Douluo: My Clone Is Groudon

"Xiao Wu, go back to the dormitory and ask Wang Sheng if there's anyone in the academy with a spider martial soul. If you find someone, come back and tell me immediately. Xiao San, we still have enough Mithril left to forge another dial. Let's make one more."

Having created a prototype, Gu La used his Appraisal Eye to examine it, identifying any flaws so he could avoid them during the next attempt, assembling a more perfect device.

"Alright."

Suppressing his curiosity, Tang San continued hammering the Mithril. With each strike of the small hammer, the silvery dial gradually took shape under his hands.

Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhuqing went off to find Wang Sheng and inquire about potential candidates. For now, the garden was filled only with the rhythmic clang of metal striking metal.

Gu La released his Aura to confirm that Tang Hao wasn't around, then took out the soul bones Xiao Wu had given him and began appraising them. As expected, he found three feline spirit beast soul bones:

- An 8,000-year Tiger Demon Cat left arm bone, 

- A 28,000-year Shadow Cat King left leg bone, 

- A 6,000-year Netherworld Spirit Cat right arm bone. 

Gu La thought to himself: "Among these three soul bones, the Netherworld Spirit Cat's matches Zhu Zhuqing's martial soul perfectly. The stimulation effect will be optimal—after Mega Evolution, the duration will extend slightly, and energy consumption will be minimal." 

"Next is the Shadow Cat King soul bone. Its long lifespan signifies high-tier bloodline strength. If transformed into a martial soul, it would undoubtedly be top-tier." 

"As a Dark-attribute feline bloodline, it can also stimulate the Netherworld Spirit Cat martial soul, significantly boosting combat power. Later on, there's even a path for its bloodline to evolve further after reaching 50,000 years, becoming the Shadow Cat Emperor." 

"As for the Tiger Demon Cat, its bloodline strength is impressive. By discarding elemental attributes, it combines the power of tigers with the agility of cats, resulting in formidable combat capability." 

"The Netherworld Spirit Cat martial soul can fuse with the Evil Eye White Tiger martial soul, indicating a significant compatibility between its bloodline and tiger-type spirit beasts." 

"If I choose this soul bone, it might have implications for future martial soul evolution."

For a moment, Gu La hesitated. The Netherworld Spirit Cat's bloodline, while average in strength, offered more options. 

He considered letting Zhu Zhuqing decide for herself but quickly shook his head, a confident smile spreading across his face. 

"Since there are multiple options, why not make it a three-setting device? Netherworld Spirit Cat for endurance, Shadow Cat King for assassination, and Tiger Demon Cat for versatility."

With this new approach, Gu La realized his earlier worries were unnecessary. He promptly informed Tang San to alter the dial's design, leaving two additional grooves. 

Meanwhile, he began dividing the soul bones. Zhu Zhuqing would eventually belong to him, so he selected the best segments from the soul bones. 

Everyone remained busy. Soon, Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhuqing returned to the garden. 

"Lalala, lalala~" 

Xiao Wu hummed an unknown tune she'd picked up somewhere, her carefree and optimistic personality making Zhu Zhuqing secretly envious. 

Approaching Gu La, Xiao Wu recognized the soul bone in his hand but showed no sign of regret, merely curious about what he was doing. 

She relayed the information she'd gathered: 

"There's a student in the academy with a spider martial soul—a third-year named Zhu Fugui. His family owns the largest fabric shop in the city. They specialize in raising silkworms and other silk-spinning insects, producing expensive fabrics for sale in major cities."

Gu La nodded, his mind drifting to another matter. 

Soul fusion techniques allowed two soul masters of the same level to unleash combat power exceeding their ring levels by two or more. 

While the Mega Evolution device didn't offer such dramatic effects, it could still boost a soul master's combat power by five to ten levels. Once revealed, it would undoubtedly spark a frenzy among soul masters. 

Moreover, like soul bones, the Mega Evolution device could be passed down through generations if properly maintained, making it another form of Blood River Treasure. 

Should he add a recognition program? He wasn't yet prepared to deal with the chaos of war. 

"No, no," Gu La shook his head. "The Mega Evolution device is different from soul bones. Anyone can fuse with a soul bone, but the Mega Evolution device has specific requirements for martial souls." 

"Even if it's stolen and used recklessly, at best, the martial soul will backlash, damaging the device. At worst, conflicting bloodlines could prove fatal." 

"It seems I'll need to write a paper beforehand to warn the greedy nobility and sect forces."

Gu La's expression remained calm, but his eyes gleamed with satisfaction. 

Mega Evolution was a significant matter, especially when explaining the essence of Aura. He'd need to find substitutes for it within the Douluo Continent. Writing over a dozen papers wouldn't be a problem. For the next two years, he wouldn't need to worry about paper topics. 

Turning to Xiao Wu, he praised her: "Good job. As a reward, you can have three extra energy cubes at lunch." 

Xiao Wu sniffed haughtily: "I helped you not for the reward, but since you mentioned it, I'll graciously accept!" 

She chuckled and ran off to Zhu Zhuqing, proudly showing off. 

Zhu Zhuqing smiled gently, envying how carefree Xiao Wu could be. She wished she could be as carefree as Xiao Wu, but that was just wishful thinking. 

Soon, Tang San finished crafting the device casing, and Gu La began assembling the Mega Evolution device. Having already examined the Human-Faced Demon Spider evolution device, he worked with greater proficiency. 

He adjusted the wave-guidance frequency at critical points, forming patterns resembling soul-guided arrays to efficiently transmit energy. 

"All done."

Gu La clapped his hands. On the silver-white dial, stimulated by the Aura acting on the soul bone, a black shadowy cat silhouette emerged. 

Zhu Zhuqing's bright eyes flickered. "I feel… a kind of attraction from it." 

"You're not mistaken," Gu La explained. "This is my latest invention—the Mega Evolution device. It's newly manufactured, so the internal components haven't fully settled yet. You won't feel it for much longer." 

After explaining, Gu La carefully stored the Mega Evolution device and said, "Follow me." 

The three followed him as he made his way to the ordinary students' dormitory. His eyes glowed blue as he hypnotized the students along the way, entering the dormitory without drawing attention. He soon located Zhu Fugui, a third-year student. 

"Come with me." 

There was a strange magic in Gu La's voice. Zhu Fugui, a chubby white boy, followed without resistance, his eyes vacant. 

Xiao Wu nudged Tang San, gesturing with her eyes: "What's Gu La up to?" 

Tang San shook his head. From the name of the Mega Evolution device, he had some guesses, but they were too shocking. Even the most scholarly individuals wouldn't believe such speculations. He himself felt they were far-fetched, so he hadn't dwelled on them. 

Gu La looked at the dazed boy and instructed, "Release your martial soul." 

Zhu Fugui nodded stiffly. "Spider martial soul, attach." 

The gray-brown martial soul enveloped him. A pair of menacing mandibles appeared on his face, and thick bristles sprouted on his hands and legs. Even as a temporary manifestation of soul power, it startled everyone present. 

"What an ugly martial soul," Xiao Wu remarked disdainfully. 

Zhu Zhuqing and Tang San nodded in agreement, their eyes filled with pity. Such a martial soul must have been mocked relentlessly in daily life. 

Gu La had anticipated this reaction and wasn't surprised. Aside from a few species, most spiders evolved forms suited for hunting, which naturally sacrificed aesthetics.

Appearance-wise, there wasn't much to expect. 

Gu La tossed the Human-Faced Demon Spider Mega Evolution device to Zhu Fugui. "Wear it on your left hand, release your soul power, resonate with your martial soul, and press the button." 

"Okay." 

The boy put on the watch-like device and pressed the button.

------------------------------------------------------

40+ Chapters Ahead: patreon.com/EphemeralShadow

There's something for free patrons too! Free Patrons receive 1 chapter in advance :)