"Are you leaving already? You just got back!"
Mother Gu's face was full of reluctance, and her voice carried a faint, barely perceptible tremble.
She looked at Gu An, her hands clasped together, her fingertips turning slightly white.
If she hadn't known for certain that her son was only six years old, she really would have thought the young man standing before her was already an adult.
What six-year-old spent all day rushing around outside and fighting Titled Douluo?
Gu An shook his head.
"Of course not. I'll stay with you for a while first, Mother."
"Besides, after that battle at Shrek Academy, my Soul Power improved a little. I need to go into seclusion and consolidate my cultivation."
Mother Gu's face immediately lit up with delight.
Ever since Gu An was born, the two of them had never been apart for this long.
For the past few days, she hadn't slept well at night, tossing and turning with worry.
Now, hearing that her son would stay home for a while, the weight on her heart finally lifted.
"Then hurry and go cultivate, Xiao An. Once you're done, come spend time with me."
Mother Gu urged him on.
Although she couldn't wait to pull her son into her arms and cuddle him, shower him with kisses, and lift him high into the air,
she knew better than anyone what mattered most in this world.
Gu An nodded and headed for his room.
Zi JI stayed behind.
But because she was a Soul Beast, everyone present except Mother Gu and Leng Yaozhu
was more or less wary of her.
Zi JI stood where she was, taking in everyone's reactions.
Her alluring face showed no change in expression. She didn't care in the slightest.
Leng Yaozhu clapped her hands, drawing everyone's attention.
"All right, come with me into the Spirit Pagoda. Xiao An asked me to teach you, so today I'll give you all a proper lesson."
She led the way toward the silver-white, nine-story tower, and Ning Qingyun and the others hurried after her.
At the same time,
deep in the Star Dou Great Forest,
the very moment Zi JI descended into this world!
The Ferocious Beast aura unique to the Hell Demon Dragon King struck out like a boulder thrown into a still lake, sending ripples in every direction.
At the deepest part of the Star Dou Great Forest, beside the Lake of Life, three figures opened their eyes almost simultaneously.
Di Tian stood on the shore of the Lake of Life, his hands clasped behind his back.
He was tall and lean, his black hair streaked with several strands of dark gold. His face was stern and imposing.
A thoughtful gleam shone in his dark golden eyes.
"You felt it too?"
Another figure landed beside him. It was Zi JI, another Ferocious Beast of the Star Dou Great Forest.
Her purple hair was tied in a high ponytail, and her brows carried a heroic edge, but at that moment her face was grave.
"That's right. I sensed it too—the aura of the Hell Demon Dragon King... And it's powerful. Incredibly powerful!"
Di Tian nodded slowly, narrowing his dark golden, vertical pupils.
Normally, sensing the aura of one's own kind was no big deal. You sensed it, and that was that.
There were plenty of hidden powerhouses on the continent. It wasn't unusual for a Ferocious Beast-level being to appear now and then.
But the problem was—the Hell Demon Dragon King Clan had only one last member left: Zi JI!
There was no reason for another dragon of the same lineage to appear!
Zi JI parted her lips, as though she wanted to say more, but hesitated.
"There's something else... The aura I sensed was almost exactly the same as my own."
Di Tian's brow furrowed sharply.
Exactly the same?
That was beyond what "same clan" could explain!
Just as the two fell silent, a gentle voice, imbued with supreme authority, rang out in both their minds.
"Di Tian, Zi JI, come see me."
The Lord's voice!
Di Tian and Zi JI exchanged a glance, then turned at the same time. They transformed into two streaks of light and flew toward the depths of the Lake of Life.
At the very bottom of the Lake of Life, the water was crystal clear.
Di Tian and Zi JI arrived in the inner space beneath the lake and knelt on one knee together.
"My Lord!"
The Silver Dragon King's voice reached their ears.
"You sensed it too, didn't you? That aura of the Hell Demon Dragon King..."
"Yes, my Lord. I was just about to send someone to investigate."
"Let Zi JI go."
The Silver Dragon King's voice rang out softly.
"As the only remaining member of the Hell Demon Dragon King Clan, she is the most suitable one to approach them."
"If this truly is one of our Dragon Clan's people, lost to the outside world, bring her back. Every additional Ferocious Beast in the Soul Beast Clan brings us one step closer to revival."
Di Tian considered this briefly, then nodded.
"You're right, my Lord. Zi JI, you'll investigate that aura. Remember to be careful."
With her strength, as long as those human gods didn't intervene, there was practically no one on the entire Douluo Continent who could hold her back.
There was little cause for concern.
Zi JI rose to her feet, a complicated look flashing through her eyes.
Another Hell Demon Dragon King... with an aura almost identical to her own...
"Don't worry. I'll get to the bottom of this!"
With that, Zi JI turned and transformed into a streak of purple light, racing toward the source of the aura.
That direction led straight to Spirit Transmission Academy.
At that moment, inside the Spirit Pagoda,
Leng Yaozhu led the group into the first floor of the Spirit Pagoda.
The space inside the tower was far larger than it appeared from outside, clearly the result of some kind of spatial formation.
"The Spirit Pagoda, as its name suggests, is a place where Soul Spirits are passed down. You've all seen Xiao An's Soul Spirit by now."
Leng Yaozhu stood in the center of the hall and gestured toward the glowing spheres floating around them.
"Inside these spheres are Soul Spirits available for contracts. Some are the souls left behind when Soul Beasts willingly sacrificed themselves. Others are extracted from Soul Beasts through special methods."
"Unlike the traditional method of hunting Soul Beasts to obtain Soul Rings, Soul Spirits retain the Soul Beast's complete soul and free will. After forming a contract, they can not only assist in battle but also grow alongside their masters."
Ning Qingyun's eyes grew brighter as she listened, and she nodded again and again.
Ning Tian and Wu Feng had already hurried over to the nearest glowing sphere, their little faces full of curiosity and anticipation.
Xiao Xiao stayed close to Mother Gu, her big eyes blinking rapidly.
Ning Tianxin leaned on her emerald-green staff. She maintained a composed, dignified air, but the gem at the top of her staff trembled slightly, giving away her excitement.
Leng Yaozhu turned around, her gaze falling on Mother Gu.
"Sister Gu, if I'm not mistaken, your Soul Power has already reached level seventy. You're just one Soul Ring away from becoming a Soul Sage, aren't you?"
Mother Gu froze for a moment, then nodded.
"Yes. After Xiao An gave me that Immortal Herb, not only did all my hidden injuries heal, but my Soul Power also increased by a great deal."
"I've kept cultivating ever since, and I've reached the bottleneck at level seventy."
Leng Yaozhu's lips curled slightly.
"Then today is perfect."
"Since you all want to see the Spirit Pagoda's function with your own eyes, Sister Gu can obtain her Seventh Soul Ring here."
Ning Qingyun and Wu Yunshan exchanged a glance, their eyes both filled with anticipation.
Ning Tianxin even stepped forward, her cloudy old eyes fixed on Mother Gu, as if she wanted to etch every detail into her memory.
A thousand explanations couldn't compare to witnessing it for yourself!
Mother Gu took a deep breath and stepped out of the crowd.
Leng Yaozhu led her to a black sphere in the center of the hall, where a soft yet profound light glowed.