Every time Gu You absorbed a Golden Dragon King seal, the benefits to his body were immense.
Purple-gold radiance flowed as the scales on his left arm passed the elbow and slowly crept downward. Gu You tried to remain calm, but the excitement and restlessness were impossible to suppress.
Finally, the scales reached his wrist and continued steadily downward. Gu You felt intense pain spreading through his left hand. His bones creaked with a grating sound that made his teeth ache. His palm grew larger, and his meridians expanded.
'A massive boost to my left arm's dragon claw?' Gu You was momentarily stunned. 'But what's the point of only strengthening one arm?' Then he recalled the Shattering attribute—in the original story, it came from the seal and was only applied to the right arm.
'So why can both of my hands use the Shattering attribute now?' He couldn't make sense of it. The number of boosts he'd received was simply too many. He decided to wait until after this seal's absorption to investigate more carefully. He hadn't really paid attention to the effects of the claws beneath his dragon scales.
Finally, the pain subsided and was replaced by an itchy numbness. Gu You faintly sensed a difference between his left and right dragon claws.
Outside, the sky was pitch black—it was deep into the night.
Gu You clenched his left hand. A rush of power welled up from within.
'Just what exactly has been enhanced?' Still puzzled, he walked over to the wall and circulated his qi and blood. Scales enveloped both hands.
He could clearly see that the scales on his left hand were thicker and bulkier. The left dragon claw was noticeably larger than the right.
Visually, the two claws looked identical, both with violet-gold brilliance shimmering at the tips. Only when activating the Purple Sovereign Terror Claw would his right hand expand to match the left.
Gu You instinctively pressed his left claw lightly against the wall.
If it had been his right dragon claw, the moment it touched the surface, the wall would instantly turn to dust and the effect would spread rapidly—because of the Destruction Shatter attribute.
But as soon as his left claw touched the wall, a stunning sight unfolded. Cracks spread outward like lightning from the point of contact. In just a single breath's time, a massive web of fractures appeared across the entire surface.
'What's this...?'
Gu You quickly pulled his claw back. The next moment, he understood.
'The left dragon claw's special attribute is... tearing!'
Yes—tearing. On closer inspection, the right claw's tips were shaped like cones, while the inner tips of the left claw had sharpened edges, similar to a tiger's teeth.
On the surface, they appeared the same, but their internal function was entirely different.
Shattering and Tearing—two distinct effects, both overwhelmingly powerful. Even without tapping into Destruction energy, if both claws struck someone at the same time, the target would be driven into utter agony, suffering double the pain. Shattering didn't destroy instantly; it dismantled from the inside, letting the victim feel every organ being crushed before death.
As for tearing... add bleeding on top of that. Anyone who's been bitten by a tiger would understand.
'It hurts! It really freaking hurts!'
He brought both dragon claws together in front of him. Ding! A crisp clang rang out as they met. To his surprise, a ripple of violet-gold light radiated from the impact. The sharp ring jolted Gu You's mind awake, and the scales all over his body stood upright—diamond-shaped edges pointed outward, gleaming dangerously.
Gu You finally realized the full power granted by the fifth Golden Dragon King seal.
The left dragon claw had grown stronger and came with the Tearing effect.
When both claws clashed, they produced a sharp chime and released a violet-gold light ripple that cleared the mind and sharpened focus. In other words, it temporarily boosted one's spiritual power.
…
Life returned to routine. Monday through Friday, he studied at the academy. On weekends, he sought out Feng Wuyu to learn alloy formulas.
He also submitted his previous Tri-Alloy formula and forging method to the Federation's official alloy registry. As expected, it was classified as a rare alloy.
But what troubled Gu You most right now was the three trillion debt.
He didn't want to use the Federation's money. Doing so would mean owing a huge personal favor.
The Federation's annual military budget was only about 800 billion. If he took from them, it would be equivalent to draining over a third of it in one go.
And though there was no written loan agreement, this was still a favor—a debt of obligation. With his master watching over it, no matter how he looked at it, he had to pay it back.
Three hundred years might be enough time, but it still weighed heavily on him.
He even felt slightly grateful to Qiangu Dongfeng for cutting him off early. 'If I had absorbed all ten of those hundred-thousand-year soul beasts… just how much would I owe then?'
"One month into the semester, I believe each of you has gained something. Soon, our First Class of Year One will participate in an exchange activity with Year Six. The theme is comprehensive competition, including forging, mecha design, manufacturing, maintenance, and of course, actual combat." Shen Yi stood on the podium, addressing the students below.
'Year Six?'
"Teacher, are you sure? Some sixth-years already have battle armor!"
Shen Yi shot a cold glance at the student. "I'm sure. They'll suppress their cultivation to below five rings and won't use battle armor. For secondary professions, only selected individuals will participate."
"To ensure everyone gets involved, this match allows students to form their own teams and sign up with me. Each team must have between three and seven members. Our class representatives will compete in forging, design, manufacturing, and repair against Class One of Year Two. As for fairness, there's one advantage: Year Six teams must always send one less person than ours. So if we send a team of three, they may only send two. We'll first hold internal trials to decide the strongest team to represent us in the showdown."
'What?'
Everyone now felt that Shrek Academy's pressure was overwhelming. Going up against students five grades higher?
By the time class ended, some students were depressed. But the real prodigies were burning with excitement. A duel with Year Six was a golden opportunity. Such events granted bonus academic credits—and credits were key to graduation and entering the Inner Court.
Xie Xie nudged Gu You. "How should we build our team?"
"Just gather everyone we know. Make a team of seven," Gu You said casually.
"Boss, I've always trusted you since we were kids," Xie Xie grinned.
"Get lost," Gu You rolled his eyes at him.
Just then, Shen Yi returned—sooner than expected—and she wasn't alone. Two people entered the classroom with her.
When Gu You saw who they were, a faint smile spread across his lips…
(End of Chapter)
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