Grand Investiture Ceremony

Su Chen took his first step.

His black and gold Holy Son Ceremonial Robe shimmered brilliantly under the sunlight.

There were ninety-nine steps made of white jade in total.

He walked at a steady, unhurried pace.

He showed no signs of stage fright.

Even though representatives from all the top factions of the Douluo Continent were gathered below.

The gazes of hundreds of thousands of elite spirit masters from Martial Soul Hall formed a tangible sense of oppression.

An ordinary child would have had their legs turn to jelly under such a stare.

Yet, Su Chen's expression remained as calm as still water.

The Million-Year Head Soul Bone circulated slightly.

A tangible mental force formed an invisible barrier around his body.

It blocked all external probing and coercion completely.

On the right side of the viewing gallery.

In the area reserved for the representatives of the Heaven Dou Empire.

Leading the delegation was Prince Xue Xing of the Heaven Dou Empire royal family.

Sitting beside him were two Soul Douluo over level eighty.

Prince Xue Xing narrowed his eyes slightly.

He watched the six-year-old child descending the steps.

A trace of suspicion and disdain flashed in his eyes.

For Martial Soul Hall to make such a grand display of appointing a wet-behind-the-ears brat as the Holy Son.

In his view, it was nothing more than a pretentious political stunt.

"Go and test him."

Prince Xue Xing transmitted his voice to an old man beside him.

"Give him a taste of trouble. Let Martial Soul Hall make a fool of themselves in public."

The old man nodded slightly.

He was a high-level Soul Douluo serving the Heaven Dou Empire.

The old man's right hand, hidden beneath his robes, curled slightly.

A subtle fluctuation of spirit power spread quietly along the ground.

It transformed into an invisible tripwire.

It coiled directly toward the right leg Su Chen was about to plant down.

The technique was extremely covert.

At this distance.

Even the Titled Douluo on the high platform would find it difficult to detect and intercept it in an instant.

Su Chen's right foot hung in mid-air.

His mental perception had long since locked onto the spirit power attacking from the shadows.

He did not dodge or evade.

His right foot continued along its original trajectory and slammed down heavily.

The moment his sole made contact with the stone step.

The terrifying two-thousand-jin physical strength reshaped by the Marrow Cleansing Pill erupted instantly.

Boom.

An extremely muffled sound exploded on the steps.

The sturdy white jade stairs were cracked with a large web of spider-like fissures.

That invisible tripwire of spirit power was crushed directly by this barbaric physical force.

It turned into a violent wave of air that dissipated in all directions.

At the same time.

A storm suddenly surged within Su Chen's Sea of Consciousness.

A sharp mental blade followed the path of that spirit power.

It viciously stabbed back into the mind of the old man from the Heaven Dou Empire.

The old man let out an extremely suppressed scream.

His face turned deathly pale in an instant.

A trickle of blindingly bright blood spilled from the corner of his mouth.

His body swayed violently in the chair.

He nearly tumbled straight off the viewing platform.

This sudden turn of events drew the attention of the surrounding factions.

"What is happening?"

Prince Xue Xing was struck with alarm.

"There is something strange about him."

The old man lowered his voice.

His eyes were filled with horror as he stared at the back on the stone steps.

"His spiritual power is terrifying; it was even able to rebound and injure me. This is absolutely not the power a six-year-old child should possess."

High on the platform, Bibi Dong took in everything.

A cold arc curled at the corner of her lips.

The people of the Heaven Dou Empire wanted to see Martial Soul Hall make a fool of itself.

Instead, they had kicked an iron plate.

Su Chen's response satisfied her.

There was not a shred of weakness.

He had struck back directly in the most ruthless manner possible.

Su Chen walked the final step up the stone stairs.

He arrived on the red carpet in the center of the plaza.

He stood directly before the Pope, Bibi Dong, who sat enthroned on the high platform.

Hundreds of thousands of Martial Soul Hall spirit masters straightened their chests in unison.

The sound of armor clashing rang out to the heavens.

Bibi Dong slowly stood up.

The scepter in her hand struck the ground with a heavy thud.

Purple spirit power surged outward like a tsunami.

The immense pressure caused all the factions in the viewing area to hold their breath.

"Today."

Bibi Dong's voice, wrapped in spirit power, carried across the entire venue.

"Martial Soul Hall welcomes a new hope."

"Su Chen has awakened twin supreme god-level martial souls with Innate Full Soul Power of level twenty, subduing his generation with absolute strength."

"In the name of the Pope, This Seat hereby declares Su Chen the Holy Son of Martial Soul Hall."

Innate level twenty full soul power.

Twin god-level martial souls.

Once these two phrases were cast out, the envoys of the two great empires and the representatives of the major sects in the viewing area could no longer sit still.

Many stood up directly from their chairs.

Their eyes were filled with shock.

They had originally assumed Martial Soul Hall had merely produced a talented genius.

They never expected it to be a monster capable of shattering the historical records of the Douluo Continent.

Twin martial souls were rare enough as it was.

Add to that an Innate Full Soul Power of level twenty.

With such potential, provided he did not perish prematurely, he would undoubtedly become a terrifying existence surpassing even Peerless Douluo in the future.

The envoy from the Star Luo Empire had a face as dark as water.

Prince Xue Xing of the Heaven Dou Empire felt a chill run through his entire body.

Martial Soul Hall was already powerful enough.

If this monster were allowed to grow, the two great empires would have no room to resist in the future.

Bibi Dong ignored those gazes filled with hostility and apprehension.

She walked down from the high platform.

He arrived before Su Chen.

A Cardinal stepped forward, carrying a purple-gold tray.

Resting upon the tray was a Dark Gold Crown, the symbol of the Holy Son's status.

Bibi Dong picked up the crown.

She personally placed it upon Su Chen's head.

"From this day forth, the status of the Martial Soul Hall Holy Son is equal to that of the Pope."

Bibi Dong turned to face the hundreds of thousands of troops.

"Whoever sees the Holy Son, sees This Seat."

Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo were the first to kneel on one knee.

"Greetings, Your Highness the Holy Son."

The lead taken by the two Title Douluo.

Instantly ignited the emotions of the entire crowd.

The elders of the Elder Hall and the Worship Hall bowed one after another in salute.

The hundreds of thousands of Cardinals, Temple Knights, and ordinary spirit masters on the plaza knelt down one after another like waves of the sea.

"Greetings, Your Highness the Holy Son."

The earth-shattering roar made the entire Martial Soul City tremble.

The wall of sound surged straight into the firmament.

Tearing the clouds in the sky to shreds.

Su Chen stood in the center of the red carpet.

He wore the Dark Gold Crown upon his head.

His black brocade robes snapped in the wind.

He received this earth-shattering salute from hundreds of thousands of people.

He turned around.

Casting his gaze toward the various factions in the viewing stands.

The representatives of the Star Luo Empire and the Heaven Dou Empire were like sitting on pins and needles.

They did not want to bow their heads to a six-year-old child.

But on the home turf of Martial Soul Hall.

Under the terrifying pressure of hundreds of thousands of spirit masters.

They had no choice at all.

Prince Xue Xing gritted his teeth.

He led the Heaven Dou Empire's delegation as they stood up.

Extremely reluctantly, he bowed slightly toward Su Chen.

The sect masters of the Lower Four Sects left their seats directly.

And bowed deeply toward Su Chen.

Su Chen watched these bowing dignitaries.

He did not speak.

He knew these people were not convinced in their hearts.

What they feared was merely the power of Martial Soul Hall.

Not Su Chen himself.

To completely shatter their wishful thinking.

Su Chen raised both hands.

He decided to give these external factions a true show of force.

Hum.

Accompanied by a violent vibration of energy.

The level twenty Innate Full Soul Power dormant within Su Chen's body erupted completely.

Golden light flared brilliantly in his right hand.

The Judgment Holy Sword took shape in an instant.

A scorching golden holy fire soared into the sky.

Dyeing half the sky into a blinding daylight.

Black mist roiled in his left hand.

The God-Slaying Magic Spear condensed, carrying an aura of endless destruction.

Dark red dragon scale patterns flickered along the shaft of the spear.

Even the surrounding light was forcibly swallowed.

Ultimate Light and Ultimate Darkness.

Two diametrically opposed supreme attributes fused perfectly within a single person.

The terrifying pressure of the Martial Soul surged like a tangible, massive wave.

It slammed directly toward the viewing gallery.

The younger generation of disciples brought by the various sects collapsed to the ground under this pressure.

Even those powerhouses at the Soul Douluo level felt a stifling tightness in their chests.

The Martial Souls within their bodies began to tremble uncontrollably.

Prince Xue Xing widened his eyes.

Only now did he finally understand.

The Soul Douluo who had previously suffered a mental backlash had not lost unjustly at all.

This was simply not power that a human should possess.

"A Martial Soul of this quality completely surpasses the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon and the Clear Sky Hammer."

The sect master of the White Armored Earth Dragon Sect, one of the Lower Four Sects, swallowed hard.

The awe in his eyes could no longer be concealed.

Su Chen displayed his Twin Martial Souls for a full ten seconds.

He watched the vivid expressions on the faces of the various representatives.

His goal had been achieved.

He clenched his hands.

The holy sword and the magic spear simultaneously dissipated into specks of light.

The suffocating pressure vanished along with them.

The crowd gasped for air.

Cold sweat had already soaked through their backs.

The core segment of the canonization ceremony ended here.

Martial Soul Hall had successfully demonstrated its most terrifying trump card to the entire continent.

Bibi Dong walked back to the Pope Throne.

She could no longer find any words to praise Su Chen's performance today.

It was simply perfect.

Bibi Dong issued her orders.

The army began to retreat in an orderly fashion.

The various factions in the viewing gallery also hurriedly took their leave.

They had to transmit this terrifying news back to their respective empires and sects immediately.

The landscape of the Douluo Continent would be completely rewritten because of the appearance of this youth.

After the ceremony dispersed, Su Chen followed Bibi Dong back to the main hall of the Pope Palace.

Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo followed closely behind.

The main hall doors closed.

Bibi Dong sat down and looked at Su Chen.

"The effect of your show of force today was excellent. The two great empires will definitely not dare to make any moves for a long time."

Bibi Dong picked up the teacup on the table.

"What are your plans next? Will you continue to consolidate your soul power at the Cloud Condensing Pavilion, or go to the Martial Soul Academy to learn systematic theoretical knowledge?"

Su Chen did not hesitate in the slightest.

He gave his answer straightforwardly.

"Teacher, theoretical knowledge is meaningless to me. My only bottleneck right now is my soul ring."

Su Chen looked at the Chrysanthemum and Ghost Douluo standing to the side.

"I want to set off immediately for the Star Dou Great Forest to obtain my first soul ring."

Bibi Dong frowned slightly.

"The ceremony just ended today. You have expended quite a bit of energy over the past few days; do you not need to rest for a few days?"

"No need. I am currently at my peak."

Su Chen's tone was firm.

"I said before: I intend to break the age limit for a first soul ring."

Upon hearing this, Chrysanthemum Douluo Yue Guan could not help but speak up.

"Your Highness, the Holy Son. Although your talent is peerless throughout history, the risks of absorbing a soul ring beyond one's rank are immense. While Yu Xiaogang's theories are rigid, they are indeed backed by a great deal of bloody lessons regarding limit-breaking."

"Four hundred years is already the limit for an ordinary human body. Even if your physical constitution far exceeds that of a normal person, the energy of a thousand-year soul beast is enough to rupture the meridians of an ordinary Soul Elder."

Su Chen turned to look at Yue Guan.

His gaze radiated absolute confidence.

"Elder Chrysanthemum, measuring me with the data of a mediocrity is a waste of my talent."

"That useless man Yu Xiaogang, who couldn't even break through to level thirty, has theories that are nothing more than waste paper."

Su Chen's voice was resolute and decisive.

"My first soul ring must start at fifteen hundred years."

As soon as these words were spoken, the main hall fell into a long, heavy silence.

Yue Guan and Gui Mei gasped in unison.

Fifteen hundred years.

This was already the standard configuration for a normal soul master's third soul ring.

To absorb a ring across two major tiers—

in their eyes, this was the act of a complete madman.

Bibi Dong set down her teacup.

She took a deep breath.

She had long known of the madness buried deep within Su Chen's bones.

Since she had already given him her word, there was no room for regret.

"Very well."

Bibi Dong stood up abruptly.

Her gaze swept toward Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo.

"The two of you, prepare the carriage immediately and escort the Holy Son to the Star Dou Great Forest."

"No matter which soul beast he sets his sights on, even if it is of the ten-thousand-year level, you must help him capture it alive."

"If there is any mishap, you will pay with your heads."

The two Title Douluo trembled.

They immediately knelt on one knee.

"As you command."

The corners of Su Chen's mouth curled upward slightly.

The soul-hunting journey to the Star Dou Great Forest was about to begin.

He wanted to see, what kind of terrifying god-level skill the system's third option would bring him.