"If you don't have the vocabulary, then don't say it. What do you mean, acting?" Nan Xuan shot Chen Gao a speechless look.
"Hehe." Chen Gao scratched his head awkwardly.
"Once Yang Fei and the others return, we'll make a trip to Gengxin City, the city known as the Capital of Metal." Nan Xuan sat down in a chair, opened his laptop, and spoke calmly.
At the mention of going to Gengxin City, Chen Gao became a little gloomy. He had been there several times before, all to deliver goods for auction.
But Nan Xuan had never gone along on any of those previous trips. This time, he was going in person, and taking everyone with him. Chen Gao could not help asking curiously, "Brother Xuan, what are we going there for? The whole group is mobilizing... Don't tell me you want to—"
"Stop. Don't let your imagination run wild. There are plenty of Soul Douluo over there. Even if a few more of us came, we still wouldn't be a match for them. I just want to take a stroll and hunt for bargains. The vacation is still so long; shouldn't we go out and have some fun?" Nan Xuan interrupted Chen Gao's wild speculation with a grin.
There was something else he did not say. In a few years, this continent was going to get lively, and by then, he might not have the time.
Far away, within the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect near the Heaven Dou Empire.
A man in black handed a file to Ning Fengzhi.
Ning Fengzhi opened it, and the corner of his mouth twitched slightly.
"Nan Xuan. Martial soul: Router. Twelve years old. From the Heaven Dou Empire."
"..."
A few days after Nan Xuan's spar with Ning Fengzhi, the Yang brothers also returned.
After letting the two rest for a day, Nan Xuan set off for Gengxin City with the other three.
After entering the city, Nan Xuan activated his First Soul Skill to sense the treasures in various places. He would tell them the locations, and they only had to go buy them. Nan Xuan did not feel the slightest guilt about doing this. After all, everyone was in business. Still, he reminded Chen Gao and the others that if a seller was truly struggling, they should pay more and not deliberately haggle them down.
Although Nan Xuan had not returned home in recent years, he had not forgotten the village chief grandfather who had once taken care of him. Every so often, he would have someone send money back. Each time, it was only a few Gold Soul Coins. After all, if he sent too much, the old man would not feel at ease spending it. They might think he had done something bad and wonder where so much money had come from.
After scavenging treasures for two days, the group hurriedly left. With their current strength, if anyone set their sights on them, they would definitely be finished.
Sure enough, just as Nan Xuan expected, someone noticed their strange "purchasing" over the past few days.
Fortunately, the people who came were not particularly strong. The strongest was only a level 31 Soul Elder, while the others were Soul Grandmasters around level 20. There was nothing to fear.
The captured Soul Elder looked at Nan Xuan's group. Although his mouth had been beaten crooked, he still threatened them, "You're finished. You actually dared to beat members of our Langzi Gang. Once our boss gets here, none of you will escape."
Nan Xuan did not want to hear any more nonsense. He gave Chen Gao a look. A cold flash streaked through the air, the spear tip swept across the man's throat, and he fell straight to the ground.
I was still too careless. No matter what I do in the future, I must activate my First Soul Skill and search for suspicious people nearby as much as possible. Nan Xuan was still somewhat shaken inside. If their opponent's so-called boss had come personally, they would have been done for.
"Brother Xuan, what do we do now?" Yang Fei asked.
Nan Xuan spread out his First Soul Skill, checked the surroundings, and said, "That Soul Ancestor is still around six kilometers away from us. If we keep running without stopping, he probably won't catch us. Even if he does, we'll have reached Spirit City by then."
After saying that, Nan Xuan and the others packed up and sprinted toward Spirit City.
Nearly half an hour later, the Soul Ancestor saw the lackey whose throat Chen Gao had slit. Gritting his teeth, he said viciously, "Fuck, don't let me catch you, or you'll suffer."
"Go after them, now!" The Soul Ancestor roared at the people behind him. In truth, he did not care much about his subordinate's death. What he cared about were those treasures.
By nightfall, Nan Xuan's group reached the gates of Spirit City. Once they arrived, all four of them finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Just then, the Soul Ancestor behind them caught up. As he prepared to attack Nan Xuan, a guard at the gate said to him, "This is Spirit City. Soul Masters are not permitted to fight here without reason. Angels are pure. Do not defile the sacred."
Seeing the guard, Nan Xuan suddenly remembered the Black-Clothed Bishop token Bibi Dong had given him, which was still in his storage Soul Tool. It was a symbolic item of the Spirit Hall's main branch in a city, held by experts from Soul Emperor to Soul Sage rank.
Another guard watched Nan Xuan rummage around before taking out a Black-Clothed Bishop token, and he immediately jolted in fright.
The captain of the guards was no fool. Even if the token did not belong to this youth, his status had to be extraordinary. He therefore turned toward the Soul Ancestor and his group.
"Leave on your own, or we will convict you of plotting to harm a Black-Clothed Bishop of Spirit Hall. You will be sentenced to death." The captain looked at the Soul Ancestor expressionlessly.
Seeing that the situation was against him, the Soul Ancestor could only leave. But as he turned away, he gave Nan Xuan a look, as if he intended to remember him.
"Young man, we will not ask how you obtained this token. Please leave quickly now," the captain said kindly to Nan Xuan.
Nan Xuan nodded, thanked him, and left.
After returning to Momo Treasure Appraisal House, the group looked at one another and broke out in cold sweat.
None of them asked how Nan Xuan had gotten the token. They only knew that his girlfriend, Bibi Dong, was an important figure in Spirit Hall.
Nan Xuan took a deep breath, looked slowly at everyone, and said, "Our funding problem is gone for now. Everyone should focus on cultivating and strive to break through level 40 as soon as possible."
After escaping death this time, they finally understood how terrifying the world of Soul Masters was.
But such an incident was only the tip of the iceberg. Who knew what even more dangerous things awaited them in the future?
Over the next year or so, Nan Xuan cultivated diligently. At last, when he was a little over thirteen, he broke through level 40. He planned to hunt for a Soul Ring in a few days. This would be his first time personally hunting one. His first two Soul Rings had been custom-made because they were too common, while his third Soul Ring had been bought at an auction in Spirit City.
"This time, I won't be so lucky. Star Dou Great Forest... I've been on Douluo Continent for over thirteen years. It's time I went and saw it." Sitting on his bed, Nan Xuan let out a long breath and sighed inwardly.
The next afternoon, Nan Xuan found Bibi Dong in the school library and told her that he had reached level 40.
"Not bad. You've been much more diligent this past year, hehe." Bibi Dong put down the book in her hands and spoke to Nan Xuan playfully.
"What, is it bad that I worked a little harder? Or do you think I haven't spent enough time with you?" Nan Xuan wrapped an arm around Bibi Dong's slender waist, pressed close to her in a corner of the library, and gazed at her affectionately.
"That's just how it is. Compared to before, you do have less time now." As Bibi Dong watched Nan Xuan's face draw closer and closer, she even began to stammer.
Seeing Bibi Dong's adorable, shy appearance, Nan Xuan nearly lost control. But after thinking about it, he gritted his teeth and held himself back.
"Alright, I won't tease you anymore. I came this time to tell you that my application to obtain my Fourth Soul Ring has been approved. We leave the day after tomorrow." Nan Xuan pinched Bibi Dong's cheek, returned to his seat, and smiled at her.
"Hmph. So, are you planning to go to the Star Dou Great Forest with the teacher leading the group this time?" Bibi Dong asked with a flushed face, sounding somewhat worried.
"Otherwise, should I ask you, the Saintess, to accompany me?" Nan Xuan flipped through the book Bibi Dong had just put down and joked.
"Tch, in your dreams. I have a lot to do right now, and my teacher keeps a close eye on me." Bibi Dong wanted to accompany Nan Xuan to obtain his Soul Ring. He was a support-type Soul Master, after all. If they encountered danger, even the teacher might not be able to look after him.
"Sigh, what a pity. I was planning to take you home and introduce you to our village chief grandfather." Nan Xuan looked at Bibi Dong with a mischievous grin.
"Wouldn't that be meeting the parents?" Bibi Dong touched her reddened earlobe with her right index finger and spoke bashfully.
"Hehe, don't worry. People always say an ugly daughter-in-law is afraid to meet her in-laws. You're so beautiful that I'll definitely be the coolest kid in the village." Nan Xuan looked at Bibi Dong smugly.
Bibi Dong: "..."
After Nan Xuan and Bibi Dong had a brief chat at noon the day before yesterday, they had not seen each other again.
Nan Xuan had also been busy preparing to obtain his Soul Ring, so he had already discussed it with Bibi Dong beforehand.
At the entrance to the Spirit Hall Advanced Soul Master Academy.
A burly middle-aged man stood before seven people, repeatedly stressing the precautions they needed to take while hunting Soul Rings.
Nan Xuan listened especially carefully. After all, among those present, he was the only support-type Soul Master, and he had never once gone outside to hunt wild soul beasts.
"I've said everything that needs saying. Let's go. Until you see some blood, you little brats will always think you're amazing." The middle-aged man was a teacher at the academy named Kelse. His martial soul was the Great Strength Ape, and he was a level 66 Soul Emperor. He was specifically responsible for helping Soul Ancestors and Soul Kings hunt Soul Rings.
Nan Xuan walked in the middle of the group. As soon as they reached the city gate, he spotted a graceful purple figure.
That's right, the figure was Bibi Dong.
"Teacher, I am Bibi Dong, the assistant instructor for this Soul Ring hunt. My martial soul is the Death Spider Emperor, and I am a level 45 Soul Ancestor." Bibi Dong handed Kelse a note and introduced herself coldly.
"Mm. Join the group." Kelse checked it, saw no issue, nodded, and set off again.
Nan Xuan deliberately slowed down and moved to the back of the group, where he came face-to-face with Bibi Dong.
Bibi Dong lowered her voice, leaned close to Nan Xuan, and said, "Well? Surprised?"
Nan Xuan felt a little panicked inside. This was not a surprise. It was a scare.
Still, Nan Xuan replied with a smile, "How could I not be surprised? I'm thrilled to death."
Bibi Dong said, "A little fake."
Nan Xuan: "..."
"Your teacher let you leave Spirit City?" Nan Xuan asked curiously.
He worried that Bibi Dong had promised Qian Xunji something, or that she was seeing him too frequently now. If this continued, the storyline would definitely speed up.
"Yeah. I said I wanted to get some fresh air, only for a few days. Besides, my Soul Power is already level 45, so my teacher agreed." Bibi Dong answered with an easy expression.
Oh, no.
Thus, Nan Xuan and Bibi Dong quietly bickered and chatted along the way. A few days later, they arrived at the Star Dou Great Forest.
Kelse looked at the familiar entrance, turned back, and reminded them, "All of you, stay twelve times as alert. This isn't a place for babies."
There were seven people here this time, plus Bibi Dong, making eight in total. The original seven had all come to obtain their Fourth Soul Rings.
Everyone raised their guard and observed their surroundings.
Based on Kelse's many years of experience, they did not linger in the outer region and instead entered the central region directly.
"A 4,200-year Flame Bird. Whose lucky day is it? Speak up." Kelse looked at the crane-shaped soul beast wreathed in flames not far ahead and asked the youngsters behind him in a low voice.
"Teacher, it's mine. My martial soul happens to be the Flame Chicken." A youth dressed mainly in red answered.
Upon hearing that, Kelse immediately unleashed a soul skill. A 4,200-year soul beast was still easy enough for him to handle.
Not long after.
"Young Flame Chicken, hurry over and deliver the finishing blow," Kelse called to the back.
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