No matter how deeply a secret is buried, no matter how skillfully hidden, one day it will come to light. Perhaps that day is far off, or perhaps it's just around the corner.
Inside the Soul Spirit Tower…
Gu You furrowed his brow. His immense spiritual power failed to detect the presence of the Mandala Snake.
There could only be one explanation.
The ground began to bulge upward. A faint tremor rippled through the forest floor as pebbles and dirt loosened and spilled. Underground, most forms of spiritual detection became ineffective. If Gu You's spiritual perception wasn't so advanced, he wouldn't have sensed even this faint movement.
In response, his four bloodline soul rings flared to life, radiant and oppressive, trying to drive the Mandala Snake back.
Normally, soul beasts were naturally suppressed by the aura of dragon bloodlines. Facing the might of true dragons, they instinctively fled or submitted.
But this time, Gu You had miscalculated.
The ground beneath him suddenly collapsed. The Mandala Snake's enormous head surged up like a catapult and launched him into the air.
As he lost control in midair, he barely had time to react before the Mandala Snake opened its mouth—wider than a city gate—and devoured him whole.
Outside the Soul Spirit Tower simulation chamber, the students from Shrek Academy all leapt to their feet in alarm.
"A Mandala Snake!" someone shouted.
Even a century-old Mandala Snake had venom potent enough to kill a grown adult in seconds. But this one had somehow reached the legendary hundred-thousand-year threshold. If it bit even a Limit Douluo, the consequences would be severe.
"You all needn't worry." Leng Yaozhu chuckled from across the room. "If something really goes wrong, the system will trigger an emergency extraction. Worst case scenario, he might suffer a bit of mental trauma—vegetative state, perhaps."
She smiled faintly. "But if Gu You could die that easily, would he still be Gu You?"
With the Heavenly Phoenix Douluo personally speaking, the others could only sit down again, their eyes glued to the screen.
Inside the Mandala Snake, Gu You felt as if he were sliding down a long, slimy tunnel. The walls around him pulsed and oozed, disgusting mucus clinging to his skin and slowly corroding it.
But his expression remained steady.
No panic. No fear.
A flash of purple light glinted in his eyes. An overwhelming aura burst out from within him, blazing in all directions.
Up above, the Mandala Snake continued to hover in the sky—an unthinkable feat for its species.
Then it screamed.
Its massive body began to swell. The purple light spread throughout its form like wildfire. The lower half of its belly ballooned grotesquely.
The snake writhed in agony, its long tail thrashing and curling, trying to expel the force inside it. But it was too late.
Buzz—
Boom!
Its entire lower half exploded. A torrent of foul green blood rained down as the enormous creature fell from the sky.
Gu You came plummeting with it, crashing into a towering ancient tree. The trunk trembled under the impact but held firm.
He wiped the disgusting mucus from his skin using destructive force, then stood still, waiting.
A moment later, the system's notification rang in his mind.
"Congratulations. You have cleared the 99th floor of the Soul Spirit Tower. Special hundred-thousand-year Mandala Snake—eligible for absorption."
A golden glow rose from the snake's corpse. A projection formed—a smaller, spiritual image of the Mandala Snake.
Gu You walked over and looked at it with curiosity.
"You're not afraid of my dragon bloodline suppression?" he asked.
The projection flicked its tongue. It replied with a calm, intelligent voice.
"Why should I be?"
Gu You didn't answer. He wasn't sure if this snake's resistance came from its evolution or natural talent. But he knew one thing for sure—if someone were to use a true dragon bloodline to nurture a Mandala Snake from youth, it could eventually evolve into something as powerful as the Five-Clawed Golden Dragon, like Tang Wulin in his later years.
Perhaps it wouldn't shine with golden scales, but its power would be at that level.
Legend said the Dragon God had nine claws, and the nine Dragon Kings under him had eight each.
Gu You looked at the little snake. "Come with me. This world will only limit your growth."
But the Mandala Snake shook its head.
"No. They promised me something."
"What did they promise?" Gu You's gaze sharpened.
"A bone," said the Mandala Snake softly. "A stone tablet, like the ones you humans use as monuments. It's important to me."
'A monument?' Gu You's thoughts turned serious. Something strong enough to help a Mandala Snake reach this level had to be extraordinary—likely dragon-related.
Just the presence of the snake's horns suggested it was on the path to becoming a dragon.
People often said, 'snakes turn into dragons,' but few understood what that really meant. Some snakes carried dragon bloodlines deep within them. Even if it didn't show in their youth, once awakened, they were destined to evolve.
You could give a common grass snake endless resources—it might become a giant python, perhaps even a flood dragon. But a true dragon? Never. Its ceiling was already set.
Mandala Snakes were stronger than average snakes, yes, but not strong enough to become dragons on their own. If it wasn't a matter of bloodline, then only one answer remained.
External influence.
The Spirit Pagoda was clearly hiding something.
And if the snake spoke of a stone tablet…
Gu You's eyes narrowed.
There was one possibility.
The Dragon Ascension Pillar.
A super divine artifact created by the Dragon God himself, forged with his own origin essence.
It could raise the cultivation of all dragon-type creatures, helping them break through limits and maintain their peak condition. It played a pivotal role in dragons ascending to godhood, and in battle, its might was enough to destroy a planet—Soul Land IV documented that clearly.
It wasn't just a weapon. It stabilized the minds of dragonkin and encouraged their proliferation and prosperity.
But its most terrifying power?
Elevation.
Not only could it boost dragons, it could uplift all soul beasts. Bloodlines, cultivation realms, natural gifts—everything could be advanced.
Sadly, the Dragon Ascension Pillar had vanished after the Dragon God War.
No one knew where it ended up. Perhaps it was still in the Divine Realm, or drifting through the stars after being cast into the spatial rifts.
Even a shard of something touched by the Dragon God was a priceless treasure. A single wisp of its essence could turn a low-tier soul beast into a mighty overlord.
Gu You clenched his fists.
He would find it—one day.
For now, though, what he encountered might be a fragment—a weakened remnant of the Dragon Ascension Pillar.
If he could secure it and place it within his spiritual sea, it would dramatically raise the strength of the soul beasts within—and with them, his own mental power.
The stronger the beasts inside his mind, the stronger his spirit became.
And if this thing really did resemble a monument…
Then he already knew what to do.
(End of Chapter)
---
This Fanfiction Has Been Completed on Patreon.
Support me if you like this Fanfiction.
Patreon,com/Fallen_Archangel_
(Remove comma for dot.)
Leave a 5 star Review and a Power Stone.