Soul Ring Evolution, Storm on the Horizon

As that mass of pure Dark Soul essence was drawn into the fourth floor of the Nine-Story Demon Pagoda, the entire tower emitted a joyful hum. The Chaos Glazed Color tower shimmered with flowing radiance, especially on the fourth floor, where the light shifted from dark to bright, then bright to dark, repeating in cycles as though undergoing some profound refinement and fusion.

An even more vast and pure surge of Spiritual Power and Dark Energy slowly spread outward from Qin Mo, even stirring subtle changes in the surrounding natural energy. The remaining foul black mist at the bottom of the sinkhole seemed to encounter a monarch before this pure dark aura, calming and dispersing one after another, not daring to stir in the slightest.

Bing'er and Yan'er sensed Qin Mo's steadily rising aura, as well as the pure energy fluctuations that made them feel utterly refreshed—for them, comfort born of sharing the same origin. They both knew that the dean was reaping tremendous benefits, and joy appeared on their faces as they became even more vigilant in guarding him.

Time passed bit by bit.

About the time it took to burn an incense stick, the light on the fourth floor of the Nine-Story Demon Pagoda finally stabilized, turning into a deep, restrained dark gold. The tower's trembling also came to a complete stop. A brand-new, powerful fluctuation of Soul Power rose from within Qin Mo. His Soul Power Level naturally broke through to level forty-four! Moreover, his foundation was incomparably solid, and the quality of his Soul Power far surpassed that of others at the same level.

Qin Mo slowly opened his eyes. Dark-gold glimmers seemed to flash through them before vanishing, his gaze becoming even deeper, while his Spiritual Power appeared to have increased significantly as well. He contentedly felt the changes brought by the Nine-Story Demon Pagoda's Fourth Soul Ring.

This Fourth Soul Ring, refined from the Dark Soul Core and nearly thirty thousand years old, had not only granted him a powerful soul skill, but more importantly, had greatly strengthened the intensity and resilience of his Spiritual Power, while giving him stronger control over and resistance to dark-attribute energy.

"Dean, did you succeed?" Yan'er asked impatiently.

Qin Mo nodded slightly, in a fine mood. "Yes, the Fourth Soul Ring is complete. The hidden danger here has also been thoroughly eliminated."

His gaze swept over the sinkhole, which had now become still and held only scattered, shattered bones. Without the support of the Dark Soul Core, this polluted land could not regain its vitality for the time being. At least, however, it would no longer produce those terrifying monsters. As time passed, perhaps it could slowly recover beneath the cleansing power of nature.

"Let's go. This matter is settled," Qin Mo said. The matter of Black Prison Forest had been resolved, and he had obtained a satisfactory Fourth Soul Ring. It was time to return to the academy.

The three of them did not linger. Their figures flashed, and they soon left that deathly silent region.

When they passed through the place where they had previously clashed with the people from Spirit Hall, it was already empty. Only traces of battle and scattered bloodstains remained. It seemed that Yan and his surviving subordinates had fled in panic after Qin Mo's group headed for the sinkhole.

"Hmph, they're lucky they ran fast," Yan'er said with a curl of her lips.

Qin Mo neither agreed nor disagreed. A mere Spirit Hall steward was not worth his attention. However, this conflict, along with the incident in Black Prison Forest, would likely not end so easily. Spirit Hall had lost face, and the matter involved such a bizarre Evil Soul Master incident, at least in their eyes. They would certainly investigate it to the end.

"Let's go back to the academy. I'm afraid quite a few troubles will soon come knocking," Qin Mo said calmly. Yet there was no worry in his eyes; instead, there was a hint of anticipation. If Myriad Manifestations Academy was to rise, its path was destined to be anything but peaceful. It was better for some storms to come sooner.

Not long after Qin Mo's group departed, several powerful auras descended from the sky and landed at the edge of Black Prison Forest. At their head stood an elderly man in the robes of a Platinum Bishop, his face gloomy. The Soul Power fluctuations emanating from him revealed that he was a Soul Douluo-level powerhouse! Behind him followed several Red Bishops, along with Yan, whose face was still pale and whose eyes remained filled with lingering fear.

The Soul Douluo bishop swept his sharp gaze across the forest. Sensing the faint evil aura lingering in the air, along with an already-dissipated aura of majesty that even made his heart palpitate, his expression darkened further.

"Steward Yan, are you certain that among those three was a young man who suppressed you so completely with aura alone that you could not resist?" the bishop asked in a deep voice.

Yan's body trembled, and he hurriedly bowed. "Y-Yes, Lord Bishop Salas! It is absolutely true! That person... that person may have the strength of a Titled Douluo! And that strange little tower of his was terrifying..."

Bishop Salas's eyes flickered. A Titled Douluo? Such a young Titled Douluo? And a tower-shaped martial soul capable of devouring evil souls? It sounded like some monstrous talent from a reclusive sect. Moreover, they had resolved the Black Prison Forest incident—something that even he found troublesome—so cleanly and decisively...

"Investigate! Use every resource available to find out the origins of those three people! Especially that young man!" Bishop Salas said coldly. "Also, the report concerning the Black Prison Forest incident must be written 'properly.' Emphasize the suspicious nature and strength of those three, and steer the matter toward... Evil Soul Masters. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Lord Bishop!" the subordinates answered in unison.

Bishop Salas looked toward the direction Qin Mo's group had departed, and a trace of malice flashed through his eyes. No matter who they were, they had offended Spirit Hall, disrupted the situation in Fasno Province, and displayed such astonishing strength and potential. They could not be allowed to slip away so easily. This matter had to be reported to the Papal Palace.

A storm aimed at Myriad Manifestations Academy and Qin Mo was already brewing in the shadows.

At that moment, Qin Mo and the other two were already on their way back to the academy. Qin Mo was not overly concerned about the trouble that was about to arrive. Instead, he was considering how to use this incident to further spread the name of Myriad Manifestations Academy, and... how to find suitable Soul Rings for Bing'er and Yan'er. Their cultivation was nearing a bottleneck as well.

The rise of Myriad Manifestations Academy was destined to be filled with challenges and opportunities.