Douluo: My Clone Is Groudon

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Tang Wulin absentmindedly scratched the back of his head, a few strands of black hair sticking up between his fingers. "The Spirit Ascension Platform can rebel? Like the beast tides mentioned in history books?"

Xie Xie pressed his slender fingers against his temples, his silver-gray short hair swaying slightly as he shook his head. "My dear class leader Tang, you really haven't paid attention to common knowledge."

He deliberately dragged out the last word, quickly cutting to the point before Wu Zhangkong could shoot him a warning glare. "During the spring and autumn equinoxes each year, the accumulated soul power in the Spirit Ascension Platform triggers tidal phenomena, which increases the activity of soul beasts. Even ten-year-old Soft Bone Rabbit spirits can enter a bloodthirsty state."

"During this period, soul beasts become more active, their numbers increase, and the danger multiplies. But the rewards are also better—it allows participating soul masters to experience the most authentic adventure."

Wu Zhangkong suddenly turned his head, his obsidian-like eyes sweeping over the group. "During the rebellion phase of the Spirit Ascension Platform, the greatest danger isn't the soul beasts—it's other soul masters like yourselves."

"But…" Tang Wulin clenched the hem of his combat uniform, the synthetic fibers making faint rustling noises. "…What about Gu La's current condition…?"

"Rather than worrying about that monster, worry about rampaging soul beasts."

Wang Jinxi rubbed the bone chain around his neck, his lips twitching. "He's such an abnormality; we don't need to worry about him. The beginner-level Spirit Ascension Platform doesn't have thousand-year soul beasts—there's no threat to him at all."

"That's right."

The murmurs of the group suddenly stopped. Gu La was leaning against a wall nearby, white earphone wires snaking down onto his dark green combat uniform. His fingertips tapped lightly in rhythm with the popular music of the era.

Without an ounce of modesty, he nodded in agreement. "So, can I skip the test?"

"No."

Wu Zhangkong rejected him without hesitation. "Your assessment goal is simple: survive for one hour without joining anyone else. The forest is your domain—it shouldn't be difficult for you."

Wu Zhangkong had considered setting an ocean-based assessment for Gu La, but unfortunately, he lacked the authority, and he wasn't part of the Spirit Pagoda.

Gu La made an OK gesture with his hand. "Piece of cake. Watch me perform, Teacher Wu."

The alloy gate of the Spirit Pagoda opened with a hiss of steam. The receptionist in a silver-blue uniform flicked her pupils, data streams flashing across them. "Identity verified. Students from Donghai Academy, please proceed to preparation room 17."

The moment the group stepped into the corridor, an ear-piercing sneer came from the neighboring room, number 16.

The leading female soul master glanced at Tang Wulin, snorting disdainfully. The soul masters behind her hurriedly simped, joining in the jeering laughter.

"When did the Spirit Pagoda turn into a daycare center?"

The man looked down on them, glancing at Gu La's sunglasses and cane, raising his hand mockingly.

Gu La didn't budge an inch. Suddenly, a section of emerald-green vine pierced through the alloy floor, its venomous thorns stopping just millimeters from his pupil.

The emergency system of the entire corridor lit up red instantly, and an urgent electronic voice blared: "Warning! Use of soul skills prohibited during non-combat status!"

The next moment—

"Alarm deactivated."

Do these fools even know the value of being a disciple of the vice tower master?!

The young man didn't dare speak anymore, trembling and nearly wetting himself in fear. That vine almost blinded him! Was it worth losing his eyesight just to curry favor with the daughter of a master crafter?!

"My hand slipped."

Gu La tilted his head and chuckled softly, the vine dissipating into specks of light. He deliberately fumbled his way into preparation room 17, his movements dripping with mockery.

The young man seethed but dared not say a word. The receptionist beside him kept his gaze fixed straight ahead. Gu La's formula for the Body-Forging Bone-Fortifying Ointment had already granted him core disciple status without the need for assessment. The receptionist had been informed of Gu La's identity beforehand—the alarm had been silenced by the receptionist.

Ignoring the minor incident, Gu La lay down in the simulation pod and felt the slight tingling sensation of neural connections.

---

His consciousness awakened to the sight of a primeval forest spreading before him, the smell of humus filling his nostrils.

Gu La removed his physical glasses, deep within his pitch-black pupils glowing with an emerald hue. Celebi's wings unfurled majestically, the green patterns on the wing membranes resonating with the black soul rings. Gigantic trees within a hundred-meter radius simultaneously lowered their branches.

"Even though it's not my first time in the Spirit Ascension Platform, I still have to admit the advanced technological level of the Spirit Pagoda—a semi-virtual world. I wonder if my third soul ring has this kind of potential."

He sighed, stretching his arms lazily. The Golden Ancient Tree spirit soul was still far from his upper limit, and this time, he intended to unleash hell.

"Sea of Forest Domain, activate."

The moment his first soul ring bloomed, countless specks of light erupted from beneath the ground.

Gu La's consciousness spread wildly through the plant network. He "saw" the Ironclad Beast pack assembling three kilometers away, sensed the restless millennium-old Cave Spider underground, and even detected dangerous presences deep within the Spirit Ascension Platform.

In the observation room, Director Long's pen clattered to the floor.

"This… This is a transfer student? A three-ring Soul Honored with a thousand-year soul ring?"

Overjoyed, he couldn't help but glance at Wu Zhangkong.

Wu Zhangkong stared at the screen, a barely perceptible smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth as he shattered Director Long's fantasy. "Gu La was originally a disciple of the Spirit Pagoda. The academy's influence on his training is minimal."

Director Long choked, picking up his notebook and muttering, "Even so, he's still a student of Donghai Academy. Attracting such students is an achievement for the academy…"

Wu Zhangkong shook his head, ignoring Director Long altogether.

The forest was indeed Gu La's domain—and beyond anyone's imagination.

Gu La's identity as the Child of Nature paled in comparison to Celebi's dominion over the forest.

Gu La's hair, now grown to his waist, shimmered with vibrant golden-green light, brimming with vitality.

As he moved, the dormant roots of ancient trees surged upward, transforming into his loyal guardians. Humming an off-key electronic rock tune, he trailed his fingers over the coiled body of a century-old Ghost Vine. The purple Poison Vine wrapped itself around his wrist like a lover.

"Plant-type soul beasts can be directly controlled—or rather, they're willingly submitting. I underestimated myself." The amused voice of the youth startled a flock of crows into flight.

Thirty meters away, seven Spectral Wolves had just bared their fangs when the ground beneath them suddenly collapsed.

Vine spikes as thick as bowls erupted from the soil. Before the wolf pack could howl in pain, the crystallized barbs covering the vines had already turned them into pincushions.

Emerald soul power coursed through the vines, instantly killing the soul beasts.

Director Long swallowed hard as he watched the plants within a hundred meters of Gu La come alive—not just alive, but expanding endlessly, seemingly without limits.

As the soul beasts died, they condensed into orbs of spiritual energy that were absorbed by Gu La, slowly increasing the upper limit of his spirit soul years.

Gu La tilted his chin thoughtfully. "I've visited the Spirit Ascension Platform a few times sporadically. Since all three soul rings were upgraded separately, only the Golden Ancient Tree gained five thousand years' worth of growth."

"My physical limit used to cap at fifty thousand years, but after accommodating and digesting my clone's strength, handling seventy thousand years' worth of soul rings isn't a problem. I wonder if slaughtering every soul beast in the beginner-level Spirit Ascension Platform will be enough to saturate my spirit souls."

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