Douluo Continent: Conflict descends, gods are slain and gods ascend!

Late at night, at the Xu family home.

In Yun Chen's room, he sat cross-legged on the bed, with faint fluctuations of soul power surrounding his body.

In the Ascension Platform, his body's instinctive reactions and the fleeting feeling he experienced when facing a life-or-death crisis remained vivid in his memory. So when he returned home, he began to meditate, trying to grasp that feeling.

At this moment, Yun Chen's consciousness was immersed in his own sea of ​​spirit. The environment of the sea of ​​spirit gave him a feeling of being gently enveloped.

Above the sea, a faintly glowing sphere was slowly taking shape. Meanwhile, streams of pure energy converged from the Sea of ​​Spirit, merging into the still-forming sphere.

After an unknown amount of time, Yun Chen's consciousness surfaced. He slowly opened his eyes, and what he saw was a faint light in the sky above. Even though it was small in size and emitted a weak light, Yun Chen felt that it was like another sun in the sea of ​​spirit, which would one day hang high above the sea of ​​spirit.

"The blazing sun that will eventually rise?" Yun Chen wondered to himself.

He always felt that this small ball of light in his sea of ​​consciousness was quite extraordinary, but since the ball hadn't fully solidified yet, he didn't know what it could bring him. However, Yun Chen felt it would be best to pay more attention to it during his future cultivation.

Suddenly, Yun Chen sensed a disturbance. He slowly opened his eyes and saw Xu Xiaoyan sitting next to him, hugging a pillow.

"I'm a little scared, can I sleep with you?" Xu Xiaoyan asked.

Seeing the expression on Xu Xiaoyan's face, Yun Chen swallowed back the words that were on the tip of his tongue. He took Xu Xiaoyan's pillow and put it away, then pulled back the covers and lay down with her.

"Do you want to tell me what scared you this time?" Yun Chen knew very well how timid Xu Xiaoyan was. He remembered when they were little, Xu Xiaoyan was scared by a flying insect and didn't dare to sleep alone for half a month, which made Xu's parents both amused and exasperated.

But Xu Xiaoyan was only four years old then, so it's understandable that she was frightened by insects. Now Xu Xiaoyan is nine years old, surely she wouldn't still be frightened by insects?

"I just had a dream." Xu Xiaoyan huddled under the covers, only half her head showing. She slowly began to explain why she was afraid.

"I dreamt that you left the Xu family and didn't want me anymore," Xu Xiaoyan continued softly.

These words immediately dispelled Yun Chen's idea that Xu Xiaoyan had been frightened by a terrible dream. But upon further reflection, the dream was indeed a nightmare for Xu Xiaoyan.

Yun Chen was adopted by the Xu family at a young age, and after Xu Xiaoyan was born, she stayed with him. In her memory, the two were always inseparable. This affection has left a deep mark on her heart.

However, Xu's parents did not treat Yun Chen differently because he was adopted. Instead, they raised him as their own child. During his upbringing, Xu's mother jokingly said that if he and Xu Xiaoyan still had such a good relationship when they grew up, they might end up together.

Yun Chen remembered that Xu Xiaoyan responded sweetly at that time, "I want to stay with Brother Chen forever."

At that time, Xu's parents and Yun Chen did not take her answer to heart, but as she grew older, Xu Xiaoyan's dependence on him did not seem to diminish, but rather deepened.

"That was just a dream," Yun Chen reassured Xu Xiaoyan.

Yun Chen knew that this was probably because of their trip to the Spirit Pagoda today, which made Xu Xiaoyan think he might leave, hence her current state. After all, Xu Xiaoyan's emotions had become somewhat off after hearing that he had joined the Spirit Pagoda.

"Really? You won't leave me, right?" Xu Xiaoyan grabbed Yun Chen's arm. She didn't understand what love was yet, but she subconsciously wanted to hold onto Yun Chen tightly, not wanting him to leave.

"Really," Yun Chen continued to reassure her.

With Yun Chen's soothing touch, Xu Xiaoyan slowly drifted off to sleep. Only after she was sound asleep did Yun Chen get up and carry her back to his room.

The next morning, Xu Xiaoyan woke up to find herself in her own room and pouted slightly in dissatisfaction. But she didn't throw a tantrum; she quickly got dressed in her school uniform and went downstairs.

After breakfast, Yun Chen, Xu Xiaoyan, and Xu Xiaoyu were taken to Donghai Academy.

Just as Yun Chen and Xu Xiaoyan arrived at the classroom of Class 1, Grade 1, they saw that aloof figure standing in front of the classroom door.

"Hey, good morning, Gu Yue. What are you doing standing here?" Xu Xiaoyan walked over with a smile and greeted Gu Yue.

"I've brought something for your brother," Gu Yue replied casually, then took out a card from her pocket and handed it to Yun Chen. "This is your Spirit Pagoda identity card. My teacher asked me to bring it to you. With this card, you can receive your cultivation resources from the Spirit Pagoda in the East Sea, as well as the qualification to enter the Spirit Ascension Platform."

Yun Chen took the card and stored it in his storage soul tool. Leng Yaozhu had already told him about these things yesterday after he agreed to join the Spirit Pagoda.

The core disciples of the Spirit Pagoda receive cultivation resources from the pagoda every month and are also qualified to enter the Spirit Ascension Platform. This is a tactic used by the Spirit Pagoda to win over people; such conditions are very attractive to some Soul Masters from average families but with considerable talent.

After all, apart from awakening a martial soul, which is free, the various services offered by the Spirit Pagoda are all quite expensive. The price of a hundred-year-old soul spirit is something many families couldn't even afford after a lifetime of hard work. Not to mention the entrance fee to the Spirit Ascension Platform, which is something many people can only dream of their entire lives.

"Thank you for making this trip," Yun Chen said.

Gu Yue shook her head. After delivering the items, she intended to leave immediately, but just as she was about to turn around, she seemed to suddenly remember something and abruptly stopped.

"By the way, the teacher said we should set aside some time in the next few days; it seems she has some plans," Gu Yue said.

Hearing her say that, Yun Chen raised an eyebrow in confusion. Leng Yaozhu was Gu Yue's teacher, so making arrangements for her development was reasonable. But he hadn't formally become her disciple, so it seemed unnecessary for her to go to such lengths.

"I understand," Yun Chen replied.

Gu Yue nodded to the two of them, then turned and left. She stopped when she had turned a corner and disappeared from Yun Chen's and the others' sight.

At this moment, Gu Yue's expression was somewhat blank, because her feelings for Yun Chen seemed to have become a little strange.