Douluo, my clone Groudon

Chapter 358 The Coiled Dragon Staff, Picking Up a Bargain
Shrek Academy Battle Zone.

Sunlight streamed into the center of the spacious area, illuminating the two people standing opposite each other.

On one side stood Wang Yan, a teacher with a gentle demeanor and wielding a dark gold dragon-patterned staff. On the other side was Gula, a freshman with a calm expression and a phantom of a holy fire angel floating before him. The atmosphere was tense yet expectant.

"Gula, please." Wang Yan held the staff in one hand, the tip pointing diagonally at the ground, his posture composed yet solemn. Facing the Ultimate Fire Martial Soul, he dared not be careless in the slightest.

Gula nodded slightly, and three spirit rings, two yellow and one purple, shimmered beneath his feet.

"First Soul Skill, Sword of the Sun!"

Light condensed in the phantom of the Sun Angel, and a solid longsword made of pure golden-white flames instantly took shape, covering the longsword in the Martial Soul's hand. The blade was covered with lava-like patterns, radiating terrifying high temperature and sharpness.

With a flick of his wrist, several condensed, almost tangible solar sword energies tore through the air, accompanied by a piercing shriek, and shot straight at Wang Yan!

Wang Yan's eyes narrowed, and he wielded the Panlong Staff like a wheel, its heavy and domineering shadow striking the sword energy with precision.

boom! boom! boom!
The sword energy clashed with the staff shadow, unleashing a deafening roar and a scorching shockwave.

Wang Yan felt a scorching and domineering force surge through his staff, his arm went slightly numb, and he was secretly alarmed:

"Such powerful extreme fire! This sword energy is not only sharp, but the burning power it contains is also terrifying."

Just as he deflected the sword energy, Gula stepped forward, his Sun Sword tracing an arcane path, its sharp and cunning strike aimed directly at vital points.

Wang Yan focused intently, unleashing exquisite staff techniques with his Panlong Staff. The staff's shadow was as solid and heavy as a mountain, attempting to suppress with sheer force.

For a time, the sounds of metal clashing were deafening, flames and the wind from the sticks intertwined, creating an extremely intense scene.

However, as the fight progressed, Wang Yan sensed something was wrong. Gula's fighting style was incredibly slippery.

He launched a close-range attack, but Gula relied on his exquisite footwork and swordsmanship to maneuver around him. The Sun Sword always managed to find the weak points in his staff techniques and launch a counterattack, with tricky angles and concentrated power.

He tried to create some distance to catch his breath, but Gula immediately launched a ranged sword aura attack, forcing him to expend his soul power to defend.

What troubled him even more was the strange second soul skill – “Sunshine”, which was clearly a passively triggered area-of-effect soul skill.

As the battle progressed, the surrounding fire elements, under Gura's deliberate guidance, were continuously attracted and gathered by the Sun Angel.

Each clash of sword energy, each explosion of flame, seemed to "charge" this area. When the energy accumulated to a certain critical point…

Boom!

Without warning, the air within a radius of several meters centered on Gula suddenly burst into flames.

The blazing golden flames, like a blooming sunflower, swept out in an instant. The extent and temperature far exceeded Wang Yan's expectations.

"Not good!" Wang Yan hurriedly erected his soul power shield, rapidly wielding his Panlong Staff to block the impact of the explosion and flames. Several charred holes were burned into his teacher's uniform, and his hair was slightly curled, making him look quite disheveled.

We're in a passive position! So passive!
Wang Yan inwardly groaned. This Gula was like a mobile solar furnace, harassing him with ranged sword energy, employing tricky close-range sword techniques, and occasionally detonating the surrounding environment.

He didn't care about winning or losing, but as a Soul King, he was forced into a state of panic and dishevelment by a Soul Venerable. If he lost in front of his students on the very first day... where would he put his old face?

"This can't go on any longer." A resolute glint flashed in Wang Yan's eyes.

The fifth spirit ring—a deep black light suddenly shone brightly.

"Fifth Soul Skill, Destroying Evil and Revealing Justice - Dragon Soul Possession!"

hold head high--!
A majestic and sacred dragon roar resounded throughout the Battle Soul Zone. The golden dragon staff in his hand shone brightly, and the golden dragon patterns wrapped around the staff seemed to come alive.

A phantom dragon, both ethereal and solid, radiating majestic righteousness and the power to ward off evil, suddenly rose from the staff and coiled around Wang Yan.

Wang Yan's aura surged instantly, and a powerful dragon's might mixed with the power to dispel evil spread out, forcibly suppressing the fire elemental agitation caused by Gula's "Sunshine".

"Gula, watch out."

Wang Yan let out a low shout, his speed and power surged, and the Panlong Staff, carrying the might of the Evil-Slaying Dragon Soul, transformed into a golden dragon shadow that tore through the air, smashing towards Gula with the force of thunder. The power of this strike far exceeded that of the previous one.

Gula's eyes narrowed slightly. So this is the beast soul power residing within the Panlong Staff? The Evil-Slaying Dragon? Truly extraordinary.

Although Wang Yan's own soul power limited the power of this dragon soul, the aura of its power to ward off evil and suppress the soul, as well as the perfect fusion of the dragon soul and the weapon soul, were exactly what he wanted to observe.

"Third Soul Skill, Angel Possession!"

Faced with this terrifying attack, Gula activated his third soul skill without hesitation.

The phantom of the sun angel instantly transformed into a blazing stream of light and merged into his body.

In an instant, Gula seemed to transform into a being composed of pure light and fire, his body becoming translucent and radiating a sacred and scorching light.

boom--! ! !
The Coiled Dragon Staff, wrapped with the Soul of the Exorcising Dragon, slammed heavily into the "elementalized" Gula, without any sense of physical impact.

The violent power and the golden light of exorcism pierced through Gula's elemental body, as if it had crashed into a viscous, scorching lava. A large amount of light and heat was annihilated and dissipated, and Gula's elemental body fluctuated violently, its light dimming significantly.

Gula feigned a muffled groan, his body floating backward several meters. The light subsided, revealing his physical form again, his face "pale" and his breathing "disordered".

He perfectly demonstrated that his soul power was greatly depleted and that he was unable to maintain his elemental state.

Wang Yan put away his staff and stood up. The entangled dragon soul phantom slowly dissipated, and he also breathed slightly.

Seeing that Gura seemed to be exhausted, he finally breathed a sigh of relief.

We won. Although the victory wasn't exactly easy; you could even say we were forced to use our trump card, our fifth soul skill, to barely secure the win.

"Thank you for your kind words, Gula." Wang Yan calmed his breathing and a gentle smile returned to his face, but a trace of lingering fear and apprehension remained deep in his eyes.

He walked up to Gula, looked at him intently, and spoke with a tone full of amazement and admiration:

"As expected of the Ultimate Fire Martial Soul! Your combat system is extremely sophisticated, it's simply... beyond what a freshman could achieve."

Wang Yan adjusted his glasses and began his forte: theoretical analysis.
"Your first soul skill enhances your weapon, condensing the sword of the sun, combining offense and defense, and bringing the destructive power of extreme fire to its limit. Your swordsmanship is also amazing, precise and cunning, far surpassing your peers."

"Your second soul skill passively gathers fire elements and periodically detonates them... This is simply a divine skill! Especially in chaotic battles, the more enemies there are, the stronger the environmental forces you unleash. Combined with your swordsmanship, you're practically invincible!"

"The third soul skill, 'Angel Possession,' transforms into elements... It seems to be immune to physical attacks and fire damage... This survivability is terrifying. If it weren't for my fifth soul skill containing the righteous power of the Evil-Slaying Dragon Soul, which can forcibly dispel some of the elements, I probably wouldn't even be able to exhaust your soul power and would only be worn down by you."

He paused, his tone becoming more serious, with a hint of inquiry: "Most importantly, your innate domain, that feeling of constantly burning and suppressing the opponent's soul power... it's too domineering."

"If my Panlong Staff did not contain the might of a dragon and the power to ward off evil, the rate at which my soul power would be consumed would probably be doubled. The ultimate fire, combined with the holy purification properties of the Angelic Martial Soul, is truly a perfect match."

Wang Yan looked at Gula, hesitated for a moment, and then asked, "Gula, forgive my impertinence, but judging from your fighting style, it seems that you use the ultimate fire as your core, and you have developed relatively little of the 'light' attribute inherent in your martial soul. Do you... have some connection with the angelic lineage?"

He was worried that Gula was a bloodline of the Angel family that had been separated from the family. After all, the Angel Martial Soul was the core inheritance of the Holy Family, and the academy's efforts would be in vain.

Gula shook his head "weakly" and said according to his prepared words: "Teacher Wang is too kind. My martial soul... was originally just a common fire element mutation. Later, deep in the Star Dou Great Forest, I accidentally encountered a strange plant growing by the lava lake. Its whole body was like gold and it radiated the brilliance of the sun."

"I risked getting close, and it seemed to accept me, actively merging into my martial soul... After that, my martial soul completely transformed and became the 'Sun Angel' it is today."

As he spoke, a wisp of pure, eternally warm natural energy flickered and vanished from his fingertips. "A divine herb! A divine herb closely related to the sun's attributes!"

Wang Yan's eyes suddenly lit up, and he realized something. He was well-versed in theory and had naturally heard of the legends of rare treasures.

"So that's how it is. No wonder, this is truly an incredible opportunity! The immortal herb not only brought about a qualitative change in your martial soul, but it has probably also greatly enhanced your foundation and potential." His doubts were instantly resolved.

Huo Yuhao, listening intently, was filled with longing, his eyes brimming with envy. A magical herb! A legendary item. The other students also cast admiring and envious glances.

Wang Yan felt much more at ease; it was easier if they weren't from the Angel Family. He enthusiastically suggested:

"Gula, I can tell from your superb swordsmanship that you are very fond of this art. The top floor of the academy library houses many cultivation insights and sword manuals left by historical titled Douluo in swordsmanship."

"Although it's not part of the core inheritance, it should be very helpful in broadening your horizons and verifying your own swordsmanship. If you're interested, I can help you apply for access."

Gula's heart stirred. After reaching the Sword Soul realm, he relied more on talent and comprehension to explore, and indeed lacked the systematic accumulation of knowledge from predecessors.

A kendo manual from the library? That's an unexpected find. "Thank you, Professor Wang. I'm very interested." He nodded in agreement.

Seeing that Gula accepted the suggestion, Wang Yan was even more pleased and continued, "There's one more thing, about your martial soul. Judging from the Sun Martial Soul of the Sun Moon Empire's royal family, the sun is an incredibly huge fireball."

"But the sun gives not only heat to all things in the world, but also light! It is the light that dispels darkness and nurtures life! Your martial soul is called 'Sun Angel', and angels themselves symbolize light and holiness."

"Perhaps, beyond the path of extreme fire, trying to comprehend the 'light' element contained in the sun might be another path to a higher realm."

Upon hearing this, Gula seemed to be deep in thought.

In reality, his martial soul does not possess the light attribute at all. If he wants the Sun Angel to evolve into the Ultimate Light, he would have to evolve his soul spirit again. However, it has only evolved for a few years. He plans to wait until the soul spirit's genes are stable before discussing the evolution.

"Thank you for your guidance, Teacher Wang. I've taken it to heart." Gula thanked him sincerely. Wang Yan really wanted to give him some good guidance.

Wang Yan secretly breathed a sigh of relief, finally having given this brilliant student some useful advice on a theoretical level. He then dismissed the get out of class.

The crowd parted, and petite Xiao Xiao immediately skipped and hopped to Gula, her big eyes sparkling, her little face flushed with excitement:
"Gula, you looked so cool when you were 'possessed by an angel' just now! You were glowing like a god from mythology!"

Gula looked at this little girl who was obsessed with looks and felt a mix of amusement and helplessness.

Wang Dong, who was not far away, witnessed the entire process of Gula's fierce battle with the Soul King teacher. In the end, the teacher was even forced to use a ten-thousand-year soul skill to barely win. Her desire to challenge him was completely extinguished.

The gap is too big! She snorted coldly, arrogantly tossed her short pink-blue hair, turned around and left, her back view carrying a hint of unwillingness, loneliness and defiance.

Huo Yuhao, meanwhile, was quietly planning his grilled fish business, thinking about how to make more money to improve himself.

"Xiao Xiao, I'm going to the biggest auction house in town to buy some things. Want to come along?"

Gula took the initiative to extend an invitation to Xiao Xiao. To study the Nine Phoenixes' Arrival Flute Martial Soul, it was necessary to first build a closer relationship; otherwise, being too presumptuous might frighten her.

"An auction house? Great!" Xiao Xiao's eyes lit up even more. Shopping, or going to a high-class auction house? How could the little girl not want to? She immediately nodded like a chicken pecking at rice.

Shrek City, Jubao Pavilion.

As the largest auction house backed by Shrek Academy but actually secretly controlled by the Sea God Pavilion, the Treasure Pavilion is magnificent and bustling with people.

The display of various rare treasures, soul tools, and rare metals was dazzling.

Gula's goal is clear—rare metals!
In this era, the technology of soul guides was relatively backward. Many top-grade metal ores that were activated with spirituality by soul forging and heaven forging techniques during the future Dragon King Legend period were priceless.

Here, it is sold merely as a "high-grade material" containing special elemental energy, and its price does not reflect its true potential.

This is the perfect time to snag a bargain!

However, when Gula took a fancy to several pieces of Starfall Mithril and Void Gold of excellent quality, which contained spiritual light, and a fist-sized Void Crystal Core that emitted spatial fluctuations, he found that he didn't have enough Gold Soul Coins on him.

He has never made a fortune in his life openly and honestly. The money he earned from "robbing the rich to help the poor" was just a drop in the ocean when it came to purchasing these top-quality materials.

"Tsk." Gula frowned slightly.

"Gula, what's wrong? Don't you have enough money?" Xiao Xiao asked softly. She could tell that the metal pieces that Gula had his eye on were quite expensive.

"Hmm, not far off." Gula nodded, then casually took out a jade box from his storage soul tool.

Upon opening the box, a chilling yet powerful surge of soul energy instantly emanated from it. Inside lay a soul bone, entirely black, shaped like a miniature skull, with dark purple patterns flowing across its surface.

The soul bone in the head.

Although the energy fluctuations indicate that it is only about three thousand years old, and the soul power aura is mixed, it has obviously been fused by many people, and a lot of essence has been lost, but the rarity of the head soul bone is beyond doubt.

"Hiss—!" The beautiful waitress in charge of receiving them gasped, her eyes widening instantly.

The manager of Jubaoge was also alarmed and immediately ran over, his attitude almost obsequious, and invited Gula and Xiaoxiao to the VIP appraisal room on the second floor.

After a tense and meticulous examination by several senior appraisers, primarily determining the location, attributes, age, and degree of energy depletion of the soul bone, an assessment was ultimately given:

"Distinguished guest, this three-thousand-year-old Shadow Leopard head soul bone has undergone multiple fusions, resulting in a slight increase in soul power. However, its accompanying soul skill, 'Shadow Leap,' is a rare movement soul skill. Moreover, its rank value as a head soul bone remains. We suggest a starting bid of 500,000 gold soul coins. What do you think?"

“Sure.” Gula nodded indifferently. This soul bone was a spoil of war from one of his avatars when he casually wiped out a den of evil soul masters during a mission. He had long forgotten who the original owner was, and it was just taking up space anyway.

The auction proceeded quickly. The appearance of the head soul bone caused quite a stir. Although it was of low age and had poor effects, the word "head" was enough to make many soul masters who were stuck at the bottleneck bid wildly.

It's important to understand that in this era, without spirits, spirit masters can only increase their spiritual power through self-growth. No matter how young the age of the head spirit bone is, it is still a head spirit bone.

Ultimately, this soul bone was sold for a record-breaking price of 1.8 million gold soul coins.

After receiving the crystal card, Gula turned around and returned to the materials area without hesitation, waving his hand: "The Starfall Mithril, Void Gold, and Sky Crystal Core that I had my eye on earlier... and that piece of Crimson Fire Copper and Deep Sea Silver over there... pack them all up!"

Under the dumbfounded gazes of the steward and waiters, and the starry-eyed gaze of Xiao Xiao, Gula spent a staggering 1.8 million to sweep up all the top-grade raw metal ores in the Treasure Pavilion's inventory that were severely undervalued but, in his eyes, had unlimited potential.

In the hands of contemporary Soul Masters, these metals might only be able to forge a level seven or eight Soul Tool core.

But in Gula's hands, after being forged by Soul and Heaven in the future, their hidden spirituality will be awakened, and they will become key materials for researching level 10 and even level 11 Soul Guidance Devices, as well as for forging God-level Mechs!

"Successfully snagged a bargain."

Looking at the mountain of rare metals piled up in the storage soul tool, Gula finally smiled with satisfaction.

The thrill of finding a bargain was no less than the joy of a breakthrough, so Gula immediately decided to have a big meal: "Xiao Xiao, let's go, it's on me, let's try the local specialties."

Xiao Xiao was still dizzy thinking about the gold soul coins that Gula had spent when Gula dragged her to the top floor and ordered a meal made with soul beast ingredients.

In the Legend of the Dragon King, native soul beasts are rarely seen, but in this time and space they are arbitrarily raised and slaughtered. Gula put away his feelings and his stomach was like a furnace, digesting all the food he had eaten.

Gula spent all the spare change he had left over from buying rare metals on this meal, but Gula and Xiao Xiao were very satisfied and felt it was worth the money.

Seeing Xiao Xiao struggling to stay upright, Gula smiled and said, "The essence of a thousand-year-old soul beast's flesh contains a lot of soul power. Go back and cultivate it quickly; it will be equivalent to several days of arduous training."

"Mmm." Xiao Xiao nodded, her eyes shining as she looked at Gula. He was so handsome and gentle, he was practically glowing!

(End of this chapter)