The Nine Heart Begonia's Past

"You... what did you do? We're disciples of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. Y-you can't kill us."

With Elder Qin, their strongest fighter, gone, the three young men instantly collapsed to the ground, babbling incoherently.

Han Yu naturally had no intention of letting them go.

However, this battle had also made him deeply aware of the Fallen Heart Flame's power.

A Soul Emperor, gone just like that.

Perhaps his current ability to control fire was still insufficient to threaten experts above the Soul Douluo level. But relying on Heart Fire to distract them in battle was still possible.

Glancing at the three young men before him, Han Yu did not rush to act. Instead, he turned his gaze toward Ye Lingling.

"Lingling, I know you're a support-type Soul Master. Asking you to kill someone may be more than you can bear, but you need to think this through. Once you let these people go—"

Before he could finish, Ye Lingling snapped her fingers in imitation of him.

Without even a scream, the three young men dissolved into nothingness.

"Fine, forget I said anything." Han Yu clicked his tongue.

As though a heavy burden had been lifted, Ye Lingling's body went limp, and she collapsed into Han Yu's arms.

"It seems there's a deep grudge between you and the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect."

"Teacher Han..." Tears glimmered in Ye Lingling's eyes.

Her family had been hunted by the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect for so many years. Today, they had finally reclaimed a little interest.

Han Yu gently stroked her forehead and comforted her. "So, you went to Heaven Dou Royal Academy to seek the Heaven Dou Empire's protection?"

Ye Lingling nodded, but hesitated to speak.

Few forces could shake the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. She was afraid of dragging Han Yu down, and even more afraid of implicating the other students at the academy.

Of course, if Han Yu knew what she was thinking, he would be delighted if Ning Fengzhi and Sword Douluo came to Nuoding Academy.

When that time came, Xiao Wu would surely be a greater temptation than Ye Lingling.

Tsk, tsk, tsk. Tang Hao fighting Sword Douluo—what a rare chance to observe and learn.

"Can you tell me about what happened between you?"

Ye Lingling lightly bit her lip. After struggling internally for a moment, she finally made up her mind.

"A long time ago, there was no sect like the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect on the continent. Because of the powerful support abilities of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda Martial Soul, the first Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect Master became acquainted with many powerful experts."

"At that time, an ancestor of our Ye Family had a Martial Soul that unexpectedly mutated into the Nine Heart Begonia. Relying on its powerful healing effects, he likewise gathered a large number of powerful experts."

The earliest Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect had merely been a somewhat larger family. Back then, the Ye Family was a family of equal renown.

Although the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda Martial Soul could not break past the limit of seven rings, this misfortune proved a blessing, as the Martial Soul could be passed down continuously.

The Ye Family's Nine Heart Begonia Martial Soul, however, could only be passed down to a single descendant each generation, and at most two Nine Heart Begonia Soul Masters could exist in the same era. Only after one of them died could another possibly be born among their descendants.

Relying on the inheritance of their Martial Soul and making friends with powerful experts in every field, the Ning Family grew stronger. In the end, the Ye Family was too weak and isolated, and was swallowed by the river of time.

By now, Ye Lingling's family could only be considered a third-rate family.

Naturally, the Ning Family knew how powerful the Nine Heart Begonia Martial Soul was. To prevent them from one day breaking through the limits of their Martial Soul's inheritance, they had hunted Nine Heart Begonia Soul Masters without pause for nearly a thousand years since the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect was established.

Even Han Yu could not help frowning upon hearing these secrets.

They had hunted them for a thousand years. The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect really was capable of such things.

It seems I still don't understand Douluo Continent well enough. The original novel I read in my previous life was merely written from Tang San's perspective, a chapter of the victors.

As one of the victors, Ning Fengzhi naturally would not record their dark side.

And during the Soul Master Grand Competition, Ye Lingling had been killed by the Spirit Hall Golden Generation, so Ning Fengzhi naturally had no reason to bring this matter up again.

Furthermore, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect and the Heaven Dou Empire were in a cooperative relationship. Ning Fengzhi truly could not forcefully kill a talent valued by Xue Ye.

Of course, Ye Lingling's Soul Power Level had not been high back then. If she broke through to Soul Saint after graduating, even if Spirit Hall did not act, Ning Fengzhi would likely have Sword Bone Douluo make a move.

"I'm sorry, Teacher Han. I still won't join your academy. I'm afraid the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect will..." Ye Lingling lowered her head, her eyes filled with guilt.

"Lingling, even if our academy cannot stand against the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, please believe me. If the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect dares lay a hand on you, I'll make sure they never return."

The power of Heavenly Flames was not limited to this. Han Yu was confident that he could use it to threaten a Titled Douluo.

Xiao Huohuo could use Buddha's Wrath Fire Lotus to blow up a Dou Zong. He could do the same.

"Let's go. Your teacher needs to obtain a Soul Ring as well. As for the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, you don't need to worry. Those people were killed just now, and the news cannot possibly reach Ning Fengzhi."

"Okay, okay."

To avoid any further measures from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, Han Yu did not dare linger nearby.

Three days later, he found a soul beast suitable for him, just as he had hoped.

"A twenty-six-thousand-year-old Flame Fire Fierce Flying Bird. It's just right."

Although its age exceeded the limit by a thousand years, with the Hundred-Thousand-Year Fire Cloud Crane Soul Ring he possessed and the lingering will within it, the remnant soul of this Flame Fire Fierce Flying Bird posed no threat at all to his sea of consciousness.

The Fire Cloud Crane was the emperor among birds, not something a mere twenty-six-thousand-year-old soul beast could compare to.

"Teacher Han, isn't this soul beast's age too high?" Ye Lingling asked doubtfully.

Han Yu was a teacher. How could he possibly fail to distinguish a soul beast's age?

"It's fine. My fourth Soul Ring is a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Ring. You know that absorbing Soul Rings strengthens a Soul Master's physique, right?"

Ye Lingling nodded.

However, those who could absorb Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Rings were ultimately few across the continent. No one knew just how far a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Ring could raise one's physical strength.

Ye Lingling said no more. Han Yu set up a ring of Heart Fire around her. Should any soul beast approach, it would immediately be burned to ashes.

With no worries behind him, Han Yu gripped the Fire Cloud Staff and charged out.

"A soul beast's physical constitution is far stronger than a human's. In terms of strength, this thing is probably no weaker than that Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect elder. Sigh... If I had a technique for controlling flames, I could destroy this soul beast with a wave of my hand."

Still, Han Yu was not greedy.

The power of Heavenly Flames was certainly formidable, but he still had another Martial Soul. He could not rely blindly on Heavenly Flames while abandoning the cultivation of his first Martial Soul.

"Hiss—"

The Flame Fire Fierce Flying Bird noticed Han Yu's presence.

Any uninvited guest who appeared in its territory would be regarded as an intruder.

"Stop screeching. You're too loud."

"Third Soul Skill, Treading Flame."

Han Yu was bathed in flames, his speed and fire-attribute abilities increasing by fifty percent.

His Martial Soul had evolved, and the effects of his Soul Skills had improved considerably as well.

Back then, his third Soul Ring could only provide a twenty-percent boost.

As he closed in on the Flame Fire Fierce Flying Bird, Han Yu's Fire Cloud Staff whirled rapidly through the air.

"First Soul Skill, Fire Cloud Waltz Staff."

"Roarrr—"

The Flame Fire Fierce Flying Bird soared into the air. As its wings flapped, a sea of flames swept toward Han Yu.