Douluo: My Clone Is Groudon

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Leng Yaozhu tucked a strand of crimson hair behind her ear, her fingertips brushing against the fiery phoenix earring and leaving a faint glow. Subtly adjusting her posture, she created a bit more breathing space between them.

"Anything else?"

"Four Seasons Flower."

Gu La had already considered adding soul rings to Celebi; now he was merely stating the conclusions he had thought through.

"It's a rare herbaceous plant with only a year-long lifespan. However, once it develops soul power, it becomes an exceptionally rare time-based soul beast."

"Teacher, does the Spirit Pagoda have a Four Seasons Flower spirit soul?"

Gu La hadn't originally considered the Four Seasons Flower. This legendary soul beast was rarer than even ten-thousand-year soul beasts at the thousand-year level, and its enhancements weren't particularly significant.

But if it were transformed into a spirit soul that could increase its years, there would be fewer concerns.

"You certainly know how to choose."

Leng Yaozhu maintained her relaxed posture, reclining in her seat with her long legs crossed, golden patterns flowing across her form. Still, she couldn't help but lean forward slightly.

"The Spirit Pagoda has been around for ten thousand years, and its headquarters indeed holds two Four Seasons Flower spirit souls."

Gu La's pupils suddenly contracted, his eyes flickering with interest.

This detail didn't escape Leng Yaozhu's sharp gaze. Satisfied with her disciple's instantly straightened back, she continued in her nonchalant tone: "However, in my opinion…"

Her jade-like finger suddenly tapped Gu La's forehead, the cool touch causing him to shiver. "This still isn't the spirit soul most worthy of my disciple."

Gu La was genuinely confused now. Had he missed something? He respectfully asked, "Teacher, please enlighten me."

Amused by teasing her disciple, Leng Yaozhu replied lightly: "I thought you knew everything. Let me ask you—what is the origin of plants on this continent?"

The origin of plants?

Of course, it's the Ancient Tree of Life! Does the Spirit Pagoda have one of those?

Gu La immediately dismissed the idea. A complete Ancient Tree of Life was a god-king level entity far beyond the Spirit Pagoda's control.

His bright eyes flashed with confusion, paired with his indifferent expression, creating an unexpectedly endearing contrast in Leng Yaozhu's eyes. "I don't know—it wasn't mentioned in the books I've read. Teacher, what's the answer?"

Leng Yaozhu silently marveled at her disciple. Gifted like Yun Ming, handsome without comparison, he'd surely grow up to become another flirtatious "troublemaker."

Her emotions were mixed, but she didn't delay answering: "The origin of plants is the legendary Ancient Tree of Life. It scattered seeds that gave birth to countless species of plants."

"Among its subordinate plants is the Golden Ancient Tree, which is well-known across the continent. Shrek Academy, for instance, was built around a Golden Ancient Tree."

"The spirit soul I'm taking you to see is a fragment of a Golden Ancient Tree—its leaves and branches traded for three pieces of ten-thousand-year soul bones. Its genes were extracted to create this spirit soul."

"A Golden Ancient Tree spirit soul!?"

Gu La froze momentarily, utterly unprepared for such a surprise from Leng Yaozhu.

Seeing his excitement, Leng Yaozhu doused his enthusiasm: "Don't get too excited yet. Creating a Golden Ancient Tree spirit soul consumed a massive amount of resources from the Spirit Pagoda, leaving plant-type soul masters lacking top-tier spirit souls for the next five hundred years."

If not for the Leng family being one of the major factions within the Spirit Pagoda, even a Limit Douluo wouldn't qualify to take away a Golden Ancient Tree spirit soul.

Leng Yaozhu withheld this fact and continued: "The manufactured Golden Ancient Tree hasn't disappointed either. From the moment it was born, it displayed the ability to suppress all other plant spirit souls. Research suggests that depending on the soul master fused with it, the Golden Ancient Tree spirit soul will evolve different abilities."

"This makes it suitable for your multi-attribute plant martial soul."

Gu La raised a question, satisfying Leng Yaozhu's newfound role as a teacher eager to impart knowledge: "Teacher, doesn't anyone else want to fuse with the Golden Ancient Tree spirit soul?"

Leng Yaozhu smiled approvingly: "Indeed, some do. But the Golden Ancient Tree spirit soul possesses intelligence. If it doesn't acknowledge a soul master, fusion can't be forced."

"There are quite a few such spirit souls within the Spirit Pagoda—they're called Unyielding Spirit Souls."

"We've arrived."

Leng Yaozhu's cool voice echoed in the cabin as the black mecha abruptly pierced through the lead-gray clouds. The turbine soul-powered engine spewed cerulean flames, tearing open a rift in the sky.

Below, the thirteen-story Spirit Pagoda stood like a prismatic crystal embedded in the earth, its surface shimmering with silvery soul-guided runes. The infrared grid from the observation platform atop the tower scanned the mecha's surface, emitting a crisp "beep" sound.

The mecha hovered three meters above the platform. With one hand gripping Gu La's collar, Leng Yaozhu leaped down, her cloak embroidered with golden phoenix patterns fluttering fiercely in the wind.

As her boot heels clicked against the alloy floor, twelve hidden soul-guided turrets—just finished charging—quietly retracted into their protective housings.

"Stay close."

Leng Yaozhu swiped her jade pendant at her waist, and two glowing red jade tokens floated up, creating a narrow gap in the thirty-six layers of soul barriers along their path, allowing only one person to pass through at a time.

Gu La could feel the hidden soul-guided surveillance systems lurking in the shadows, resembling the compound eyes of venomous spiders, waiting for prey to step into their trap.

He inwardly marveled: 'Such tight security, full of technological sophistication, rivaling even the top technology of the Pokémon world.'

The elevator doors opened silently on the seventy-ninth floor, revealing a middle-aged man in a dark-patterned Tang suit blocking the corridor.

The Qiangu family emblem on his chest reflected cold light as he bowed slightly. "Deputy Tower Master Leng, the tower master is aware of your request. However, the Golden Ancient Tree spirit soul was created at great cost to the Spirit Pagoda—it cannot simply be taken away on your word alone."

"Tell Qiangu Dongfeng to come say that to my face!"

Leng Yaozhu's suddenly raised voice exploded through the corridor, causing the soul-guided lights floating above to dim for a split second.

Gu La watched as the man's Adam's apple bobbed violently, and the green soul power surrounding him was forcibly suppressed back into his body. He staggered backward seven steps until his back slammed into the smooth metal wall.

Leng Yaozhu let out an irritated snort. Qiangu Dongfeng truly acted as if the Spirit Pagoda belonged solely to the Qiangu family. Sending someone to deliver a message? He clearly forgot that Leng Yaozhu had recently blocked Qiangu Dongfeng's soul-guided communicator.

She walked past with Gu La in tow, the man's face pale, not daring to obstruct them.

The two entered the sealed chamber where spirit souls were stored.

When the chamber door opened, a tidal wave of soul power surged outward, whipping up strong winds. Hundreds of golden threads of condensed soul power hung from the hundred-meter-high dome, each ending in a sleeping spirit soul orb.

Deep within the chamber, the roots of the Golden Ancient Tree were deeply embedded in a base made of special crystalline material. The liquid gold light flowing across its leaves bathed Leng Yaozhu's profile in a radiant glow.

"This is the Golden Ancient Tree. Go ahead and try to connect with it. Don't fear failure—if it doesn't work this time, we'll try again later."

Regardless of whether Gu La succeeded or not, she planned to take the Golden Ancient Tree spirit soul with her so Gu La could continue attempting. Of course, succeeding on the first try would be ideal.

The middle-aged man entered the room, watching Gu La from afar.

He didn't believe a child could gain the acknowledgment of the Golden Ancient Tree. Tasks that even some Titled Douluo with twin martial souls failed to achieve were surely impossible for a mere child.

He assumed the Phoenix Douluo was here to assess Gu La's compatibility with the Golden Ancient Tree for future plans.

Comforted by this thought, the man felt much better, shifting his mindset to prepare for the sight of the Phoenix Douluo's disciple failing.

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