Zhou Yang could not help suspecting that the Spirit Pagoda had started manipulating monster spawn rates to hinder his looting, fighting, and extracting.
It was unlikely, but the Soul Beasts in the Spirit Ascension Platform were essentially products of spiritual power. Otherwise, why would they say the chances of certain Soul Beasts appearing increased during a Spirit Ascension Platform riot?
Led by Na'er, a veteran who had visited several times, Zhou Yang followed her deeper into the Intermediate Spirit Ascension Platform, heading toward the Advanced Spirit Ascension Platform.
Although they occasionally strayed off course, Dragreder fortunately guided them from high above, and the two continued in the right direction.
Eventually, they entered a dense forest, and their surroundings fell quiet, as though nothing lived there, without the slightest sound.
The nearby creatures did not dare approach this place at all. Clearly, some terrifying presence held sway here.
Seeing this, Zhou Yang knew he had come to the right place.
"Na'er, let me borrow your Silver Dragon Spear."
"Huh? Okay."
Na'er did not understand why he had asked, but she still raised the Silver Dragon Spear as Zhou Yang instructed.
Looking at the silver shaft, so clear it was almost translucent, Zhou Yang raised the card deck in his hand and performed his transformation gesture toward his reflection in the spear blade.
"Henshin!"
A belt appeared out of thin air around Zhou Yang's waist. As he pushed the card deck into its slot, a suit of silver-and-red armor overlaid his body like a mirror reflection, covering him.
The mask resembled a medieval knight's helmet, etched with dozens of horizontal slits, its slightly raised sections accentuating two red compound eyes.
The silver knight's breastplate was streamlined and did not impede movement. His red undersuit echoed the crimson dragon.
Most conspicuous was the card-driving bracer mounted on his left wrist, emblazoned with the head of his Contract Beast, Dragreder, and exuding a forceful presence.
Na'er was undoubtedly surprised to see Zhou Yang change into yet another suit of armor.
More importantly, the draconic presence coming from Zhou Yang had become more distinct and intense, making her wonder what it meant.
But recalling Woz's proclamation of celebration yesterday, Na'er made a connection.
Soon, someone's sudden appearance confirmed it.
"Rejoice!"
The ringing male voice came rather abruptly, but in this dense forest, where no other sounds broke the silence, it was undoubtedly exceptionally loud.
"He is the king of time who gathers the power of all Riders within himself, transcends space and time, and knows the past and future! At this moment, he has inherited the power of the Mirror World's Rider and transformed into Kamen Rider Ryuki! The war of the Riders in the mirror-the contracts end here!"
Woz had appeared again. Holding the Oma Advent Calendar in his hands, he looked at Zhou Yang with fervor in his eyes.
"To witness two great moments of His Majesty the Demon King in just two short days-please forgive my excitement."
Zhou Yang rolled his eyes at this herald of celebration but did not interrupt him.
Woz had already confirmed that Zhou Yang possessed more than one suit of Rider armor.
What truly concerned her was the draconic presence coming from Zhou Yang.
Yesterday's grilled meat had made her overlook it for the time being, but today, Zhou Yang's transformation had unleashed Ryuki's power.
It allowed her to sense the power within it.
This presence was in no way inferior to the Dragon God's, carrying an overbearing force that looked down upon everything. She even had the feeling that Dragreder seemingly would not spare the Dragon God a proper glance.
"Let's go, Na'er. I get the feeling we're about to run into our target."
With a mischievous chuckle, Zhou Yang led Na'er farther into the depths.
Woz's celebration upon appearing just now seemed to have disturbed the tranquility of this area.
Zhou Yang also noticed that something in the distance seemed to be charging toward them.
"Roar-!"
A deafening roar shook the heavens, shattering the forest's tranquility. Its overbearing might startled the creatures dwelling in the nearby woods, sending them scattering like birds frightened by a bowstring as the shadows of the trees swayed.
The Soul Beasts' instincts drove them away from this "madman" of the Soul Beast world, and now that "madman" was heading toward Zhou Yang and Na'er, who had disturbed them.
Naturally, this considerable commotion also drew the attention of the pair on the other side.
Na'er noticed the thing charging toward them from afar, and her little face instantly turned deathly pale.
The approaching creature resembled both a lion and a mastiff. Three meters tall, its entire body bulged with explosive muscle. Its enormous head resembled a giant lion's, yet bore a hideous black, demonic face, creating a stark visual contrast with its body.
"Brother Zhou Yang, run!"
The Unyielding Spirit Soul, the Golden-haired Lion Mastiff, was certainly qualified to serve as the gatekeeper.
But could they handle something like this? Judging by its appearance, it probably had six thousand years of cultivation.
She immediately told him everything she knew.
"The Unyielding Spirit Soul, the Golden-haired Lion Mastiff, is said to be the ancestor of canines and lions. It's domineering and ferocious, unwilling to become a human's Spirit Soul even in death. It's born with a domain, and it would dare fight even the legendary Golden and Silver Dragon Kings. It's the madman of the Soul Beast world."
"When its Tyrannical Domain activates, its offensive skills gain a fifty-percent boost in power, and it ignores pain."
"Once it starts fighting, it won't stop until one side is dead."
"This thing is completely beyond us!"
She tried to pull Zhou Yang away, but the arm in her grasp was like steel, utterly immovable.
"Is that so? Then... this should be interesting."
In Zhou Yang's eyes, the Golden-haired Lion Mastiff before him was like a big dog that could hiss.
It was comparable to a hakimi rolling tires everywhere. Tyrannical Domain? It was nothing more than a big dog throwing its weight around because it could hiss.
"A big dog, huh? I'll make you yelp in a minute!"
It's over. He's gone mad.
Although Na'er believed Zhou Yang was a genius, unquestionably one of humanity's finest prodigies of the present age, who would surely become a supreme powerhouse like Yun Ming in the future.
But that was in the future! Bullying an Icefire Demon Tiger was something she could do too, but facing a Golden-haired Lion Mastiff was different.
Even a Titled Douluo could come to grief against a ten-thousand-year-old Golden-haired Lion Mastiff.
Although the Golden-haired Lion Mastiff before them probably had six thousand years of cultivation, still far short of ten thousand, it was not something two Grand Soul Masters like them could handle.
At that thought, Na'er wanted to urge Zhou Yang to leave, and even prepared to press the emergency exit button.
Yet Zhou Yang showed no intention of moving his feet.
"Na'er, go watch from the sidelines. I have to take part in this fight."
"After all, you can't survive without fighting (laughs)."
"As a king, I won't back down!"
"A mere Golden-haired Lion Mastiff! Ryuki isn't just for show (debatable). Watch me push you back!"
After Zhou Yang's words, Na'er's heart, which had been hanging in suspense, finally sank.
A mere Golden-haired Lion Mastiff-although its Tyrannical Domain allowed it to resist the influence of bloodlines, her former self could naturally have dealt with a Soul Beast like this with ease.
But now, she was only a two-ring Grand Soul Master.
Watching Zhou Yang advance toward the Golden-haired Lion Mastiff, Na'er put some distance between herself and them, but her gaze remained fixed on Zhou Yang.
Although dying in the Spirit Ascension Platform was not true death, the agony of dying was real. The resulting mental shock and trauma could leave someone listless for life if things went badly.
Na'er decided that if anything unexpected happened, she would support Zhou Yang no matter what and buy him a chance to press the button and escape.
The Golden-haired Lion Mastiff's hideous, demonic face was as terrifying as a fiendish god. Now its eyes were wide with rage, staring fixedly at Ryuki, from whom a terrifying presence kept spilling out.
From him, it felt a suppression that made it deeply uncomfortable.