The Legend of the Dragon King Chapter 171-180

Chapter 171 – Battle Armor!

“As I’m sure everyone knows, Dragonscale Fruits are usually light blue in color, but this one is actually azure. This is why we have such a high

evaluation of this fruit. Unfortunately, it was plucked too early and no longer has a chance of turning into a priceless purple ten-thousand-year Dragonscale Fruit. Let us begin the auction with a starting price of one million.”

The starting price is one million? Aside from the Frozen Grass, the previous items only had a starting price of a few hundred thousand! Why did it

suddenly jump to one million?

Tang Wulin’s originally tranquil heart began to jump with anxiety again. Can I even win this bid?

“One million one hundred thousand!” A bidder made a bid. Tang Wulin

clenched his fists. The auctioneer had said that this particular Dragonscale Fruit was special, stirring Tang Wulin’s excitement.

The stage’s screen showed the fruit that was presented with an oval shape and that still had branches attached to ensure the preservation of its energy. It shone with a breathtakingly azure color that was as crystalline as a gemstone. Yet, what was most remarkable was the faint pattern of jagged golden veins that ran along its surface, its reputed scaly appearance. Those scales bore a striking resemblance to the golden scales on Tang Wulin’s right hand when he transforms.

Tang Wulin was filled with longing just by taking a single look. It’ll definitely help me break the second seal if I can get it!

“Your luck is pretty good. This Dragonscale Fruit isn’t an ordinary one; the auctioneer hadn’t exaggerated at all.” Wu Zhangkong whispered into his

ear, but all this did was leave him even more anxious. Wu Zhangkong wasn’t the only one with a discerning eye, after all.

“Two million!” Wu Zhangkong calmly raised his sign, taking advantage of the current bid of 1,100,000 by raising it straight to 2,000,000.

The hall quieted for a moment, but soon, another voice called out a bid.

A few more bids later and the price already approached three million! With each bid, Tang Wulin grew more and more irritable.

What are we going to do?

“Five million!” A voice boomed thunderously, so loud that Tang Wulin saw stars dance around him. Five million? It’s already at five million?

The bidder had not only subdued Tang Wulin, but dominated the entire hall. It was the same bidder from the sixth box who had previously won the thousand-year Frozen Grass!

The beautiful auctioneer’s brows jumped, not with excitement, but a frown. She had a bad feeling.

This Dragonscale Fruit was valued at the same price as the Frozen Grass, roughly six million. The high sale price of the Frozen Grass was a pleasant surprise, but if the bidder from the sixth box threw out such a high bid once again, she feared no one would dare contend!

“Teacher Wu, what are we going to do?” Tang Wulin anxiously asked. Wu Zhangkong looked him in the eye. “Let’s give up.”

“Huh? But…” Tang Wulin was worried. He felt that this Dragonscale Fruit was particularly suitable for him and he just couldn’t resign himself to give up on it!

“Teacher Wu, I want it. I need it. Can you lend me some money? I’ll pay you back when we get back.” Tang Wulin said in distress.

Wu Zhangkong shook his head and before Tang Wulin could say anything else, Wu Zhangkong released a chilly air. A cold shiver ran down his spine, banishing Tang Wulin’s panicked state.

He didn’t know how much a thousand-year spirit fruit was worth, but since Wu Zhangkong decided to give it up, it was surely because the price had far exceeded its true value now.

Tang Wulin possessed a far steadier temperament than his peers and it only took him several moments to accept his frustration and loss. He sat in

silence, restraining himself.

“Five million going once! Five million going twice! Three times! Sold!”

Tang Wulin quietly watched as an opportunity slipped away and as the auctioneer could only helplessly announce the sale. The auction house didn’t harbor any resentment to the bidder; this was simply the nature of auctions. Not every item could be sold at the ideal price and when they

averaged the Frozen Grass and the Dragonscale Fruit, the auction house still reaped a hefty profit from the sixth box.

Disheartened, Tang Wulin had lost his interest in the auction. His head was filled with images of that thousand-year Dragonscale Fruit.

Each item was sold as quickly as it was put up, facilitating an unusually smooth auction,

Wu Zhangkong had no problem winning the bids for two intermediate entry cards at a total price of 2,600,000 coins.

Even then, Tang Wulin was numb to their success. The Dragonscale Fruit! My Dragonscale Fruit! Incessant laments echoed in his heart.

“We only have three items left for today, and they’re actually three battle armor parts! It was only after much difficulty that we were able to acquire

them. I believe our honored guests should all be familiar battle armor,

which is usually only sold at the great seasonal auctions. Everyone should grab hold of this opportunity today!”

Battle armor?

Tang Wulin’s boyish spirit ignited at these words, his eyes shooting straight toward the stage.

What does battle armor look like? I’ve never seen one before.

“Our first battle armor piece is a battle armor belt! I’m sure you’re all aware that the belt acts as the energy core for a battle armor since it is the closest to the dantian, where Soul Masters condense their soul power. Powerful Soul Masters will guide their soul power into the belt then disperse it throughout the battle armor, which will give them the best results.”

This is a purple battle armor leveled belt and it’s entirely possible to build an entire set of battle armor centered around it. Please look at the screen.”

A metal belt appeared on the screen, its exquisitely crafted body shrouded by a shimmering purple light. Tang Wulin could tell with his experience in blacksmithing that it was made from no less than three metals, but its

composition wasn’t particularly complicated. It only took him a single glance to know it was made from Thousand Refined metal.

However, it was different from ordinary Thousand Refined metals. Bizarre grain lines that shone with the purple light ran around the entire belt.

This is battle armor? It’s only a bit bigger than a normal belt. At the center of the belt was a circular, unusual metal. The purple light shined the brightest there, preventing Tang Wulin from evaluating the material properly.

“Metal is shaped according to a mecha or soul circuit design after it is forged, before being assembled and engraved. These are all part of a mecha craftsman’s job. An excellent battle armor requires the designer and the

craftsman to be of the same mind and level, another reason why having a

secondary occupation is so helpful to growing one’s strength. The most important reason, of course, is to increase the familiarity between one and their battle armor and so that it’s easier to find a suitable partner.”

Wu Zhangkong outlined the basic characteristics of battle armor for Tang Wulin. The most effective method of learning was to use situations such as this to teach.

Battle armor, this is a battle armor! Excitement swept away the gloom in Tang Wulin’s heart, his face shining with yearning now. I’ll definitely be able to forge battle armor in the future! I may not know how to design mecha and soul circuits or engrave, but I still know how to forge metal!

I can already Thousand Refine metals right now. That should be the foundation of making a battle armor.

Wu Zhangkong lectured, “Battle armor is the second life of a Soul Master.

A single excellent piece of battle armor can increase a Soul Master’s

strength by thirty percent. The biggest difference between battle armor and mecha lay in their compatibility; battle armor is made according to the user and their martial soul.”

Chapter 172 – To Lose and Regain!

“It’s true that ordinary people can become Mecha Masters now and that

Auxiliary System Soul Masters can become quite formidable with a mecha, but the origin of true strength hasn’t changed in the past hundred thousand years. Only truly talented Soul Masters can become genuinely powerful

entities. It is for this reason that real Battle Armor Masters are unequivocally powerful Soul Masters. On its own, battle armor doesn’t have any power, only serving to amplify a Soul Master’s abilities. A six- ringed Auxiliary System Soul Master with a mecha is merely cannon fodder in front of a similarly ranked Soul Master with battle armor. That is the unbridgeable gap between the two. Understood?”

“Yes! I understand!” Tang Wulin answered with a heavy breath.

He had long known the history of soul mecha. Soul Masters were rather doubtful when they were first introduced since it narrowed the distance between Soul Masters and ordinary people. It also reduced the significance of one’s martial soul; Soul Masters of similar ranks would be almost of

equal strengths regardless of their martial soul.

It wasn’t until the following era that Soul Masters finished developing battle armor, returning the world to how it had always been. The strong were always strong!

Although Tang Wulin couldn’t comprehend the level of power a Soul Master possessed when equipped with battle armor, Wu Zhangkong’s

reverence for battle armor was clear in his tone of voice. Considering how powerful Teacher Wu is, he must have seen one before!

“The starting price is two million, and the minimum bid increase is two hundred thousand. Let the bidding begin.”

The three pieces of battle armor each sold for sky-high prices, their

combined bids easily surpassing twenty million. This was only natural since they were battle armor after all.

Virtually all battle armor were custom-made for specific Soul Masters and rarely sold, so it was difficult to find a piece on the market.

Furthermore, it was challenging to make them, each piece requiring Thousand Refined metal and a design specific to one’s martial soul. For

some markedly unique Soul Masters, their battle armor wouldn’t sell even if they put it on the market.

For these reasons, powerful Soul Masters devoted their time to create their own battle armor and the situation was similar for divine rank mecha.

Even six-ringed Soul Masters rarely had a battle armor to call their own, not simply because they lacked the strength but also from a financial deficit and plain bad luck. It was impossible to master every secondary occupation, and even if they did, they most definitely wouldn’t have the energy required to develop as a Soul Master. In the end, they needed to rely on craftsmen to design, make and adjust the armor for them.

Every set of battle armor was like an extension of the user’s flesh and blood, their most valued treasure as well as a sign of power and wealth.

Battle Armor Masters had long become the most prestigious existences on the continent; even one could outshine an entire Mecha Master regiment.

To have even a chance of using battle armor, at least four soul rings were necessary. With such a requirement, it was no wonder that the great clans of the Douluo Continent were able to maintain their positions throughout the

ages as they possessed both the finances to make battle armor and the Soul Masters to equip them.

Tang Wulin still buzzed with excitement after leaving the Heaven Dou Imperial Auction. If the Dragonscale Fruit appeared once, then it’ll appear a second time. I don’t have enough money right now anyway. Once I earn

enough money, I’ll definitely be able to get it.

After setting his eyes on the battle armor, a burning desire had been ignited within Tang Wulin’s heart, his mind filled with scenes of donning such

armor on himself in the future. The domineering figure he conjured up made his blood boil as he wondered if Battle Armor Masters were like the generals of olden times.

“Wait a moment.” Wu Zhangkong called out to Tang Wulin who was already making his way back to the inn.

Tang Wulin paused, and without any explanation, Wu Zhangkong led him to stand on the side. The two quietly observed the other bidders coming out.

Tang Wulin’s didn’t ask for the reason why, his mind still preoccupied with fanciful thoughts about battle armor. With his adolescent temperament, this was all it took to sweep away his gloom over the loss of the Dragonscale Fruit.

When a familiar figure entered his view, however, Tang Wulin’s brows jumped in surprise.

Isn’t that Branchmaster Zhao? The plump branchmaster exited the auction and headed straight for them. He handed a jade box to Wu Zhangkong and dully spoke, “Pay back the money to the company’s account. I’m going now.” He rubbed Tang Wulin’s head with a faint smile before walking

away, leaving Tang Wulin baffled.

The jade box in Wu Zhangkong’s hands disappeared in a flash of light.

“I’ll help you sell the rebellion entry card later. It should fetch enough to

cover the price of the two intermediate entry cards. You can pay me for the Dragonscale Fruit once we get back,” Wu Zhangkong said in his usual cold tone.

Tang Wulin was dazed. “Dragonscale Fruit? What are you saying…?” Understanding hit him suddenly.

Remembering Branchmaster Zhao’s exit from the auction house, a possibility occurred to him. The mysterious bidder from the sixth box was actually Branchmaster Zhao! So he was the one who won the bid.

From this new perspective, he realized that five million federal coins wasn’t actually that expensive. Teacher Wu was taking advantage of the intimidation from Branchmaster Zhao’s counterbid on the thousand-year Frozen Grass to save me some money.

Although Wu Zhangkong had clearly stated the debt, this was just what Tang Wulin wanted—to earn it through his own efforts without having to rely on other people. Only then would his conscience be clear.

“Let’s go back now.”

The master and disciple duo returned to the inn. Back in their room, Wu Zhangkong said to Tang Wulin. “Rest properly tonight. Tomorrow morning we’re entering Heaven Dou City’s spirit ascension platform to upgrade your spirit soul. After that, we’ll return to Eastsea City.”

“Okay!”

Tang Wulin passed the night meditating and cultivated Purple Demon Eyes at dawn. He was now practically bursting with energy. This trip had brought him generous returns. He obtained one of the four spirit items he needed

and had an idea of where he could acquire the rest. Now he would enter the spirit ascension platform under Wu Zhangkong’s guidance to ascend his

spirit soul. It was almost guaranteed that he would return to Eastsea City with a thousand-year spirit soul! Now his rubbish Little Goldlight would transform into a powerful thousand-year Little Goldlight.

At this moment, Tang Wulin could finally tell himself: I’m not a loser anymore; I have the potential to become a powerful Soul Master now!

Wu Zhangkong had Tang Wulin pack early in the morning before checking out of their room and boarding a soul bus headed for the spirit ascension platform.

Compared to Eastsea City’s, Heaven Dou City’s spirit ascension platform was smaller in scale but brimming with heritage. The dazzling mural in the hall clearly depicted a tale that was far more complex than the one in Eastsea City.

Yet Tang Wulin was in no mood to appreciate it, still jumping with

exitement. I wonder what the intermediate spirit ascension platform will be like?

The cards were easy to use; after a simple registration they were brought to a room resembling the one in Eastsea City except smaller in size and with glass chambers instead of metal boxes.

The staff member who guided them didn’t question the master and disciple. It was quite normal for a clan to send a powerful adult to escort members of their younger generation and aid in upgrading their spirit soul to the limit

since a sturdy foundation was crucial. But while it wasn’t difficult for large clans to obtain entry cards, only the most gifted children earned such an opportunity.

Before entering the glass chambers, the two were required to strip down due to additional restrictions set before entering the intermediate level. Wu Zhangkong explained to Tang Wulin that it was a rule set by the Spirit Pagoda to prevent others from wearing battle armor into the spirit ascension platform. No one except the innermost members of the Spirit Pagoda knew the reason behind the regulation.

It was impossible for someone entering the elementary level to possess battle armor, but the intermediate level was different, forcing strict inspections to enforce this rule.

After finishing their preparations, metal rings fastened onto their bodies, holding them in place as the glass chamber’s cover closed.

“Prepare to enter!”

A golden light radiated from the metal rings, spreading a numbness throughout Tang Wulin’s body. In the next moment, his vision of the outside was replaced by a blank void.

Only after some time did the dark space transform into a sea of green filled with a refreshing air that he knew all too well.

Intermediate spirit ascension platform, here I come!

Chapter 173 – Ice Fire Demonic Tiger

Lush foliage monopolized this viridian world, the differences between the intermediate and elementary levels minute but Tang Wulin was still aware they existed.

It was highly likely he would encounter thousand-year soul beasts in the intermediate level. There was even a small chance of encountering powerful ten-thousand-year soul beasts!

Wu Zhangkong stood beside him, his white robes fluttering from the cold aura he emanated as he observed their surroundings. Tang Wulin was filled with a sense of security with Wu Zhangkong beside him.

“Follow me!” Wu Zhangkong strode forward. A ring of light rose with each step. Yellow, yellow, purple, purple, black, and black.

It wasn’t Tang Wulin’s first time seeing Wu Zhangkong’s soul rings.

Nonetheless, he was still shaken. This is an expert! I wonder how long it will take me to reach six rings…

A blue light coalesced in Wu Zhangkong’s right hand and transformed into the Skyfrost Sword. His actions clearly indicated how seriously he regarded the intermediate level.

Only those with less than seven rings could enter the intermediate level.

Tang Wulin followed behind him silently. Ten minutes later, they still hadn’t encountered any soul beasts.

“Don’t you find this strange? Why aren’t there any soul beasts?” Wu Zhangkong asked Tang Wulin.

“Yeah!” Tang Wulin nodded. From his experiences in the elementary spirit ascension platform, he knew that they should have been attacked by now.

Wu Zhangkong indifferently said, “The spirit ascension platform is modeled after the largest soul beast forest on the continent, the Great Star Dou Forest. In the past, there were Ten Great Beasts, the strongest soul beasts in the world. All ten beasts exceeded one-hundred-thousand-years in age, and the Great Star Dou Forest was actually home to five of them.”

“The Great Star Dou Forest is divided into four regions. The outer region, middle region, inner region and the territory of the Great Beasts. When battle armor was introduced thousands of years ago, humanity’s strength exploded and we began to suppress soul beasts. Yet even though we’re developing and using most of the forest now, the territories of the Great

Beasts remain untouched. I’ve have never been there, but I heard that after some powerful Battle Armor Masters ventured into their territory, they have never returned. Those territories are one of the few forbidden regions on this continent.”

“Soul beasts surpassing one-hundred-thousand-years in age can take on a human appearance so if we send too many Battle Armor Masters to attack them, it is likely they will abandon their territories and wage guerilla

warfare throughout the continent. We have a mutual understanding with those beasts now; as long as we don’t enter their territory, they won’t attack humanity.”

Tang Wulin’s brows knitted. “Teacher Wu, what about the soul beasts in the other regions then?”

Wu Zhangkong said, “Soul beasts have almost all been exterminated by humanity after all these years. This is one of the reasons why the Spirit Pagoda possesses such great status. Artificial spirit souls are the only option gain soul rings for most Soul Masters now, and natural spirit souls are near impossible to obtain. Without any soul beasts to kill, soul rings can no longer be obtained directly.”

Tang Wulin asked, “Then are soul beasts becoming extinct?”

A sigh escaped from Wu Zhangkong’s lips. “It is certain that as soul technology continues to develop, soul beasts will eventually be extinct. Yet, this isn’t necessarily a good thing for humanity. It’s true that battle armor

can greatly increase a Soul Master’s strength, but compared to the Soul Masters of the past, we are truly lacking in terms of soul rings. Soul skills provided by artificial spirit souls are different from those given by soul

beasts. Furthermore, there is no doubt that their extinction will bring about an ecological imbalance. According to the research, the number of people who possess soul power when they awaken their martial souls has dwindled over the last several hundred years. I suspect that once soul beasts disappear, Soul Masters will soon follow. That is the price for destroying the ecological equilibrium.”

“Now, back to the topic. Entering the elementary spirit ascension platform is similar to entering the outer region of the Great Star Dou Forest. The outer region is filled with ordinary soul beasts that reach the thousand-year level at most. Here in the middle region, however, the forest has thousand- year soul beasts, and even some at the ten-thousand-year level. With soul beasts of such power present now, the forest is definitely split up into territories, so there is a lower density of soul beasts. It’s normal that we haven’t run into one yet, but if we do encounter one…”

Wu Zhangkong abruptly stopped mid-sentence and his gaze sharpened. An icy draft swept out as he pointed with his Skyfrost Sword.

A deep roar reverberated through the air, announcing the arrival of a soul beast, a tiger that stood over one and a half meters in height and over six meters from head to tail.

Purple stripes stood out in sharp relief against its bronzed fur. Its eyes were dual-coloured, frosty blue and fiery red. Its bizarre appearance was

completed with a pair of blue and red wings on its back.

“It seems our luck isn’t that good today. This Ice Fire Demonic Tiger is at least four-thousand-years in age. It’s no wonder no other beasts roam this territory. Just focus on protecting yourself and ignore the rest. Got it?” Wu

Zhangkong had twisted his body slightly towards Tang Wulin, but his eyes never left the tiger.

Ice Fire Demonic Tiger? Tang Wulin recalled the records he had read on it. It wasn’t as fierce as the Duskgold Dreadclaw Bear, but it was on the same level as the Man-Faced Demon Spider.

It excelled in both long-ranged and close-ranged attacks and could control ice and fire. It could also fly short distances with its wings. This fearsome combination placed it as one of the most fearsome beasts. There was a peculiar legend attached to the tiger; it was said that once killed, it would provide two soul rings, one of ice and one of fire.

Of course, in the spirit ascension platform it couldn’t provide any rings, but still, encountering such a fearsome beast had broadened Tang Wulin’s horizons once more.

Wu Zhangkong’s gaze never left the tiger as it spread its wings open and circled them, growing closer with every pass. With each step, its wings of

fire and ice flared brighter, as if foreboding the eminent devastating attack. Wu Zhangkong stood still, simply turning so that he always faced the tiger.

Tang Wulin had already released several strands of Bluesilver Grass and

attached them to nearby trees. The moment the situation took a turn for the worst, he would be able to launch himself out of there.

An overpowering odor assailed Tang Wulin as the distance closed between the two parties.

He wasn’t the same ignorant boy when he first entered the spirit ascension platform; faced with a thousand-year soul beast now, it wasn’t fear that overwhelmed him, but excitement.

He obviously understood just how powerful the thousand-year Ice Fire

Demonic Tiger was and knew that he was no match against it, but he didn’t have to worry about that. His safety was assured, so he could whole- heartedly observe just how strong this tiger was.

Chapter 174 – The Skyfrost

Annihilation of the Demonic Tiger

Chapter 174 – The Skyfrost Annihilation of the Demonic Tiger

The Ice Fire Demon Tiger unleashed a heaven-shaking roar that released a blazing fireball straight at Wu Zhangkong. It paid no heed to the Tang Wulin who was hiding behind Wu Zhangkong.

The fireball expanded as it shot forward, spanning a diameter of one meter.

Wu Zhangkong’s soul rings glowed as he stepped forward with his left foot and thrust his Skyfrost Sword forward. The azure sword shone with a resplendent sapphire color as a sword light flew out to meet the fireball.

Even though the fireball burned with a scorching heat, it was no match for Wu Zhangkong’s sword light and burst the moment they touched. In the face of his sword, neither heat nor flame could survive.

Tang Wulin wanted to cheer. This is true strength! He couldn’t sense any

soul power fluctuating around Wu Zhangkong; clearly, Wu Zhangkong had mastered soul power compression to a high level and was able to internalize it all.

Teacher Wu also cultivates the Mysterious Heaven Method!

Tang Wulin had discovered that the most useful aspect of the Mysterious Heaven Method was its ability to refine soul power. His soul power would grow denser with every passing day.

Just when Tang Wulin believed the fireball to be extinguished, blue color enveloped its body and it suddenly transformed into an icicle a half meter

long. The icicle exploded into millions of jagged shards that hailed upon Wu Zhangkong.

It seemed impossible for Wu Zhangkong to dodge this at such a close range.

Before Tang Wulin could cry out, the Skyfrost Sword in his hand became a blur as Wu Zhangkong’s first soul ring lit up.

An icy blue arc bloomed from the tip of his sword, shattering every ice fragment. They quietly disappeared under its touch.

This is Teacher Wu’s soul skill!

Tang Wulin stared, wide-eyed. This was the first time he saw Wu Zhangkong use a soul skill. He had assumed that Wu Zhangkong was a pure swordsman and so his soul skills would only enhance his ice attribute and the quality of his sword.

But that was not the case; he had used an offensive soul skill. Although Tang Wulin didn’t know its name, its power was unquestionable.

The destruction of the fireball-turned-icicle marked the start of their battle.

The Ice Fire Demonic Tiger immediately pounced at Wu Zhangkong after the fireball. Its movements were agile like a civet, at odds with its large frame.

An iceball burst under Wu Zhankong’s slash just as the Ice Fire Demonic Tiger reached him. Hovering in midair, its unfurled wings spanned more than ten meters, shining brilliantly as they unleashed a baptism of fire and ice.

A spectacular scene played out. Its wings magnified over ten-fold, becoming light itself as they released an earth-scorching barrage.

Tang Wulin stopped admiring Wu Zhangkong’s magnificent

swordsmanship and escaped to a nearby tree with a pull on his Bluesilver Grass while letting his golden scales take over his arm.

He had no place participating in a battle of this level. The best course of action was to watch from far away. As he retreated, he saw the tempest of ice and fire swallow Wu Zhangkong.

“Teacher Wu!” Tang Wulin cried out, his heart in his throat. He knew this was the spirit ascension platform and that it wasn’t a true death, but anxiety gripped him all the same.

At that moment, a regal blue appeared amidst the chaos.

If the tiger’s wings were waves of ice and fire, then this was a royal blue reef, proud and steadfast.

The waves gradually dispersed in the face of the reef that remained staunch and valiant.

Tang Wulin realized what it was—an arctic blue cocoon! Wu Zhangkong

stood within, his figure blurred to the point it was unclear what skill he had used.

A purple light twinkled in Tang Wulin’s eyes as he activated the Purple

Demon Eyes, granting him sharper eyesight. He was just barely able to see that the cocoon was spun from countless blue threads of ice. Just how many sword slashes did that take?

While he was still comprehending this shocking revelation, the next scene nearly stopped his heart. An azure sword light flew out to shock the heavens, growing ten meters long as it flew toward the Ice Fire Demonic Tiger’s head!

Chills ran down his spine the moment the sword light appeared. Frost formed, coating everything within one hundred meters.

The tiger furled up its wings to shield its head. Boom!

Its gigantic body froze over, splitting in half. An arctic mist erupted into the surroundings in the same instant, summoning a white drizzle of snow for

hundreds of meters around them.

The drifting snow and stagnant mist obscured Tang Wulin’s sight even with his Purple Demon Eyes. Tang Wulin could only rely on his ears now that he was unable to see Wu Zhangkong, his sword lights found everywhere throughout this mist.

A mournful roar resonated throughout the forest as countless crimson and azure lights flashed within the snowy mist. Terrifying soul power fluctuations whipped the surroundings into a frenzied tempest. Tang Wulin hugged a tree trunk with all his might for fear the turbulence would blow him away.

Time seemed to slow and stretch on, yet it was only a few minutes later that he heard the tiger’s roars be replaced with resigned whimpers.

“Come!” Tang Wulin was still in awe when Wu Zhangkong reappeared before him.

With his white robes and azure sword, he seemed to be unruffled from the battle. If a difference had to be identified, then perhaps his breath was a little more ragged.

With one hand around Tang Wulin’s waist, Wu Zhangkong slashed the void before him. All of the surrounding icy mist flowed back to the sword.

The aftermath of the battle was clear now.

The Ice Fire Demonic Tiger laid on the ground a distance away, its wings broken and body covered in countless small cuts that were dyed red in blood.

Wu Zhangkong brought Tang Wulin onto the tiger’s back in a flash. Tang Wulin could still feel the faint beat of life within the tiger’s body.

“Use your Golden Dragon Claw.”

Tang Wulin understood Wu Zhangkong’s intentions. Apart from his Golden Dragon Claw, he had no other method to penetrate the thousand-year Ice

Fire Demonic Tiger’s defense.

Soul power surged and the Golden Dragon Claw struck out!

His claw stabbed into the back of the Ice Fire Demonic Tiger’s head, ending the life of this powerful soul beast.

A mass of dense spirit power flowed into him. Goldlight appeared, basking in the spirit power as its eyes lit with joy.

Wu Zhangkong nodded. “Considering the age of your spirit soul now, your spirit soul should evolve after absorbing this Ice Fire Demonic Tiger’s spirit energy.”

After the rebellion period of the elementary spirit ascension platform and their constant training within the regular spirit ascension platform,

Goldlight’s spirit energy had already surpassed 700-years.

This four-thousand-years Ice Fire Demonic Tiger would convert into about four hundred years of spirit energy. With this, Goldlight would reach the thousand-year level.

Goldlight’s body dazzled brighter with every bit of spirit energy it absorbed while Tang Wulin sensed a slight change within his body.

His bloodline power stirred and the golden light emanating from Goldlight enveloped him. The golden scales on his right arm rippled. A golden-veined pattern appeared on his other hand.

What he wasn’t able to see, however, was that the gold pattern actually extended all over his body.

My spirit soul is ascending?

A prickling numbness spread throughout his body. Tang Wulin instinctively sat down cross-legged, silently exploring the changes within him.

As Goldlight returned to its usual splendor, the golden light enveloping Tang Wulin also vanished along with the numbness.

“Teacher Wu, I…” Tang Wulin looked to Wu Zhangkong in confusion, his eyes clouded with anxiety.

Wu Zhangkong shook his head. “Don’t worry. All you’re doing is

accumulating spirit energy here in the spirit ascension platform. This isn’t your real body, so your spirit soul will only ascend properly after exiting. The process you just experienced was your spirit soul absorbing the spirit energy, and the large influx of spirit energy made your body respond.”

Chapter 175 – Wu Zhangkong’s Soul Skills

Tang Wulin understood now that there wasn’t any problem with his body. “Teacher Wu, then what’s next…”

“We’re continuing,” Wu Zhangkong dully answered. “Let’s bring your

spirit soul up to two thousand years, which is just under your current limit. We shouldn’t waste this trip to the intermediate level after all.”

“Okay!” Tang Wulin earnestly nodded, happy to do whatever Wu Zhangkong wished. Although he hadn’t been able to clearly see the course of the battle, it was more than enough to convince him. Teacher Wu isn’t just a normal Soul Emperor if that Ice Fire Demonic Tiger wasn’t able to harm a hair on him! Now that’s true strength!

The two proceeded onward, Tang Wulin following with complete faith in Wu Zhangkong.

Not even a minute later, Wu Zhangkong grabbed Tang Wulin’s shoulder as a blur flitted past followed by several twinkling lights.

Just as Wu Zhangkong gripped Tang Wulin and pedaled backward using the Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track, a host of ivy-green needles silently rained down from the sky. Their tips stabbed into the ground and corroded the area around them to a rotten black.

The desiccated plants cried out, but even as Tang Wulin heard them, he had no time to share in their grief. Wu Zhangkong continued retreating before

landing a few seconds later on a tree branch where he deposited Tang Wulin.

Before their eyes, an enormous figure stepped into view.

At five meters tall, it couldn’t compare with the Ice Fire Demonic Tiger’s towering figure, yet its five-meter girth made it resemble a giant sphere, larger than the Ice Fire Demonic Tiger by far.

Its body was ivy-green and two elongated fangs jutted out of its mouth from which it issued a low growl that reverberated through the air. Without giving any more time to examine it, it madly dashed forward and rammed into the tree they were on.

With a deep rumble, the tree snapped.

Wu Zhangkong grabbed Tang Wulin and leaped into the air, but the beast had already anticipated this, spraying a rain of needles that blocked any path of retreat.

This bastard’s body is covered in poison!

Wu Zhangkong thrust the Skyfrost Sword, summoning a storm of sword waves that easily cut down the needles. The defense was not perfect, however, as an overwhelmingly saccharine smell assaulted Tang Wulin’s nose, bringing a bout of dizziness.

Soon after, a chilling mist rolled off of Wu Zhangkong and enveloped the two of them, immediately restoring Tang Wulin’s lucidity.

It’s a giant porcupine!

It should be the Venomquill Porcupine! With such a large body, its cultivation should be at least three-thousand-years!

Only now did Tang Wulin finally understand his place in the intermediate spirit ascension platform—this was not a place he could enter. With his

current cultivation, coming in alone meant he would die from the first soul beast he encountered without a chance to put up an honorable fight.

The Venomquill Porcupine possessed not only highly toxic quills but also an astonishing ability to launch them at its opponents. Upon hitting its

target, the toxins would quickly invade and wreak havoc within the victim’s body—truly terrifying. And even with a bulky body that lent it a fearsome ramming power, it was also remarkably agile.

“It’s covered in thorns. I don’t think I can leave your side this time,” Wu Zhangkong stated.

For once, Tang Wulin was able to clearly see Wu Zhangkong’s attack.

His third soul ring, the thousand-year purple one, lit up and the Skyfrost Sword slashed out, filling the sky with a ten-meter-long sword wave.

Skyfrost Slash, Wu Zhangkong’s third soul skill!

From the side, Tang Wulin observed Wu Zhangkong’s eyes as he attacked and saw the telltale purple shimmer of the Purple Demon Eyes, which was clearly far more advanced and powerful than his own.

The mighty sword wave struck the Venomquill Porcupine. Despite its thick and tough defense, it was not enough to withstand the attack as a jagged gash appeared, and from its wound, an icy blue rime spread across its body until it was entirely frozen.

Its mad snarls soon turned into miserable shrieks. Wu Zhangkong descended with Tang Wulin then activated his fourth soul skill that enlarged his Skyfrost Sword by ten-fold into an azure greatsword. He stabbed the greatsword straight into the wound, nailing the porcupine into the ground.

Wu Zhangkong gripped the sword hilt with one hand while he lifted Tang Wulin with the other. He floated in midair, his white robes fluttering in his frosty aura. The mighty Venomquill Porcupine’s spirit energy flowed into him, yet he acted as if this triumph was nothing at all. Afterward, he held Tang Wulin tightly and leaped away, out of range of the porcupine’s toxins.

So powerful!

The gigantic icy sword shrunk back to its original form, sending chills once more down Tang Wulin’s spine. He couldn’t help but ask, “Teacher Wu,

what is that soul skill’s name?”

“Frost Song,” Wu Zhangkong indifferently said.

“Frost Song?” Tang Wulin repeated, baffled. Although he didn’t understand the meaning behind the icy greatsword’s name, he had to admit that it was beautiful.

This is Teacher Wu’s thousand-year soul skill! I don’t think that was the full power of his Frost Song. That was just a small glimpse!

The Venomquill Porcupine wasn’t considered weak among thousand-year soul beasts, but to Wu Zhangkong, it was simply a pig waiting to be

slaughtered.

“First soul skill, Frost Scar!” Wu Zhangkong started listing his soul skills. “Second soul skill, Frost Mist!”

“Third soul skill, Skyfrost Slash!” “Fourth soul skill, Frost Song!”

“Wulin, take note of this: there isn’t only one way to use a soul skill; in fact, there are infinite ways to utilize it. Pay attention to how you use them from now on.”

As he spoke, Wu Zhangkong lightly raised his Skyfrost Sword and

activated his first soul skill. A sword wave instantly flew through a tree leaf a dozen meters away, yet it remained undamaged.

“This is Frost Scar!”

From off the ground he walked ten meters forward. With a slight tremble of his right hand, the Skyfrost Sword projected sword waves that flew out, interweaving to become the azure cover from before.

The light cocoon blossomed and then unraveled into a tempest of sword waves.

“This is also Frost Scar.” Wu Zhangkong’s cold voice penetrated Tang Wulin’s mind.

Tang Wulin trembled with excitement. It’s the same soul skill, but with minute differences in control and soul power output, the result was entirely different!

In Wu Zhangkong’s hands, the Skyfrost Sword became an instrument used to weave a work of art at any time! This is the true Teacher Wu—a white- robed enigmatic man with a blue sword in hand, dominating the frozen

skies!

“Understood?” Wu Zhangkong asked.

“I think I understand a bit. What you mean is that even with a weak soul

skill, as long as I can use it properly, it will be powerful. There are endless possibilities with soul skills, and the crucial point is how I utilize it.”

“Mn.” Wu Zhangkong nodded. “Let’s go.”

Only in actual combat were lessons most effective. Wu Zhangkong believed in the saying that “the master leads you to the door, but the rest is up to you.” In line with his beliefs, he didn’t give detailed explanations but rather, he let Tang Wulin fully comprehend things on his own.

A tremor ran through Tang Wulin’s body from his revelation. He now realized his mistake. After receiving Bind as his first soul skill, he wanted to die from dejection. In his eyes, a trash spirit soul had given him a

similarly trash soul skill.

Now he realized though that the only thing that was trash was himself. There were no trash soul skills. Compared to Xie Xie’s Light Dragon Blade and its valiant brilliance, Frost Scar was an exceedingly simple soul skill, yet it had brilliantly blossomed in Wu Zhangkong’s hands.

Chapter 176 – Three-Eyed Demon Ape

When Teacher Wu battled the Soul Emperor Guang Biao, he didn’t use a single soul skill! He completely destroyed Guang Biao with only his

comprehension of his martial soul! So in the end, it wasn’t a disparity of soul power, but one of insight!

It was as though a door unlocked within his heart, revealing a new path to him. While Soul Masters were divided into systems such as Assault,

Agility, Control and so on, in reality, these classifications were not mutually exclusive but instead interconnected. This meant that the crux of the matter was in how a Soul Master utilized their martial soul and abilities.

Why was Gu Yue so powerful? Her miraculous six-element martial soul alone couldn’t make her strong; rather, it was her nimble control over the six elements.

“Teacher Wu, spiritual power isn’t as simple as a container for spirit souls, right?” Tang Wulin suddenly asked.

Wu Zhangkong looked back at him with pleased eyes and nodded. “The fact that you’ve understood this proves that you have felt it for yourself.”

Thrilled to have his hypothesis confirmed, Tang Wulin vigorously nodded. I need to improve on a lot more than just my soul power!

Perhaps it was due to the sparsity of soul beasts, but the intermediate spirit ascension platform was lush with foliage, undisturbed by wandering

creatures. As the two penetrated deeper into the forest, the dense trees towered into the heavens and blotted out the sun, creating a world of evergreen gloom.

Their advance slowed a bit when four soul beasts appeared before them, but it gave Wu Zhangkong another opportunity to gift spirit power to Tang Wulin. While one was at the thousand-year level, the others were at the hundred-year level, yielding very little spirit energy.

“Follow closely. Now that we’ve entered the middle region, we could run into a ten-thousand-year soul beast at any time. At this level, soul beasts have undergone a qualitative change. Their intelligence far surpasses that of beasts at the thousand-year level, with some even on par with humans.”

Intelligence? It wasn’t something humans particularly cared for having grown to take it for granted over the ages. Soul beasts, however, depended on it to display their full might, especially when faced with humans.

A truly terrifying soul beast possessed high intelligence. If Tang Wulin and his friends had encountered a shrewder hundred-year Duskgold Dreadclaw Bear in the spirit ascension platform, he would have had no chance of

survival—Xie Xie would have died the moment he attempted a sneak attack.

A ten-thousand-year Duskgold Dreadclaw Bear could single-handedly destroy a town armed with both foresight and strength.

Tang Wulin calmly released his Bluesilver Grass in preparation for any sudden attacks. He understood his vulnerability in this forest that forced

him to rely on Wu Zhangkong’s strength. Since he’d be useless in battle, all he could do was act prudently and prepare to defend himself against any

soul beasts they encountered. I still have a long ways to go…

“Stop!” Wu Zhangkong halted in his tracks forcing Tang Wulin to do the same, nearly bumping into his teacher’s back.

“Something’s off.” Wu Zhangkong’s expression became solemn.

“What’s going on, Teacher Wu?”

Wu Zhangkong answered, “It’s too quiet. Even if soul beasts are sparse in the intermediate level, there should still be some insects around. Don’t you feel that it’s getting dimmer and dimmer? And it’s not just because of the trees blocking the light either. No, this is something else. We may have

encountered a powerful soul beast, and if my guess is correct, we’re in for a lot of trouble.”

Wu Zhangkong’s vigilance alarmed Tang Wulin, but even so, he could only continue relying on him.

Tang Wulin disliked this feeling of powerlessness as if he had no control over his own fate. Unfortunately, he knew it all too well.

Wu Zhangkong stood in place, poised with his Skyfrost Sword. Waves of frost rolled off of it as he surveyed their surroundings with icy yet calm

eyes that occasionally glowed with a purple sheen.

Tang Wulin felt it now; it was eerily quiet, devoid of even the sound of the wind through the trees. This definitely isn’t normal. I wasn’t paying enough attention.

Around them, shadowy figures suddenly appeared and glided towards the duo, faintly discernable among the trees.

What are they?

Wu Zhangkong remained still, aware of the encroaching figures. Though the Skyfrost Sword swayed in his hands, pointing from one direction to another, the movements were calm and unhurried. The last of the light

snuffed out, and an absolute darkness descended on the forest.

Even as the shadowy figures grew near, Tang Wulin couldn’t sense anything.

Then, fast as lightning, a black figure suddenly shot toward them. With the Purple Demon Eyes activated, Tang Wulin could just barely discern its true

appearance. Shockingly, that black figure was himself!

Without a doubt, it was an exact copy of Tang Wulin! The only difference was that it was shrouded in darkness and exuded a chilling, bloodthirsty

aura.

Wu Zhangkong slashed out, releasing a Frost Scar from its tip that sliced toward and through the shadow Tang Wulin. Completed unaffected, the shadow suddenly sped up and pounced on Tang Wulin.

“Hmph!” Wu Zhangkong let out a cold derisive snort. Purple light flashed in his eyes, and the shadowy figure shrieked as it dispersed in a puff of

smoke.

Wu Zhangkong swung his head around, glaring at a mirror figure of himself that was dashing toward him. The shadow Wu Zhangkong shrieked and turned into smoke.

This is possible? The Purple Demon Eyes can do this?

Tang Wulin contemplated the wonders of the Purple Demon Eyes as the purple shimmer faded from Wu Zhangkong’s eyes. Teacher Wu is so

awesome! What can’t he do?

Wu Zhangkong’s face still carried a grave expression. “A darkness and spiritual dual-attributed soul beast. How powerful.”

The remaining shadows no longer dared to approach, intimidated by the frightening power of the Purple Demon Eyes. They quietly turned around and retreated, but in their place, a black fog appeared. The moment he laid eyes on the billowing smog, fear gripped Tang Wulin’s heart.

At that moment, Wu Zhangkong’s second soul ring lit up, and a chilling mist spread out to envelop the two of them, eventually clashing against the black fog.

When the two met, the black fog condensed to become drops of black liquid that released a bizarre smell into the air.

This was a collision between elements of ice and darkness. Could this darkness-attribute soul beast possess the rumored domain ability?

He heard that within the domain, the ability user had absolute control.

Despite some exaggerated elements, it was certainly true that their strength would be greatly amplified in the domain.

The trouble now wasn’t resisting the opponent’s ability but locating their opponent! If they couldn’t find their enemy, then they couldn’t defeat it!

Domain?

Tang Wulin had a revelation. He immediately crouched down and touched the Bluesilver Grass on the ground, closing his eyes.

As he grew to understand his martial soul, he became more intimate with all plant life, especially wild Bluesilver Grass. Sometimes, he could even sense their emotions.

Through the network of Bluesilver Grass, he attempted to extend his

sensory range. Considering the forest’s lush environment, it would have been an amazing place for him to cultivate had it not been the spirit

ascension platform.

During the previous battle, Wu Zhangkong had reminded him of the importance of spiritual power and creative uses of abilities, and now he was putting that advice to use. He silently concentrated on the gentle spiritual fluctuations of the surrounding Bluesilver Grass.

It’s true! The corner of Tang Wulin’s mouth lifted; he knew how to find their opponent now. Its ability to strike fear into the hearts of both him and the Bluesilver Grass ultimately allowed him to locate their foe.

Chapter 177 – Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Skill

So then, where was the source of their fear? Tang Wulin tried to convey this question to the plants using his own spiritual senses.

Although he had never attempted this before, he thought it was worth a try.

As his conscious melded into the spiritual network of the plants, his senses broadened and the fear grew.

Where is it? Where is the cause of our fear? He asked again.

He suddenly felt the surrounding Bluesilver Grass’s consciousness ripple in one direction.

“It’s over there.” Tang Wulin opened his eyes and pointed.

Trusting Tang Wulin, Wu Zhangkong immediately brandished his sword and released a gigantic Skyfrost Slash in that. It sliced through the black fog, leaving a trail of frost-covered plants in its wake.

“Awoo!” A deep howl filled the air, and the black fog converged into a newly-appeared purple light.

The Skyfrost Slash collided with the purple light and dispersed.

Tang Wulin patiently waited for the darkness to disappear and reveal their foe.

A two-meter tall black ape appeared from the black fog. A head full of peculiar blazing gold hair, it didn’t look particularly strong, though it was clearly agile.

A shimmering purple aura surrounded its body as it stared at Tang Wulin and Wu Zhangkong with bright topaz eyes, incredulity on its face.

What soul beast is this? Tang Wulin couldn’t remember any records of such a beast.

“It’s a Three-Eyed Demon Ape! Be careful, it has already reached the ten- thousand-year level and has opened its third eye. It will be a difficult opponent.” Wu Zhangkong immediately dashed forward, aiming to enter a melee combat with the ape.

Wu Zhangkong had never acted hastily in previous battles, but this time

was different. He knew that against such a formidable opponent, he would not be able to protect his charge if they stuck together.

The Three-Eyed Demon Ape snarled, baring its large white fangs. Tension curled in its body before it shot forward like a whirlwind to welcome Wu Zhangkong.

The fear emanating from the Bluesilver Grass fed his own until Tang Wulin’s entire being screamed of danger as the two clashed. Tang Wulin instinctively dashed ahead and rolled to the side, latching onto a distant tree with his Bluesilver Grass to alter his trajectory. His gut feeling had been right. While the Three-Eyed Demon Ape and Wu Zhangkong fought back

and forth, the ape suddenly turned into mist and reappeared where Tang Wulin had just been. It had swiped at the air, forming a hexagon of

amethyst light. If Tang Wulin had acted any slower, he would have been pulverized.

He broke out into a cold sweat. How terrifying. It even deceived Teacher Wu!

“Hmph!” Wu Zhangkong’s expressionless face finally showed traces of

anger. Tang Wulin sensed something from behind him and turned around in

time to see countless azure sword waves explode, swallowing the Three- Eyed Demon Ape.

The Three-Eyed Demon Ape lacked the ability to teleport, and its sudden disappearance just now was attributed to the illusion it had created to trick Wu Zhangkong. But that’s all it was, a trick. It would not work a second time.

Wu Zhangkong’s eyes glowed amethyst, his Purple Demon Eyes in full force now as a barrage of Frost Scars flew out.

The Three-Eyed Demon Ape’s reaction speed was remarkable; it lowered its body and a ball of violet light burst forth and ensconced him. The light deflected the Frost Scars before exploding outwards to repel Wu Zhangkong.

Its other arm fired a tanzanite light that flew past Wu Zhangkong and headed straight for Tang Wulin.

Just where did I provoke it? Why is it still after me?

Tang Wulin didn’t dare to relax and launched himself out of the way with a wrench on the Bluesilver Grass he prepared.

A tanzanite flame blazed into existence at the spot he just vacated,

crystallizing all the plants touched by its fire into amethysts that melted soon afterward. Tang Wulin paled at this hauntingly beautiful scene.

Once the strength of a darkness attribute reached a certain level, it could achieve such terrifying effects.

Meanwhile, Wu Zhangkong relentlessly pursued the Three-Eyed Demon

Ape, unwilling to let it escape. Frost Scars cut through the air and struck the ape, but it dissipated into purple lights once more, merely another illusion.

Wu Zhangkong, having expected this, immediately dodged to the side and evaded the ape’s attack while countering with a Skyfrost Slash.

This Skyfrost Slash was different than before; its energy was now

condensed into a one-meter sword wave and shone with a blinding azure light. The soul power was condensed to the astonishing point that not even a drop of energy leaked out.

The Three-Eyed Demon Apes violet barrier split open and the sword wave sliced right toward it.

This was the first time the battlefield had gone out of its control, throwing it into a panic as it fiercely swung its arms and threw up another shield. The Skyfrost Slash and the shield of light collided and paused momentarily, giving the ape just enough time to leap out of the way.

Wu Zhangkong didn’t chase after it, motionless as the sword wave and shield clashed. He switched to a two-handed grip on the Skyfrost Sword and his sixth soul ring lit up.

That’s…

His sixth soul ring? It’s a ten-thousand-year soul skill!

Tang Wulin stood rooted in place, his eyes wide open and unblinking to capture every moment.

Ten-thousand-year soul rings were almost on the same level as myths. In the world of Soul Masters, out of ten thousand, perhaps only one person would be lucky to have it! I wonder just how amazing Teacher Wu’s ten- thousand-year soul skill is?

The Three-Eyed Demon Ape continued moving to the side, leaping and rolling. It was fuming with fury, its eyes shining a brilliant gold and its black fur tinged with indigo. It looked like a blazing violet flame. A golden light appeared on its forehead and finally revealed its third eye. Golden light gushed out as its body swelled until it was three meters tall.

So formidable!

The ape stood up on its hind legs and raised its hands in Wu Zhangkong’s direction. Violet light gathered in its hands and coalesced into a ball of light that kept growing larger.

It’s getting bigger? Will Teacher Wu’s sixth soul skill be more powerful?

Tang Wulin looked back to Wu Zhangkong with anxiousness. Though Wu Zhangkong’s sixth soul ring still flickered, he stood as still as a statue. It was as though he didn’t care about his opponent any more, and had even gone as far as to close his eyes, his mind seemingly free from mundane

worries as it drifted off to another world.

If it wasn’t for the fact that the black soul ring continued to enlarge and the increasing radiance of the Skyfrost Sword from icy blue to pure white, Tang Wulin would have believed Wu Zhangkong had given up.

An indignant roar sounded from the Three-Eyed Demon Ape. Its palms struck the one-meter in diameter ball of violet light and the moment they

touched, a beam of indigo power shot straight at Wu Zhangkong. The ape’s energy quickly drained as it maintained this attack.

Chapter 178 – Breaking Through the Crisis!

The Three-Eyed Demon Ape unleashed a second attack in concert with his first, shooting a golden beam of light from its third eye at Wu Zhangkong’s head.

This… is a spiritual attack?

Wu Zhangkong’s eyes flashed open the instant the third eye attacked. A golden violet light, far more resplendent than before, burst from within his eyes. This was clearly the full strength of his Purple Demon Eyes.

Purple and gold clashed mid-air, fighting for dominance as they released waves of spiritual power that rippled outwards.

Tang Wulin was still hit by the energy waves while watching from afar. Without any methods to defend himself against a spiritual attack, pounding nausea assailed his mind before his eyes went blank and he lost his grip on reality.

Tang Wulin had been perched atop a tree when the spiritual wave swallowed him and amidst his confusion, he fell to the ground.

Back on the battlefield, Wu Zhangkong raised his head. His complexion was pale, blood flowing freely from his nose and ears. He had taken some damage from that spiritual confrontation just now.

The moment the dust from their spiritual battle settled, the violet energy arrived before him.

In the split second before it arrived, Wu Zhangkong closed his eyes. Then he finally made his move.

His jet-black sixth soul ring rose into the air, enveloping his entire body before flaring with a resplendent white light that flew into the Skyfrost Sword.

Both Wu Zhangkong and the Skyfrost Sword appeared to be as white as

snow. His figure vanished an instant later, becoming a white blur that flitted across the battlefield.

Ice bloomed behind the blur’s wake as it shot forth and froze the light in place when it swept past it. Cracks formed at the core of light as it struggled within its icy prison.

Then the frozen casing split open and that radiant violet light exploded in all directions.

The white blur flashed by once more. Clad in white and armed with a white sword, Wu Zhangkong appeared behind the Three-Eyed Demon Ape.

The ape’s smug expression froze in place.

A vertical white line appeared on top of its head, slicing through its third eye and all the way to its crotch.

“Wulin, the third eye!” Wu Zhangkong’s booming voice sobered Tang Wulin. His head was still splitting from the spiritual shock-induced headache when he heard his teacher’s call.

It felt like a thousand needles were stabbing his brain, a pain that overwhelmed his senses to the point where he wanted to smash his head into a wall.

Although his vision was fuzzy, he still managed to send out his Bluesilver Grass with a thought.

Goldlight slithered out of his body and bore into a strand of Bluesilver

Grass. The strand seemed to breathe into life as it transformed from azure to

gold and hardened. It pierced through the Three-Eyed Demon Ape’s third eye like a spear before penetrating into the ape’s brain.

Tang Wulin collapsed in exhaustion as dark spots darkened his vision and sweat poured from his body.

At that moment, an immense wealth of energy flowed into him through the golden vine.

While it wasn’t his first time absorbing spirit energy, this time was the most unique. The energy was split into two; Goldlight was rapidly absorbing one part of the energy as it rested within the grass, while the other was flooding into Tang Wulin’s brain. It was this latter energy that was the cause of the

stabbing pain in his brain. Releasing a muffled groan, Tang Wulin immediately lost consciousness.

Wu Zhangkong silently stood there, pale-faced as he took notice of Tang Wulin’s situation. He appeared beside his disciple like a bolt of lightning, brows furrowed and eyes bewildered.

He had been so focused on obtaining this ten-thousand-year soul beast’s

spirit energy for Tang Wulin, that he forgot a crucial fact; the beast was of the ten-thousand-year level that could range from the beginning of the realm all the way to the peak. If it was more than the maximum age, just how much excess spirit energy was Tang Wulin absorbing?

During the previous evaluation, it was determined that Tang Wulin’s

spiritual power was strong enough to endure little more than two-thousand- years worth of spirit energy. Any more than that would risk his mind and body crumbling apart.

Tang Wulin’s spirit soul had reached about 1,300 years after absorbing the energy of the previous soul beasts. Currently, he was absorbing the spirit energy of this ten-thousand-year Three-Eyed Demon Ape—a minimum of 1000 years worth. The question now was whether Tang Wulin’s body was strong enough to endure this magnitude of spirit energy!

Furthermore, this Three-Eyed Demon Ape was different from ordinary soul beasts; it possessed a tremendous amount of spiritual power. Although there was no method to obtain soul power in the spirit ascension platform,

spiritual-attributed soul beasts possessed a special characteristic. Should a Soul Master absorb their spirit energy, they would be faced with a spiritual attack.

Wu Zhangkong’s eyes held a trace of rarely seen worry. His mind had been muddled after the spiritual clash with the Three-Eyed Demon Ape, thus leading to his thoughtless decision of having Tang Wulin absorb its energy and ending up in this perilous situation.

There was nothing he could do now but wait. The moment a Soul Master began to absorb spirit energy, it would fuse and evolve the spirit soul. No external interference was possible once this process began; even a Title Douluo could only be forced to watch on helplessly as Tang Wulin

absorbed the energy.

Not only did the spirit ascension platform increase the age of spirit souls, it also influenced the soul power and spiritual power of Soul Masters. Wu Zhangkong could only silently wait and pray for Tang Wulin’s success.

Should Tang Wulin fail, it would end up as more than just a major problem.

☀

Waves of dizziness slammed into Tang Wulin. Though he felt no pain, he was numb to any other feeling as well. Chaos reigned in his spiritual world.

After some time, a sliver of his consciousness woke. He opened his eyes, only to find himself floating in a pitch-black space. In its wake came

endless, torturous, pain.

“Wher-where am I?” The pain drilled into his head, making him tremble. The darkness gradually waned and a pale gold appeared. He watched as

Goldlight slowly grew stronger, but then, so too did his pain. The pain was so unbearable that he seemingly yearned for the release that only death provided.

Nothing could alleviate his agony, so he surveyed his surroundings. Cracks appeared within this golden world soon after, numbing his pain.

An idea struck him. Could this be my spiritual world? The space of my consciousness?

“Old Tang!” Tang Wulin screamed in panic. He could sense that as the

cracks gradually widened, his impending death was also likely to become a reality.

“Hah…” A sigh resonated throughout the space, announcing the arrival of the golden light before him. The golden light possessed a shape similar to that of a weapon with a long shaft, but that was all Tang Wulin could discern.

Golden rays of light blossomed from the long-shafted weapon and entered the cracks of this golden world.

The cracks paused before slowly beginning to repair itself and restoring the world to its original pristine.

His piercing torture also eased as warmth filled Tang Wulin, healing his suffering mind.

“My powers are limited, you know. You absorbed more energy than you

could handle, forcing me to use some of my power to aid you in this crisis. While you should be fine for now, the problem is that I won’t have as much power to help you break the next seal anymore. The pressure you will have to face will be several folds higher than what it should have been. Prepare yourself. Even though you received a large upgrade this time, you

absolutely must not do this again, otherwise I will run out of power needed to help you and you will risk your life each time you break a seal.”

Old Tang’s voice resounded throughout this golden world. Tang Wulin felt as if he had reunited with a long-lost relative, but in the next moment the gold faded away and darkness returned. He lost consciousness once more.

☀

A fit of dizziness unlike anything before hit Tang Wulin when he woke up and left him paralyzed, unable to move a finger or raise his head. It was one of the greatest struggles of his life just to simply open his eyes.

It’s cold!

The first thing he noticed was the chill in the air. Sensation returned to his body, but it was still as heavy as lead and uncontrollable.

Chapter 179 – Another Spirit Soul Evolution

The world around him gradually came into focus; then, he saw Wu Zhangkong.

Wu Zhangkong’s white robe was in tatters and he haggardly stood while using his Skyfrost Sword as a cane.

His long hair was a disheveled mess, creating a sight of him that Tang Wulin had never seen before. Yet he still stood tall, despite his injuries and exhaustion.

Looking out further, Tang Wulin realized that a dozen soul beasts circled them while several beast corpses littered the ground.

He’s…

He’s protecting me… We’re still in the spirit ascension platform? “Tea-Teacher Wu…” Tang Wulin feebly called out.

A tremble ran through Wu Zhangkong as he looked back.

Although Wu Zhangkong cut a sorry figure, Tang Wulin’s appearance was far more frightening. Little snakes of blood seeped from his eyes, ears, nostrils and mouth.

“You’re awake?” Wu Zhangkong dashed to Tang Wulin’s side. The ice in Wu Zhangkong’s eyes thawed to reveal a burning self-blame, but Tang

Wulin didn’t notice this—his mind was still muddled. “Mn.” Tang Wulin simply responded.

Wu Zhangkong ordered, “We’re returning!” He let out a deep breath, relieved that Tang Wulin was fine. Even though it would take some time for Tang Wulin to recover, everything was good so long as he lived.

He slapped the escape button on the back of Tang Wulin’s hand before hitting his own. The two instantly disappeared with a beam of light.

☀

Tang Wulin remained motionless as the glass cover opened slowly. The murkiness of his mind hadn’t disappeared even after leaving the spirit

ascension platform but rather, it became more obvious and pronounced. His body felt bloated and he was unable to move his body.

The glass cover of the container beside him opened and Wu Zhangkong got out. He rushed over to Tang Wulin and lifted him out of the glass case.

Tang Wulin’s case could only be described as a rag doll-like body right now. His limbs were so feeble that he could do nothing but be at the mercy of others. Wu Zhangkong helped Tang Wulin into his clothes before

clothing himself. Gently lifting Tang Wulin’s limp body, Wu Zhangkong carried Tang Wulin on his back.

“He absorbed too much spirit energy. Does he need an inspection?” A staff member asked.

Wu Zhangkong shook his head. “No need. I’ll be enough to take care of him and he’ll be fine once he wakes up.”

“Alright. But once you leave it will no longer be a concern of the Spirit Pagoda,” warned the staff member.

Wu Zhangkong nodded then left the Spirit Pagoda with Tang Wulin on his back. He had planned on heading back to Eastsea City immediately after

their venture in the Spirit Pagoda, but right now he needed to find an inn to stay another night.

It was necessary for Tang Wulin to adjust to the sudden influx of energy at the moment, otherwise he may be faced with some residual effects.

Tang Wulin’s mind was still befuddled, so he immediately dozed off the moment he hit the bed. Wu Zhangkong also yearned for rest. His

complexion was pale after a day-long adventure in the spirit ascension platform, one that was plagued with challenges far more difficult than he had expected. There were very few beasts that posed a threat to him in the intermediate level, yet they actually managed to run into one today.

The Three-Eyed Demon Ape’s advantage lay in its spiritual-attribute. Not only could it employ spiritual attack, it was also bestowed with intelligence far beyond its peers.

Even so, it wasn’t really that difficult for him to defeat the Three-Eyed Demon Ape. What he never expected was to make such a grave mistake

while his mind was rebounding from the spiritual attack. If it hadn’t been Tang Wulin who absorbed the energy, then the consequences would have been far worse.

☀

It took a full night’s rest before Tang Wulin awoke, yet his mind was still murky, preventing him from sensing the changes in his body.

“Are you feeling any better?” Wu Zhangkong asked.

Tang Wulin strained himself to nod, having finally regained some control over his body.

Wu Zhangkong helped him sit up. “Your mind received a powerful attack and you will need some time to recover. I know you’re in pain right now

but you must still cultivate your Purple Demon Eyes to adjust your spiritual power. There may be some residual effects left otherwise.”

“Okay!” Tang Wulin readily agreed.

Wu Zhangkong took a seat behind Tang Wulin and pressed one palm into Tang Wulin’s back while the other lay against the back of his head. A gentle stream of soul power seeped into Tang Wulin’s body, facilitating his

cultivation of the Purple Demon Eyes.

Tang Wulin had never found cultivating hard, but now he faced some difficulties in controlling his soul power. Without Wu Zhangkong’s help, he would have been unable to circulate his soul power properly in this state.

He circulated his soul power according to the Mysterious Heaven Method, gradually filling every inch of his body with power. Warmth spread throughout his body and restored his vitality.

With the immense gap between their cultivations, it required practically no effort on Wu Zhangkong’s part to guide Tang Wulin along.

After cultivating the Mysterious Heaven Method for a whole day, he was

able to start practicing the Purple Demon Eyes. His body felt refreshed and his mind grew clearer, relaxing him.

Tang Wulin’s suffering gradually subsided as his mind and body regained their normalcy. It took him a few more circulation cycles before he was able to cultivate on his own again.

Wu Zhangkong withdrew his hands and released a long sigh. This child really is a genius! Who else would be able to bear an over two-thousand- year spirit soul!

Tang Wulin’s spiritual world barely contained all of this energy but his body was more than sturdy enough. His soul power had also been refined through this process and was now at rank 16.

His spirit soul, however, had not yet finished its evolution due to his insufficient spiritual power and it would take a while longer before the process was complete. Danger shadowed him during this process, forcing

the two to sit there and wait until it finished. Even once it finished, they would have to continually examine Tang Wulin’s state.

Unexpectedly, they stayed for a whole week.

Tang Wulin meditated nonstop the entire time. A golden glow appeared on his body the third day, signaling the beginning of the spirit soul evolution.

Goldlight resonated with Tang Wulin’s breathing and gradually began to change.

Compared to the first spirit soul evolution, the changes were much more distinct this time. Goldlight grew to one foot in length and its scales rose up slightly, gaining a sparkling and limpid luster. Its entire body was now a dull gold while two small points appeared on its head. The golden veined pattern on it became more distinct.

Its bright eyes possessed a violet gloss as the evolution progressed.

It had grown from a ten-year to hundred-year to thousand-year spirit soul in such a short period of time. It was as if Goldlight had been born again, possessing an aura completely unlike before. With each breath, the golden veined pattern on Tang Wulin brightened.

When the spirit soul evolution finished four days later and Tang Wulin roused from his meditation, there was an imperceptible change to him.

His skin became more fair and radiant, his height had increased by at least three centimeters, his eyes were practically sparkling now, and his aura had transformed.

Tang Wulin was well aware of these transformations. He also discovered that as he practiced the Mysterious Heaven Method, a small whirlpool of soul power began to form in his dantian. When this whirlpool appeared, both his cultivation and recovery accelerated.

Chapter 180 – Improvement

This whirlpool compressed his soul power and barely took up any room in his dantian.

The bitterness had ended and the sweetness began the moment Tang Wulin awoke.

“We should go now.” Due to their one week delay, their one month vacation had already passed. In fact, as a teacher, Wu Zhangkong was supposed to report in a few days earlier than students and was already late.

“Teacher Wu, thank you.” Tang Wulin sincerely spoke his thanks as they walked to the soul train station.

This trip actually wasn’t particularly enriching for him as he spent most of his time cultivating, but still, he was bursting with joy.

During this trip in Heaven Dou City, he laid eyes on the sculptures of the almighty and legendary Tang Sect figures and officially joined the Tang Sect. He also started cultivating two Tang Sect methods; the Mysterious Heaven Method and the Purple Demon Eyes. In both he had reached a relatively high level and held a basic comprehension of the two.

He managed to acquire a thousand-year Dragonscale Fruit, one of the four spirit items he needed and later evolved his spirit soul. Every one of these events had been a major event for him.

Although he didn’t know how much his strength had grown, he could feel a fundamental change in his entire being.

The Mysterious Heaven Method helped consolidate his understanding of the changes brought about by his spirit soul’s evolution on his own body. I have a thousand-year spirit soul now, a thousand-year spirit soul! I’m probably the only student in the academy whose first soul ring is at the thousand-year level!

These events solidified his foundation and would aid him as he developed as a Soul Master. Although the timeframe posed some problem to him,

especially the risk he faced when it came time to break the second seal, all of this was a problem for the future. For now, he was developing quite nicely.

“I only showed you the way. The only person you can rely on is yourself.” Wu Zhangkong said.

Tang Wulin stared, dumbfounded. He clearly remembered his father telling him the same thing. ‘In this world, the only person you can rely on and trust is yourself.’

These words were carved into his heart. He never expected Wu Zhangkong to say something so similar.

Yearning welled up in his heart. Mom, dad, where are you? Na’er, where did you go?

☀

After entering the soul train, Tang Wulin didn’t waste any time and immediately began meditating. He didn’t let his spirit soul’s evolution get to his head; he clearly knew how weak his martial soul and innate soul power were as well as how his cultivation rate lagged behind Xie Xie and Gu Yue.

Soul power was the foundation of all Soul Masters and all he could do was work hard to compensate for what he lacked. His spirit soul had evolved

and he would soon become a rank 20 Soul Grandmaster.

Tang Wulin was filled with confidence, now convinced that he would reach that level within the next year or two, depending on his luck. He would

become a Soul Grandmaster by the time he turned twelve. A rank 20 at twelve years old was the definition of genius.

Once they reached Eastsea City and the familiar skyline filled with

skyscrapers entered his view, Tang Wulin though he gained an appreciation for the city. Every city was different and had their own unique character. It’s a pity I didn’t get a chance to properly sightsee inside Heaven Dou City. In the future, I definitely have to travel the continent and see all the famous

sights! Maybe I’ll even travel to the other continents. I wonder what kind of scenery I’ll see in the other two continents?

“There are still three days left until school resumes. Use this free time for yourself and relax a little.” Even as his words lingered in the air, Wu Zhangkong was already walking away.

Tang Wulin didn’t immediately return to the dormitory but instead went to the blacksmith’s workshop.

He hadn’t touched the forging hammer for a whole month and his skills were beginning to rust. I’ll go visit Mu Chen first and accept two tasks to warm up my forging.

I still owe Teacher Wu over one million coins! I need to pay it back quickly and earn enough money for the other three items.

He had felt wealthy saving three million but after buying the thousand-year Dragonscale Fruit, he understood just how frighteningly expensive it would be to break through his second seal. He resigned himself to spending every free hour earning money.

If I continue to improve my forging, will I be able to forge my own battle armor when I have four rings?

The very thought of having a battle armor got his blood pumping. On the road home, he recalled Wu Zhangkong’s explanation about battle armors. If I had a battle armor, that Three-Eyed Demon Ape wouldn’t have even stood a chance!

Teacher Wu is so awesome! Tang Wulin had witnessed five of Wu Zhangkong’s six soul skills, and though he didn’t really know what the ten- thousand-year soul skill was, the unparalleled might of that slash which killed the Three-Eyed Demon Ape was obvious.

Will I be that strong in the future? Tang Wulin had unknowingly placed Wu Zhangkong as his goal.

Tang Wulin visited the Blacksmith’s Association and immediately went to find Mu Chen.

“Teacher, I’m back.”

At the sight of his enthusiastic disciple, Mu Chen cracked a smile. “How

are you? Was your vacation relaxing?” He was the most easy-going among Tang Wulin’s teachers. As long as he wasn’t in the middle of teaching, he would reveal a warm temperament.

“I gained a lot from it, but I didn’t have a chance to practice forging the whole time.” Tang Wulin lowered his head in shame.

Mu Chen let out a hearty laugh. “You’re such an honest child. Don’t worry about it so much; relaxing is also a part of cultivating. Once you reach a

certain level of forging, practicing constantly is no longer as important as accumulating and consolidating your experiences.”

“Dad, you’re too nice to him. Why didn’t you let me go out and play during my vacation? You made me forge every day,” a familiar voice whined. Mu Xi entered the room with a pouting face.

Mu Chen said, “When your own forging level is as good as Tang Wulin’s, then you can have a vacation too.”

“Hmph!” Mu Xi shot a glare at Tang Wulin before stomping out.

Tang Wulin was at a loss as to how to deal with his senior disciple sister’s hostility. She really is unbridled.

“This kid…” Mu Chen knit his brows. He understood the competitive nature of his daughter but he never thought about correcting it. It was a virtue for youngsters to have such a personality. A competitive heart would drive one to work harder.

Mu Xi definitely made Tang Wulin her goal, otherwise she wouldn’t have acted like that. This is good, but it’s a pity that her rival is a little freak like Wulin. It won’t be easy for her to surpass him!

“You’ve just returned; go rest first. But let me warn you, your training will be even more rigorous from now on, so prepare yourself. Since you have three days until school resumes, use one day to rest and return to learn the other two days.”

“Yes.” The lack of any admonition set Tang Wulin at ease, but still, he resolved himself. I can’t let Teacher down!

After leaving Mu Chen’s office, Tang Wulin went to accept two rank three blacksmith tasks before returning to the workshop.

He had meditated the entire ride home so he wasn’t tired at all and planned on completing these two assignments before he went to learn from Mu

Chen. They would count as a warm-up and prevent his hands from being shaky when he was with Mu Chen.

He adjusted the forging table, set the metal down, and began forging.

He became more comfortable with the Thousand Refined Heavy Silver Hammers as time passed and was surprised to discover the truth in Mu

Chen’s words. He hadn’t simply said them to comfort Tang Wulin. After a month away from forging, the process he made was actually going more

smoothly than before. He could easily sense the fine changes within the metal and its spirit now.

Tang Wulin had assumed he would produce a failed product the first time as he readjusted himself to forging, but contrary to his expectations the entire process flowed smoothly. Every chunk of metal was Thousand Refined

successfully and was of an even higher quality than before the vacation.

With the aid of the Purple Demon Eyes, his efficiency had also increased by fifty percent. His soul power had also increased, and aided by the

compression due to the Mysterious Heaven Method, he now possessed more stamina to forge for longer lengths of time.

This was a markedly pleasant surprise. In the past, he could only Thousand Refine two chunks of metal in a row, but now he could work with four and end up with even higher quality results.

Regardless of whether they were Hundred Refined or Thousand Refined, there were several grades assigned to the quality. There were three grades for Hundred Refined: low, medium and high. The Thousand Refined had five grades total with first grade at the top and fifth grade at the bottom.

Cerita silat IndoMandarin

The Legend of the Dragon King Chapter 171-180

Chapter 171 – Battle Armor!

Chapter 172 – To Lose and Regain!

Chapter 173 – Ice Fire Demonic Tiger

Chapter 174 – The Skyfrost

Chapter 175 – Wu Zhangkong’s Soul Skills

Chapter 176 – Three-Eyed Demon Ape

Chapter 177 – Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Skill

Chapter 178 – Breaking Through the Crisis!

Chapter 179 – Another Spirit Soul Evolution

Chapter 180 – Improvement

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