Time Dragon King, Reunion

The staff member in charge of selecting souls was already numb.

This young master of the Qiangu Clan was far too hard to serve. If Qiangu Dieyan's access level had not been high enough, he probably would never have seen that Radiant Sacred Dragon soul in his entire life.

But when he thought back to those souls just now—especially the dragon-type souls—and how they could barely move once they saw Qian Jue...

Ordinarily, they were all arrogant and overbearing, lording it over the simulated Star Dou Great Forest, ready to beat up any soul beast they found displeasing.

Every one of them was a little demon king running wild. If maintenance staff like them failed to keep watch for even a moment, weaker souls might be devoured by those dragons.

Yet after seeing Qian Jue, all of them wished they could become his soul. They were practically throwing themselves at him—even the intermediate-zone Indomitable Soul, the Radiant Sacred Dragon, was the same.

From this alone, it was clear just how powerful an attraction this young master of the Qiangu Clan's martial soul held for dragon-type soul beasts.

"Nothing else?"

As Qiangu Dieyan's words fell, the staff member could not help breaking out in a cold sweat, but in the end he could only say awkwardly, "Your Eminence, at present, there are no dragon-attribute souls in the Spirit Ascension Platform that are more compatible with this child."

Hearing this, Qiangu Dieyan instead let out a long breath of relief.

Then he took out a gilded card. Tiny soul arrays were engraved upon it, and such a small card was actually a high-level Soul Tool.

"Step aside. What happens next is not something your access level qualifies you to know."

"As Your Eminence commands."

The staff member gave a ninety-degree bow, then led the others away.

Only after everyone had left did Qiangu Dieyan personally stand before the control console and insert his card into the slot.

"Access authorization complete."

"Access granted."

An ethereal mechanical female voice came from the broadcast system, and beside the corridor, a device resembling a hibernation pod suddenly appeared.

Qiangu Dieyan took his hand and brought him to the side of the pod.

"Child, in a moment, you will need to personally enter the Spirit Ascension Platform. I will set the coordinates and send you there."

"Whether you can obtain that legendary soul within our Spirit Pagoda will depend on your own fortune."

Qian Jue froze. Was the Spirit Pagoda this rich?

It was already surprising enough that they could produce a true dragon soul like the Radiant Sacred Dragon, which had been extinct for a very long time.

Though back when he ruled the dragon race, the Radiant Sacred Dragon had only been considered middling among dragons.

"A legendary soul? Great-grandfather, haven't you tried to subdue it before?"

Hearing this, Qiangu Dieyan was slightly startled, then gave a wry smile. "When I was young, I did indeed visit that one and tried to invite her to become my first soul, but I was ignored."

"After I became a Soul Sage and needed to arrange my final soul, I went to meet her again. I was still ignored."

Hearing Qiangu Dieyan say this, Qian Jue's curiosity was also piqued.

Just what level of soul was it, to actually be able to ignore a genius like old Qiangu?

If it really was that powerful, then it should be used by me!

After he entered the pod, Qiangu Dieyan still did not forget to warn him, "Whether you succeed or fail, you must not speak rashly to that lord."

"Although the Spirit Ascension Platform is under our control, and generally speaking, soul masters who enter it will only lose a portion of their spiritual power, if you anger that one, even I may not be able to ensure you come out unharmed."

That was a little exaggerated.

Qian Jue felt somewhat uneasy as he listened.

Good grief, this soul was absurdly strong. It could actually deal damage even without home-field advantage, to the point that Qiangu Dieyan, the Limit Douluo with the strongest burst power on the continent, said he might not be able to protect him.

Damn. Now he was even more curious about just who this mighty being was.

With that feeling in mind, Qian Jue's consciousness gradually sank into the Spirit Ascension Platform, as though falling into a pitch-black deep sea.

After a long while, light returned before his eyes.

What reached his ears were birdsong and insect calls rarely heard in the city. Layer upon layer of treetops blotted out the sky, and all around him were ancient trees thick enough for several people to encircle.

This kind of natural, primitive scenery made Qian Jue feel the slightest trace of nostalgia.

This was the world of the Spirit Ascension Platform. Everything around him was a simulation created through soul technology and fragments of the divine realm, and the scene it restored was the original appearance of the Star Dou Great Forest from tens of thousands of years ago.

Where was the legendary soul?

Qian Jue looked around. Aside from trees and flowers, he did not see a single soul beast.

Whatever. He would keep heading deeper in.

Outside the Spirit Ascension Platform, Qiangu Dieyan was silently watching everything inside.

Deep down, he vaguely had a premonition that his own grandson might very well be the target Lord Shu had been waiting for all along.

Before long, two more people arrived in the corridor.

Qiangu Dieyan looked back and saw that, sure enough, it was his youngest son and Leng Yaozhu.

"Father, how could you make such an arbitrary decision and take Xiao Qian to meet that one..."

"I knew what I was doing."

With a single sentence, Qiangu Dieyan shut down Qiangu Dongfeng's questioning. Facing his father, Qiangu Dongfeng could never truly stand his ground.

Leng Yaozhu, on the other hand, was relatively calm. After entering, she still bowed to Qiangu Dieyan.

"I heard my disciple came back to choose a soul spirit. I didn't expect you to be this generous." As part of the Spirit Pagoda, Leng Yaozhu had heard a little about the one the Qiangu Clan enshrined.

Back during the soul spirit conversion ritual, her ancestors had also played a part.

Qiangu Dieyan slowly said, "What are you saying? Xiao Qian has our Qiangu Clan's blood in him too."

"Just watch. I have faith in this child."

Everyone's gaze fell on the screen. By now, Qian Jue had already gone some distance into the forest.

Before long, as a burst of white light entered his sight, everything around him suddenly opened up.

In the center of the lush forest, there was actually a clearing, and within it, a field planted with crops stood out in particular.

Qian Jue walked closer and crouched down, looking at the crops in the field.

"This is... Dragon Tooth Rice?"

The rice ears drooped low, heavy enough to bend the stalks. Even from a short distance away, he could smell that faint, delicate fragrance.

This was also a kind of spiritual treasure of heaven and earth, usually born near the nests where dragons lived.

Because it contained a great deal of energy, after Qian Jue became the ruler of the dragon race long ago, he had personally cultivated it, then vigorously promoted it among the race, providing a stable food source for low-level earth dragons and weaker dragons.

In the middle of the four-sided Dragon Tooth Rice Paddy stood a small thatched hut.

Qian Jue rose to his feet, intending to find out what was going on.

Whoosh!

A black shadow suddenly shot out from the rice paddy. The sound of it tearing through the air made one's teeth ache.

His right arm was injured by the black shadow, leaving a small cut. Crystal-clear blood rolled from the wound.

Without the slightest hesitation, Qian Jue summoned the Coiling Dragon Staff, then swept it sideways, smashing it straight into the black shadow.

Swish!!!

The blow was heavy and powerful, swatting the black shadow directly down from midair.

It turned out to be an Evil Erosion Worm parasitizing the Dragon Tooth Rice Paddy.

This Evil Erosion Worm, with over a thousand years of cultivation, turned into specks of light that scattered into the sky, then were absorbed by Qian Jue, becoming nourishment to raise the Tyrant Dragon soul spirit's cultivation.

"It's been so long since I've seen Dragon Tooth Rice grown on this scale that I forgot about these annoying pests for a moment."

Qian Jue shook his head and mocked himself.

By the time he came back to his senses, a graceful green figure had appeared before him at some point.

"You're a child of the Qiangu Clan?"

The woman asked gently and softly. Seeing the wound on Qian Jue's hand, she took a stalk of Dragon Tooth Rice from the rice basket hanging from her arm.

"How could you be so careless..."

There was a trace of reproach in her calm tone. The Dragon Tooth Rice stalk brushed lightly over Qian Jue's hand, and the wound scratched open by the Evil Erosion Worm disappeared.

It wasn't healing power...

Qian Jue keenly caught a faint fluctuation. This method of treating a wound was more like a small-scale reversal of time.

The woman removed her bamboo hat, revealing the serene, breathtakingly beautiful face beneath the veil.

Then their gazes met.

"Dragon—Dragon Venerable?"