"Five-thousand-year-old Diamond Baboon!" Yuanen Yehui's voice trembled with excitement. "The Titan Giant Ape's ancient rival, possessing the innate soul skill 'Frenzy,' which boosts all attributes by fifty percent!"
She clenched her fists tightly. "If not for their low intelligence, their reproductive capabilities would have long driven the Titan Giant Ape to extinction."
This was practically one of the most suitable spirit souls for her, especially since the Diamond Baboon excelled in close combat, making it more likely to yield skills that suited her.
Yuanen Yehui released her martial soul, sensing the presence of the Titan Giant Ape. The Diamond Baboon's eyes instantly filled with blood. It pounded its chest and let out a thunderous roar, then pushed off the tree trunk with its powerful hind legs, snapping the ancient tree in half.
"I've decided—I'm taking this spirit soul!" Yuanen Yehui fused with her martial soul as three soul rings gleamed brightly. "You don't need to intervene; I'll handle this myself!"
She understood well that to tame a spirit soul so opposed to her own martial soul, she had to rely on sheer strength to subdue it. Like taming a wild horse—only by crushing its pride could she later control it effortlessly.
The Diamond Baboon's ferocious fist came crashing down, but Yuanen Yehui didn't dodge. She countered with her Titan Fist. The collision of two immense forces sent shockwaves rippling outward, hurling nearby debris into the air. Blood seeped from the corners of the girl's mouth, but her eyes burned even brighter with fighting spirit.
"Again!"
The Diamond Baboon seemed provoked, its eyes turning an even deeper shade of crimson as its aura surged dramatically—it had clearly activated its Frenzy soul skill.
Its massive arms pounded against its chest, emitting ear-splitting roars that distorted the surrounding air with its ferocity.
Yuanen Yehui refused to back down. Her first and third soul rings lit up in succession. Under the glow of the soul rings, her slender figure appeared resolute, her eyes gleaming with unyielding determination.
"Titan Power!"
"Diamond Titan!"
With two sharp cries, the girl's body rapidly expanded to a height of four meters.
This was one of the main reasons she disguised herself as a boy.
After fusing with the Titan Giant Ape, her entire body became covered in thick black fur, with bulging muscles—a sight that would be a significant psychological challenge for any girl.
She glanced down at her own thick, vein-popping arms, a flicker of resignation passing through her eyes, but it was quickly replaced by renewed fighting spirit.
Gu La stood to the side, his gaze lingering on Yuanen Yehui for a moment.
He couldn't help but wonder: before she acquired that highly stretchable bodysuit, wouldn't her martial soul fusion leave her without clothes? This thought brought a faint smile to his lips, but it was soon interrupted.
The communicator in his pocket suddenly rang, drawing curious glances from those around him. In a special place like the Spirit Pagoda, ordinary communication devices simply wouldn't work, let alone connect to the outside world.
Of course, others couldn't do it—but Gu La's teacher was Heavenly Phoenix Douluo, one of the top powerhouses of Spirit Pagoda, naturally endowed with special privileges. Feeling the probing gazes around him, Gu La frowned slightly and stepped aside to answer the call.
"Teacher, is there something you need?" he asked in a deliberately lowered voice.
"What, can't I contact you unless there's something urgent?" came Leng Yaozhu's teasing yet slightly reproachful voice from the other end, laced with playful sarcasm.
Unconsciously, Gu La's lips curved upward, and he quickly denied it. "Of course not." He paused briefly. "Teacher, please go ahead."
Leng Yaozhu on the other end seemed satisfied with his response, her tone growing serious. "You're going to break through to Soul King within a year. Your second martial soul has an Immortal Herb spirit soul and doesn't need preparation for another spirit fusion. What about your first martial soul—are you considering anything?"
A flicker of realization passed through Gu La's mind—was his teacher about to surprise him again? He cautiously replied, "Does Teacher have a recommendation?"
"Precisely," Leng Yaozhu said. She adored how astute both Gu La and Gu Yue were—though it sometimes robbed her of the joy of teaching, it certainly spared her many headaches.
Her voice carried a hint of pride. "That little girl from the Ye family is storming the Spirit Pagoda. You'll encounter the spirit souls prepared for her by Shrek Academy and the Ye family on the next level. As my disciple, of course I must prepare something for you too."
She paused, adding, "It's fine if you can't fuse with it immediately—you can hold onto it temporarily to prevent someone else from snatching it away."
"Thank you, Teacher," Gu La said sincerely. He deeply appreciated the nurturing care Leng Yaozhu had given him. Not only had she provided him with the best resources and training, but she also always thought ahead for him.
Some might see this as being restricted, but only those who had experienced loneliness knew how precious such care truly was. Gu La tightened his grip on the communicator, a flicker of warmth flashing in his eyes.
"Hmph! Don't just thank me verbally—showing up at Spirit Pagoda more often would be far more sincere than empty words," Leng Yaozhu chided, though her tone was laced with concern.
Her voice turned serious. "Your outstanding performance at Shrek Academy will benefit your candidacy for the next generation of Spirit Envoy candidates. But remember to return to Spirit Pagoda regularly—don't let people gossip behind your back. I'm not afraid of rumors, but you need a good reputation to ensure a smooth path forward."
"I understand, Teacher," Gu La said, a cold glint flashing in his eyes. He was well aware that any organization was bound to have differing opinions, and he had long heard whispers of rumors circulating about him.
But spreading rumors was one thing—if anyone dared target him directly, he would make them regret it dearly.
Shifting the topic, his tone brightened. "Teacher, what spirit soul have you prepared for me?"
Knowing Gu La's practical nature, Leng Yaozhu didn't dwell on those troublesome matters. She smoothly continued, "I know your standards are high—all three spirit souls I've prepared are indomitable spirit souls with extremely high bloodline levels."
Her voice carried a note of pride. "The first is the Tyrant Dragon spirit soul, known as the King of Sub-dragons. Its dragon-like physical prowess and earth-attribute affinity make it exceptionally suitable for your martial soul."
Upon hearing this, Gu La immediately shook his head, though he knew his teacher couldn't see it. That was a spirit soul utterly suppressed by Tang Wulin—it might even betray him in battle. He had no intention of planting such a hidden danger for himself.
"Teacher, what's the next option?" he asked tactfully, signaling his rejection.
Recognizing Gu La's disinterest, Leng Yaozhu switched the holographic projection of the Tyrant Dragon spirit soul on her console. She had anticipated that her disciple might have his own preferences, so she had prepared multiple backup options.
"The second one is…" Her voice suddenly grew mysterious.
She teased, "Let me not say just yet."
"I've searched through all the recorded martial souls and soul beasts in Spirit Pagoda's archives and found the soul beast most closely aligned with your variant martial soul's bloodline."
"The Purple Crystal (Amethyst) Behemoth, known as the King of the Earth, possesses claws capable of tearing apart dragons and an unparalleled mastery of earth-attribute powers drawn from the ground—both of which align perfectly with your martial soul."
"Spirit Pagoda has ongoing projects to replicate and excavate ancient genes of soul beasts. Some of the extinct soul beasts you've encountered were resurrected through these methods. However, the higher the bloodline, the harder it is to create a complete spirit soul."
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