Gu You gritted his teeth, forcing himself to stay conscious despite the rapid drain of soul power surging through his body. But no matter how hard he resisted, his strength still faltered. With only a rank 30 soul power reserve, he simply could not maintain the integration of the thousand-year Crystal Bear into his spiritual sea. He instinctively reached for the soul tool bottle he carried in his spatial ring — only to realize with a pang of despair that he was already drained dry.
His mental world gave a shudder, and he was forcibly ejected. Gu You stumbled forward, collapsing face-first onto the massive body of the Crystal Bear. The energy he had just begun to absorb seeped back into the bear's fading form, slowly dissolving into specks of light, leaving behind only residual upgrade energy scattered in the air.
Outside the platform, in the observation room, the staff froze.
"He's down!" one of the technicians blurted, eyes wide. "What now? Should we forcefully extract him?"
A senior technician turned toward Wu Zhangkong, eyes uncertain.
Wu Zhangkong's brow furrowed deeply. Absorbing soul energy to the point of passing out? He had never seen such a case before. Was it due to some unique physical trait? With no better option, he gave a small nod.
"Do it," he said quietly.
On the projection screen, they could see the remaining upgrade energy from the Crystal Bear slowly drifting toward Gu You, but the process was agonizingly slow. Wu Zhangkong didn't want to risk any delay. If another soul master happened to cross paths with Gu You during this vulnerable moment, it could knock him out of the Spirit Ascension Platform entirely, causing unpredictable damage. Even if no one else came, what if another soul beast attacked? Even if the beasts instinctively feared Gu You and avoided him, the Crystal Bear clearly hadn't.
"Better safe than sorry," Wu Zhangkong murmured to himself.
Gu Yue, watching from the side, crossed her arms and let out a soft snort.
'Serves you right! That's what you get for bullying people,' she thought smugly.
With a mechanical hiss, a metal pod slowly slid out from the wall. Cold mist seeped into the room as the compartment door opened, revealing Gu You lying quietly inside. A couple of staff hurried over, running detailed scans over his body with specialized equipment.
Their conclusion: extreme soul power exhaustion, minor mental trauma.
Wu Zhangkong let out a low breath. "How did this even happen? He looked perfectly fine before, his soul power seemed full. How did it all burn out in one go?"
He reached out, gently placing a hand on Gu You's arm, carefully transmitting a thread of his own soul power to stabilize the boy's condition. After a moment, a technician brought over a shimmering metallic injector. "Soul Power Recharge Shot. Very rare. Costs about five million Federation coins per dose. Just one injection can instantly replenish the soul power of a Soul King-level expert."
Wu Zhangkong's face twitched faintly. This was no ordinary recovery aid — but apparently, the Spirit Pagoda had willingly provided it, claiming Gu You was a special case.
The technician hesitated. "Where should I administer the shot?"
Wu Zhangkong waved his hand dismissively. "He's unconscious, just do it."
With an almost exaggerated hiss, the technician aimed.
Right at Gu You's backside.
"Wait, you—"
Thunk!
"Aaaaagh!"
With a blood-curdling scream, Gu You shot upright, clutching his rear, eyes wide with shock. His entire body jolted with such force that he leapt two, three meters into the air. The sudden rush of soul power triggered a full reflexive release — his Martial Soul flared to life, spreading across his body. Three soul rings appeared instantly, no longer suppressed: one blood-red, one violet-blue, and another a deep crimson.
The room fell into stunned silence.
Because they saw it clearly.
Among those three rings, one of them — unmistakably — was a red ten-thousand-year ring.
The pressure it exuded was suffocating.
Even more astonishing, behind Gu You loomed two massive phantom images: the imposing silhouette of the Ice Emperor Scorpion and, even more terrifying, the towering figure of a giant purple-scaled dragon, its eyes glowing coldly.
Everyone, except Wu Zhangkong, felt their legs weaken. Several staff members collapsed to their knees, overwhelmed by the sheer pressure in the air. To most people, a single glance at a red ten-thousand-year ring was something they might never experience in their entire lives.
And here was Gu You, a mere Soul Elder, standing calmly with one, effortlessly radiating an aura of dominance.
"Who the hell stabbed me in the ass?!" Gu You roared, spinning around with a murderous glare.
His fury fizzled the moment he realized where he was — and more importantly, how many wide, stunned eyes were now locked on him.
'Dammit,' he thought, heart sinking. 'So much for laying low. Looks like this peaceful life dream is over.'
Gu Yue, standing off to the side, was silent for a long moment, her lips slightly parted. Even she hadn't expected this.
Around the room, some of the staff were still gasping for breath, only gradually recovering from the suffocating pressure. Hastily, Gu You took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing his Martial Soul aura. The powerful soul rings dimmed, fading from view, and the terrifying pressure receded.
"Alright, alright! Everyone just act like you saw nothing, okay? We're all friends here. No need to spread any stories." Gu You forced a half-laugh, shaking his head helplessly.
The examiner in charge, recovering from his cold sweat, nodded frantically. "Y-yes, yes, respected Gu You, sir! We didn't recognize you earlier. We truly wouldn't dare say a word. Truly, we wouldn't dare."
Gu You narrowed his eyes slightly, his expression darkening.
"You truly wouldn't dare?"
The entire room collectively shivered.
Even Wu Zhangkong, watching quietly, let out the faintest sigh.
Outside the observation room, Zhang Yangzi and Wang Jinxi stood stiffly, eyes wide, not daring to speak a word. They had both just barely survived the Spirit Ascension Platform, already shaken by their encounters with dangerous soul beasts. Now, watching Gu You unleash that monstrous aura, they could only feel one thing:
'Too terrifying. This guy is just too terrifying.'
In the corner, Gu Yue slowly exhaled, her gaze flickering as she processed what she had just witnessed.
Wu Zhangkong quietly adjusted his sleeves, his thoughts calm. Even he had to admit, Gu You's strength surpassed any normal measure. But exactly what kind of Martial Soul had this boy awakened? Why did the Spirit Pagoda mark his records as top-secret, hiding them even from senior examiners?
That question, for now, remained unanswered.
Gu You, meanwhile, rubbed the back of his head awkwardly, muttering under his breath. "Being young is great, huh? You can drop down asleep anywhere and just wake up roaring. Not that I wanted to..."
For all his outward calm, he knew perfectly well, Things were about to get a lot more complicated.
(End of Chapter)
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