In the Heaven Dou Empire, inside the Crown Prince's Mansion in Heaven Dou City.
Qian Renxue and Oscar had finished absorbing the Immortal Herbs and returned to their seats.
"Xiao Zhen, your Light Dragon Ganoderma raised my cultivation straight to Level 80. Once I obtain my Eighth Soul Ring, I'll be able to advance a few more levels. You've saved me years of hard cultivation, so I'll forgive you for this." Qian Renxue lifted her chin haughtily as she spoke, though her sidelong gaze stayed fixed on Su Zhen.
"Thank you for forgiving me, Sister Xue. Before I came back, I discussed it with Senior Di Tian and the others. The Titan Giant Ape in the Star Dou Forest will offer up its life for your Eighth Soul Ring. Once you've taken care of everything here, just head to the Star Dou Forest and find Senior Di Tian."
Su Zhen handed Qian Renxue a Thunder Scale. It was a special token he had condensed from thunder, recognized by both the Ferocious Beasts of the Star Dou Forest and the people of Spirit Hall's Worship Hall.
Ever since Su Zhen had stayed in the Star Dou Forest to cultivate, Di Tian and the others had handled all the Soul Ring hunts for the Worship Hall. For example, Qian Renxue's Seventh Soul Ring had come from the sacrifice of an eighty-thousand-year-old Light Heavenly Dragon Horse. The same was true of Oscar's Fourth Soul Ring, which he had absorbed three years ago, and his Fifth Soul Ring from a year ago. Of course, this privilege was limited to members of the Worship Hall. Not even the people of Pope Hall qualified.
"Little Ao, haven't you always wanted a Mirror Shadow Beast? I have an even better option for you."
Su Zhen took a sheet of paper from his Soul Tool and handed it to Oscar.
Oscar took the paper and studied it. It showed a canine Soul Beast with thick limbs and a body covered in silver scales. Its unusual build gave it an air of mystery.
"Brother Zhen, i-is this a Silver Elite Beast? A Silver Elite Beast with a spiritual imprint Soul Skill! The records in Spirit Hall's archives say this kind of Soul Beast went extinct long ago."
"Brother Zhen, is this the gift you prepared for me? I love it! Compared to this, a Mirror Shadow Beast is nothing."
Oscar stared fixedly at the Soul Beast drawn on the paper, so excited he could barely speak.
"This Silver Elite Beast has been hiding in the deepest part of the Star Dou Forest, protected by the Ferocious Beasts, so Soul Masters have never discovered it. It's fifty thousand years old, making it just right to offer up as your Sixth Soul Ring."
Su Zhen explained where the Silver Elite Beast came from.
"Brother Zhen, I really love you!"
Oscar rushed forward and hugged Su Zhen, shouting with excitement.
"All right, Little Ao. Once Sister Xue has finished making arrangements, you can go with her to the Star Dou Forest."
Su Zhen pushed Oscar off him as he spoke.
Over the next few days, Su Zhen and Oscar stayed at the Crown Prince's Mansion, resting and recuperating, while Qian Renxue busied herself with the affairs she would need to leave behind.
Qian Renxue, rushing about with work, saw the two of them lounging in the courtyard, eating watermelon in the sun. Her anger flared, and she went over and punched each of them. Under her threats and enticements, they started helping her with her work.
Two months later, everyone stood at the Crown Prince's Mansion to bid one another farewell.
Qian Renxue, disguised, took Oscar and the two Titled Douluo Snake Lance and Ci Xue with her in a carriage out of the city. They were setting out on a month-long mission to obtain Soul Rings.
Watching the carriage grow smaller in the distance, Su Zhen turned and went back into the Crown Prince's Mansion. Yang Fan and Li Hao, the two Titled Douluo, were already waiting in the courtyard for his orders.
"Your subordinates pay their respects to Master." ×2
The moment they saw Su Zhen, Yang Fan and Li Hao both dropped to one knee, pledging their loyalty to him.
During the two months Su Zhen and the others had been resting, Yang Fan and Li Hao had each broken through to Level 90. With Su Zhen's connections in the Star Dou Forest, they had obtained their Ninth Soul Rings, each from a top-grade Soul Beast over eighty thousand years old. This had greatly strengthened their loyalty to him.
"Now that you're both Titled Douluo, introduce yourselves."
Su Zhen took a chair from his Soul Tool, sat down in front of them, and spoke calmly.
"Yang Fan. Martial Soul: God-Shattering Spear. Level 91 Power Attack System Titled Douluo. Title: Spear God."
"Li Hao. Martial Soul: Shadow Tiger. Level 91 Power Attack System Titled Douluo. Title: Shadow Tiger."
They each used Martial Soul Possession and announced their Martial Souls and titles.
"Hmm? The Yang surname, and the God-Shattering Spear. What's your relationship to the Breaking Clan?"
Su Zhen looked at Yang Fan. He had never asked about either man's background.
"Master, I'm a cousin of Yang Wudi, the current head of the Breaking Clan. When I was young, a Martial Soul Mutation meant I didn't inherit the Breaking Clan's core Martial Soul, the Soul Breaking Spear, and couldn't compete for clan leadership. On top of that, the clan members looked at me strangely. In a fit of anger, I left the Breaking Clan, and Fifth Worshipper took me in."
Yang Fan withdrew his Martial Soul and told Su Zhen about his past.
"What was your Innate Soul Power?"
"Level 6."
"To reach Level 89 and become a Soul Douluo at your age with Innate Soul Power of Level 6, the Worship Hall must have invested quite a lot in you."
"I owe everything I am today to the careful cultivation of the Worship Hall and you, Master. I'll never forget what you and the Worship Hall have done for me."
As he spoke, Yang Fan knelt again and bowed his head to show his loyalty.
Su Zhen said nothing, turning his gaze to Li Hao.
"Master, I'm a member of the Star Luo Imperial Family. The current Star Luo Emperor is my older brother. When we were young, because of the imperial succession system, he sent people to kill me. Fourth Worshipper happened to pass by and rescued me. My awakened Martial Soul was the Mutated Martial Soul Shadow Tiger, and my Innate Soul Power was Level 7. Since I didn't inherit the imperial family's White Tiger Martial Soul, the Star Luo Empire never sent anyone after me. Fourth Worshipper took me under his wing."
Li Hao knelt as he recounted his past.
"Every one of you has quite a background. If I hadn't asked, were you planning to keep it from me forever?"
Yang Fan and Li Hao exchanged glances and hastily insisted that they wouldn't dare.
"Enough. Stop kneeling and get up. From now on, call me Young Master. Get ready. It's time for us to leave."
"Yes, Young Master."
They answered in unison.
A moment later, the three were ready to depart. Dressed in different sets of fitted clothes, they headed out of Heaven Dou City.
Outside a tavern, a young woman with short, deep-purple hair leaned against its sign, tipped her head back, and poured liquor into her mouth.
As Su Zhen and the others passed the tavern, the young woman, who had been drinking, opened her green eyes and stared intently at Su Zhen—or, more precisely, at the Ruyi Hundred Treasure Pouch at his waist.
The young woman dropped her flask, wiped the liquor from the corner of her mouth, and quietly followed the three.
'Young Master, a fish has taken the bait.'
Yang Fan used Sound Transmission to speak to Su Zhen.
'Excellent. We can proceed with the plan.'
Su Zhen had recognized her the moment he saw her: Dugu Yan, the granddaughter of Poison Douluo. He believed that this Imperial Fighting Team vice-captain from the original story would play a key role in their future plans.
They made their way to a small grove five kilometers outside Heaven Dou City.
"Dugu Yan, since you followed us all the way here, stop skulking around."
Su Zhen stopped, turned, and spoke toward a large tree in the distance.
When Dugu Yan realized he had identified her in a single sentence, she immediately understood that he had spotted her as soon as she began following him. There was no point hiding anymore, so she stepped out from behind the tree.
"Who are you? Where did you get the Ruyi Hundred Treasure Pouch at your waist?"
Dugu Yan's emerald-green eyes stayed fixed on the Ruyi Hundred Treasure Pouch at Su Zhen's waist.
Five years ago, her grandfather, Dugu Bo, had gone away and vanished without a trace. It was true that he often went into seclusion for long stretches, but every time, he left her a letter telling her how long he would be gone. Yet in those five years, Dugu Bo had vanished as if he had been erased from the world.
When her grandfather's old enemies came looking for trouble, Sect Master Ning of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect had stepped in to protect her. Sect Master Ning had told her that Dugu Bo had joined the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect and gone into a closed-door cultivation retreat within the sect.
Dugu Yan hadn't simply believed Ning Fengzhi. Until she saw Dugu Bo's keepsake, she wouldn't trust anyone.
"My name is Su Zhen. As for this Ruyi Hundred Treasure Pouch, an old man gave it to me just before he died."
"What did you say?"
Hearing Su Zhen's words, Dugu Yan was shocked. She immediately used Martial Soul Possession, and a terrifying cloud of poison billowed wildly in every direction.
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