Talking Golden Crocodile Douluo into It

"Congratulations, Your Excellency, on obtaining an opportunity to break through your bottleneck and become a Peak Douluo!"

Tian Hao bowed again in congratulations. As expected, those words caught Golden Crocodile Douluo's attention.

Golden Crocodile Douluo turned his gaze toward him, somewhat intrigued and wanting to see how the little fellow would continue.

"Your Excellency obtained the right arm soul bone of Tang Hao, the young master of the Clear Sky Sect. When you refined it, did you discover the contingency Tang Chen, the Clear Sky Douluo, left within it?"

Tian Hao asked directly, and the atmosphere instantly turned cold. Ling Yuan and the other three wore unfriendly expressions.

Only they knew about the previous battle. How had this man learned that their lord had acquired Tang Hao's soul bone?

And that it was the right arm soul bone?

Could this man be connected to the Clear Sky Sect?

Golden Crocodile Douluo still said nothing, but his interest deepened.

Sharp powers of observation, and not a bad mind either. Interesting.

But that was not enough. He wanted to hear what opportunity this boy had found that could help him become a Peak Douluo.

"Your Excellency's reaction just now proves that you were severely injured by the contingency the Clear Sky Douluo left within the soul bone. This junior guesses it was a strand of Soul Power capable of retaliating on its own.

"That Soul Power would surely hinder Your Excellency's refinement of the soul bone and may even have become a hidden danger to you. Yet this junior believes it is also Your Excellency's opportunity.

"At present, only two Peak Douluo are known in the world: the Angel Douluo of our Spirit Hall and Tang Chen, the Clear Sky Douluo of the Clear Sky Sect. The Angel Douluo possesses the Angel Martial Soul and is clearly not in the same strength-oriented category as Your Excellency, but Tang Chen is absolutely a strength-based assault-type Soul Master.

"Having his Soul Power is equivalent to possessing a key—a key that can help Your Excellency open the door to becoming a Peak Douluo.

"If Your Excellency can refine or subdue that strand of Soul Power, then even if you cannot break through the bottleneck and become a Peak Douluo, you can at least open a gap and increase your chances of breaking through.

"So what Your Excellency should do is not force that Soul Power out of the soul bone, but comprehend the mysteries within it..."

Tian Hao seriously spun his tale. Golden Crocodile Douluo, who had initially been only mildly interested, gradually grew solemn before finally falling into deep thought.

The four beside him were also thoughtful, feeling that the youth's words made some sense.

"He does seem to have some ability. No wonder Xiao Dong Dong personally arranged a student certificate for him, though he's still not at all lovable."

Ling Yuan muttered to herself. Her opinion of the youth had improved somewhat, but she still remembered the humiliation from before.

Just you wait, you little bastard!

"It truly is worth congratulating you!"

After pondering for a long while, Golden Crocodile Douluo finally spoke. A savage smile appeared on his face, but he was genuinely delighted.

It could not be helped. His features were fierce, so even a happy smile looked savage.

He had initially believed the strand of Soul Power Tang Chen left within the soul bone to be a calamity. Now that he thought about it, he had been too shortsighted. How was that an unlucky disaster? It was clearly a blessing.

Why had he never thought of that before?

If he had understood this principle earlier, he would have found a way to obtain some of Tang Chen's Soul Power through battle and study it. Perhaps he would have become a Peak Douluo long ago.

The little fellow was right. Compared to Qian Daoliu, Tang Chen, who was likewise a strength-based assault-type Soul Master, was more compatible with him. Comprehending Tang Chen's Soul Power would benefit him far more.

"Congratulations, Your Excellency, on obtaining an opportunity for a breakthrough!"

Ling Yuan and the other three hurriedly offered their congratulations. Seeing Golden Crocodile Douluo's savage smile, they could not help but shudder, unable to conceal their fear.

"You need not fear me. This old man's temperament has improved greatly over the years."

Seeing their fear, Golden Crocodile Douluo touched his fierce old face, feeling rather helpless.

He truly was a good man now.

Ling Yuan and the others responded with smiles, but they clearly did not believe him.

Do you have no idea what your reputation is like in Spirit Hall and across the continent?

Do not think that just because we are young, we are easy to fool. We still know that a leopard cannot change its spots.

"Your Excellency is telling the truth, because he has already transcended his martial soul's influence on his personality and instead gained control over the martial soul's characteristics."

Tian Hao spoke up for Golden Crocodile Douluo. He believed his words as well, since this had been shown in the original work.

"Explain it to them."

Golden Crocodile Douluo gave Tian Hao a surprised look, then casually slapped down a large tree. He sat on its trunk and gestured for Tian Hao to explain it to the others.

Ling Yuan and the other three also turned their gazes toward the youth, wanting to see what the brat would say.

"I have heard of Your Excellency's deeds. When you were young, your methods were indeed rather cruel, and your temper was extremely fiery. Like your Golden Crocodile martial soul, you possessed a fearsome, savage might. That is a typical case of being influenced by martial soul characteristics, or rather, by bestial nature. This is even more apparent among Beast Martial Soul Soul Masters.

"Such mutual influence and compatibility between a Soul Master's personality and martial soul characteristics is also beneficial for cultivation. The higher the compatibility, the better the cultivation results, much like a simulated environment on the spiritual level.

"However, we are ultimately human, not martial souls. At first, we can be influenced by them and become compatible with them, but once our cultivation reaches a certain level, we must in turn take control of everything about our martial souls, including their characteristics and bestial nature.

"The Golden Crocodile's bestial nature is indeed powerful and brutal, but as long as one controls and tames it, it can be used for one's own purposes.

"Once one transcends the martial soul's influence, one can fully bring out the advantage of human intelligence and ultimately merge wisdom with the power of the martial soul as one..."

This was also one of Tian Hao's Hundred Great Conjectures: the conjecture about compatibility between martial soul characteristics and a Soul Master's personality, which he had previously discussed with Tang Hao. This version went deeper, taking it a step further to the level of control.

"This is an essential stage in the cultivation of Soul Masters. It differs from Soul Power cultivation and is not the same as Mental Power cultivation. It is a deeper form of spiritual cultivation.

"You—yes, you. You are currently at the stage where you are influenced by your martial soul's characteristics, which is why you are so impatient and impulsive..."

At the end, Tian Hao directly used the older unmarried woman who had hauled him over as a negative example. Ling Yuan, who had been listening intently, raised her willow brows and glared through gritted teeth.

If Golden Crocodile Douluo had not been present, she would have skewered that brat like a lamb kebab and roasted him.

"This old man only understood this principle in recent years. I never expected a little fellow as young as you to understand it already. It is only a pity that your talent seems lacking. Otherwise, your future achievements would certainly not be beneath this old man's."

After Tian Hao finished his spiel, Golden Crocodile Douluo praised him with a sigh, though there was also great regret in his voice.

This young man was quite good. To understand such a principle at so young an age was truly a pity.

That evaluation left Ling Yuan and the others staring wide-eyed, their faces filled with disbelief.

They looked at Golden Crocodile Douluo, then at the ordinary-looking youth, unable to believe it no matter what.

Golden Crocodile Douluo was the Second Worship of Spirit Hall. His status and cultivation were second only to the First Worship, Qian Daoliu. His Soul Power Level had reached rank ninety-eight, the peak, only one step away from the rank ninety-nine Peak Douluo realm. He was one of the foremost powerhouses of the age.

Yet that youth appeared to possess only one or two ranks of Soul Power. At his age, having only one or two ranks of Soul Power meant either his Innate Soul Power was abysmally low or he had suffered an accident during cultivation and been crippled.

But regardless of which it was, the youth did not seem to have any chance of reaching Golden Crocodile Douluo's level. Could it be that His Excellency had gone senile?

Tian Someone: Brothers, do you think this ultra-hardcore bit of persuasion was hard enough? If you think it was, please recommend and support it.

Also, regarding the setting that the Clear Sky Sect's inherited soul bones contain Tang Chen's Soul Power, I came up with it based on the original work. Since those soul bones could serve as the Clear Sky Sect's inherited soul bones, they must differ from ordinary soul bones. It is perfectly reasonable for Tang Chen to have left behind a strand of Soul Power inside them, right? Just as the Angel Soul Bone Set contains the divine power of the Angel God.