Spirit Ascension Platform Descends Gu Yue, Battles Dark Bear

Shen Nanxun retracted his dragon claw, the nine-colored light patterns fading from his fingertips until they returned to a hand with slender, elegant joints.

Before him, Tang Wulin's figure had already dissolved into white light and vanished from the spot.

Without the Golden Dragon Claw, Tang Wulin possessed absolutely no ability to resist; relying on Blue Silver Grass was utterly useless, and he had been sent out with ease.

He had successfully proven with his actions that without the heaven-defying cheat of the Golden Dragon King bloodline, Blue Silver Grass was nothing but a trash martial soul!

"Biological mother" binding was still a bit too authoritative.

"Are you going to withdraw yourself, or should I send you on your way?"

Hearing the cold, youthful voice and looking at Shen Nanxun, who had appeared before her at some unknown moment, Xu Xiaoyan ultimately decided to follow her heart.

"Is there a reward for withdrawing?"

Heroine Xu Xiaoyan asked weakly.

Well, our heroine Xu was loyal and righteous; even while being sent out of the Spirit Ascension Platform, she still dared to seek a withdrawal reward from the evil force that was Shen Nanxun.

A black line appeared on Shen Nanxun's forehead. He raised a hand and said viciously, "The reward is that you'll have nightmares tonight!"

"Ah, no!"

A white light flashed, and the intimidated heroine was instantly withdrawn.

And so, only the three of them remained in the arena.

Gu Yue had originally exchanged a few blows with Na'er, but upon seeing Shen Nanxun make his move, she proactively widened the distance and ceased her actions. She stood on a horizontal branch of an ancient tree, breathing slightly, her black eyes passing over Na'er to land on the black-haired youth who was slowly retracting his wings of light.

Na'er did not pursue either. She hoisted the Silver Dragon Spear onto her shoulder, lifted her chin slightly, and the cowlick on her forehead swayed triumphantly. She looked like a little silver fox that had just won a territorial dispute, her tail held high.

Shen Nanxun also turned his gaze toward his target for this mission: the black-haired, black-eyed girl, the other half of the Silver Dragon King.

Gu Yue was the Big Monster General!

Na'er was naturally the Little Monster Corporal!

"So, we still have to fight." Shen Nanxun loosened his wrists, and the golden wings of light unfolded behind his back once more.

Gu Yue stood on the tree branch. She did not reply, only raising her right hand with her five fingers slightly spread.

Fire, wind, earth, and water—the four elements condensed in her palm simultaneously.

She went straight for a four-element fusion. She knew very well that when facing an opponent capable of suppressing the Golden Dragon King bloodline head-on, any probing was a waste of time.

However, she also wanted to fight to determine the nature of the power within Shen Nanxun.

"Wait!" Na'er suddenly jumped between the two, still carrying her Silver Dragon Spear, her silver cowlick standing straight up. "Let me state for the record, I'm only yielding to Shen Nanxun, not because I can't beat you."

Gu Yue ignored her, leaping lightly from the tree branch to the open ground. With a single-handed push, the four elements erupted violently. A torrent of elemental energy surged straight toward Shen Nanxun.

"Stinky Gu Yue! I wasn't finished..." The Cowlick King waved her Silver Dragon Spear in a fit of pique, but before she could finish, Shen Nanxun grabbed her by the back of her collar and pushed her aside.

"Watch the fight."

The Cowlick King was furious! The Cowlick King was speechless! The Cowlick King could only watch...

The golden six-winged angel wings unfolded again, and the Angel Holy Sword materialized in his hand.

The first soul ring lit up: Angel Holy Sword!

The golden longsword slashed down, colliding head-on with the elemental torrent. The resulting circular shockwave flattened the surrounding bushes. Gu Yue's offensive did not pause for a second; wind blades, fireballs, earth spikes, and ice cones poured down like a rainstorm, the four elements switching seamlessly in her hands.

Shen Nanxun moved through the elemental storm, his sword flashing. Shattered ice and sparks flew everywhere, and the golden sword light collided with an ice wall formed of water elements, exploding into a cloud of steaming mist.

Taking advantage of the mist, Gu Yue leaped up. With her right hand curled into a claw, an ice spear formed of water thrust straight toward Shen Nanxun's chest.

Shen Nanxun parried with his sword, shattering it with a single strike.

"Your martial soul is not an angel." Gu Yue's voice was low, audible only to the two of them.

"Thousand Forms." Shen Nanxun's wrist vibrated, knocking her back. "The angel is just one of them."

Gu Yue said no more. Using the momentum to retreat, she condensed an ice blade storm that spun at high speed before her. Fire and wind elements coiled around the outer edge of the ice blades, forming a tornado of intertwined ice and fire that bore down on Shen Nanxun.

Shen Nanxun took a deep breath, feeling the pulse of the nine-colored light cluster within his Sea of Consciousness, and his right hand underwent dragonization once more. He thrust his Nine-Colored Dragon Claw forward, releasing the suppression of the Dragon God bloodline without reservation. The ice-fire tornado slowed down abruptly three feet away from him.

The next moment, he tore it apart with his bare hands!

Ice blades and tongues of fire exploded into fragments under the sharpness of the Nine-Colored Dragon Claw. Gu Yue's pupils constricted, and she brought her hands together to re-condense an elemental shield, but Shen Nanxun was faster.

With a beat of his wings, he shot forward like a golden meteor, piercing through the curtain of ice and fire. His Nine-Colored Dragon Claw reached out, fingers slightly spread, and the power of his bloodline pressed down upon her.

Gu Yue's soul power instinctively recoiled, unable to summon even a single thought of resistance.

The scene was as if she had been stunned, allowing Shen Nanxun to easily grasp her by the throat.

For some reason, feeling the intensity of this bloodline aura, Gu Yue's body trembled slightly. It was such a humiliating position to be held by the neck.

Yet, at this moment, she felt a strange sense of euphoria, though she wasn't sure if it was because of the bloodline power within Shen Nanxun.

There was even a trace of bizarre enjoyment.

At this moment, Gu Yue's limbs went limp, her eyes grew hazy, and her face flushed with a spring-like radiance.

Shen Nanxun felt something was off. Instead of crushing her throat, he let go.

"I have already beaten you. Withdraw yourself."

It was not that he lacked ruthlessness; perhaps because he had tapped into that bloodline power, he could not bring himself to kill his opponent directly, even within the Spirit Ascension Platform.

However, it was enough. Defeating her fulfilled the mission.

Gu Yue stood where she was, head bowed. Her long black hair obscured her face, making her expression unreadable, but her hands hung at her sides, her fingertips still trembling slightly. That bloodline suppression continued to circulate slowly within her, leaving her limbs feeling as soft as if they had been soaked in warm water.

She bit her lip, biting down hard.

Gu Yue, oh Gu Yue, you are the half-body of the Silver Dragon King, the Master of Soul Beasts, the embodiment of ultimate wisdom! How could you feel pleasure while being throttled by someone?

Wake up!

She pinched her thigh hard, the pain finally suppressing that inexplicable sense of lightheadedness.

Shen Nanxun took a few steps, then suddenly paused. It was not because of Gu Yue, but because of Na'er.

Na'er had been leaning against the trunk of an ancient tree, arms crossed, her cowlick twitching with her breathing. She had even hummed triumphantly when she saw Gu Yue being throttled by Shen Nanxun.

But just then, a drop of unknown liquid fell onto her hand.

Na'er subconsciously looked down at her hand, feeling a bit strange. "Does it rain inside the Spirit Ascension Platform?"

The next instant, she seemed to realize something, and her entire body stiffened. A thick, fishy stench pressed down from above.

The young girl slowly raised her head.

A giant bear.

Its entire body was covered in thick, dark-gold fur. It was a full two sizes larger than an ordinary bear-type soul beast, standing three zhang tall when upright. Its two front paws hung at its sides, each extending five extremely long and sharp dark-gold claws.

Dark-Gold Terrorclaw.

It was the guardian of the primary Spirit Ascension Platform, the Dark-Gold Terrorclaw Bear!

Na'er's cowlick suddenly exploded into a silver dandelion, and she shot out like a silver bolt of lightning, not forgetting to shout, "Shen Nanxun! A big bear wants to eat me!"

Shen Nanxun had already moved. Golden wings unfurled behind him, the Angel Holy Sword condensed in his hand, and he charged head-on toward the Dark-Gold Terrorclaw Bear 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, swiping straight down at Shen Nanxun's head.

Shen Nanxun did not dodge. With a flap of his wings, he gripped the sword with both hands, and the Angel Holy Sword collided with the Dark-Gold Terrorclaw in mid-air with a boom. Golden soul power and dark-gold claw light exploded into a circular shockwave, causing the surrounding ancient trees to rustle violently.

The sword and the claw fell into a brief stalemate.

"You've got some strength." Shen Nanxun's voice was squeezed through his teeth. The brute force of the Dark-Gold Terrorclaw Bear was well-deserved; in terms of raw power alone, this thousand-year-cultivation bear was already comparable to some low-level Soul Kings.

Sun True Fire ignited upon the long sword.

The Dark-Gold Terrorclaw Bear roared in pain, its left paw swiping horizontally. Shen Nanxun retracted his sword to block, colliding with it once more.

Shen Nanxun had intended to use his third soul ring again, to re-condense the Nine-Colored Dragon Claw, and the dark-gold soul ring was already glowing beneath his feet. With the absolute suppression of his dragon bloodline, he was confident he could send this Dark-Gold Terrorclaw Bear away in one strike.

Just as the soul ring was about to merge into his body, a scorching fireball hit the Dark-Gold Terrorclaw Bear's right eye with precision. The temperature of the fireball was extremely high; the bear subconsciously closed its eye, and the momentum of its right paw stalled.

Immediately after, several sharp stone spikes erupted from beneath its feet, piercing the weakest point behind its hind knee. The Dark-Gold Terrorclaw Bear let out a pained roar, its massive body swaying slightly.

Shen Nanxun turned his head. Gu Yue stood on a branch of an ancient tree not far away, her right hand extended, fingers slightly spread, the light of fire and earth elements swirling at her fingertips.

He understood. He quickly turned back, the Nine-Colored Dragon Claw clenched into a fist, and smashed it into the Dark-Gold Terrorclaw Bear's jaw. A muffled sound of bone cracking echoed; the massive body was knocked backward by the punch, exposing the small, weakest area on its chest.

Now!

A silver-white spear light arrived from the rear, piercing through the air. Na'er had jumped onto a horizontal branch behind the bear at some point, holding the Silver Dragon Spear in both hands, her silver vertical pupils filled with nothing but cold, icy sharpness.

She leaped down from the height, and with the force of her descent, the Silver Dragon Spear pierced into the Dark-Gold Terrorclaw Bear's left rear shoulder. The tip of the spear penetrated the thick hide and emerged from its chest.

The power contained within the dragon spear exploded inside its body. The Dark-Gold Terrorclaw Bear let out a shrill, mournful cry, its massive body swayed twice, its claws flailed in the air a few times, and it finally collapsed to the ground, facing the sky.

White light soared into the sky.

Thus, the trio's first display of power, a stinking bear brought down on the Spirit Ascension Platform!

"Not bad."

Leng Yaozhu watched the scene on the screen and nodded slightly. Although her disciple had been defeated in a sorry state, it was not because the disciple was too weak, but because Shen Nanxun was too strong.

"In that case, it might actually be possible..."

She muttered to herself, then rested her chin on her hand. "However, one against seven seems a bit exaggerated. Then, I'll reluctantly settle for three against seven."

After leaving the Spirit Ascension Platform, Shen Nanxun did not see Leng Yaozhu again. She had only left him with the words that the mission would be announced in two days, then vanished without a trace.

Shen Nanxun always felt like he was being treated like a monkey, but there was no help for it; in this matter, he was always the passive one.

When he walked out of the Spirit Pagoda's main gate with Su Jiuyin, the afternoon sun in East Sea City was just right. Unlike the coldness of autumn in North Sea City, the southern sun was gentle and soft, feeling very comfortable.

Su Jiuyin walked in front, her plain grey robe swaying gently in the breeze. She spoke even less today than when they arrived, simply leading the way quietly and occasionally looking back to confirm that the two little ones were still following behind.

The square in front of the Spirit Pagoda was bustling with people: parents holding their children's hands to awaken their martial souls, and soul masters who had just come out of the Spirit Ascension Platform and were still reviewing their battles. As luck would have it, just as they reached the square, they ran into Wu Zhangkong and his group, who had also just come out.

Wu Zhangkong was dressed in white, his blue hair like ice, followed by Gu Yue, Xu Xiaoyan, Xie Xie, and Tang Wulin.

The two groups did not exchange any words, though Xu Xiaoyan looked over with curiosity, her gaze lingering on Shen Nanxun.

Na'er, meanwhile, flaunted her tail at Gu Yue, though the latter ignored her entirely.

Outside the Spirit Pagoda's square, a luxury car was parked. A middle-aged man stood beside it. He was about forty years old, not tall, but his shoulders and back were straight, and he wore a tailored dark-grey suit.

"Dad!" Xu Xiaoyan's eyes lit up suddenly. She ran over in a few quick steps, tilted her face up, and her ice-blue eyes were filled with surprise. "Why are you here? Didn't you say you were going to Tiandou City to discuss business this week?"

The middle-aged man was none other than the Minister of Finance for East Sea City and the current head of the Xu family, Xu Handong.

Xu Handong lowered his head to look into his daughter's sparkling eyes, the curve of his lips deepening slightly. He reached out and gently ruffled Xu Xiaoyan's hair. "Dad is here to see a relative."

"A relative?"

Xu Xiaoyan looked a bit puzzled.

Xu Handong's hand slowly descended from the top of Xu Xiaoyan's head. He took a step forward, then stopped; the upward curve of his lips had vanished at some point, and his eyes held a complex expression.

After a long silence, he finally spoke in a trembling murmur: "Little sister, you've finally decided to come back."

Su Jiuyin's expression remained far more indifferent. She merely gave a slight nod and said:

"Big brother."

There was nothing more to add.

Shen Nanxun was quite surprised. He hadn't expected Su Jiuyin to be Xu Xiaoyan's aunt. No wonder she shared the surname Xu; he hadn't considered that possibility before, never imagining such a connection existed.

The reason Su Jiuyin had left East Sea City and lived away from her hometown for so many years was a rather cliché story. Back then, she had fallen in love with a man who possessed very little talent as a soul master.

However, the head of the Xu family at the time—her own father—naturally refused to accept a son-in-law from a mismatched background. He forcibly drove the man away and demanded that Su Jiuyin enter an arranged marriage.

In the end, he forced Su Jiuyin to leave her home, leading her to even change her surname to Su. Had the old family head not already passed away, she would never have returned this time.