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I've recently started a new translation, please check it out and show your support! Name: 'Douluo: Martial Soul Heavenly Flame, Flame Emperor'
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Gu La sat quietly for another three days deep within the Jingyang Mountain Range, thoroughly converting the vast amount of sacred power fed back by his Angel spirit soul into stable cultivation.
When he opened his eyes again, his soul power level had stabilized at seventy-two levels.
And within his spiritual sea, the Sun Angel spirit soul's aura was even more vast and profound, reaching the terrifying cultivation age of one hundred and ninety thousand years—only a single step away from becoming a true two-hundred-thousand-year Fierce Beast spirit soul.
He rose to his full height. His formidable spiritual power spread outward like liquid mercury.
After breaking through to Soul Saint, his control over the Forest Authority of his Celebi martial soul had greatly increased. At this moment, all the trees, grasses, and flowers of the entire Jingyang Mountain Range seemed to become his eyes and ears. Wherever his will directed, everything was visible down to the finest detail.
Soon, he found Huo Yuhao's trio slowly moving toward the outer edges of the mountain range. They were clearly all seriously injured, moving slowly, supporting each other.
Gu La spread his light wings behind him and instantly transformed into a streak of light. In a few breaths, he descended before the three.
"Gu La, it's so good you're unharmed." Huo Yuhao, supported by Ju Zi, showed genuine relief upon seeing Gu La safe and sound.
But his keen Lingmou instantly detected something amiss—Gu La's soul power fluctuations seemed far stronger than before.
He remained inwardly alert, unable to resist asking: "Your soul power…?"
"Oh, this?" Gu La's tone was casual, as if discussing something trivial. "You heard that explosion earlier, right?"
Huo Yuhao's trio nodded immediately, still shaken.
Ju Zi added: "Heard it? The earth shook, mountains trembled. We thought you…" She didn't finish.
Gu La nodded. "I was ambushed by evil soul masters—four Titled Douluos, including one Level 98 Super Douluo."
He paused, watching their faces turn deathly pale, and continued: "But they didn't know this was exactly my intention. I used over a hundred 'Evil's Banes,' killed three of them, refined their purest sacred energy. Now, I've just broken through to Soul Emperor, not far from Soul Saint."
He deliberately obscured his level, only mentioning breaking through to Soul Emperor, attributing his sudden power surge to refining evil soul master energy. This was the perfect opportunity to reveal his "true" strength.
The future Ming Du would only grow more dangerous. He needed a reasonable, sufficiently powerful overt strength to face what lay ahead.
Huo Yuhao's jaw dropped in shock—this completely challenged his understanding: "Killing evil soul masters can boost soul power? Jumping… nearly twenty levels?! Won't your foundation become unstable?"
Gu La shook his head, his tone carrying the arrogance of an Ultimate Attribute wielder: "That might be a problem for other Angel martial souls. But I possess dual Ultimate Attributes. My soul power has already undergone ultimate compression and refinement—it's incredibly solid. No instability."
Huo Yuhao froze, realizing he'd asked a foolish question.
As an Ultimate Ice wielder himself, he understood perfectly how Ultimate Attributes naturally purified and compressed soul power. It was just that this growth rate was utterly horrifying.
Another question occurred to him: "Then… where did your soul rings come from?" With soul power advancing so quickly, how were soul rings resolved?
Gu La had his explanation ready: "I have a teacher. He captured soul beasts for me. The powerful aura you sensed earlier? That was him fighting the Holy Spirit Cult's Sect Leader, Zhongli Wu."
Huo Yuhao suddenly understood: "So that's why. No wonder Elder Mu wanted to take you as a disciple, but you refused."
He recalled Mu En's instructions and sighs before their departure—now everything made sense.
Gu La nodded, saying no more.
He wouldn't stay in this timeline forever. He wouldn't bind himself to the Shrek ship.
With a wave of his hand, pure light energy transformed into vibrant life force, enveloping the three—primarily healing the most severely injured Huo Yuhao.
This was an additional ability gained after the Angel spirit soul broke through one hundred thousand years. The effect was remarkable—everyone's injuries visibly improved. Huo Yuhao, with his Life Gold essence, recovered even faster.
"Let's go. Back to Ming Du." Gu La said.
The four released their flight soul devices and flew toward Ming Du.
Returning to the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy, Gu La parted ways with Huo Yuhao's trio and went straight to Jing Hongchen's office. Without even knocking, he pushed the door open and entered.
Seeing Gu La appear uninvited, Jing Hongchen frowned, set down his documents, and asked seriously: "Student Gu La, what brings you here?"
Gu La pulled a chair over and sat down. He came straight to the point, his tone clearly accusatory:
"Director Hongchen, your Sun Moon Academy's… or rather, the Sun Moon Empire's public security doesn't seem very good."
Jing Hongchen's frown deepened: "What do you mean?"
"What do I mean?" Gu La sneered. "I just went out to test a soul device, collect some samples, and what happened? Four Titled Douluos came to assassinate me."
"One of them was even a Level 98 Super Douluo—Zhongli Wu. And every single one was an evil soul master. Director Hongchen, your country truly is full of hidden tigers and crouching dragons—quite dangerous."
Facing Gu La's sarcastic tone, Jing Hongchen's first reaction was disbelief. He scolded: "Nonsense! Where would so many evil soul master Titled Douluos come from!"
Gu La seemed to have expected this. His soul power subtly fluctuated, revealing his unmistakable Soul Emperor-level aura.
Simultaneously, he waved his hand. Three severely damaged, dimly glowing ninth-grade defensive soul devices, along with several soul bones radiating thick bloodiness and resentment, were tossed onto Jing Hongchen's ornate desk with a series of clangs.
The resentment clinging to those soul bones was almost tangible—clearly obtained by their original owners through extremely cruel torture and slaughter of soul beasts to forcibly increase drop rates, the hallmark of evil soul masters.
Feeling Gu La's solid Soul Emperor-level fluctuations, seeing the three damaged but undeniably extraordinary ninth-grade soul device fragments on his desk, along with those resentment-soaked soul bones, Jing Hongchen's expression finally changed. He believed seven or eight parts of the story.
He looked up in shock: "You… you really… have a Level 98 Super Douluo behind you? How did you survive?!"
Simultaneously, his heart was terrified—had the Holy Spirit Cult's strength grown so formidable?!
Gu La shook his head, cutting off his questioning: "How I survived is none of your concern, Director. But the fact that I felt watched one moment, and was ambushed by top-tier evil soul masters the next—with these three ninth-grade defensive soul devices from your Sun Moon Empire…"
"This matter is definitely connected to your Sun Moon Empire! You must give me an explanation!"
Jing Hongchen instantly understood—Gu La had come to "extort" compensation.
He had researched this—he knew Angel martial souls gained benefits from killing evil soul masters. He estimated Gu La had profited greatly, but it was also true he had lost many "Evil's Banes."
Yet seeing the identical marks on the soul devices, he still couldn't comprehend what kind of attack could simultaneously destroy three ninth-grade defensive devices and still allow Gu La to return unharmed.
This made him even more wary of the potential power behind Gu La.
He took a deep breath, suppressing his shock and calculations. He knew that today, without shedding some blood, this matter couldn't be resolved peacefully.
He said gravely: "Speak plainly. What do you want?"
Gu La didn't hold back—he demanded exorbitant compensation: "First, I helped the Sun Moon Empire eliminate three evil soul master Titled Douluos, saving countless innocent civilians who might have suffered. My merit is immense. Give me thirty thousand catties of rare metals, quality must be medium-grade or higher—don't try to fool me with inferior goods."
"Second, I helped cripple the Holy Spirit Cult's Deputy Sect Leader hiding in the shadows—a Level 98 Super Douluo—greatly weakening this evil force."
"I want access to study at Mingde Hall, and I demand full access to all complete design blueprints and manufacturing methods for soul devices below ninth-grade within Mingde Hall."
He had long coveted the Sun Moon Empire's soul device technology. In the future, the Federation would impose technological blockades on high-power soul devices. Now was the perfect opportunity—learn as much as possible while he could.
"Impossible!"
Jing Hongchen flatly refused, his face iron-gray. "The academy isn't solely under my control—the royal family are the academy's true masters! I don't have the authority to allocate so many resources to you!"
"At most… at most I can allow you to study at Mingde Hall, but only partial core technologies up to seventh-grade soul devices. And you must guarantee you'll never leak them."
Though he didn't believe Gu La could quickly master profound and complex soul device knowledge in a short time, he wouldn't take risks.
He paused, his tone hardening: "Don't try to threaten me again with those bombs. You've just been through a major battle—your 'Evil's Banes' must be exhausted. I won't be threatened anymore."
Hearing this, Gu La sneered. He didn't believe Jing Hongchen's performance of loyalty to the royal family at all—this was simply about insufficient leverage.
He pushed the nearly ten resentment-soaked hundred-thousand-year soul bones forward: "Since the Director says you can't decide, let's change the approach. I'll 'buy' it with these."
"Fifty thousand catties of medium-grade or higher rare metals. And my access to Mingde Hall can't be reduced—I want to see all blueprints below ninth-grade."
He leaned forward slightly, his tone carrying a cold threat: "Otherwise… Director Hongchen, wouldn't you like to personally test why the Holy Spirit Cult's Sect Leader abandoned three ninth-grade defensive soul devices and his subordinates' soul bones, fleeing in such disgrace?"
Jing Hongchen's heart tightened, once again speculating about Gu La's unfathomable trump card.
Simultaneously, looking at these exceptionally high-quality hundred-thousand-year soul bones on his desk, he was genuinely tempted.
Though heavily tainted with resentment, Mingde Hall's technology could find ways to purify or utilize them. Their value was roughly sixty to seventy percent of the total metal Gu La demanded.
He calculated quickly: this meant he needed to convince the royal family to cover the remaining portion. He might even profit from the difference and gain some benefits…
Moreover, this kid Gu La was too cunning and treacherous—even calculating evil soul master Titled Douluos to death. It wasn't worth tearing faces over some "public" resources and giving him ammunition to use against them—though not fatal, it would be thoroughly irritating.
"Sigh," Jing Hongchen seemed to make a difficult decision, sighing heavily. "I can try to persuade His Majesty and the Crown Prince, but I can't guarantee success."
Gu La nodded in satisfaction: "Director, go ahead and speak. His Highness the Crown Prince… will agree."
A flash of insight appeared in Jing Hongchen's eyes—he immediately grasped the crucial information.
It was the Crown Prince! The Crown Prince was colluding with evil soul masters?!
As a high-ranking official of the Sun Moon Empire, having experienced the royal palace's power seizure—when most high-level officials, dissatisfied with the weak policies of the previous emperor, had silently permitted the rebellion—
Jing Hongchen knew the current emperor had relied on evil soul masters during his coup, later turning on them for extermination. He never expected the Crown Prince would follow the same path.
He cursed inwardly—why tell him such deadly information? Now he couldn't pretend ignorance.
"Enough, enough," Jing Hongchen thought helplessly. "Let the Crown Prince deal with the trouble he created."
After making up his mind, Jing Hongchen first went to the imperial palace, reporting the situation to the bedridden Emperor. He emphasized Gu La's "merits" and potential threat, receiving the Emperor's vague directive to "handle appropriately." Only then did he go to the Crown Prince's residence.
The Emperor was now merely waiting to die. With the princes having already undergone one competition under his supervision—during which Xu Tianran had been crippled—the Emperor simply lacked the energy to cultivate a new heir, waiting for him to grasp court politics and win over noble elites.
Even if Xu Tianran consorted with evil soul masters, the Emperor could only trust that he could control this force.
At the Crown Prince's residence, Xu Tianran heard Jing Hongchen's purpose, especially Gu La's blatant extortion terms. His face darkened as if water could drip from it.
He understood perfectly—Gu La was using that mysterious Super Douluo behind him to threaten him.
But what could he do? Even the Holy Spirit Cult he relied on had suffered a major defeat at the hands of Gu La and his backers. He had no means to counter them for now.
But fifty thousand catties of medium-grade rare metals! Enough to arm half an elite soul device legion—all handed over to his enemy just like that? How could he accept it!
Conflict, fury, frustration… myriad emotions churned within Xu Tianran.
Ultimately, practical considerations overrode pride. He couldn't afford more complications now—he had to swallow his broken teeth with blood.
"…Fine. I agree."
Xu Tianran forced the words out through clenched teeth. "But tell him—this is the last time. And tell him to control his mouth—the royal family must not be insulted!"
Jing Hongchen sighed inwardly. If the Crown Prince had chosen all-or-nothing confrontation instead of continuing to play dark schemes from the shadows, he might have respected him more. He bowed deeply: "Yes, Your Highness. Your servant understands."
After leaving the Crown Prince's residence, Jing Hongchen immediately began processing the relevant procedures, fulfilling Gu La's demands one by one.
Inside the Crown Prince's study, Xu Tianran's face was dark as water. The teacup in his hand was crushed to dust.
"Gu La… just wait and see… this Prince isn't so easily taken advantage of!"
Moreover, he had to find out exactly how Gu La knew he had contacted the evil soul masters.
Recalling Gu La's earlier declaration during the lab explosion—"kill the Crown Prince"—Xu Tianran felt a chill.
He immediately ordered trusted subordinates to investigate secretly. But no matter how he searched, he was destined to find no answers. In the end, the matter had to be dropped—but this thorn had deeply embedded itself in his heart.
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