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The familiar little wooden cabin of Shrek Academy was filled with a faint scent of wood shavings and fresh grass. Sunlight filtered through the window lattice, casting bright patches on the rough wooden floor.
Gu La stood by the doorframe, his gaze sweeping over the familiar yet slightly childish faces inside—Tang San, Xiao Wu, Dai Mubai, Oscar, Ma Hongjun, Zhu Zhuqing, Ning Rongrong.
Six months seemed to have left few traces on these boys and girls.
"So," Gu La's voice broke the brief silence, carrying a hint of imperceptible detachment, "I've been gone for half a year, and everyone... is still stuck at two rings?" His eyes lingered especially on Tang San and Xiao Wu.
Xiao Wu pouted, her pink bunny ears twitching unhappily. "Do you think everyone is a monster like you? Cultivating soul power isn't that easy!"
Beside her, Tang San remained calm, though a flicker of complexity passed through his eyes.
Dai Mubai crossed his arms and snorted, tacitly agreeing. Oscar and Ma Hongjun awkwardly scratched their heads.
Zhu Zhuqing remained as cold and silent as ever, while Ning Rongrong curiously observed Gu La, who had not only matured in appearance and demeanor but even changed his hair color after being away for half a year.
Gu La paid no attention to Xiao Wu's small complaint, casually flicking away a leaf that had drifted near him, and asked instead, "What about the world of soul masters? After six months, there should be some ripples, right?"
Tang San pondered for a moment, then looked up, his eyes shining with a mix of amazement and helplessness. "If we're talking about events that shook the entire world of soul masters, there is indeed one. The Soul Master Elite Tournament hosted by the Tian Dou Empire has just concluded."
He paused, organizing his words, "Your 'Mega Evolution Device' became the most dazzling presence on the battlefield."
"Oh?" Gu La raised an eyebrow, showing some interest.
That thing was just a trinket he made while researching soul bone energy conversion and Mega Stone energy stacking. The principle was using soul bones as the core energy source, channeling the energy of Mega Stones through the device for temporary martial soul evolution to achieve bursts of power.
Tang San continued, his tone tinged with admiration, "The effects were astonishing. It allowed soul masters to temporarily unleash power surpassing their own rank by one level. Moreover, a single soul bone could meet the energy needs of several people through the device, significantly lowering the usage threshold. Almost all teams that made it into the top four were equipped with it."
"But the champion," Tang San looked at Gu La, his voice dropping slightly, "was still the Spirit Hall team."
"Expected." Gu La nodded indifferently, his tone revealing no surprise or disappointment, only a detached indifference.
He had just returned from the era of the Legend of the Dragon King, where powerful beings thrived, and soul-guidance technology intertwined with ferocious beasts. He had witnessed the mighty power of the Golden Dragon King, which could shake heaven and earth.
Now, looking back at this era, he found everything primitive and barren—low-level soul master combat techniques appeared laughably clumsy, so-called top-tier martial souls seemed dim, and even the population of the continent felt sparse.
The only thing that brought him slight comfort was perhaps the nearly blind fervent belief in deities among the people. This atmosphere was fertile ground for him to spread faith and harvest faith energy.
After half a year of silence without a word, it was time for the name Oak to echo once more across every corner of this continent.
His thoughts sank deep into his consciousness, where the vast amount of data borrowed from the Legend of the Dragon King era lay quietly.
These papers, painstakingly researched by future soul master elites on topics such as the essence of martial souls, soul power compression, soul spirit contracts, mental resonance, and elemental particle applications, could each overturn the current understanding of the soul master world if released.
He only needed to polish them slightly, adding his broader understanding, then release them step by step, from simple to profound, from phenomena to essence.
The system judged such "borrowing" behavior very leniently.
As long as the knowledge was real, and as long as the world ultimately recognized and credited him, whether the knowledge originated from the present or the future, the system did not delve deeper.
Future soul master research had already penetrated deeply, even touching the edges of some divine domains.
Gu La roughly estimated that even if he maintained a pace of one heavy-hitting paper per month, it would be enough to keep him steadily publishing for twenty years.
These twenty years would be enough to make the name Oak revered and worshipped by countless soul masters, eventually elevating him to godhood, with a continuous flow of faith energy converging into a river.
The only issue now was the container. Once he left the current timeline and returned to the Legend of the Dragon King era, the painstakingly gathered faith energy would not transfer.
He needed a way to exist in this timeline long-term and automatically collect and store faith energy.
The solution wasn't complicated—create an avatar specialized in faith energy. Intercept, gather, and purify faith energy from its source.
However, the power and potential of an avatar largely depended on the creator's own strength.
He had just broken through to Soul King not long ago, and there was still a distance to go before condensing the sixth soul ring and ascending to Soul Emperor.
To quickly cross this hurdle, he either needed to find and consume an immortal herb or fuse a high-age top-tier soul bone.
Looking around the current timeline, the only soul bone that caught Gu La's eye belonged to the Deep Sea Demon Whale King, lurking in the endless depths of the ocean, with a cultivation nearing a million years.
Unfortunately, the creature hid deep within the vast ocean, precisely where Gu La's abilities were hardest to exert. Thus, the path narrowed down to one—immortal herbs.
With a clear goal, Gu La wasted no time.
A few days later, his figure quietly appeared deep within the Sunset Forest. Relying on his precise perception of the flow of primal energy, he easily found the treasure land shrouded in poison arrays—the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.
The proud Jade Phosphor Serpent Emperor Poison Array of the Poison Douluo Dugu Bo was rendered useless before Gu La. He didn't even bother concealing his presence, striding boldly into the valley.
When Dugu Bo appeared, enraged and attempting to block him, Gu La merely glanced at him calmly. An overwhelming surge of spiritual power mixed with the pure and intense pressure of a mythical beast descended upon him.
An invisible hammer slammed heavily into Dugu Bo's spiritual world. The Poison Douluo, renowned for his poisons, felt a sudden blackout, his consciousness instantly suppressed immovably, like an ant under the gaze of a dragon, unable to even conceive of resistance.
"You..." Dugu Bo's face turned deathly pale, staring at the overly young yet profound young man in shock.
"Guard this place for me, and take care of those kids from Shrek, especially the girl named Xiao Wu."
Gu La's voice was calm, yet carried an undeniable force. "In exchange, I'll teach you the method of 'soul core' condensation, which can relieve your suffering from toxin backlash and help you break through bottlenecks."
With life and death in another's hands, and an irresistible temptation offered, Dugu Bo felt bitter but could only lower his head in agreement: "...I understand."
Gu La pointed his fingertip, and a stream of information containing the secrets of soul core condensation and some exquisite methods of mental power usage directly imprinted itself into Dugu Bo's mind.
After dealing with Dugu Bo and letting him temporarily leave, Gu La's gaze finally focused on the red and blue intertwining spring at the center of the ce and Fire Yin Yang Well, emitting an Ultimate Ice and Ultimate Fire aura.
He shed his outer clothing and leapt without hesitation into the most turbulent intersection of ice and fire forces. Extreme cold and heat pierced every inch of his flesh and marrow like countless red-hot steel needles and ice spears.
He consumed the essence of the fierce beast immortal herb and activated the body tempering secret technique learned from the Douluo 3 era. His body, akin to divine iron thrown into a furnace, buzzed with subtle yet resilient vibrations under the extreme dual tempering of ice and fire.
Underneath his skin, a golden and silver interwoven radiance subtly emerged. Flesh, tendons, and bones were repeatedly hammered at the edge of destruction and rebirth, becoming denser, tougher, and imbued with explosive power.
After completing the body tempering, Gu La's gaze swept over the myriad of precious medicinal herbs swaying gracefully throughout the valley.
Herbs like the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass, Infernal Delicate Apricot, and the Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum—treasures that outsiders would fight tooth and nail for—were, in his eyes, merely materials with various effects.
His gaze finally settled on a perfectly round, hazy-colored herb exuding an aura of encompassing all things—the Origin Energy Immortal Grass. This herb provided the most direct and potent enhancement to soul power, exactly what he needed at this moment.
He plucked the Origin Energy Immortal Grass and chewed it, swallowing it directly. A massive and supremely pure burst of energy exploded within him, like a breached dam, furiously assaulting his limbs, bones, and soul barriers.
Gu La sat cross-legged, fully activating the Xuan Tian Technique. Five scarlet soul rings appeared behind him one by one, and the spiritual energy within the valley transformed into visible white dots, surging into his body like rivers flowing into the sea. His presence surged like ignited beacon fires, rising rapidly!
When he had consumed most of the Origin Energy Immortal Grass's energy, a new, even more formidable presence erupted from him.
The silhouette of the sixth soul ring fluctuated intensely behind him, gradually coalescing until it fully formed—a deep, restrained, yet destructive red soul ring!
The instant the soul ring solidified, Gu La's tightly closed eyes snapped open, twin miniature suns burning fiercely in the depths of his pupils.
He slowly raised his right hand, palm facing upwards, and with a slight thought, the surrounding light distorted and darkened, as if being violently sucked away by an invisible hand.
The air grew scorching and viscous, and countless tiny golden and crimson light points were forcibly stripped from the void, crazily converging and compressing towards his palm.
A fist-sized, blinding orb of light formed instantly, its core a heart-stopping pure white, surrounded by restless, seemingly rebellious golden-red flames.
Inside the orb, terrifying energy wildly surged and collapsed, emanating an aura of destruction.
Sixth soul skill—Solar Core Explosion! (T/N: Can also be translated as Solar Nuclear Explosion)
He gently clenched his palm, and the terrifying orb silently vanished, as if it had never existed. Only the residual scorching distortion in the air and the brief "void" left by the instantaneous depletion of light and fire elements proved the existence of that world-destroying force.
With a body tempered by ice and fire and a breakthrough to Level 60 as a Soul Emperor, Gu La returned to Shrek Academy.
In the following six months, the secluded forest behind Shrek Academy, the tranquil lakeside, and even the vacant simulated training grounds frequently saw Gu La's presence.
Xiao Wu's lively charm, Zhu Zhuqing's cool stubbornness, and Ning Rongrong's clever coquettishness all intersected with him in varying degrees.
Sometimes they discussed the mysteries of martial souls, sometimes shared insights on cultivation, and other times simply strolled under the moonlight, speaking softly.
Gu La's vast knowledge and profound understanding of the essence of martial souls attracted them like magnets.
Dai Mubai watched Zhu Zhuqing growing closer to Gu La, his face alternating between shades of gloom. His fists clenched and unclenched, clenched and unclenched. Envy almost overflowed from Oscar and Ma Hongjun's eyes.
Until one evening, Gu La gathered everyone at the open field behind the academy. He casually took out several differently shaped herbs from his storage soul guidance device, exuding astonishing spiritual energy and resplendent halos.
"Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum…"
…
"Xiao Wu…" Gu La looked at her, smiled faintly, and took out a piece of immortal herb essence. "Go back to your room to refine it; it will take some time."
Dai Mubai looked doubtfully at the golden Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum, seemingly cast from pure gold, and sat down to consume it.
When he awoke, he looked up at Gu La, then at Zhu Zhuqing standing quietly beside him. All the gloom and resentment on his face melted away like snow under the blazing sun.
He took a deep breath and solemnly bowed to Gu La, deeply bowing. "Brother Gu, I will remember this favor forever!"
At this moment, any grievances over fiancées seemed trivial in the face of absolute power and the future.
Ma Hongjun's reaction was much more direct. He had lost a significant amount of weight, his appearance improved considerably, and his excitement caused his cheeks to tremble. He knelt down with a thud, hugging Gu La's leg and bawling:
"Boss Big Brother Gu! From now on, you are my brother, no, you are my father! Fatty will follow you from now on! If you tell me to go east, I won't go west…" His exaggerated actions drew laughter from everyone, even causing a slight curve at the corner of Zhu Zhuqing's usually cold lips.
Gu La smiled faintly, watching Ma Hongjun's transformation, finally confirming that this was the manga universe of Douluo, at most leaning towards the original plot, with character personalities and some settings inclined towards the manga.
Six months passed swiftly. When Gu La rose amidst a blanket of snow one morning, he knew it was time to leave.
The grand plan of faith energy could no longer be delayed.
On the morning he left Shrek Academy, he didn't disturb many people. Only a silver-haired, purple-eyed figure was already leaning against the wall by the academy gate—it was Gu Yue.
She watched Gu La walk out, a mocking smile playing on her lips. Her cold voice rang out in the morning breeze: "Oh, leaving your tender haven already?"
Gu La shrugged, his thick-skinned demeanor impervious. "Though the tender haven is nice, important matters must come first." He looked at Gu Yue. "Did you find out the location? It's time to set off."
Gu Yue snorted coldly, a flash of silver, and her figure appeared ahead.
Gu La smiled and followed.
The true form of the Silver Dragon King, after communicating with Gu Yue's consciousness, had already returned to the core of the Great Star Dou Forest to heal, burdened by the heavy and dark knowledge of the future of spirit beasts.
At this moment, only Gu Yue accompanied him.
Their destination was the filthiest, bloodiest corner of the Douluo Continent—Slaughter City.
They traversed a desolate wasteland and entered the underground entrance, seemingly built from congealed blood and bones.
A cold, sticky wind carrying the smell of rust hit them, the air filled with nauseating despair and madness-inducing factors.
This was a paradise for desperadoes and a crucial part of Gu La's plan.
He needed to harness the accumulated killing intent over ten thousand years and the deeply buried Yin Nether Yellow Spring Qi here as the core "nutrient" for shaping his seventh avatar.
This avatar bore a heavy responsibility. It needed strong self-defense capabilities to handle various possible contingencies in the future.
It also needed the potential for independent growth, eventually igniting the divine flame and ascending to godhood. Gu La's goal was to directly grant this avatar the same starting point as himself—a Soul Emperor.
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