Douluo, my clone Groudon

Chapter 254 Gu Yue's Questioning
"ended."

Gula's voice was so soft it almost disappeared in the wind. He slowly raised his trembling hands, preparing to release the "Time Lock" soul skill, but suddenly stopped at the last moment.

The corpses of evil soul masters lay scattered around the blood-red altar, their storage soul tools gleaming eerily in the setting sun.

These guys, who constantly teeter on the edge of death, may not be able to find a blacksmith to make their battle armor, but in order to survive in the wilderness, their storage soul tools must contain a lot of good stuff.

"trick."

A look of anticipation appeared on Gula's lips as he took out two discarded herbs from his storage space.

In the final instant before the time lock expired, he precisely swapped the herbs with the storage soul tools found on the corpses of the two evil soul master titled Douluo. The two rings traced graceful arcs in the air before landing steadily in his palm.

"call--"

The moment the soul skill was dispelled, Gula's legs went weak and he knelt on one knee.

The time lock consumed far more than he had imagined, draining all the soul power in his body until not a drop remained.

This was the first time he had experienced the depletion of his soul power since his martial soul awakened—his meridians felt like they were being scorched by fire, and every muscle was groaning in pain.

"Is this... what it feels like to be at your limit...?"

He gritted his teeth, his knees pressed against the cold ground, increasing the contact area and allowing his powerful regenerative abilities to take effect. Earth elements from deep within the earth and the natural energy free in the air flowed into his body like a trickle.

In just a few breaths, the dried-up meridians were replenished.

When his vision refocused, the afterglow of the setting sun was gently enveloping his body, gilding him with a flowing golden edge.

Gula took a deep breath, the fresh scent of grass and soil washing away the imagined stench of blood in his mind.

"What are you doing?"

Na'er's voice came from behind, trembling with confusion.

She carefully kept the high-end ball close to her body—she tried hanging it around her neck, tying it to her waist, and even considered swallowing it, but ultimately chose to shrink it down and hide it closest to her heart.

Just then, Na'er suddenly shuddered, and her amethyst-like eyes narrowed sharply.

"What's going on?" Gula turned around sharply.

Na'er's expression became complicated, her silver hair swaying gently in the evening breeze: "It's Gu Yue... she sensed my change."

Before the words were finished, a blinding silver light suddenly tore through space.

A girl in a black dress descended from the void, her silver hair cascading down her back, her white legs peeking out as her skirt billowed. But unlike before, the pure indifference swirling in her purple eyes was no longer mixed with coldness, but rather with some indescribable, complex emotion.

"You..." Gu Yue froze on the spot as soon as she opened her mouth.

She stared at Na'er in disbelief, her pupils contracting sharply: "Why is the connection between us so blurry? You really...have become independent?"

Her slender fingers unconsciously clenched the hem of her skirt. "This is impossible!"

His silvery eyes suddenly turned to Gula, and a chill instantly surged within them: "It's you!"

The air was suddenly filled with a sense of oppression, and violent elemental particles appeared around Gu Yue.

How could she not be furious? At such close range, she could clearly sense a mysterious power binding Na'er, a power like the strongest shackles, preventing her from forcibly devouring this clone. Unless Na'er willingly relinquished this protection. "Yes, it was me."

Gula stepped forward calmly. Now that things had come to this, even if he didn't admit it, Gu Yue wouldn't believe him.

He noticed the shock and panic that flashed in Gu Yue's eyes—this Silver Dragon King incarnation probably never imagined that he would lose absolute control over his clone.

"However," he changed the subject, pulling out another high-level sphere from his system space and toying with it in his palm, "I have a suggestion. You don't need to devour each other; I can still grant you both complete power."

Gu Yue sneered, her silver hair fluttering even without wind: "Arrogant! How dare you presume to fathom the power of the Dragon God!"

In her eyes, Gula might have a special source of intelligence.

However, her life essence before reincarnation was absolutely inferior to her peak, let alone the Dragon God.

"Look at Na'er's current condition before you speak."

Gura interrupted her, stepping aside to make room. Under the setting sun, Na'er was surrounded by a strange halo, proof of the perfect fusion of the Pokémon world's laws and the soul power of Douluo Continent.

Gu Yue's fingers trembled slightly. She could indeed sense that Na'er, after becoming independent, had not weakened but instead radiated a purer power. This realization shook her resolute heart.

Gula wasn't sure if he could restore Gu Yue's power, but making both of them stronger wouldn't be difficult for him, given that he possessed the system.

The God-level Appraisal Eye can identify the evolution path of Pokémon, but the required materials are extremely rare. When used on Soul Masters and Soul Beasts, it can evolve Martial Souls or racial bloodlines.

The materials required are extremely rare, possibly including materials of the same level as the Chaos Qi needed to evolve Tang San's Blue Silver Emperor into the Chaos Blue Silver Emperor.

However, the materials can be offset with divine beast vouchers, and if subduing Gu Yue would grant him another stone slab, he wouldn't mind helping both of them improve their strength.

Gula silently recited the system instructions in his mind, his gaze fixed intently on Gu Yue, "If even the Silver Dragon King can be subdued..."

He quietly tightened his grip on the advanced sphere, sensing the spatial technology it contained. Perhaps, in the near future, he really would be able to collect all the stone tablets and let the world witness a true miracle.

Na'er gently bit her lower lip, enduring the subtle discomfort caused by the exploration of her internal energy.

Gu Yue's cool fingertips touched her brow, and silver soul power seeped into her meridians like silk threads. This feeling was like being clawed at her most vulnerable abdomen by a natural enemy, every nerve screaming for danger.

"Don't move," Gu Yue said coldly, her purple eyes gleaming with thoughtful consideration.

Na'er quietly clenched the hem of her clothes. She was willing to cooperate with Gu Yue's examination not only because Gula had helped her regain the freedom she had longed for and was willing to help the two of them restore their relationship, but also because of the mysterious connection that the high-level ball had forged between them.

It's like some kind of primitive contract, similar to the bond between partners, a contract or gentleman's agreement that prohibits harming each other.

"I see," Na'er chuckled to herself.

She wasn't opposed to making a contract with Gula if she could gain her freedom, but for her future safety, it would be best to drag Gu Yue into it as well...

At this moment, Na'er displayed the astonishing wisdom befitting the Silver Dragon King—if those who had made a pact with Gula could not harm each other, then she would no longer need to worry about Gu Yue forcibly devouring her, thus solving the problem once and for all.

If Gu Yue could also be drawn into this strange network of contracts, she could forever escape the shadow of being devoured.

The thought made her heart race slightly, and a sly smile curved her lips, hidden beneath her silver hair.

(End of this chapter)