The next morning marked the beginning of the final exams.
In the Outer Court Dean's office...
"The final exam instructions have been issued?" Cai Yue'er asked Shen Yi with a smile.
Shen Yi nodded. "Everything is in place."
Cai Yue'er said, "Gu You's belongings must be confiscated too. Don't leave him a single thing. That kid's brain works too fast—he can come up with all kinds of tricks."
Shen Yi chuckled. "Don't worry, everything's been arranged down to the last detail."
Cai Yue'er also smiled. "The first final exam for every new class always brings surprises, and usually ends with us both laughing and shaking our heads. Let's see how far your class can go."
After Shen Yi left, Cai Yue'er sat alone for a while before standing and walking to the window, gazing out. Her eyes landed on a towering building that pierced the clouds.
...
"Cai Yue'er, Gu Yue is my disciple. I don't want you bothering her anymore."
"You're saying I'm bothering her?"
"I know exactly what you're thinking. But she's already joined the Spirit Pagoda and become my apprentice. I believe she'll benefit more learning from me than from you."
"Tianfeng!"
"How many times have we fought? When have you ever won? For old times' sake, I'll let this go. If you have a problem with it, send him to challenge me. Once Gu Yue graduates from the Outer Court, I'll come to take her."
...
Cai Yue'er took a deep breath, narrowed her eyes, and pushed open the window. With a single step, she vanished into the void.
—
In a vacant dormitory of the working student quarters at Shrek Academy...
Gu You stretched his waist lazily. Tonight was definitely a day to celebrate—he was about to break through to Soul Sage and unlock the cool ability known as Martial Soul True Body.
'I can't even imagine how massive my dragon form will become when I combine that with Dragonification,' he thought with anticipation.
He sat cross-legged and began meditating.
Gradually, he entered a deep state of focus.
"You're here?"
Gu You looked up at the massive Dragon God in the sky with a hint of curiosity. Every time the Dragon God summoned him, it usually meant something was about to happen.
"What is it this time?"
"It's about your breakthrough," the Dragon God replied calmly.
"I can run into problems while breaking through?" Gu You asked, puzzled.
"That's right. Do you remember when I told you about my dark will?"
"I remember," Gu You nodded. He had been quite wary of that dark will at first. The Dragon God had said it could be dangerous. But after all this time, he hadn't felt anything wrong.
"Because you've unlocked two of my seals, my power has temporarily strengthened. I can suppress it for now. But my strength is limited—sometimes I can't hold it back. When that happens, it's up to you."
Gu You frowned. "You mean this breakthrough might require me to fight that dark will of yours?"
"Sharp as always. Yes," the Dragon God affirmed.
"Anything I need to watch out for? What form will this battle take?"
"You must keep your resolve steady. I'm not sure what exactly it will look like. We'll only find out once you're on the brink of becoming a Soul Sage."
Gu You opened his eyes and looked at his hands.
"Then let's do this. Let me see how strong your so-called dark will really is."
Around him, the flow of soul power surged to a climax, interwoven with the power of life.
All of it gathered at one point—his chest.
The final barrier was about to break.
'Almost there! Come on!'
Gu You gritted his teeth.
And then, his mind went completely blank.
It was as if his consciousness had been pulled into another place by a mysterious force.
"Where is this?"
When he came to, Gu You looked around and felt stunned.
He was floating… in space!
Massive asteroids whizzed past him at nearly four thousand kilometers per second.
The large ones were easy to avoid, but the smaller ones collided with him again and again.
The powerful impacts sent him flying until he slammed into a larger asteroid.
Blood and energy surged in his body as he clutched his side.
Four bloodline soul rings appeared around him.
"Purple-Gold Dragon Armor!"
His third blood ring flared with brilliance.
His body was soon covered in a layer of purple scales. Pulling himself out of the asteroid, he stood in the void. The smaller meteorites were no longer much of a threat.
The starry sky was breathtaking. Nebulae drifted in the distance. A magnificent planet with a glowing ring slowly spun, painting a surreal scene.
'What sort of trial awaits me here?' Gu You pondered. He could sense it—this starry realm wasn't real. It had been created. After all, he could still breathe.
Boom!
A massive meteor exploded in the distance.
Flames surged into a fiery orb. Using his Purple Demon Eyes, Gu You focused—and his hands began to tremble.
He saw… himself.
An identical version of him, only wreathed in black light, radiating pure evil. Black scales covered its body, and a terrifying aura surrounded it.
Only now did Gu You understand. To break through to Soul Sage, he had to defeat himself.
There was no hesitation. Soul rings appeared beneath the feet of both figures. Sixty-nine levels of crushing soul pressure distorted the very movement of the meteors around them.
"Dual God-Creation Annihilation Domain—Activate!"
"Life Domain—Activate!"
'No need for the Ice Domain,' Gu You thought. 'This is a fake environment. Physical elemental fields won't do much here.'
"Ahhhh!"
The dark Gu You screamed. A black aura exploded from him, shattering surrounding meteors.
In his hands appeared a black halberd, radiating the pressure of a divine weapon. The moment Gu You sensed it, he felt immense pressure.
'So this isn't going to be a quick fight.'
The Purple-Gold Dragon God Halberd appeared in Gu You's hands, his aura instantly surging to match.
Two powerful forces clashed. The void trembled. The stars themselves seemed to crack.
"Fight!"
Gu You charged, halberd in hand, slashing toward his dark self. A brilliant arc of purple light cut across the cosmos like a blade of judgment.
The beam of light was at least a hundred meters wide, slicing through space itself. Everything in its path shattered.
But the dark Gu You didn't dodge. He raised a clawed arm—identical to Gu You's dragon form—and grasped the beam.
In an unbelievable display, the dark version crushed the beam of light with one hand.
Gu You gulped.
'Why… does it feel like he's even stronger than me?'
The dark Gu You lunged straight at him...
(End of Chapter)
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