Dark Undercurrents

"You're saying you saw the Golden Dragon King's power?"

Inside the dean's office, Flander, dean of Nuoding Academy, looked solemnly at Little Seven and Tang Wulin. Behind him, Teacher Li and several senior academy officials wore shocked expressions as well.

Tang Wulin nodded. "Yes. The situation was critical then, and I don't know what happened. A powerful force suddenly erupted from within me."

Flander rose to his feet and paced back and forth across the room. "The Golden Dragon King... one of the two Dragon Kings created from the Dragon God's division, possessing power capable of destroying heaven and earth. If that's truly the case..."

He suddenly stopped and fixed Little Seven with a sharp gaze. "Is your second martial soul a golden spear?"

Little Seven was startled. "How did you know?"

"So it is." Flander sighed. "The Golden Dragon Spear, the Golden Dragon King's accompanying divine artifact. It seems the fates of you two are far more complicated than we imagined."

Just then, the academy alarm suddenly sounded.

"Something's wrong!" A teacher rushed in frantically. "A large number of unidentified soul masters have been spotted outside the academy perimeter. They're closing in on the academy!"

Flander's expression changed. "Activate the defensive barrier immediately. All students, gather in the auditorium!"

Little Seven and Tang Wulin ran toward the auditorium with the crowd, only to find Gu Yue waiting for them at the corner of the corridor.

"Come with me," Gu Yue said quietly. "I know a secret passage."

The three followed the passage to the academy's rear mountain, only to discover that the place was already surrounded by a group of people in black. At their head stood a man in a silver mask, emanating soul power fluctuations that made their hearts tremble.

"So you really are here." The silver-masked man sneered. "Hand over the Golden Dragon King and the Golden Dragon Spear, and I can spare your lives."

Little Seven instinctively stepped in front of Tang Wulin. "In your dreams!"

"Then don't blame me for showing no mercy." With a wave of the silver-masked man's hand, dozens of black-clad figures released their martial souls at once. Even the weakest were Soul King level!

At the critical moment, Gu Yue suddenly stepped forward. Her hands formed seals, and a beam of silver light shot into the sky.

"This is... spatial teleportation!" the silver-masked man cried. "Stop them!"

But it was too late. The silver light enveloped the three of them, and they vanished from the spot in an instant.

When Little Seven opened his eyes again, he found himself lying in an unfamiliar room. Gu Yue sat beside the bed, tending to his wounds.

"Where are we?" Little Seven asked.

"Shrek City," Gu Yue answered. "I've already contacted Shrek Academy. They'll send someone to pick us up soon."

"Who exactly are you?" Little Seven looked at her warily.

Gu Yue fell silent for a moment before saying softly, "I am the heir of the Spirit Pagoda. Those people in black are from the Holy Spirit Cult. They have been searching for the Golden Dragon King's power, hoping to resurrect the Dragon God."

"Resurrect the Dragon God?" Tang Wulin had also awakened. "What does that mean?"

"According to legend, the Dragon God was the ancestor of soul beasts and possessed the power of creation," Gu Yue explained. "But in ancient times, the Dragon God was slain by the gods of the Divine Realm and split into the Golden Dragon King and the Silver Dragon King. The Holy Spirit Cult wants to gather the powers of both Dragon Kings, resurrect the Dragon God, and rule the entire continent."

Little Seven suddenly realized something. "So my Golden Dragon Spear is actually..."

"That's right. It is the Golden Dragon King's accompanying divine artifact." Gu Yue nodded. "And you, Little Seven, are very likely the reincarnation of the Golden Dragon King."

The room fell silent. Just then, there was a knock at the door.

"Miss Gu Yue, people from Shrek Academy have arrived."

The three walked out of the room and saw a burly middle-aged man waiting outside. The badge on his chest showed that he was a Titled Douluo!

"I am Zhao Wuji, dean of Shrek Academy's Outer Court," the man said in a deep voice. "By order of the Sea God Pavilion, I have come to escort the three of you to Shrek Academy."

And so, Little Seven, Tang Wulin, and Gu Yue set out on their journey to Shrek Academy. But what they did not know was that an even greater conspiracy awaited them. The Holy Spirit Cult's influence had already infiltrated every corner of the continent, and the Spirit Pagoda itself was far from united...

(End of Chapter Three)