Shen Nanxun withdrew his dragon claw. The nine-colored patterns faded from his fingertips, and it returned to a long, slender hand.
Before him, Tang Wulin's figure had already dissolved into white light.
Without his Golden Dragon Claw, Tang Wulin had no means of fighting back. His Blue Silver Grass was useless, and he was sent out with ease.
He had proven through direct action that without the Golden Dragon King Bloodline—the ultimate cheat code—Blue Silver Grass was a trash Martial Soul!
Mother's Entanglement was still just a little too powerful.
"Are you going to leave on your own, or should I send you off?"
Hearing the cool voice of the young man, Xu Xiaoyan glanced at Shen Nanxun, who had somehow appeared right in front of her, and ultimately decided it was wiser to give in.
"Do I get a reward for leaving?"
Heroine Xu asked timidly.
Well now, our Heroine Xu was loyal and righteous to the bitter end. Even when she was about to be kicked out of the Spirit Ascension Platform, she still dared to ask the evil Shen Nanxun for an exit reward.
Shen Nanxun's forehead creased. He raised a hand and said fiercely, "Your reward is a nightmare tonight!"
"Ah, no!"
A flash of white light, and the frightened Heroine Xu was gone.
That left only the three of them.
Gu Yue had traded a few blows with Na'er, but after seeing Shen Nanxun make his move, she had put some distance between them and stopped fighting. She stood on a branch of an ancient tree, breathing lightly. Her dark eyes looked past Na'er and settled on the black-haired young man as he slowly folded away his luminous wings.
Na'er didn't pursue her, either. She rested the Silver Dragon Spear on her shoulder and lifted her chin slightly. The ahoge on her forehead swayed proudly. She looked like a little silver fox that had just won a territorial dispute, its tail sticking up high.
Shen Nanxun turned his attention to his target for this mission: the black-haired, black-eyed girl, the other half of the Silver Dragon King.
Gu Yue was the great general Ahoge King!
And Na'er was the little corporal!
"So, we still have to fight." Shen Nanxun rolled his wrist, and golden wings of light unfolded behind him once more.
Gu Yue stood on the ancient tree's branch. She didn't reply; she merely raised her right hand, spreading her fingers.
Fire, wind, earth, and water gathered in her palm all at once.
She began by fusing all four elements. She knew full well that against an opponent who could suppress the Golden Dragon King Bloodline head-on, testing the waters would be a waste of time.
Still, she was eager to fight and find out what power Shen Nanxun held within him.
"Wait!" Na'er suddenly leaped between them with the Silver Dragon Spear over her shoulder, her silver ahoge sticking straight up. "Just so we're clear, I'm only giving Shen Nanxun a turn. It's not because I can't beat you."
Gu Yue ignored her. She lightly leaped down from the tree branch, landed in the clearing, and thrust out one hand. The four elements erupted with a roar. A torrent of energy shot straight toward Shen Nanxun.
"Darn you, Gu Yue! I wasn't finished..." Ahoge King angrily waved her Silver Dragon Spear, but before she could finish, Shen Nanxun grabbed her by the back of her collar and gently moved her aside.
"Watch."
Ahoge King was furious! Ahoge King was speechless! Ahoge King could only watch...
The golden wings of the Six-Winged Angel unfurled once more, and the Angel Holy Sword formed in his hand.
His First Soul Ring lit up. Angel Holy Sword!
The golden sword came slashing down and met the elemental torrent head-on. The circular shockwave blew the surrounding shrubs flat. Gu Yue's assault didn't let up for a moment. Wind blades, fireballs, earth spikes, and ice spears poured down like a storm, while the four elements shifted effortlessly in her hands.
Shen Nanxun swept his sword through the Elemental Storm. Shards of ice and sparks scattered everywhere. The golden sword light collided with a wall of ice formed from water, exploding into a cloud of steaming mist.
Using the mist for cover, Gu Yue leaped into the air. She clenched her right hand, and an ice spear formed from water shot toward Shen Nanxun's chest.
Shen Nanxun turned his sword to block and smacked it to pieces with a single blow.
"Your Martial Soul isn't an angel." Gu Yue's voice was quiet; only the two of them could hear it.
"Thousand Forms." Shen Nanxun flicked his wrist and knocked her back. "The angel is only one of them."
Gu Yue said no more. She used the momentum to retreat, and ice gathered before her into a rapidly spinning storm of blades. Fire and wind coiled around the ice blades, forming a tornado of ice and flame that bore down on Shen Nanxun.
Shen Nanxun took a deep breath, feeling the pulse of the nine-colored orb in his Sea of Consciousness. His right hand underwent Dragon Transformation once more. The Nine-Colored Dragon Claw thrust forward, releasing the full suppressive force of his Dragon God Bloodline. The ice-and-fire tornado suddenly slowed three feet away from him.
The next moment, he tore it apart with brute force!
The ice blades and tongues of flame burst into countless fragments beneath the Nine-Colored Dragon Claw's sharpness. Gu Yue's pupils contracted. She brought her hands together, trying to form an elemental shield, but Shen Nanxun was faster.
His wings of light beat once, and he shot through the curtain of ice shards and sparks like a golden shooting star. The Nine-Colored Dragon Claw thrust forward, its fingers spread, as the force of his bloodline bore down on her.
Gu Yue's Soul Power instinctively curled in on itself. She couldn't even muster the thought of resisting.
It was as if she had spaced out, simply letting Shen Nanxun seize her by the throat with ease.
For some reason, as she felt the density of his bloodline aura, Gu Yue's body trembled slightly. Though being gripped by the throat was humiliating, at that moment she felt strangely light-headed, almost euphoric. She didn't know if it was because of the bloodline power in Shen Nanxun's body.
What was more, she even felt a faint, peculiar pleasure.
Gu Yue's limbs went weak, her eyes grew hazy, and her face flushed like spring tides.
Shen Nanxun felt something was off. Instead of crushing her throat, he let go.
"I've already beaten you. Leave on your own."
It wasn't that he lacked the resolve. Perhaps it was because he'd used this bloodline power, but he couldn't bring himself to kill her—not even inside the Spirit Ascension Platform.
Still, it was enough. Beating her completed the mission.
Gu Yue stood where she was, head bowed. Her black hair concealed her face, making her expression impossible to see, but her hands hung at her sides, fingertips still trembling. The bloodline pressure continued to flow slowly through her body, leaving her limbs as limp as if she were soaking in warm water.
She bit her lip, hard.
Gu Yue, Gu Yue! You're half of the Silver Dragon King, Master of Soul Beasts, the embodiment of ultimate wisdom! How could you enjoy being grabbed by the throat?
Get a grip!
She pinched her thigh hard, and the pain finally drove back some of that strange, floating euphoria.
Shen Nanxun walked a few steps, then suddenly stopped. It wasn't because of Gu Yue. It was Na'er.
Na'er had been leaning against the trunk of an ancient tree, arms folded, her ahoge trembling with every breath. When Shen Nanxun had seized Gu Yue by the throat with one hand, Na'er had even let out a smug little hum.
But just then, a drop of some unknown liquid landed on her hand.
Na'er looked down at her hand, puzzled. "Is it raining inside the Spirit Ascension Platform?"
A moment later, she seemed to realize what it was and froze. A strong, rank odor pressed down from above.
The girl slowly lifted her head.
A giant bear.
Its entire body was covered in thick, dark-gold fur. It was a full two sizes larger than ordinary bear Soul Beasts, and when it stood upright, it towered three zhang high. Its forelegs hung at its sides, each tipped with five long, razor-sharp, dark-gold claws.
Dark-Gold Terrorclaws.
It was the guardian of the Primary Spirit Ascension Platform—the Dark-Gold Terrorclaw Bear!
Na'er's ahoge suddenly burst into a silver dandelion, and she sprang away like a streak of silver lightning. She didn't forget to yell, "Shen Nanxun! A giant bear's trying to eat me!"
Shen Nanxun was already moving. Golden wings of light burst open behind him, and the Angel Holy Sword formed in his hand. He shot toward the Dark-Gold Terrorclaw Bear head-on like a golden meteor.
Sensing the approach of the holy aura, the Dark-Gold Terrorclaw Bear let out a deafening roar. It raised its right paw high, and five Dark-Gold Terrorclaws tore through the air, slamming straight down at Shen Nanxun.
Shen Nanxun didn't dodge. His wings beat once, and he gripped his sword with both hands. The Angel Holy Sword and the Dark-Gold Terrorclaw crashed together in midair. Golden Soul Power and dark-gold claw light erupted in a circular shockwave, making the surrounding ancient trees rustle violently.
Sword and claw locked in a brief stalemate.
"Not bad strength," Shen Nanxun forced out through clenched teeth. The Dark-Gold Terrorclaw Bear's brute strength lived up to its reputation. In pure strength, this thousand-year-old Terrorclaw Bear was already a match for some low-rank Soul Kings.
Sun True Fire blazed along his sword.
The Dark-Gold Terrorclaw Bear roared in pain and swung its left paw across. Shen Nanxun brought his sword around to block, and the two collided.
Shen Nanxun was about to use his third Soul Ring again. The Nine-Colored Dragon Claw formed once more, and the dark-gold Soul Ring already glowed beneath his feet. With the absolute suppressive force of his dragon bloodline, he was confident he could take out the Dark-Gold Terrorclaw Bear with a single blow.
Just as the Soul Ring was about to merge into his body, a blazing fireball struck the Dark-Gold Terrorclaw Bear squarely in its right eye. The fireball was scorching hot. The bear instinctively shut its eye, and its right paw slowed.
Immediately afterward, several sharp stone spikes shot up beneath its feet, piercing the weakest spot behind its knees. The Dark-Gold Terrorclaw Bear let out a pained roar, and its enormous body swayed.
Shen Nanxun turned his head. Gu Yue stood on a branch of an ancient tree not far away, her right hand extended and fingers spread. The light of fire and earth flowed around her fingertips.
He understood. He quickly turned back, clenched the Nine-Colored Dragon Claw into a fist, and smashed it into the Dark-Gold Terrorclaw Bear's jaw. A muffled crack of breaking bone rang out. The enormous creature's upper body jerked backward, exposing the small, vulnerable patch on its chest.
Now!
A silver-white spear tip shot through the air from behind and to the side. Na'er had somehow leaped onto a branch behind the Dark-Gold Terrorclaw Bear. She gripped the Silver Dragon Spear in both hands, her silver vertical pupils filled with an icy, razor-sharp gleam.
She leaped down from above, using the force of her fall to drive the Silver Dragon Spear into the Dark-Gold Terrorclaw Bear's left rear shoulder. The spearhead pierced its thick hide and emerged through its chest.
The power contained in the spear exploded inside it. The Dark-Gold Terrorclaw Bear let out a shrill wail, swayed twice, and flailed its paws in the air before finally falling backward to the ground.
White light shot into the sky.
And so, the trio's teamwork made its debut: a bear was brought down in the Spirit Ascension Platform!
"Not bad."
Leng Yaozhu watched the scene on the screen and nodded slightly. Her disciple had indeed been defeated in a sorry state, but it wasn't because the disciple was too weak. It was because Shen Nanxun was too strong.
"In that case, perhaps it is possible..."
She murmured a few words, then propped her cheek on one hand and said, "Still, one against seven sounds a bit over the top. I suppose I'll generously allow three against seven."
After leaving the Spirit Ascension Platform, Shen Nanxun didn't see Leng Yaozhu again. She'd only left him with the words that the mission would be assigned in a couple of days, then vanished without a trace.
Shen Nanxun felt like he was being made a fool of, but there was nothing he could do. When it came to this matter, he was always the one at a disadvantage.
As he followed Su Jiuyin out of the Spirit Pagoda's main gate, the afternoon sun shone warmly over Eastsea City. Unlike the crisp chill of autumn in North Sea City, the southern sunlight was mild and soft, quite pleasant.
Su Jiuyin walked ahead. Her light gray robe swayed gently in the breeze. She spoke even less than she had on the way there, silently leading the way and occasionally turning to make sure the two youngsters were still following.
The square before the Spirit Pagoda was crowded. Parents brought their children to awaken their Martial Souls, while Soul Masters fresh from the Spirit Ascension Platform replayed their battles. By sheer coincidence, just as they reached the square, they ran into Wu Zhangkong and the others, who had also just come out.
Wu Zhangkong was dressed in white, his blue hair as cold as ice. Gu Yue, Xu Xiaoyan, Xie Xie, and Tang Wulin followed behind him.
The two groups didn't say much. Xu Xiaoyan was the only one who looked over curiously, her gaze repeatedly sizing up Shen Nanxun.
Na'er, meanwhile, flicked her tail at Gu Yue. The latter completely ignored her.
A luxury car was parked outside the Spirit Pagoda square. A middle-aged man stood beside it. He looked to be around forty. He wasn't tall, but his back and shoulders were straight, and he wore a well-tailored dark gray suit.
"Dad!" Xu Xiaoyan's eyes suddenly lit up. She took three steps in two and ran over, looking up at him, her icy blue eyes brimming with surprise. "What are you doing here? Didn't you say you had to go to Heaven Dou City on business this week?"
The middle-aged man was Xu Handong, the head of Eastsea City's Finance Department and the current head of the Xu Family.
Xu Handong lowered his head and looked at his daughter's sparkling eyes. The smile at the corners of his mouth deepened. He reached out and gently ruffled the top of Xu Xiaoyan's head. "I came to see a relative."
"A relative?"
Xu Xiaoyan looked puzzled.
Xu Handong slowly lowered his hand from the top of Xu Xiaoyan's head. He took a step forward, then stopped. The faint smile at the corners of his mouth had vanished without her noticing, and his eyes held a complicated look.
After a long pause, he finally murmured in a trembling voice, "Little sister, you finally came back."
Su Jiuyin's expression was much calmer. She merely nodded and said,
"Big brother."
Then she said no more.
Shen Nanxun was surprised. He hadn't expected Su Jiuyin to be Xu Xiaoyan's aunt. No wonder her surname was Xu—he'd never thought of that before. So they really were related.
The reason Su Jiuyin had left Eastsea City all those years ago and wandered far from home was a rather melodramatic story. Back then, she'd fallen in love with someone who didn't have much talent as a Soul Master.
But the Xu Family's head at the time—her father—naturally refused to accept a son-in-law from a family of lower standing. He drove the man away by force, then arranged for Su Jiuyin to marry into another family.
In the end, Su Jiuyin was forced to leave home and even change her surname to Su. If the old family head hadn't already passed away, she wouldn't have returned this time.
Before you continue