Douluo, my clone Groudon

Chapter 249 The Sun Elf, the Protagonist's Treatment
Seeing that Gula made no move after defeating the mutated giant, Tang Wulin stepped forward and asked in confusion, "Don't you plan to take this giant's soul with you? There should be a secret method for pre-contracting it in the Spirit Pagoda."

“No need.” Gula shook his head slightly, gazing intently towards the top of the tower. “There is another spirit waiting up there. I will decide which one is more suitable to fuse with after I have seen them all.”

"How enviable!" Xie Xie clicked his tongue, a hint of envy flashing in his eyes. "Is this the privilege of being a core disciple of the Spirit Pagoda? It makes me want to switch allegiance."

He subconsciously sensed his second soul spirit, which was nothing more than an ordinary item purchased through the Tang Sect's channels.

That being said, if he really had to choose, Xie Xie would definitely follow Tang Wulin and stay in the Tang Sect without hesitation. The bond between them was far beyond what a mere soul could achieve. He also personally felt more favorably toward the Tang Sect.

Xu Lizhi remained silent, his round face filled with worry.

If not merging with the soul spirit would mean being expelled from the Soul Spirit Tower, he would rather stay on the twelfth floor to accompany Ye Xinglan. At this moment, he forced himself to cheer up and continue climbing with the others.

As they passed through the thirteenth floor of the Soul Tower, all four sensed an unusual fluctuation of soul power. But the moment they stepped into the fourteenth floor, the overwhelming heat was almost suffocating.

"So hot!"

Xu Lizhi's obese body was suffering terribly in the high temperature, and large beads of sweat rolled down his cheeks.

He gritted his teeth and remained silent, only wiping the sweat from his forehead with his sleeve. As a Shrek Academy student, he was also filled with curiosity about the rare soul spirits that the Spirit Pagoda prepared for its core disciples.

Everyone squinted and looked up, only to see a dazzling "sun" suspended above the dome, its intense light almost blinding. Even more astonishing was the faint outline of a human figure visible at the core of this artificial sun.

"That's... a Sun Elf!" Tang Wulin's pupils shrank, his voice trembling slightly with surprise: "Legend has it that only a Fire Elf can activate the dormant Light Elf bloodline within its body, and only then will there be a one in ten thousand chance of mutating into a rare Soul Beast!"

He endured the scorching heat and continued to explain, "What's even more remarkable is that this kind of soul beast is born with the instinct to chase the sun, and often destroys itself in the process. To be able to cultivate it to the level of ten thousand years, the Spirit Pagoda must have invested unimaginable rare and precious materials."

At this point, Tang Wulin couldn't help but recall his golden words. The soul spirit he had randomly drawn for 100,000 Federal Credits was worlds apart from the Sun Elf before him. A soul spirit of this level was practically priceless for a fire-attribute soul master.

"Chasing the sun?" A glint flashed in Gula's eyes, and a meaningful smile appeared on his lips. Wasn't this trait a perfect match for him?
"The Ultimate Land!"

With a soft shout, a dazzling golden-red light suddenly burst forth from Gula's body. The moment his martial soul trait was activated, the entire fourteenth-floor space seemed to be thrown into a furnace, and the temperature soared once again.

The heatwave in the air distorted and deformed, forcing Tang Wulin and his companions to retreat repeatedly, gathering their soul power on their bodies to resist the terrifying high temperature.

The intensity of a sunny day is related to the energy intensity when a move is executed. The martial soul characteristic of Gula's Ultimate Flame, even though it is a weather-related move, still has a temperature that is infinitely close to that of the ultimate flame.

The golden sphere of light hovering above his head radiated heat and majesty indistinguishable from the real sun.

What's most astonishing is that the sliver of true solar essence contained within this artificial sun is the most deadly temptation for the sun spirits who are obsessed with chasing the sun.

"Chirp—"

A clear, melodious cry pierced the heatwave. The Sun Spirit hesitated for only a moment before abandoning the virtual sun that the Soul Tower had prepared for it without hesitation.

It transformed into a streak of light and joyfully plunged into the golden sphere of light created by Gula, dancing gracefully in the blazing flames and emitting delightful chirps.

Three breaths later, a complex contract magic circle appeared on the forehead of the Sun Elf and slowly floated toward Gura.

"That's more like it." Gula smiled with satisfaction. Compared to the mutated giant who only knew brute force, this sun elf who knew how to initiate a contract was clearly more to his liking. He gracefully raised his right hand and accepted this precious contract.

Following the secret method taught by the Spirit Pagoda, Gula temporarily sealed the Sun Spirit within his body. The day he breaks through to the Soul King realm will be the day this powerful soul spirit formally recognizes him as its master.

"That's it?" Xie Xie stared wide-eyed in disbelief. He looked towards the exit of the Soul Tower, then turned to look at the golden-red mark on Gula's forehead, his tone tinged with envy.

"Even smoother than Xiaoyan and Ye Xinglan, you were accepted without even having to fight. It seems this Sun Elf is a perfect match for you."

Gula's slender fingers gently traced the mark on his forehead, feeling the warm energy emanating from it, and a faint smile appeared on his lips:
“I didn’t expect it to go so smoothly.” He looked up at the artificial sun in the room, which had been extinguished by the disappearance of the souls. “But this is a good thing. Let’s go out and see if the three of them are done yet.”

Tang Wulin nodded, the golden dragon scale patterns on his arms faintly visible due to the intense heat. He looked around at everyone and said, "Even if the next soul spirit returns to normal difficulty, it won't be something we can easily deal with right now. There's no need to make things difficult for ourselves."

"Give up on climbing the tower!"

Tang Wulin shouted loudly. With a ripple in the space, the four figures were enveloped in soft golden light and appeared in the rest area outside the Soul Spirit Tower in the blink of an eye.

Xu Xiaoyan was sitting on a crystal bench, swinging her legs, her silver hair gleaming softly in the sunlight.

Upon seeing them appear, she immediately jumped up and waved, "What a coincidence!" Yuan Enhui, who was sitting next to her, also stood up, a hint of a smile flashing in his dark purple eyes.

“You guys came out as soon as Yuanen came out.” Xu Xiaoyan skipped over, still carrying a chill, clearly having just acquired a new soul spirit.

Tang Wulin asked with concern, "Are you satisfied with the soul skills provided by the soul spirit?"

"Of course I'm satisfied!" Xu Xiaoyan clasped her hands together, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "I have a range control soul skill now, I can freeze a whole group of people!"

Yuan Enhui nodded slightly, "Soul skills are very suitable for my martial soul."

Just then, the gates of the Soul Tower opened once more.

Ye Xinglan walked out slowly, her steps lighter than usual, her pupils seemingly reflecting countless stars. She exuded a restrained yet profound aura, like a peerless sword sheathed in its sheath.

"Sister Xinglan!" Xu Lizhi was the first to greet her, his round face full of concern.

Ye Xinglan's lips curled up slightly, a subtle change in expression that told those who knew her well that she was in a very good mood.

Her gaze swept over the crowd, and she raised an eyebrow slightly when she saw Gula: "You guys came out so quickly? Didn't you continue to challenge higher levels?"

“No need.” Gula pointed to his forehead, the golden-red mark glowing faintly as he spoke.

After exchanging a few pleasantries, everyone learned that Xu Xiaoyan and Yuanen Yehui had already paid the fees and completed the soul transfer procedures.

As an elite member of the inner academy, Ye Xinglan's expenses were covered by the academy and her family. Gula, as a core disciple of the Spirit Pagoda, enjoyed free soul spirit resources and could leave directly with her soul spirit without paying extra.

As they left the Spirit Pagoda, the setting sun cast a golden glow over them. Tang Wulin stretched and said, "Let's go back to the academy. Let's find a restaurant to celebrate tonight!"

"I want to eat Yuhao's grilled fish!" Xie Xie immediately raised his hand.

"I know a shop that's the most authentic in Shrek City, and I'm sure everyone will be satisfied," Xu Lizhi said with a simple, honest smile, scratching the back of his head.

The group chatted and laughed as they walked toward Shrek Academy. Behind them, the glazed tiles of the Soul Tower reflected brilliant colors in the setting sun, as if witnessing the young people taking another step forward.

Gula savored the taste of youth, all the myriad thoughts in his mind subsided, and he enjoyed the peace and tranquility of the moment.

(End of this chapter)