"Don't worry, Teacher. I'll make sure Su Ze pays for the humiliation he dealt you today."
Hearing Tang San's solemn promise, confidence returned to Yu Xiaogang's face.
Little San was the son of Douluo Tang Hao, and he also possessed Twin Martial Souls.
With those special Soul Skills he had mastered, too,
he would surely win the Grand Tournament.
At that moment, Yu Xiaogang's eyes burned with fervor.
Those who looked down on him would learn on the day of the finals who the real clown was.
Heaven Dou Royal Academy.
Su Ze was in his dormitory, having finished a day of meditation.
He had made a habit of analyzing his condition after each meditation session,
then planning his path forward.
Although Tang San and the others had blocked his door today, I hadn't suffered any losses. I'd even made two hundred thousand gold soul coins.
Besides that, his clash with Liu Erlong had given Su Ze a clearer understanding of his own strength.
In a short fight, he could hold his own against a Soul Saint.
Now that he had a clear grasp of his strength,
Su Ze began to consider how he could advance to level sixty as quickly as possible.
Even with his grandfather's Extreme Thunder attribute,
he was confident he could become a Soul Emperor in no more than half a year.
But after accounting for the time it would take to find a Soul Beast,
he might not make it in time for the finals.
"I need another source of power to speed up my cultivation."
Thinking about it, Su Ze remembered the stone containing Thunder God Power that he had obtained from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.
He took the golden stone out of Twenty-Four Bridges Moonlit Night.
Su Ze focused on it, sensing the vast Thunder God Power it contained.
If the Thunder God Power within him was like a small river,
then the Thunder God Power in this stone was like a stream.
And judging by its shape, the stone was only a fragment of some object.
If he could obtain the complete object, or something similar, his cultivation speed would increase further.
At the same time, the Storm Dragon King would be able to unlock its third stage.
With that in mind, Su Ze made up his mind.
He would use his connections to find as many stones containing Thunder God Power as possible.
Not only would they increase his strength, they would also help him prepare to seize the Thunder God's Position in the future.
Having settled on his goal,
Su Ze began to consider how he could find them.
He quickly came up with an answer: seek out people with great influence across the continent.
For instance, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, which had given him this item, the Soul Martial Hall, and his superior, the Silver Dragon King.
First was the Silver Dragon King. If he told her this was related to his becoming a god,
she would surely order her Soul Beasts to search for the stones.
Still, Su Ze didn't expect much from that.
After all, aside from Di Tian, who had traveled across the continent,
the other Fierce Beasts mostly stayed in the Star Dou Great Forest.
The odds of finding anything that way weren't high.
So Su Ze felt he should focus mainly on the secular powers.
The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, for example, had trading houses spread across the entire continent.
If they made a serious effort to search, they would surely find something.
The stone containing Thunder God Power in his possession was proof of that.
And there was no need to mention the Soul Martial Hall. It was now the undisputed greatest power on the continent.
If he could persuade the Soul Martial Hall to search for stones containing Thunder God Power,
they would surely find something.
Having decided whom he could ask for help,
Su Ze began to consider how he could persuade these two powers.
First was the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.
Although Ning Fengzhi had given him a stone containing Thunder God Power before,
it had been found by chance by one of the trading houses under his command.
And Su Ze had clearly promised him a favor in return for the stone.
If he went to Ning Fengzhi now, Ning Fengzhi would surely keep an eye out for him out of consideration for their relationship.
But Su Ze felt that wouldn't be enough.
He wanted the Seven Treasures Chamber of Commerce under Ning Fengzhi to search for him at any cost.
Likewise, when it came to Qian Renxue, Su Ze wanted her to mobilize Spirit Hall's forces and search for him at any cost.
And if he wanted people to do something for him, he naturally had to offer them something in return.
After giving it some thought, Su Ze knew what he could offer.
After Ye Qingxian had reorganized the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Eye, the Immortal Herbs had flourished.
Those precious Immortal Herbs would make excellent bargaining chips.
But Su Ze knew how valuable the Immortal Herbs were. If he suddenly offered one—or two—
he would draw too much attention.
So Su Ze planned to offer something less valuable.
He would trade an Immortal Herb to Qian Renxue, and give Ning Fengzhi a seed.
Given the talent and abilities he had shown so far,
he could manage to offer a single Immortal Herb and a seed.
He had different plans for them because Qian Renxue was more self-centered.
Offering her a fully grown Immortal Herb would give her more reason to help.
As for giving Ning Fengzhi a seed, that was because, according to the Original Work,
Ning Fengzhi placed particular importance on his sect's legacy.
A sect as ancient as the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect would also be able to wait for the Immortal Herb to mature.
So, combined with the favor he owed Su Ze and the Immortal Herb seed,
Ning Fengzhi would also give it his all.
That settled it!
After mentally reviewing his plan and confirming that there were no problems,
Su Ze returned to the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Eye, took a Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum, and brought along a seed of Aromatic Silk Beauty.
First, Su Ze went to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.
Ning Fengzhi was delighted to see him and immediately invited him into a private room.
"Brother Su, what brings you to my sect today? Is there something you need from me?"
"Just say the word. If the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect has it, I'll do what I can to help."
As Ning Fengzhi spoke, he poured Su Ze a cup of tea.
"Actually, I did come to ask you for something."
As he spoke, Su Ze took a sip of tea.
His eyes lit up at once. The tea soothed his throat and cleared his lungs. What excellent tea!
Hearing Su Ze's words, Ning Fengzhi was delighted.
As a man in a position of power, he wasn't afraid of Su Ze having requests.
He was afraid Su Ze would want nothing at all.
If Su Ze had a request, Ning Fengzhi had a chance to win him over.
Ning Fengzhi immediately said meaningfully, "Brother Su, I consider you one of us. If there's anything I can do, I'll help."
As a businessman, Ning Fengzhi felt it was time to start preparing to recruit Su Ze.
Seeing the smile on Ning Fengzhi's face, Su Ze understood the unspoken meaning.
Ning Fengzhi was willing to help, but Su Ze would have to owe him a favor—or become one of his own.
Su Ze smiled faintly at Ning Fengzhi, who was still smiling at him, then took out a box.
He set it on the table and slowly opened it.
The moment the box opened, a rich medicinal fragrance filled the entire hall.
As soon as Ning Fengzhi smelled it, his eyes lit up and he leaned forward without realizing it.
He felt a longing rise within him for his Seven Treasures Exquisite Pagoda Martial Soul.
His instincts told him he had to obtain the item before him.
"Brother Su Ze, what is this?"
His excitement made his voice unsteady, and he even changed the way he addressed Su Ze.
Looking at Ning Fengzhi's excitement, Su Ze smiled calmly. "Sect Master Ning, I happened to obtain an Immortal Herb seed by chance."
"After asking my teacher, I learned that this seed is called Aromatic Silk Beauty."
"It has the ability to further evolve Support-type Martial Souls."
The moment Su Ze spoke, Ning Fengzhi stood up, gazing excitedly at the herb seed in the box.
Although it was only an Immortal Herb seed, and would take a long time to grow,
the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect had a long history. Time wasn't a problem.
Moreover, the seed represented hope—the hope of taking the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect to greater heights.
It was no exaggeration to say that if he could obtain this Immortal Herb seed now,
Ning Fengzhi would have nothing to regret, even if he died that very moment.
Seeing Ning Fengzhi's excitement, Su Ze continued.
"Sect Master, I can give you this Immortal Herb seed."
"But I have one condition. I need you to search for stones like the one you gave me last time—the one containing Lightning Power. I want you to do whatever it takes to find one."
"Even just one."
Hearing Su Ze's offer, Ning Fengzhi could hardly believe his ears.
He would have been willing to pay any price for this Immortal Herb seed.
Yet Su Ze was only asking him to mobilize the entire sect to find an item.
To Ning Fengzhi, the return far outweighed the cost.
"Brother Su Ze, don't worry!"
"I'll go and give orders to our Seven Treasures trading houses across the continent. I'll do everything I can to find stones like that for you!"
"I give you my word, in the name of the sect."
After receiving Ning Fengzhi's promise, Su Ze nodded in satisfaction.
As far as he was concerned, he could get as many seeds as he wanted from the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Eye.
If Ning Fengzhi truly couldn't find one, then the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect would simply owe him a great favor.
They would surely find some other way to repay him in the future.
And if all else failed, Su Ze could use this seed to get Sword Douluo and Bone Douluo to act once.
Su Ze had never considered a straightforward exchange, with each side handing over their goods at the same time.
If he gave it away readily, they would feel indebted to him.
If he wasn't generous about it, he might make them harbor other thoughts.
After personally seeing Su Ze out of the sect,
Heaven Dou Imperial City.
Crown Prince's Mansion
"I remember Brother Xue's adopted younger sister has a Sacred Type Martial Soul."
"This Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum is an Immortal Herb I happened to obtain. It greatly benefits Martial Souls with the Light Attribute."
"Now, that young lady..."
Su Ze chose not to teach Qian Renxue how to disguise herself.
Instead, he let Qian Renxue choose her own disguise.
He was doing this for the sake of his own future.
It was simple. As Su Ze continued to reveal more and more of his talent,
and had even defeated Qian Renxue herself just recently,
he knew without a doubt that Qian Renxue was even more determined to recruit him.
But there was no way he would let himself be recruited.
In the Original Work, the Soul Martial Hall had been ruthless toward talented people who didn't belong to its faction.
Many geniuses had died at the hands of the Soul Martial Hall.
Besides, he was about to head to Soul Martial City for the finals.
After winning the championship there, he would surely draw the Soul Martial Hall's attention.
If he still refused to join them then, the Soul Martial Hall would definitely consider making a move against him.
So, to prepare for the worst...
Su Ze planned to create the impression that he had fallen in love with Qian Renxue at first sight after seeing her true appearance, and that he liked her.
That way, he could buy himself some time.
Even if he directly rejected Qian Renxue's offer later,
his affection would still mislead her.
It would make Qian Renxue think she had already won him over, and even keep the Soul Martial Hall from making a move against him.
That way, before Qian Renxue's true identity was exposed,
Su Ze would remain safe.
As Qian Renxue looked at the Immortal Herb before her, the talent for disguise she had built up over many years was of no use at all.
Her gaze burned as she stared at the Immortal Herb on the table.
To her, it seemed as though this Immortal Herb had been made just for her.
Not only did it perfectly complement the Light Attribute of her Six-Winged Archangel, it could also make up for the progress she had lost over the years because of her official duties.
Seeing Qian Renxue's burning gaze, Su Ze smiled faintly, then took out the stone imbued with the Lightning Attribute.
"Brother Xue, I came across this stone, which contains the Lightning Attribute, recently. It can greatly accelerate my cultivation."
"I hope you can help me find more."
"I'd be extremely grateful if you could."
Hearing Su Ze's words, Qian Renxue froze. After a moment's silence, she asked in disbelief,
"Brother Su Ze, that's all you want? This is a precious gift for my... my sworn sister."
"That really is all I want. Besides, Brother Xue, you've looked after me so well all these years!"
"Besides, I have feelings for your sworn sister..."
Su Ze smiled and said nothing more.
"I only hope you'll do your best to help me look for it, and that you'll pass this item on to your sworn sister."
After saying this, Su Ze didn't say another word. He simply turned and left.
With someone as clever as Qian Renxue, the more you said, the more likely you were to let something slip.
So it was better to leave at once.
Only after watching Su Ze leave did Qian Renxue finally believe that the Immortal Herb before her really belonged to her.
"Snake Lance Douluo!"
At Qian Renxue's call, a figure clad in golden armor appeared in the bedroom at once.
At that moment, Holy Light enveloped Qian Renxue, restoring her to her true appearance.
Her peerless face looked down at the Immortal Herb in her hand, a hint of doubt in her eyes.
"Uncle Yu, do you think this Immortal Herb is real?"
"From what I can sense, there's nothing wrong with it."
Qian Renxue wasn't surprised by Snake Lance Douluo's answer. She could feel the longing of her Martial Soul within her.
Once she had confirmed the Immortal Herb was genuine, a trace of pride appeared in her eyes.
Whenever she made a move, every genius would end up at her feet.
That Su Ze had already fallen for her beauty.
Her charm really was extraordinary.
The delight of obtaining an Immortal Herb, along with the satisfaction of winning over a genius, left Qian Renxue especially excited. She immediately ordered Snake Lance Douluo,
"Instruct the Soul Martial Hall branches across the land to search everywhere for stones like this, imbued with the Lightning Attribute."
As she spoke, Qian Renxue handed Snake Lance Douluo the sample Su Ze had left behind.
"Remember, spare no expense. At the very least, find something similar."
"I don't like owing people favors, especially someone I want to recruit."
Snake Lance Douluo had no objections to Qian Renxue's order.
An Immortal Herb in exchange for a stone containing Lightning Power.
However he looked at it, it was a good deal.
Soul Martial City, Worship Hall!
Along with the stone sample, Qian Renxue's letter was delivered to Qian Daoliu.
"Xiao Xue actually sent me a letter?"
Surprised, Qian Daoliu opened it. When he read its contents, delight spread across his aged face.
"Xiao Xue was given an Immortal Herb by the genius she wants to recruit—and one that greatly benefits the Light Attribute, no less."
"Xiao Xue truly is destined to become a god. Her talent and luck are both top-notch."
After praising Qian Renxue, Qian Daoliu turned his attention to the account of Su Ze in the letter.
At thirteen, he could already defeat Xue'er!
A Mutated Lightning Attribute Martial Soul!
The moment he saw those details, Qian Daoliu frowned. How could a genius like that have appeared at Heaven Dou Royal Academy?
That wouldn't do!
He was even more extraordinary than Tang Hao had been back then. After all, failing to eliminate Tang Hao in time had indirectly led to the death of his beloved son.
At the thought, Qian Daoliu even felt the urge to personally eliminate the young genius.
A Soul King at thirteen.
At most, he would reach the rank of Titled Douluo by thirty.
Wasn't he even more talented than Tang Hao had been?
But then Qian Daoliu saw another passage in Qian Renxue's letter, and the frown on his face eased.
According to Xue'er's account, the young genius seemed to have fallen under Qian Renxue's spell.
He had met her only once, yet had already given her an Immortal Herb.
"My Xue'er's charm truly is unparalleled."
Although Qian Daoliu was pleased, he didn't let down his guard.
After all, Xue'er was still in disguise, and Su Ze didn't know her true identity.
If her real identity were exposed, there was no guarantee the young genius would still love her.
He might even turn his love into hatred.
Then the Soul Martial Hall would have another powerful enemy with immense talent.
Thinking of what had happened with Tang Hao, Qian Daoliu considered it for a moment before making his decision.
As long as Su Ze remained devoted to Xue'er for the time being,
they could take a few years to observe him.
For now, he wouldn't make a move.
Meanwhile, at the Papal Palace!
At the same time Qian Daoliu received his letter, Bibi Dong, the Pope, also received word of it.
Seated on the supreme throne in the Papal Palace, Bibi Dong crossed her long, shapely legs and tapped her jade fingers against the armrest.
In her other hand, she held a stone.
If Su Ze had been there, he would have recognized it at once as the sample he had given them.
Although Bibi Dong didn't know the letter's exact contents, she had learned that Qian Renxue had ordered every Soul Martial Hall branch across the continent to search for stones containing the Lightning Attribute.
So she had immediately taken this sample.
"This contains the Thunder God's Power!"
"Qian Renxue has a Six-Winged Martial Soul. Why would she need an item associated with the Thunder God?"
"She must be looking for it for someone else."
A flicker of surprise crossed Bibi Dong's eyes.
Qian Renxue had actually mobilized the Soul Martial Hall's strength across the entire continent for that person.
That meant whoever needed the Thunder God Power was important to Qian Renxue.
"Interesting! I want to see who needs this Thunder God Power!"
"Gui Mei!"
"Go to Heaven Dou City and investigate everything Qian Renxue has been in contact with. When you return, report every detail to me!"
"Pay special attention to anyone around her who has a Lightning Attribute Martial Soul."
Bibi Dong's imposing voice echoed through the vast hall.
"Understood!"
At the sound of his icy voice, a black silhouette appeared silently in the hall.
Before you continue