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Wu Zhangkong fell silent for a moment, his gaze heavy as he fixed his eyes on Fang Yang.
"Fang Yang… do you understand the origin of this Black Dragon Soul Spirit?"
Fang Yang looked down at the orb in his hand. "This is the Golden-Eyed Black Dragon King."
At those words, Wu Zhangkong's pupils narrowed slightly. He spoke slowly, voice grave:
"That's not all. Ten thousand years ago, during the peak era of spirit beasts, human soul masters relentlessly hunted them to break through cultivation bottlenecks. Back then, the spirit beast race was led by ten sovereigns, known to us as the Ten Great Beasts."
He paused, then listed them:
"Di Tian, the Golden-Eyed Black Dragon King; Evil Emperor, the Sovereign of the Evil Eye Tyrant Clan; Snow Empress, the Heavenly Snow Woman; Bi Ji, the Emerald Swan; Myriad Demon King, the Tree Monster; Xiong Jun (Bear Lord), the Dark Gold Terror Claw Bear; Ice Empress, the Ice Jade Scorpion Empress; Scarlet King, the Three-Headed Scarlet Devil Mastiff; Zi Ji, the Abyss Demon Dragon; and the Titan Ice Devil King."
His eyes returned to the soul spirit orb in Fang Yang's hand.
"And this orb—if my senses don't deceive me—contains blood from Di Tian, the Golden-Eyed Black Dragon King."
"Blood?" Fang Yang echoed.
"More precisely," Wu Zhangkong clarified, tone laced with warning, "this Black Dragon Soul Spirit was artificially crafted using Di Tian's blood as its core, enhanced by the most advanced soul-guided technology."
He leaned forward slightly. "Fang Yang… such a special artificial soul spirit carries inherent danger. Are you certain you wish to fuse it?"
Seeing Fang Yang fall silent, a flicker of concern crossed Wu Zhangkong's eyes.
"If you need a soul spirit, I can help you find one that's safer—more suitable."
"No need to trouble yourself, Teacher Wu," Fang Yang said calmly. "I'll fuse this one."
In his heart, he mused: "Golden-Eyed Black Dragon King… interesting!"
Then—he activated the Golden Dragon King's bloodline within him.
Instantly, an overwhelming, suffocating pressure radiated from his body.
Inside the orb, the Black Dragon Soul Spirit trembled violently, its fiery golden eyes wide with terror.
It curled into a tiny ball, sending out a pitiful mental plea:
"M-Master… spare me! I'm a good dragon—I swear!"
After all—if it hadn't been "good," it would've been annihilated already.
"This… this is…"
Even Wu Zhangkong—always composed, always icy—now wore an expression of rare shock.
He hadn't expected the soul spirit to exhibit such primal fear.
He'd long suspected Fang Yang carried a powerful bloodline…
But witnessing this—a spirit born from Di Tian's own blood cowering in terror—was beyond even his expectations.
This isn't just any dragon bloodline… This is something far greater.
"Fang Yang…" Wu Zhangkong murmured, gaze complex, "your bloodline… is even stronger than I imagined."
"Teacher Wu," Fang Yang said with a smile, retracting his aura, "you can rest easy now, right?"
Wu Zhangkong snapped back to himself and gave a slight nod. "Come with me."
His voice remained cold as frost.
He turned, pushed open the office door, and strode down the corridor—Fang Yang quickly following.
They passed through Donghai Academy's tree-lined avenue, finally stopping before a deep blue, ancient-style building.
"What's this?" Fang Yang asked, studying the unique architecture.
"The academy's cultivation chamber," Wu Zhangkong explained. "Per Donghai regulations, students must apply to their homeroom teacher to use it when fusing soul spirits and breaking through."
He glanced at Fang Yang. "But with me here… procedures are unnecessary."
Fang Yang nodded gratefully—he'd come to the right person.
Inside, a bespectacled female teacher looked up from her paperwork.
Seeing Wu Zhangkong, her eyes lit with delight.
"Teacher Wu! What brings you—"
"I'm here with a student to fuse a soul spirit," he cut in sharply, stepping aside to reveal Fang Yang.
The teacher's gaze shifted—and surprise flickered in her eyes.
Students worthy of Wu Zhangkong's personal escort were exceedingly rare.
But she quickly regained her professionalism. "I'll prepare Training Room One immediately."
Led by the teacher, the three walked down a quiet corridor, its walls embedded with softly glowing soul-guided lamps.
They stopped before a door marked "1."
The teacher swiped a special soul-guided card and turned to Fang Yang.
"This is Donghai Academy's elite cultivation chamber. It's embedded with a Soul Concentration Array, providing the optimal environment for breakthroughs."
Inside lay a 20-cubic-meter room, its walls inscribed with intricate soul-guided formations.
"Go ahead, Fang Yang," Wu Zhangkong said from the doorway, voice still glacial.
Fang Yang took a deep breath and stepped inside.
The moment he crossed the threshold, the formations activated, and the soul power density in the chamber visibly surged.
A refreshing, fragrant aroma filled the air—sharpening his focus.
Wu Zhangkong closed the door gently behind him.
"Begin."
In the room's soft blue glow, Fang Yang sat cross-legged, placing the crystal orb before him.
He calmed his breathing, stilled his heart.
With a thought—a deep golden-yellow flame erupted from his palm.
His martial soul—the Heavenly Flame Xuanhuang Flame.
"Fuse!"
The orb opened. A miniature black dragon coiled out—its scales gleaming with metallic luster.
Yet, unlike its usual defiant nature, the spirit now approached the Xuanhuang Flame with surprising docility.
The Heavenly Flame consumed the dragon, transforming it into a swirling mass of deep yellow flame.
The fusion began.
Fang Yang's soul power surged violently, boiling within his meridians.
The influx of soul spirit energy flooded his body, pounding relentlessly against his cultivation bottleneck.
And in the next instant—
CRACK!
The barrier shattered.
His soul power leapt into a new realm.
Fang Yang opened his eyes—flame flickering in his pupils.
"Success. Level 32—Soul Elder!"
As he pushed open the chamber door, voices from outside reached his ears.
"Teacher Wu… would you… care to join me for dinner?" the female teacher asked, barely hiding her hope.
"I've already eaten," Wu Zhangkong replied, as frosty as ever.
The teacher, undeterred, pressed on: "Then perhaps another time? Tomorrow, or—"
"No need. I don't dine with others. Thank you." He cut her off firmly.
Ahem!
Fang Yang coughed lightly—deliberately interrupting the awkward exchange.
The teacher, startled, quickly masked her fluster with a professional smile.
"Teacher Wu, I've completed the fusion," Fang Yang said respectfully.
Wu Zhangkong studied him for a moment. "Good. Let's go."
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