The ray of extreme fire pierced through the lion pack. The first charging Flame Lion bore a thumb-sized blackened hole in its forehead, while the red light continued onward, consecutively penetrating the limbs of two more lions behind it.
This wasn't even an original soul skill—it was simply a ray formed from highly compressed soul power. However, with the enhancement of his battle armor, Gu La's soul power quality approached that of a Title Douluo. Even this simple compression of soul power dealt significant damage.
Moreover, Gu La's soul power carried the enhancement of an ultimate attribute. As the scorching red light flashed, the Flame Lions' flame resistance seemed nonexistent. A burnt odor filled the air as a black hole appeared on their foreheads, and they collapsed lifelessly.
The air was thick with the smell of charred flesh, and the remaining Flame Lions' fiery manes were pressed down by the residual shockwaves.
Xie Xie's eyes widened as he watched Gu La extend three fingers in succession. Each time a red light flashed, another Flame Lion fell with a crash.
When the last four Flame Lions leapt toward him, Gu La stomped his left foot heavily. The golden battle armor on his leg lit up with a bright yellow hue representing the earth element.
With the enhancements of external soul bones, soul rings, martial souls, and battle armor, Gu La's control over the earth element had already reached unparalleled heights.
"Boom!"
The ground trembled violently as over ten jagged spikes, riddled with magma cracks, erupted from the earth. They impaled the airborne Flame Lions mid-leap, and the last four Flame Lions dissolved into red light points.
"Is this the might of battle armor?" Xie Xie swallowed hard. "Without using any soul skills, he can instantly wipe out a group of hundred-year soul beasts!"
Tang Wulin stared at Gu La's withdrawn left hand, his voice grave. "It's not just the battle armor."
Tang Wulin's expression was serious. He had previously researched the capabilities of battle armor, and even a complete two-word battle armor couldn't replicate Gu La's effortless manipulation of elements.
There was no doubt that Gu La's innate talent played a significant role.
Ye Xinglan absentmindedly stroked her sword hilt, her emerald eyes reflecting Gu La's figure surrounded by golden-red light. In her pure swordsman mindset, this youth who could easily defeat her stirred her fighting spirit more than any other opponent.
The mechanical voice rang out again: "Second level cleared. You may choose to absorb the spirit soul: Flame Lion."
No one needed the Flame Lion spirit soul. Gu La had already moved toward the new light door, the patterns on his gauntlets gradually dimming. The others quickly followed.
As the light door flickered and the group entered the third level, the surrounding environment suddenly darkened. Five pairs of eerie green pupils glowed in the darkness, resembling floating will-o'-the-wisps.
"It's a group of thousand-year Netherworld Spirit Cats."
Ye Xinglan murmured softly, her Star God Sword already drawn three inches out of its sheath. "Speed-type soul beasts."
"The power gap is huge," Xie Xie said, tightening his grip on his twin dragon daggers, excitement flashing in his eyes. "This time, it's finally my turn to act, right?"
Before his words faded, Yuanen Yehui had already charged forward as a towering afterimage. This mission was originally for her and Xu Xiaoyan to obtain spirit souls, and she wasn't the type to sit back and enjoy the fruits of others' labor—she naturally had to contribute more.
The Titan Giant Ape was a top-tier soul beast with virtually no weaknesses. The Netherworld Spirit Cat's claws slashed out with afterimages, but they couldn't even break through Yuanen Yehui's defense.
Yet Yuanen Yehui's punches could nearly kill a Netherworld Spirit Cat with a single blow.
The Netherworld Spirit Cats quickly changed tactics, hiding in the shadows and waiting for an opportunity.
"Don't scatter; maintain formation," Tang Wulin commanded gravely. His Blue Silver Emperor vines rapidly formed a protective circle around the group.
Ye Xinglan unsheathed her sword, and the Star God Sword carved seven intersecting silver lines in the air. Three Spirit Cats attacking from the side were precisely intercepted mid-flight by the sword qi.
Xie Xie's figure suddenly vanished, reappearing with his twin dragon daggers piercing into the heart of a Spirit Cat.
Gu La weaved through the cat pack, each strike simple and direct. His gauntlet alternated between claw and fist forms, with no flashy soul skills—purely relying on the overwhelming strength and speed enhanced by his battle armor.
Just before one Spirit Cat died, its sharp claws grazed Gu La's arm, only leaving a trail of sparks on his skin.
"Third level cleared. You may choose to absorb the spirit soul: Netherworld Spirit Cat."
The group didn't pause, stepping directly into the light door.
Heavy breathing emanated from the darkness as five massive Ironclad Demon Bears slowly rose. Their skin shimmered with a metallic luster, and each step caused the ground to tremble slightly.
"This time, it's a defensive-type soul beast," Tang Wulin frowned. "Thousand-year level, tough-skinned and sturdy."
"Big Meat Bun Recovery!"
Xu Lizhi unleashed his soul skill. "Everyone, don't worry—I'll replenish your soul power."
"No need."
Gu La glanced at his gauntlet, seemingly lost in thought. Suddenly, he raised his right hand, palm upward, and the golden-red patterns rapidly spread up his arm, eventually coalescing into a blazing fireball in his palm.
"Stand back," he said briefly.
The fireball was gently tossed, tracing an elegant arc through the air before landing on the leading Demon Bear.
"Boom—!"
The extreme fire erupted in a terrifying explosion, sending all five Demon Bears flying. Their iron armor melted under the intense heat, emitting ear-piercing metallic twisting sounds. When the smoke cleared, the Demon Bears had dissolved into light points.
Xie Xie stared in disbelief. "This… is this really an attack from a Soul Ancestor level?"
Gu La retracted his gauntlet, replying indifferently, "It's just the amplification of the battle armor."
Even Xie Xie found these words half-believable, but with his limited experience, he couldn't pinpoint what felt off.
Tang Wulin, however, understood. The same two-word battle armor would exhibit differences depending on the soul master wielding it—the disparity stemmed from the martial soul itself.
Recalling Lao Tang's evaluation, Tang Wulin silently envied Gu La. "A god-level martial soul… I need to unlock the third seal as soon as possible."
Gu La didn't give them time to dwell on it, stepping directly through the light door.
The fifth level's environment turned cold and damp, with a decaying stench permeating the air. Eight Shadow Demon Spiders lurked within their webs, their crimson compound eyes fixed intently on the group.
"Soul beasts with mental interference abilities—be careful of their venom and webbing," Tang Wulin warned.
This time, Gu La didn't act immediately—he wanted to give others a chance to practice.
Moreover, he had already familiarized himself with the performance of his battle armor in combat, and overall, he was quite satisfied. He eagerly anticipated the day when his battle armor would be fully completed.
Ye Xinglan's lips curled slightly as her Star God Sword suddenly radiated brilliant starlight.
She took a step forward, and the swordlight cascaded like a falling galaxy, instantly shattering several incoming strands of webbing. As a Demon Spider pounced from above, her sword seemed to have already predicted its movement. With a swift upward slash, she split it in two.
Xie Xie and Tang Wulin joined the fight as well. Tang Wulin's Blue Silver Grass vines restricted the Demon Spiders' movements, while Xie Xie utilized his speed advantage to dart between the webs, precisely severing the spiders' joints and eyes.
Without Gu La's intervention, it took the group longer to finish the battle. However, Tang Wulin's Golden Dragon King bloodline was practically cheating against soul beasts, making the fight against the Shadow Demon Spiders relatively easy.
Upon entering the sixth level, four Ice Bears appeared before the group, each exuding an icy aura. The leader, an Ice Bear King, surpassed the others in both size and presence.
"How adorable!" Xu Xiaoyan's starry eyes sparkled as she gazed expectantly at Gu La. "I've decided—it'll be my second spirit soul."
Xu Xiaoyan's variant ice staff martial soul wasn't picky about spirit souls. As long as they were ice-attribute spirit souls, they would mutate into corresponding starlight attributes upon fusion. There was no need to specifically seek out rare star-aligned spirit souls.
Otherwise, given the immense power and rarity of star-aligned spirit souls, the Xu family—a small clan tucked away in a corner—wouldn't be able to support Xu Xiaoyan's growth. After all, no one could guarantee how far her unstable martial soul could progress, so they wouldn't recklessly bet most of their resources.
"Finally, a suitable one." Gu La flexed his wrists, and the patterns on his gauntlets fully illuminated, the golden-red glow resembling flowing magma.
"This time, capture them alive. Communicate with the spirit souls beforehand to make it easier for Xiaoyan to fuse with them," Tang Wulin instructed gravely.
"Understood!"
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