Growing Soul Rings

He became Soul Douluo before he was even twenty!

If it weren't for the abundance and brilliance of geniuses in this era, my nephew would surely have become a genius who could crush an entire era, just like Bibi Dong, the Holy Maiden of the Spirit Hall.

Tang San, with Soul Douluo immense strength and potential, is more than capable of becoming Tang Yuehua's backer and support.

But to her utter surprise, this nephew was a complete troublemaker. How long had he been in the Star Luo Empire?

Instead of keeping a low profile, she aroused the vigilance and suspicion of the Star Luo Empire higher-ups, and eventually her identity was exposed, and she was also thrown into this dark and hopeless prison.

Tang San seemed not to hear Tang Yuehua's question.

His fingertips gently touched the thin, blood-sucking wound on his neck, his eyes filled with a sinister light.

Even now, he can still vividly recall the fear he felt at that moment.

He didn't realize how silently his opponent approached, how the cold blade pressed against his skin without warning, until the stinging pain and the shadow of death loomed over him. Only then did he realize he had been targeted.

As a disciple of the Tang Sect, skilled in assassination and poison, Tang San had always been the one hiding in the shadows to reap the lives of others. He had never been approached or threatened in such a way before. This experience of role reversal sent chills down his spine.

However, he wasn't given much time to review the situation.

"Clang!"

The cell door was violently flung open, and several stern-looking soldiers walked in, carrying all sorts of terrifying instruments of torture.

"Tang San, come out!"

Tang San was forcibly taken out of the cell and escorted to the interrogation room.

Meanwhile, Tang Yuehua, in the next cell, was on the verge of a mental breakdown after enduring immense psychological pressure and repeated interrogations by the prison guards.

She was not a rigorously trained warrior after all. In fear, she revealed the little information she knew—admitting that Tang San was her Tang Hao's son and that she had used her connections to get him into the Star Luo Empire.

However, when asked about Tang San's true purpose in infiltrating Star Luo Empire, the origin and design of the "Godly Zhuge Crossbow," and whether there were other forces behind him, Tang Yuehua knew nothing.

She genuinely didn't know. She only valued Tang San's talent, but never truly understood her nephew.

The interrogators at the Star Luo Empire quickly realized that they could no longer extract any more valuable clues from Tang Yuehua.

The only way to obtain information is to start with Tang San.

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The crowd dispersed from the conference hall, leaving only Pei Qinhu, A Ke, and a few key military ministers for a brief private discussion.

After the ministers took their leave, they did not return to their respective residences, but instead tacitly gathered in the study of a highly respected senior minister. Inside the study, several trusted advisors were already waiting.

A younger official, the son of the veteran minister, looked somewhat puzzled and finally couldn't help but speak up, "Father, uncles, now that we've confirmed His Godhood Inheritance throne, why are we still so eager to push forward the restoration of the kingdom? If we just wait patiently and assist His Highness in achieving divine status, then restoring the kingdom will be a piece of cake, much more secure and effortless?"

The old minister looked at his still-young son, shook his head, and a trace of helplessness and deep emotion flashed in his eyes.

He dismissed his attendants, leaving only a select few at the core, before speaking in a deep, slightly hoarse voice. "You only see the power of a god, but you haven't seen the human heart. I ask you, after Your Highness becomes a god, will you truly still wholeheartedly help us restore our kingdom?"

"Of course!" the young man answered without hesitation, his tone even carrying a hint of expected excitement. "He is our Star Luo Empire's prince, of royal blood, the future emperor! How could he not..."

"Even now, he still bears the surname Pei!" The old minister abruptly interrupted his son, his voice low but firm.

The study fell silent instantly.

The young man opened his mouth, but the words stuck in his throat, and he couldn't say anything more.

Yes, His Highness Pei Qinhu has not yet changed his surname back to Dai.

"Do you... know anything about His Highness's childhood?" The old minister looked at his son and sighed with a complicated tone.

"This..." The young man was speechless. He knew Pei Qinhu's strength, talent, and fierce battle record like the back of his hand, but he knew very little about His Highness's experiences before returning to the royal family, especially his childhood. The royal family kept it a secret and did not allow anyone to talk about it. He only vaguely knew that he was an illegitimate child of the royal family who had been separated from his family and even took his mother's surname.

This alone gives us an idea of how difficult his childhood must have been; he probably suffered a lot of scorn and bullying.

The old minister downed the long-cold tea in one gulp, as if trying to suppress his unease, and slowly poured out his worries. "What I fear is that this prince doesn't feel much belonging to the Star Luo Empire, and might even... abandon us."

"How is this possible?!" The young man's voice suddenly rose, filled with disbelief.

"Why is it impossible?" The old minister's retort was calm to the point of cruelty. "His Highness experienced many hardships in his childhood, and even after returning, he did not change his surname, which shows that his inner conflicts remain unresolved. Or rather, he may not have much affection for the surname 'Dai' or even the Star Luo Royal Family. Now he is Titled Douluo and has even obtained the inheritance of a god, his future is limitless. Are we an aid or a hindrance to him?"

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the various expressions on the faces of the people in the study, before posing an even more pointed question, "Furthermore, once you become a god, Your Highness will inevitably ascend to the Divine Realm and cannot remain in the mortal world for long to inherit the throne."

"And our mortal enemy, the Martial Spirit Hall Empire, also possesses an heir to the Angel God. At that time, will His Highness, now a god, truly fight to the death against another god and the vast empire behind him for the sake of our Star Luo Empire Kingdom's restoration?"

"..." The young man opened his mouth, but found that any words of rebuttal seemed pale and powerless.

A long silence fell over the study.

Finally, a resolute glint flashed in the old minister's cloudy eyes. He lowered his voice and said, word by word, "Therefore, we cannot wait, nor can we afford to wait. We must force him to restore the kingdom with us before he becomes a god."

Pei Qinhu was naturally unaware that his refusal to change his name would lead these cunning ministers to such conclusions.

Of course, even if I knew, I wouldn't change it.

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Within Spirit City, as the prisoners from the Heaven Dou Empire and Sea God Island were dealt with one after another, the empire's prestige soared.

Bo Saixi, who was designated as the future sacrifice for Doria, the successor to the Sea God, was naturally imprisoned and awaited her fate.

At this zenith, Qian Xunji finally put to use the trump card that he had drawn from the system: Guiguzi.

With the full effort and refinement of Guiguzi, a master of support skills, the long-awaited, revolutionary new Soul Master cultivation system finally took shape.

Soul Master and Soul Beast establish an equal contract, grow together, and evolve collaboratively.

Of course, according to a private complaint from Guiguzi who wished to remain anonymous, he himself had little interest in the "Summoner" concept, but since his superior was Summoner, he had no choice but to cooperate fully.

However, the implementation of the new system has encountered enormous resistance.

Those veteran Soul Master who were used to hunting Soul Ring and cultivating step by step were full of doubt and distrust towards this cultivation method that was completely beyond their understanding.

Even the few worshippers in the Worship Hall, who are usually among the first beneficiaries and testers of the new policy, hesitated unusually in the face of this fundamental change.

Although they have made great progress in strength thanks to the pills provided by Qian Xunji, their Second Martial Soul, and the Soul Ring attached to their Second Martial Soul, Golden Crocodile Douluo even felt that he had touched the threshold of the Peak Douluo.

However, this new Soul Master cultivation system of "contracting with Soul Beast" sounds far too shocking.

Thus, led by Qian Daoliu, the worshippers collectively arrived at the Pope Palace, a place they usually avoided.

Their initiative in coming to our door demonstrates the seriousness of the situation. They fear that if this method has hidden dangers, its implementation could lead to the deaths of a large number of Soul Master, triggering a chain reaction that would cause turmoil in the empire and even a frenzied counterattack from the Soul Beast Clan, with unimaginable consequences.

Qian Xunji looked at the group of worried old men in front of him, and without offering any explanation, he directly ordered the summoning of all the Titled Douluo elders and hall masters in Spirit City, and issued a notice to hold a public demonstration of the new Soul Master cultivation method, scheduled for the next day.

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The next day, in the square in the Pope Palace.

The place was packed with people, almost impossible to move.

The enshrined elders, temple masters, and leisurely deacons—almost all the high-ranking officials who could attend were present. The audience below was packed with teachers and students from the Spirit Hall Empire Academy, as well as residents of Spirit City. Everyone wanted to witness firsthand what this so-called "new cultivation method" was all about.

The audience below was buzzing with discussion and creating a great deal of noise.

"Signing a contract with Soul Beast? An equal contract, no less? That's absurd! Soul Beast are wild and untamed; how can you trust them?"

"Your His Holiness the Pope a man of great foresight; there must be a reason for his decision! I have faith in Your Holiness!"

"Exactly! When His Holiness the Pope missed a chance?"

Both sides stuck to their own versions of events and argued endlessly.

Among that group of fanatical "Pope's die-hard fans," Tian Yue stood at the very front, shouting the loudest, waving her arms, and yelling until her face was red. Her companions, Hu Liena, Xie Yue, and the others looked helpless, wishing they could find a crack in the ground to crawl into and pretend they didn't know this guy.

On the high platform, Golden Crocodile Douluo looked at his granddaughter's "stanny" behavior, his old face as black as the bottom of a pot, and silently looked away, unable to bear watching this disgusting scene any longer.

Due to the large number and high morale of the "Pope's die-hard fans," they quickly gained an overwhelming advantage in public opinion.

Just then, the "volunteers" featured in this exhibition appeared.

A woman walked gracefully onto the stage. She wore a black, tight-fitting leather outfit that accentuated her curvaceous figure, and her hair was styled in an updo, giving her a dignified and elegant appearance. However, her face still carried a hint of youthful innocence and a deliberate air of composure.

It was Zhu Zhuyun!

When the Star Luo Empire planned the hostage rescue, she, the "eldest prince's fiancée," seemed to have been intentionally or unintentionally overlooked.

When she learned that Dai Weisi had died in the chaos, she was overwhelmed with mixed feelings, unsure whether to cry or laugh.

Subsequently, the prisoners were dealt with one by one according to their value and performance. For example, Ning Fengzhi of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect regained his freedom by performing meritorious service outside the country.

Zhu Zhuyun had always longed for an opportunity to join the Spirit Hall and make contributions, but she had never found a way. Until this demonstration of the new cultivation method, which required a "volunteer," she seized the opportunity.

She took a deep breath, her gaze fixed firmly on Qian Xunji, who sat upright in the main seat, before turning to the countless eyes below the stage that were watching her.

Beside her followed a thousand-year-old Soul Beast whose aura wasn't particularly strong, but whose eyes were lively.

The presentation is about to begin.

All eyes were focused on Zhu Zhuyun and the Soul Beast, waiting to see if this revolutionary cultivation system was truly feasible.

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Although Zhu Zhuyun had spent a long time with the thousand-year-old Soul Beast named "Black Moon" before going on stage, they were familiar with each other and their soul communication was exceptionally smooth, so the signing of the contract was almost a natural outcome.

But at this moment, standing on the high platform under the spotlight, feeling the gazes from all directions, filled with doubt, scrutiny, and expectation, she still couldn't help but feel a surge of nervousness.

The thousand-year-old Soul Beast beside her had smooth, satin-like black-purple fur that gleamed with a dark luster in the sunlight.

Its figure is as elegant as a cat's, and its movements are filled with innate pride and composure, but its long, upright ears, like those of a rabbit, are gently twitching. This is the Black Moon Cat, one of the gentler Soul Beast races.

As Pope Qian Xunji, seated in the main seat, announced, "The demonstration of the new Soul Master cultivation system begins," the entire plaza fell silent instantly, and all eyes were focused on the center of the stage.

Zhu Zhuyun took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the tension in her heart, and her eyes became focused and firm.

She stopped looking at the audience and focused all her attention on communicating with the Black Moon Cat in front of her.

She extended her right hand, palm up, and a gentle strand of spiritual energy, like a tentacle, cautiously reached out towards the Black Moon Cat.

At the same time, the contract formations that had been drawn beforehand and personally designed and improved by Guiguzi under her and Black Moon Cat's feet began to light up one by one!

Intricate and mysterious silver patterns, as if infused with life, spread out from beneath their feet, radiating a soft and mysterious light that enveloped them. The light was not dazzling, but carried a warmth and resonance that reached straight to the soul.

Chapter 284 Growth Soul Ring

The moment the soul contract was officially completed, a magnificent purple ring, shimmering with light, slowly rose from beneath Zhu Zhuyun's feet and encircled her.

This ring is completely different from the purple Soul Ring obtained by hunting Soul Beast in the traditional way. It is more complete and solid, with an inner light, as if life flows in it. The energy fluctuations it emits are also more abundant and harmonious, carrying an aura that is the same as that of Zhu Zhuyun and Darkmoon Cat.

At the same time, Zhu Zhuyun's Soul Power fluctuated, and her aura suddenly surged—she successfully broke through to the first level of Soul Power by taking advantage of the feedback from this contract!

Witnessing this groundbreaking scene firsthand, both the audience and the platform erupted in a frenzy of discussion.