Sorry if the upcoming chapters aren't as good. I was really busy while writing them, so once again, I apologize.
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"Spirit beast hunting?" Gu Yuena asked, her eyes narrowing with suspicion.
"Yes, My Lady," Di Tian replied with a respectful bow. "We were forced to halt the pursuit because a Contra was protecting the girl. Although his power means nothing to us, we remembered your order not to attack humans without strong justification. Therefore, we chose to withdraw."
Gu Yuena let out a quiet sigh. Her sealed powers made her reluctant to engage in open conflict. Although, if she went to war against humanity with Di Tian and his forces by her side, victory was certain, the cost—countless spirit beast lives—was too steep.
"Very well," she finally said, her voice calm but resolute. "I only came out to confirm this. Returning to the lake and recovering is the best course of action now."
In truth, the desire to approach the source of the Golden Dragon King's aura was burning inside her. However, with her powers still limited, she couldn't guarantee her own safety.
Back in the forest where Tianyu resided, he was seated in meditation. The golden dragon projection behind him stopped roaring, and from beneath his body emerged a golden spirit ring. Then, slowly—with a speed visible to the naked eye—Tianyu's second spirit ring began to take shape.
Tianyu felt pure energy surge through his body, as if every cell was filled with the might of the exalted Golden Dragon King. His first spirit ring glowed steadily, while the second ring gradually solidified—its color a radiant gold, matching the first.
Around him, the air trembled and the leaves swayed without wind, as if nature itself was responding to the birth of a new spirit ring. The golden dragon silhouette behind him faded, merging back into Tianyu's body, leaving a sacred aura lingering in the air.
Tianyu let out a breath of relief, then slowly stood up. His body felt lighter and fuller, as if every inch of him had been refined. The exhaustion from the physical transformation vanished. He began to examine himself.
His height had increased, now equal to that of a ten-year-old. His posture stood straighter, and the childish features of his face had started to fade—sharper lines appeared, giving him a faint air of maturity.
He estimated that with his current physical strength, he could lift around 3,600 kilograms.
His spirit power, previously stagnant at level 20, had broken through. The energy from the Golden Dragon King's divine core, combined with months of meditation, now placed him at level 26.
Beneath his skin, golden blood flowed powerfully, radiating a subtle sacred vibration. His bones had turned golden, etched with mysterious patterns—almost like inscriptions.
Tracing these patterns, Tianyu copied them onto the palm of his hand. Once they were fully formed, a single character appeared: "龙" (Dragon).
"Dragon? What do these patterns mean?" he murmured in confusion.
Curious, Tianyu tried channeling his spirit power into his bones.
Instantly, his body was enveloped in golden light. On his right hand, the character "龙" glowed with a brilliant golden hue—mysterious and brimming with power.
Tianyu felt a drastic transformation within his body.
His physical strength tripled. Every muscle felt solid, as if filled with explosive energy. His body had become far more robust, as though it had been reforged by ancient draconic power.
He decided to test this new strength. Tianyu attempted to deactivate the 龙 character by stopping the flow of spirit power into his bones. It worked—the golden light faded, and the 龙 character on the back of his hand slowly disappeared.
After that, he stepped toward a large tree nearby—its diameter equivalent to two adult arm spans.
Without hesitation, he clenched his fist and delivered a straight punch to the trunk.
Tianyu channeled all his physical strength into that single strike. Boom! With one blow, the massive tree split in half, the terrifying crack splitting the hard wood as if it were mere paper. Wood fragments scattered, and the tree slowly toppled to the ground with a thunderous crash that shook the earth.
Tianyu took a deep breath, then exhaled slowly. A satisfied smile spread across his lips as he observed the results of his newfound strength.
Suddenly, his ears caught the sound of numerous footsteps approaching. Tianyu immediately grew alert—the sound was unlike human footsteps. Swiftly, he turned toward the source.
From behind the trees, a pack of wolves emerged with agile steps. Their dark green fur shimmered on their backs, while their yellow eyes radiated a cold, ruthless cruelty. Tianyu quickly recognized these creatures from the books about spirit beasts he had read.
"Cyan Wolves," he murmured inwardly. These scavengers typically lived by feeding on the remnants of the dead in the forest. Their lifespans usually didn't exceed ten years, but among this pack, three stood out—far larger and more formidable, clearly having surpassed a century in age.
The wolf in the center was the largest, with a sturdier build and a sharper gaze. Without a doubt, this was the pack's leader. Tianyu recalled how to determine a Cyan Wolf's age: the larger the body, the older the wolf.
The rest, numbering over twenty, were smaller with much weaker auras—likely only a few decades old. They encircled the three older wolves in a submissive manner, emitting low, threatening growls.
Tianyu quickly assessed the situation. Before him stood three century-old Cyan Wolves, including one that was unmistakably the pack's alpha. They were surrounded by more than twenty younger Cyan Wolves, forming a tight encirclement in the heart of the forest. His position was completely trapped, with the wolves gradually closing in from all directions.
Though this was Tianyu's first time facing spirit beasts, he felt no panic at all. On the contrary, he was somewhat excited—this was the perfect opportunity to test his soul abilities. He had never used his first soul skill before, fearing he might accidentally kill a human with it. Now, he could also test his second soul skill against these wolves.
Tianyu straightened his posture, fists clenched tightly. The golden blood in his veins pulsed fiercely, responding to the surrounding threat. The character "龙" (Dragon) on his palm glowed faintly, ready to be activated at any moment.
"Alright, let's test this power," he muttered under his breath.
The alpha wolf raised its head and let out a deafening howl—the signal to attack. Instantly, the two century-old Cyan Wolves lunged simultaneously from different directions—left and right. Their speed was extraordinary, leaving blurred green afterimages in the air.
Tianyu remained calm. His First Soul Ring suddenly shone brightly, emitting a golden radiance. Between his palms, an energy sphere formed and gradually elongated into a gleaming golden sword.
"Go."
With a smooth yet precise motion, he hurled the golden blade forward. The weapon shot through the air at near-invisible speed, leaving only a faint golden trail behind.
The two elder Cyan Wolves immediately sensed the impending danger. With sharp reflexes, they skidded to a halt and attempted to dodge. The golden blade barely grazed their fur as it whizzed past.
But the blade did not stop. With undiminished momentum, it continued toward the pack of younger wolves behind. Two of the decade-old wolves didn't even have time to react before the golden blade pierced through them.
The effect was horrifying—the first wolf was split vertically, cleanly from head to tail, while the second was bisected diagonally, half of its body cleanly severed. Both corpses collapsed simultaneously, blood splattering across the forest floor