Tried and True

Xue Yuheng had tried the trick of Martial Soul Evolution many times, and it never failed.

The Golden Crow Family and the Xuanming Sect had both compromised.

A Demi-God Level Martial Soul that could break through to Limit Douluo without any bottlenecks, and could reach level one hundred with just a bit of luck—the appeal of this to any soul master faction was unimaginable.

From this, one could see just how high the status of the Wordless Heavenly Book truly was.

Would mass-producing future Limit Douluos have any impact on Xue Yuheng?

The answer was no.

The Power of Creation within Xue Yuheng's Wordless Heavenly Book possessed myriad effects, and he had left a backdoor in the process of every person's Martial Soul Evolution.

Should the situation ever exceed Xue Yuheng's control, he would revert everyone back to their original state.

As a side note, after Yu Tianlong threw down the challenge to the guards, he had already departed.

In seven days, he would have a fair and square duel with Nan Qiuqiu.

Guided by Nan Shuisui, Xue Yuheng met Nan Qiuqiu at the training grounds.

Dust swirled across the arena. Nan Qiuqiu wore her hair in a high ponytail, and her loose training robes made her movements appear light and agile.

Her fists were covered in pink dragon scales, and every punch carried a gust of wind. Her leg techniques were wide and sweeping, each strike crisp and decisive. The Earth Dragon Gate disciple opposite her was forced to retreat repeatedly, able only to block in a flustered state.

Nan Qiuqiu showed no signs of hesitation; her moves were full of vigor. Despite her delicate appearance, she fought more fiercely than many of the male disciples, drawing cheers from the onlookers.

"Senior Brother Zhou Xin, be careful."

After the exchange of fist techniques, they moved to the stage of actual soul skill combat.

Two yellow soul rings rose around Nan Qiuqiu. Her first soul ring suddenly glowed, and a beam of light, similar to a single-point soul guidance ray, shot toward the off-balance male disciple nearby.

Though she said "be careful," Nan Qiuqiu was not holding back at all.

This was because Nan Qiuqiu was facing a powerful Soul Elder, while she was currently only a Soul Grand Master.

Zhou Xin stopped holding back as well. With a strange, subtle shift in his footwork, he utilized the Earth Dragon Gate's self-created soul skill, "Earth Dragon Step," combined with the speed of his own Wind Dragon Martial Soul, to dodge the otherwise unavoidable strike.

Years ago, when the Earth Dragon Gate split from the Heavenly Dragon Gate, the first generation of Earth Dragon Gate ancestors had drawn inspiration from the Heavenly Dragon Step of the Heavenly Dragon Gate.

Third soul skill, Wind Dragon Flank Slash!

Over a dozen wind blades slashed toward Nan Qiuqiu. The young girl had no choice but to use her second soul skill, Annihilation Body Shield, for defense.

When the wind blades touched Nan Qiuqiu's body, they seemed to sink into the sea, swallowed up as their energy fluctuations vanished completely.

"Alright, Qiuqiu, you've lost this match." Nan Shuisui had been watching from afar with Xue Yuheng and Xiao Xiao, and only then did she step forward.

Although her daughter had been defeated, Nan Shuisui felt deeply gratified.

To span a major realm and briefly stand toe-to-toe with Zhou Xin was already a remarkable feat; at the very least, she had surpassed her own younger self.

"Mother, I haven't lost yet!" Nan Qiuqiu said unhappily, feeling she still had the strength to counterattack.

Xue Yuheng held Xiao Xiao's hand and appeared beside Nan Shuisui, explaining, "This Senior Brother Zhou probably hasn't used his full strength, right? He could have clearly broken through your defense."

Zhou Xin scratched his head and gave a sheepish smile. As expected, his decision to hold back while sparring with the sect's little demoness had been seen through.

"Impossible. My Annihilation Body Shield is invincible among those of the same rank in terms of defense. Even if Senior Brother Zhou had twice as many wind blades, I could still defend against them," Nan Qiuqiu argued.

"You know it's invincible among the same rank, but as a thousand-year soul skill, Zhou Xin's third soul skill isn't just about firing wind blades," Nan Shuisui said with sharp insight.

Zhou Xin sighed inwardly. The sect master was the sect master; having just broken through to Soul Elder and using his third soul skill for the first time, she had seen through the mechanics of his Wind Dragon Flank Slash at a glance.

Xue Yuheng was well-read in both ancient and modern texts and was a loyal enthusiast of ancient books detailing various soul skills; he, too, could see the hidden killing move within Zhou Xin's soul skill at a glance.

"What is it then?" Nan Qiuqiu asked, hugging her mother's arm and acting spoiled.

Just as Xue Yuheng was about to speak, he felt a sharp pain in his waist. Meeting Xiao Xiao's smile, which hid a metaphorical blade, he remained silent.

Nan Shuisui seemed to notice the small interaction between Xiao Xiao and Xue Yuheng. She actually felt a sense of satisfaction, and smiling, she explained to her precious daughter:

"Those wind blades appeared to be swallowed by your annihilation attribute, but in reality, they simply transformed into another form and attached themselves to your body. As long as Zhou Xin wills it, the violent wind-attribute soul power will erupt instantly and shred you. Zhou Xin, am I right?"

Zhou Xin gave a bitter smile and nodded.

This small sparring match between disciples also allowed Xue Yuheng and Nan Qiuqiu to interact.

Over the next half-day, Xue Yuheng and Nan Qiuqiu had a brief exchange.

[Name: Nan Qiuqiu

Talent: Mediocre Talent

Bone Age: 9

Level: 21

Cultivation: 2 rings

Martial Soul: Rouge Dragon (Deduction complete)

Optimal Martial Soul Evolution path: Quasi-God Level Martial Soul—Dragon of Annihilation]

The evolution materials required four thousand-year dragon-type soul bones, three ten-thousand-year dragon scales... Nan Shuisui could still provide these, albeit under immense pressure.

However, the core item, the Dragon Blood Fruit, required fresh, vibrant dragon blood from a True Dragon to ripen the thousand-year Vermilion Fruit.

Dragon-type soul beasts can be hunted, but this thousand-year Vermilion Fruit is truly rare; to say nothing of Dragon City, it is extremely scarce across the entire continent.

Xue Yuheng gave a wicked smile at this. Isn't that a coincidence? He had just "embezzled" two thousand-year Vermilion Fruits from the Xuanming Sect, one of which was even a three-thousand-year specimen.

Nan Shuisui had paid a tremendous price just to trade for one thousand-year Vermilion Fruit from Xue Yuheng's hands.

Late at night.

Xiao Xiao and Nan Qiuqiu, two girls with a three-year age gap, had become like sisters after spending the day together. Now, in Nan Qiuqiu's boudoir, they were chatting about little secrets between girls.

In the brightly lit reception hall.

"The Far North should have dragon-type soul beasts with True Dragon-level bloodlines, right?" Xue Yuheng sat beside Nan Shuisui, his words shocking.

"But the Far North has always been a forbidden zone for soul masters. The difficulty of hunting ice-attribute dragon-type soul beasts there is even greater than in the Star Dou Forest," Nan Shuisui said, puzzled.

The Three Heavenly Kings of the Far North loathe humans intensely; if they encounter one, it is death without mercy.

Wanting to hunt soul beasts in the Far North is simply courting death; this is the consensus of all soul masters.

"Perhaps we could make a deal with those three?" Xue Yuheng said calmly.

Nan Shuisui remained silent.

Holy cow, are you joking with me?

"Your Earth Dragon Gate has a Cold Spring, right?"

Nan Shuisui gave Xue Yuheng a deep look; the astonishment in her heart was no less than if Xue Yuheng had told her he possessed an ancient method for advancing a Demi-God Level Martial Soul.

The existence of the Cold Spring was known only to core disciples—namely Nan Qiuqiu, Nan Shuisui, and a few senior sect elders.

Figures flashed through Nan Shuisui's mind. Could it be that Qiuqiu told him?

"I wonder what Your Highness intends to do with the Cold Spring? That Cold Spring is not something a human can enter."

What Nan Shuisui said was true; even she, as a high-level Soul Douluo, had been frostbitten by the Cold Spring and could not dive into it at all.

According to common knowledge in the soul master world, there must be an ice-attribute supreme treasure beneath such a Cold Spring.

Unfortunately, the Earth Dragon Gate had the fate but not the capacity to claim it.

"According to the information I possess, there is an Ice Attribute Divine Treasury beneath that Cold Spring." Xue Yuheng finally revealed the purpose of his trip after taking such a long detour.

Is this what Prince Gan was willing to trade an ancient method for advancing a Demi-God Level Martial Soul to scheme for?

There is a well in the backyard of the Earth Dragon Gate. The Cold Spring contains rich spiritual energy, and drinking it usually has a nourishing effect on a soul master's body.

However, only the masters of the Earth Dragon Gate throughout history have known that beneath this Cold Spring, there is actually a hidden cave dwelling.

"Your Highness means to use the Divine Treasury to trade for a dragon-type soul beast with a True Dragon-level bloodline." Nan Shuisui understood immediately.

"Use a portion of it..." Xue Yuheng said faintly.

Things are valued for their scarcity; a small piece of Ten Thousand Year Profound Ice Marrow would be enough.

What is important is that Xue Yuheng needs to let the Two Emperors of Ice and Snow realize that he possesses...

That will be enough.

"Sect Master Nan, I am a person who distinguishes very clearly between enemies and friends.

I will allow the Earth Dragon Gate to produce another Limit Douluo.

As a condition, your Earth Dragon Gate... must submit to me."

Every word from Xue Yuheng was like a pearl.

Nan Shuisui frowned, not hesitating in the slightest. "That is impossible. The Earth Dragon Gate is not something I can decide alone."

"I," not the Douling Royal Family.

This young man's ambitions are grand indeed...

The Xuanming Sect... the Golden Crow Family... Nan Shuisui no longer dared to think about it in detail.

Xue Yuheng drained the cold tea in his cup, placed the empty vessel on the table beside Nan Shuisui, and smiled faintly.

"You will agree..."

Xue Yuheng left.

Nan Shuisui picked up the empty cup the young man had left behind, her expression grim as she crushed the blue-and-white porcelain teacup into powder.

The Holy Spirit Cult, ancient methods, Vermilion Fruits, the Divine Treasury, an invitation—no, a threat.

After the noble lady stood there in a daze, she gave a charming smile. This young man is truly interesting.