Douluo: Starting Out by Snapping at the Grandmaster

Before long, the two arrived at the stands overlooking Lu Yu's area.

By the time they arrived, the battle had just begun.

Seeing Lu Yu's bizarre footwork, Xue Qinghe's pupils contracted.

She could only barely make out his figure.

This speed...

A stormy sea had already been stirred within Xue Qinghe's heart.

This was too absurd, wasn't it?

What level was she at, and what level was he at?

If they were placed at the same level, wouldn't she be just like his opponent—completely blind, standing there waiting to die?

Whether in her former identity or her current one, she had always held a high position and seen countless Martial Souls.

Yet among all the agility-type Martial Souls she had seen, not a single one could compare to his speed at the same cultivation level.

And if she was not mistaken, his footwork should have been a Self-Created Soul Skill.

To create such an exquisite Soul Skill at his age...

No wonder that woman valued him so highly.

With this footwork alone...

Calling him invincible among those at the same level would not have been an exaggeration.

Xue Qinghe was not the only one shocked. Her guard was as well.

Though Nine Absolutes was quite famous now, hearsay and witnessing it firsthand were vastly different. His strength had truly exceeded the guard's expectations by a great deal.

The guard muttered, "It's over. His opponent is far too weak. There's no way to fight back."

"No, it isn't that the opponent is too weak." Xue Qinghe shook her head. "On the contrary, his opponent is very strong. Both his Martial Soul quality and Soul Ring configuration are excellent."

"He is simply too strong."

"So strong that no matter how many methods his opponent has, he can't use any of them, because he simply can't predict his position."

As her words fell, the battle ended right on cue.

Lu Yu's opponent flew off the arena like a kite with its string cut.

"Tsk, tsk..." the guard sighed. "A Soul Grandmaster in his twenties crushing a Soul Elder with a top-tier configuration—this strength..."

Xue Qinghe said, "If I'm not mistaken, his Martial Soul is only an ordinary Martial Soul, right?"

"That's right. Whether according to what we saw ourselves or the intelligence reports, his Martial Soul is merely an ordinary one. Though we don't know his exact Innate Soul Power, it likely didn't exceed level five."

Xue Qinghe muttered, "An ordinary Martial Soul, yet he cultivated his Soul Power to level twenty-four in such a short time. On top of that, he has a thousand-year Second Soul Ring and a Self-Created Soul Skill."

"Tsk, tsk... There really doesn't seem to be any flaw."

The guard analyzed, "His Second Soul Ring is already a thousand-year one, so his First Soul Ring definitely exceeded four hundred years. In that case, it makes sense."

Xue Qinghe froze. "Makes sense?"

The guard explained, "Though we don't know the exact age of his First Soul Ring, it shouldn't be a problem for it to provide him with two levels of Soul Power."

"His Second Soul Ring is even a thousand-year one. Setting aside anything else, three levels should be no issue, right? So if we exclude those five levels of Soul Power, his true Soul Power should only be level nineteen."

"I estimate he is around nine or ten years old. Even if his Innate Soul Power was level five, gaining fourteen levels in four or five years..."

"How should I put it?"

"While it is still fairly impressive, it is nowhere near terrifying. At most, he can barely be considered a decent genius."

Xue Qinghe nodded thoughtfully.

It had not seemed like much before he analyzed it.

But after hearing his analysis...

It really did seem like that was all there was to it.

The guard continued, "The quality of his Martial Soul is a fatal flaw. As his level rises, his cultivation speed will only grow slower and slower."

"Even if high-age Soul Rings improve him and help him break through Soul Power levels, potential is not so easily raised."

"I estimate that with his potential, Soul Saint will be his limit. If he encounters some fortunate opportunity, he might be able to make a push for Soul Douluo."

"As for Title Douluo... absolutely impossible."

Xue Qinghe glanced sideways at him. "You mean he is not worth recruiting?"

"That's not quite it. Whether Soul Saint or Soul Douluo, they already count as high-end combat power."

"Title Douluo are few in number to begin with. If they were so easy to reach, they would not be so rare."

"Besides, perhaps his future prospects are limited, but few can match him now. Even geniuses at the same level likely won't be his opponents."

"Give him a little more time. If he participates in the Continental Advanced Soul Master Tournament, and his teammates are capable enough, he may not be unable to win the championship."

Listening to his orderly analysis, Xue Qinghe wore a thoughtful expression.

Was this your plan?

Yet although his analysis made perfect sense, Xue Qinghe still felt there was more to it. Would that woman truly be so shallow?

PS: Thank you to [Brother Tian], [Reader Ending in 9049], [Reader Ending in 8478], [Random Nickname], [Qi Yu], and [Master Baibiandou] for the monthly tickets. Many thanks!

The Crown Prince's People

If not for the matter of mobilizing Snake Lance Douluo, she might truly have believed his words. But after learning of that, she felt there had to be more to it.

If things were really as simple as he claimed, neither Nine Absolutes nor Food God would have been worth sending a Title Douluo to protect.

There had to be something she did not know.

What was it?

Watching Nine Absolutes leave the arena and enter the exit passage, Xue Qinghe pondered it, but no matter how she thought about it, she could not guess the reason.

Yet the more it was like this, the more curious she became.

She wanted to see exactly what secret Nine Absolutes was hiding that could make that woman value him even more than her own daughter.

"Let's go take a look."

"Your Highness..."

Just as Xue Qinghe intended to go over and make contact, her guard stopped her.

"Hmm?" Xue Qinghe glanced at him, somewhat puzzled.

The guard pointed ahead and smiled bitterly. "I'm afraid we came too late."

Xue Qinghe turned to look, and her brows immediately furrowed tightly.

Hua Yuan!

Never mind her original identity—even as the Heaven Dou Crown Prince, there was no way she would not recognize a Soul Saint-level deacon from the Heaven Dou Holy Temple.

That made things rather troublesome.

She had not expected that, with Snake Lance Douluo protecting them in secret, there would also be a Soul Saint openly guarding them. Just how highly were they valued?

If she had not known, it would have been one thing.

But since she knew they were connected to Spirit Hall, if she still went to approach them...

It would be rather hard to justify.

Poaching talent was one thing, but no one poached right in front of the other party. It would only intensify the conflict between the Heaven Dou Empire and Spirit Hall.

By then, giving others something to hold against her would be inevitable.

She did not want the image she had painstakingly built to collapse over such a trivial matter.

But once curiosity arose, if it could not be satisfied, it felt like cats scratching at her heart. There was no way she could simply give up.

"Let's go. We'll head back first." After taking one deep look at Lu Yu and Lu Fei, Xue Qinghe turned and left.

The guard followed closely behind her.

Meanwhile.

Lu Fei had also finished his Gambling Match for the night and arrived at the Deathmatch Zone together with Lu Yu.

"Eh, isn't that guy from Heaven Dou Royal Academy?" As they passed an arena, Lu Fei pointed at it in surprise.

Lu Yu froze and turned to look.

Wasn't that Yu Tianheng?

But this was the Deathmatch Zone. Why had he come here to take part in Death Matches?

Was Qin Ming not afraid that Yu Tianheng might accidentally get himself killed on the arena, prompting the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan to come looking for trouble?

But Lu Yu quickly understood the key point.

It seemed that guy really wanted to fight him.

He had even come to participate in Death Matches. His goal was probably to quickly obtain a Copper Fighting Badge, right?

However, that alone would not be enough.

Even if Yu Tianheng managed to obtain a Copper Fighting Badge through a winning streak, it would still take two or three days. By then, Lu Yu would nearly have a Silver Soul Badge.

What would Yu Tianheng use to challenge him?

If he could persuade the Soul Fighting Arena, Lu Yu would not mind fitting in another match.

"Tsk, tsk..." Lu Fei said with interest. "That kid's pretty strong. He's actually crushing an opponent at the same level."

Yu Tianheng's opponent was also a Soul Elder.

His Martial Soul quality might not have matched Yu Tianheng's, but his Soul Ring configuration was fairly good.

That was hardly surprising.

Who the hell came to the Soul Fighting Arena with a white Soul Ring?

Who did he think he was, Huo Yuhao?

And as one of the outstanding members of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan's younger generation, Yu Tianheng's strength was beyond doubt.

His opponent could barely catch his breath under the assault. It was a complete and utter one-sided beatdown.

"Let's go!" Lu Yu was not particularly interested in Yu Tianheng.

Lu Fei curled his lips, then followed him.

In the following Death Matches and Gambling Duels, neither of their opponents was particularly strong. They easily secured their three victories for the day.

At this point.

The two had reached six wins in their Bronze Soul battles. They were only five wins away from eleven, and if nothing unexpected happened...

They would obtain Silver Soul Badges in two days.

Lu Yu was still somewhat excited. The mission reward was within reach.

After having a late-night snack.

"Brother Yu, look." When they were only a few hundred meters from their residence, Lu Fei suddenly grabbed Lu Yu and pointed ahead.

Following the direction of his finger, Lu Yu instantly became alert.

Spirit Hall's guards had withdrawn after Snake Lance Douluo arrived, yet a figure was now standing before their door.

Because of the distance and the darkness, Lu Yu could not make out who the person was.

But one thing was certain: the person was definitely not a friend.

If it had been someone from Spirit Hall, they would never have stood waiting at the door.

Although Snake Lance Douluo was protecting them in secret, Lu Yu did not dare let down his guard. After all, even Title Douluo were not omnipotent and could have moments of oversight.

Hua Yuan said, "I'll go take a look."

With that, he walked toward the figure.

He appeared reckless, but he was secretly on guard and already prepared for battle.