A Brand New Holy Soul Village

Autumn was even more full of thriving life than spring.

Autumn was even more splendid and colorful than spring.

Look at that stretch of mountain forest—red, yellow, black... every color imaginable. The trees about to enter hibernation looked like blooming flowers, one after another. They were beautiful beyond compare.

The little birds had turned into bees, buzzing around the fruit trees laden with fruit. Weren't they gathering honey?

"Child, listen to my advice. You should leave!"

"That's right, child. It's been so many days already. I've told you, our village chief isn't in the village. Even if you kneel here, he won't know about it!"

"Child, why don't you go back first? When our village chief returns, I'll put in a good word for you."

Just as Ning Qiu, Xiao Wu, and Old Jack were about to reach the village entrance, they saw several people gathered ahead. The sound of their discussions carried over from afar.

"Eh, look! It's the village chief! The village chief is back!"

A villager pointed at Ning Qiu.

Ning Qiu arrived at the village entrance and swept his gaze around. Before the archway stood a young man kneeling on the ground. It was none other than the Gatekeeper Lad from Notting Academy.

"He's still kneeling?" A trace of surprise flashed through Ning Qiu's eyes.

"Isn't he? He's been kneeling for over a month already!" Ning Sixth Uncle replied sympathetically.

Without realizing it, a month had already passed since Ning Qiu left Holy Soul Village.

This trip had not delayed Ning Qiu in the Star Dou Great Forest for too long. The journey there had taken half a month, and the journey back had taken another half a month.

After forming an alliance with the Silver Dragon King and registering the three soul beasts as village residents, Ning Qiu had once again made the Titan Giant Ape serve as free labor, sending Ning Qiu, Xiao Wu, and Old Jack out of the Star Dou Great Forest.

For Ning Qiu, this trip had merely been a scare without real danger.

"Ning Qiu, why don't you agree to it? Let him become a resident of the village?" Ning Sixth Uncle pleaded on the Gatekeeper Lad's behalf.

"Get up," Ning Qiu said flatly.

"You agreed?" The Gatekeeper Lad sprang to his feet in delight. But after kneeling for so long, he could not stand steadily. His legs gave out, and he dropped back onto the ground.

"Go back. I told you already: since you called our village a grass nest and a beggar village, there is no need for you to enter it." Ning Qiu's tone remained calm.

"If you don't agree, then I'll keep kneeling until you do." The Gatekeeper Lad's gaze was resolute as he knelt again at the village entrance.

"Are you sure?" Ning Qiu asked.

"I'm sure," the Gatekeeper Lad answered.

Ning Qiu smiled and beckoned Ning Chen over, whispering something into his ear. Ning Chen nodded and left the village entrance.

Before long, Ning Chen returned, accompanied by a little boy. There was also a dog with him.

"A dog?" The Gatekeeper Lad froze, his eyes widening.

Good lord, the dog following the little boy was nearly a meter tall. It looked utterly terrifying.

Woof! Woof! Woof!

The little boy pointed at the Gatekeeper Lad. The dog barked a few times and charged toward him.

"Mother!"

With a jolt, the Gatekeeper Lad scrambled up from the ground. Half running and half crawling, he fled Holy Soul Village.

After exchanging a few pleasantries with the villagers, everyone dispersed.

"Village Chief, the Gatekeeper Lad stopped Tang San and me back then, but thinking about it now, he wasn't really wrong. His duty was to guard the gate, and Tang San was someone with Innate Full Soul Power whom he had never seen before. Tang San's martial soul was also the useless martial soul, Blue Silver Grass. He kept us outside only because he feared we would cause trouble and bring him unnecessary problems. In my opinion, why not let this matter go and allow him to become a resident of our village?" As one of those involved, Old Jack spoke up for the Gatekeeper Lad who had once insulted him.

"Grandpa Jack, I understand your reasoning. But for certain reasons, the number of registered residents in Holy Soul Village has a limit. We cannot allow outsiders to enter Holy Soul Village whenever they wish. Only those who pass the test are qualified to become residents of our village," Ning Qiu explained.

"You mean you're testing him?" Old Jack asked.

"Mhm." Ning Qiu nodded, then instructed Ning Chen beside him, "Ning Chen, if he comes again, have someone set the dogs on him again. I want to see just how firm his will really is."

"Alright, Village Chief." Ning Chen nodded with a smile.

Old Jack smiled, deeply gratified. Though Ning Qiu was young, even Old Jack sometimes could not match him in handling people and affairs. With Holy Soul Village in Ning Qiu's hands, Old Jack felt completely at ease.

"While I was away from the village, did anything happen?" Ning Qiu asked with concern.

From Ning Chen's account, Ning Qiu learned that after he taught those hooligans a lesson last time, none of them dared come to cause trouble for Holy Soul Village again. Once the villagers learned that farming could earn them soul power, they all became even more diligent. No one wanted to buy or sell Vegetables anymore; they all wanted to remain in the village to farm, hoping to become honorable soul masters sooner.

Furthermore, half a month ago, the villagers suddenly discovered that their levels had risen. Moreover, they had all risen at precisely the same time. The worst increase was two levels, while some had risen by as many as four levels. On average, every registered villager had gained three minor levels of soul power.

Take Ning Chen and Gou Dan, for example. One had the Iron Broom as his martial soul, while the other had a hoe. On that day, both of their soul power rose by one minor level. Ning Chen and Gou Dan were now both one-ring, level thirteen soul masters. Compared to Douluo's protagonist Tang San, who had only just obtained his first soul ring and become a one-ring, level thirteen soul master, wasn't that something?

As for why the villagers' soul power had suddenly increased, Ning Qiu had already received an answer from the system.

It turned out that the village upgrade trial mission concerned the entire village. Once the village upgrade trial mission was completed, all registered residents of the village would receive benefits.

There were slight differences, however.

For example, Xiao Wu and Old Jack had accompanied Ning Qiu outside to complete the mission. Aside from receiving soul power rewards, they had each received two hundred Contribution Points.

The other residents of Holy Soul Village were different. Since they had not participated in the village upgrade trial mission, they only received soul power rewards and no Contribution Point rewards.

It was worth mentioning that even the soul power rewards differed. The rewards received by Old Jack and Xiao Wu were higher than those of Ning Chen and the others. Ning Chen's level twelve soul power had only risen by one minor level, while Xiao Wu's level twelve soul power had risen by three minor levels. As for those other villagers who had risen by four levels, it was because they were merely the lowest-ranked Soul Scholars. The soul power required to rise a level was far lower than it was for Xiao Wu, who was in the soul master realm.

Furthermore, as the village chief and the one who had contributed the most during this trip, Ning Qiu received far more soul power than Xiao Wu and the other villagers. The Contribution Points he received were also five times those of Xiao Wu and Old Jack.

This was another benefit of being the village chief!