But Then Again

"Of course. As for where to find the boy's second Soul Ring, I'm afraid I'll have to trouble the lords of Spirit Hall to lend a little assistance.

"Otherwise, with my current strength, I really wouldn't know where to find a high-quality Soul Ring anytime soon."

Lin Nuo wore a smile, his tone calibrated to perfection.

After hearing Lin Nuo's request, a trace of meaningful calculation and hidden intent flashed through Ma Xiunuo's cloudy old eyes.

"Lin Nuo, as for high-level soul beasts and a letter of recommendation, it's not as though Spirit Hall can't help you. It's just..."

The little old man deliberately drew out his words, stopping precisely where he needed to.

Having lived two lives, how could Lin Nuo fail to catch the old fox's implication?

To be fair, the Nuoding Branch had helped him conceal information about his talent and provided him with plenty of conveniences over the past few years. They had already treated him quite well.

If he only took benefits without doing anything in return, freeloading all the way, that would truly be the Way of Seeking Death. It would not end well.

Besides, borrowing Spirit Hall's influence had always been the most crucial part of his overall plan.

"Grandpa Ma Xiunuo, you're being far too formal."

Lin Nuo smoothly picked up the conversation, his gaze utterly sincere. "Please report my information to the Platinum Bishop in Heaven Dou City.

"Once I graduate from Heaven Dou Royal Academy in the future, I will naturally join Spirit Hall formally and serve Her Holiness the Pope."

Seeing how sensible the little fellow was, the wrinkles on Ma Xiunuo's face instantly curled into a blooming chrysanthemum.

"Oh! Good child, what are you saying? Would Grandpa really not trust you?"

Ma Xiunuo's attitude made a complete one-eighty, his tone so affectionate that Lin Nuo might as well have been his biological grandson.

"Heaven Dou Royal Academy truly is the most suitable stepping stone for you.

"Only an advanced academy backed wholeheartedly by the empire is worthy of teaching a peerless genius like you!"

"Though the rules there are rigid and they claim to accept only nobles, with a personal letter of recommendation from our Platinum Bishop, those rules are worth shit!

"You're a treasure discovered by Spirit Hall. If we don't protect you, who will we protect?"

With a wave of his hand, the little old man immediately assigned Su Yuntao, who was still reeling from the collapse of his worldview, to prepare the most luxurious guest room in the branch for Lin Nuo.

They only needed to wait for instructions from the higher-ups in Heaven Dou City before setting off for Heaven Dou City.

"By the way, Lin Nuo, do you plan to obtain your second Soul Ring first in our Soul Hunting Forest, or wait until you reach Heaven Dou City and go to Sunset Forest or even Star Dou Forest?"

Ma Xiunuo warmly suggested, "If you want to become a Soul Grandmaster as soon as possible, this old man will gather the men and personally accompany you to Soul Hunting Forest!"

Lin Nuo's heart stirred, but he politely declined on the grounds that "Sunset Forest has a richer variety of soul beasts."

What a joke. His second Soul Ring was meant for absorbing a thousand-year Soul Ring across ranks.

How could the soul beast varieties in Soul Hunting Forest possibly satisfy his appetite?

Besides, after consuming so much Whale Rubber, his physical strength had long surpassed that of others his age.

He needed high-level soul masters in Heaven Dou City to conduct an extreme pressure test on him, so he could accurately determine the maximum age limit for his second Soul Ring.

Ma Xiunuo, a mere Soul Ancestor, could not handle a situation of that level.

"By the way, Grandpa Ma Xiunuo, I still have some personal belongings at the academy. I need to go back and pack them before moving into the branch later."

Naturally, Ma Xiunuo had no objection. He repeatedly reminded Lin Nuo to stay safe on the road.

The moment Lin Nuo left, Spirit Hall's secret intelligence network began operating at high speed.

About ten minutes later, an encrypted top-secret file sped through a special channel toward the Platinum Temple in Heaven Dou City.

Several bold lines were written on the file:

[Name: Lin Nuo]

[Age: Under nine]

[Soul Power: Level 20 (quasi-Soul Grandmaster)]

[Martial Soul: Death Demon Spider]

At the very end of the file, there was even a high-definition portrait of Lin Nuo meticulously copied by an artist.

"I never expected that, at the very moment I'm about to retire, I would recruit such a terrifying genius for Spirit Hall."

"I have not failed to live up to Her Holiness the Pope's expectations."

Ma Xiunuo thought smugly.

By the time the sun set behind the western hills, the travel-worn Lin Nuo finally arrived outside a tranquil mountain village.

At the village entrance stood an enormous boulder more than twice a person's height. Besides the distinctive deep handprint, three crookedly carved characters were etched into it: Holy Soul Village.

"Finally..."

Lin Nuo stopped, rubbed his hands together, and his eyes suddenly burned with excitement.

Holy Soul Village. This was the true source of all evil on Douluo Continent.

But excitement aside, Lin Nuo was not foolish enough to swagger into the village by the main road.

He skillfully found a blind spot with a high vantage point, crouched down, narrowed his eyes, and looked into the distance.

Only after repeatedly confirming that the dilapidated Blacksmith Shop in the corner of the village was indeed deserted—

With neither the sound of hammering nor the faintest wisp of cooking smoke—did the last stone in his heart finally fall into place.

That old bastard really was not here!

This round, the advantage was mine!

Having confirmed it was safe, Lin Nuo decisively bypassed the village's main road and plunged into the dense forest in the eastern mountains.

The woods were dark and damp, with snakes and insects occasionally scurrying in panic through the undergrowth.

But none of that affected Lin Nuo's clear train of thought.

According to the original plot, Ah Yin's Seed of Life and that hundred-thousand-year Blue Silver Emperor Right Leg Bone were hidden by Tang Hao behind a concealed waterfall in the back mountains.

Lin Nuo quickened his pace, pushing through layers of vines and slippery moss.

Following the roar of rushing water, he climbed a steep slope with both hands and feet.

After taking several more steps forward, his view suddenly opened up!

On the sheer cliff ahead, a silvery-white waterfall poured down from dozens of meters above like a jade dragon.

Water mist filled the air, and under the glow of the setting sun, it refracted brilliant rainbow-colored light. The scenery was truly breathtaking.

Standing beside the pool before the waterfall, Lin Nuo breathed lightly, his eyes fixed firmly on the center of the rushing torrent.

"Found it... The hidden entrance is behind the waterfall."

Opportunity could not be missed. Delay invited change.

Lin Nuo did not hesitate in the slightest.

Martial Soul Possession!

The phantom of the Death Spider Emperor flashed behind him and vanished.

In an instant, Lin Nuo felt power surge wildly through his body. His strength, defense, speed, and every other attribute received an all-around, explosive boost.

He drove forcefully off the ground with both legs and leapt!

Bracing himself against the terrifying cascade crashing down like a thousand-ton weight, he charged upstream and plunged headfirst with perfect precision toward the rock wall inside the waterfall.

Wiping the water droplets from his face, Lin Nuo quickly found an indentation on the smooth stone wall that clearly bore traces of artificial excavation.

He stepped closer and ran his hand along the surrounding rock wall for a while.

As his fingertips triggered a hidden mechanism, a low, rumbling grinding sound rose beneath the cover of the rushing water.

The heavy stone door slowly opened.

Fast as lightning, Lin Nuo swept aside the curtain of water and flashed without hesitation into the pitch-black, unfathomable mountain cave.