She bit her lip, but in the end, she let go of his hand. "Then... all right. You have to come back soon."
After a pause, she turned her face away, her voice growing quieter and quieter. "Otherwise, I, the great lord... Otherwise, I'll never speak to you again."
It was clearly meant as a threat, but it came out sounding like a pout.
Su Chen smiled. "All right, I understand."
He turned and headed for the door. Just as he reached it, he stopped and glanced back at Wang Dong. "Train hard. I'll check your progress when I get back. If you haven't improved, just see what I'll do to you."
"Hmph! Like I'm scared of you!" Wang Dong pulled a face at him.
As she watched Su Chen's retreating figure, the smile gradually faded from Wang Dong's face. She went to the window and watched him cross the open ground in front of the dormitory building, heading toward the teachers' offices. Her heart felt strangely empty.
"Just make sure you come back safe..." she murmured to herself.
Teachers' Office.
When Mu Jin heard that Su Chen had broken through to Level 30, she was surprised at first, then broke into a delighted smile.
"Level 30?! That's wonderful!" Mu Jin said happily. "Su Chen, what kind of Soul Beast do you need for your third Soul Ring? I can help you hunt one!"
In Mu Jin's eyes, Su Chen had been able to injure Soul Emperor Zhou Yi even as a Soul Grandmaster. If he broke through to Soul Elder and gained a third Soul Ring, his strength would surely reach another level. Then winning first place in the Freshman Assessment would be a piece of cake.
Su Chen shook his head. "There's no need to trouble you, Teacher Mu Jin. I already have arrangements."
"Already?" Mu Jin paused. "Are your family elders helping you?"
Su Chen didn't answer directly. He simply said, "It'll take me a while to obtain my Soul Ring, so I'd like to ask for leave."
"How many days?" Mu Jin asked.
Su Chen thought for a moment. "About twenty."
"Twenty days?!" Mu Jin's eyes widened in surprise. "Why would it take that long? Even if you went to the Star Dou Great Forest to hunt for a Soul Ring, the round trip would take ten days at most!"
Su Chen didn't explain. He couldn't exactly tell her that he was going to the Far North, and that his target wasn't an ordinary Soul Beast, but the Snow Empress, ranked third among the Ten Great Beast Kings.
After much cajoling and a half-true explanation—Su Chen said that his family elders were taking him to a special place to hunt the most suitable Soul Beast—Mu Jin finally agreed.
After all, Su Chen's displayed talent and strength were already beyond those of an ordinary student. It was only natural for a genius like him to have some unusual training methods.
"All right, I'll approve your leave." She sighed. "But Su Chen, you must be careful. I expect you back safe and sound in twenty days. Understand?"
"Understood. Thank you, Teacher."
Mu Jin wrote Su Chen a leave slip and reminded him of a few things to watch out for. Su Chen acknowledged each one, then left the office with the slip.
Star Dou Great Forest, outer region.
Su Chen walked alone through the dense forest. Sunlight filtered through the layers of leaves, casting dappled shadows on the ground. It was quiet all around, broken only by the occasional birdcall and the distant, faint roar of a beast.
He didn't release his Martial Soul, but remained intensely alert. The keen senses granted by his Six-Winged Angel Martial Soul let him detect danger nearby in advance.
Suddenly—
A figure appeared before him without warning.
The man was about two meters tall, a middle-aged fellow with a burly, muscular build, dressed in black. His features were stern, and his eyes sharp as an eagle's. He hadn't moved at all, yet simply standing there, he radiated the oppressive presence of a mountain.
Most striking were his eyes—pure black and unfathomably deep, as though they could suck a person's very soul inside.
In the Sea of Consciousness, the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm instantly bristled!
"Holy crap! A Limit Douluo!!" Its voice trembled. "Wait, why did we run into a Limit Douluo the moment we entered the forest?! Su Chen, run! This guy's aura is even more terrifying than that old man at the dorm entrance!"
As a million-year Soul Beast, the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm had exceptionally keen senses when it came to powerful beings. The middle-aged man before them was undoubtedly a Level 99 Limit Douluo! And one who ranked among the strongest even among Limit Douluos!
Yet Su Chen stood rooted to the spot, without moving an inch.
"Tian Meng, don't panic," he said calmly in his mind. "He's one of ours."
"One of ours?!" The Sky Dream Ice Silkworm was stunned.
By then, the man in black had already walked up to Su Chen. Under Tian Meng's horrified gaze from within the Sea of Consciousness, the Limit Douluo actually dropped to one knee and bowed respectfully.
"Greetings, young master."
His voice was low and powerful, filled with absolute loyalty.
Su Chen nodded. "Rise, Elder Mu."
Mu Ye—that was the man's name. A Level 99 Limit Douluo with the Dark Demon Dragon Martial Soul, he was titled Demon Dragon Douluo. He was the Great Enshrined of the Holy Heaven Sect, as well as Su Chen's bodyguard and hired hand for this trip to the Far North.
After receiving Su Chen's orders, he had come here a day early to wait.
Mu Ye rose, his gaze falling on Su Chen. A flicker of surprise crossed his eyes. "Young master, have you broken through to Level 30?"
"Mm." Su Chen nodded. "So I need to obtain my third Soul Ring. Elder Mu, I need a Soul Beast with a cultivation of six to eight thousand years. Ideally, it should have a light, sacred, or fire attribute."
Since he was going to the Far North, he naturally had to obtain his third Soul Ring before setting out. The Soul Beasts there were all ice-type and wouldn't suit the Six-Winged Angel Martial Soul.
Mu Ye answered respectfully, "Yes, young master. Please wait here."
He moved with astonishing speed, almost like Instant Teleportation. In that moment, the strength of a Limit Douluo was on full display.
The Sky Dream Ice Silkworm stared in disbelief from the Sea of Consciousness. "H-he just left? To catch a Soul Beast? Wait... Su Chen, who are you, exactly?! How can a Limit Douluo be so respectful to you and call you young master..."
It finally realized that when Su Chen had called himself the "young master of the Holy Heaven Sect" in front of Wang Dong, he might not have been joking.
Su Chen didn't answer. He simply found a clean rock to sit on and closed his eyes to rest.
Less than the time it took an incense stick to burn, Mu Ye returned.
He had brought back four half-dead Soul Beasts with him. Powerful Soul Power restrained them, leaving them unable to move as they could only let out mournful cries.
Mu Ye tossed the four Soul Beasts onto the ground in front of Su Chen. "Young master, these are the Soul Beasts nearby that met your requirements. Please choose."
Su Chen's gaze swept over them.
The first was a huge dragon, over ten meters long, with a pure white body and a pair of wings on its back. It radiated a pure aura of light—seven thousand five hundred years old, a Radiant Sacred Dragon.
The second was a fierce tiger wreathed in blazing red flames, its fangs bared and its eyes gleaming with menace—seven thousand one hundred years old, a Flame Demon Tiger.
The third was a slightly smaller dragon, but its aura was even more sacred. Golden patterns flowed across its scales—six thousand five hundred years old, a Sacred Giant Dragon.
The fourth was a snow-white steed with a single horn on its brow, light shimmering beneath its hooves—seven thousand years old, a Radiant Dragon Horse.
All four kinds of Soul Beast were extremely rare, especially the Radiant Sacred Dragon and the Sacred Giant Dragon, both top-tier Soul Beasts with dragon bloodlines. An ordinary Soul Master might not see even one in their entire life, yet Mu Ye had caught them in such a short time.
The efficiency of a Limit Douluo was terrifying.
Before you continue