Er Ming led Gu Chen and his companions to the core area of the Star Dou Forest, where they were met by a black-haired man.
This man was none other than the transformed human form of the Golden-Eyed Black Dragon King, Di Tian.
"Master!" Gu Chen leaped off Er Ming's palm and landed on the ground. Di Tian knelt on one knee, his expression filled with reverence.
"Mm." Gu Chen nodded slightly. "I came here today to break the fourth seal with Na'er and reach level 40. Starting from the fourth seal, our true forms will be revealed when unlocking the seals. Your task is to conceal the energy fluctuations we release to prevent human experts from detecting us."
"Understood!" Di Tian nodded firmly. The Beast God unleashed his power, driving away soul beasts within a thousand-mile radius.
At the same time, he instructed Da Ming and Er Ming to guard the core area's perimeter to prevent any intrusions.
Di Tian rose into the air, releasing a subtle energy that shrouded the sky above them, ensuring that no aura could escape.
Gu Chen nodded in satisfaction and turned to Gu Yue Na. "Na'er, let's break the fourth seal and condense the fourth spirit ring."
Gu Yue Na nodded, then sat cross-legged. Having performed this process three times before, she was already quite familiar with it.
Gu Chen also sat down and activated his soul power to break the fourth seal.
His human body instantly expanded, transforming into a towering dragon. The Golden Dragon King radiated golden light, and with each step, he left deep craters in the ground.
Behind him, Gu Yue Na's figure disappeared, replaced by the Silver Dragon King. Her body became covered in gleaming silver scales as divine power erupted from within her.
As the fourth seal shattered, a vast surge of divine energy washed over Gu Chen's body. However, because he had already fully cultivated ten levels of soul power, this divine energy did not enhance his soul power further.
Instead, the energy split into two streams: one circulated throughout his body, strengthening his physique until his skin emitted a faint golden glow. The other fused with his soul power, enhancing the quality of his Golden Dragon King's energy.
This was the reason he chose to cultivate anew—only by forging his own strength could he achieve a qualitative transformation in power.
Under normal circumstances, divine energy would partially dissipate, but Gu Chen quickly guided it to merge with his soul power before any was lost, condensing a new spirit ring.
After breaking the fourth seal, his physical strength had already surpassed that of an average Soul Douluo.
Gu Chen reverted to his human form—a handsome boy once again appeared, sitting cross-legged as a spirit ring rose behind him.
The ring skipped the white, yellow, and purple stages and directly turned black. Moreover, its deep black hue gradually darkened further.
When the color finally settled, his fourth spirit ring had gained a reddish tint—signifying at least 90,000 years of age!
Under normal circumstances, absorbing a 90,000-year spirit ring would require at least Soul Douluo-level cultivation!
"Ding!"
"System Character Panel:
Name: Gu Chen
Age: 12 (Actual age: 209,000,006 years)
Strength: 1,000,000 (Normal level 41 Soul Ancestor: 2,000)
Spirit Power: 6,030 (Normal level 41 Soul Ancestor: 1,000)
Bloodline: 99.075% Golden Dragon King, 0.925% Dragon God
Level: 41 Soul Ancestor (Fourth seal unlocked)
Spirit Rings: Purple, Black, Black, Black
Overall Evaluation: Apparent strength comparable to a Soul Douluo, actual strength unfathomable.
System Inventory: 99,980 Gold Soul Coins, 2x Soul Power Amplification Cards."
"System, what's going on with my bloodline?" Gu Chen asked.
"Ding!"
"Host, through your re-cultivation, you have purified your Golden Dragon King bloodline, making it even purer."
"Alright then." Gu Chen nodded.
Upon reaching level 41, his strength had doubled, making him 500 times stronger than an average Soul Ancestor of the same level!
As a soul master's level increases, differences in attributes usually diminish. While Gu Chen's power at level 39 was also 500 times that of a typical Soul Ancestor, the quality of his power had now far surpassed his previous state!
Gu Chen exhaled deeply and looked toward Gu Yue Na.
The beautiful girl sat with her eyes closed, her long silver hair cascading over her shoulders. Elemental energy swirled around her, and the mesmerizing glow of seven colors surrounded her figure.
Behind her, a deep black spirit ring slowly stabilized, indicating an age of around 60,000 to 70,000 years. As her spirit ring merged back into her body, the girl opened her eyes.
"How do you feel?" Gu Chen asked with a slight smile.
Gu Yue Na returned his smile and nodded. "My spiritual power has grown even stronger."
"Ding!"
"System Character Panel:
Name: Gu Yue Na
Age: 12 (Actual age: 209,000,006 years)
Strength: 40,000 (Normal level 41 Soul Ancestor: 2,000)
Spiritual Power: 100,000 (Normal level 41 Soul Ancestor: 1,000)
Bloodline: 99.15% Silver Dragon King, 0.85% Dragon God
Level: 41 Soul Ancestor (Fourth seal unlocked)
Spirit Rings: Purple, Purple, Black, Black
Overall Evaluation: Beneath her stunning appearance lies an unparalleled power."**
"System, why is Na'er's bloodline purer than mine after unlocking the fourth seal?" Gu Chen asked, puzzled.
"Ding!"
"Host, are you dense? You placed 18 seals on yourself, while she only has 9. How could they possibly be the same?"
"...Uh." Gu Chen felt slightly insulted.
"Alright, it's about time we head back to find Xiao San and the others," Gu Chen said as he glanced around. "Huh? Where's Xiao Wu?"
The Azure Bull Python emerged from a distant lake, its massive head rising above the water. "Xiao Wu is condensing her spirit ring. She should be done within ten minutes. Master, thank you for looking after her."
Gu Chen waved a hand dismissively. "It was nothing. By the way, once I return, I'll be heading to the Spirit Hall. At that point, we'll have to part ways with Xiao Wu, and I might not be able to watch over her anymore."
The Sky Azure Bull Python hurriedly responded, "That's alright! Master, we're already deeply grateful that you took care of her during this time. We wouldn't dare ask for more."
Gu Chen said nothing more and simply waited in silence.
Seeing that Gu Chen and Gu Yue Na had finished their breakthroughs, Di Tian withdrew his concealment of their energy and stepped forward.
"You should continue training in the Star Dou Forest. If I need you, I will call for you," Gu Chen instructed.
Di Tian nodded in acknowledgment.
At that moment, a fluctuation of soul power signaled Xiao Wu's arrival. A pink light flashed, and the girl appeared before them. She stuck out her tongue playfully. "Sorry, Master, I was condensing my spirit ring just now."
Seeing her, Gu Chen smiled. "It's fine. From now on, just call me Brother Chen, and call her Sister Na'er."
"Master, this… that's not appropriate!" The Sky Azure Bull Python exclaimed.
"It's fine. Let's keep it this way. Xiao Wu is quite adorable, after all." Gu Chen chuckled.
A sharp gleam flickered in Di Tian's eyes as he turned to Xiao Wu. "Xiao Wu, since the Master holds you in such high regard, you must not let him down!"
Xiao Wu's rabbit ears perked up excitedly. "Yes!"
"Let's head back before Tang San gets worried," Gu Chen said.
"Mhm." Xiao Wu blushed and nodded.