Watching Ye Lingling's puzzled expression, Long Chen smiled and shook his head before reminding her, "Lingling, this is Thousand-Year Whale Gel. Before taking it, soften it over a hot fire. Eat one piece each week. Afterward, you'll feel a burning sensation throughout your body. Don't worry—just circulate your Soul Power as you cultivate and slowly suppress it. After a few pieces, you'll gradually get used to it."
"So that's how it works. That's a very unusual way to take it."
"Also, don't tell anyone this is Whale Gel. If someone asks, just say it's a tonic I specially prepared for you."
"Okay, I understand."
Long Chen didn't want more people to learn about Whale Gel's health benefits, so he decided to keep it a secret for now.
Ye Lingling suddenly thought of something.
"By the way, Brother Chen, have you heard of the Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Competition?"
"I have. Why?"
"Once you break through level thirty, you could come to our academy and possibly join its team, representing the academy in the Soul Master Competition. From what I know, our academy doesn't have many talented young students. Yanyan Jie is one, and another is Yu Tianheng, a direct descendant of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan."
Long Chen smiled.
"That's still a long way off. We'll talk about it then. By the way, has Dugu Yan been treating you well?"
"Very well. But we're about to be separated. Her Soul Power is about to break through level twenty-five, and then she'll become a Tianzhi Rank student."
"It'll only be temporary. You'll cultivate together again in the future."
Long Chen knew that, as events unfolded, Ye Lingling, Dugu Yan, and Yu Tianheng would become teammates.
Moreover, Yu Tianheng would become the captain of the Heaven Dou Royal Academy Main Team, while Dugu Yan would become its vice-captain.
But there was still plenty of time, and the future might yet change.
If he could join the Royal Academy team, Long Chen would have more chances to spend time with Dugu Yan—and thus a chance to enter the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.
Long Chen went with Ye Lingling to find Ye Tianming. After eating at the academy, the two of them left.
Not long after returning, Long Chen began the second phase of his special training: fighting Soul Beasts in the Soul Beast Forest.
Ye Tianming found suitable Soul Beasts for him.
They started with Soul Beasts that had cultivated for only a few dozen years, then gradually moved on to century-level ones to serve as Long Chen's opponents.
Compared with the earlier physical training, this was true Devil Training, and far more challenging.
In one fierce battle after another, Long Chen was wounded time and again, and each time he was utterly exhausted.
Fortunately, with Ye Susu there as a powerful healer, even the most serious injuries were nothing to worry about.
Long Chen's strength also advanced by leaps and bounds through these demanding trials.
His body grew tougher, his speed increased, and he mastered more advanced combat techniques.
During this time, Long Chen defeated many different kinds of Soul Beasts.
Although he injured quite a few of them, he never took the life of a single one.
Aside from training, he spent his time cultivating and studying at Guang'an Hall.
His medical skills had improved tremendously. He had already learned how to combine many Medicinal Herbs and mastered basic alchemy.
~~~~~~~
That day, Long Chen opened his eyes after cultivating, and his heart leaped with excitement.
"I finally broke through level thirty!"
Long Chen told Ye Tianming and Ye Susu the news.
The couple were both delighted.
Ye Tianming remarked, "Xiao Chen, you're not even eleven yet, and your Soul Power has already broken through level thirty. Your growth is truly astonishing."
Ye Susu added, "That's right. If you keep progressing at this rate, Xiao Chen is sure to become a Titled Douluo one day."
They were both proud of Long Chen's progress.
Long Chen said, "Uncle, Auntie, this time I'd like to hunt a defensive Soul Beast for my Third Soul Ring. What do you think?"
The two exchanged smiles.
"Xiao Chen, your aunt and I were talking about this just a few days ago. We were thinking along the same lines. Your Martial Soul does have a weakness in its defense. But given its unique abilities and your first two unusual Soul Skills, after absorbing your Third Soul Ring, perhaps you'll be able to summon a defensive beast through Demon Qin Sound."
"Mm, that's what I thought too."
Long Chen's first two Soul Skills had summoned Taotie and the Nine-Tailed Fox, both Ancient Exotic Beasts.
His Dark Night Demonic Lute Martial Soul seemed to contain some mysterious, ancient power.
That gave him an idea: if the Soul Beast he hunted had something in common with an Ancient Exotic Beast, perhaps Demon Qin Sound could summon the corresponding beast.
No matter what kind of Soul Master one was, a certain degree of defensive ability was necessary.
Long Chen figured that if his Third Soul Skill could summon a defensive Exotic Beast, it would not only greatly improve his own defenses but also make the skill seem less strange.
The next day, Long Chen and Ye Tianming set out from Heaven Dou City for the Star Dou Great Forest.
The Star Dou Great Forest held a wide variety of Soul Beasts, making it easier to find a suitable one.
This time, they were looking for a turtle or another hard-shelled Soul Beast with at least a thousand years of cultivation.
Naturally, a turtle Soul Beast with stronger defenses was their first choice.
Turtle Soul Beasts loved water and were usually found near lakes, rivers, swamps, and other bodies of water.
Ye Tianming and Long Chen slowly followed the winding river.
Sunlight filtered through the dense canopy, dappling the gently flowing water with flecks of gold.
The two remained highly alert, their sharp eyes sweeping over their surroundings.
Ye Tianming suddenly stopped.
He sensed an unusual fluctuation of Soul Power coming from nearby.
Long Chen exchanged a glance with Ye Tianming. In silent agreement, they slowed their pace and crept closer.
On a broad riverbank ahead, beside a huge blue-gray rock, a massive beast was leisurely basking in the afternoon sun.
It was a giant Green Turtle Beast. Its thick shell was a deep Ink Green, covered in complex, mysterious patterns that seemed to hold a thousand years of history.
The Green Turtle Beast had thick, powerful limbs and a massive head. Its eyes were half-closed, and its mouth occasionally twitched, as if it were chewing something in its sleep.
Its impenetrable shell was the reason it dared to lounge on the riverbank and bask in the sun without a care.
Long Chen said softly, "Uncle Ye, that Green Turtle Beast seems to have cultivated for more than a thousand years."
"Mm. It's around three thousand years old."
"Then I'll use it for my Third Soul Ring."
Long Chen spoke with confidence and conviction.
In theory, the highest age limit a Soul Master could withstand when absorbing a Third Soul Ring was 1,760 years.
But Long Chen had a good Martial Soul Quality.
Furthermore, he had consumed Thousand-Year Whale Gel, which had made his body far tougher than an ordinary Soul Master's.
He believed he could withstand the impact of a three-thousand-year Soul Ring.
Before you continue