Trial

"Hmm? He awakened Innate Full Soul Power?" Bibi Dong's interest was piqued.

"No. He is already fifteen years old, but his Soul Power cultivation speed over the past three and a half years rivals that of a genius with Innate Full Soul Power. Most notably, his second Soul Ring is at the thousand-year level," Gui Mei said.

"A thousand years? As far as I know, no one has ever had a thousand-year second Soul Ring. Bring me his Soul Master Token." Bibi Dong recalled Yu Xiaogang's Martial Soul Theory and became very interested in a genius whose second Soul Ring had surpassed a thousand years.

Gui Mei handed over a duplicate of Ye Lan's Soul Master Token, and Bibi Dong carefully examined its contents.

Name: Ye Lan. Registration Location: Nuoding City Martial Soul Branch Hall, Heaven Dou Empire.

Martial Soul: Blue Silver Grass. Innate Level 3 Soul Power.

Age eleven: Level 11 Soul Master, yellow Soul Ring, Soul Skill unknown.

Age fifteen: Level 23 Soul Grandmaster, purple Soul Ring. Soul Skill: Blue Silver Grass grows twice as large.

Remarks: The Blue Silver Grass underwent a drastic transformation, becoming Gold-Patterned Jade Blue Star Vine, approximately twenty-five centimeters in diameter.

Attached image.

"This is Blue Silver Grass? Innate Soul Power at Level 3—it is normal enough that he needed five years to advance to Soul Master."

"He went from Level 11 to Level 23 in only four years?"

Bibi Dong was astonished that the Waste Martial Soul Blue Silver Grass had grown so quickly, and she continuously speculated about the reason. According to Yu Xiaogang's theory, this phenomenon was simply impossible to explain.

Unable to reach an answer, Bibi Dong questioned Gui Mei.

"What is his background? Is he close to the Heaven Dou Empire or any of the Upper Three Sects?"

"Reporting to Your Eminence the Pope, Ye Lan is the orphan of a Martial Soul Branch Hall steward and belongs to Spirit Hall. Because his advancement has been unusually rapid recently, Platinum Bishop Salas discovered him and reported him to Pope Hall."

Bibi Dong repeatedly tapped the armrest of the Holy Throne with her fingers, thinking carefully.

Twelve levels in four years—his cultivation speed rivaled Innate Full Soul Power. Even Na'er's cultivation speed had only been this fast.

"Then add Ye Lan to Spirit Hall's list of key candidates for observation. Once he advances to Soul Elder, bring him to the hall to meet me."

"Your Eminence the Pope, why?"

"This is the test I am giving him, and an opportunity to become my disciple. Innate Soul Power at Level 3—Soul Elder is a hurdle. As long as he can break through to Soul Elder, that will prove he is qualified to be my disciple."

"Pass down the order: increase the budget for the Nuoding City Martial Soul Branch Hall."

"Yes, Your Eminence." Gui Mei vanished instantly.

"Xiaogang, is he your disciple?" Bibi Dong thought of Yu Xiaogang working at Nuoding Academy. Perhaps only Yu Xiaogang could cultivate a Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul so well.

The Star Dou Great Forest lay between the Star Luo Empire and the Heaven Dou Empire. It was the largest gathering place for Soul Beasts. The outer regions were mostly inhabited by low-level Soul Beasts, while the deeper one went, the older the Soul Beasts became. Ten Thousand Year and even Hundred Thousand Year Soul Beasts were not uncommon.

In the northern outer region of the Star Dou Great Forest, near the Heaven Dou Empire.

The area was lush and verdant, surrounded by countless streams and rivers, with towering trees and low shrubs carpeting the ground.

A streak of gold raced through the emerald landscape, turning the low shrubs and broken grass into blurs.

"The scenery here is far more spectacular than in the Soul Hunting Forest!" Ye Lan exclaimed as he looked up at the distant green mountains and rivers. The fresh air at the tip of his nose gave his body and mind an unprecedented sense of relaxation.

With Soul Power reinforcing his legs, Ye Lan had traveled from the fringe where ten-year Soul Beasts appeared to the boundary between the territories of hundred-year and thousand-year Soul Beasts.

Thousand-Year Soul Beasts frequently appeared here. If he ventured deeper into the Star Dou Great Forest, there would be even more Thousand-Year Soul Beasts, but he might also encounter Ten Thousand Year Soul Beasts.

Ye Lan did not want to gamble his life on his luck. He could still encounter Thousand-Year Soul Beasts of considerable strength in this area.

Ye Lan had come to the Star Dou Great Forest to improve his own strength. At present, his personal strength lagged far behind his Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul.

Battling Soul Beasts was different from fighting people. Soul Beasts possessed much stronger bodies.

By fighting Thousand-Year Soul Beasts, Ye Lan could improve his close-combat experience, physical strength, and proficiency with his Self-Created Soul Skills.

Ye Lan currently possessed four Self-Created Soul Skills: Golden Eye, Blood Armor, Flash Step, and Echo Shift.

Classified by function, they belonged to the support, defense, and speed/movement categories.

He still lacked an offensive Soul Skill. Ye Lan planned to use close combat against Thousand-Year Soul Beasts to quickly develop an offensive Soul Skill.

Ye Lan already had an idea. It was very simple: he only needed to copy the principles behind Flash Step and Echo Shift.

Previously, Ye Lan had developed Soul Skills based on the positions of the meridians in his legs. This time, he only needed to develop an offensive Soul Skill based on the meridians in his arms.

Once he understood the principles, developing Self-Created Soul Skills was as easy as drinking water.

After reaching the depths of the Dense Forest, Ye Lan concealed his Soul Power fluctuations and began searching for a Thousand-Year Soul Beast with a powerful body. He took out a map from his backpack, estimated his approximate location by comparing it with the flow of the surrounding mountains and rivers, then began searching continuously within the designated area.

Suddenly, Ye Lan's path was blocked by a yellow stone. Feeling somewhat tired, he sat down on it without a second thought.

Crack! Crack!

Ye Lan was suddenly thrown off as the stone shook. It turned out that the yellow stone was actually a five-hundred-year Lionheart Turtle.

The shell of this Lionheart Turtle was covered in a thick armor of mud, which was why Ye Lan had failed to recognize it as a turtle shell.

Disturbed from its nap by Ye Lan, the Lionheart Turtle angrily yelled at him before leaving without looking back. It seemed displeased that Ye Lan had interrupted it. Ye Lan scratched his head awkwardly.

As he watched the Lionheart Turtle's retreating back, Ye Lan made a new discovery. In the direction it had left stood a large tree. It was so towering that several adults would need to spread their arms to encircle it.

A Sky-scraping Tree was nothing remarkable in Star Dou; there were many such trees here.

What drew Ye Lan's attention to this tree was the pitch-black hollow that had been dug out beneath its roots.

There was clearly a Soul Beast inside the hollow, instantly piquing Ye Lan's interest.

Ye Lan found a fairly large stone in the grass, weighed it in his hand, then hurled it forcefully into the tree hollow!

The stone shot into the dark hole, producing a continuous series of impacts against wood.

Before the knocking sounds could fade, they were drowned out by a thunderous bear roar.

"Roar! Roar!"

Ye Lan focused completely and activated his Golden Eye to watch the tree hollow.

If a Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear emerged, Ye Lan would immediately use Flash Step and Echo Shift to flee. A hundred-year Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear could contend with an ordinary Ten Thousand Year Soul Beast. To deal with one, Ye Lan would have to use Blue Silver Grass, which would make close combat pointless—and he might not even be able to defeat it.

Before long, a jet-black bear with blood-red eyes charged out of the tree hollow.

Ye Lan looked closely and saw that it was a thousand-year Bloodthirsty Demonic Bear. It was seven meters long, and even its thick black fur could not conceal the explosive muscles beneath.

Its pair of black bear paws bore ten claws, each dozens of centimeters long. The claws were silver from base to tip and exceptionally sharp.

After bursting out of the tree hollow, the Bloodthirsty Demonic Bear saw only the Golden-Haired Human standing not far ahead.

It immediately realized that this human had interrupted its business, and the Bloodthirsty Demonic Bear threw back its head and roared in fury.

Then, roaring as it went, the Bloodthirsty Demonic Bear dug its four limbs fiercely into the ground and sprinted toward Ye Lan.

Watching the Demonic Bear's fighting spirit surge to its peak, Ye Lan smiled, greatly satisfied with its strength.

The Bloodthirsty Demonic Bear had thick hide and tough flesh, and it could take a beating exceptionally well. It would be perfect for helping him develop his Soul Skills.