Half a Year (Part One)

Inside the grand hall, silence fell for a moment.

Qian Xunji looked at Su Chen, his fingers slowly tapping the armrest as his gaze grew increasingly profound.

He admitted that Su Chen's reason for leaving was indeed sufficient.

But the problem was that Su Chen's talent was simply too great.

So great that Qian Xunji had no choice but to feel wary of him.

If Su Chen left this time and never returned to Spirit Hall...

If Su Chen turned around and joined another faction...

Then it would undoubtedly be a disaster for Spirit Hall.

At that thought, a trace of cold killing intent quietly flashed through Qian Xunji's eyes.

He did appreciate Su Chen, but only on the condition that Su Chen remained under his control.

Just then, Bibi Dong suddenly spoke from the side.

"Where are you going?"

"Can I come with you?"

She looked at Su Chen, her voice full of anxiety.

She did not want Su Chen to leave.

Even less did she want him to leave alone.

Hearing this, Su Chen first glanced at Bibi Dong before speaking calmly.

"Just going to visit a few cities."

"And meet some different Soul Masters, Soul Beasts, Martial Souls, and environments."

"You could call it training."

"If you want to go, that naturally wouldn't be impossible, but..."

At this point, Su Chen's voice paused slightly.

Then he looked toward Qian Xunji, seated in the place of honor.

His meaning could not have been clearer.

Bibi Dong was, after all, the Holy Maiden of Spirit Hall.

If she wanted to leave Spirit City, she naturally needed the permission of Qian Xunji, the Pope.

Bibi Dong immediately understood what Su Chen meant and hurriedly looked at Qian Xunji.

Her beautiful eyes were filled with pleading.

"Teacher, I want to go with Su Chen."

"I promise I won't cause trouble."

"Besides, I've already reached the Soul Emperor realm. All I lack is practical combat experience, so traveling outside may not be a bad thing for me."

Seeing Bibi Dong like this, the killing intent Qian Xunji had secretly harbored slowly faded, and he had already made a new decision.

This was perfect. With Bibi Dong at Su Chen's side, even if other factions wanted to recruit him, they would have no way to do so.

And in the name of protecting the Holy Maiden, he could arrange for powerful experts to follow them in secret and keep an eye on Su Chen.

At that thought, Qian Xunji spoke indifferently.

"Fine."

"Since Dong'er wants to go, then go together."

"However, while you are away, you must listen to all of Su Chen's arrangements and must not be willful."

At these words, delight instantly appeared in Bibi Dong's eyes.

"Thank you, Teacher!"

Su Chen also cupped his hands slightly.

"Thank you, Your Holiness, for granting this."

Qian Xunji nodded.

"Since you have decided to go, make your preparations properly."

"Also, remember that your safety is the most important thing."

"If you truly encounter something you cannot resolve, return to Spirit Hall immediately."

Bibi Dong immediately nodded in agreement.

Su Chen, on the other hand, said nothing more.

That night.

Gui Mei's figure appeared before Qian Xunji once more.

"Your Holiness."

Qian Xunji stood with his hands behind his back and spoke calmly.

"For this journey, follow them in secret."

"Protect Dong'er, and keep a close watch on Su Chen."

"If anyone tries to recruit him, report to me immediately."

"If he shows any sign of betraying Spirit Hall..."

At this point, Qian Xunji's voice paused for a moment.

The next instant, his tone turned cold.

"Do not act yet."

"At the very least, do not make any rash moves before Dong'er leaves his side."

Gui Mei's heart tightened, and he immediately bowed in acknowledgment.

"Yes!"

The following morning.

Su Chen and Bibi Dong left Spirit City.

And in the shadows, unnoticed by anyone, Gui Mei silently followed after them.

The scene shifted.

Time began to pass swiftly.

In the blink of an eye, another half year had gone by.

Over those six months.

Su Chen and Bibi Dong traveled through many places.

Remote border towns and bustling major cities.

They also witnessed many sights, such as the extravagant decadence of noble banquets.

Children in slums starving at death's door.

They saw Soul Masters standing high above others.

They also saw ordinary people trampled like weeds.

Along the way, the innocent smile that had once belonged to Bibi Dong's girlhood grew increasingly scarce.

She saw many things she had never truly seen before.

Su Chen, however, did not feel much.

During those six months, they encountered Fallen Soul Masters and other evildoers more than once.

Some were addicted to killing.

Some trafficked children.

Others specialized in abducting women for the amusement of nobles and auction houses.

Su Chen never showed mercy toward such people.

After all, in Su Chen's eyes, these people were more accurately called beasts—suitable experimental materials.

Because when dealing with such beasts, Su Chen never needed to consider whether they could endure the pain of his experiments.

And through this process, after her initial discomfort, Bibi Dong gradually became more decisive as well.

She began to understand.

For some people, being alive was itself a crime.

In the blink of an eye.

Outside an abandoned town.

Several corpses lay scattered across the ground.

Blood mixed with rainwater and slowly flowed over the ground.

Su Chen crouched beside the corpse of a Fallen Soul Master, continuously recording something in his hand.

Bibi Dong stood quietly guard beside him. After a while, she finally spoke softly, asking with some curiosity.

"This is already the seventh batch. Is it still not enough?"

Su Chen said,

"More or less."

"These people are enough for me to complete my research at the current stage."

With that, Su Chen slowly stood and extended his right hand. A powerful surge of Soul Power rippled out.

In an instant, ten Soul Skills of different colors and forms activated simultaneously before him.

Flames, lightning arcs, wind blades, ice spikes, earthen walls, vines, swords of light, shockwaves, swamps, and black mist.

Seeing this, Bibi Dong was completely stunned.

"Th-this is the Soul Skill you researched!?"

Su Chen looked down at his palm and nodded slowly.

"It can be considered an initial success."

"I can now use Soul Power to simulate ten different Soul Skill effects and release them at the same time."

"Although their power is not particularly strong yet."

"But the direction is correct."

Those few brief sentences.

Yet they instantly sent countless viewers beyond the Sky Screen into an uproar.

[Huo Wu]: Ten different Soul Skill effects? That's way too outrageous!

[Feng Xiaotian]: No, is this guy even human? It took me more than five years just to develop the Thirty-Six Consecutive Slashes of the Gale Demon Wolf, yet this guy created so many Self-Created Soul Skills in only half a year!

[Ning Fengzhi]: Incredible! Ordinary Soul Masters can only release one Martial Soul at a time. Even though our Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect possesses the secret art of Heart Separation Control, we can release no more than five Soul Skills simultaneously. Any more than that will inevitably cause Soul Power disorder, backlash, and ruptured meridians.

[Ning Fengzhi]: Yet he directly released ten Soul Skills at once. This method is simply heaven-defying.

[Shui Yue'er]: Before this, I still didn't really understand Su Chen's cultivation method or how it differed from the cultivation of ordinary Soul Masters like us.

[Shui Yue'er]: Now I truly feel that Su Chen's cultivation system is far more powerful than our Martial Soul cultivation system.