Monster

Wang Chuan stirred his thoughts, and the cluster of Spirit Power Halo turned into a streak of light that entered his body.

As the Rainbow Dragon rapidly absorbed and converted that pure spirit power, its cultivation age rose accordingly.

"A good start. Not bad."

Wang Chuan nodded in satisfaction.

It had gained four hundred years of cultivation.

The Rainbow Dragon's cultivation age had consequently reached five thousand four hundred years.

Afterward, he withdrew the Domain of Five Elements and the Five Virtues Phoenix Martial Soul, and the three purple Soul Rings faded away as well.

The elemental fluctuations around him subsided, and silence returned to the forest, as though the instant kill just now had never happened.

Outside, inside the Spirit Pagoda monitoring room.

Dead silence.

Every staff member staring at the Soul Guidance Screen, Zheng Chenggong included.

All of them had their mouths agape and their eyes wide with shock and confusion, as if they had witnessed something utterly beyond their comprehension.

"He, he, he..."

"With just one strike..."

"He killed that four-thousand-year Ice-Fire Demon Tiger..."

"Instantly?!"

A young staff member stammered almost incoherently, his voice warped by excessive horror.

That was a four-thousand-year Ice-Fire Demon Tiger!

It possessed both offense and defense, was cunning and vicious, and even ordinary Five-Ring Soul Kings would have headaches facing it and need to deal with it cautiously!

Yet that nine-year-old boy on the screen.

From releasing his Martial Soul and Soul Rings, to deploying that strange five-colored domain, to forming a gigantic hand and crushing the demon tiger.

The entire process had been smooth and effortless. He had not even moved his feet an inch!

Before him, that powerful Soul Beast had been as fragile as something made of paper!

The smile on Zheng Chenggong's face had long since vanished, replaced by profound shock and disbelief.

He stared fixedly at Wang Chuan's calm, expressionless face on the screen, replaying everything that had happened in that split second over and over in his mind.

"A Three-Ring Soul Venerable..."

"A domain-type Soul Skill..."

"Five-Element Control..."

"Instantly killing a top-tier four-thousand-year Soul Beast..."

Zheng Chenggong's throat felt dry as he swallowed with difficulty.

The combat power Wang Chuan had displayed had clearly reached—even surpassed—the level of an ordinary Six-Ring Soul Emperor!

Nine years old, yet possessing Soul Emperor-level actual combat power?!

Zheng Chenggong felt as though his worldview had suffered a tremendous impact, leaving his mind completely blank.

In the end, all his complicated emotions converged into two words, which slipped quietly from his slightly trembling lips:

"Monster..."

Over the following period, the various thousand-year Soul Beasts Wang Chuan encountered—whether the speed-specialized Gale Demon Wolves, the incredibly durable Iron-Armored Earth Dragons, or the elusive and unpredictable Shadow Leopards...

Before him, they were all no better than chickens and dogs. Not one could withstand a single strike.

The cultivation age of the Rainbow Dragon Soul Spirit also rapidly increased as an endless stream of pure spirit power flowed into it.

The dazzling seven-colored halo circulating within Wang Chuan's body became increasingly agile and rich.

Even Wang Chuan could not help but marvel at such efficiency.

Back at the Primary Spirit Ascension Platform in Aolai City, he might not encounter a suitable thousand-year Soul Beast even after half a day. Most of his time had been spent searching and traveling.

But within this Intermediate Spirit Ascension Platform, thousand-year Soul Beasts were practically everywhere. As long as one was strong enough, the rate of improvement was nothing short of astounding.

Wang Chuan's performance within the Spirit Ascension Platform was naturally witnessed by the staff outside, along with Zheng Chenggong.

Watching those effortless yet thunderous instant kills on the Soul Guidance Screen, Zheng Chenggong grew increasingly shocked.

Unable to restrain himself any longer, he found an opening and made an emergency report to Leng Yaozhu, who was far away at Spirit Pagoda Headquarters.

On the other end of the Soul Guidance Communicator, after hearing Zheng Chenggong's detailed account, filled with excitement and disbelief, Leng Yaozhu fell briefly silent.

She knew that Wang Chuan was extraordinarily gifted. Back in Aolai City, with only two rings of cultivation, he could easily instantly kill hundred-year Soul Beasts, and though dealing with thousand-year Soul Beasts required some effort...

He had still been able to defeat them.

But that had been more than a year ago.

By normal reasoning, with Wang Chuan's cultivation as a Three-Ring Soul Venerable and his top-tier Martial Soul, being able to deal rather easily with some thousand-year Soul Beasts was not entirely beyond expectations.

However, the phrases Zheng Chenggong had emphasized in his report—"a casual strike," "area suppression," and "absolute elemental control"...

As well as the horrifying efficiency of "harvesting more than a dozen thousand-year Soul Beasts in three hours," made Leng Yaozhu realize just how extraordinary this was.

This was not merely being "able to deal with" them. It was a terrifying dominance that crushed all opposition, far surpassing conventional understanding of what his current Soul Power Level should allow.

After pondering for a moment, Leng Yaozhu's voice regained its usual cool decisiveness as she issued Zheng Chenggong clear instructions.

"From this moment onward, all footage and battle records of Xiaochuan entering the Intermediate Spirit Ascension Platform in Eastsea City are to be classified as top secret and permanently sealed."

"Other than myself, no one—not even Tower Master Qiangu Dongfeng in person—may access, copy, or inquire about these records without my permission."

"All personnel with knowledge of this matter are to sign the highest-level confidentiality agreement."

"Understood, Tower Master Leng!"

Zheng Chenggong's heart tightened, and he immediately answered respectfully.

He understood that Leng Yaozhu was using her authority to protect Wang Chuan.

She intended to keep this earth-shaking talent hidden beneath the surface for the time being, preventing it from being exposed too early beneath an overly glaring spotlight.

So that he would not be targeted by certain malicious forces.

Spirit Pagoda Headquarters, Leng Yaozhu's office.

After ending her communication with Zheng Chenggong, Leng Yaozhu did not immediately attend to other matters.

Instead, she slowly walked to the enormous floor-to-ceiling window. She looked out at the prosperous yet orderly scene of Ming Capital, but her gaze was unfocused as she sank into a long reverie.

At that moment, turmoil churned within her heart.

The talent Wang Chuan had displayed could no longer be described with the simple word "genius."

It was a "monster"-level performance capable of overturning the existing understanding of Soul Masters.

Even the current Sea God Pavilion Master, Sky-Prop Douluo Yun Ming, who had been hailed as the continent's number one genius.

Had never possessed such exaggerated battle records during his youth.

Yun Ming's talent had naturally been unparalleled throughout the ages.

He had entered the Three-Ring Soul Venerable realm at the age of ten, already making him an unprecedented prodigy.

But Leng Yaozhu knew very well that when Yun Ming had possessed three rings, he had absolutely been incapable of so effortlessly killing various thousand-year Soul Beasts, much less "harvesting" them as Wang Chuan did, as though taking a leisurely stroll.

According to Zheng Chenggong's description, Wang Chuan's efficiency bottleneck was not even combat, but the time spent searching for the next target!

That absolute control, that manner of fighting above his level as easily as eating and drinking.

While it shocked Leng Yaozhu, it also stirred within her a faint sense of unease and... concern.

The tallest tree in the forest would be the first to be broken by the wind.

Wang Chuan's brilliance was too dazzling. Once fully exposed, no one knew how many open and hidden attacks it would attract.

The Holy Spirit Cult, certain hostile Soul Master clans, and even some factions within the Federation...

None of them would be pleased to see the Spirit Pagoda possess such a "monster" with limitless future potential.