Qian Renxue Smiled

"Young Master." Snake Lance and Porcupinefish, the two Titled Douluo, respectfully addressed the girl standing with her back to them.

"Uncle She Long, go to Nuoding City tonight and investigate Lan Si's background. I want every bit of information you can find on him," Qian Renxue said coolly.

"Yes." Snake Lance Douluo answered without hesitation. His figure blurred like a ghost and vanished into the forest.

"Uncle Chi Xue, stay here with me and see whether this boy can withstand the Soul Ring of a Soul-Eater Demon Spider that exceeds the limit," Qian Renxue continued.

"Yes. This little fellow has piqued my interest as well. If he can persevere, his future will be limitless. Only a genius like him would be worthy of assisting the Young Master." Porcupinefish Douluo glanced at Lan Si, who was absorbing the Soul-Eater Demon Spider's Soul Ring, and gave Qian Renxue a respectful, amused smile. He knew their Young Master had taken an interest in Lan Si's talent and was eager to nurture him.

At that, Qian Renxue did not reply. She simply watched Lan Si in silence. Night fell, and the bright moon hung high overhead, its pure white light spilling down. In the moonlight, Qian Renxue's beautiful, otherworldly face appeared to curve into the faintest smile.

The night passed quietly.

At dawn the next day, Snake Lance Douluo returned.

By then, Qian Renxue's expression had grown grave. In front of her, Lan Si sat cross-legged beside the Soul-Eater Demon Spider, his figure hidden beneath a layer of pale red mist.

Within the red mist, blue arcs of lightning and pale, bone-white flames flickered into view.

The red in the mist was none other than Lan Si's blood. An hour earlier, as the Soul Power around his body surged violently, tiny beads of blood had begun to seep from his skin. The bone-white flames' scorching heat then vaporized them into the air, forming the pale red mist.

Lan Si's brows were knitted tightly, his teeth clenched as his body convulsed uncontrollably. With blood beading across his skin, it was easy to imagine the agony he was enduring.

Now and then, the sound of bones cracking echoed through the blood mist. Each snap made the listeners' hearts leap. Yet the Third Soul Ring that was supposed to appear as he absorbed the Soul Ring had still not materialized. That meant Lan Si had not yet fully absorbed the Soul-Eater Demon Spider's Soul Ring.

"Young Master, Soul-Eater Demon Spiders are among the most vicious and savage of Soul Beasts. This one lived for over two thousand years, nearly two thousand five hundred. A whole night has passed. I'm afraid the boy won't be able to hold on." Porcupinefish Douluo looked at Lan Si inside the blood mist and spoke to Qian Renxue with regret.

From Snake Lance Douluo, he had learned that Lan Si was a talented commoner with an impeccable background. He had never been involved with any faction, and seemed to have a favorable impression of Spirit Hall. It would be a real shame if a genius like him perished here.

Snake Lance Douluo came to stand beside Porcupinefish Douluo, a stack of documents in his hand. He had spent the night gathering them through Spirit Hall's channels. They recorded the broad details of Lan Si's life, from his Martial Soul Awakening to his graduation from Nuoding Academy.

Snake Lance had returned half an hour earlier. But when he saw their Young Master watching Lan Si with a grave expression, he had chosen to stand aside without speaking. Instead, he and his old friend Porcupinefish had been communicating through Sound Transmission.

Hearing Porcupinefish Douluo's words, Qian Renxue raised an eyebrow. She recalled her earlier conversations with Lan Si, hesitated for a moment, then stepped in front of him and bent down slightly. Golden light shimmered in her hand as she slowly brought it closer to Lan Si.

Porcupinefish and Snake Lance were both startled. Could their Young Master be planning to use her Angel Domain to cleanse the savage aura within the Soul-Eater Demon Spider's Soul Ring?

Just as the golden light in Qian Renxue's hand was about to reach Lan Si, a brilliant white glow suddenly lit up beneath him. It grew brighter and brighter, and a gigantic Cyan Lotus, more than two meters across, slowly emerged. Its eight petals folded inward, enveloping Lan Si completely.

The instant the golden light in Qian Renxue's hand touched the Cyan Lotus, it bounced back.

Then a purple ring of light appeared—the Third Soul Ring—and began circling the enormous Cyan Lotus.

"What is this?" Qian Renxue exclaimed, astonished.

"Young Master, it seems the boy pulled through." Porcupinefish Douluo hurried to Qian Renxue's side, his face alight with excitement. Though he had long since become a Titled Douluo, in all his years alive, he had never once witnessed someone absorb a Soul Ring beyond their limit—and one belonging to the most vicious and savage of Soul Beasts, no less.

The Soul-Eater Demon Spider could grow into a Soul-Eater Spider Emperor. The Second Martial Soul of Bibi Dong, the Pope of Spirit Hall, was a Soul-Eater Spider Emperor.

Snake Lance Douluo promptly handed over the documents. "Young Master, these are the records I gathered during the night."

Qian Renxue took them and nodded with satisfaction, smiling. "Sorry for the trouble, uncles. Lan Si will be waking soon. You can hide yourselves for now."

"Yes." Snake Lance Douluo and Porcupinefish Douluo exchanged a glance, then nodded. With a flash, they vanished into the forest.

Qian Renxue glanced at Lan Si again. Since the Third Soul Ring representing a Soul Elder had appeared, Lan Si was out of danger. She was in no hurry now, so she found a rock and sat down to read through the documents.

Name: Lan Si. Awakened his Martial Soul at age six.

Martial Soul: Cyan Fire Lotus.

Innate Soul Power: level five. (Confirmed repeatedly with Su Yuntao, Lan Si's guide during his Martial Soul Awakening: his Innate Soul Power was indeed level five.)

Three months later, he broke through level ten. Soon afterward, he obtained his First Soul Ring, qualified as a Soul Master, and reached level eleven Soul Power.

Two years and six months later, he obtained his Second Soul Ring and qualified as a Soul Grandmaster.

Reading the report, Qian Renxue's lips curved into a charming smile. She murmured, "Innate Soul Power of level five, yet he raised his Soul Power to level ten in just three months. That's rather interesting."

She turned to the next page and continued reading.

This section recorded Lan Si's conduct in Nuoding City.

When she read that Lan Si had defeated a Soul Master with a Rabbit Martial Soul and Innate Full Soul Power more than a hundred times, Qian Renxue paid it little mind. In her eyes, so-called Innate Full Soul Power amounted to nothing more than an ordinary genius who was a little better than most. Compared to Lan Si's Twin Martial Souls, it was utterly insignificant.

What did catch her interest was that Lan Si was often pestered by a middle-aged man who called himself "Grandmaster."

As far as she knew, the only person in the entire Soul Master World shameless enough to call himself Grandmaster was Yu Xiaogang, the man that woman couldn't stop thinking about.

According to the report, Lan Si often left that Grandmaster speechless, and did so in the very field of theory where the man took the greatest pride. Every word he said was reasonable and backed by evidence, leaving no room for rebuttal. He had left Yu Xiaogang unable to save face time and time again.

His face flushed crimson as he fled in disgrace.

At that, an intense sense of vengeful satisfaction welled up in Qian Renxue. She laughed. She was already beautiful, and when she smiled, the entire Star Dou Great Forest seemed to fall at her feet. It truly was as the saying went: first she could topple a city, then she could topple a kingdom.

So this kid really did teach himself everything.