Douluo: Fiery Chains of the Soul, Sealing the Gods — Part 9

After all, every Soul Master on Douluo Continent faced the same problem.

Su Han traveled by carriage with Zhi Lin. After two days on the road, they finally arrived at the outskirts of Sunset Forest.

On this journey, Su Han felt an unprecedented sense of security, one of the many benefits of taking a powerful master as his teacher.

While hunting Spirit Beasts and condensing Soul Rings, he no longer needed to worry excessively about his safety. He could also receive careful guidance from a powerhouse, whether in improving his combat skills or resolving problems he might encounter at every stage.

It was far beyond anything mere theory could compare to.

Beside a patch of scorching lava in Sunset Forest, master and disciple beheld the majestic form of an Eight-Tentacle Lava Beast.

Zhi Lin calmly pointed it out. "Little Han, this Spirit Beast is five thousand six hundred years old, perfectly suited to your third Soul Ring."

Su Han felt incredibly fortunate. He had only entered Sunset Forest the day before, originally curious to see whether any top-tier Spirit Beasts could be found.

Who would have thought that he would encounter such an ideal choice so quickly, saving him the trouble of making other plans for the next day?

Zhi Lin displayed his strength, easily subduing the Thousand Year Spirit Beast in a mere three minutes. Su Han's heart filled with admiration and longing.

Afterward, Su Han summoned his martial soul and pierced the Spirit Beast's heart with flawless precision. A deep purple Soul Ring slowly rose, giving off an alluring glow.

At that moment, Zhi Lin's eyes were equally full of anticipation.

Under Zhi Lin's gaze, Su Han carefully drew the Soul Ring toward himself and slowly placed it around his body.

The impact brought by a five-thousand-year Spirit Beast's Soul Ring could not be summed up as mere physical pain. It was an ordeal that struck directly at the soul, as though countless fine needles were racing through his mind while his spiritual power endured endless scouring.

After eight grueling hours of absorption, Su Han finally fused with the Soul Ring. The pain and perseverance involved were beyond anything ordinary people could imagine.

Seeing this, Zhi Lin could not help but praise him. "A genius, truly a genius!

This was a Spirit Beast over five thousand years old!"

Su Han smiled modestly. "It was all thanks to fortunate circumstances, along with the medicinal baths Teacher gave me over the years. They greatly improved my physique."

Upon hearing this, Zhi Lin said earnestly, "Do not belittle yourself. Your teacher has seen every bit of your effort.

What exactly is the effect of your third soul skill?"

"Teacher, my third soul skill is called Blazing Lava Array."

"The soul skill creates a lava array with eight chains. Anyone inside is slowed by forty percent, suffers a one-hundred-and-fifty-percent increase in burning fire damage, and has ten percent of their Soul Power drained."

However, allies inside the array would not be affected. I could mark enemies at will, up to a maximum of eight. The soul skill only lasted five minutes.

"Hiss! And you're still not satisfied? Even a Soul King would be in for a rough time if trapped inside."

"Such a terrifying soul skill. With this alone, even an ordinary Soul King might not be your match, and its effects complement one another perfectly."

"I have Teacher to thank for that. Otherwise, I never would have found such a good Spirit Beast. And after absorbing the Soul Ring, my Soul Power has now reached level thirty-two."

Zhi Lin's eyes were full of pride as he said, "Let's go back and make those two old fellows jealous."

Su Han could only smile wryly. Sometimes, when these powerhouses acted childish, they were truly something else.

It was just like on Blue Star—showing off an outstanding child, then tossing out a humblebrag.

Once master and disciple had completed their planned journey, they returned to the academy.

The moment he stepped into the Education Committee office, Su Han's gaze was drawn to an extraordinarily distinguished figure—

An elderly man with white hair wore a dazzling crown and held a scepter symbolizing power and authority. At his side sat a young man of around twenty with radiant golden hair, his posture dignified and his bearing exceptional.

Seeing this, Teacher Zhi Lin hurried forward and bowed respectfully. "This old man, Zhi Lin, pays his respects to Your Majesty and His Highness the Crown Prince."

A ripple went through Su Han's heart. He had never expected Xue Ye and that "fake crown prince," Qian Renxue, to personally come here.

Though inwardly astonished, he quickly composed himself. He knew etiquette could not be neglected, so he respectfully bowed to Xue Ye and Qian Renxue as well.

Xue Ye smiled warmly, his words full of praise for Su Han. "Su Han, seeing you is even better than hearing of you. You truly have an impressive bearing, worthy of being the foremost genius of my Heaven Dou Empire."

Su Han replied modestly, "Your Majesty overpraises me. This junior merely had some fortunate opportunities. Only through Teacher's guidance and the favor and cultivation of Your Majesty and the two Education Committee elders have I achieved these meager accomplishments."

Flattery was easy enough. Who couldn't do that?

Xue Ye laughed heartily, then turned to Zhi Lin. "Your beloved disciple is truly eloquent, and so outstanding as well."

Zhi Lin modestly replied, "Though Little Han is exceptionally intelligent, none of this would have been possible without Your Majesty's full support.

Now, Little Han has broken through to the Soul Elder realm, and his Soul Power has reached level thirty-two."

The moment those words were spoken, all four of them exclaimed almost simultaneously, "A level thirty-two Soul Elder!"

Then Xue Ye laughed even more delightedly and said to Su Han, "Little Han, why not show us your Soul Rings and let us witness them ourselves?"

Su Han felt somewhat hesitant. After all, Qian Renxue's identity was sensitive, but faced with Xue Ye's anticipation, he could not refuse.

Su Han could guess what Qian Renxue was thinking with his toes, but Xue Ye was different. He was Su Han's biggest investor.

Thus, Su Han slowly extended his right hand. His martial soul appeared, and his Soul Rings lit up one after another—yellow, purple, purple. The three Soul Rings gently pulsed beneath his feet.

Although Xue Ye had already heard of it, witnessing the sight in person still deeply shocked him.

Meanwhile, the fake crown prince Qian Renxue narrowed her eyes and examined Su Han from head to toe. Appreciation flickered in her gaze, as though she were evaluating this young prodigy's true worth.

"Truly astonishing. A Thousand Year second Soul Ring—then this third Soul Ring must be extraordinary as well!"

Su Han said, "Yes, Your Majesty. This time, Teacher brought me to hunt a five-thousand-six-hundred-year Spirit Beast for my Soul Ring."

The four pairs of eyes gleamed once again.

Xue Ye laughed. "Little Han, you are the future hope of my Heaven Dou Empire. If you have any requests, feel free to make them. Do not hold back."

"This junior thanks Your Majesty for your favor."

Then Xue Ye said, "This is my son, the crown prince of the Heaven Dou Empire. You are both young, so you should have more topics of mutual interest."

Su Han was also considering how to fleece him. After all, this was the richest man in the world.

And Qian Renxue was one of the three ultimate fools—someone who could lose even with a pair of kings, four twos, and four aces.

"Little Han, may I call you that? From now on, you may call me Brother Qinghe."

After thinking for a moment, Su Han said, "All right, Your Highness the Crown Prince. Etiquette must not be neglected."

That made everyone burst into laughter.

Xue Ye's expression turned solemn as he said, "I came this time because of the All-Continent Elite Soul Master Competition five years from now. According to reliable information, the prizes for this Soul Master Competition will be three sixty-thousand-year Soul Bones."

Su Han could not believe it. Wasn't there only one sixty-thousand-year Soul Bone in the original story?

Why were there three now? It seemed my appearance had caused quite a butterfly effect!

Meng Shenji, Zhi Lin, and Bai Baoshan were all stunned as well.

Meng Shenji said, "Your Majesty, rest assured. This time, Heaven Dou Royal Academy will certainly take first place in the Soul Master Competition."

Xue Ye looked at Su Han. "Little Han, do you have confidence that you can win this competition five years from now?"

Su Han's expression immediately turned stern. "Your Majesty, rest assured. This junior will definitely win the competition and bring glory to our nation."

"However, regarding the formation of the team to bring glory to Heaven Dou, this junior believes we must be cautious in selecting members. Disciples of those great sects and powerful factions cannot possibly be loyal to the empire, so this junior wishes to secretly form a separate team."

He had no desire to be on a team with Yu Tianheng and those disciples from various factions. Since he had joined the Heaven Dou Empire, he should naturally consider the empire and offer plans for its benefit. After all, there were three sixty-thousand-year Soul Bones at stake!

Xue Ye nodded. "Good. As expected of a pillar of my Heaven Dou Empire. You have considered this matter thoroughly. I approve."

The Education Committee elders also nodded in agreement.

"This junior thanks Your Majesty for your trust. I will certainly not disappoint Your Majesty's expectations."

Xue Ye said with a smile, "Once you win the championship, I will personally grant you the title of count of the Heaven Dou Empire, and I will also reward you with an additional Ten Thousand Year Soul Bone."

Su Han froze. What a tempting promise. If I fail to win, won't it all be gone?

"This junior thanks Your Majesty."

Xue Ye said, "Since you wish to choose people and form the team yourself, I will give you my full support."

"This storage ring contains five million Gold Soul Coins, along with some rare herbs. Take them as startup funds."

"Hiss!" Su Han drew in a sharp breath. His biggest investor really was generous.

After taking the ring, Su Han moved to the side and stood quietly.

Xue Ye returned to the imperial palace first, but the fake crown prince, Qian Renxue, remained behind.

Meng Shenji said, "Little Han, will you join the first team or the second team? Teacher Qin Ming of the first team is quite good at teaching."

"Grandpa Meng, I won't be joining the first team. I'll recruit people for the second team. Only defeating opponents step by step will give me a sense of achievement."

"Good, you have ambition. Little Han, His Highness the Crown Prince came specifically for you, so we three old fellows will not disturb you." Smiling broadly, they walked out.

Now only Su Han and Qian Renxue remained. For a moment, Su Han did not know how to face her.

Qian Renxue said gently, "Little Han, there is no need to be nervous. Do not mind my identity. When no one else is around, you can call me Brother Qinghe."

"Oh, all right, Your Highness the Crown Prince."

Qian Renxue's mouth twitched. This brat...

Qian Renxue laughed to ease the awkwardness. "Little Han, if you need anything in the future, you may also ask me. After all, Father is burdened with state affairs and busy with government affairs."