Chapter 54: Almost Exposed Naer, Yin-Yang Qilin, and the Golden Tree Spirit

A new day, a new beginning.

The two walked along a shaded path toward the Zero Class classroom building; Xiao Naer stepped in front of Tang Xuanzhen, whirling the Silver Dragon Spear with majestic flair, carving rifts in space as she spoke vividly:

“Yesterday afternoon, I battled the Sky-Piercing Douluo for eight hundred rounds, back and forth, nearly shattering the Island of the Sea God and erasing the Sea God Lake!”

“Really now?” Tang Xuanzhen feigned mild surprise at the right moment.

“Of course!” Xiao Naer flicked her spear tip, spinning nine silver-white spear blossoms. “Otherwise, how else do you think we earned the chance to reach the Golden Tree?”

“This feat outweighs heaven itself,” Tang Xuanzhen gave a thumbs-up, genuinely praising her.

With the Silver Dragon Spear slung behind her back, Xiao Naer turned her back to Tang Xuanzhen; sunlight cascading from above outlined half her exquisite profile as she sighed with deep emotion:

“The Sky-Piercing Douluo? Not bad.

But he met me—using transcendent wisdom to spot his weakness, then delivering a fatal strike with overwhelming power, securing my chance to attain enlightenment beneath the Golden Tree!”

“Yes, yes, yes! Empress Xiao Naer is peerless under heaven!”

Tang Xuanzhen clapped, smiling warmly: “Shall I write a book about you? I’ve already thought of the title.

‘Heaven-Sent Goddess: At Ten, I Defeated the World’s Greatest.’”

Hearing Tang Xuanzhen’s enthusiastic praise, Xiao Naer beamed even brighter, thrusting her Silver Dragon Spear repeatedly with fiery enthusiasm:

“Based on my years of reading hundreds of books on the Soul Net, this book will be a smash hit! Remember to make me look handsome… Hey, let me describe the battle details in more depth…”

“Alright, we’ve reached the classroom—talk about your great deeds after class,” Tang Xuanzhen said with a smile.

“The path’s too short—I haven’t even finished talking.”

Xiao Naer pouted, disappointed, and retracted her Silver Dragon Spear.

Shi Laike Academy holds five classes per week, and Zero Class is no exception. Practical combat is always the foundation of a Soul Master’s strength, so three days a week are dedicated to combat training, while the other two cover Doukai and Soul Master theory/moral education.

Today, Shen Yi was teaching a branch of Soul Master theory: Soul Beast Theory.

Although soul beasts on the continent have grown increasingly rare, nearing extinction, soul spirits, beast martial souls, and beast-type weapon martial souls still retain soul beast traits.

Understanding soul beasts helps students form a basic impression of these three categories, clarifying their strengths and weaknesses.

“Beast martial soul—literally, the martial soul is a real-life soul beast. A beast Soul Master’s path should be to learn from the soul beast, maximizing its strengths and avoiding its weaknesses…”

Shen Yi’s lecture drifted into his ear; these were lessons Han Tianyi had already taught him, simulating various soul beast phantoms in real-life illusions and assigning Tang Xuanzhen and Xiao Naer to spar against them.

Xiao Naer propped her chin on one hand; soon, her mind wandered. She’d never liked dull theory classes, let alone recycled knowledge. Bored, she secretly turned her head to observe Tang Xuanzhen at the next desk.

Tang Xuanzhen’s expression remained calm as still water, his gaze fixed steadily on Shen Yi at the podium, treating it as mere review.

Watching him, Xiao Naer found herself unable to look away. In her memory, her childhood friend rarely showed impatience—he was endlessly patient in everything he did.

In the bright, spacious classroom, golden sunlight streamed through the windows, making his clear, handsome face absurdly beautiful and shattering the pink hearts of teenage girls.

She shifted to cradling her cheeks with both hands, her slender legs beneath the desk involuntarily crossing, her small white teeth peeking out in delight; she decided class wasn’t so bad after all—she could watch Tang Xuanzhen all day without growing tired.

Zero Class had only four students; even if Shen Yi were slow-witted, he couldn’t miss Xiao Naer. Seeing the silver-haired girl lost in daydreams, he had an idea:

“Next, let’s discuss the most extraordinary soul beasts: the hundred-thousand-year soul beasts.

Ancient texts record that when a soul beast breaks through the hundred-thousand-year cultivation barrier, it gains one chance to transform into human form, awakening its true body as its martial soul. For example, Tang San’s ancestor’s mother was a hundred-thousand-year Blue Silver Emperor; his wife, the Soft Bone Douluo Xiao Wu, was a hundred-thousand-year Soft Bone Rabbit reborn.

But exceptions exist.

Ten thousand years ago, the Spirit Ice Douluo Huo Yuhao once encountered a Golden Dragon Soul Master named Wang Qiu’er—her true form was the Emperor Auspicious Beast, the Three-Eyed Golden Lion.

The Academy theorizes that when auspicious beasts and other special soul beasts transform, they trigger a rare ability within their bloodline, causing their true form to become their martial soul. The Three-Eyed Golden Lion carries Golden Dragon bloodline, hence it could awaken a Golden Dragon martial soul and wield the divine weapon, the Golden Dragon Spear.

Speaking of the Golden Dragon Spear, I just remembered—it bears striking resemblance to the martial soul of one of your classmates.”

“Silver Dragon Spear, Golden Dragon Spear—perfectly matching the gold and silver dragon bloodlines. Isn’t that a coincidence, Xiao Naer?”

“!!!”

Xiao Naer turned her head mechanically, her silver eyes wide with shock, her expression utterly stunned—wait, how did I just get exposed?

“Teacher Shen, are you saying Xiao Naer is also a soul beast?” Xu Li raised his hand to ask.

At once, Xiao Naer broke into a cold sweat, her eyes darting everywhere—she fidgeted with her fingers, scratched her arm, pretending to be busy.

Shen Yi smiled: “Xu Li, your courage in asking questions is commendable—but you overlooked a detail.

Wang Qiu’er’s Golden Dragon Spear is a weapon; her martial soul remains the beast martial soul, Golden Dragon. But Xiao Naer’s Silver Dragon Spear is a weapon-type martial soul. There’s a fundamental difference.

If Xiao Naer were a soul beast transformed into human form, her martial soul would be Silver Dragon, with the Silver Dragon Spear as her weapon.

Therefore, the conclusion is obvious: Xiao Naer is not a transformed soul beast—she is a normal human Soul Master.”

The tide turned; Xiao Naer’s nearly scattered soul reassembled. The feeling of standing on the edge of a cliff was heart-stopping; she glared at Shen Yi with a gaze caught between a betrayed wife and an innocent prisoner wrongfully jailed.

Seeing Xiao Naer now paying attention, Shen Yi smiled faintly and continued: “For over twenty thousand years, scholars of the Soul Master world have developed a method to identify hundred-thousand-year reborn soul beasts.

Reborn soul beasts can only possess beast martial souls or plant-type martial souls. Soul Masters with weapon-type martial souls like the Silver Dragon Spear, Star God Sword, body martial souls, or food-type martial souls—these are definitely not soul beasts.

Rest assured: all your classmates are human Soul Masters.

That concludes today’s lesson. Dismissed.”

After Shen Yi left the classroom, Xiao Naer’s body went limp, collapsing onto her desk.

Only now did she realize: she hadn’t listened to class at all—she’d been staring at Tang Xuanzhen, nearly drooling. Shen Yi had used this trick to remind her to pay attention.

But Shen Yi’s accidental remark had unintended consequences: whether Xiao Naer admitted it or not, she was indeed a transformed soul beast—part of the ancient soul beast, the Silver Dragon King.

“That was terrifying—thank goodness the Silver Dragon Spear became my martial soul…” Xiao Naer thought inwardly, relieved.

The next second, a shadow fell over her head; she looked up to see Tang Xuanzhen smiling warmly at her.

“Nervous, little Silver Dragon?”

“Little Silver Dragon my ass!

Do I even look like a dragon?”

The silver-haired girl scowled, raising both hands to form horns above her head.

Tang Xuanzhen burst into laughter as if hearing something hilarious, watching the proud, flustered girl as he murmured:

“Even if you are, I’ll keep raising you.”

“Huh!?”

Xiao Naer jerked her head away, flicking her silver hair wildly to shield her blushing cheeks—she was as obvious as a man burying silver in the ground. Her heartbeat spiraled out of control.

“W-what are you talking about! Who needs you to raise me!” Xiao Naer put on a fierce front, pretending to be angry: “Rumors spread with one mouth, but refuting them takes legs running off! Didn’t you hear Teacher Shen’s twist? I’m not a Silver Dragon at all!”

“Fine~ You’re the Dragon Spear Goddess Xiao Naer. Let’s go eat.”

“Hehe, let’s go!”

If Gu Yue had been beside them, she’d have had zero appetite. But the silver-haired girl’s astonishing obliviousness didn’t register that she’d used “like,” while Tang Xuanzhen had quietly switched to “is.”

One laughed, one teased, the two walked out of the classroom together. Ye Xinglan, watching it all, felt an unusual glimmer in her blue eyes.

“Sister Xinglan, what’s wrong?” Xu Li asked cautiously.

“Nothing.”

Ye Xinglan shook her head, rising to leave the classroom. Ahead, she could barely make out the two figures playfully bickering. She didn’t know why—but suddenly, she felt a pang of envy.

…

After lunch, Tang Xuanzhen and Xiao Naer headed to the core of the Island of the Sea God: the Golden Ancient Tree.

The Golden Ancient Tree stood at the center of the Island of the Sea God, radiating boundless life energy that nourished the entire island.

A wooden house was built leaning against the Golden Tree; a black plaque hung above it, inscribed with three gilded characters: Sea God Pavilion.

The Sea God Pavilion was the highest deliberative body of Shi Laike, also its treasure vault, storing all secrets within.

The two stopped before the Sea God Pavilion. Only ten Elder Hosts of the Sea God Pavilion were allowed to enter the Golden Tree. Ordinary inner-ward students were granted one lifetime opportunity to enter for enlightenment; outer-ward students had no qualification—only envy.

“Senior Qiantian, we’re here!”

Xiao Naer called out; instantly, the entire Sea God Pavilion glowed, bursting into brilliant golden light, transforming into a dazzling golden pavilion as if forged from pure gold.

Thick, gentle golden radiance drifted down; Tang Xuanzhen and Xiao Naer’s vision blazed white. When their feet touched ground, they stood in a vast hall, flanked by several corridors, with a young man standing at its center.

“Senior Qiantian.”

Tang Xuanzhen saw the Sky-Piercing Douluo for the first time. While Xiao Naer had been curious yesterday, his gaze was deeper, filled with unspoken emotion.

Yun Ming gave a slight nod: “You stand within the underground space of the Golden Tree. Our Shi Laike ancestors built one hundred and eight chambers here, each simulating the cultivation environment of every martial soul on the continent.

These underground chambers are extraordinarily powerful simulated cultivation realms—but this isn’t merely for cultivation. The key is to reflect, to find your own unique path forward.”

He paused, casting a meaningful glance at Xiao Naer, then said:

“Xiao Naer, go to the fifth corridor on the left, enter the third door. Tang Xuanzhen, go to the eighth corridor on the right, the last room.

When you awaken from meditation, your enlightenment ends.”

Though reluctant to part from Tang Xuanzhen, Xiao Naer knew their martial soul affinities were too different to cultivate together; she waved and walked left.

The golden door was made of Golden Tree wood, slightly ajar. Xiao Naer pushed it open—a massive surge of spatial energy slammed into her; in an instant, her entire body turned crystalline silver-white.

The room seemed a miniature of infinite space; walls flowed with star-river light bands, the ceiling floated countless shimmering stars. Xiao Naer drew a deep breath, every pore opening, forming a wondrous connection with this space.

“A spatial attribute room… so miraculous…”

Xiao Naer murmured, sitting cross-legged and closing her eyes, attempting to communicate with the space, guiding the spatial energy into her body.

As she savored the beauty of spatial energy, Yun Ming’s voice suddenly echoed: “Xiao Naer, this room is saturated with spatial crystals—the perfect place for a spatial martial soul cultivator to seclude himself.

Beyond cultivation, I hope you’ll reconsider: become my sole direct disciple.”

“Yes, Senior Qiantian.”

Xiao Naer replied solemnly, inwardly dismissing it; after a few breaths, she sank into deep meditation. Spatial elements flowed naturally, her soul power surged, her spirit energy reached unprecedented vigor, and insights arose one after another.

As her meditation deepened, her thoughts grew lighter, merging with the space, perceiving every subtle fluctuation, even manipulating them to create miniature spatial domains.

This unprecedented sensation filled her with awe and joy; her abilities crystallized and unified in enlightenment.

On the other side, Tang Xuanzhen pushed open the wooden door. Inside was a dim, solemn chamber; its walls bore ancient Yin-Yang totems, the air thick with oppressive energy.

The oppression came from the center of the room—more precisely, two massive soul beast corpses.

Both beasts belonged to the same species, their bodies stretching a hundred zhang long; one wore white-gold scales, the other deep black-gold, their scales edged like blades, engraved with mysterious ancient runes. Once radiant as suns, they now glowed with dull, lifeless hues—as if darkness had devoured all vitality.

The beasts were dead, but their aura still lingered; the two colossal beasts, one yin and one yang, left behind a yin-yang field that formed a vast cage, imprisoning Zhao Xuanzhen and pressing inward relentlessly.

After a brief moment of surprise, Zhao Xuanzhen unleashed his True Self Martial Soul—the Taiji diagram rotated in rhythmic harmony, resisting the oppressive force emanating from the two colossal beasts. He sat down on the mat in the center of the room, gathering his mind and focusing his spirit.

Yunming’s voice sounded again: “Zhao Xuanzhen, the soul beast remains before you are the ten-thousand-year yin Qilin and the ten-thousand-year yang Qilin.

Thirteen thousand years ago, the yin and yang Qilin ravaged the Douluo Continent, seeking to destroy the human race. Eventually, Shrek Academy intervened, and five elder masters of the Sea God Pavilion joined forces to slay them.

The bloodline of the yin and yang Qilin is noble, equal to that of the true dragon of the dragon clan. The interplay of yin and yang will impose immense pressure upon you—but growth is the process of enduring pressure.

Such an opportunity comes only once.”

No sooner had the words ended than the aura of the yin and yang Qilin surged violently; layers upon layers of black-and-white ripples spread through the room, forcing Zhao Xuanzhen to give his all to resist.

After a long while, Zhao Xuanzhen’s state stabilized, and his body began to absorb the energy currents of the yin and yang Qilin. Suddenly, a massive golden light cluster burst into his spiritual realm.

“Roar—”

Tengshe awoke instantly, its blood-red beast eyes opening wide, letting out a furious roar toward the golden light cluster, its throat brimming with searing flame ready to erupt.

“Wait, Tengshe.”

Zhao Xuanzhen halted Tengshe, and the light cluster responded with an ancient voice.

“Forgive me, Elder Tengshe. I mean no harm—I was forced to communicate with you in this manner.”

The light cluster transformed into a hunched old man, his beard trailing to the ground, his pale golden eyes crystal clear, his voice gentle:

“Hello, variable of fate.”

(End of Chapter)