Five Years Later: An Eleven-Year-Old Soul King and Plans for the Future

Life was like a tranquil pool of spring water, without ripples, yet reflecting the light of the sky and the shadows of clouds. Unnoticed, its ripples had already traveled far.

Nearly five years passed in the blink of an eye.

On a wide clearing, a tall, straight-backed youth held a long spear. One red and three black Soul Rings pulsed beneath him, while his opponent was a Variegated Giant Tiger, its entire body covered in mottled patterns and stretching over eight meters long.

The Variegated Giant Tiger was the most renowned powerful tiger-type Soul Beast in the Southern Dense Forest of the Star Luo Empire. Simple-minded and known for its immense strength and terrifying attack power, it was also called the Diamond Baboon among tiger-type Soul Beasts.

A thirty-thousand-year Variegated Giant Tiger would leave even an ordinary Soul Emperor with no choice but to run for dear life.

Yet at this moment, the beast king's usually single-minded mind began questioning its very existence for the first time.

It simply could not understand why this human, who looked like he had barely grown any hair, was so powerful. Worse still, the longer they fought, the braver he became, showing not the slightest trace of exhaustion or weakness.

This overwhelming, dimensionality-crushing suppression filled the Variegated Giant Tiger with panic and unease. Once a flaw appeared in its state of mind, the monarch-like traits carried by the Evil-Breaking Dragon Soul Spear took effect.

The Variegated Giant Tiger increasingly felt that the human before it was invincible. Its confidence and reason as a tiger king had long withered like petals after spring. Its desire to fight had vanished, leaving only despair and terror in its heart.

Qiangu Yunche's expression remained incomparably calm from beginning to end. Every thrust of the Evil-Breaking Dragon Soul Spear left a wound on the Variegated Giant Tiger. Though none were fatal, they constantly eroded what little sanity it had left.

At last, Qiangu Yunche's essence, energy, and spirit became one. As he delivered his final thrust, the Evil-Breaking Dragon Soul Spear, only about two and a half meters long, seemed to pierce straight through the Variegated Giant Tiger's body, which was over eight meters in length.

There was no anguished cry, not even a wound or blood. The Variegated Giant Tiger's massive body crashed to the ground, kicking up dust everywhere.

After delivering that strike, Qiangu Yunche felt himself enter a profound state. The Evil-Breaking Dragon Soul Spear in his hand seemed to merge with him completely. Spear and man became indistinguishable, its sharp aura making space tremble. The power of heaven and earth around him also surged violently, while even the laws maintaining the plane's basic stability faintly showed signs of fracturing.

Boom—

After a low rumble, Qiangu Yunche threw back his head and let out a long howl. Filled with youthful vigor and unrestrained arrogance, the cry shot into the skies, utterly scattering the white clouds above and revealing the deep blue heavens.

His Soul Power had advanced to Rank 50!

Applause came from behind him. The arrivals were none other than Qiangu Liting and his wife, along with a middle-aged man whose posture was as straight as a spear and whose expression was exceedingly cold and stern.

Following closely behind them were Qiangu Yunche's second grandfather and a young man who looked to be in his early twenties.

Although the Variegated Giant Tiger's soul had been annihilated by Qiangu Yunche's strike, it had not been completely killed.

The Soul Ring produced by a thirty-thousand-year Variegated Giant Tiger was extremely compatible with the Coiling Dragon Staff. Therefore, Qiangu Liting let the grandson of Qiangu Yunche's second grandfather, who had just broken through to the Soul Emperor realm, take advantage of the opportunity, saving them another trip to a Soul Beast gathering ground.

After exchanging greetings, Qiangu Yunche followed his parents and uncle toward a shaded spot nearby.

As they walked, Yang Tie said,

"Yunche, I have nothing more to teach you."

Over the past four years, aside from spending one year training in Heart-Burning Canyon to temper his state of mind and willpower, Qiangu Yunche had spent nearly all his time cultivating and practicing spear techniques under Yang Tie. As the saying went, an uncle on one's mother's side was as important as a father. Yang Tie had always raised Qiangu Yunche as his own child and could be said to have taught him everything he knew.

"Most of the spear techniques I know are unsuitable for you. The only one that suits you, Heaven-Breaking, you have already begun to grasp. I will not say anything more about the rest. I will only give you one final piece of advice."

Yang Tie's voice was cold, but his tone was extremely serious.

"Everything I taught you is merely the foundation of the spear path, meant to help you skillfully wield your Martial Soul. True spear techniques come from the perfect fusion of your own essence, energy, and spirit with the spear. You may study and draw upon the paths of those before you, but you cannot remain unchanged. You must forge your own path. Only then will it be the most suitable for you—and the strongest spear technique."

"Uncle, I'll remember that." Qiangu Yunche engraved Yang Tie's words in his heart.

Whatever else could be said, his uncle's understanding of the spear was indeed extraordinarily precise and clear.

Yang Tie said nothing further. After nodding once more to Yang Shu and Qiangu Liting, he headed straight for his residence. His movements were clean and decisive, without the slightest hesitation.

After Yang Tie left, Qiangu Yunche turned his gaze toward his parents and said,

"Dad, Mom, I've broken through to Soul King."

The couple nodded almost at the same time. Then Qiangu Liting smiled and said,

"If you hadn't gone to Heart-Burning Canyon, you should have become a Soul King half a year ago."

Qiangu Yunche shrugged and smiled as well.

"I still have half a month before I turn eleven. Training in Heart-Burning Canyon did slow my progress a little, but I think it was worth it."

"Precisely because it was worth it, your mother, I, and even your great-grandfather did not stop you." Qiangu Liting said softly, "Our original plan was for you to become a Soul Ancestor or Soul King before turning twelve. That would have been enough."

Yang Shu immediately added, "But from the ages of twelve to twenty, during those eight years, we expect you to become at least a Soul Douluo, or even a Title Douluo. Those eight years are the true golden age of cultivation for Soul Masters. Your body will be developing rapidly, and your Martial Soul will fuse with your body at its fastest rate. After you turn twenty, your cultivation speed will be constrained by your body and gradually level off."

The commonly recognized golden age of cultivation in the Soul Master world was from eight to twenty-five. However, before the age of twelve, a Soul Master's body and mind were not mature enough, and their physical functions and vitality could not be fully developed.

After the age of twenty, a Soul Master's body would grow more slowly, and the fusion between Martial Soul and body would likewise slow. Thus, in the eyes of the Qiangu Clan, the years from twelve to twenty were the truly urgent golden age for cultivation.

Qiangu Yunche nodded in agreement, not finding it surprising.

His own plan was to become a Title Douluo at around eighteen. After all, it was already decided that he would lead the clan elders to seize the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well. At that time, his cultivation speed would undoubtedly soar once again.

If even that was not enough to let him reach such an achievement, Qiangu Yunche felt that he would simply be wasting the opportunities he had once received.

Of course, being this conspicuous would definitely not escape the God King's creepy surveillance. Qiangu Yunche only hoped that some girl named Wang Dong would not suddenly pop out from some random corner one day...

Now tell him, wasn't that downright eerie?

After thinking for a moment, Qiangu Yunche asked again, "Dad, Mom, where should I obtain my fifth Soul Ring?"

Qiangu Liting and Yang Shu exchanged a glance, then answered together, "The Star Dou Great Forest."

Qiangu Yunche's eyes lit up. Then he said, "Can I make a trip to Star Luo City first?"

He remembered what the Cangming Thunder Dragon Emperor had said before falling into slumber. Among treasures that could greatly benefit both body and soul, Life Gold would undoubtedly be the first that came to mind.

His reason for going to Star Luo City was precisely for the Spirit Eater Carving Knife.

Although Qiangu Liting and Yang Shu did not understand why Qiangu Yunche wanted to go to Star Luo City, they did not refuse.

"This time, your father will accompany you to hunt a Soul Beast. Whether you go to Star Luo City is up to you, but you must obtain your fifth Soul Ring before your eleventh birthday." Yang Shu's voice was crisp and decisive, but she added one final sentence.

"Your sister should be going with you then. She is close to breaking through to Soul Saint. Find an opportunity during this trip to temper her and help her break through as soon as possible."

Qiangu Liting and Qiangu Yunche nodded at the same time, saying nothing further...