Chapter 71: Ye Ye Xinglan's Heart, The True Team, The Golden Dragon Python and

The headquarters of the Soul Tower, the Soul Spirit Tower.

The Soul Spirit Tower is not a true tower, but one of the 108 floors of the Soul Tower, a virtual world similar to the Spirit Ascension Platform.

The entrance is a hall hundreds of meters in diameter, its roof triangular, with a pale golden gem floating above.

Before the brilliant golden light gate, the girl stood straight, her ponytail tied neatly, the light falling on her handsome and heroic profile filled with stubbornness and persistence.

"Starfall Unicorn..."

Ye Ye Xinglan clenched her fists, her expression carrying an indescribable complexity.

She hails from the Star Saint Sword family; although the Ye family is not the top-tier Soul Master power, with its clan leader being only a Super Limit Douluo and a Three-Character Dou Armor Master, they are closely allied with Shi Shi Laike Academy, sending elite disciples to Shi Shi Laike every generation to train and grow.

The Star God Sword is a mutated evolved version of the Star Saint Sword, appearing occasionally when clan members awaken their martial souls, just like the Star Wheel Ice Staff of the Xu family in Donghai City.

Ye Ye Xinglan was undoubtedly fortunate; the Star God Sword is far stronger than the Star Saint Sword, yet she will also bear greater responsibilities at such a young age.

At nine years old, through the Ye family's strong recommendation, Ye Ye Xinglan entered Shi Shi Laike Academy via a special channel like Sister Mu Xi, outside the regular enrollment period.

Both the Ye family and Shi Shi Laike Academy were clear: bringing Ye Ye Xinglan in was to cultivate her as a Shi Shi Laike insider, destined to become a Sea God Pavilion Elder in the future.

This was a transaction satisfactory to both sides; Shi Shi Laike Academy gained a super genius, while the Star Saint Sword family hitched a ride on the world's number one academy.

You cannot catch a wolf without risking the child; a Star God Sword that cannot be stably inherited is better off joining Shi Shi Laike Academy; after all, the blood of the Ye family flows in her bones, and no one can change that.

The Ye family elders held an ultimate goal: once Ye Ye Xinglan became the Sea God Pavilion Master following the Sky Limit Douluo Yun Ming, they could transform into a greedy natal family, using family bonds to force Ye Ye Xinglan to transfer Shi Shi Laike resources to their own home.

Shi Shi Laike Academy has a 20,000-year legacy; beneath the Golden Ancient Tree lies countless treasures; spitting out even a tiny scrap is enough to elevate an entire family a step.

When young, Ye Ye Xinglan did not understand what was meant by exchange of interests; she only knew to listen to the family elders and Shi Shi Laike teachers, giving everything in her life to guard the ten-thousand-year glory.

Until two years ago, by the lakeside of the Sea God Lake at night, the resonance of Dao intent and Sword intent moved her heart; a figure quietly appeared in Ye Ye Xinglan's heart, and she developed an impulse to join the Soul Tower.

With an excited yet anxious heart, Ye Ye Xinglan made a Soul Tool communication call to seek her parents' consent, only to be scolded head-to-toe by her parents.

From the day she entered Shi Shi Laike Academy at nine, her path was set; the only sect the Ye family allowed Ye Ye Xinglan to join was the Tang Sect, which shares the same spirit as Shi Shi Laike Academy; forget about the Soul Tower, the War God Temple, or the like.

Ye Ye Xinglan tossed and turned, sleepless all night; it turned out she had long been priced and sold off by the Ye family to Shi Shi Laike Academy as a package.

Yuanen Yehui, due to her mother's death, resolutely left the Titan family and joined the Soul Tower without hesitation, whereas Ye Ye Xinglan had not suffered such a massive shock.

The love the Ye family gave her was not enough to let her be reckless and be herself; the hate could not support her abandoning everything and fleeing far away; the dull pain of a soft knife cutting flesh was more distressing than love or hate.

Due to the rarity of the Starfall Unicorn, the Soul Tower made an outrageous demand, but the Ye family was only willing to provide half the resources, giving Ye Ye Xinglan a chance to storm the tower, and lightly told her to find powerful teammates to storm the tower together.

Storming the tower allows a team of up to seven, provided the age gap among the seven does not exceed three years; Ye Ye Xinglan is a cold and silent person, with pitifully few friends around her.

Zhao Xuan Na and Yue Ye are both Soul Tower disciples; only she is the exception. Perhaps if she speaks up, those four would agree to accompany her in storming the tower.

Ye Ye Xinglan received a full set of Divine Foundation Alloy One-Character Dou Armor; Zhao Zhao Xuanzhen never mentioned a single word about money; asking him and his people for help to storm the tower again would mean the debt of gratitude could never be repaid.

Releasing her clenched fists, she sighed lightly; Ye Ye Xinglan looked down at her shoe tips, as if two ears had grown behind her head, drooping pitifully, like a small dog no one cared for or loved.

"Ye Xinglan."

A familiar, warm voice came from behind; Ye Ye Xinglan turned in surprise, meeting a pair of deep, dark pupils; at the same time, there were three other gazes, each smiling warmly at her.

Zhao Zhao Xuanzhen, Xiang Xiang Naer, Gu Yue, Yuanen Yehui.

Her eyes suddenly became sour; her usually clear, cold starry eyes shimmered with water; something hard seemed stuck in Ye Ye Xinglan's throat, making it almost impossible to breathe.

"We are here to storm the tower with Yuanen; Ye Xinglan, do us a favor?" Zhao Zhao Xuanzhen spoke.

"Thank you, thank you everyone..."

The girl's voice trembled terribly; Yuanen Yehui did not need to storm the tower; it was merely Zhao Zhao Xuanzhen taking care of her pride.

The group looked at each other, each revealing a kind smile.

"We are one team; saying thank you makes us distant."

"Help each other."

"Walk hand in hand."

"Come on, let's storm the tower together."

Ye Ye Xinglan's eyes shone brighter than ever before; she knew she would devote her life to the four close friends before her, facing fire and water without hesitation; she nodded heavily and said:

"Yes, storm the tower together!"

Gold spread; five figures walked in a row, disappearing into the golden light gate.

The next instant, the crisp sound of high heels striking the ground rang out; Leng Yaoju's eyes were playful; she hummed lightly: "The trident has become a five-pronged fork; the team is growing stronger.

However, it seems your surroundings are all beautiful girls; at such a young age, you are quite the unsteady little one..."

Light and shadow gradually solidified; the Soul Spirit Tower revealed its mysterious veil.

A vast octagonal hall, surrounded by eight metal doors; the five immediately entered a combat alert state; Gu Yue suggested: "Zhao Zhao Xuanzhen, there is no recovery time while storming the tower; let's split into groups. One group fights, the other two rest, preserving strength to deal with the gradually strengthening soul beasts."

Zhao Zhao Xuanzhen nodded, adopting Gu Yue's suggestion and assigning: "Before encountering a sufficiently powerful opponent, we will split into three groups: Ye Xinglan and Yuanen in one group, Xiang Xiang Naer and Gu Yue in another, and I will be alone in the third; the three groups will take turns fighting."

As soon as the words fell, pairs of blood-red beast eyes lit up behind the eight metal doors; sturdy wild bulls charged out, their numbers extremely high, with more than a dozen behind each metal door, totaling nearly a hundred.

The first level of the Soul Spirit Tower: a herd of wild bulls, one thousand-year wild bull leader, the rest all hundred-year soul beasts.

"We'll go first!"

Ye Ye Xinglan and Yuanen Yehui spoke in unison; they needed to fuse soul spirits, so they planned to contribute more strength.

A hundred wild bulls breathed heavily, their eyes blood-red; their iron hooves made the ground hum as they crushed toward the two girls.

Ye Ye Xinglan held the Star God Sword; sword light poured from the blade like a galaxy; a brilliant star curtain sprinkled around her; her toes touched the ground, her figure leaped up, and the Star God Sword intent erupted fiercely!

Titan Giant Ape body fusion; Yuanen Yehui expanded into a three-meter giant; her fists collided, air exploding with a dull thunderous boom; using the ground for leverage, she launched into the air; the ground instantly collapsed into a deep pit; her whole body descended like a cannonball toward the herd of bulls!

Yuanen Yehui did not mind getting soul spirits for free by storming the tower; after all, neither method required her to pay; storming the tower was a good opportunity to test her combat skills.

Fist wind carried a sonic boom shriek, smashing directly into the head of the leading wild bull; blood mist exploded; the wild bull's skull and half its spine were crushed to powder.

The aftermath had not yet dissipated; three wild bulls behind were knocked over by the shockwave; the thunderous trampling of iron hooves joined the crisp sound of bones breaking; Yuanen Yehui executed a classic "tornado destroying a parking lot"; her arms swept like sky-supporting pillars through the army; the wild bulls, known for copper sinews and iron bones, snapped like withered grass; hot blood flew like a crimson rainstorm.

The Star God Sword pointed diagonally toward the sky; her aura climbed step by step; with her heart-mind clear, Ye Ye Xinglan's Star God Sword intent seemed to evolve once more. The wild bulls' charge resembled countless intersecting star trajectories; starlight in her eyes surged; the Star God Sword traced mysterious arcs.

In an instant, thousands of star swords fell; starlight wove an impenetrable sword net; the wild bulls' roars ceased abruptly; their horns snapped, iron hooves shattered, and flesh peeled away layer by layer like flower petals.

It was a one-sided slaughter. Yuanen Yehui smashed the last thousand-year wild bull leader away with a single punch, and Ye Xinglan seized the opportunity, cleaving it in two with the Star God Sword. The impassioned roar of the Titan Ape mixed with the clanging of the Star God Sword, the sound wave shaking heaven and earth.

"First level of the Soul Spirit Tower cleared. You may choose the thousand-year Wild Bull Soul Spirit. Choose whether to absorb it within ten seconds."

An emotionless electronic voice suddenly echoed. A golden light gate rose from the ground, with a phantom of a wild bull hovering before it.

The five walked into the light gate one after another, arriving in an identical hall with eight metal doors, just like before.

The howl of wolves was desolate and distant. Dim green eyes flickered. The grey-blue mane on the backs of the Gale Demon Wolves stood on end, and drool dripping from their fangs etched scorched black holes.

Ye Ye Xinglan and Yuanen Yehui adjusted their soul power on the spot. The next pair to appear would be two halves of the Silver Dragon King.

The wolf pack possessed greater cultivation, discipline, and tactics. They did not launch an immediate assault but cautiously closed in on the center from all directions.

Standing within the wolf encirclement, Xiang Xiang Naer and Gu Yu resembled two clusters of silently burning flames. Xiang Xiang Naer held a spear in one hand; the blade of the Silver Baiyin Baiyin Longqiang was cold, and the dragon patterns coiled on the spear shaft awakened in her palm, emitting clear dragon roars.

On the other side, a seven-colored halo constantly rotated around Gu Yu, with elements waiting like subjects for a queen's decree.

"Sixty-four." Xiang Xiang Naer spun a beautiful flourish with her spear, a provocative curve forming on her lips. "Dare to compete? Whoever kills more will accompany Zhao Zhao Xuanzhen to the Spirit Ascension Platform tomorrow."

"Childish."

Gu Yu sneered, then quietly traced a blazing white fire line with her fingertip, blasting a Gale Demon Wolf to death!

The flames sounded the horn of battle, and the wolf pack pounced!

"You cheated!"

Xiang Xiang Naer angrily scolded Gu Yu for having no martial ethics. She swept the spear shaft horizontally like a silver dragon wagging its tail. Where the Silver Baiyin Baiyin Longqiang passed, the air was sliced into countless silver fractures.

A Gale Demon Wolf leaped into the air. Before its fangs could touch the spear tip, it was shredded into a mist of blood by the unstoppable spatial power. The crisp sound of shattering bones mixed with the wolves' wails, and clusters of scarlet blood flowers bloomed on the second level of the Soul Spirit Tower.

Compared to Xiang Xiang Naer's pure spatial attribute, Gu Yu's battlefield was a carnival of elements.

The earth rose up in rock spike cages, pinning the wolf pack in mid-air. Ice arrow storms pierced their grey-blue fur, wind blades shredded their sharp claws, and fire waves incinerated their remains. Gu Yu's elemental control was exquisite; every ounce of soul power used was precise as mechanical gears.

Shadows suddenly descended from the sky. It was a giant wolf over three meters tall, its fur a deep abyss-like black, with two grotesque heads deformedly bulging from its neck!

The wolf pack leader, the Gale Two-Headed Wolf!

The Gale Two-Headed Wolf possessed extremely high combat intelligence. It had been hiding within the wolf pack. Now, it erupted and attacked, not pouncing on Xiang Xiang Naer who excelled in close combat, but choosing to ambush Gu Yu amidst the elemental torrent!

The two wolf heads roared in fury. Fangs formed of wild wind stabbed toward Gu Yu's back. Xiang Xiang Naer's pupils suddenly contracted. The Silver Baiyin Baiyin Longqiang tore through the air waves and shot forward, but it was ultimately half a moment too late.

"Idiot, who asked you to save me?"

The Demon Wolf's fangs pierced only a lingering afterimage. Space distorted. Gu Yu teleported directly above the Gale Two-Headed Wolf, clasping her hands into a ring where the two great elements of Light and Darkness converged.

The light element burned to its utmost, while the dark element annihilated and devoured. Before the two wolf heads could even wail, they were instantly destroyed by the power of light and darkness. Gu Yu landed lightly, glancing at Xiang Xiang Naer, who looked heartbroken and wore an expression of "I knew I shouldn't have saved you."

The Gale Two-Headed Wolf fell. The wolf pack seemed to lose its backbone, crumbling into disarray as the Black and White Duo harvested wolf heads.

A wind blade pierced the head of the last Gale Demon Wolf a step ahead of the Silver Baiyin Baiyin Longqiang. Gu Yu said proudly, "Thirty-two each, but the Gale Two-Headed Wolf counts as two, so I won."

"Who said that!"

Xiang Xiang Naer, indignant, refuted, "It wasn't mentioned before the fight that the Gale Two-Headed Wolf counts as two. We both have thirty-two. It's a tie!"

"Shut up."

"You... I haven't even mentioned your cheating yet!"

While the Black and White beauties bickered, the electronic voice sounded again. This time, they could choose the thousand-year Gale Two-Headed Wolf Soul Spirit.

The Gale Two-Headed Wolf did not meet their needs. The five continued to ascend the tower. In the following levels, everyone took turns displaying their strength. They quickly cleared eleven levels and entered the twelfth. The metal doors slowly decreased from eight to one.

A ferocious aura spread from behind the metal door. A giant python over thirty meters long slowly slithered out. Its entire body shimmered with Jin Guang, its golden scales dazzling and magnificent.

Four thousand years. The Golden Dragon Python!

The offspring of a Golden Python and a Golden Dragon, possessing the ability to control the metal attribute and the brute force of a Golden Dragon of the same level, albeit three points inferior!

The thirty-plus-meter snake body crushed the earth. The Golden Dragon Python raised its head, its golden beast eyes brilliant beyond measure. The scales refracted shimmering light, their edges sharp as blades. The snake's mouth suddenly gaped wide, the lower jaw tearing down to the body. A stench-laden wind carrying metal shavings gushed out, like a tyrannical Golden Dragon announcing the arrival of death!

On the twelfth level, it was Zhao Zhao Xuanzhen's turn. As his clothes fluttered, a flowing Taiji diagram condensed in his palm. Black and white qi intertwined and rose. The Golden Dragon Python's giant mouth swallowed down, its fangs flashing with Jin Guang. At the moment it fell upon the Taiji diagram, it was held back by the power of Yin and Yang.

Yin and Yang rotated. The Golden Dragon Python was violently rolled back, its body crashing into the ground along with half its length. Dust shot into the sky, cracks spread like a spiderweb across the earth, and the entire twelfth level of the Soul Spirit Tower groaned in response.

"Roar—"

The Golden Dragon Python roared in fury. The metal attribute transformed into golden arrows shooting forth, slicing through the air with a shriek like a ghost weeping.

Zhao Zhao Xuanzhen moved like a phantom, charging forward toward the Golden Dragon Python without hesitation, dark gold sharp light blooming from his fingertips. The Golden Dragon Python sensed the sharpness of the Dark Golden Fearsome Claw. Its body coiled, scales standing on end, and the metal element condensed into a tangible golden armor covering its entire body!

"Boom!!!"

The Golden Dragon Python contained a strand of Golden Dragon bloodline within its body, believing it could rely on its physique to withstand the Dark Golden Fearsome Claw. However, the golden armor shattered like cloth. The claw mark swept across the snake's neck, and time seemed to freeze.

Those golden beast eyes reflected a human's stern face. A human-like emotion of fear appeared for an instant, then instantly solidified into dead grey-white. The snake head fell, the cut smooth as a mirror. The headless body collapsed limply, and the golden scales gradually lost their luster in the dust.

Zhao Zhao Xuanzhen retracted the Dark Golden Fearsome Claw that had instantly killed the Golden Dragon Python. Looking at Ye Ye Xinglan, who was recovering her soul power on the spot, he said gently:

"That mutated Starry Sky Unicorn's cultivation is approximately four thousand five hundred years. It is hard to say whether it is stronger or weaker than the Golden Dragon Python. This beast was likely specially arranged by the Transfusion Tower to block you."

"Hmm!"

Ye Ye Xinglan's eyes sparkled. Without the help of her four good teammates—Zhao Xuan, Na, Yue, and Ye—she, having fought eleven battles, would surely not have passed the Golden Dragon Python.

Passing the soul spirit of the terrified Golden Dragon Python, the four stepped into the thirteenth level of the Soul Spirit Tower.

Shortly after, a majestic unicorn emerged from the metal door. Its body was covered in white-gold fur, with starlight flowing under the illumination. The lines of its shoulders and neck were exceptionally sharp. Its long tail raised, scattering points of light dust. The pair of wings folded on its back were white as snow, tinged with a faint golden edge.

Starry Sky Unicorn!

(End of this chapter)