing intent instantly erupted in his eyes.

"Anomaly!"

Tang San's voice exploded through the forest like thunder from the highest heavens, carrying unquestionable authority and icy killing intent. "You dare deviate from the ordained path! You harbor remnants of the Dragon God and a divine position from another world, yet you dare harm my son and disrupt the ten-thousand-year plan I laid down! Today, I shall destroy your souls and eliminate all future trouble!"

Before his words had faded, the Sea God Trident in his hand swung slightly. A golden trident radiance containing the Vast Ocean Law, carrying the terrifying power of a pseudo-Divine King, howled toward Li Chen, Gu Yue, and Na'er.

"Sea God divine skill—Unfixed Storm!"

Though this trident radiance had been released by only a thread of divine sense, it was enough to instantly annihilate a Title Douluo. The Illusion Space of the Spirit Ascension Platform had already begun to distort violently before it, as though it could collapse at any moment.

Gu Yue and Na'er's expressions changed drastically, and they instinctively prepared to activate their Silver Dragon Origin to defend themselves.

But just as the trident radiance was about to reach the three of them, an immense, boundless, cold, deathly aura of ultimate darkness suddenly erupted from Li Chen's body!

This aura had not been activated by Li Chen himself. Rather, the Death God Divine Position had sensed the lethal killing intent of a Divine King, as well as the threat to Li Chen, Gu Yue, and Na'er, and had instantly erupted in a stress response!

The Death God Divine Position, which had lain dormant deep within Li Chen's soul, now resembled a cat whose reverse scale had been touched, fluffing up as it fiercely protected its young. The Law of Death it usually kept tightly restrained now swept forth without reservation.

An endless phantom of the Underworld instantly appeared behind Li Chen. The River Styx churned, the cold radiance of the Death God Scythe tore through the Illusion Space, and a massive black palm carrying the Absolute Annihilation Law slammed without flourish toward the Sea God trident radiance and Tang San's divine sense phantom in the sky!

There was no earth-shattering explosion, no dazzling collision of light.

The Sea God trident radiance, capable of annihilating a Title Douluo, melted away without a trace before the black palm like ice and snow beneath the blazing sun.

Then the black palm lightly struck Tang San's divine sense phantom. That golden phantom carrying Divine King pressure could not endure for even half a breath. It could not even utter a final threat before it was completely erased by the ultimate Law of Death, leaving behind not even a trace of a divine soul imprint, as though it had never existed.

The Divine King aura that had filled the heavens one moment vanished completely the next, and the Spirit Ascension Platform's Illusion Space returned to calm.

Even Li Chen froze for a moment. He lowered his head and looked at his palm, a trace of helplessness flashing through his eyes. He had wanted to make a move, but the Death God Divine Position had reacted even faster, protecting them like a cub and directly swatting the threat out of existence without leaving him any chance to act.

Gu Yue and Na'er also came back to their senses, their gazes toward Li Chen carrying a hint of surprise.

They had long known that Li Chen possessed the Death God Position, but they had not expected this Divine King-level divine position to react so intensely merely because they had encountered danger. (If the Silver Dragon King could not sense even this, then really...)

Li Chen coughed lightly and restrained the deathly aura still stirring within him. He then looked toward the clearing. Tang Wulin had fallen into a deep coma after Tang San's divine sense had been forcibly erased, his soul shaken by the backlash. Wang Jinxi and the other three were also sprawled on the ground, their faces pale with lingering fear, too frightened to move.

Li Chen did not linger. With a wave of his hand, several black blade lights flashed from his fingertips and instantly killed the three thousand-year soul beasts drawn over by the battle's aura.

He did not absorb their Spirit Ascension energy. Having already raised his soul rings to the ten-thousand-year level, he did not care for such a small amount of energy. Going to the secret realm first was far more practical.

After dealing with those soul beasts, he led Gu Yue and Na'er into the forest. The three figures vanished like ghosts into the depths of the woods, racing toward the secret realm node.