Gu Yue's Arrival

Eastsea City Mecha Brigade headquarters.

The iron gates towered overhead, while searchlights swept across the night sky, slicing the ground into a checkerboard of light and shadow.

Li Jing's car did not slow down and drove straight toward the main gate.

The guards rushed out of the sentry box, but before they could raise their weapons, the car window had already rolled down, revealing Li Jing's face in the driver's seat.

"Don't you recognize me?"

At the sight of Li Jing, the guard's shoulders visibly stiffened. Then he stood at attention and saluted as the iron gates slowly opened amid the hiss of hydraulics.

The car stopped in front of the main building.

Li Jing pushed open the door, got out, and headed straight for the entrance.

Ziyang got out with him, his right hand lightly clenched into a fist in his pocket, as though he were somewhat angry.

The lobby was brightly lit.

Li Jing stopped and swept his gaze over the mecha models hanging on the walls, then over the stiff faces in the duty room.

Although the commander of this Mecha Brigade was a Soul Emperor, Li Jing was stronger than him.

His voice echoed through the empty lobby, carrying an unquestionable weight. "Guang Biao. Come out! I need to talk to you."

The next moment, a burly figure appeared at the turn of the stairs.

"Pagoda Master Li?" Guang Biao's voice was hoarse, carrying a deliberately warm enthusiasm. "What wind brought you here so late?"

"He's looking for you," Li Jing said.

Guang Biao frowned. "And this is?"

Ziyang smiled. "Do you not remember what you used to do when you often went to the orphanage?"

Guang Biao's expression changed. For this kid to be standing beside the master of the East Sea Spirit Pagoda, his status within the Spirit Pagoda definitely was not low.

But he remained rational. It was only for a letter of understanding, to reduce his younger brother's sentence.

It was all just calling in favors. He had not threatened anyone, had he? Why were they looking for trouble with him?

Ziyang did not give him more time to think.

With a lift of his hand, his third Soul Ring lit up.

Threads surged forth, as fine as hair and as tough as steel wire, carrying a cold will as they wound toward Guang Biao.

Guang Biao's pupils contracted. The aura of a Soul Emperor erupted instinctively, yet the instant it touched the threads, it was sliced apart, scattered, and dissolved.

The threads wrapped around his limbs, waist, and neck, layer after layer, fixing him into a rigid posture.

Guang Biao struggled, his muscles bulging beneath his clothes, only to find that sheer physical strength could not break free.

Ziyang stepped closer and looked at Guang Biao's flushed face.

"Do you know how terrifying you looked standing at the entrance of the orphanage?" Ziyang's voice was icy.

Guang Biao wanted to argue, but the threads wrapped around his mouth.

The first punch landed on his abdomen, bending Guang Biao's body like a shrimp.

The second struck his chest, and his ribs let out an overwhelmed groan.

The third landed squarely on his face, twisting his expression instantly.

The blows continued. They were not heavy, but they came at an extremely rapid pace, producing dull slapping sounds.

Guang Biao's muffled cries shifted from rage to pleading, from pleading to faint whimpers, until all that remained were the instinctive convulsions of his body.

Ziyang stopped.

The threads tightened, lifting Guang Biao half a foot off the ground before lowering him again, leaving him kneeling on the floor like a crumpled ball of paper. Ziyang bent down, his voice descending from above with a calm weight.

"Tomorrow, go to the orphanage and apologize to our director."

"This is only because you did not deliberately threaten anyone. Remember, your younger brother ended up like this because you failed to keep him in line."

The threads loosened as though they had never existed, leaving only faint red marks on Guang Biao's skin.

He collapsed onto the floor, gasping for air, and realized that something seemed off about the other party's strength.

Ziyang walked out of the lobby. The car door shut, the engine started, and the black car slipped into the night.

"Settled?" Li Jing asked through the rearview mirror.

"Settled."

"What about later?"

"Then I'll have to trouble Pagoda Master Li," Ziyang said.

"No problem." Li Jing did not care much about the matter; it was merely a small favor. Befriending a genius was definitely a huge profit.

Time passed as the car merged into traffic and sped away.

The next day.

Gu Yue stood before the East Sea Spirit Pagoda.

Morning light slanted down between the high-rises, pinning her shadow to the ground—long and straight, like an unsheathed sword. She looked up at the towering structure that pierced the clouds. Its glass curtain walls reflected a blinding glare, making it impossible to see the layout within.

The Spirit Pagoda was a bridge between humans and soul beasts. It had been so ten thousand years ago, but now it was a sharp blade used to harvest soul beasts.

Join the Spirit Pagoda.

She needed to understand humans, to understand this strange race.

She stepped forward.

The revolving doors parted before her, and cold air rushed over her.

People came and went through the lobby. Soul Masters wore all kinds of uniforms; some hurried past, while others stopped to chat, their voices weaving into a net.

Gu Yue stood in the middle of the lobby, her long black hair falling over her shoulders, making her seem somewhat out of place.

"Gu Yue, you finally came."

The voice came from the side. The girl turned and saw Ziyang leaning against a pillar with his hands in his pockets, his gaze resting on her with a certain weight.

"Teacher is waiting for you," Ziyang continued, his voice unusually clear amid the noisy lobby.

Gu Yue answered with a quiet "Mm," asking no further questions. She followed behind Ziyang through the crowd, their footsteps ringing crisply against the marble floor.

The elevator doors opened, and they stepped inside. The metal walls reflected their figures.

"Is there another test?" Gu Yue asked.

"Yes. We're heading to the training grounds first. Na'er broke through to Three-Ring Soul Elder last night," Ziyang said with a smile.

"Huh?"

"Well, she wants to win back some face."

The corner of Gu Yue's lips pulled into a faint smile. She decided that this disobedient Na'er needed to be taught a lesson.

After Ziyang swiped his card, the elevator began to rise, and a sense of weightlessness washed over them. Gu Yue, meanwhile, kept thinking about yesterday's battle. Ziyang's strength had far exceeded her expectations.

When the elevator doors opened again, Leng Yaoyu stood at the end of the corridor. Her gaze fell upon Gu Yue, carrying a piercing scrutiny.

"You're finally here."

Gu Yue nodded. "Greetings, Sky Phoenix Douluo."

Leng Yaoyu said, "A good child. Go to the training grounds first. Today, I'll take another look at your strength."

As soon as she finished speaking, the three of them crossed the corridor, their footsteps ringing crisply on the metal floor. The doors to the training grounds were pushed open, and a gust of air rushed toward them, carrying the scent of sweat and metal.

Na'er came into view. She stood in the center of the arena, holding the Silver Dragon Spear with its tip angled toward the ground, gleaming with a cold sheen beneath the lights.

She raised her head, and the instant she saw Gu Yue, her eyes lit up.

"Gu Yue, I'm already a Three-Ring Soul Elder now."

The Silver Dragon Spear spun once in Na'er's hand as Soul Rings rose beneath her feet—two yellow and one purple—pulsing slowly.

She flashed a confident smile, her pride undisguised.

"Now, I'm invincible."

Hearing that, Ziyang silently stepped half a pace back. Na'er really was asking to be humbled.

If Na'er had not said that, Ziyang would have thought this would be an evenly matched battle.

But after she said it, Ziyang felt that the outcome had already been decided.

The difficulty of this battle was anything but ordinary.