Douluo, my clone Groudon

Chapter 352 The Ambition of the Ancient Clan

Amidst this violent energy storm, the heavy alloy door of the office slid open silently.

A handsome young man, dressed in a well-tailored white tuxedo, walked in, exuding a certain arrogance befitting a scion of a prominent family.

He is the grandson of Qian Gu Dong Feng, who has placed great hopes on him for thousands of years, and the eternal Zhang Ting.

"grandfather?"

Qian Gu Zhangting was startled by the mess in the room and the murderous rage on his grandfather's face, but he maintained a calm demeanor.

"What happened? Who has angered you so much?"

He is now twenty-seven years old and has already become a Title Douluo. With the full support of his family, he has also become a Three-Word Battle Armor Master. His strength and status are now vastly different from before. However, he still maintains his respect in front of Qian Gu Dongfeng, a Limit Douluo with profound prestige.

Qian Gu Dongfeng's chest heaved violently as he forcefully suppressed his surging anger, and his out-of-control soul power slowly subsided.

His bright eyes flashed with cold light as he slammed the report from the Star Luo Empire onto Qian Gu Zhangting: "See for yourself! Zhang Geyang... is gone!"

Qian Gu Zhangting took the report, quickly scanned it, and his brows furrowed even more deeply. The report was cautiously worded, only mentioning that Deputy Tower Master Zhang had been attacked by an unknown force in the western suburbs of Xingluo City, and that a huge energy impact crater had been discovered at the scene, suggesting that he had likely... perished. The specific cause was under full investigation.

"Deputy Tower Master Zhang has fallen?!" Qian Gu Zhang Ting's voice was filled with disbelief. "Grandpa, how is this possible? On the Star Luo Continent, there are only a handful of beings capable of threatening him, let alone eliminating him silently and without leaving even a trace. There must be something fishy about this!"

"Strange?" Qian Gu Dong Feng sneered, his voice like the friction of ice shards. "Of course I know there's something strange about it. The question is, what is this strange thing, who did it, and who could have done this?"

"Leng Yaozhu, she doesn't have that ability! Tang Sect? Shrek Academy? They don't dare to directly attack the deputy tower master of my Spirit Pagoda. Could it be the Star Luo Royal Family? Where would they get such power?"

Qian Gu Zhangting remained silent for a moment, then slowly shook his head: "This grandson is dull-witted and cannot guess either. But to achieve such a feat, one must either have devised a meticulously planned trap and used power far beyond Vice Tower Master Zhang's imagination, or... possess some kind of method that we cannot understand and that transcends common sense."

He thought of the lava crater and the remaining devastating power of the earth god described in the report, and a chill ran down his spine.

Qian Gu Dongfeng waved his hand impatiently, as if trying to dispel the gloom before him: "Enough. The loss of Zhang Geyang is a great loss to my Qian Gu lineage. Xingluo will inevitably be in turmoil. We need to send people to stabilize the situation as soon as possible and thoroughly investigate this matter."

He took a deep breath, his cloudy gaze refocusing on Qian Gu Zhangting, filled with unwavering expectation, "Zhangting, right now, the most important thing is you."

“Me?” Qian Gu Zhangting was slightly taken aback.

“That’s right!” Qian Gu Dongfeng said decisively. “Zhang Geyang is dead, and the Leng family has no outstanding successors. The position of future tower master of the Spirit Pagoda belongs to you.”

"But you must remember, the position of Tower Master is based on strength. Although you are now a Title Douluo and have a three-word battle armor, your level 91 soul power is still far from enough."

Qian Gu Zhangting felt a chill run down his spine and bowed, saying, "Grandson understands and will certainly continue to cultivate diligently."

“Diligent cultivation alone is not enough.” Qian Gu Dongfeng’s eyes gleamed. “Resources are plentiful in the Spirit Pagoda. What you need is a breakthrough opportunity. Go all out to reach level 95.”

"As long as your soul power breaks through level 95, Grandpa will immediately create momentum for you, so that you can rightfully take over the core affairs of the tower. The Leng family has no successor, and no one can compete with you."

He paused, a calculating glint in his eyes: "As for Leng Yaozhu's three disciples... Hmph, that one named Gula, and that Qing Liuli, their talent is indeed monstrous. Keeping them by Leng Yaozhu's side will always be a threat. Find an opportunity to make that Gula disappear completely. As for that Gu Yue..."

Qian Gu Zhangting pictured Gu Yue's aloof and stunningly beautiful yet slightly immature face in his mind, but his heart remained largely unmoved: "What does Grandpa mean?"

"This woman is equally talented and deeply trusted by Leng Yaozhu. If we can win her over and make her a member of my Qian Gu family, we can not only eliminate a potential rival, but also greatly enhance the prestige and strength of my Qian Gu lineage within the tower. This is the best choice."

Qian Gu Dongfeng appeared to be thinking of the bigger picture, saying, "If you're interested, you might as well try pursuing it. If it works out, all will be well. If not..." He didn't finish his sentence, but the coldness in his eyes said it all.

Qian Gu Zhangting frowned. He had no particular feelings for Gu Yue, who had not yet merged with Na'er. The woman was beautiful, but her temperament was too cold and aloof; getting close to her only made him feel cold.

As for Qing Liuli... every time he got close, the romantic thoughts in his heart would disappear without a trace, as if purified by holy light, making him keep his distance.

Pursuing? What kind of woman couldn't he have? Why bother with these two tough nuts? But since his grandfather brought it up, he still respectfully agreed: "Grandson understands and will keep an eye out for opportunities."

The grandfather and grandson discussed some details about the power transfer within the Spirit Pagoda and how to deal with the Zhang Geyang incident before Qian Gu Zhangting took his leave, leaving Qian Gu Dongfeng alone. Facing the mess in the room, he pondered with a gloomy expression where the terrifying power hidden in the shadows that could easily annihilate a Super Douluo came from.

……

Just as Qian Gu Dongfeng angrily slammed the table, the atmosphere was completely different in another core area of ​​the Spirit Pagoda headquarters, in the office of Deputy Tower Master Leng Yaozhu.

Leng Yaozhu was still dressed in an elegant light blue dress, sitting gracefully behind a large desk. Her demeanor was gentle and refined, but her eyes, which were like autumn water, now held a hint of sharpness that was difficult to detect. Gula stood in front of her, his posture upright and his aura restrained, already possessing the cultivation of a level 60 Soul Emperor.

"Zhang Geyang is dead." Leng Yaozhu got straight to the point, her tone as calm as if she were discussing the weather.

Gula's face revealed a perfectly timed look of surprise and confusion: "Dead? Deputy Tower Master Zhang? In the Star Luo Continent? How could that be?"

Leng Yaozhu's gaze calmly fell on Gula's face, as if trying to pierce through all his pretenses:

"Shortly after you returned from the Star Luo Continent, you died under mysterious circumstances, leaving behind only a huge lava crater. The Star Luo Empire was helpless."

"Is this really true?" Gula frowned slightly, his expression grave. "There is such a dangerous place on the Star Luo Continent, or... a hidden expert has taken action? When I traveled in Star Luo, I never heard of such a terrifying existence."

He vehemently denied it, his expression natural, his eyes clear, revealing no flaw whatsoever.

But Leng Yaozhu's powerful intuition, like an invisible thread, subtly connected Zhang Geyang's sudden death with the disciple before her.

However, Leng Yaozhu simply looked at him quietly for a few seconds, then gently shook her head and did not continue to ask questions.

She picked up the warm tea beside her, took a sip, as if she had just been talking about an insignificant stranger.

"It's better that he's dead." She put down her teacup, her voice still gentle, yet tinged with a cold indifference. "It saves me from getting in the way. That old dog, Qian Gu Dong Feng, is probably going crazy by now."

Gula understood. Her teacher was indeed astute, but she chose to remain silent. Zhang Geyang's death weakened the direct line of Qian Gu Dong Feng, which was indeed a "good thing" for the Leng family.

Leng Yaozhu's gaze returned to Gula, a hint of scrutiny in her eyes, before she exclaimed in slight surprise, "Hmm? Your soul power... has broken through to the Soul Emperor realm?"

She had been slightly distracted by Zhang Geyang's matter, and only now did she clearly perceive the stable and powerful level 60 soul power fluctuations emanating from Gula.

"Yes, teacher." Gula readily admitted, "While training in the Star Luo Continent, I encountered a strange place by chance and was fortunate enough to gain some opportunities, which enabled me to break through."

Leng Yaozhu nodded, not delving into her disciple's secret. To her, the most important thing was for her disciple to improve his strength.

She changed the subject, her tone becoming serious: "Now that you are a Soul Emperor, the forging of the two-word battle armor must be put on the agenda immediately. This is a crucial step for a Soul Master to truly reach high-level combat power, and there is no room for carelessness."

She paused, looking at Gula: "Shrek Academy's help to you has almost reached its limit."

"That place is ultimately for building a foundation and cultivating teamwork. With your current abilities and the path you've taken, staying at Shrek Academy wouldn't make much sense and might even hinder your development."

Gula had anticipated this. Shrek Academy's resources and teaching system are a treasure trove for ordinary geniuses, but for someone like him who possesses a system, knowledge of the future, and can even borrow god-level power, it is indeed insufficient.

Staying there was more about maintaining connections and protecting one's identity.

"Disciple understands," Gula replied respectfully. "I will contact the academy as soon as possible to process the procedures for early graduation."

He calculated the time in his mind. Being a disciple of Shrek Academy's inner court still had some advantages, such as... coming into contact with the "foundation" that the academy kept hidden deep within.

Leng Yaozhu nodded in satisfaction and then gave a few more instructions on the key points regarding the selection of battle armor materials and the design of the core magic array.

Gula wrote them down one by one.

After leaving Leng Yaozhu's office, Gula did not return directly to her residence, but instead strolled to a viewing platform with an excellent view at the Spirit Tower headquarters.

From here, you can see in the distance the Shrek Academy, the architectural complex in the center of Heaven Dou City that symbolizes the holy land of Soul Masters.

The golden rays of the setting sun shone on Shrek Academy's iconic Poseidon Lake, making it sparkle.

Gula's gaze did not linger on the magnificent teaching buildings or the bustling simulated training area, but rather pierced through space, as if landing on the Sea God Island, isolated from the main academy and shrouded in mist and legend.

In the depths of his eyes, there was neither awe of the gods nor excitement for the challenge, but only a pure, scholarly gaze upon a precious specimen.

"Shrek Academy, which has maintained its status as the number one academy on the continent, leaving the Federation helpless, and producing generation after generation of strong individuals, what kind of hidden strength does it possess?"

(End of this chapter)