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I've also recently started a new translation, please check it out and show your support! Douluo: AFKing to Become a God
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The forest erupted into chaos. Gu La roughly located the center of the beginner-level Soul Ascension Platform and stopped moving. His domain automatically expanded, with vines killing soul beasts and drawing their spiritual energy toward him.
He crouched atop a tree canopy, blowing on a dandelion. The downy seeds, infused with his exhaled soul power, transformed into countless pale, razor-sharp blades. Their unstoppable sword intent cut through everything in their path.
Twelve diving Lightning Falcons didn't even have time to change direction before they were shredded into a bloody rain, their essence condensing into orbs of light that flew toward Gu La.
The ground began to tremble as flowers within a kilometer bloomed. Gu La leapt into the air, riding waves of blossoms. In the distance, twenty thousand-year Ironclad Rhinoceroses were surrounded by the sea of trees.
The rhinoceroses formed a charging formation but were quickly swallowed by a rapidly multiplying sea of man-eating flowers. Their steel-like armor sizzled in the corrosive slime. Suddenly, the leading Rhino King reared up, stomping heavily to crush the man-eating flowers. A pitch-black horn fired a beam of destructive energy.
"Now this is more like it~"
Gu La spread his arms and leaned back. The destructive beam narrowly missed his head, carving out a three-meter-wide tunnel through the forest behind him.
"Endless Forest Sea · Feast of Carnage."
The entire forest came alive. Ghost Vine soul beasts tore open the ground, scattering parasitic seeds that hoisted the Rhino King upside-down.
The branches of the Emerald Banyan twisted into spiral spears, piercing through the iron-clad skulls of thirteen rhinoceroses. Most terrifying of all were the swaying Murder Willows. Each leaf transformed into a spinning blade wheel, slicing the herd into a storm of meat chunks.
When Gu La gracefully landed back on the ground, his white shirt remained spotless. However, within a kilometer radius, no animal-type soul beast survived. Two thousand-year-old plant-type soul beasts guarded his sides, their vines extending to guide the spiritual energy back to Gu La.
Suddenly, Gu La turned his head toward the east, where faint tremors emanated. His rampant killing had drawn the king of the beginner-level Soul Ascension Platform—the Dark Golden Terror Claw Bear.
A hundred-year-old soul beast created using an external soul bone, capable of rivaling ten-thousand-year soul beasts in destructive power, tasked with blocking soul masters from advancing to the intermediate-level Soul Ascension Platform.
The Dark Golden Terror Claw Bear saw Gu La and the surrounding animated forest and let out a threatening roar. Its innate talent as the forest ruler made it sense that Gu La was not someone to be trifled with.
Gu La stared at the Dark Golden Terror Claw Bear, pondering silently, "Should I use the Dark Golden Terror Claw?"
"If the Magma Heart Armor fuses with battle armor, I'm still lacking a suitable weapon. The Dark Golden Terror Claw would suit Groudon well."
As for the consequences of fusing with a soul bone, given Gu La's status as a core disciple and direct protégé of the vice tower master, the Spirit Pagoda would have no choice but to accept the situation. It was similar to how Tang Wulin fused with a soul bone and joined Shrek Academy, leaving the pagoda with no recourse but to swallow its losses.
"Well, it's not quite the same. Compared to giving it to Tang Wulin, giving it to me is more like internal digestion."
Having made his decision, Gu La noticed the Dark Golden Terror Claw Bear hesitating. He extended his hand, and the Emerald Banyan willingly broke off a branch resembling a longsword. Gripping it tightly, his sword intent surged.
In an instant, he teleported beside the Dark Golden Terror Claw Bear. With what seemed like a casual but lightning-fast strike, he thrust his sword forward.
Wu Zhangkong nodded inwardly. Gu La's talent was extraordinary. After just a few months of teaching, he had already mastered basic swordsmanship and was gradually developing his own understanding.
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In the bear's pupils, the lean figure of the youth reflected. Suddenly, dark golden light flared beneath its fur as soul power erupted outward.
Just as Gu La's emerald sword tip was half an inch away from the bear's eye, the sword intent was blocked. Five claw marks abruptly appeared, tearing apart the sword energy.
"Screech—"
Amidst the teeth-grinding sound of twisting metal, the emerald longsword shattered.
Gu La used the momentum to flip backward. The century-old Iron Birch beneath his original position was cleanly severed by the residual shockwave, its cross-section as smooth as a mirror.
The Dark Golden Terror Claw Bear reared up, roaring to the sky. The sonic wave caused trees within a hundred-meter radius to tremble, leaves falling like rain.
"Forest of Ten Thousand Things · Thousand-Leaf Prison!"
Gu La lightly tapped a falling leaf with his toes. Deadly seeds injected with soul power sprouted instantly. One hundred thousand metallic dark green willow leaves suddenly reversed their motion, weaving into a bronze cage like billions of boomerangs.
From above, the Emerald Banyan launched branches and aerial roots. Gu La extended his mental power, imbuing each wooden spear with sword intent.
His resolute will shone brightly, driven by a single thought—to pierce through everything ahead!
The Dark Golden Terror Claw Bear's right claw glowed dark gold. Before the prison could fully close, five jagged openings were torn. But seemingly endless willow leaves swiftly filled the gaps, completing the cage.
Thirteen emerald-colored veins suddenly rose from the ground, encircling the Ghost Vine at the center, protected by the Emerald Banyan.
As the Dark Golden Terror Claw Bear prepared to swing its claws, parasitic seeds suddenly wrapped around its feet, voraciously draining its soul power.
Vividly colored poisonous flowers released pollen. When it swung its claws to tear apart the lower vines, it lost three to four-tenths of its strength. Gu La struck again, precisely targeting its vulnerable throat.
Even amidst the battle, Gu La had the presence of mind to reflect, "The plants in the Soul Ascension Platform can't be taken out. After I leave, I'll ask my teacher for some plant seeds. By cultivating them with a trace of soul power and using the Ghost Vine as a relay, I can absorb my opponents' soul power during battles and cultivate soul beasts. Through continuous combat, I'll eventually raise an army of plants."
"Roar!"
With one precise thrust, the Dark Golden Terror Claw Bear let out its first cry of pain. Its throat burst into a spray of blood. The emerald wooden sword was laced with toxic, paralyzing, and hypnotic pollen—not because Gu La intentionally fought dirty, but because plant attacks were inherently limited in strength.
Gu La's pupils suddenly contracted. In the instant he teleported away, the Dark Golden Terror Claw Bear unleashed consecutive Dark Golden Terror Claw strikes. Its upper limbs emitted metallic clangs as they were shredded by the willow leaves.
But it attacked without defending, allowing blood to drip from its arms, staining the leaves red. It forced its way through the Thousand-Leaf Prison, determined to take Gu La down with it.
Its razor-sharp claws, capable of slicing through iron, bisected Gu La's afterimage. Gu La reappeared three hundred meters away on a treetop, his bangs shaved off by half an inch. Crimson droplets trickled down his jawline.
"This thing really is tough-skinned. And this definitely isn't the strength of a hundred-year soul beast. The Spirit Pagoda must've secretly strengthened it for appearances' sake. Damn it, they're screwing over their own people too!"
Gu La gritted his teeth, his resolve hardening. He stopped using the Dark Golden Terror Claw Bear as practice.
The two thousand-year soul beasts—the Murder Willow and the Emerald Banyan—suddenly self-destructed into a shower of glowing light. A ten-meter radius was cleared in an instant. Amid the bear's final howls, it drew its last breath, leaving behind a claw-shaped soul bone suspended within a sphere of spiritual energy.
When the turbulence subsided, Gu La had already teleported nearby. He collected the Dark Golden Terror Claw and sat cross-legged on the ground. Though it appeared as though he was recovering his soul power, he was actually fusing the soul bone of the Dark Golden Terror Claw Bear's right palm.
The soul bone melted into dark golden liquid. The raging soul power was quickly suppressed and absorbed by the overwhelming might of Celebi's martial soul under the state of Universal Subjugation, rapidly merging with Gu La.
Gu La quietly sensed the changes. "A hundred-year soul bone offers limited improvement, slightly boosting physical strength. Still, compared to brute force, I prefer being a graceful swordsman. Could I forge the Dark Golden Terror Claw into a growing weapon?"
His knowledge of soul-guided weapons was insufficient, but if nine-level soul mentors couldn't achieve his goal, he would become a ten-level or even twelve-level soul mentor. He was certain he could accomplish his ambition.
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