The Dragon Ascends
A month flowed by, measured in the steady rhythm of academy life, the weekly crucible of the Spirit Ascension Platform, and the quiet, deepening understanding between Yao Xuan and Gu Yue.
The 1000 Gold Evolution Points from his forging breakthrough, combined with steady gains from cultivation and battles, were funneled relentlessly into his Ancestral Dragon bloodline. The progress was palpable—a hum of latent power growing louder beneath his skin. At 19.6% awakening, he could feel the threshold approaching, a mere 0.4% away from a qualitative leap. The promise of the second layer of Qi and Blood Circulation, and the new abilities it would unlock—'Ancestral Dragon Chaos Qi,' the 'Left Claw Transformation,' an enhanced 'Intermediate Ancestral Dragon Body'—hung before him like a radiant dawn. He needed only a few more weeks of accumulation.
His soul power, while not yet breaking into the 23rd rank, had deepened, its currents more potent and controlled. His mental strength, nurtured by the divine Creation Soul Forging Technique, continued its exceptional climb, sharpening his perceptions and spiritual reach.
And then, there was Gu Yue. The unspoken acknowledgment after the wolf-pack battle had settled into a new, comfortable rhythm. The calculated distance was gone. They walked to classes together, shared meals in the cafeteria, and discussed everything from soul beast taxonomy to the nuances of elemental control. Their conversations were a dance—Yao Xuan's strategic, transmigrator-aided insights meeting Gu Yue's brilliant, subtly ancient intellect. Physical contact remained innocent: the occasional brush of hands when passing notes, a steadying grip on her elbow during practical drills, the brief, warm press of her shoulder against his as they studied. It was a language of quiet presence, a bond woven from shared secrets, mutual respect, and the indelible foundation of Na'er's pure trust. Yao Xuan cherished its simplicity and its depth.
Their classmates had grown as well. The sixth excursion into the Spirit Ascension Platform was a world away from the first fumbling, fearful entry. Zhang Yangzi had learned patience and scouting. Wang Jinxi, though he still bore a healthy fear of spiders, had honed his defensive instincts. Xie Xie moved through the digital forests like a born predator, his attacks clean and efficient.
Tang Wulin's growth was particularly striking. No longer feeling like dead weight, he had embraced his identity as a blacksmith in combat. His forging hammer, swung with formidable strength, became a terrifying weapon against simulated beasts. More importantly, the constant spiritual nourishment and life-or-death pressure had catalyzed his unique soul spirit, 'Golden Light.' It had matured into a hundred-year spirit, which he'd renamed 'Golden Speech'—a companion that now subtly enhanced his Blue Silver Grass, making the vines tougher, more responsive.
Yao Xuan, however, hunted with a different purpose. While others sought survival or skill, he pursued a specific milestone. The Ancestral Dragon Soul Spirit, a being of such profound origin, demanded a staggering amount of energy to ascend. Over the weeks, he had fed it the spiritual essence of countless century beasts and several millennium creatures. Today, he could feel it—a saturation point, a brimming fullness within his soul sea.
In the simulation, he became a specter of focused harvest. He sought out and dispatched four millennium-level soul beasts—a Deepwood Boar, a Gale-Horned Stag, a pair of Graniteback Turtles. Each fell to the Supreme Dragon's Claw, their spiritual energy siphoned into the waiting vessel of his soul.
As the last wisp of pale purple energy from the second turtle merged with him, he felt a sudden, profound stillness, then a gathering quake deep within.
'It's time.'
Without a word to the simulated forest, he pressed the exit beacon on his wrist.
In the observation room of the Spirit Pagoda, his pod hissed open unusually early. Long Hengxu raised an eyebrow. "Yao Xuan? Is something wrong?"
"My soul spirit," Yao Xuan said, his voice calm but carrying a weight of anticipation, "it's ready to evolve."
A ripple of quiet astonishment went through the staff. Soul spirit evolution within the Platform was possible, but rare—it required not just luck, but the systematic, massive accumulation of high-grade spiritual power, a feat far beyond most Soul Elders, let than a Great Soul Master. Yet, looking at the boy who had casually slain Millennium Crystal Bears and Netherwolf Kings, it made a terrifying kind of sense.
Yao Xuan paid them no mind. He crossed his legs on the floor right there, between the pods. Closing his eyes, he turned inward.
A warm, nine-colored radiance began to seep from his pores, not fierce, but magnificent, like the first light of a primordial sun. His aura, usually contained, began to gently expand, filling the space with a sense of ancient, dignified power. To his classmates gathering around—Wang Jinxi, Tang Wulin, Xie Xie—it felt not threatening, but awe-inspiring, like witnessing a mountain decide to grow taller.
Gu Yue, who had exited just after him, stood a few paces away. Her silver eyes were fixed on him, utterly still. The sovereign within her analyzed the energy waveforms, the density of the spiritual compression, filing away priceless data on the evolution of a supreme draconic entity. But Na'er's heart, and the part of Gu Yue that was becoming inseparable from it, swelled with a fierce, protective joy. She saw not just data, but him achieving a new pinnacle. Her hands, held loosely at her sides, tightened briefly.
Inside Yao Xuan's soul sea, a universe was being remade. The form of the Ancestral Dragon Spirit, already majestic, was undergoing a metamorphosis. It grew, its scaled form elongating, becoming more substantial, more real. The nine-colored light at its core brightened, and the two claws—symbols of its manifested power—became sharper, more defined, etched with faint, natural patterns of cosmic law. A low, reverberating groan, felt rather than heard, echoed in the depths of his consciousness—the sound of a slumbering legacy stretching awake.
Time in the external world lost meaning. An hour and a half passed in the silent, charged room.
Then, it culminated.
Yao Xuan's eyes snapped open. Within them, a nine-colored vortex swirled and vanished. From his body, the ethereal yet solid form of the Ancestral Dragon Spirit erupted, circling him once in a stately, powerful arc. As it did, the two soul rings at his feet changed.
The bright, clear yellow darkened, deepened, and transformed into a profound, majestic purple. The light they emitted was richer, heavier, thrumming with the consolidated power of a thousand years.
A Millennium Soul Spirit. Millennium Soul Rings.
The light and the phantom dragon faded, absorbed back into him. Yao Xuan rose to his feet, feeling the new equilibrium in his soul. The power was not just greater; it was denser, more authoritative, more seamlessly a part of him.
"Yao Xuan, congratulations!" Tang Wulin's grin was wide and genuine. "A purple soul ring! That's incredible!"
"The boss just keeps getting more monstrous," Xie Xie said, shaking his head with a laugh that held only admiration.
Wang Jinxi and Zhang Yangzi added their heartfelt congratulations, their expressions a mix of envy and inspiration. Even Wu Changkong offered a slow, deliberate nod from across the room, the highest praise he usually gave.
Gu Yue finally stepped forward. Her eyes met his, and in them, he saw the reflection of his own success, clear and bright. "A significant step," she said, her voice soft but carrying the weight of her understanding. A small, sincere smile touched her lips—a reward more precious to him than any praise.
"Thank you, all of you," Yao Xuan said, his voice steady but infused with a quiet warmth. He felt… complete. The platform, the battles, the relentless pursuit—it had all led here.
Internally, he focused.
A streamlined, narrative-friendly interface superimposed itself on his vision, detailing the new parameters of his Millennium Soul Skills. But more than the data, he felt the truth in his bones. The 'Ancestral Dragon Sky-Rending Claw' now held the weight of ages. The 'Ancestral Dragon Overlord Body' would be a fortress tempered by eons.
He had crossed a threshold. The foundation was set. As the chatter of his friends filled the room, his thoughts drifted to the fast-approaching winter break, and to the secluded library that awaited. The evolution of his soul was complete. Now, the journey to understand its full, destined purpose was truly about to begin.