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After examining the golden sphere, Li Luochen stored it away. He believed it to be a dragon core—the core of that golden dragon. Li Luochen speculated that this dragon must have been a divine-level creature.
As for what level of divinity, Li Luochen couldn't tell. His understanding of gods was limited to the hierarchical classifications in his memories.
Li Luochen could sense the immense power of the golden dragon core—it was far beyond his current ability to harness. He believed he would need to absorb the golden torso bone first before attempting to absorb the core.
However, Li Luochen was uncertain about the identity of this dragon. First, he ruled out the possibility of it being the Golden Dragon King, who was still serving time in the godly prison.
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God Realm, Forbidden Zone
"Ah-choo! Who's thinking about me? Damn you, Asura!"
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"The Light Dragon King should be in the Dragon God's tomb, but this dragon core doesn't have any light attributes. Could it really be the Golden Dragon?
The Golden Dragon carries the bloodline of the Golden Dragon King, but the Golden Dragon King was created when the Dragon God was split apart and was immediately suppressed by the human deities of the God Realm. How could it have descendants?
The Dragon God did have a son, but he's long gone. So who else could this golden dragon be? The idea of the Golden Dragon doesn't quite fit, even though everything about it screams Golden Dragon. But where exactly did the Golden Dragon come from?"
Li Luochen was filled with questions. He was utterly perplexed. However, he planned to absorb the torso bone at level sixty-eight, breaking through to level seventy in one go, and then absorb the long-stored divine-bestowed spirit ring.
This would finally break through the agonizingly slow cultivation speed of his ultimate attribute. Once he became a Soul Sage, his cultivation would skyrocket. Li Luochen had cursed his ultimate attribute countless times.
Dugu Yan, without an ultimate attribute, was already incredibly strong. She was on the verge of becoming a Soul Douluo, while Li Luochen was still stuck as a Soul Emperor. The growing gap between them was exhausting to think about. He often felt like he was freeloading off her strength, though deep down, he knew it wasn't entirely true.
Currently at level sixty-seven, Li Luochen was eager to increase his rank. However, this silly fellow had completely forgotten about the three high-quality spirit bones of sub-dragon species with golden bloodlines in his possession, one of which was a hundred-thousand-year spirit bone.
The storage soul-guided device hung around his neck like a necklace. Initially captivated by the image of the golden dragon, he had completely overlooked the fact that he had also collected three spirit bones.
(Author: Tsk! How could you forget the cheats I gave you?!)
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Second Floor, Side Room
At this moment, Zhu Zhuqing removed her damaged leather jacket and changed into a fresh set of sportswear. She needed to tend to her wounds.
She had to recover quickly and grow stronger as soon as possible—to crush that despicable man beneath her feet.
Zhu Zhuqing vowed never to yield to such a man. She wanted to fight back!
But at her current level of twenty-seven, resisting him would be difficult. Her sister had told her that Dai Mubai was now at level thirty-seven—ten levels higher than her. Catching up would be tough, but that didn't mean she would give up.
After treating her wounds, Zhu Zhuqing sat on the bed and began meditating. She wanted to grow stronger quickly; rest was a luxury she couldn't afford.
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Three Days Later
The shop door opened, and a boy and a girl walked in.
The boy was dressed plainly, appearing twelve or thirteen years old, with a height of about 170 cm. He wore a sleek, pale blue outfit that looked sharp and efficient. A belt embedded with twenty-four jade stones wrapped around his waist, and his shoulder-length black hair framed his face. Though not particularly handsome, his demeanor was approachable, and a faint smile always lingered on his lips.
The girl had silky smooth black hair braided into a neat scorpion braid that extended past her calves. She was slightly taller than the boy.
Her long, toned legs were encased in white pants, perfectly proportioned according to the golden ratio. Despite her youthful appearance and slightly childish features, her arched eyebrows, large watery eyes, and slightly rounded, rosy cheeks made her both beautiful and endearing. The word "cute" seemed tailor-made for her. Standing next to her, the boy was overshadowed by her radiant presence.
"Xiao San, are all these soul-guided devices?"
Hearing the noise, Li Luochen opened one eye and quickly identified the pair as Tang San and Xiao Wu.
He hadn't seen Tang San before, but Xiao Wu's rabbit ears and pink-themed attire were unmistakable. In an instant, Li Luochen understood.
'This hundred-thousand-year rogue rabbit looks pretty good, comparable to Qian Renxue. She's even slightly taller than Zhu Zhuqing. Too bad her hundred-thousand-year spirit ring and spirit bone are more attractive than her appearance. Besides, love-struck fools, stay away!'
Tang San's gaze shifted to an item hanging on the wall. He honestly replied, "I don't know unless we test each one with soul power. You can't tell just by looking."
"Hey, esteemed customers, all our soul-guided devices here are top-notch, carefully collected by our shop owner. Are there any that catch your interest?"
Oscar had already begun attending to the guests. When it came to social interactions, Li Luochen didn't care much, but Oscar was a natural social butterfly—almost like a professional charmer. If he were in Li Luochen's previous life, he'd undoubtedly be a top-tier salesman.
At this moment, Tang San's attention was fixed on a piece of silvery-white metal.
"How much is this sunken silver?"
"Two hundred gold soul coins!"
Li Luochen's calm voice echoed. Tang San and Xiao Wu turned their gazes toward the source of the sound.
A man stood up from the reclining chair. His features were delicate yet rugged, his eyes sharp and commanding, exuding an aura of authority without needing to raise his voice. His muscular build radiated strength, and his arms were full of power. His black, slightly wavy hair ended in a multicolored wolf tail at the back.
He wore a dark green officer's uniform, draped with a black leather overcoat adorned with a red auspicious cloud pattern. Black boots covered his feet, and at a towering height of 195 cm, he appeared incredibly imposing.
Xiao Wu had initially intended to haggle, but upon seeing Li Luochen, she swallowed her words. Her hundred-thousand-year instincts told her this man was extremely dangerous, though she was certain he wasn't a Soul Douluo.
Tang San simply thought the man was tall and imposing, reminding him of his drunkard father. He placed a bag of gold soul coins on the table, took the sunken silver, and left with Xiao Wu.
"Thank you for your patronage. Please visit again soon."
Oscar called out to the departing Tang San and Xiao Wu, then turned to look at Li Luochen.
"I say, Big Brother Chen, are you still half-asleep? What's with that tone? Did you wake up on the wrong side of the bed? Why do I feel so intimidated by you these past two days?
If I weren't raised by you, I'd think you've become a completely different person. Big Brother Chen, hurry up and return to your usual gentle self."
Oscar found Li Luochen's tone over the past two days unsettling. Normally, Li Luochen came across as calm and gentle, but recently, he had been icy cold.
"Hey, what do you know, kid? This is called building a cool and aloof persona! Do you understand? Look at your hyperactive self—how could any talented young woman fall for you? Tone it down a bit. Silent men are the most attractive."
With that, Li Luochen flicked his bangs. Unbeknownst to him, this scene was witnessed by Zhu Zhuqing, who had just descended the stairs.
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