Astonishing Everyone

"Can he actually keep up?!" Yu Tianheng looked at Lang Lei, who had been following alongside them at an unhurried pace, his face filled with surprise.

Everyone on their side was above level thirty on average! Lang Lei looked to be only around ten years old, and he was even carrying a little girl who seemed to have no Soul Power at all!

It was not just the members of the Imperial Dou Team. Qin Ming, who had been secretly protecting them, was also observing Lang Lei from the shadows.

Given Lang Lei's age and strength, he was likely another genius no weaker than Yu Tianheng!

Qin Ming could not help developing the desire to recruit him.

"Screech—" As they hurried onward, a Man Faced Demon Spider dropped from above, one of its legs swinging fiercely toward Osler, who stood at the side of the group.

"Watch out!" Shi Mo in the rear reacted at once, suddenly accelerating and raising his shield to block the attack for Osler.

The others reacted quickly as well.

Shi Mo and Dugu Yan immediately retreated and protected Ye Ling Ling, the healing Soul Master. Yu Feng rose into the air, waiting for an opportunity to interfere. Osler instantly attacked, forcing back the Man Faced Demon Spider that had been locked in a stalemate with Shi Mo.

"Second Soul Skill, Thunderous Might!" After Osler forced back the Man Faced Demon Spider, Yu Tianheng took the lead and launched the first attack.

"Tianheng, be careful! This is a six-thousand-year Man Faced Demon Spider!" Dugu Yan swiftly assessed the Soul Beast's age and warned him.

As expected of elite students. They could identify a Soul Beast's species and age at a glance... Lang Lei thought.

"Brother Lang Lei, aren't we helping?" Griseo asked softly from Lang Lei's back.

"Of course we are. Your brother is a kind person, after all. Helping others is a virtue~" Lang Lei dashed forward with Griseo on his back.

"Hey, at least put little sister Griseo down... first?" Dugu Yan had barely finished her reminder when she saw Lang Lei leap into the air, then stomp the Man Faced Demon Spider so hard that it could not move.

"Hm? What did you just say?" Lang Lei looked at Dugu Yan in confusion.

"Nothing..." Dugu Yan was so shocked that her jaw nearly dropped.

The others were not much better off, especially Yu Tianheng, who had exchanged a few blows with the Man Faced Demon Spider. He knew exactly how strong that creature was.

Yet now... it was being pinned down, unable to move, by someone younger than him.

"Should I finish it off?" Lang Lei had no favorable impression of evil Soul Beasts that actively attacked living creatures indiscriminately.

As he spoke, he pressed down even harder. The Man Faced Demon Spider's exoskeleton let out creaking sounds under the unbearable strain.

"Finish it," Yu Feng said proactively. "The books say these things are pests of the forest, and their breeding ability is extremely strong."

"Alright." Lang Lei nodded. "Little Griseo, close your eyes."

"Mhm." Griseo obediently closed her eyes and buried her face against Lang Lei's neck.

Lang Lei withdrew the foot pinning the Man Faced Demon Spider down, then kicked the creature—seven or eight times larger than himself—high into the air. He immediately followed after it and delivered a vicious kick.

"Bang!"

After a deafening boom, the Man Faced Demon Spider had vanished without a trace.

"D-Did it die?" Osler swallowed.

"Probably not, but it's close." Lang Lei smiled.

"Little brother Lang Lei, may I ask... how old are you?" Yu Tianheng asked hesitantly.

"Seven." Lang Lei answered honestly.

The members of the Imperial Dou Team looked at one another.

"Impossible, absolutely impossible!" Osler said in disbelief. "With that kind of strength, I'd believe you if you said you were an Assault Type Battle Soul Sect!"

"Yeah, yeah! Look at your height and your face. No matter how you look at it, you don't seem seven at all!"

"I ate a strange plant before. My Soul Power increased, and my height and appearance grew up too!" Lang Lei explained, though he concealed the effects of the Immortal Herb.

"If you don't believe me, feel for yourselves? I remember there's a way to determine Bone Age by touch." Lang Lei set Griseo down and voluntarily held out one hand.

The group looked at one another again. Their elders and teachers at the academy might know how, but they truly did not.

"I'll do it." Having witnessed Lang Lei's strength firsthand, Qin Ming could no longer restrain his curiosity and stepped out. He looked at Lang Lei. "May I?"

"Of course. It's not some secret I can't tell anyone." Lang Lei did not withdraw his hand.

Qin Ming pinched Lang Lei's arm and examined him with his Soul Power.

"My heavens! He really is seven!" Qin Ming's eyes widened. "And his physical density is terrifying..."

Qin Ming could not yet determine exactly how strong Lang Lei's body was, but he was certain that it was absolutely stronger than Yu Tianheng's.

"This level, this strength..." Yu Feng swallowed. "How did you do it...?"

"Yu Feng!" Qin Ming rebuked him. This concerned someone else's secret; asking so rashly was not appropriate.

"Huh? Sorry, little brother Lang Lei!" Yu Feng hurriedly apologized.

"It's fine. Didn't I say it's not a secret?" Lang Lei shrugged. "I just accidentally ate a blade of grass in the Star Dou Great Forest, and then I ended up like this..."

"My god... I want to eat one too," Osler complained.

They did not harbor any ill intentions. After all, they were not Evil Soul Masters.

Still, they all had some desire to recruit him.

"Oh, right. I found this there too. It seemed like it might be useful, so I brought it back..." Lang Lei took out a Thousand-Year Blood Ginseng.

"This is... a Thousand-Year Blood Ginseng!" Everyone present came from major powers, so they naturally recognized this heavenly treasure they had all seen in books. Yu Tianheng had even consumed one before.

Although it could not compare to a priceless treasure like a Soul Bone, it was similarly difficult to obtain despite its value.

"Little brother Lang Lei, are you willing to sell this Thousand-Year Blood Ginseng?" Yu Tianheng asked, clearly tempted.

"Do you have cash?" Lang Lei had brought it out because he planned to sell one quickly and repay his debt.

"Uh..." Yu Tianheng froze.

"I do. Please sell it to me." At that moment, Ye Ling Ling, who had barely spoken until now, opened her mouth.

Her voice was equally ethereal and pleasant, but unlike Griseo's cuteness, Ye Ling Ling's carried more of a cold aloofness, as though she kept others at a distance.

"How many Gold Soul Coins are you offering?" Lang Lei asked.

"Twenty-seven thousand, six hundred and twelve Gold Soul Coins, plus this Storage Soul Tool for holding Gold Soul Coins. Is that alright?" Ye Ling Ling asked. "If it isn't enough, take these as a deposit first. Once we reach Heaven Dou City, I'll make up the rest immediately."

"That's enough." It had been an unexpected gain to begin with, and it was of little use to him, so Lang Lei did not mind. In his view, he had already made a huge profit.

After exchanging items with Ye Ling Ling, Lang Lei put the ring-shaped Storage Soul Tool on his hand. It could conveniently serve as a cover for the System Space.

Eh? Speaking of the system... hasn't Aetheria been asleep for rather a long time lately?

"Whew~" Ye Ling Ling let out a sigh of relief, then looked at Yu Tianheng. "Sorry, Captain."

"It's alright. I understand. Auxiliary Soul Masters cultivate rather slowly, after all." Yu Tianheng did not think much of it. It was merely rare, and as the Young Master of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, one of the Upper Three Sects, he was not lacking in such things.

"Speaking of which, Ling Ling." Dugu Yan suddenly spoke. "You traded away all the money you had on you... what will you use afterward?"

Ye Ling Ling froze, then looked at Dugu Yan with pitiful eyes.

"Alright... I'll lend you some first."

"Thank you, Sister Yan."