A Solution

When Ao Zhan saw the baby, his heart settled. This child was the target he had been looking for—the life formed from Ye Lingyun's Alien Energy.

After teasing baby Ye Lingyun for a moment, Ao Zhan looked at Dean Ye. "Dean, to be honest with you, I came this time because I want to form a team for a competition. This child suits my eye very well, and I want to recruit him into my team."

"But sir, he is still only a baby," Dean Ye said hesitantly.

"I know. That is why I will return in six years, when he awakens his Martial Soul. But for the next six years, I will have to trouble you to raise him. Of course, if you encounter any difficulties, you may seek out the staff in Spirit City. I will have them do everything they can to assist you. What do you think?"

Dean Ye nodded firmly. "No problem. It is my honor to serve Spirit Hall. I am only worried that this child may not meet your requirements."

Ao Zhan laughed. "Haha, don't worry. I have always trusted my instincts. I believe he will definitely become a powerhouse renowned across the continent."

Of course he was confident. Since this child had been formed from Ye Lingyun's Alien Energy, his future strength could not possibly be weak.

Dean Ye said, "Then I will certainly do my utmost to raise this child well."

As she spoke, she glanced at the child and suddenly asked Ao Zhan on a whim, "Sir, could I ask you to give this child a name?"

"A name? Certainly."

Ao Zhan nodded, then caught sight of the nameplate on Dean Ye's chest. "Dean, your surname is Ye, correct?"

"Uh, yes." Dean Ye did not quite understand why Ao Zhan was asking.

Ao Zhan's lips curved upward slightly. Wasn't this a perfect coincidence?

"Then this child will take your surname. His name will be Ye Lingyun."

"Ye Lingyun—good! What a good name! Ye Lingyun it is!"

Dean Ye repeated the name Ao Zhan had chosen and found it exceptionally fitting. She decided the child would be called Ye Lingyun.

"Dean, I will be leaving now. If there are any problems, contact Spirit Hall personnel immediately."

"Understood, sir."

After Ao Zhan left, Dean Ye looked gently at the baby. "Lingyun, you must grow up quickly. You must never disappoint sir's expectations."

After leaving the orphanage, Ao Zhan looked back once, then instructed the patrolling knights of Spirit City to make more trips toward the orphanage during their rounds. If the dean there sought help, they were to fulfill her request no matter what.

After arranging matters for Ye Lingyun, Ao Zhan began thinking about how to spread Alien Energy.

One day, two days, three days... Time passed little by little, and a month went by.

At a training ground, the Seven Great Elders, Qian Xunji, Qian Renxue, and Ao Zhan were all present. Five children stood before Ao Zhan.

"Big Brother Ao Zhan, why did you call us here?" a little blonde girl asked.

She wore a dress embroidered with golden crocodile patterns, her face filled with confusion.

They had been playing games today when Ao Zhan called them over. He had even told them to bring their elders along.

That was right. Their elders were Golden Crocodile and the others, the elders of Spirit Hall, so the children's identities were naturally obvious—they were the elders' grandchildren.

Only Jiang Mo Douluo had no interest in marriage or children. Since his older brother already had a grandson, he had no thoughts of taking a wife.

Ao Zhan smiled. "Naturally, I called you here to broaden your horizons. First, let me ask you something. Do you want to become stronger? Do you want Martial Soul Possession forms like Xue'er's and mine?"

"Yes!"

The five children's eyes lit up as they shouted in unison.

No one disliked becoming stronger, especially elder descendants like them. Besides, they had seen Ao Zhan and Qian Renxue's Martial Soul Possession forms before. They were simply too cool!

What child could refuse a set of armor that was both handsome and dashing?

"But Big Brother Ao Zhan, if I remember correctly, to have a Martial Soul Possession like yours and Sister Xue'er's, we need a kind of power called Alien Energy. Could it be that you can give us that?" asked the blonde little girl in the golden crocodile dress.

"Bingo, Tian Yao, you guessed right. As for the specific method, we will use your Martial Souls as your Alien Energy Locks." Ao Zhan snapped his fingers and praised Tian Yao.

After a month, Ao Zhan had finally come up with a solution.

In the Super Beast Armed World, there was something called an Alien Energy Lock. It was the activation device for Alien Energy. With an Alien Energy Lock, one could trigger the Alien Energy within one's body.

Of course, Alien Energy Locks were not essential. What truly mattered was the faith in one's heart.

If one's faith was strong enough, one could draw out the Alien Energy within the body even without an Alien Energy Lock.

Without faith, even with an Alien Energy Lock, one could not possess Alien Energy.

However, the method of gaining Alien Energy through faith could only be used in the Super Beast Armed World, since these were two different worlds.

In that case, they could only make use of Alien Energy Locks. But Alien Energy Locks were also unique to the Super Beast Armed World. Still, Douluo Continent had its own distinct features.

Martial Souls, something everyone possessed, could serve as Alien Energy Locks.

After all, children here could only have their Innate Soul Power tested after undergoing Martial Soul awakening.

In other words, as long as they made a few small adjustments during Martial Soul awakening, they could give Martial Souls the same effect as Alien Energy Locks.

Thus, after coming up with this idea, Ao Zhan set his sights on the elder descendants. After all, this was a core secret of Spirit Hall, and choosing children who would awaken their Martial Souls this year was somewhat unreliable.

Although they had awakened their Martial Souls last year, it did not matter. They only needed to do it once more.

After Ao Zhan explained the principles to them, Tian Yao immediately became eager to try. "Big Brother Ao Zhan, me! Me! Let me go first!"

Just as Tian Yao volunteered herself, a boy with side-swept bangs, dressed in clothes bearing an azure luan pattern, shook his head. "Tian Yao! There is no precedent for this. You are Grandpa Golden Crocodile's precious darling—how can we let you go first? Of course I should go first! I'll test the waters for you!"

"Huh?! Liu He, don't go too far! That excuse might fool an idiot, but are you really thinking of me? You're just coveting Sister Xue'er's and Big Brother Ao Zhan's Arming armor and can't wait to get an Azure Luan Armor of your own, aren't you?!"

Tian Yao immediately bristled. Liu He actually wanted to get ahead of her, and he was even pretending it was for her own good?!

"Tian Yao, Liu He does have a point. You are Grandpa Golden Crocodile's treasure, so of course you cannot go first. But Liu He, the same goes for you. You are Grandpa Azure Luan's only grandson. What if something happens? Let me, Qi Kuang, test the waters instead."

Mighty Lion Douluo's grandson, Qi Kuang, made the suggestion, but his well-meaning proposal earned him deadly stares from Tian Yao and Liu He.